Traveller-digest     Monday, September 6 1999     Volume 1999 : Number 1064



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

The following topics are covered in this digest:

Vacuum tube computers
Re: Imperial military and PR
UpPorts (was AKUS MOBY Update (was Ship Damage...Oh my!))
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1063
Re: Vacuum tube computers
Re: The Big Button (was Re: Testing the Waters)
Re: standards of beauty
Empress Wave (was Re: Testing the Waters)
Re: UpPorts (was AKUS MOBY Update (was Ship Damage...Oh my!))
Re: UpPorts (was AKUS MOBY Update (was Ship Damage...Oh my!))
800 ton freighter
Re: Titan Games Preview for (9/5/99)
Re: Foundation of the Traveller News Service
Re: Low Berth Mortality
Re: GDW Sign for sale
Re: UpPorts (was AKUS MOBY Update (was Ship Damage...Oh my!))
Re: Jump Horizons of stars
Re: Request for URLs with Traveller pictures
Re: Foundation of the Traveller News Service
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1059
Aslan Language - Trohk
Re: Vacuum tube computers

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

Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 01:22:14 -0400
From: Mark Urbin <eclipse@ultranet.com>
Subject: Vacuum tube computers

Using Vacuum Tube computers to combat the Virus was knocked around in the 
Pocket Empire Mailing Lists days.  Maybe one of the people who are sorting 
through that data can repost some of the relevant material.

I remember an old boss, who cut his teeth on vacuum tube computers while in 
the Navy.  He said that part of the daily two hour start up process was to 
turn off the room lights, open the back panels, start the mudder up and 
look for dark spot.
FYI, for you kids out there, a dark spot indicated a burned out tube.


- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
eclipse@ultranet.com -- These opinions are mine, no one else wants `em.
Joan of Arc: the patron saint of welders http://www.ultranet.com/~eclipse/
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 00:34:32 -0500
From: "John Majer" <jsmage@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: Imperial military and PR

> Potentially there is no other Imperium wide communication system. I can
> conceive of a local system of couriers that might serve a subsector.
> MegaCorps almost certainly use a message transport system of their own to
> carry vital company traffic. Only the X-Boats go to every Sector in the
> Imperium. Any magazine, news vid, or editorials not sent by this method
will
> be of local distribution only and not likely to effect Imperium policy.
Okay, so it is a fact that under an empire the local populace doesn't care
who is in charge, or what they do because it has little relavance on their
lives.  Second, in TU, the Imperium controls the only means of mass
communication, and even so, it's not all too effectivly mass.  All true.
But try this one.  (*Warning* The sociology light is now lit.  But I
promise, it's worth it.) There is a difference between a pre and post
industrial empire, or perhaps a sci-fi and the ones we are accoustemed to.
See, you have all these convienent pockets of people, and good, offical
communication links between the important ones, and then ferry links
outwards to the other planets off the lines.  And on these important worlds
you have well developed media systems for the distubution of the Imperial
News, as well as all the local coverage.  Now, Joe farmer back when didn't
care about Joe farmer three provinces over because of their utter lack of
connection.  There would be no means of connection because neither were
litterate, and neither spoke the same language.  Janet systems analyst is
better connected to Janet systems analyst three sectors over for a coulple
reasons.  They speak something akin to the same language, and moreover
understand the connection between the two if only because they know all
about the aliens and other maco-political entities out there, and know that
we are us.  Furthermore, they know more about what an empire means, and know
that they are both, at some level, politically binded to a similar source.
Janet 1 might have a thing or two to say about Janet 2s kids being
slaughtered wholesale, if only because the same might happen to her own, but
there's no way she'll find out about it, because the Imperium will be
working damage control and just not tell Janet 1, right?
What I am proposing is the existance of the Y-Boat network, say two trader
types who came together at one point or another and discovered that the
Imperium was doing this, and they thought it wholly wrong that some Intel
guy was manipulating the truth.  And each got another trader-type
interested, and so on, and sooner or later there was a group of people
distributeing the "real facts" to people who wanted to hear them.  Sure,
it's slower than X-Boat, but it gets the job done as various indiviuals
trade the latest reports and pass them down the line.  And if you got some
real investigative journalist-types on it the stuff could be pretty classy.
It works because once you actually get to a world, or at least a signifigant
one, you have this massive media infrastructure for distributing it, even
better if it's salacious pictures of unspeakable acts.  It would be an
alternative press, and rather underground for it with not many followers
essecially, but if the reports were ever wild enough you might see some
public attention.  What form pubic action is another tale.
It's a theory.  Too off Cannon, or is there something else wrong with it?
What I am specifically looking for is how the Imperium would react to these
people if it existed, or if it was getting started.
- - J.S.

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

Date: Mon, 06 Sep 99 00:41:47 -0500
From: "Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>
Subject: UpPorts (was AKUS MOBY Update (was Ship Damage...Oh my!))

On 09/05/99 at 09:44 PM,  "Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella" <xrp@sierratel.com> said:

>> The Navy finally turned the ship over to our heroes at the world's
>> UpPort,

>Now there's a new one to me, what is an UpPort?

Big commercial space station.

IMTU, many advanced worlds have a DownPort on the surface and an
UpPort in orbit (GEO is common).  The UpPort is for ships that
can't, or don't wish to, land on the surface.  Let's not restart the
streamlined vs unstreamlined ship debate again, okay?  <G>

The /Mae Lee/ was a little shot up, so the Navy towed her back to
Mark from the belt,trying to put her down on the surface would have
been rather risky, and they weren't authorized to put her into a
Work Dock.  So, they put her into an orbital slot, attached a
"collar" to her, and turned the keys (electronic keys) over to the
UpPort's Captain.

Orbital Slot = a "stationary orbit" relative to some point or object
         (usually the UpPort).  Slots are much less expensive than
         "Hanging on the Tree", or "Hogging a Dock" on the station
         proper.

Collar = an unmanned maneuvering pack, transponder, and running
         lights that can be attached to ships to keep them in an
         Orbital Slot.  The Collar's transponder is in constant
         communication with the UpPort and its thrusters keep the
         ship inside the Slot.  You need keys supplied by the
         UpPort's Traffic Control Office to remove the collar, thus
         making it less likely that someone will come along and run
         off with a ship, or will try to Skipboot (leave without
         paying the fees).
         
Hanging on the Tree = docking a small ship or boat to a long tree
         and branch structure attached to an UpPort.  The Tree
         allows many ships and boats to share one of the very
         expensive docking points.  Access to and from the station
         is along the inside of the tubes that make up the Tree.
         This is how most boats and ships dock to an UpPort to save
         money, but is a very inefficent way to move cargo in or out
         of the UpPort.
         
Hogging a Dock = Occupying one of the very expensive docks on the
         UpPort with a single ship.  Due to the expense, most ships
         will do this only long enough to load or unload cargo and
         passengers.  At busy UpPorts there is often a queue of
         ships waiting their turn at a dock, so a ship that remains
         on dock for an excessive time is said to be hogging the
         dock. 

Work Dock = a frame with integrated power, light, gravitic controls
        and access to various repair equipment sited near an UpPort
        and attached to a special Tree used to hold ships during
        major repairs and refits.  Ships are maneuvered into a
        frame, locked down, optionally an airtight fabric is used to
        enclose the ship, and repairs can commence often in a
        pressurized environment.  This is fairly expensive, but the
        most effective way of doing major external repairs in space.
        A cheaper, but less effective, alternative is the portable
        Work Blister that attach to a hull enclosing a portion of
        the ship allowing repairs on small sections of a ship at a
        time.


Eris
  ps.  Does anyone find these MTU posts useful?  I know they don't
  always match published sources, but I hope is some folks might be
  able to use (or spark off from) my ideas in their games.  When I
  post things like the above I hardly ever hear *any* comments.  If
  I'm just wasting everybody's bandwidth I guess I should just stop.
  <sigh>  
- --
- -----------------------------------------------------------
"Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>    using MR/2 ICE #245
- -----------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 00:44:44 -0500
From: "John Majer" <jsmage@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1063

> Date: Sun, 05 Sep 99 23:03:17 -0500
> From: "Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>
> Subject: Re: GDW Sign for sale
>
> On 09/05/99 at 10:33 PM,  "Sword Worlder" <swordworlder@clinic.net> said:
>
> >Jay, if you don't get that thing ASAP I'll be very disappointed! ;-)
> >Of course, if you do get it I'll be very jealous, but that goes
> >without saying, eh?
>
> Hum, that sign is a totem of the Traveller Creed. I said it 6 months ago
and I'll say it again, "We need to have a Traveller Con."  We can all gather
around that sign and....well, ya'll can fight over versions, I'll be running
a game. <g>
>
> Eris
Maybe we could just get the guy to give it away if we started making
pilgramages, leaving offerings, sacrificing copies of _Mythic Jouries_ and
_Space:1889_, composing poetry, team up by version and play "capture the
flag," ya know, fun stuff that would scare him rightious into just giving it
to us.  Two birds, after all...
- -J.S.

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

Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1999 22:56:45 -0700
From: "Zane H. Healy" <healyzh@aracnet.com>
Subject: Re: Vacuum tube computers

>I remember an old boss, who cut his teeth on vacuum tube computers while in
>the Navy.  He said that part of the daily two hour start up process was to
>turn off the room lights, open the back panels, start the mudder up and
>look for dark spot.
>FYI, for you kids out there, a dark spot indicated a burned out tube.

Recently I got a card reader from an old gentleman that actually had a home
computer in the 50's!  He said that the service tech usually had to show up
at least once a day to fix it.  Apparently he had the computer because he
was developing control systems and the company he was developing them for
was footing the bill.  I found that pretty amazing, I'd never considered
anyone having a 'home computer' that far back!

Several things about a computer of that vintage would prevent the Virus
from being able to do anything with it.  Remember that a computer that took
up an entire building would be less powerful than something like a
Commodore 64.  Programs were often hardwired, and you had to rewire the
computer to run another program.  Even through the early 70's things such
as magnetic drum memory, core memory, punch cards, paper tape, and such
were common.  Some of these are still in every day use in specialized
applications, it's even rumoured that Russia still has Tube based computers
in their Military, though I gather they're far more dependable than the
early tube systems.

On the other hand if the Virus could effect something like Core memory that
could be really nasty.  The computer could be powered off for decades with
no storage media, and assuming you could get it turned back on, it would
still be infected.  Same thing with Drum Memory.

On the other hand the speed and storage capacity of all this kind of gear
is so limited I personally don't see it being infected.  If a systems
memory is measured in Kb, and it's storage medium is punch cards/tape, or
mag tape I think the virus would find it to small.

				Zane


| Zane H. Healy                    | UNIX Systems Adminstrator  |
| healyzh@aracnet.com (primary)    | Linux Enthusiast           |
| healyzh@holonet.net (alternate)  | Classic Computer Collector |
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
|     Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing,    |
|                   and Zane's Computer Museum.                 |
|                 http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/              |

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

Date: Mon, 06 Sep 99 00:59:10 -0500
From: "Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>
Subject: Re: The Big Button (was Re: Testing the Waters)

On 09/06/99 at 12:02 AM,  Black ICE <wombat@premier.net> said:

>> Sure.  A substantial part of the computer tech IMTU is based on
>> micro-tube technology.  You get big power hungry computers...just
>> like CT.  <g> My rational has nothing to do with Virus, though.
>> It's the negative effects from the interaction between quantum state
>> devices that make CG/AG possible and solid state electronics.

>So, you run an inherently Virus-resistant setting?  Just what I would
>_expect_ from a self-confessed heretic.... >;-)

Hee!  Hee!  Resistant *now* doesn't mean it was always thus.  Nor
that other monsters might not be lurking in the great unknown.  <g>

>(No personal attack intended; I find heresy quite useful as a
>clearly-labeled alternative to orthodoxy; it's when heresy is
>presented _as_ orthodoxy that I get annoyed.)  

Don't worry, I always say IMTU.  I don't suggest my version of
things is "the one true" Traveller.  In fact, my heresy isn't my
different rules, technology or settings, it's that I don't recognize
any "one true way" of Traveller...none.  My only rule is that the GM
is the ghod of the game.

Eris,
    still a heretic after all these years
- -- 
- -----------------------------------------------------------
"Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>    using MR/2 ICE #245
- -----------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Sun, 05 Sep 1999 23:01:59 -0700
From: "Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella" <xrp@sierratel.com>
Subject: Re: standards of beauty

> Beyond these blanket generalizations, my muse fails me.  Anyone else?

All I have to say (for now) is that *healthy* is what turns /me/ on.
Although I can't argue with what you said about the Dark Ages, I still find
it hard to believe that wealth or status are the primary factors. I also
think there can be a wide gulf between what actually is attractive to most
of a given society, and what a society is willing to admit is attractive.
////////////////////////////////////////
Akella 0609 C654474-6 S kk+ hi++ as+ va+ dr+ da+ so@ zh- vi++  A523
IMTU tc++ ?t4 ru@ 3i+(-) c+ jt au@ st- ls+ pi+ ta@ he+

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

Date: Mon, 06 Sep 99 01:14:50 -0500
From: "Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>
Subject: Empress Wave (was Re: Testing the Waters)

On 09/05/99 at 10:07 PM,  "Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella" <xrp@sierratel.com> said:

>> The Zhodani didn't get the Virus, they got the Empress Wave.

>OK, I can't stand it anymore, what is this Empress Wave thing?

Muhahahaha!  See, that's the thing, GDW went belly-up before they
told us  So, only Dave knows, if he *really* knows, and he ain't
telling.  <g>

We've had *lots* of debates about what the Empress Wave is and what
effects it has on Zhodani space, and will have on Imperial space.

<rant> In the final analysis on this subject all ideas are heresy
because we don't have the High Priests to tell us what we are
supposed to believe. </rant>

Okay, here's what I know about the Empress Wave...

Something is causing a lot of problems in Zhodani space.  Somehow it
is connected with a psionic vision of a woman standing in front of a
burning city (see cover of TNE book).  It appears that whatever is
happening is propgating from the direction of the galactic core
through Zhodani and Vargr space at the speed of light.  It might or
might not be connected with Zhodani core expeditions.  It might or
might not be a psionic disturbance.  It might or might not have
effects in the former 3I area by the 1200's.  It might be a wave
followed by something after it.

The most accepted opinion appears to be that the wave does something
to human (and maybe non-human) psionic abilities.  Perhaps awakening
latent psionic abilities and strengthing the abilities of current
psions.  Perhaps, it burns psions out and leaves lots of new psions
with powers but no control. 

My opinion, strictly my opinion, is that this was to be GDW's "final
solution" to CT/MT, not Virus.  This would crunch *all* that
remained and then a "New Traveller" set thousands of years after the
Empress Wave where "psionic knights" wandered the starways would
have been born.

Eris,
    the game's the thing!
- -- 
- -----------------------------------------------------------
"Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>    using MR/2 ICE #245
- -----------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 16:26:39 +1000
From: "The Roc" <roc@kewl.com.au>
Subject: Re: UpPorts (was AKUS MOBY Update (was Ship Damage...Oh my!))

- ----- Original Message -----
From: Eris Reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com>
Sent: Monday, September 06, 1999 3:41 PM
Subject: UpPorts (was AKUS MOBY Update (was Ship Damage...Oh my!))


     <snip>
>
>
> Eris
>   ps.  Does anyone find these MTU posts useful?  I know they don't
>   always match published sources, but I hope is some folks might be
>   able to use (or spark off from) my ideas in their games.  When I
>   post things like the above I hardly ever hear *any* comments.  If
>   I'm just wasting everybody's bandwidth I guess I should just stop.
>   <sigh>
> --

No worries to me.  Not always to my taste, obviously, but neat little
snippets nonetheless.

- -- The Roc

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

Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 18:30:20 +1200
From: rboleyn@paradise.net.nz
Subject: Re: UpPorts (was AKUS MOBY Update (was Ship Damage...Oh my!))

On 6 Sep 99, at 0:41, Eris Reddoch wrote:

>   ps.  Does anyone find these MTU posts useful?  I know they don't
>   always match published sources, but I hope is some folks might be
>   able to use (or spark off from) my ideas in their games.  When I
>   post things like the above I hardly ever hear *any* comments.  If
>   I'm just wasting everybody's bandwidth I guess I should just stop.
>   <sigh>  

I do. I do. I certainly found this one useful, as one thing I'm really bad 
at (in SF, anywya), is this sort of background and colour.

At the moment it's also about as close to a Trav game as I'm likely to 
get, too.



- --
Rupert Boleyn <paradise.net.nz>
Wellington, New Zealand

A pessimist is an optimist with a sense of history.

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

Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 03:22:14 -0400
From: "DaveShayne" <daveshayne@email.msn.com>
Subject: 800 ton freighter

Chalk this up to a bout of insomnia.

Anouncing the Fathomable class freighter

AA-8631322-010000-10001-0
                     8         8     8
Pasengers=8 Low=0 Cargo=290
EP=24 Agility=1 MCr. 528

Built on an 800 ton flatened sphere hull this freighter combines good legs
with a balanced aproach to anti-piracy armament sure to impress even the
most sceptical of feeder line procurement officers.

The 8 Triple turrets in the standard configuration of
1 Missile rack, 1 Pulse laser, and 1 Sandcaster each allow a great deal of
flexibility in armed response to attack and with a crew of 17 (Pilot,
Navigator, Medic, Chief engineer with 4 assistants, Steward, and 8 Gunners)
this ship is amply provided to repel boarding and hijack attempts.

Smart money is on this class of merchant to go far in long range hauling of
bulk cargoes in uncertain environments.

David A Shayne
9/6/99

daveshayne@email.msn.com

No poor, dumb BEM ever won an interstellar war by dying for it's species.
You win the war by making the other poor, dumb BEM die for it's species.
    - Jarl Grg Es P'Ton

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

Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 01:21:09 -0700
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)
Subject: Re: Titan Games Preview for (9/5/99)

...
>    Game Designer's Workshop:
>        (Traveller)
>            Alien Realms (Alien Module 9) (262) [$41, NM]
>            The Atlas of the Imperium (?) [$20, F]

  <koff> _$41?!_ <koff>         www.titangames.com

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

Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 10:44:37 +0100
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com>
Subject: Re: Foundation of the Traveller News Service

At 19:05 05/09/1999 EDT, JFZeigler@aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 9/5/99 5:55:17 PM US Eastern Standard Time, 
>cos90@powersurfr.com writes:
>
>> Not answering your question (sorry) but just a comment... I am beginning
>>  to suspect a trend of historical revisionism, intent on giving credit to
>>  Cleon I for having invented everything good in the Imperium...

<snip>

>Hey, don't peg this on G:T.  The origins of the IISS in the Sylean
>Federation are attested as far back as Classic Traveller Book 6, and
>confirmed in the T4 Milieu 0 sourcebook.

<snip>

>If you're gonna complain about G:T revising canon, at least double-
>check to make sure what canon *was* before G:T came along :-).

Much of the "historical revisonism" came with T4, when people were able
to watch the building of orgainsations that by CT were familiar entities
that had been created during the history of the Imperium.

My take is that a lot of things that were in place in M0, changed
a lot over the next 1100 years. Some things have changed so much
that they look just like they did 1100 years ago, but nothing like
400 years ago!

In the UK, we have lots of things whose history can be traced across
2,000 years yet whose "ancient traditions" are less than 100 years old.

The Grand Order of Druids at Stonehenge comes to mind. Also the
British legal system which in some respects has been going for
over a thousand years and in others only a few hundred.

It all depends on what emphasis you want to have when you write the
history.

Phil Kitching
- --
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"

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

Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 02:35:20 -0900
From: Peter Newman <pnewman@gci.net>
Subject: Re: Low Berth Mortality

Just a thought.

If low berth mortality is not too high for
the _players_ it becomes harder to railroad
groups without starships into adventures to
get the funds needed for tickets.

Consider Adventure 2 Research Station Gamma.
The pregenerated characters in that
adventure all have Cr. 1,000 to Cr 3,000.
If low berths were safe the ccharecters would have
had an a acceptable route off of Vanegen & the
adventure would never happen.

Instead the [CT] risk of low berths is "too
high" and they go on an adventure instead.
[If your player group is anything like the
one I ran in or the one I ran through it
they suffered higher casualties on the station
then they would have in low berths, but that is
another matter entirely.]

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

Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 06:39:36 -0400
From: "Sword Worlder" <swordworlder@clinic.net>
Subject: Re: GDW Sign for sale

Let's see, hmm... Con that rhymes with ... Don!  Yoo hoo, you out there? :-)

- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: John Palmer <jpalme2000@digitalsomething.com>

> I'm all for a Traveller Con. Anyone ever organize a Con?

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

Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 06:49:36 -0400
From: "Sword Worlder" <swordworlder@clinic.net>
Subject: Re: UpPorts (was AKUS MOBY Update (was Ship Damage...Oh my!))

- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: Eris Reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net>
> >Now there's a new one to me, what is an UpPort?
> 
> Big commercial space station. 

In some instances, also known as a "High Port".

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The TRAVELLER Domain
http://www.downport.com
Colin Michael, WebDev

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

Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 08:45:15 -0400 (EDT)
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: Jump Horizons of stars

>"Hey You" Berry <gridlore@mindspring.com> typed thusly:
>
>>>        100d from the star makes sense.   It makes for a serious problem
>>>trying to hike in as a blocade runner, and exposes outgoing vessels to
>>>privateers, et al as they try and get to the 100d.
>>
>>In doing up the systems of Lunion using _First In_, I'm finding most worlds
>>are well inside the star's 100d limit.  Makes life a little more
>>interesting.
>
> I ran that set of numbers using Book 6 (for the Stellar Radii table) and
>found *in general* that K and M stars' jump horizon is beyond the habitable
>orbit, G stars are a tossup, and the younger stars (O,B,A & F) rarely if ever
>reach the habitable orbit. This generalization applies best to Type V stars,
>but can be used for nearly any of them in a pinch...
>
>GC

That sounds about right. And the habitable zone for a red giant is several
_weeks_ from jumppoint, even with high-G ships!

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

Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 08:45:20 -0400 (EDT)
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: Request for URLs with Traveller pictures

>> Traveller is, at heart, a paper-and-pencil game. In fact, other than
>> Jesse's artwork there's little out for Traveller that would require a
>> high-end computer.
>
>OTOH, I never ran Traveller without a calculator handy. *grin*
>
>So, to answer your question, if you propse that Traveller is a game that is
>predisposed to some degree of mathmatical talent, and correlate that with
>the fact that there are a lot of Gearheads out there who throw themselves
>throughougly into the mathmatics, and then refrence that with the sterotype
>that the kind of people who have good at and with computers are the kind
>that are also good at math, and the kind of people that are good at and with
>computers will strive to have good ones.  Traveller players have good
>computers.  Q.E.D.

Hm. An interesting hypothesis, but I can cite some counterexamples.

When George MacLure and I designed the Sydkai patrol cruiser George did the
design work on the bus to work, by hand (not even a calculator, AFAIK). Yet
that it a ruthlessly optimized design, tweaked through several dozen
iterations.

I myself use a five year old computer, yet I am (a) a specialist math
teacher, (b) an engineer, (c) a computer instructor, and (d) a gearhead. I
just spend my money on something else.

My Ottawa gaming group consisted of four engineers, a biologist, a
physicist, and an artist, yet my four year old MacPlus was the best
computer we owned between us. (In fact, for a while it was the only
computer we owned between us.)

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

Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 08:45:25 -0400 (EDT)
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: Foundation of the Traveller News Service

>In the UK, we have lots of things whose history can be traced across
>2,000 years yet whose "ancient traditions" are less than 100 years old.
>
>The Grand Order of Druids at Stonehenge comes to mind. Also the
>British legal system which in some respects has been going for
>over a thousand years and in others only a few hundred.
>
>It all depends on what emphasis you want to have when you write the
>history.
>
>Phil Kitching

Not to mention the Church of England.

OK. So make that "whose 'ancient traditions' are less than 200 years old"
for the CoE. It always amazes/scares me how many churchgoers fit Archbishop
Spong's "naive Christian" label: firmly believing that what they learned in
Sunday School is the whole truth. All the clergy I've known (except for two
fundamentalist Baptist preachers) have been able to draw a firm distinction
between faith and tradition, yet very few laypeople seem aware of the
distinction.

As an example, look at the Chaosium game "Credo" (worth buying, it's loads
of fun). My friends in the clergy consider it a fun card game, with
possible teaching applications, while my friends in the congregation
consider it close to blasphemy!  The difference is that the clergy already
knew the dirty parts of Christian history, while the laypeople had this
idealized picture of the church.

ObTrav: What are the differences in Imperial history as learned by nobles
and commoners?

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

Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 09:43:17 -0400
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1059

Well John, there is a community of us Gamma World players on the I-net.  Let
me know if you;re interested.  Far as I am concerned, Traveller and Gamma
World are the two best games ever made.  :)
___________________________________________________________
 J-Man
 ICQ# 2843475
 New Hampshire - U.S.A.
 Email : j-man@iname.com
 Home Page : http://www.geocities.com/~jman037/
___________________________________________________________

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

Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 21:53:10 +0800
From: "Antony Farrell" <Skaran@bigpond.com>
Subject: Aslan Language - Trohk

Anyone know if the examples of Aslan (Trohk) language as published in the
DGP publication "Solomani and Aslan" remains canon. I know some appeared in
the CT Aslan alien module, but are the additions in the DGP publication
canon, and are they copywrite DGP or did they revert to Marc Miller?

Antony

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

Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 09:58:11 EDT
From: RnLschaefr@aol.com
Subject: Re: Vacuum tube computers

In a message dated 9/6/99 1:24:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
eclipse@ultranet.com writes:

<< 
 I remember an old boss, who cut his teeth on vacuum tube computers while in 
 the Navy.  He said that part of the daily two hour start up process was to 
 turn off the room lights, open the back panels, start the mudder up and 
 look for dark spot.
 FYI, for you kids out there, a dark spot indicated a burned out tube.
  >>
:::de-lurking::: Has anyone ever figured out how many acres of vac-tubes it 
would take to replace One pc ?...never mind an Imperium system...
:::lurkermode on:::
BobS.

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

End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1064
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