Traveller-digest   Wednesday, September 22 1999   Volume 1999 : Number 1117



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

The following topics are covered in this digest:

Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1116
Re: Personal income tax for PC's (somewhat long)
One question answered, another asked...
RE: Religeon
RE: Personal income tax for PC's
Re: Personal income tax for PC's (somewhat long)
Re: Personal income tax for PC's
Re: Personal income tax for PC's
Fw: World-Tamer's Handbook spreadsheet
Re: One question answered, another asked...
Re: Software added to web page 
Re: Software added to web page 
[BITS] Website Update 22/9/99 
Re: Ground Forces
Re: Ground Forces
Re: Personal income tax for PC's (somewhat long)
Re:[BITS] Official answer on TLWH question
Name Suggestions
Re: RE: Personal income tax for PC's
Re: Re: Personal income tax for PC's
Re: One question answered, another asked...
Calling Peter Trevor
WTH Spreadsheet
RE: More at Beowulf Down
Re: One question answered, another asked...
Re: Ground Forces
SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Bayonets are better - they leave the hair smoot h and silky

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 13:25:27 CDT
From: Don McKinney <dmckinne@itds.com>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1116

> 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 pirates, recovering old Rule-of-Man historical documents, and so on.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.

That off-handedly sounds like my "The Iridium Throne" proposal, of which 
I've put some rough notes on my Traveller website...

http://www.prairienet.org/~dmckinne/trav.html


DonM.
- --
========================================================================
= 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/ = 
========================================================================

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 19:52:21 +0100
From: Mark Watson <markw@antares.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Personal income tax for PC's (somewhat long)

On Wed, 22 Sep 1999, Thomas Schoene wrote:
>----------
>> From: Dan Roseberry <rosebee@troi.csw.net>
>> 
>> 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).  
>
There are formulae in Pocket Empires for calculating the tax rate. Although
this is M0 and a Pocket Empire is by definition pre-imperial, it works as a
local tax rate - the only real issue is whether you treat the imperial levy as
an additional "discretionary" (in PE terms) tax or as something covered by the
existing rate.

Just as an aside, I think the EU, which has a similar relationship to its member
states, mostly recovers revenue from a share in indirect (ie sales) tax - there
is an agreed minimum rate of 15% within Europe (although in the UK we pay 17.5%,
this rate originally introduced to cover the cost of the poll tax disaster).

If you don't have PE then you can get hold of Stuart Ferris'
excellent WBD program which includes the PE tax calculations.
Mark
- --
Mark Watson, markw@antares.demon.co.uk

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 12:20:30
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com>
Subject: One question answered, another asked...

Thanks to all who offered me the info from Invasion Earth, I now have the
relevant facts in a little file.

Next question(s):  I seem to recall there was an emperor who ordered that
tall the services use the same officer rank to ease his confusion.  Was
that a DGP bit?  Anybody have that source?

Any source for a Lift-Infantry Battalion other than the 4518th.  Is there
one in Striker II? (my copy disappeared many moons ago.)
- -- 

Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 15:23:48 -0400
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca>
Subject: RE: Religeon

One development that I would expect in the coming centuries is the
branching of religeons into more denominations.  Over the past 2,000 years
Judeism has had Christianity and Islam split off, and each of these has
produced numerous sects.  Will there be Neo-Christians, Jews who find a
messiah at last?  How about Christians who recognize the second coming of
Christ?  The possibilities are endless, has anyone worked some of them out?

Peez

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 15:29:04 -0400
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca>
Subject: RE: Personal income tax for PC's

Jim MacLean writes:
<snipped>
>>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.)
<snipped>
>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.

	On the other hand, if large corporations could escape taxation
	simply by not setting up shop on an Imperial member world
	(prefering instead to locate on asteroids, in otherwise 
	uninhabited systems, or even on ships), one would expect a lot
	of people and businesses dodging the tax man this way.

<snipped>

Peez

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 14:42:54 -0500
From: "Bont" <felix@felixcafe.com>
Subject: Re: Personal income tax for PC's (somewhat long)

> 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.  

A Loong, Loong time ago ... when I was just a newbie player ...

My GM used these same guidelines.  The X was 2% but it was on 
everything you owned and it only happened every five years.  So if 
you made no money those five years, you actually lost value.  ie.  
You have a ship.  You pay 2% in taxes every five years on the value 
of the ship.  The IRS agents (I can't remember the acronym he 
used) were quite brutish about how the estimated value. :)  But this 
was only for people who didn't have a fixed address (like scouts).  
Now that I think back, I can't remember exactly HOW he justified it.  
I just know that during the time we played I had two adventures 
where I had to hide all my goodies 'cause the taxman cometh.

IMTU, I just make the PC's deduct 2% from their pay and profits.  
No muss, no fuss and they think they are getting away with 
something.


- - - -
FELIX (Thomas L Bont)

- - Encrypt your messages!
  That way only the government knows what you wrote!

- - It is truly the wise man that knows what he doesn't!

- - With your shield or on it ... (Old Spartan Blessing)

- - Fidelitas super omnia, honore excepto

- - Help Stop Forest Fires.  Outlaw Matches.

Be sure to visit The FELIX Cafe at
     http://www.felixcafe.com/

- - - -

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 12:56:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com>
Subject: Re: Personal income tax for PC's

Ian Ferguson writes:

>      On the other hand, if large corporations could escape taxation
>      simply by not setting up shop on an Imperial member world
>      (prefering instead to locate on asteroids, in otherwise 
>      uninhabited systems, or even on ships), one would expect a lot
>      of people and businesses dodging the tax man this way.

Not really.  If you set up on an independent planetoid, either you're claiming to be another planet (in which case you owe imperial taxes, like any planet) or you claim to be under the jurisdiction of another planet (in which case you owe whatever that planet collects).

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 12:56:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com>
Subject: Re: Personal income tax for PC's

Ian Ferguson writes:

>      On the other hand, if large corporations could escape taxation
>      simply by not setting up shop on an Imperial member world
>      (prefering instead to locate on asteroids, in otherwise 
>      uninhabited systems, or even on ships), one would expect a lot
>      of people and businesses dodging the tax man this way.

Not really.  If you set up on an independent planetoid, either you're claiming to be another planet (in which case you owe imperial taxes, like any planet) or you claim to be under the jurisdiction of another planet (in which case you owe whatever that planet collects).

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 18:58:40 +0100
From: "Peter  Scarrott" <peter@myhelliconia.freeserve.co.uk>
Subject: Fw: World-Tamer's Handbook spreadsheet

"Nick Bradbeer" said
>Having become thoroughly fed up with the sheer mass of tables in the World
>Tamers Handbook for generating plantary climates, I've put an Excel
>spreadsheet together (over the course of four hours) to automate the
>number-crunching bit. It was intended primarily for my own use, but if
>anybody else uses WTH and thinks it might be a useful thing to have I'll
>post it up on my website. I'll not bother if nobody wants it.
Definitely interested, please let us know when it's ready for download.
Damnit _4 days_, that's quicker than I can design a planet using WTH.  I'm
playing around with other software but would love something based on WTH.

Peter
http://www.myhelliconia.freeserve.co.uk
peter@myhelliconia.freeserve.co.uk

IMTU: tc+ tm tn++ ru+ !3i+ c+ jt- au- ls ta- hi++ ith++ va+ as- so  zh+ vi-
      And life is harsh and rarely fair.

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the
shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser
gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to
die."

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 16:27:12 -0400
From: Kurt Feltenberger <kurt@blazenet.net>
Subject: Re: One question answered, another asked...

At 12:20 PM 09/22/1999 +0000, you wrote:
>Thanks to all who offered me the info from Invasion Earth, I now have the
>relevant facts in a little file.
>
>Next question(s):  I seem to recall there was an emperor who ordered that
>tall the services use the same officer rank to ease his confusion.  Was
>that a DGP bit?  Anybody have that source?

The article you might be thinking about was referring to changing the rank 
_symbols_, not the rank names.  Thus a O-4 in the Navy will have the same 
rank device as an O-4 in the Marines which is the same device as the Army, 
even though the Navy rank name differs from that of the Marines and Army.


Kurt Feltenberger

"To our Country! In her intercourse with foreign nations,
    may she always be in the right, but our country, right or wrong!"
      ~Stephen Decatur


mailto:kurt@blazenet.net

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 16:29:45 -0400
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@accesstoledo.com>
Subject: Re: 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

*perk*
 
> 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

Cynth, if this stuff is as good as I remember some of the *old* stuff is, I
love ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just don't let the other half find out til I'm safely back outta town, ok?

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: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 16:46:42 -0400
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@accesstoledo.com>
Subject: Re: 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

<later>

Cynth, the SV program is in ZIP format, and the Linux unzip doesn't
support the shrink method.  If you could, could you *PLEASE* convert this
puppy over to TGZ format?  Some of us here don't have OS/2 or DOS around...

Thanxx.

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: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 21:46:10 +0100
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com>
Subject: [BITS] Website Update 22/9/99 

BITS - British Isles Traveller Support
http://www.bits.org.uk/

Is proud to announce.....


- - 101 Starships for GURPS Traveller Release 4

A free 101 Book from BITS compiled by Rob Prior. This has statistics and
descriptions for over 200 GT starships in an easy to use Acrobat file
giving an excellent referee aid. Note this file is big! (1Mb). Linked off
the 'Archive' Page, this file is also mirrored at Freelance Traveller. An
apology for Rob for the delay in posting this update.

- - Internal Trade Map of the Sylean Federation in M0

A map of the internal trade routes in the Sylea subsector in M0, compiled
from data produced by Thad Coons using GURPS Traveller's 'Far Trader'.
There are some notes on the accuracy with the link, which may be found in
the archive page. The file is an Acrobat PDF.

- - GenCon UK 99 pictures.

The first batch of these pictures are now up (linked off the Travelling
page). A number of TML members make a showing, as does the BITS stand. All
the TML members will be uploaded to a separate site (my own) to add to the
collection of pictures to faces...


The rest of the site mods are bug fixes and clean ups.

Enjoy,

Dom (BITS Webmaster)

- -------------Dom Mooney---webmaster@bits.org.uk----------------
                 BITS - British Isles Traveller Support.
 http://www.bits.org.uk/              mailto:bits@bits.org.uk
Traveller is a registered trademark of FarFuture Enterprises.
GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, Inc.
BITS and CORE are trademarks of BITS UK Limited.
All rights reserved.

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 16:52:39 -0400 (EDT)
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: Ground Forces

>Both true, but "legions" also can serve as a generic term for a military
>force.  For example: the French Foreign Legion is not a "legion-sized"
>unit, and never has been.

Or also a generic term for "many".


>"Iron Fist" is OK. Perhaps "Iridium Fist" would be better, to tie in to the
>Iridium Throne.  I'm not so fond of "By Other Means" because it can be sort
>of ambiguous; I keep thinking of "Operations Other Than War."

"Blood and Iridium"?

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 16:52:56 -0400 (EDT)
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: Ground Forces

You owe me a keyboard, you illegitimate offspring of a syphilitic mongoose :-)

>At 06:35 PM 9/20/1999 -0700, you wrote:
>
>>Or how about "GURPS Traveller: Ground Ponders?"
>
>"Sarge, is it man's nature to be evil, or are we essentially good, and
>corrupted by desire?"
>
>"Good Question, Smitty.  PLA-TOON, TEN-HUT! On command, you will consider
>this question!  PLA-TOON! PON- (wait for it!) DER!"
>
>The men of the 3257th Philosophy Battalion (the Descartes Demons)
>--
>
>Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com
>http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html
>
>"Pardon me, excuse me, Giant vampiric flightless winged
>squirrel, coming through.."  -Tim the Paladin, "Yamara"

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 17:15:32 -0400 (EDT)
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: Personal income tax for PC's (somewhat long)

>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.

The Imperium collects from worlds, not individuals. Thus, you are basically
free to do whatever you want with your PC's homeworld (or wherever they're
living).

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 22:32:30 +0100
From: John Buston <John.Buston@tesco.net>
Subject: Re:[BITS] Official answer on TLWH question

Without giving anything away, are the two extra adventures in the IG version of
The Long Way Home worth having? 

Are they available anyplace else or do I have to buy the IG books to get them?

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 17:24:20 -0400
From: "Daniel Phelps" <phelpsd@gate.net>
Subject: Name Suggestions

I have been reading the suggestions and have one of my own, its part of my
old regimental battle cry, "Blood and Steel".

Dan

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 17:50:57 -0400
From: jmaclean@ix.netcom.com
Subject: Re: RE: Personal income tax for PC's

Ian Ferguson wrote:
>> Jim MacLean writes:
>>>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.)
>
>>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.
>
>	On the other hand, if large corporations could escape taxation
>	simply by not setting up shop on an Imperial member world
>	(prefering instead to locate on asteroids, in otherwise 
>	uninhabited systems, or even on ships), one would expect a lot
>	of people and businesses dodging the tax man this way.

     All Licensed Imperial Corporations (LICs) have to pay Imperial taxes.  As
for other folks homesteading the asteroids to avoid taxes, consider this a
subsidy of out-system settlements which partially compensates for the dangers
inherent in such enterprises (see the Sunbeard Declaration).

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

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 17:57:24 -0400
From: jmaclean@ix.netcom.com
Subject: Re: Re: Personal income tax for PC's

Anthony Jackson wrote:
> Ian Ferguson writes:
>>      On the other hand, if large corporations could escape taxation
>>      simply by not setting up shop on an Imperial member world
>>      (prefering instead to locate on asteroids, in otherwise 
>>      uninhabited systems, or even on ships), one would expect a lot
>>      of people and businesses dodging the tax man this way.
>
>Not really.  If you set up on an independent planetoid, either you're >claiming to be another planet (in which case you owe imperial taxes, >like any planet) or you claim to be under the jurisdiction of another >planet (in which case you owe whatever that planet collects).

I'm not sure of this.  I've seen many references (though I can't recall where) to planetary authority ending at either the edge of the atmosphere or the 100d limit of the mainworld.  Everything else the Imperium owns.  I don't know how this works for asteroid main worlds.

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

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

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 10:39:15 +1200
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz>
Subject: Re: One question answered, another asked...

On 22 Sep 99, at 12:20, Douglas E. Berry wrote:

> Thanks to all who offered me the info from Invasion Earth, I now have the
> relevant facts in a little file.
> 
> Next question(s):  I seem to recall there was an emperor who ordered that
> tall the services use the same officer rank to ease his confusion.  Was
> that a DGP bit?  Anybody have that source?
> 
> Any source for a Lift-Infantry Battalion other than the 4518th.  Is there
> one in Striker II? (my copy disappeared many moons ago.) -- 

Striker II has the following 3I TOs:

Imperial Marine Task Force
Imperial Guard Jump Infantry Regiment
Household Cavalry Regiment: "The Emperor's Hammer"
4518th Lift Infantry Regiment (the Duke of Regina's Own Huscarles), 
circa 1116
Imperial Marine Armoured Cavalry Regiment

So no, it doesn't have a different lift infantry unit.


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

A pessimist is an optimist with a sense of history.

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

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 00:08:22 +0100
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk>
Subject: Calling Peter Trevor

Peter - If you're receiving this mail, I've got the spreadsheet data you
were interested in at GenCon, but I've lost your email address.

I'm going to have to unsubscribe from the TML for a week to avoid having my
mailbox swamped when I get back from holiday, but if anyone has an address
for Peter, please email it to me personally.

Cheers
Nick

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

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 00:28:25 +0100
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk>
Subject: WTH Spreadsheet

Okay - since a couple of people expressed an interest, the spreadsheet is
now available from my website; linked from the IMTU page (there was no
obvious place to put it).

http://www.nickb.ndirect.co.uk/imtu/imtu.html

Feel more than free to email me with bugs, requests for modification or
expansions (I think population division, for example, should be fairly easy
to arrange).

Nick

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

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 10:05:25 +1000
From: david.d.jaques-watson@centrelink.gov.au
Subject: RE: More at Beowulf Down

Dear Folks -

Jesse said:
>...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

Jesse, your (absolutely incredible) pics are enough content for me.
Definitely worth the rating.

Q: Do you know the worst thing about your images?
A: The content of all the GURPS sourcebooks is published in B&W.
;-)

BTW, here's my votes for your next off-the-cuff project: the Missile
Cruiser from "Shattered Ships" and - of course - the ultimate Happy Fun
Ball, the Tigress.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 20:16:15 -0400
From: "Thomas Schoene" <TomSchoene@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: One question answered, another asked...

- ----------
> From: Douglas E. Berry <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com>
> To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com
> Subject: One question answered, another asked...
> Date: Wednesday, 22 September, 1999 8:20 AM
> 
> Thanks to all who offered me the info from Invasion Earth, I now have the
> relevant facts in a little file.
> 
> Next question(s):  I seem to recall there was an emperor who ordered that
> tall the services use the same officer rank to ease his confusion.  Was
> that a DGP bit?  Anybody have that source?

This does come from DGP, specifically from "The Uniforms of the Terran
Occupation Force," TD #14.  It's said that Martin V (456-457) ordered a
common rank insignia because he couldn't keep the various service insignia
straight.

Personally, I think that's one thing that could be dropped.  I'd prefer to
see Imperial uniforms follow the British or European model, where each
regiment has slightly diferent uniform regs and the services all have
distinctly different insignia of rank.  The "Joint Imperial Services" rank
system DGP proposed is far too "Yanks in Space" for my taste.  I doubt an
emperor of one year could force the entire Imperial armed forces to switch
rank insignia and make it stick after he died.

TD #14 also gives a novel system for Marine enlisted ranks, which
apparently do not follow a "joint" scheme.  I'll post or e-mail details of
both systems if desired.

> Any source for a Lift-Infantry Battalion other than the 4518th.  Is there
> one in Striker II? (my copy disappeared many moons ago.)

Nope: but it's not hard to extrapolate.  Drop the jump infantry from the
4518th and reduce it to a three or four battalion force (depending on
taste: do you like triangular or square units?).  


Tom Schoene

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

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 20:26:59 -0600
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net>
Subject: Re: Ground Forces

At 08:49 AM 9/21/99, you wrote:
>At 06:35 PM 9/20/1999 -0700, you wrote:
>
>>Or how about "GURPS Traveller: Ground Ponders?"
>
>"Sarge, is it man's nature to be evil, or are we essentially good,
and
>corrupted by desire?"
>
>"Good Question, Smitty.  PLA-TOON, TEN-HUT! On command, you will
consider
>this question!  PLA-TOON! PON- (wait for it!) DER!"
>
>The men of the 3257th Philosophy Battalion (the Descartes Demons)

	*SPLORT*

- -- Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings, they
   did it by killing all those who opposed them.

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

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 10:01:23 +1000
From: "Hughes, Michael" <Michael.Hughes@cbr.defence.gov.au>
Subject: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Bayonets are better - they leave the hair smoot h and silky

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

		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' ;)



Yeah, but it doesn't have the gliz and glam of fencing for your naval now
noble types. 

'What ho varlet, thou hast slurred my family. We meet at dawn with spears.'

Though you are of course, completely right. Bayonet's are better even just
on the 'two in one' stakes. Plus they scare the bejesus out of people (I
think in the Faulklands a bunch of Argies got routed by a good old Bayonet
charge). 

What about you ex-mil types out there. Did Bayonet drill get the juices
flowing? Was the ARRGGHHH as important as the dummy thrust?

Michael 

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

End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1117
***********************************

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
