Traveller-digest      Monday, August 23 1999      Volume 1999 : Number 1002



(R)1996. Traveller is a registered trademark of FarFuture Enterprises.
All rights reserved.

The following topics are covered in this digest:

Re: Pronunciation
RE: Shirt Pictures
Another look at aliens [long]
I Need Some Radiation
Re: Hard Times 
Re: Will the real Strephon please stand up! (Re: Cloning) 
Re: Thrust effects (was HEPlar lives!)
Of Deck Plates and G's
Re: The Heritage Trilogy
Re: Shirt Pictures
Re: Trav T-shirts 
Re: Shirt Pictures 
Re: Experience System
Alien Races 2 Question
Re: OT : Alarets 
RE: Traveller-digest V1999 #998
Re: Experience System 
Re: Will the real Strephon please stand up!
Re: Will the real Strephon please stand up!
Re: Hard Science
101 Starships
Re: Will the real Strephon please stand up! (Re: Cloning)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 02:07:16 +0100
From: Mark Watson <markw@antares.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Pronunciation

> So who ever named the planet must have 
>hastily "Latinized" Ouranos as Uranus, which is the correct transliteration  

Herschel, I guess.
- --
Mark Watson, markw@antares.demon.co.uk

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 18:26:29 -0700
From: "Jesse DeGraff" <fenris@slip.net>
Subject: RE: Shirt Pictures

ROFL!!!!

For other's reference, see the "ouch!" pic at:
http://www.vision-forge-graphics.com/jesse/traveller/ditzie.htm  The name of
the specific picture is "bye-clif.gif"

Cheers & Beers,
Jesse



>     What & have her use him as a test subject?  Are you nuts?  No
> one drops
> the older Ditzie, she drops them, & you are damn happy about it, when it
> happens.
>
> Legate Legion
> ICQ # 8973001
> legate@futureone.com
> http://www.futureone.com/~legate/index.htm
>
> "A man may fight for many things; his country, his principles,
> his friends,
> the glistening tear on the cheek of a golden child. But personally, I'd
> mudwrestle my own mother for a ton of cash, an amusing clock, and
> a stack of
> French porn." - Edmund Blackadder
>
>

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 19:12:26 -0600
From: "Christopher B. Thrash" <thrash@io.com>
Subject: Another look at aliens [long]

I am always interested in conceptual tools that will give me a better
handle on aliens in a campaign. When my wife, Monkey Girl, mentioned a
principle of evolutionary theory I hadn't heard before, I realized that it
has implications for Traveller. Herewith is my understanding of what she said:

"Complete co-competitors cannot co-exist." (C4, for short.)

First, some definitions:

Competitors: depend on the same, limited resource.
Co-competitors: compete within the same ecological niche.
Complete co-competitors: compete for all and only the same, limited
resources within the same niche.

So, all animals that eat field mice are competitors (for field mice, a
limited resource). All ground animals that eat field mice are
co-competitors. Two ground animals that both subsist solely on field mice
would be complete co-competitors.

The C4 principle is a restatement or corollary of "survival of the
fittest": if two species try to inhabit exactly the same ecological niche,
one will prove to be better at it and drive the other out (either literally
or through greater reproduction).

There are basically three ways to resolve such a conflict:

(1) The species remain geographically distinct. This probably only lasts
when there is some kind of barrier between them, like a river or mountain
range.  The barrier can be as seemingly insignificant as a 3 degree
temperature difference.

(2) The species diverge into distinct niches -- nocturnal vs. diurnal,
ground vs. arboreal, etc.  The differentiation can also be the adoption of
other resources -- one becomes an omnivore instead of a strict carnivore, etc.

(3) If possible, the "species" interbreed until they are indistinguishable
(this may be happening with coyotes and wild dogs in the eastern US). 

The resolution, whatever form it takes, rarely requires more than 10
generations to reach.

A secondary principle that relates to this discussion is the idea that
species will change rather than die out. Put a species under stress and
most of the time one of its weird fringe populations will prove adaptable
to the new circumstances. That will be the version of the species that
survives the stress. This is how the 2d solution occurs.


So what has this got to do with aliens? Suppose that "interstellar
technological civilization" is a niche. The C4 idea implies that you will
not have a peaceful, egalitarian coexistance. Within about 10 generations
of first contact some other kind of accommodation would be reached. Either:

(1) Each species would maintain its own, distinct territory. This is the
situation among the major races in Traveller (except the Droyne; see next).

(2) Each species would adapt to specific (good word!) roles, perhaps even
become castes of a sort. This is the fate of most minor races in Traveller,
and most major-race exclaves in other states: Bwaps as diplomats, Dolphins
as fish-herds and wet-navy scouts, etc.

(3) Where possible, as in the case of long-separated populations descended
from the same species, the species would intermix until there is no
noticeable difference left. This is very probably the fate of most Human
races in Traveller, minor or major: remain isolated (like the Zhodani) or
be assimilated (like the Vilani and Solomani).


It is possible to read too much into this idea, and use it as a
rationalization for racism (among other abuses). I am not suggesting that
biology is destiny, especially for social and economic creatures like
Humans. However, I do believe that biology is a force to be recognized. The
more "alien" the aliens, and the less able we are to understand and trade
with them, the more important I believe it will be.


*Disclaimer:  I am not a biological anthropologist; my wife is. Any
distortions or oversimplifications of theory are strictly my own -- so deal
with it.*

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 20:13:38 -0500
From: Kenneth Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions <dreamer@brokersys.com>
Subject: I Need Some Radiation

Wondering about my close encounter with starships coming up....

I've got a PC hanging by the handgrip of the airlock ON THE OUTSIDE of
the bad guy ship.

The bad guy ship just slammed on full thrust.  It's moving from an
all-stop position to 3G acceleration.

So, my questions are--

1)  Inertia.

There are no inertial dampers outside the bad guy ship.  What will
happen to the PC as he holds onto the bar?  Can he withstand the force
of the ship moving and ride on the outside of the thing?  Or will the
ship leave him floating in its wake?



2)  Radiation.

If the PC is left floating (or if he lets go and does not travel with
the ship), what happens when a person in a vacc suit veers too close to
the wrong end of a T-plate?  Those things glow blue with the ionization
(I use the DGP style of T-plates in my campaign).  Will that radiation
fry anyone who comes to close to it?

If so, how close does one have to get to the T-plates in order to take
damage?

What kind of damage (how many D) would you put on a PC in that kind of
raditiation?


Kenneth.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 21:13:41 -0400
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@accesstoledo.com>
Subject: Re: Hard Times 

> Speaking of Hard Times... eight or nine years after it was released, I
> finally picked it up.
> 
> I was curious how many Trav players use it, and what the rest of the TML
> peanut gallery thought of it.  Good?  Bad?  Stupid?  Excellent for storing
> in your fireplace?

I love the concept.  In the kinds of total war of the Rebellion ('to the last
man' and that nonsense), it's useful for me to figure out what all is happening
on a planet you're dealing with.  <grin>  The current time IMTU is 1124, just
before the effects of HT start hitting.  <evil grin>

Keven

- -- 
tc++ tm+ tn t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In Reavers' Deep

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 21:11:34 -0400
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@accesstoledo.com>
Subject: Re: Will the real Strephon please stand up! (Re: Cloning) 

> At 11:54 PM 8/21/99 -0400, you wrote:
> >
> >> The Strephon who appears after the assassination was in fact a clone.
> >> In is explicitly mentioned in _Survival Margin_, where IIRC (all my
> >> Trav books are still boxed up after moving) he laments his clones fate
> >> in his private dairy.
> >
> >Um, not *quite*, Rupert.  The Strephon that Dulinor whacked was the clone.  
> >The guy writing the diary in SM was the *real* Strephon.
> 
> That was my understanding as well.
> 
> However, I just picked up Hard Times and read that Strephon refused to be
> tested by IRIS to confirm if he really was the Emperor.  After he refused,
> IRIS publicly stated that "Strephon" wasn't a contender and backed Margaret
> as the highest ranking noble eligible for the Iridium Throne.  Despite the
> fact that IRIS holds no significant power during the Rebellion, it has to
> be PR that is extremely damaging to Strephon's cause.
> 
> If he was the real Strephon, why the heck didn't he go along with the test?
>  Was this written up anywhere else?

Thing about IRIS was, it was just a bunch of covert ops types trying to be
kingmakers.  There never really *was* an IRIS.  It was all smoke and mirrors.

Keven

- -- 
tc++ tm+ tn t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In Reavers' Deep

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 21:21:56 -0400
From: Juliean Galak <jg42@cornell.edu>
Subject: Re: Thrust effects (was HEPlar lives!)

At 12:54 AM 8/24/99 +0100, you wrote:
>  "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk> writes:
> >Well, every single ship in Brilliant Lances (that's all the classic designs)
> >has contra grav, except for the Lab Ship, Donosev, Chrysanthemum and Aurora.
> >All those four are unstreamlined, and thus not atmosphere-capable.
>
>A USL ship can land in an atmosphere with CG, provided the bracings are
>adequate (ie it is stressed to take local gravity). In most cases this is
>probably the case as the ship can take accn from the drives.

This brings up an interesting question: why can't an USL ship land in an 
atmosphere?  Considering the fact that some of them have 6G of thrust, a 
mere 1G of gravity shouldn't bother them (of course, if it's the AG that 
provides some of the structural strength, then you'd need to keep that on).

As for the atmosphere itself, that's only an issue if you do a fast, TL7 
spacecraft style landing.  Given either CG or Thruster Plates/Reactionless 
thrusters, it should be possible for a ship to take a few hours to _slowly_ 
come down through the atmosphere and land gently.  Same on takeoff.

Admittedly, this wouldn't work for warships, but a large cargo hauler can 
take it's time going up and down.  The slight increase in costs for extra 
time would be more than made up by no longer using interface craft.

Am I overlooking something?  Is this in a faq somewhere?  Or is this an 
acknowledged hole in Traveller?

Thanks,



           -- Juliean Galak (a.k.a. Falcon)
	     Gearhead-in-Training

- --
Gerfalcon Enterprises - GURPS Traveller Ironmongery for the 5th Millenium
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	ta- he+ kk-- hi+ as++ va++ dr+ so+ zh++ vi+ 0601
jg42@cornell.edu        "I do not agree with a word you say, but I will
                          defend to the death your right to say it."
                                              -- Francois Marie Voltaire
#include <disclaimer.h> "Imagination is more important than knowledge"
                          			     -- Albert Einstein
for PGP public-key and
more quotes, finger: jg42@gerfalcon.tzo.com
WWW Page: http://www.cadif.cornell.edu/~falcon/Traveller/              

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 20:17:32 -0500
From: Kenneth Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions <dreamer@brokersys.com>
Subject: Of Deck Plates and G's

Another question...

As the PCs try to cut into the airlock from the outside of the ship,
I've had the bad guys turn up the G's on the deck plates to make it
harder for them to work.

Two questions--

1)  I read somewhere that 0-2 Gs is the standard range for variable
gravity on a starship.  Thoughts on this?  Should the range be
different?



2)  What kind of throw should I impose on the PCs as they try to work in
the increased gravity field?  Some type of STR check each round?


Kenneth.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 21:22:50 -0400
From: Juliean Galak <jg42@cornell.edu>
Subject: Re: The Heritage Trilogy

At 08:18 PM 8/23/99 -0400, you wrote:
> >Wasn't that the premise of Weber's Mutineer Moon/Armageddon inheritance
> >series as well?
>
> >           -- Juliean Galak (a.k.a. Falcon)
>
>Very similiar, except the Achuultani were being used by a psychotic sentient
>computer system and are unaware that they are slaves to it.  Captured
>achuultani eventually become friendly when outside the influence of their
>computer systems.

Ah.  I haven't gotten that far yet... I'm currently in the middle of 
Armageddon Inheritance...

           -- Juliean Galak (a.k.a. Falcon)

- --
jg42@cornell.edu        "I do not agree with a word you say, but I will
                          defend to the death your right to say it."
                                              -- Francois Marie Voltaire
#include <disclaimer.h> "Imagination is more important than knowledge"
                          			     -- Albert Einstein
for PGP public-key and
more quotes, finger: jg42@gerfalcon.tzo.com
WWW Page: http://www.cadif.cornell.edu/~falcon/                

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 20:25:02 -0500
From: Ron Brown <ronnyq@nightowl.net>
Subject: Re: Shirt Pictures

Love the Ditzie chick!

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 21:23:56 -0400
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@accesstoledo.com>
Subject: Re: Trav T-shirts 

> At 10:50 PM 8/22/99 -0400, you wrote:
> >
> >    Yes, I have a couple I would like to see as a shirt, well more than a
> >few, really.
> 
> >http://www.vision-forge-graphics.com/jesse/traveller/ft_orbit_2.htm
> >
> >http://www.vision-forge-graphics.com/jesse/traveller/tml_sulieman1.htm
> 
> 
> My vote is for one of these two.

http://www.vision-forge-graphics.com/jesse/traveller/ft_orbit_2.htm gets my vote.

Keven

- -- 
tc++ tm+ tn t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In Reavers' Deep

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 21:34:59 -0400
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@accesstoledo.com>
Subject: Re: Shirt Pictures 

> ROFL!!!!
> 
> For other's reference, see the "ouch!" pic at:
> http://www.vision-forge-graphics.com/jesse/traveller/ditzie.htm  The name of
> the specific picture is "bye-clif.gif"
> 
> Cheers & Beers,

Heheh.  Cute.

She could have aimed a bit lower, though.  Or was she *trying* to save his tennis shoes??

Keven

- -- 
tc++ tm+ tn t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In Reavers' Deep

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 02:21:25 +0100
From: Mark Watson <markw@antares.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Experience System

On Fri, 20 Aug 1999, Ethan Henry wrote:
>
>The only problem with this is that it's as easy to go from Pistol-33 
>to Pistol-34 as it is to go from Pistol-1 to Pistol-2. Traveller's
>lack of a skill level ceiling makes it difficult to judge which
>of these two things should be harder.
>

For MT there are two implicit ceilings, a) the maximum number of levels
(int+edu) for all skills and b) the maximum useful skill level (7).

There is at least one experience system I know of for CT (the one published by
Andy Slack as part of his Expanding Universe series, and available from his
website). 

The easiest, most usable systems I came up with, and have used in
practice were as follows:

Under CT:
- - player nominates a notional "career" which they will continue in for the
purposes of development. It may not necessarily be the same as their pre-game
career.
- - each game-year the player makes a skill roll against the appropriate
chargen tables for their notional career. If they are rolling against
different tables than their original career they get -2 modifier.
- - if they make the skill roll they roll for the skill in the appropriate
tables.
- - player gets max one skill per game year.
- - later revision of it had the skill roll (in secret, by the ref) at the start
of the year so that the ref could build any resulting character development into
the game (OK we weren't very sophisticated).

Later system, under MT:
- - each time a player makes a critical success role (5 or more than required)
they get a point against that skill.
- - when their skill points = their current skill level +7 they get a skills
roll. They need to roll > their current skill level + 6, modified by int
- - skill point can alternatively be used as a "discount" against Instruction.
- - practice attempts are allowed - ie a routine task involving a particular
skill, duration 4 days. Effectively this only allows practice during jump,
unless you're characters are completely sedentary. If they get 5 or better
modified against the task, this counts as a point.

The second requires book-keeping, unlike the first, but works better so long as
you use a dice-based system (ie roll tasks rather than resolve through
adjudication).

Young characters are however still at a disadvantage against pre-experienced
characters - reason being that pre-experienced characters can develop UPP stats
as well as skills, especially in mustering out.

Note also that it is usually (and should be) quicker to gain skills under
Instruction then via experience, post-Mercenary. 
Mark
- --
Mark Watson, markw@antares.demon.co.uk

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 21:59:03 -0400
From: howard.anderson@psu.edu (Cheng Tseng)
Subject: Alien Races 2 Question

Hello,

        I've been lurking for a long while, but after picking up my copy of
Alien Races 2, I delurk to get some clarification on a point.
        For the section on Aslans, there is a passage on Aslan characters
with psionic ability.  My question is about  the use of psionics by an Aslan
only after 10 minutes of meditiation, specifically, was this factoid
mentioned in any earlier publications?  If so, which ones?

Thanks in advance.

C.T.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 22:04:05 -0400
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@accesstoledo.com>
Subject: Re: OT : Alarets 

> Kevin -
> 
> I know speed and planets don't make sense, but I typed it in right from the
> book without changing anything.  I assumed someone on this list (or probably
> several someones <grin>) would make any suggestions as to what needed to be
> changed to make them playable.

Well, you *don't* want them on every planet in the galaxy.  Everybody would
head for a cave and take their chances.  Hey, you either die or live *forever*.
 A nice quiet lowtech planet way off the regular lanes would be better.  And
the legend would be a *local* one.

Also, if they move *too* fast, they can chase down a host and attack them
before they have the chance to get away.  Speed .5 gives a victim the chance
to get away.

Keven

- -- 
tc++ tm+ tn t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In Reavers' Deep

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 23:24:03 -0300
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca>
Subject: RE: Traveller-digest V1999 #998

At 06:07 PM 23/08/1999 -0700, you wrote:
>>> Can someone send me a e-mail if they see this in the post...
>> Still having problems posting....
>> mlinsenmayer@symantec.com
>>
>> I have some new artwork.. not good as Jesses though  ;)
>>
>http://www.bigbailey.com/vspace/art/picture-b.htm
>

        Mike!
        I *love* the AVI's...  what are you using to do the soundtracks?  Is
that Acid-Style or another package.  Either way, *great* stuff.

        --Michel
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-
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				ICQ # 31172292
	"Reality Error in Progress....
			....Do Not Adjust Your Penguin"	
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-
	Into Cyberpunk?  Check Out:
		"http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/cp2020"
	Into Traveller?  Check Out:
		"http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/traveller"
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-
	***REMEMBER - Always virus-check your emails ***
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 22:22:14 -0400
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@accesstoledo.com>
Subject: Re: Experience System 

> >> Personally, I wouldn't. I can't speak for anyone else, but game years
> pass
> >> pretty slowly in the games I've played in (except Ars Magica). I tend to
> >> want my PCs to improve faster than that.
> >
> >Be quiet.
> 
> #:-p
> 
> That wasn't a comment on PBEM, Keven. Please don't kill my character...

He might need to 'keep an eye out' for danger.  <grin>
 
> Actually I meant face-to-face roleplaying. Most of my characters have never
> really had time to get more than a year or two older. We've tended
> not to have much downtime in the games I've played in.

One of my F2F characters aged over 5 years.  Fun guy; a merchant prince style 
character developed and run *way* before Merchant Princes came out.  He ended 
up a convicted felon, sentenced to become 'governor' of a newly developed 
colony in the Spinward Marches.  Problem was, he had to see his parole 
officer 2 parsecs away every 3 months, which tended to keep him out of *too* 
much trouble...

Keven

- -- 
tc++ tm+ tn t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In Reavers' Deep

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 20:50:13 -0600
From: cos 90 <cos90@powersurfr.com>
Subject: Re: Will the real Strephon please stand up!

>However, I just picked up Hard Times and read that Strephon refused to be
>tested by IRIS to confirm if he really was the Emperor.  After he refused,
>IRIS publicly stated that "Strephon" wasn't a contender and backed Margaret
>as the highest ranking noble eligible for the Iridium Throne.  Despite the
>fact that IRIS holds no significant power during the Rebellion, it has to
>be PR that is extremely damaging to Strephon's cause.
>
>If he was the real Strephon, why the heck didn't he go along with the test?
> Was this written up anywhere else?

"Yep, he's the real Strephon, all right. Pass me the lethal dose of
tranquilizer so we can eliminate him, as per Dulinor's orders."

Not canon, but a possibility... Strephon may have been paranoid enough
to suspect Dulinor's (or Lucan's) influence everywhere. (Just a thought.)


     Glenn St-Germain  Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 
cos90@powersurfr.com  http://plaza.powersurfr.com/glenn
        "There is no longer any normal to be"
                                 -- Gary Numan

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 20:52:55 -0600
From: cos 90 <cos90@powersurfr.com>
Subject: Re: Will the real Strephon please stand up!

>assassination). That's why he sends Avery to the Marches, which is the last
>vestige of what he wanted to build. ISTR that the Regency Sourcebook and
>Arrival Vengeance have some more on this topic.

Who is Avery? All I know is his name comes up in Survival Margin. (I
have never read Hard Times -- a gaping hole in my Traveller library...)


     Glenn St-Germain  Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 
cos90@powersurfr.com  http://plaza.powersurfr.com/glenn
        "There is no longer any normal to be"
                                 -- Gary Numan

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 22:53:02 -0400
From: "Terry Carlino" <carlino@home.com>
Subject: Re: Hard Science

>My favorite example of this is "Rascals", where Picard, Ro and Chief
>Bartender Whoopie are reduced to adolescence by the ubiquitous transporter
>malfunction.  Later in the show, they figure out how it happened, and
>restore the characters to their proper ages.
>
>Examine this for a second:  The Enterprise just discovered practical
>immortality!  Age regeneration without *any* loss of memory or brain
>function!  I could endless go from 28 (when my cancer presented itself)
>back to 14 or so, and live forever with a working immune system!  But we
>never hear about this marvelous discovery again.

Heaven forbid I should defend Star Trek, a sci-fi setting which is
constantly criticized for its lack of scientific accuracy in this venue.
But....

This technique was mention multiple times in the STNG series.  It was used
several times, once just as you suggest, when the Doctor, (not Crusher, the
other one), developed a degenerative aging disease after being exposed to
some genetically engineered children.

Why isn't it used to keep everyone eternally young?  Why doesn't the
Federation use money? It's a social decision. Perhaps people in the Star
Trek twenty fourth century feel that you should live your life in it's
natural span and not attempt to extend it forever. Perhaps transporters are
so horribly expensive that only Star Fleet has access to them, and they
won't authorize their use for this purpose.  Perhaps the transporter
malfunction was irreproducible.

I would recommend both the book the Physics of Star Trek and the Star Trek
Interactive Tech Manual. The first explains where the series attempted to be
accurate and where it deliberately fiddled with the laws of physics for
dramatic effect.  The second paints the Star Trek universe in a very self
consistent way.  This series had excellent scientific advisors. When they
ignored the science (handwaved it if you will) it generally was for the
purpose of making the story better. Certainly no one on this list would
fiddle with the laws of physics, just to make their game better. ;^)

Terry C

All that is Gold does not glitter
Not all who travel are lost

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 23:06:30 -0400 (EDT)
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca>
Subject: 101 Starships

The 4th edition of 101 Starships* is currently up to 194 ships. For
sentimental reasons, I want to hit 202 ships before releasing it. Any
requests?


*101 Starships is a _free_ supplement from BITS. Go to www.bits.org.uk and
check out this and other neat Traveller products.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 20:04:44 -0700
From: George Herbert <gherbert@crl.com>
Subject: Re: Will the real Strephon please stand up! (Re: Cloning)

Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu>
>Keith Johnson wrote:
>> However, I just picked up Hard Times and read that Strephon refused to be
>> tested by IRIS to confirm if he really was the Emperor.  After he refused,
>> IRIS publicly stated that "Strephon" wasn't a contender and backed Margaret
>> as the highest ranking noble eligible for the Iridium Throne.  Despite the
>> fact that IRIS holds no significant power during the Rebellion, it has to
>> be PR that is extremely damaging to Strephon's cause.
>
>It as because Strephon didn't much trust or believe IRIS, seeing them as
>only a bunch of opportunists angling to be the power behind the throne.
>That is mentioned in Survival Margin.

Actually, it's because Strephon knew that IRIS were a complete
fabrication not a legit organization, probably formed to try
and push themselves as a power behind the next throne, or an intel
scoop by Margaret's forces trying to make her the next "legitimate"
emperess.

A rather interesting relevation that was...


- -george william herbert
gherbert@crl.com

------------------------------

End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1002
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