Traveller-digest   Wednesday, September 22 1999   Volume 1999 : Number 1116



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

The following topics are covered in this digest:

RE: More at Beowulf Down + Merchant Ship Question
SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Swords'N'Stuff
Cooper Numbers?
Re: Milieu 0 questions
Re: Computer wargames (was: Ground Forces)
Re: Slightly OT: Religion
RE: ground forces
Invasion Earth Order of Battle (longish)
Personal income tax for PC's (somewhat long)
THUDDD schedual
Re: Hmmmmmmm...... SnarfQuest... Hmmmmmnnuh...
Re: Personal income tax for PC's (somewhat long)
RE: Personal income tax for PC's
RE: Computer wargames
Software added to web page
Re: Question: Alternate Uses of Traveller Methods
Re: Re: Personal income tax for PC's (somewhat long)
Re: Milieu 0
Re: Re: Personal income tax for PC's (somewhat long)
Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Swords'N'Stuff
Re: Slightly OT: Religion
Don's Big Traveller Auction, Update #3

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

Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 20:24:41 -0700
From: "Jesse DeGraff" <fenris@slip.net>
Subject: RE: More at Beowulf Down + Merchant Ship Question

OK, now I AM really blushing a blue streak here!!!  Not only did you find
time to update the link to my site (slight URL and WHOA! a lot more
description!!!) but I got a 5 star rating as well!!  I thought I'd at least
have to post some *content* there to upgrade that :D  Tim and I ARE working
on that however.  Maybe I'll get it up there before your next update ;)

Very Best,
Jesse
www.vision-forge-graphics.com/jesse/traveller/trav_welcome.htm
"Striving to Produce a Better (Illustrated) Traveller Universe" (tm)







> And finally, it's a big ma'af ("sorry") on the Jump Points. I *have* at
> least updated Jesse's link (whew) since I go there often, but I
> have yet to
> carve out time to fix my database attempts at storing and publishing the
> Jump Points. I only have about 150 sitting in my Inbox that I have to go
> through and add or update (which is why I said "coming in Phase 2"). And
> that may or may not count all the new Webring sites.  %-(  Ideally, I want
> to generate three versions: one sorted by webmaster^k^k^k Port
> Director (as
> now), one by site name, and one by rating. Ah well. "A man can
> dream, can't
> he?"
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> David "Hyphen" Jaques-Watson        Beowulf Down (Tavonni/Vilis/SM 1520)
> http://www.tip.net.au/~davidjw                       davidjw@pcug.org.au
> "I file things in historical order, with a hashing algorithm of gravity"
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> REQ'D DISCLAIMER - material & opinions contained within are solely those
> of the author and do not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the
> position of Centrelink or any other Commonwealth Government agency.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 13:13:58 +1000
From: "Hughes, Michael" <Michael.Hughes@cbr.defence.gov.au>
Subject: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Swords'N'Stuff

My $0.02 on Cutlasses etc. 

Okay, I don't know how to use a sword etc and for years I thought the SCA
was an anarchist terror group like Bander-Meinhoff or the Symboneise
Liberation Army. 

But from reading the Piers Anthony 'Bio' series, I loved the idea of foils
being used in Zero G combat (to puncture suits) and for close combat in
narrow corridors, especially as in zero G combat, a thrust as opposed to
slash weapon (centre of gravity and what have you) would probably be more
effective.  Also, I read a 'War in 2020' book which had a chapter on what
melee weapons are best in ZG and this backed it up. And while an ordinary
foil would have no chance Vs Combat armour or Battledress, a combat foil
would be some super sword designed for maximum <ahem> penetration.

So IMTU out went Cutlasses for marines & navy and in came foils, rapiers and
the like. This ties in neatly with T4's resurgence of the foil as a noble's
weapon as it gives some justification to why the nobility are practiced in
its use, especially when any noble worth his/her salt has a naval academy &
1 or 2 terms minimum service. A neat and tidy package indeed. 

Whaddayareacon. Extreme cannon violation or does it just make sense?

Look at the monkey. 

Michael 

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

Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 23:34:24 -0400
From: "Sword Worlder" <swordworlder@clinic.net>
Subject: Cooper Numbers?

I'm working on an update to the TDB Project and am weighing the pros and
cons of using the Cooper Number as the primary key.  Before I decide I need
to build a more solid algorithm.

If you know what I'm talking about would you please contact me at:
webmaster@downport.com

Thanks

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

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

Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 20:49:09 -0700
From: Richard Hough <rdhough@home.com>
Subject: Re: Milieu 0 questions

A year or two ago someone posted outlines of a linked series of adventures
in Milieu 0. If you are running a campaign taking place then, I think it
worthwhile to look through the archives to find this stuff. It didn't seem
appropriate to my campaign, so I never saved it and now wish I did. It was
so good I still remember a bit of it this long after.

The adventures involved doing a bunch of undercover-type stuff for an
important Sylean noble; getting military and economic information, fighting
pirates, recovering old Rule-of-Man historical documents, and so on. Of
course, the "noble" is Cleon Zhunastu, and the missions are integral to his
plans of founding the Third Imperium. IIRC, it had a subplot about Cleon's
wife, and a great twist at the end where the players end up fighting
against Cleon.

Does anyone remember this, or have the originals archived? There were a few
posts about it.

- --
IMTU t4+ ru ge+ !3i(3i++) jt-- au+ ls- 

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 00:14:57 -0000
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net>
Subject: Re: Computer wargames (was: Ground Forces)

- -----Original Message-----
From: The Roc <roc@kewl.com.au>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com>
Date: Wednesday, September 22, 1999 2:25 AM
Subject: Re: Computer wargames (was: Ground Forces)


>A review?  Yes please!  I looked for this title yesterday at Hardly Normals
>(errrr, a local computer superstore) and found that the few dozen I'd seen
a
>few days back were all gone... as usual.  I'd love to hear a real life
>review if I could, while I'm waiting for the shelves to be restocked :^)


As someone who has owned the game for quite some time and played it quite a
bit, I've got to say I've been nothing but pleased with it. It's brutally
realistic, yet still extremely engaging. There is a great deal of detail,
more than most wargames. The AI (both for your own units and enemy units) is
simply the best I've ever seen. If you tell the infantry to go someone, they
will arrange themselves behind cover, or in trenches. Morale of units is
handled very well too. Try marching a group of Russian conscripts through a
field full of bodies and compare the results when you march shock troops
through the same field.  The great part is that most of the complexity is
transparent, and the game has a rather pleasant learning curve.

IMHO, Close Combet III: The Russian Front happens to be one of the best
video games on the market right now.

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 00:38:12 -0000
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net>
Subject: Re: Slightly OT: Religion

- -----Original Message-----
From: igor@truserve.com <igor@truserve.com>
To: traveller@mpgn.com <traveller@mpgn.com>
Date: Tuesday, September 21, 1999 6:17 PM
Subject: Slightly OT: Religion


>I was wondering - what would our current mainstream religions think about
the Third
>Imperium? I have a culture that was formed from some generation ships form
Terra - thus
>the population still has practicing christians, jews, muslims, buddhists,
etc...


I don't know what they'd think. The standard Traveller line (indeed, the
standard sci-fi line) is that the importance of the world's religions will
be downplayed as we reach for the stars.

However, Enlightenment thinkers thought that they'd finish off religion too,
but they didn't quite manage too. In fact, there's actually been an increase
in the power of fundamentalist movements across the globe. However, that's
quite a different direction than the questions you're asking. I don't see a
reason why religious beliefs have to be confined to those who left earth on
generation ships.

>..how would these religions take in the new view of the universe? What
place would
>aliens have in the various dogma (are they savable, or are they beyond the
grace of
>god/allah/etc...).

It's going to vary widely. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, chinese
religious practices (I'm leary of calling it Confucianism as Samuel P.
Huntington does in his wonderful essay "The Clash of Civilizations?: The
Next Pattern of Conflict") all have changed greatly during the years in
which they have existed. Simply looking at the differences between Western
catholic theologians of the middle ages, those of the Enlightenment and
those of the modern day.

There was even a time in the 18th century when the Jesuits very nearly
rectified Chinese ancestor worship with the teachings of the Catholic
church.

What I'm trying to say is that different religions will have very different
approaches to the colonization, conquest and conversion of space and alien
races, human and otherwise. Even within the various religions beliefs and
opinions can vary widely. A fundamentalist Christian may have vastly
different views on evolution than a Jesuit biologist.

>Once his role becomes known, where would Grandfather and the
>ancients fit in? What is the religious importance (if any) of Earth?


That would be a rough one to rectify with some of the world's religious
beliefs. I'm sure that some would integrate Grandfather into their religion,
at least in passing, while others would deny he ever existed. Some
fundamentalist Christians believe, for example, that ancient fossils were
placed in the earth to test or deceive mankind. I can see the same attitude
in reference to ancient structures and ruins.

>This society, as I said, was seeded from 21st century earth, and for
various reasons
>has a fairly strong religious background. It has been growing now for a few
centuries,
>so the religions will have changed some - but how much? Will they still be
around?


Why not? Over two centuries after the Enlightenment the world's religions
are still strong and healthy.

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 00:35:32 -0500
From: Dan Roseberry <rosebee@troi.csw.net>
Subject: RE: ground forces

To:Douglas E. Berry <gridlore etc etc....>

Is there going to be anything on military dependants, or will that be in
a different source book, like GURPS TRAVELLER:  Base Housing or GURPS
TRAVELLER:  Imperial War Brats! (The navy could have GURPS TRAVELLER:
Imperial Space Brats!) 

Come to think of it, I wonder what a Imperial AAFES BX* would look like?

*For civilians, Army and Airforce Exchange Service Base Exchange;
basically a retail department store.
 

Dan Roseberry (plop 101) Proud to be a Brat!
IMTU: t4 tg tt to tc++ tm++ -tne-- he+  zh vr as hi so dr+ ne+ da+ etc.
"Anyone who is not completely terrified does not understand the
problem"--Thud Ridge

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 99 07:02:10 +0100
From: Fred Hood <Fred@cetaganda.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Invasion Earth Order of Battle (longish)

As Doug Berry requested for 'Ground Forces':

Key: most units given as TL-designation. (e) is elite.

Solomani

Planetary Defence
Corps (all TL14) AECO, Lagrange, Phoenix (one per starport)
Div: TL14: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11; TL13: 4, 6, 13, 14, 16, 17; TL12: 7, 9, 
12, 15
Bde: all TL14: 1Lt, 2Lt, 3Lt, 4Lt

Armies: all inf 14-SA (South America), 14-AS (Asia), 13-NA (North 
America), 13-AF (Africa)
Corps: inf: 14-ARM, 13-158, 12-116, 12-ihatei, 11-AL; mech: 14-124, 
13-36M, 12-59; arm: 14-15; armcav 14-55; cav 13-16H
Div: Inf: 13- 58, 117, 3 cent, 6 cent,  12- 342, 511,  11- Loki, LE; 
jump: 14- 82, 101; mech: 13- VN, Calg; arm 14-12; armcav 14-7; Cav: 12- 
8L, 12L
'Rgt'(10): arm: 14- 1SG(e), 2SG(e); mech: 14- 3SG, 4SG; inf: 15-5SG; 
armcav 14-CSG(e) (all Solomani Guards?); commando: 14- 1AI(e), 2AI(e)

Imperial Marines
Div: 14-99P
TF(5): 14- 4545(e), 6701(e), 4217(e); 13-4940; 12-2666

Imperial Army
Armies: 14- 276, 299
Corps: inf: 14- 712, 713, 714; 13- 689, 745; 12- 222, 265, 963;  mech: 
14- 177, 643, 643, 13-686; arm: 14-631, 13-590;  acav 13-1101; cav 14-715
Div: Inf: 14-651; 13- 2257, 2288; jump: 14- 3001, 3003(e); arm: 14-2506, 
2511(e); armcav 14-2476
Bde(10): all jump: 14- 15, 32, 90, 124, 127; 13-130

Colonial
Corps: inf: 12- 2111, 5271, 5273, 5274, 5281, 11-4243; mech 14-2897; arm 
13-5512; armcav 11-1789; cav 11-8086 (the intel corps? slowest unit on 
the map? :) )
Div: inf: 12- 1020, 1021; mech 12-171; arm 11-H50(e)
Bde: inf 14-422, 13-9516

Merc
Div: inf 14-Tormut; mech 12-SAG
Bde: inf 13-kaiear (probably Aslan); armcav 13-Khan; inf 12-Vr'gnal 
(probably Vargr)
Rgt(5): jump 14-Zeny(e)

It is interesting to note that the Solomani forces are split evenly 
between TL13 and TL14 (in battalion strength points), the Imperials are 
only about a quarter TL13. This could be a selection effect, with the 
Imperium using picked troops against whatever the Solomani could scrape 
from the bottom of the barrel.





Fred.

"kind hearted people might think there was some ingenious way to disarm 
or defeat an enemy without too much bloodshed, and might imagine this is 
the true goal of the art of war. Pleasant as it sounds this is a fallacy 
that must be exposed"
Clausewitz, On War, page 1

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 01:19:54 -0500
From: Dan Roseberry <rosebee@troi.csw.net>
Subject: Personal income tax for PC's (somewhat long)

I apologize if this subject has been done to death.

So you've really thrown everything at the PC's and they still survive
that trade run/belt mining/merc ticket adventure. They did it and
managed to make alot of credits without being rules rapists.(wow!) I've
gotta assume that the Imperuim is gonna want some taxes out of their
profits. After all, the money to finance those Trillion Credit Squadrons
and Imperial bureaucrats has to be coming from somewhere, right? The
Cr500 tax from TCS only pertains to Navy budgets; Striker theoretically
hinted at what I'll call a military tax with which you could calculate
spending for all military services. Pocket Empires had a govenment
budget and taxes which one could exptrapolate into a person owing so
many Credits per year, but that was only for small intersteller
governments which really can't compare to the 11,000 worlds in the
Imperuim.

Does anyone have any ideas on what a Imperial personal income tax would
look like? For the moment, IMTU I'm borrowing from the US Tax Code, but
I gotta assume after several thousand years that the 3I would come up
with a better tax code than that. Also, was there any mention of taxes
in this "World Tamers Handbook"? I never had a chance to see the TNE
book on world building (World Tamers Handbook?) but I'm guessing that
they may have made some mention of it. Finnally, if this topic has been
done to death, point me in the right direction to look at the messages.
Thanks.

And for those PC's who may be on the TML and reading this message, the
Imperuim thanks you for your self sacrifice. Emperor Strephon "feels
your pain."

Dan Roseberry (plop 101) Proud to be a Brat!
IMTU: t4 tg tt to tc++ tm++ -tne-- he+  zh vr as hi so dr+ ne+ da+ etc.
"Anyone who is not completely terrified does not understand the
problem"--Thud Ridge

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 01:19:48 -0700
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net>
Subject: THUDDD schedual

Hello,

Due to some unforeseen Real Life(tm), the deadline for THUDDD 10 submissions
has been extended.  If you have already submitted your design, my apologies,
but you will need to resubmit when the submission page is made available
again.

If you haven't gotten your Key-code, by all means, send a description of
your Design Firm and I'll send you one.  The type of information that you
might want to include are things like History and Ownership as well as
Primary Product line(s) and specialty products (if any).
- --
Sincerely,

Jason Barnabas




________________________________________________________
NetZero - We believe in a FREE Internet.  Shouldn't you?
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 16:36:32 -0700
From: "Antony Farrell" <Skaran@bigpond.com>
Subject: Re: Hmmmmmmm...... SnarfQuest... Hmmmmmnnuh...

- ----- Original Message -----
From: The Roc <roc@kewl.com.au>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 1999 7:21 PM
Subject: Re: Hmmmmmmm...... SnarfQuest... Hmmmmmnnuh...


>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Volker Greimann <volker@greimann.de>
> To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:19 AM
> Subject: Re: Hmmmmmmm...... SnarfQuest
>
>
> > At 16:13 20.09.99 -0400, you wrote:
> > >> Have you noticed the similarity between the comic character Snarf (of
> > >> SnarfQuest) and Jar Jar Binks.
> > >
>
> Upon further thought... I started to feel that the battledroids looked a
lot
> more like Snarf!?!?
>
> -- The Roc
>
> And then of course it was amazing how like Cylon warriors they sounded.
Their aim was also just as good.

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 07:23:08 -0400
From: "Thomas Schoene" <TomSchoene@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Personal income tax for PC's (somewhat long)

- ----------
> From: Dan Roseberry <rosebee@troi.csw.net>
> To: Traveller Mailing List (TML) <Traveller@lists.imagiconline.com>
> Subject: Personal income tax for PC's (somewhat long)
> Date: Wednesday, 22 September, 1999 2:19 AM
> 
> I apologize if this subject has been done to death.
[snip]
> 
> Does anyone have any ideas on what a Imperial personal income tax would
> look like? 

There isn't one, I believe.  I can't find a precise reference, but in the
discussion of Far Trader, it came out that the Imperium taxes worlds, not
people.  Individual planets set whatever tax rates they want for their
residents, and have to provide a certain amount to the Empire (the precise
amount depends on population and Tech Level, I think).  

You might rule that the Imperium directly taxes "Citizens of the Imperium"
(IMTU, this phrase covers people who have no fixed planetary place of
abode.)  If it does, I expect it would be very simple: X percent of income,
no deductions, no nonsense, except possibly exempting Imperial pensions
from taxation. X should be a very small number, too.  

Tom Schoene

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 14:00:15 +0100
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com>
Subject: RE: Personal income tax for PC's

Dan Roseberry wrote:
> Does anyone have any ideas on what a Imperial  personal  income
> tax would look like? For the moment, IMTU  I'm  borrowing  from
> the US Tax Code, but I  gotta  assume  after  several  thousand
> years that the 3I would come up with a  better  tax  code  than
> that.

I've been thinking about this on and off for some years  now  and
here is my take:

Most Imperial revenue comes from a tax levied on  member  worlds.
The actual amount to be paid each year  is  set  by  an  Imperial
Assessor (part of the Imperial Treasury) who decides based on the
size of the planetary economy (includes population, TL, etc)  and
representations made by the nobility.  In  reality  this  tax  is
often set by negotiations between the  planetary  government  and
the nobility, with the Office of  the  Assessor  acting  only  as
middlemen.  Planetary governments raise this tax  money  as  they
see fit ... by income tax, sales tax,  poll  tax,  business  tax,
etc, or a mixture of different means.  The one  tax  method  they
are not permitted is customs duties.

The second source of Imperial revenue comes from a  business  tax
levied on any LIC corporation (including  the  megacorporations).
Typically a flat 5% of gross annual profits.

The third source of Imperial revenue (and most  relevant  to  the
original question) is customs duties.  These are levied  on  free
traders and other interstellar non-LIC business.  Typically  this
is an import tax administered by  the  local  Starport  Authority
(with backup from the IISS and IN where necessary).  Usually  the
amounts are small and vary from item to item on different worlds.
Having LIC status exempts customs duties ... however,  the  local
customs office also administers prohibitions and  LIC  businesses
must still follow these.  It is not unknown for customs officials
to be corrupt and/or bribable.

The fourth and final source of Imperial revenue are licence fees.
For just about everything.  Ranging from a few  credits  to  more
than a few.  One such fee which would  be  of  interest  to  free
traders is a Certificate of Spaceworthiness,  granted  each  year
under the authority of the Imperial  Ministry  of  Transportation
by the Starport Authority (cost for COS  inspection  is  Cr10,000
per 100 dt or  part  thereof  ...  and  if  the  ship  fails  the
inspection the fee is still paid).  A ship with an  out  of  date
COS is liable to heavy fines, manditory safety  inspections,  and
may even be grounded.  Additionally, the absence of  an  uptodate
COS will invalidate most ship insurance policies.  On  the  other
hand COS documentation is not routinely  checked  and  so  it  is
possible to avoid paying this ... at least for a time.



Regards PLST
"Rome wasn't burned in a day."

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 09:25:33 -0400
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca>
Subject: RE: Computer wargames

Craig Berry writes:
<snipped>
>Based on this recommendation I bought CC: Russian Campaign at lunch today.
>I'll try it out this evening; looks great based on a quick browse of the
>manual.  Anyone interested in seeing a mini-review here in a few days, or
>is this all getting too far off topic?

	Yup, but I would be interested in your review.  Could you post
	it on AGL?

Peez

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 10:00:57 -0500 (CDT)
From: Cynthia Higginbotham <cyhiggin@pipeline.com>
Subject: Software added to web page

I finally dug various bits of Traveller-related code out
of my archives and put them on my web page:

http://www.pipeline.com/~cyhiggin/games/traveller/trav.html

under the "Technical Services" section. Most of it is MT 
related, but there are a few TNE items. Source and programs
range from DOS to OS/2 to Linux, from REXX scripts to C++
to no source at all.  Most are world-generation or mapping 
tools of one type or another, and several were created to 
assist with Steve's PBEM games.  The OS/2 and DOS code is
offered "As Is", as I am no longer developing in those environments
any more.  (However, I have been known to port OS/2 text-mode
programs to  Linux; e.g., htmlsect)

Enjoy!
		--Cynthia

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 09:49:30 -0500 (CDT)
From: Cynthia Higginbotham <cyhiggin@pipeline.com>
Subject: Re: Question: Alternate Uses of Traveller Methods

> Over the past decade or so, our gaming group has been using a peibald mix of
> CT & MT with a light overlay or various other canonical materials. Lately,
> we've been alternating our "normal" traveller with another campaign set in a
> completely different era using the traveller character and combat systems.
> 
> Has this worked out for anyone else?
> 
> Also, has anyone done any systematic creation of alternative
> universes/gaming settings utilitizing the Traveller System.

Well, I've been using GT rules to run a 3I character dropped into
Menzoberrazan on Aber-Toril (That's the big drow city in the Forgotten
Realms, for those of you unfamiliar with the names...). The culture
clash between drow and a 3rd Impy, ex-Navy Intel, ex-Admiral who is also
a high-end psi has been.. interesting. Cosmopolitan space travellers
of the 57th century have a different perspective on "indigenous cultures"
than the locals.

Does that count?

				--Cynthia

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 11:18:41 -0400
From: jmaclean@ix.netcom.com
Subject: Re: Re: Personal income tax for PC's (somewhat long)

traveller@lists.imagiconline.com wrote:
>> ----------> From: Dan Roseberry 
>> To: Traveller Mailing List (TML) 
>> Subject: Personal income tax for PC's (somewhat long)
>> Date: Wednesday, 22 September, 1999 2:19 AM
>> 
>> I apologize if this subject has been done to death.
>[snip]
>> 
>> Does anyone have any ideas on what a Imperial personal income tax >would
>> look like? 

Tom Schoene said:
>There isn't one, I believe.  I can't find a precise reference, but in >the discussion of Far Trader, it came out that the Imperium taxes >worlds, not
>people.  Individual planets set whatever tax rates they want for >their residents, and have to provide a certain amount to the Empire >(the precise amount depends on population and Tech Level, I think).  

Correct.  The idea is that levying taxes on residents of each of the Imperium's 11,000 worlds would require an extraordinarily large bureaucracy and would represent a significant and unnecessary level of interference with planetary affairs.  The tax code can have a big influence on people's behavior, so giving the Imperium control over it would represent a large concession of power by local authorities.  Instead, the Imperium tells each planet how much it owes and it is then up to locals to decide whether to implement an income tax, sales tax, property tax, labor conscription, etc.

If for some reason IYTU you want to have the Imperium collect taxes from individuals, you can say that what they usually do is simply set planetary "revenue targets" and then deputize the locals to figure out how to collect it.  That way, in unusual circumstances (like PCs too flush with cash), the Imperium could go after the money directly. 

It's a matter of taste, but I prefer to see the 3I as operating on minimalist principles that are more likely to be robust across time and space.  To me, this implies no direct taxation.

>You might rule that the Imperium directly taxes "Citizens of the >Imperium"(IMTU, this phrase covers people who have no fixed planetary >place of abode.)  If it does, I expect it would be very simple: X >percent of income, no deductions, no nonsense, except possibly >exempting Imperial pensions from taxation. X should be a very small >number, too.  

This is entirely possible, but given the relatively small number of people this would apply to, it might be more trouble than it's worth for Imperial authorities.  Given the breadth of the Imperium though, this practice probably exists somewhere.

There are lots of ways to collect taxes from transients if you really want to.  Local authorities can tax hotels and restaurants in the "Startown" outside the XT Line.  The Imperial authorities can do the same thing just by raising rent on the businesses inside the Line.  The local gov't could also put big fees for exchanging cash ICr for local currency, this would hit travellers without hurting business transactions done through banks.  Too many of these little fees and the Imperials make get enough complaints to do something, but local gov'ts can raise some revenue this way and GMs can use them to annoy players. ;-)

Jim MacLean
Economist, Traveller Fan
GT: Far Trader co-author

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 11:10:24 -0400
From: Thad Coons <Sapience@compuserve.com>
Subject: Re: Milieu 0

Dom Moony wrote:

>FWIW the Missouri archive has a lot of material for M0 - the
>corrected FS data (complete). A GIF of Core showing the Sylean
>Federation members, and GIFS of the Imperium in -30, 0 and 20
>based on the expanded M0 information.

   Again we have inconsistent information. The Sylean Federation
of First Survey is much smaller than than the GIF of -30
indicates that it is. Although the -30 GIF does match the text
better, the the First survey data has almost equal claim to
authority. My handwave for this goes:
   The Sylean Federation had fairly stringent membership
requirements, including the adoption of the full apparatus of
Federation bureacracy. Many planets that did not wish to meet
these standards had various degrees of diplomatic, military, and
economic alliance with the Federation. The Federation itself had
been completely dominated by Sylea. One of Cleon's earliest and
most important political victories was the admission of another
high-population world. (Shudusham and Shaaak are good candidates)
The old guard Sylean conservatives lost control of the Senate and
the Federation (as they had feared) and Cleon led the fight for
reduced bureacracy, taxation, and relaxed membership
requirements.
    As membership requirements were relaxed, admission into the
Federation was made (for purposes of law and noble precedence)
retroactive to the time when the reduced requirements had been
met.  This explains the apparent discrepancy in the size of the
late Sylean Federation according to the different maps both
dating to c. -25 IE. By a conservative Sylean standard of
membership, the smaller map is correct. By a later, liberal
standard, the larger one reflects imperial growth better.
 

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 09:25:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com>
Subject: Re: Re: Personal income tax for PC's (somewhat long)

jmaclean@ix.netcom.com writes:
> 
> Correct.  The idea is that levying taxes on residents of each of the
> Imperium's 11,000 worlds would require an extraordinarily large bureaucracy and would represent a significant and unnecessary level of interference with planetary affairs.  The tax code can have a big influence on people's behavior, so giving the Imperium control over it would represent a large concession of power by local authorities.  Instead, the Imperium tells each planet how much it owes and it is then up to locals to decide whether to implement an income tax, sales tax, property tax, labor conscription, etc. 

Hm...interesting that the Imperium doesn't interfere in tariffs, given that its theoretical purpose is to encourage interstellar trade.  The most plausible imperial taxes would be things like registration fees for starships, fees for use of imperial services, etc (income tax requires knowing how much you make, which is relatively difficult)

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 09:27:49 -0700 (PDT)
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com>
Subject: Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Swords'N'Stuff

Hughes, Michael writes:

> Whaddayareacon. Extreme cannon violation or does it just make sense?

Not really.  If you want an effective thrusting weapon that can be used well in inconvenient gravity, go for a spear.  It has the additional benefit that you can have a convenient impromptu spear with this device called a 'bayonet' ;)

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 10:14:37 -0700
From: "Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella" <xrp@sierratel.com>
Subject: Re: Slightly OT: Religion

> I don't know what they'd think. The standard Traveller line (indeed, the
> standard sci-fi line) is that the importance of the world's religions will
> be downplayed as we reach for the stars.

OTOH, compare with Frank Herberts /Orange Catholic Bible/ quotes in his Dune
series. In the same lines, has anyone read the Warriors of Spider, Way of
Spider, and Web of Spider? Very interesting, wonderful characters, and an
intriguing take on religion. And some good Traveller bits, just ignore the
FTL communications.
////////////////////////////////////////
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: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 13:19:02 CDT
From: Don McKinney <dmckinne@itds.com>
Subject: Don's Big Traveller Auction, Update #3

Don's Big Traveller Auction, Update #3!

Rules:
1. Replies to dmckinne@itds.com.
2. Winner selects and pays for shipping; minimum $3 (priority mail).
3. Winner sends me payment, then I ship.  If personal check, it
sits at my bank for 10 business days before shipping.
4. Current winning bid is listed first; in case of ties, the first
bid received is listed first.
5. Buyout bids have burned me in the past; so if you want to do
it, bid an outrageous price.
6. New bids in whole dollar amounts, please...
7. I'll use the "GOING", "GOINGx2", "GONE" method after bidding
slows down.
8. I am god, but I don't like it.


ODDITIES

??? Scouts and Assassins, 1980 Narapoia edition, very good condition
deck plan still attached
minimum bid $5
$15 markw@antares.demon.co.uk
$6 mitch@sirius.com

??? Imperium boxed set, 1977 Conflict Game edition, very good
condition, counters punched and not sorted, but count is right
minimum bid $10
$25 markw@antares.demon.co.uk
$17 TDRandall@aol.com

GDW BOXED SETS

??? Snapshot boxed set, 1979 edition, good condition
box corner torn, cover of rules booklet torn at bottom
minimum bid $3
$20 tbergman@brawleyonline.com
$5 Jens.Maskus@stud.uni-hannover.de
$5 TDRandall@aol.com

104 Invasion: Earth boxed set, 1981 edition, unpunched
includes counter tray and dice, excellent condition
minimum bid $10
$30 markw@antares.demon.co.uk
$25 mitch@sirius.com
$20 tbergman@brawleyonline.com
$20 igor@truserve.com

251 Traveller "starter" boxed set, 1983 edition, excellent condition
minimum bid $5
$5 wlewis@mailbag.com

301 Traveller boxed set, includes Books 1-3, 1981 edition
boxed scuffed, fair condition, books inside excellent condition
minimum bid $5
$8 tmixon@ghg.net
$6 ursa@greatbearlink.com
$5 rob.hingley@sympatico.ca

409 Dark Nebula boxed set, 1980 edition, punched and in trays,
excellent condition
minimum bid $5
$7 TDRandall@aol.com

704 Striker boxed set, 1981 edition, excellent condition
minimum bid $10
$25 tmixon@ghg.net
$15 Jens.Maskus@stud.uni-hannover.de

803 Double Star, 1979 edition, unpunched, excellent condition
minimum bid $10
$10 mitch@sirius.com

822 Fifth Frontier War, 1981 edition, punched and in trays,
excellent condition
minimum bid $15
$25 gmgoffin@pacbell.net
$20 mitch@sirius.com
$20 Jens.Maskus@stud.uni-hannover.de


TRAVELLER BOOKLETS

303 Supplement 1 - 1001 Characters, 1978 edition, excellent cond.
minimum bid $5
$5 LyleStone@csi.com

304 Book 4 - Mercenary, 1978 edition, excellent condition except for
hole punch in front cover
minimum bid $5

305 Supplement 2 - Animal Encounters, 1979 edition, excellent cond.
minimum bid $5

306 Adventure 1 - The Kinunir, 1979 edition, excellent condition
minimum bid $5
$5 jetrock@boulez.emrl.com

308 Book 5 - High Guard, 1980 "2nd" edition, excellent condition
minimum bid $5
$5 tmixon@ghg.net

309 Supplement 3 - Spinward Marches, 1979 edition, excellent cond.
minimum bid $5
$5 kev1ste4@delanet.com

??? Supplement 4 - Citizens of the Imperium, 1979 edition
water damage, no # on front cover, has "$3.98" printed on front
with NO descriptive text on back cover
minimum bid $3

311 Adventure 2 - Research Station Gamma, 1980 edition
excellent condition except for front cover fold crease
minimum bid $5
$5 jetrock@boulez.emrl.com

312 Double Adv 1 - Shadows/Annic Nova, 1980 edition
excellent condition
minimum bid $5
$5 LyleStone@csi.com

313 Double Adv 2 - Across the Bright Face/Mission on Mithril,
1980 edition, excellent condition
minimum bid $5

314 Adventure 3 - Twilight's Peak, 1980 edition, good condition
with cover crease in corner and hole punch
minimum bid $5

315 Supplement 6 - 76 Patrons, 1980 edition, excellent condition
minimum bid $5

316 Adventure 4 - Leviathan, 1980 edition, excellent condition
minimum bid $5

317 Best of the Journal #1, 1980 edition, excellent condition
minimum bid $5

318 Supplement 7 - Traders and Gunboats, 1980 edition
significant water damage, some pages stuck together
just couldn't bring myself to throw it away
minimum bid $1
$1 TDRandall@aol.com

319 Adventure 5 - Trillion Credit Squadron, 1981 edition
excellent condition
minimum bid $5
$8 TDRandall@aol.com

320 Supplement 8 - Library Data (A-M), 1981 edition
excellent condition
minimum bid $5

323 Double Adv 4 - Marooned/Marooned Alone, 1981 edition
excellent condition
minimum bid $5
$5 jetrock@boulez.emrl.com

324 Supplement 9 - Fighting Ships, 1981 edition, excellent condition
minimum bid $5
$5 markw@antares.demon.co.uk

325 Adventure 6 - Expedition to Zhodane, 1981 edition, very
good condition
minimum bid $5
$5 jetrock@boulez.emrl.com

326 Adventure 7 - Broadsword, 1982 edition, excellent condition
minimum bid $5

328 Best of the Journal #2, 1981 edition, excellent condition
minimum bid $5

331 Double Adv 6 - Divine Intervention/Night of Conquest
1982 edition, excellent condition
minimum bid $5

333 Adventure 9 - Nomads of the World-Ocean
1983 edition, excellent condition
minimum bid $5
$7 jetrock@boulez.emrl.com
$5 kev1ste4@delanet.com

335 Best of the Journal #3, 1982 edition, excellent condition
minimum bid $5
$15 wlewis@mailbag.com

336 Supplement 13 - Veterans, 1983 edition, excellent condition
except for cover tear (from price tag?)
minimum bid $5

337 Book 6 - Scouts, 1983 edition, excellent condition except for
hole punch in back cover
minimum bid $5
$8 tmixon@ghg.net
$7 jetrock@boulez.emrl.com

342 Best of the Journal #4, 1983 edition, cover has water damage
minimum bid $5

??? Special Supplement 2 - Exotic Atmospheres, excellent condition
minimum bid $1
$1 TDRandall@aol.com

??? Journal #24, 1985 printing, excellent condition
minimum bid $5


Send all replies to "dmckinne@itds.com".
Thanks!
- --
========================================================================
= Donald E. McKinney, Lead ConfigMgt Engineer        dmckinne@itds.com =
= International Telecommunications Data Systems         (217) 239-8365 =
= 2109 Fox Drive, Champaign, IL                         (217) 351-8250 =
= Winter War 27 Convention Chairman, Champaign, IL, February 4-6, 2000 =
= winterwar@prairienet.org        http://www.prairienet.org/winterwar/ = 
========================================================================

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

End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1116
***********************************

To unsubscribe to Traveller-Digest, send the command:

unsubscribe traveller-digest

in the body of a message to "traveller-request@lists.imagiconline.com".
If you want to subscribe something other than the account the mail is
coming from, such as a local redistribution list, then append that
address to the "subscribe" command; for example, to subscribe
"local-traveller":

subscribe traveller-digest local-traveller@your.domain.net

A non-digest (direct mail) version of this list is also available; to
subscribe to that instead, replace all instances of "traveller-digest"
in the commands above with "traveller".

Multi-Player Games Network http://www.mpgn.com
