Traveller-digest    Thursday, September 9 1999    Volume 1999 : Number 1078



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

The following topics are covered in this digest:

Re: ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: Technology Demographics
Re: The Big RED Button (was Re: The Big Button)
RE Dustbin
Re: SSRT: Space Science Political Alert #4. (fwd)
Re: SSRT: Space Science Political Alert #4. 
Re:UpPorts
Re:GURPS Design: Missile
Re: GT Armor - Cheaper Merchants, Faster Combat Craft
Starship Materials
Re: Dustbin
Re: Technology Demographics
Re: Merc Equipment/Recruitment
Re: Weight of Metal
Re: Technology Demographics
Re: The Big Button [ Virus, eggs, booby traps ]
Re: ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
The Council (re: Rules Lawyers)
Hasbro buying WOTC
Re: Merc Equipment/Recruitment 

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

Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1999 08:46:43 -0400
From: "Sword Worlder" <swordworlder@clinic.net>
Subject: Re: ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, like, does this mean that the FASA stuff won't be on the TravCD? :-p

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

- ----- Original Message -----
From: Keven R. Pittsinger <jamstar@accesstoledo.com>
 > And FWIW, the FASA stuff is *NOT* covered under Marc's 'free to clone for
> personal use' license; somebody *else* owns this stuff, and I don't wanna
be

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

Date: Thu, 09 Sep 1999 08:28:07 -0500
From: Chris Olson <chris@pdaguy.com>
Subject: Re: Technology Demographics

Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella wrote:

> > 5) Palm-V
>
> I've been thinking 'bout something portable, how do you like your Palm V? Is
> there plenty of Traveller software for it? It comes with a basic data base
> and word processor, doesn't it? Although those new iBooks sound pretty nice
> too. A Powerbook is tempting, but expensive, and probably way overkill. I
> just need to take notes, sketch diagrams, etc.
>

I love it, and I can't live without it.  However -

There is zero, nada, none, traveller software available for it.  I am working to
correct this terrible oversight :-)

Slowly though, life does intrude on ones hobbies ..

Chris

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

Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1999 08:32:45 -0500 ()
From: "Joseph R. Dietrich" <yikes@evansville.net>
Subject: Re: The Big RED Button (was Re: The Big Button)

>Given the convoluted history of publishing rules for the GW setting,
>shouldn't that be the "Nth edition", as in the Nth Interstellar War(s)?
>;-)


As if we, fans of Traveller -- which has gone through CT, MT, TNE, T4,
T4.1, GURPS Traveller, and T5 -- have any right to jest. ;-)

Ciao,

Joseph R. Dietrich
yikes@evansville.net

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

Date: Thu, 09 Sep 1999 09:36:49 -0400
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca>
Subject: RE Dustbin

Black ICE writes:
>The only time I tried Rifts involved just such a conflict.  All of us
>generated our characters without reference to each others' characters. 
>Well, my character was the odd man out:  everyone but me was pretty
>amoral.  I felt as if I was Luke Skywalker, with Han, Chewbacca, and
>Leia all saying, "C'mon, Luke!  Let's try this Dark Side stuff!  It'll
>be _fun_!"
>
>I walked during the first session, after explaining that I couldn't stay
>in character and play in this kind of game.  Luckily, my fellow gamers
>had played other games with me, and respected my decision.

	I like to run games in which the players decide on goals,
	where to go, what to do, etc., but some limits must be
	set (IMHO).  The main limit that I have always tried to 
	enforce is on group integrity: since the PCs are 
	automatically hired into the group, it is not fair (and it 
	is often no fun) for one or more to work against the 
	others.  There are exceptions to this rule, such as plots
	that are enhanced by having a spy in the group, but I
	generally try to keep the party compatable.  This does not
	mean that there is no conflict in the group, only that the
	characters can realistically work together and stay in 
	character.

Peez

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

Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1999 09:50:05 EDT
From: Kagehira@aol.com
Subject: Re: SSRT: Space Science Political Alert #4. (fwd)

In a message dated 9/8/99 3:32:16 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
dlg@ryouko.demon.co.uk writes:

> f you're interested in the US science base, please follow up this 
>  message, and forward it to anyone else you know who would be willing 
>  to help...
>  ------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
>  From:            "Chris W. Johnson" <chrisj@mail.utexas.edu>
>  To:              "Single Stage Rocket Technology News" <ssrt-news@ds.cc.
> utexas.edu>
>  Subject:         SSRT: Space Science Political Alert #4. (fwd)
>  Date sent:       Wed, 8 Sep 1999 14:55:27 -0500
>  
>  
>  
>  Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 16:48:57 -0400 (EDT)
>  From: Donald L Doughty <spacelst@world.std.com>
>  To: DC-X <delta-clipper@world.std.com>
>  Subject: Space Science Political Alert #4.  (Summer's Over...)] (fwd)
>  Sender: delta-clipper-approval@world.std.com
>  Reply-To: delta-clipper@europe.std.com
>  
>  
>  Space Science Policy Alert #4.
>  Monday 6 September 1999.  By Tim Kyger
>  
>  *Cross-posting of the data in this message is strongly encouraged. *
>  
>  _* Night Comes In *_
>  On Wednesday, 8 September 1999, Congress returns from summer recess.  On
>  Wednesday, 8 September, the House will consider, debate, and vote on
>  H.R. 2684, the FY '00 VA/HUD Appropriations Bill, which funds NASA.
>  
>  H.R. 2684 contains a cut to NASA of about a billion dollars -- unless
>  changed.
>  
>  The Senate's VA/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee will meet on Thursday, 9
>  September to mark their FY '00 VA/HUD bill.  Current word is that they,
>  too, will cut NASA's requested FY '00 budget by about a billion dollars or
>  so.
>  
>  We have three days to change things.
>  
>  _* Bonds Speaks Redux *_ Senator Kit Bond (R-MO) is the Chair of the
>  Senate's VA/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee.  He says that (at least as of
>  August 3rd)  that he has not received any appeals to keep NASA's budget at
>  pre-cut levels, and further, that he does not have any meetings planned on
>  the issue.  Senator Bond's spokesman Dan Hubbard said, "I am certain that
>  no one has been in contact with us on this issue."  It was further said
>  that Senator Bond has no plans to meet with NASA Administrator Dan Goldin,
>  or with pro-NASA Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH), or anyone else about this
>  issue.
>  
>  Folks should let Senator Bond know what they want -
>  
>  Senator Christopher Bond (R-MO)
>  Senate VA/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee Chair
>  202/224-5721 vox
>  202/224-8149 fax
>  314/725-4484 in Kansas City
>  573/634-2488 in Jefferson City
>  573/334-7044 in Cape Girardeau
>  314/725-4484 in Saint Louis
>  417/881-7068 in Springfield
>  Room SR-274
>  Russell Senate Office Building
>  Washington DC 20510
>  kit_bond@bond.senate.gov email address
>  www.senate.gov/~bond web site
>  
>  _* I Know What You Did Last Summer. *_
>  I worked on Capital Hill for eight years. Letters have more political
>  clout than phone calls.  Email has the least political clout of anything
>  you can do, ranking lower than even a phone call.  You can always fax your
>  letter, however, and this is probably the most convenient way to register
>  your opinion on this matter.  (Staffers assume that paper mail or faxes
>  take more effort, so they take them more seriously.)
>  
>  Last week, Capitol Hill had started to receive letters, calls, faxes,
>  and email.  But it was only a trickle.  If we are to prevail, it has to
>  change from light rain to a hurricane.
>  
>  A draft letter that may be used to model your letters will be found at
>  the end of this message.
>  
>  After you write and/or fax Senator Bond, write and/or fax Senator
>  Mikulski, the Ranking Democrat on the Senate VA/HUD Appropriations
>  Subcommittee:
>  
>  Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
>  202/224-4654 vox
>  202/224-8858 fax
>  410/962-4510 in Baltimore
>  410/263-1805 in Annapolis
>  301/345-5517 in College Park
>  410/546-7711 in Salisbury
>  301/797-2826 in Hagerstown
>  Room SH-709
>  Hart Senate Office Building
>  Washington DC 20510
>  senator@mikulski.senate.gov email address
>  www.senate.gov/~mikulski web site
>  
>  When you're done, write and/or fax the following other two Senators:
>  
>  Ted Stevens (R-AK), Chairman of the full Appropriations Committee
>  202/224-3004 vox
>  202/224-2354 fax
>  907/271-5915 in Anchorage
>  Room SH-522, HSOB
>  senator_stevens@stevens.senate.gov email address
>  stevens.senate.gov web site
>  
>  Robert Byrd (D-WV) is the full Committee Ranking Democrat, and he is
>  also on the VA/HUD Subcommittee.
>  202/224-3954 vox
>  202/228-0002 fax
>  304/342-5855 in Charleston
>  Room SH-311, HSOB
>  senator_byrd@byrd.senate.gov email address
>  www.senate.gov/~byrd/ web site
>  
>  _* Why We Fight *_
>  If you want to see the damage these proposed cuts to NASA's budget would
>  do, point your browser at:
>  
>  http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/oss/announce/housefull2000.html
>  
>  _* History in the Making *_
>  The following point was first made to me by Chaz Miller, formerly of
>  ProSpace.  Good point, Chaz!
>  
>  The debate that will occur on H.R. 2684 this coming Wednesday will
>  constitute the first policy debate by our elected representatives on
>  what the goals of the U.S. ought to be for its federal civil space program
>  in at least a generation -- certainly it will be the first in *my* adult
>  lifetime (born in '55.you do the math!).  Debates on the Space Station
>  don't count; they've only been debates about a specific program within
>  NASA.
>  
>  You owe it to yourself to be aware of what is said in this coming
>  debate.
>  
>  You also owe it to yourself, and to our posterity, to try to influence
>  this debate beforehand.
>  
>  -* Silence Means Security; Silence Means Approval. *_
>  Write those letters!
>  
>  If you need more background information, please see the website at the
>  following URL:
>  
>  http://home.marssociety.org/usa-political/news/kyger-3b-19990830.html
>  
>  or http://www.reston.com/nasa/budget.html
>  
>  Stay tuned.  This is going to be a long fight.
>  
>  # end #
>    / _  # J. Duncan Law-Green PhD - Astrophysicist, Anime & SF fan
>   /_/ _ # Web: http://www.ryouko.demon.co.uk/    RL: Leicester, UK  
>    /_/  # We all have a photographic memory. Some don't have film.
>  
>  

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

Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1999 10:13:24 -0400
From: "Sword Worlder" <swordworlder@clinic.net>
Subject: Re: SSRT: Space Science Political Alert #4. 

Guess it's time to take the space program private.  I think this list should
mount an international effort to buy NASA.  If they won't go quietly we can
do a hostile takeover.  The bureaucrats will never know what hit them!
We'll immediately rename it "TML", but a la TSR we will insist that it
doesn't stand for anything.  Then we can mount LowPsg berths in the next
shuttle and auction the rides on eBay!  The company will be in the black by
GenCon!  We can subcontract a Beanstalk project to the 2300AD list.
Meanwhile we'll put all of our gearheads to work on better ship designs.
First one to the asteroid belt wins a coyn!

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

- ----- Original Message -----
From: <Kagehira@aol.com>
> >  H.R. 2684 contains a cut to NASA of about a billion dollars -- unless
> >  changed.

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

Date: Tue, 07 Sep 1999 19:21:33 +0100
From: John Buston <John.Buston@tesco.net>
Subject: Re:UpPorts

>Eris,
>ps.  Does anyone find these MTU posts useful?

Yes, very, thank you. Keep em coming.

After my recent experiences at posting I would consider a null response a good
sign :)

In my limited experience of posting most are never responded to. Of the rest the
thread is usually very narrow with only one or two other people involved. The
only ones that are taken up with gusto are when you get flamed for your temerity
in breaking someones canon.

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

Date: Thu, 09 Sep 1999 00:00:13 +0100
From: John Buston <John.Buston@tesco.net>
Subject: Re:GURPS Design: Missile

>Propulsion: 6,300lbs vectored thruster (472.5lbs, 9.45cf, Cr9,450, 315kW).

Don't really need it all as vectored thrust. But we best not go into all that
again :) 

>Communications: Laser communicator, very long range, recieve-only
>  (25lbs, .5cf, Cr625, .16kW, 500,000mi range).

I got 50lbs, 1cf, .10kW, 1,000,000mi range.

GT uses the 25lbs version too. 
I have looked several times but cannot see how this is possible.
Please could you explain it to me?

>Computer: Hardened robot brain small computer (1.5 lbs, .03cf,
>  Cr1,250, complexity 4).

You could add compact, dedicated & dumb options to get it down to 0.375 lbs,
.008cf, 25Cr.

>Power: Power cell stores 2,269,152kWS (63.53lbs, .64cf, Cr6,354),
>good for two hours of operation.

Non rechargeable not allowed in GT.

>Body: 11cf (including .38cf empty space). Area 30cf. Medium frame,
>very expensive materials, robotic (30lbs, Cr30,000, 45 Hit Points).

I got Cr15,000 (50*2[robotic]*5[very expensive]*30cf)

>Armor: PD 4, DR 40 advanced metal (72lbs, Cr1,440).

In keeping with the GT version. 
I am not sure if it needs any at all for very short term space use (one laser
hit and its all over anyway).
I give mine one point of cheap ablative armor. Opinions?

>Surface Features: Basic Stealth and Emission Cloaking (30lbs, Cr18,000).

I got Cr4500. Quarter cost at TL10. See 2nd para after table.

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

Date: Wed, 08 Sep 1999 23:59:15 +0100
From: John Buston <John.Buston@tesco.net>
Subject: Re: GT Armor - Cheaper Merchants, Faster Combat Craft

Robert Prior wrote:

>>>We had this debate over the battledress issue. <snip>
>>I didn't participate in that discussion.
>I ended up ignoring most of it myself (real life got a bit too real just
>then).  I think the catalyst was the Scout Commando Battledress and
>"insanely" high armour levels. (Which might have been errataed: I ignored
>the issue because I don't run military games anyway.)

Me neither. My original intent when exploring different armor types was in
making more economical traders. Standard Armor made a slight difference to
Return on Investment but Advanced armor was useless. For completeness I plugged
it into a fast military craft (a 400DT SDB) and thought hey, that is quite good,
but not amazing.

I was quite surprised that the suggestion was considered canon breaking. From
posts I had seen on the TML my impression was that GT starship armor was less
capable than CT starship armor in general - in terms of its stopping power. 

I would be interested to see the armor comparison table and the example ships
that were the basis of this conclusion.

>I was trying to point out that GT is a conversion of CT to the GURPS rule
>system, and as such not everything in every supplement is available. I've
>got Biotech and Ultratech, for example, but I wouldn't assume that
>everything listed in those books is available in the Traveller universe.
>Ditto for Vehicles.

My point, obviously very badly made, was that I was not happy at being told that
I shouldn't be posting to the TML if I don't know CT.  The implication of your
comment, at least to me, was that "this is the CTML, other systems are allowed
here under tolerance and then only if you also know CT".

Many other posters said pretty much the same thing in follow up posts. 

As a significant proportion of the TML are probably GT only, I felt this CT
elitism could not go unchallenged, on a list that is supposed to be open to all
versions of traveller. Not just to those people who know CT.

>>Are you saying that Gurps gearheads are not welcome on the list?

>Well, they welcome _me_, and I think I qualify as a GURPS Gearhead (GG). At
>least, if GT Shipyard and 101 Starships don't make me a GG then I don't
>know what will.

Well that was part of the problem for me. I knew you had embraced GT, and if you
could be guilty of inadvertent CT elitism then I thought the gulf was probably
too wide too bridge.

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

Date: Thu, 09 Sep 1999 15:18:15 +0100
From: John Buston <John.Buston@tesco.net>
Subject: Starship Materials

Robert Prior wrote:

>OTOH, assuming that John is correct that you can get an extra G
>acceleration (or more armour) by using advanced materials (and his numbers
>look correct to me), that begs the question: what is the game reason that
>all the published military ships don't use advanced materials?

It does make them _much_ more expensive. I found that for the same performance I
got around 50% increase in armour rating and a 25% increase in price (for the
GTL10 SDB).

>I can see three choices here:

>1) Errata the GT sidebar that allows advanced materials (ie. prohibit them).

Note also that both the GTL10 & GTL12 space interceptor missiles use advanced
armour (p158/p159).

If they are in the reprinted errata'd version of GT, all flames are off, right
;-)

>2) Handwave a reason why they aren't used for starships.

Well Standard Armour makes a small difference to slow traders of around 1G or
less. Enough to make a small difference to FT economics, but nothing major. 

As I posted previously using low tech standard fuel tanks rather than ultra
light self sealing fuel tanks does make a mahor difference to economics. From
posts I have seen I understand fuel tanks are essentially free under CT so this
is definitely not canon breaking.

Advanced armour makes a difference to fast military ships in GT, but are we sure
this is a canon breaking thing? I have not seen one jot of evidence posted to
support the claim that it is possible to build starships in GT that have more
armour stopping power than ships in CT. Lots of flames but no firewood. Perhaps
someone who knows both systems well would care to post an impartial comparison.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if GT advanced armour is inferior to CT standard
armour in terms of what ships can carry and stopping power.

Take the GTL10/CTL12 SDB in GT with an armour rating of DR 1000. Say we used
advanced armour and increased this to DR 1500. The average armour penetration
damage of a GTL10 laser is DR 2100 (6d*50[2]). So even an average hit would
still get through the armour. What is the equivalent for CT?

>3) Redesign existing military ships to use advanced materials.

>Now, personally I like the idea of military ships being intrinsically
>different from civilian ships (in more than just the amount of armour).
>OTOH, I don't want GURPS Traveller to drift too far from the Traveller
>background, and I certainly don't want GT to be a system where all the
>official ships are intentionally suboptimal.

Hey it's not as if existing GT ships are optimal using even the default
materials. The supposedly scary happy fun ball in GT has the minimum possible GT
armour rating of DR100. I assume all versions of traveller have this kind of
problem.

I wouldn't bother or expect existing ships in print to be redesigned. They are
fine for roleplaying which is what really counts.  I would expect newer designs
to use whatever options are available/sanctioned to the full. Whether that
included advanced armour or not.

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

Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1999 09:20:26 -0500 ()
From: "Joseph R. Dietrich" <yikes@evansville.net>
Subject: Re: Dustbin

>  Opinions and experiences solicited: I am trimming dead wood
>  out of our Traveller group, and I'm wondering if anyone out
>  there has ever had to boot a member from their group?
>
>  Rob
>   >>
>
>>     I had to dump a guy from a new AD&D campagin lately.   I used the old
>> fashioned way,  I lied to him.   I told him we weren't playing anymore
>>due to
>> schedule changes.  Now this was different since we were just starting
>>out and
>> we only played with this guy once.

We moved ... or specifically, I moved -- I was in the process of going from
one apartment to another, and we simply failed to tell the individual in
question that I was doing so. Since we gamed at my place, and he only had
my old phone number ...

It is one of the least proud moments in my life, but it was very effective.


>Here's a clarification.  One member is a competetive pain in
>the patookus.

Is he a friend, or an associate. If he's a friend, that's when things
become difficult.

With associates you just say "No offense, but it's not very fun for the
rest of us to play with you, so I'm going to ask you to leave." and be done
with him.

With friends you say "No offense, but it's not very fun for the rest of us
to play with you, so I'm going to ask you to leave." and then have to deal
with his injured feelings and all of that.

There's no easy out -- well, except for lying and/or moving. But if he's a
friend, he deserves more than a lie, and if he's not, then why feel the
need to lie?

Ciao,

Joseph R. Dietrich
yikes@evansville.net

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

Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1999 09:38:07 -0500
From: "Kurtis Rodgers" <kurtis@fastlane.net>
Subject: Re: Technology Demographics

> I'm running 1280x1024 on my 16" monitor. And I got it for $200. :-)

Yikes!  I have always found relative screen sizes to be very much a matter
of personal taste, and for my taste, that is way too many pixels per inch.
:)  Similarly, my new 21" (19.8" viewable) will easily run 1600 x 1200, but
the icons and text just become too small for my comfort.  By using a more
conservative 1280 x 1024, I can actually read the code I'm writing.  OTH, I
have encounted users who insisted on running 640 x 480 on 17" monitors,
because that is what they are used to.  To them, my recomendation of 1024 x
768 was 'too small'.  I'd been getting by for years with inexpensive
monitors, but I got a major job upgrade this spring, so I splurged on the
Trinitron.  I'm happy with the money I spent, I work at home now quite a
bit, so I spend many 'quality' hours a day looking at this CRT.

Kurtis

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

Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1999 08:03:53 -0700
From: "Tom" <tbergman@brawleyonline.com>
Subject: Re: Merc Equipment/Recruitment

> "Legate Legion"  wrote:
>
> >ObTrav:  Would the officer's and crews of Patrol Cruisers and SDB's get
> >"prize money" for captured pirate vessels?
>
>
>     IMTU, yes.

Shouldn't this modify the char gen rules a tad?  Here's why I think so.
IIRC the Royal Navy of the 18th-19th cent. the best class of ship to get a
posting to was a frigate.  Frigates were usually sent about on independent
duties and were more likely to find and capture enemy merchants, smugglers
and/or blockade runners.  This was in part due the fact that the average
merchant Captain knew to avoid the large fleets where most if not all the
larger ships were concentrated.

ObTrav:  With the higher probability of prize money associated with
anti-piracy/picket duty, shouldn't the officers and crews of these ships
receive a credit bonus?  What about the possibility of privately owned ships
being hired out as Privateers/Mercenaries against pirates?  This could prove
financially worthwhile to courageous characters in a well-armed ship.

Just a thought...

Oriontwin
orion 0609 C36AA84-A hi- va+ vi+ so++ A633
tc+ tm+ tn t4+ tg-- ru+ he+ 3i!(+) c+ jt- st++ pi+ ta ge

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

Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1999 10:33:55 -0500 ()
From: "Joseph R. Dietrich" <yikes@evansville.net>
Subject: Re: Weight of Metal

>> According to FFS1, densities for the above are 10, 15 and 15 tonnes per
>> cubic metre, respectively.
>
>Which means they are 10, 15, and 15 kg per cm^3.
                                     ^^

Oops. You mean 10, 15, and 15 g per cm^3, right?

(I can see the jackals decending on the wounded prey now ...)

Ciao,

Joseph R. Dietrich
yikes@evansville.net

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

Date: Wed, 08 Sep 1999 20:45:53 -0700
From: Tim Collins <irndrgn@pacbell.net>
Subject: Re: Technology Demographics

David J. Golden wrote:

>         I've still got my Timex/Sinclair 1000 around ... I hope to do
> something with it once I get settled in!

   I still had mine until my last move and the box was lost.  Too bad to, I was
planning on making a set of cufflinks if I ever found another...

Tim C



- --
If a person with multiple personalities threatens suicide,
is that considered a hostage situation?

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

Date: Thu, 09 Sep 1999 11:04:23 -0500
From: "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com>
Subject: Re: The Big Button [ Virus, eggs, booby traps ]

>So even low class gear could be dangerous, but if you took precautions,
>you can easily deactivate it, simply because it's not *bright* even to
>do more than a few fixed "sabotage" or "anti-personnel" functions.

>To simulate this properly, the GM should consider what sort of
>equipment might contain a computer that *controls* something. And what
>sort of "sensors" (if any) it may have.

Leonard, this is a really great post!  I had never thought about
the Virus' ability to boobytrap every "Java-enabled" (tm) system
on a starship.

Going a step farther, even today microcontrollers tend to be computers
in their own right, and are embedded into every appliance because
they're so cheap... has you coffee maker ever tried to kill you yet?
Kind of like your house being haunted...

Rob

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

Date: Thu, 09 Sep 1999 12:31:06 -0400
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@accesstoledo.com>
Subject: Re: ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

>  > And FWIW, the FASA stuff is *NOT* covered under Marc's 'free to clone for
> > personal use' license; somebody *else* owns this stuff, and I don't wanna
> be
> 
> 
> So, like, does this mean that the FASA stuff won't be on the TravCD? :-p

Not my project, but I wouldn't hold my breath on it.

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: Thu, 09 Sep 1999 11:32:14 -0500
From: "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com>
Subject: The Council (re: Rules Lawyers)

Every Traveller who knows the background becomes a member of
the Traveller Moot, which is similar to the Council at Nicea in the 4th
century, or perhaps more like the framers of the Tanak.  We have a
large set of documents, from a plethora of sources and ages, which
usually have doctrinal significance, and often contradict one another
on one matter or another.

Thus we establish a canon; those words handed down from the
Master Himself, plus whatever sets of apocrypha we prefer.

So we are all canon lawyers; the scribes of the ancient world,
quibbling over jots and tittles.

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

Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1999 12:31:44 -0400 
From: "Clark, William" <Clark@bessemer.com>
Subject: Hasbro buying WOTC

Just heard this on the radio while getting lunch.  They're supposedly buying
them for 325 million. See the following link:

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/19990909/bs/leisure_wizardscoast_1.html

Bill C.
- -----------------------
clark@bessemer.com 

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

Date: Thu, 09 Sep 1999 12:43:58 -0400
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@accesstoledo.com>
Subject: Re: Merc Equipment/Recruitment 

> > >ObTrav:  Would the officer's and crews of Patrol Cruisers and SDB's get
> > >"prize money" for captured pirate vessels?
> >
> >
> >     IMTU, yes.
> 
> Shouldn't this modify the char gen rules a tad?  Here's why I think so.
> IIRC the Royal Navy of the 18th-19th cent. the best class of ship to get a
> posting to was a frigate.  Frigates were usually sent about on independent
> duties and were more likely to find and capture enemy merchants, smugglers
> and/or blockade runners.  This was in part due the fact that the average
> merchant Captain knew to avoid the large fleets where most if not all the
> larger ships were concentrated.
> 
> ObTrav:  With the higher probability of prize money associated with
> anti-piracy/picket duty, shouldn't the officers and crews of these ships
> receive a credit bonus?  What about the possibility of privately owned ships
> being hired out as Privateers/Mercenaries against pirates?  This could prove
> financially worthwhile to courageous characters in a well-armed ship.

IMTU, I handle this via the 'cash' rolls in chargen.  Course, I use CT, but...

Hmmmmmmmmm...  An idea just crossed my limited lil mind.  Ex-Marines who were 
posted to Ship's Troops have an option to take *one* cash roll on the Navy 
table?

> Just a thought...

And an interesting thot it was...

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

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

End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1078
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