Traveller-digest      Friday, October 15 1999      Volume 1999 : Number 1215



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

The following topics are covered in this digest:

RE: Traveller Versions
Re: Does anyone play these games?
Traveller Player Roster (was Players in Clearwater Florida?)
Re: GTL9 5 dTon Shuttle
Re: Traveller Player Roster (was Players in Clearwater Florida?)
Re: Norris the Man...
Re: Quick astronomy question...
Re: Population Growth
Re: Population Growth
Re: Population Growth
Re: Battledress/Battlesuit Protection (GT)
Re: The Near C Rock Accords II
Re: Lack of Knowledge Games
Re: Quick astronomy question...
Re: Spraying near-c-rocks-B-gone liberally
GURPS Task System (was RE: Traveller Versions)
re:The Near C Rock Accords II
Re: Battledress/Battlesuit Protection (GT)
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1214

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

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 99 19:53:17 -0500
From: "Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>
Subject: RE: Traveller Versions

On 10/13/99 at 01:27 PM,  "David P. Summers" <summers@alum.mit.edu> said:

>GURPS doesn't have the task system that MT/TNE/T4 players are used
>to. This has been used to claim it "doesn't have a task system" and
>similar claims that imply that GURPS is missing <sic> something<1>
>fundamental.  That would be my like saying MT "doesn't have a skill
>system" because it doesn't rate skills on how hard they are and
>then telling anyone who objected that he was just getting hung up
>on nomenclature.

>I understand that it isn't what they are used to, but when they
>insist on saying "it doesn't have a task system" rather than just
>saying it doesn't work like they are used to, you have to wonder
>why....

<1> I added the something, that I thought was missing from your
sentence.

David, we've discussed this before.  As I said then, for *me* GURPS
*is* missing something fundamental.  Not for you, not for many
GURPSians, maybe only for a few strange people like me, but for
however many of us there are it is missing something.  

Speaking just for myself, I prefer a *descriptive* task system.  As
the GM, I don't want my players thinking about numbers or rule
mechanics.  I want them thinking, in character, about how hard tasks
are to accomplish using descriptive terms..."Oh, that's an Easy
lock, I'll crack it in a second.", "I don't think I should try,
that, it's a Formidable task." or "I know that's going to be next to
Impossible, but I have to try!"  I find this easier to accomplish
with systems that have task descriptions.

And frankly, I just plain like task descriptions better than numeric
DM's.  You obviously don't.  Cum se, cum sa...isn't that the
expression?

As for slamming GURPS, you won't see me doing that.  I generally
like the system.  Sure, there are things about it I would change,
but you should know by now that I'd say that about *any* system.


Eris says,
  I'm enjoying watching all these Traveller fundamentalists sliding
  into GT herecy.  First they question and alter the rules, soon
  they will be altering the setting, and after that it is a short
  step to the Dark Side!  Muhahahaha! <wink>
  
- -- 
- -----------------------------------------------------------
"Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>    using MR/2 ICE #245
- -----------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 99 20:02:05 -0500
From: "Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>
Subject: Re: Does anyone play these games?

On 10/13/99 at 05:08 PM,  "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net> said:

>>I understand exactly how you feel.  If I wasn't in the PBEM
>>Traveller games I wouldn't be playing either.  I guess we just have
>>to find our games where and how we can. 

>	Waitaminit! You mean you can actually *play* Traveller instead of
>just reading about it? ... wow, what a concept! You really are a
>heretic!

Hey! I keep telling ya'll, you just don't believe me. <g>

I've been too busy playing to keep up with all the posts on the TML
this week.  It looks like the annual "Task System War" has started
without me this year.  

Let's see now...Feudal Technocracies, near-c rocks, T-plates vs
HEPlaR, Task systems, Virus a couple of weeks ago (and off and on as
we kick around post MT settings)...what are we missing?  Aslan en
Lesbos? <g>


Eris says,
    It's time for the Four Horsemen of Herecy to ride!

- -- 
- -----------------------------------------------------------
"Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>    using MR/2 ICE #245
- -----------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 99 20:17:10 -0500
From: "Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>
Subject: Traveller Player Roster (was Players in Clearwater Florida?)

On 10/13/99 at 06:20 PM,  "Tindalos" <tindalos@atlantic.net> said:

>I run a very small Traveller game in Clearwater.

>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: Eric Freitas <ericfrei@gte.net>

...and I don't have either of you in the Traveller Roster. <g>

To help fellow Traveller find each other, I am maintaining a roster
of Traveller players and GMs at my website.  If you are a Traveller
player or GM and you want to be listed in the roster send me an
email with the following information:

Name, City, State/Province, Country, optional url, optional email

You can view the current roster at:

  http://crosswinds.net/~erisr
  
Eris  
- -- 
- -----------------------------------------------------------
"Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>    using MR/2 ICE #245
- -----------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 21:28:08 -0400
From: "Thomas Schoene" <TomSchoene@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: GTL9 5 dTon Shuttle

- ----------
> From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com>
> To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com
> Subject: Re: GTL9 5 dTon Shuttle
> Date: Friday, 15 October, 1999 8:10 PM
> 
> Thomas Schoene writes:
> 
> > I think it's only TL12 Advanced materials that are causing people
problems.
> >  Lower TL advanced materials should be OK.  For example, TL11 Advanced
> > armor is the same as TL12 Expensive, so there's no reason it shouldn't
> > exist. 
> 
> A side point is that GTL 10 is traveller TL 12-13; if it is traveller TL
12 it probably shouldn't have access to 'advanced' materials either.  Since
merchant craft in traveller tend to be built at traveller TL 12, they
probably shouldn't use advanced materials either.

Advanced material exists at any TL. But merchant craft at any TL probably
shouldn't use them, because they are too expensive to be worth it.   

Tom Schoene

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

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 21:38:51 -0400
From: "Tindalos" <tindalos@atlantic.net>
Subject: Re: Traveller Player Roster (was Players in Clearwater Florida?)

Sorry there, I'm real new to the list.  Let me look over the site and get
some info to ya.



>
> ...and I don't have either of you in the Traveller Roster. <g>
>
> To help fellow Traveller find each other, I am maintaining a roster
> of Traveller players and GMs at my website.  If you are a Traveller
> player or GM and you want to be listed in the roster send me an
> email with the following information:
>
> Name, City, State/Province, Country, optional url, optional email
>
> You can view the current roster at:
>
>   http://crosswinds.net/~erisr
>
> Eris
> --
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> "Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>    using MR/2 ICE #245
> -----------------------------------------------------------
>
>

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

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1999 02:22:22 +0100
From: "Matthew Bond" <mgb@akira.swinternet.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Norris the Man...

- -----Original Message-----
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com>
Date: 16 October 1999 00:55
Subject: Re: Norris the Man...


>"Alan Bradley" <alanb@elf.brisnet.org.au> writes:
>>*calibration points are fuel caches in interstellar space, usually owned
by
>>the Navy, and not available to, and kept secret from, civilian users.
They
>>get used heavily in Regency Sourcebook, and, I gather, in Arrival
>>Vengeance.  Of course, in some Traveller games it's not possible to do
deep
>>space jumps like this.
>
>Isn't it both CT (Traveller Adventure), MT (Arrival Vengeance), TNE
>(Regency Sourcebook) and T4 (Pocket Empires) canon that deep space jumps
>are possible?
>
>Even if you use the gravitational limit stuff from Far Trader you could use
>dark mass / deep comets / etc to achieve this, much as Cherryh does.


Such as the secret Darrian Base on a rogue deep-space asteroid (AM8)

Matt

>Dom
>
>----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------
>                       MiB - Marines in Battledress
>   "Protecting the Imperium from the Scum of the Galaxy"
>Rob Prior's Mac software @ http://www.bits.org.uk/
>
>
>

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

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1999 02:38:59 +0100
From: "Matthew Bond" <mgb@akira.swinternet.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Quick astronomy question...

Parsec = 3.26 ly

It's based on the perceived motion of a body (star) against the background
of 'fixed' stars (ie the distant stars that show no perceived motion.  It's
calculated using the earth's orbit as a baseline, and uses 1AU as the
standard. Using this standard, an object which would appear to shift
position by 1 second of arc (ie 1/3600 of a degree) when viewed from either
end would be 3.26 ly away. It would thus have a PARallax of one SECond of
arc => PARSEC.  Obviously, all stars have a parallax of less than
1arcsecond, as the nearest stars are just over a parsec away, and it can
only be actually measured directly for relatively nearby stars IIRC.
However, these stars include some variables that vary in absolute magnitude
in a very regular way (Cephid's?). As we know the distance to them very
accurately, we can use similar stars further away to determine fairly
accurate distances to objects in the 'fixed' background. I think... Plus
there's Doppler shifts etc, but thats mainly used for galaxies and Quasars
etc.

Ooop's, I rambling off into other (better informed) peoples territories
here, but its late... damn late... I'm off to bed.

'Night all,

Matt

- -----Original Message-----
From: Tindalos <tindalos@atlantic.net>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com>
Date: 16 October 1999 01:54
Subject: Re: Quick astronomy question...


>I though at Parsec was about 3.something lightyears?  Or is this a
different
>question?
>
>
>
>
>> It is 1 AU.
>>
>> Kristian
>>
>> Charles Collin wrote:
>> >
>> > ...is the parsec based on a baseline of 1 AU or 2 AU?  I thought the
>> > latter, but working it out I get a value of 1 AU.  Why would this be
the
>> > case since (I thought) distances to stars were measured by taking two
>> > views from opposite sides of the sun?  Am I just messing up the math?
>> >
>> > Thanks,
>> > Charles C.
>>
>
>

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

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 15:54:25 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: Population Growth

In mail you write:

> "Trevor, Peter" wrote:
 
>> - A Boy And His Dog (film) ... an extreme example where the  less
>>   than willing donor is strapped to a  table  and  apparatus  not
>>   unlike a cow milking machine drains him dry!

Alas, this *won't* work. At least not they way they were shown doing
it. The first ejaculation will have a normal sperm count. The second
and succeeding ones will have drastrically lower ones, until the point
where all you get is a few drops of seminal fluid. 

And for that matter, there are better ways to collect it, if you don't
give a damn about the "donor". Standard practice with animals involves
an electric shock applied to the prostate and surrounding tissues. Send
a few such shocks and the "reservior" is quickly pumped dry. Then wait
a few hours or days and repeat.

Such methods have been used to get sperm from paraplegics. And even
*they* found it uncomfortable. And it was necessaru to try it on a few
normal volunteers to get the settings right. Apparently it's on a par
with getting hit in the balls by a sledgehammer. 

Still, I can see *some* society trying to use it. 

Notice to Starfarers regarding planet Amazonia:

"Warning: Any male caught outside the extrality fence becomes state
 property and will be used as a sperm donor...."

<eg>

- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

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

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 16:07:29 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: Population Growth

In mail you write:

> Another is a short story from (I think) Robert Sheckley, where the Devil
> gives the main protagonist wishes in return for his soul. The one where he
> is the only fertile man on Earth turns out to be much less attractive that
> it first appears. He is (not unreasonably) hated by the women he has to
> "service". Obviously not an old AD&D player, who should all know by now to
> be careful for what you wish for - and how you word it...

I think Spider Robinson stated that a "wish" is semantically equivalent
to "booby trap". 

And John Brunner went even farther in "The Traveller In Black". There's
a *reason* that the players in my old D&D game who'd read that story 
turned white when someone who hadn't read it made a wish and I replied
"As you wish, so be it."

- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

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

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 16:12:35 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: Population Growth

In mail you write:

> On 14 Oct 99, at 15:58, Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.u wrote:
>  
>> Anything obvious I've missed?
>
> If current obstetric fashions continue, along with the recent trends in 
> western standards of beauty the mortality rate in labour is going to 
> push 100% for mother and child unless someone learns to perfrom 
> ceaseran sections very quickly. The C-section rate is rediculous these 
> days, and the current fashion is for slim hips.

Ditto for the "waif look". The lack of body fat reserves (and muscle
mass) is also a killer in pregnancy and later during nursing. 

- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

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

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 16:15:01 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: Battledress/Battlesuit Protection (GT)

In mail you write:

>> In mail you write:
>> 
>>>> I've seen photos of a 1 MW beam in the lab
>>>> and it looks like a cheap special effect, with various sized "globes"
>>>> of ionization forming and collapsing at random along the beam path.
>>>
>>> You wouldn't know where one might find such photos on the net, would you?
>>
>> Nope. And the one I have is B&W on paper slightly better than
>> newsprint. It was in an article on weapons grade lasers in Analog,
>> probably about 15-20 years back.
>>
>> But I meant it when I said *cheap* special effect. The ionization blobs
>> weren't distributed *anything* like evenly. Really *odd* look.
>
> Perhaps you and Jesse could engage in some feedback so he could render the
> effect? Do you remember the name of the lab? Perhaps they might have a photo.

If I can ever get my library out of storage, I can find out where the
photo is from.

- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

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

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 16:25:14 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: The Near C Rock Accords II

In mail you write:

> So you anonymously pay a small band of mercenaries to do it and set
> it up so it looks like your enemy did it. Then let the Imperium do
> your dirty work for you.

This is a common scenario in fiction. Alas, it requires that those
doing the investigating be bright enough to spot your planted clues,
but dumb enough to not spot any *real* clues, nor to notice any
discrepancies in your planted clues.

In this case, they won't just take the mercs word for it. They'll
*have* to track down the folks who paid them. And if they are middlemen
also, continue to follow the chain until the find the person who
*ordered* this. 

BTW, rather than a mass driver on a moon, a ship boosting in from *way*
out in the outer system is better. Because unless detected *very*
early, there's no way to capture it. It could be *destroyed*, but not
captured. So no physical evidence will exist other than what remote
senors can pick up. 

And you can have it beam a "statement" giving credit to the appropriate
terrorist group (or blaming some action of the planet) to a satellite
shortly before impact. 

This lessens exposure greatly. 

- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

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

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 16:44:31 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: Lack of Knowledge Games

In mail you write:

>>The aspect you'd get in the proposed you-are-an-admiral FFW computer game
>>that is *not* modeled in CC is being unsure where your own forces are.
>>I've actually contemplated doing a space game like this for several years
>>now, and come up with some of the same ideas (e.g., date-stamped position
>>info) as were suggested here.  Maybe it's finally time to stop
>>contemplating and start coding. :)
>>
> I've done this on a PBEM game of Lords of Space (on WWIVnet, years ago)...
> as the GM, it was a pain... the players both loved and hated it...
>
> One trick is to use a timeline in a wp with a sort function.... as things
> are determined, figure out when the info will arrive back, then enter that
> in your sort key position. as the turn rolls around, look up all the
> "Return Despatches" for the current turn, and then return those bits to the
> appropriate players.

Well, in Traveller, it just means you have to keep track of which ships
have copies of what messages, and work the propagation as the ships jump.

For in-system, lightspeed sensors and coms, the messages and sensor
pulse are going to have to be kept track of as expanding rings or
spheres. 

For a computerized game, I'd say the "tactical" display ought to work
something like what CJ Cherryh describes in the Chanur books. That is,
you drop into the system, and you pickup whatever has reached your
location. Meanwhile there's an expanding circle moving across the
display from your entry point. Anyone inside it, has detected you.
Anyone outside it, can't know about you yet. 

As the circle crosses known planets and stations, return circles
radiate, indicating their response to detecting you. Or perhaps a
second circle propoogates at half lightspeed, indicating the area that
your *active* sensors have data for, as well as the places that have
had a chance to respond to you. 

Any messages you sent would be either circles or segments of circles
depending on whether they were broadcast or aimed. 

I'd probably "pair" circles by color to help keep things straight as
well as have some function for automaticly deleting "old" circles, as
well as selectiviely and *temporarily* suppressing display of ones you
didn't care about at the moment. 

- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

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

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 16:54:43 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: Quick astronomy question...

In mail you write:

> ...is the parsec based on a baseline of 1 AU or 2 AU?  I thought the
> latter, but working it out I get a value of 1 AU.  Why would this be the
> case since (I thought) distances to stars were measured by taking two
> views from opposite sides of the sun?  Am I just messing up the math?

2 AU. But that's the base of the overall triangle.

For example, for something 1 parsec away, the triangle would have
angles of 89deg 59 min 59.5 sec at each end of the base, and the
remaining angle would be 1 second. Giving the triangle a 2 AU base, and
an altitude of 1 parsec.

For the right triangle that is *half* of this triangle, you have a 1 AU
side, and a 1 parsec side, meeting to form the 90 deg angle. The angle
between the hypotenuse and the short side is still 89 deg 59 min 59.5
sec. The angle between the hypotenuse and the *long* side is .5 seconds
of arc. 

So for using the trig functions to convert the angles to lengths, you
have a 1 AU "base" (short side) for a right triangle. And half as big
an angle at the far end.

- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

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

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 15:39:24 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: Spraying near-c-rocks-B-gone liberally

In mail you write:

> Antony Farrell writes:
>
>> Remember though that if you use the "original vector is retained" style of
>> jump drive you are still going to have a lot of maneuvering to do when you
>> come out of jump. So you will still need a good supply of fuel if using a
>> reaction drive.
>
> A couple of G-hours maximum.  0-2 if the stars aren't moving relative to one 
> another, probably up to 6-7 if they have considerable relative movement.

Also, judicious selection of the point you jump *from* and the point
you jump *to* should help minimize the "extra" manuevering. 

For example, boost to jump such that if you come out exactly on time
and one schedule, you'll be moving towards the planet at a moderate
velocity when you exit jump. Then when you exit, you just correct for
the error in time & space. 

This has the advantage that there will be areas around the 100 diameter
limit that are the "best" point to jump to specific neighboring systems
from. And a "best" point to aim at in the destination system. Thus you
get traffic concentrated enough to make piracy a bit more workable.

But you can still retain the ability to jump from *anywhere*, it'll
just cost more manuever fuel on the other end.

- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

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

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 99 20:48:39 -0500
From: "Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>
Subject: GURPS Task System (was RE: Traveller Versions)

On 10/14/99 at 04:45 PM,  "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz> said:

>I'd tone it down even more - to +-2 per difficulty level. When using
>a  3d6 range a plus two effectively halves the chance of failure if
>the  target number was 11+, or doubles the chance of success if the
>target  number was 10- (roughtly speaking). As a TNE fan I quite like
>this  halving/doubling effect. The only problem is that GURPS seems
>to  consider anything less than a +-3 modifier as hardly woth
>bothering  with.

So, you are proposing something like...
                            % Success given a Skill of: 
                         10   11   12   13   14   15   16
 --------------------------------------------------------
 +4  Easy                91   95   98   98   98   98   98 
 +2  Routine/Average     74   84   91   95   98   98   98
  0  Difficult           50   63   74   84   91   95   98
 -2  Formidable          26   38   50   63   74   84   91
 -4  Staggering           9   16   26   38   50   63   74
 -6  Hopeless             2    5    9   16   26   38   50
 -8  Impossible          <1   <1    2    5    9   16   26 
 
(17+ automatic failure
  3  automatic success) 


Eris.
   As an aside, Rupert, why not just use TNE's task system, perhaps
   with more task levels? 
- -- 
- -----------------------------------------------------------
"Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>    using MR/2 ICE #245
- -----------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 01:19:52 +0100
From: John Buston <John.Buston@tesco.net>
Subject: re:The Near C Rock Accords II

>Hyper Velocity Planetary Bombardment Systems (HVPBS) and Large Mass Planetary
>Bombardment Systems (LMPBS)  ,  like Nuclear Warheads , are reserved for
>Imperial forces only. Except that since Imperial Order 1109 , the use of said
>weapons is barred as a first use weapon. The Imperium reserves the right to
>respond in kind to any attacks used on its member worlds or installations, but
>the use of it as a first strike by party will GUARANTEE response from the
>Imperium

So you anonymously pay a small band of mercenaries to do it and set it up so it
looks like your enemy did it. Then let the Imperium do your dirty work for you.
See the Starfall scenario from White Dwarf 64 April 1985, written for Star Trek,
bet easily adapted to Traveller. <Spoiler> Part of the plot is the use of a mass
driver on a planets moon to bombard the planets capital city. The group involved
are a faction who are actually trying to start a war.</Spoiler>.

I have been holding this scenario in reserve and now you tell me it's illegal!
:)

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

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 22:28:06 -0400
From: "Terry Carlino" <carlino@home.com>
Subject: Re: Battledress/Battlesuit Protection (GT)

>Brandon Cope writes:
>>
>> You could also argue that thermal superconducting armor has no place in
GT,
>>  as it isn't part of CT or MT (I'd support banning it for this reason
>> alone).

>I tried to get it banned for Star Mercs, but failed.  I had to stick with
the +250DR option, >since otherwise only an idiot would use a fusion gun.
>>
>> Note: In Star Mercs, it notes that TS armor can only give a maximum bonus
>> of  + 250 DR, regardless of the actual DR of the "normal" armor. Also
>> worth  mentioning that the grav tanks use metal rather than laminate
armor.
>Done mostly for cost reasons; what with removal of 'advanced' armor at TL
12 I may generate >rewrites which use laminate armor.

I must admit confusion as to the design method used for the Commando
Battledress and how it fits into the design system. I recently picked up
Ultra-Tech and Ultra-Tech 2. I hoped that these volumes would help banish my
confusion, but no luck.

Ultra Tech describes Powered Combat (GTL10) armor as having a DR of ~DR 100.
(DR varies over the suit. This is the torso value.) GT (p.118) specifies
that Improved Battledress has DR 250 (torso/head), but incorporates a
superconductor layer with gives it double DR against laser and PGMP/FGMP
weapons resulting in an effective DR of 500 against these weapons or rather
their damage would be halved and the result determined by using the armors
normal DR. This is at GTL11. It also uses advanced laminate and so halves
damage due to shaped explosive charges. This is in line with UT (p.78) and
UT2 (p.76).

So where did DR 1200 come from? Did the designer use GURPS Vehicle's
battlesuit design rules to create the commando armor? Who did the design?
And how does the +250 DR come in? Does this mean that against energy weapons
Commando Battledress has a DR of 1200+250=1450 or is the DR 250+250=500
against energy weapons no matter that the actual DR is? This would give the
suit DR 500 vs. energy weapons, effective DR 2400 against shaped charges
(because of the advanced laminate rule from UT2 (p.76) and DR 1200 against
impaling damage. And any impaling damage that penetrates the armor is, I
believe doubled (GB p.73).



Terry C

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

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

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 22:01:08 -0500
From: "Bont" <felix@felixcafe.com>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1214

> >> I assume the choice of standard materials rather than expensive was
> >> deliberate for YTU reasons. 
> 
> >Actually, it was to prevent flamer wars on what is acceptable and 
> >>what is not.
> 
> I know the feeling, but "expensive" is the default material. I thought

Oh, Crap!!! How did I miss that?!?!?  I must have got my armor and 
structural material confused during design.  Thanks for correcting 
me.


- - - -
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/

- - - -

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

End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1215
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