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Date:	11/19/99 9:50:00 PM Pacific Standard Time<BR>
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Traveller-digest    Saturday, November 20 1999    Volume 1999 : Number 1366<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
(R)1996. Traveller is a registered trademark of FarFuture Enterprises.<BR>
All rights reserved.<BR>
<BR>
The following topics are covered in this digest:<BR>
<BR>
Interesting JTAS reference on T5 site<BR>
Re: off to the Races<BR>
Re: Interesting JTAS reference on T5 site<BR>
Re: The naming of things<BR>
Re: Totally OT but ...<BR>
Re: MTU Imperial Justice (was: IMoJ)<BR>
Re: Disabling Weapons<BR>
Re: Trav fiction<BR>
Re: modern roleplayers<BR>
Re: Tourism in the Marches<BR>
Re: modern roleplayers<BR>
Culture List<BR>
Re: Wow (Re: The Naming of Things)<BR>
Re: PBEM??<BR>
Re: Traveller Navigation and Gunnery<BR>
Re: modern roleplayers<BR>
Re: Tourism in the Marches<BR>
Re: off to the Races<BR>
Re: Traveller-like fiction<BR>
Looking for Travellers' Digest Adventures 1-21<BR>
Re: Re Game Design<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 23:36:52 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Interesting JTAS reference on T5 site<BR>
<BR>
HTTP://members.aol.com/Traveller/T100-00.html<BR>
<BR>
If you look at the above reference on Marc's site you'll see a link <BR>
(not yet built) to JTAS (by Steve Jackson Games).<BR>
<BR>
A hint at the future...<BR>
<BR>
Hmm.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
                        MiB - Marines in Battledress<BR>
    "Protecting the Imperium from the Scum of the Galaxy"<BR>
Rob Prior's Mac software @ http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 16:39:20 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: off to the Races<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
> <BR>
> > Of course, as well as limit them to astrolabes, you<BR>
> > can limit the tech otherwise. Anybody ever see the<BR>
> > episode of DS9 where Cisko and his kid flew the old<BR>
> > Bajoran ship? Kind of a space age Thor Heyerdahl... a<BR>
> > bit like nowadays, where speedboats are not raced<BR>
> > against each-other as often as sail boats....<BR>
> <BR>
> Speedboats *are* still raced. But they've diverged so far from craft<BR>
> useful for anything else, that they are a seperate category. In the US,<BR>
> at least, they are called "hydroplanes". And there are frequent races.<BR>
<BR>
Well, cigarette boat racing is still quite popular along the eastern<BR>
seaboard....both organized and spontaneous racing at night against the<BR>
Coast Guard and DEA ;-)<BR>
<BR>
I remember watching a race on the Hudson River, from our apartment in<BR>
Yonkers. amazing boats. 'bout as stealthy as a charging rhino, but<BR>
amazing boats nonetheless. (we were really lucky, we had an apartment <BR>
on Warburton Ave (for anyone who knows where it is) up about 1/4 mile<BR>
from the Hastings line. Nice view of the palisades and river...;-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 18:48:43 -0500<BR>
From: "C Michael" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Interesting JTAS reference on T5 site<BR>
<BR>
If you read the news articles, he tells about how Loren has already been<BR>
appointed to the new e-Zine.<BR>
<BR>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>
   The Traveller Domain<BR>
http://www.downport.com<BR>
 Colin Michael, WebDev<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
<BR>
> HTTP://members.aol.com/Traveller/T100-00.html<BR>
><BR>
> If you look at the above reference on Marc's site you'll see a link<BR>
> (not yet built) to JTAS (by Steve Jackson Games).<BR>
><BR>
> A hint at the future...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 18:03:36 -0600<BR>
From: "Joseph R. Dietrich" <yikes@evansville.net><BR>
Subject: Re: The naming of things<BR>
<BR>
>Nut on the othe side my nake is Grav<BR>
<BR>
Cool, and here I was thinking it was a nickname, like Commander X (watch,<BR>
now *he'll* claim it's his real name). ;-)<BR>
<BR>
ObTrav: What kind of name is Alkhalikoi anyway?<BR>
<BR>
Joseph R. Dietrich<BR>
He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named (because he hasn't been keeping up on his email).<BR>
Who's last name is pronounced, of course, "throat-wobbler-mangrove."<BR>
yikes@evansville.net<BR>
<BR>
Ciao,<BR>
<BR>
Joseph R. Dietrich<BR>
yikes@evansville.net<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 15:36:21 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Totally OT but ...<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> That was pretty interesting there, I would never have caught that.<BR>
><BR>
> On another note, I would like to ask the gang here what their experiences<BR>
> have been buying from Amazon.com?  I purchased "Age of Empires 2" at their<BR>
> site almost a month ago and they agreed to ship it within 3-7 days.  As you<BR>
> can probably tell, the wait time has far exceeded that.<BR>
><BR>
> I have emailed them several times inquiring as to where my purchased<BR>
> software is and they have chosen to ignore me.  By looking at my credit card<BR>
> statement, I find a clear record of the completed transaction.<BR>
><BR>
> Which leads me to my second question :  What are my rights in this case?  Is<BR>
> there anyway I can make then uphold their end of the bargain or am I just<BR>
> SOL?<BR>
<BR>
Contact your credit card company. If I recall correctly, the seller has<BR>
a *maximum* of 30 days from the date they send in the charge to deliver<BR>
the item or provide a satifactory explanation of the delay. And<BR>
regardless of the explanation, you can choose to cancel the order and<BR>
tell the credit card company to remove the charge. Of course, that<BR>
*will* leave you without the item, but at least you won't be out the<BR>
money.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 15:12:06 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: MTU Imperial Justice (was: IMoJ)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Imperial crimes are:<BR>
><BR>
> Treason. This, technically, includes refusing an order of the Emperor (or<BR>
> an Imperial Warrant-holder), or killing a leige-sworn noble acting in His<BR>
> name.  Comes in different flavours, from High to Common, depending on the<BR>
> offense and circumstances.<BR>
<BR>
And if you do the logical thing and have a homage/fealty type model<BR>
extending all the way down the line, any noble should be able to lodge<BR>
charges of "treason" against anyone violating their oaths to *him*.<BR>
<BR>
BTW, this brings up an important point regarding oaths of<BR>
fealty/homage. Not only do they work both ways (that is, while the<BR>
underling is obligated to his liege, the lieg has equal obligations to<BR>
the underling), but there are two more factors.<BR>
<BR>
First, being in effect "contracts" laying out *mutual* obligations,<BR>
they can be terminated by *either* party by claiming non-performance<BR>
(ie the underling can charge his liege with failing to look after the<BR>
underlings welfare in the manner specified and that terminates the<BR>
"contract" just as fast as the liege claiming the underling was<BR>
derelict in the underling's duties). This makes "treason" acting<BR>
against your liege *without* severing the tie first.<BR>
<BR>
Second, there's the very important matter of whether or not<BR>
fealty/homage is transitive. That is, if I'm sworn to Baron X, and he's<BR>
sworn to Count Y, am I obligated to Count Y? If yes, the relationship<BR>
is transitive. If no, it isn't. The two possibilities result in *very*<BR>
different sorts of "politics", but both are arguably possible given<BR>
what is known of the Imperium. <BR>
<BR>
Playing fealty/homage "right" makes for interesting legal situations. <BR>
<BR>
> Slavery. Actual chattel slavery is forbidden. Indentured servitude is not,<BR>
> but indentures are not transferred to offspring. (Good plot hook: players<BR>
> are on a world where indentured servitude is common. Someone throws them a<BR>
> baby, hoping that they will take it offworld before it runs up a debt for<BR>
> clothing, schooling, food... What do the players do?)<BR>
<BR>
Also, as with liege/underling relationships the person/company<BR>
*holding* the indenture has obligations towards the indenturee. Some<BR>
will be legal (like offspring are *not* automatically indentured)<BR>
others are contract terms. <BR>
<BR>
This gives a few more possibilities. An indenturee asks for the players<BR>
help claiming that the corporation holding most of the contacts on the<BR>
world isn't living up to its end of the deal.<BR>
<BR>
Or the players learn that the contracts contain clauses illegal under<BR>
imperial (or sector or subsector) law. <BR>
<BR>
In both cases, if the players decide to try to help, they are going to<BR>
be fighting a fair sized corporation, if not a megacorp. And proof is<BR>
going to be hard to get unless they know a sufficiently ranked noble<BR>
who will take their word as being good enough to start an<BR>
investigation.<BR>
<BR>
BTW, in a "feudal" setup with oaths between liege and sworn man, even<BR>
if it's gotten so complex (as it likely would) that the oaths are<BR>
multipage contracts, you'll have an element that among both the<BR>
nobility, and the people serving them under such "oaths" ones sworn<BR>
word is a *very* valuable commodity.<BR>
<BR>
This presents interesting playing possibilities. Including such things<BR>
as putting a PC in a spot where he gave his sworn word, and then found<BR>
out that things were a *lot* more complicated than he'd thought. Now<BR>
he's got to find a way to keep his word *and* avoid getting in trouble<BR>
with the law (or getting into some other sort of trouble). <BR>
<BR>
Being "honorable" can be a *real* bitch at times. :-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 17:48:08 -0600<BR>
From: "Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Disabling Weapons<BR>
<BR>
On 11/19/99 at 09:13 AM,  Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu> said:<BR>
<BR>
>> The Discovery Channel had a very interesting show a few weeks (months?)<BR>
>> back about non lethal weaponry.<BR>
 <BR>
>> Included along with things already mention ed in the thread like sticky<BR>
>> foam were EMP grenades.<BR>
<BR>
I saw that just the other day. I guess they reran it. <g><BR>
 <BR>
>> Hard to organize a riot if all your megaphones stiop working.<BR>
<BR>
>And your police band radios, walkie-talkies, cell phones, electronic<BR>
>ignitions in the police cars, the phone systems in the surrounding<BR>
>buildings, the computer networks in the surrounding buildings, phone<BR>
>and computer system that happen to be connected via land lines<BR>
>passing through the area.<BR>
<BR>
The EMP grenade wasn't *that* powerful, surely! <BR>
<BR>
>EMP is sort of like CBW...you have to really be careful or it'll bite<BR>
>you on the a**. Much more useful to drop it from a higher altitude<BR>
>and scoot. Then again, if you're nuking them from orbit, the<BR>
>megaphone doesn't really matter, does it ;-)<BR>
<BR>
There was a story in Analog a couple of years ago about the<BR>
aftermath of an EMP attack.  Seems the PRC "accidentally" exploded a<BR>
nuclear device in LEO above the eastern seaboard of the US.  It<BR>
knocked out just about everything electronic from Maine to Florida<BR>
and from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi river.  Most cars,<BR>
almost all computers, electrical appliances wouldn't work even if<BR>
the electical switching stations or power plants were.  Thousands<BR>
died, millions were stranded thrown out of work and isolated for<BR>
weeks on end. A major depression, at least, ensued.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
"Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 17:51:59 -0600<BR>
From: "Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Trav fiction<BR>
<BR>
On 11/19/99 at 07:56 AM,  Steve Lieb <steve@necadon.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>Unfortunately, I'm in Minneapolis and I checked the county and city<BR>
>libraries, I even checked the University Library.<BR>
<BR>
>NO E.C.Tubb or E.C. Tubbs books.<BR>
<BR>
>>sigh<<BR>
<BR>
>Darnit.<BR>
<BR>
And it appears that almost all of the Durmerest books are out of print.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
"Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 18:16:47 -0600<BR>
From: "Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
Subject: Re: modern roleplayers<BR>
<BR>
On 11/19/99 at 02:51 PM,  shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) said:<BR>
<BR>
>>> Yes, and AD&D isn't supposed to be a dungeon crawl,<BR>
>>> either.<BR>
<BR>
>> And many of the times I've played it hasn't been.<BR>
>><BR>
>> Alhough actually, originally it _was_ supposed to be a dungeon crawl,<BR>
>> "wilderness adventures" didn't appear until the supplements.<BR>
<BR>
>Not true. Wilderness adventures were part of the original three<BR>
>books. I even bought Avalon Hill's "Outdoor Survival" game as it was<BR>
>the recommended "quickie random wilderness map".<BR>
<BR>
Absolutely!  I did the same.  <G> <BR>
<BR>
The first adventure I ran (1974), started in a town where the party<BR>
was hired as bodyguards for a pair of merchants.  They traveled down<BR>
a river having adventures with lizard men and a troll on a bridge.<BR>
Then it was through an enchanted forest and a run in with elves<BR>
over chopping down a sacred tree that was settled peacefully.  Out<BR>
of the forest the party entered a town where the merchants did their<BR>
business while the PC's found rooms in the inn.  An "encounter"<BR>
between a PC and the innkeeper's daughter lead to a rapid exit from<BR>
the town the next morning...Julio was always something of a cad.<BR>
The party traveled into the hill country toward the mountains<BR>
meeting some hobbits (friendly) and a pair of wandering giants<BR>
(tried to steal the horses) along the way.  Later they came upon a<BR>
wizard working some sort of weather magic at the edge of a cliff,<BR>
and one of the party "discovered" she had magical abilities.  A<BR>
tribe of goblins provided a big combat along a mountain path.  Once<BR>
over the mountains they delivered the merchants through the "bad<BR>
lands" patrolled by tribes of horsemen into the "Peaceful Kingdom<BR>
and the "Celestial City."  This completed their adventure and not<BR>
wanting to continue with those characters the players and I ended<BR>
the campaign.  Not one dungeon crawl in the year long campaign.<BR>
Now, in the *second* adventure...<g><BR>
<BR>
You know, recounting that tail makes me want to run it again.  I<BR>
haven't looked at that fantasy world in 20 years.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
"Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 16:45:28 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Tourism in the Marches<BR>
<BR>
>From: Ethan Henry <egh@klg.com><BR>
<BR>
Your work up of Whanga seems to have captured that<BR>
sense of refined elegance with which Las Vegas is<BR>
always associated.  <BR>
<BR>
Maybe the family that I mentioned in an earlier post<BR>
is going there for a vacation.  <BR>
<BR>
"Lissen, Mr. First Mate, my associate Mr. Nagfuaz, who<BR>
works at Casino Dino, is going to be putting some<BR>
luggage on the ship later tonight.  Much later.  Like<BR>
very, very late.  And it might be missing some<BR>
government paperwork -- which really has no place on a<BR>
place like Whanga, anyway.  And Mr. Nagfuaz is good<BR>
people.  He's a Vargr, of course, but he's good<BR>
people.  So please do me a favor and give him a nice<BR>
secure place for his luggage."  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 20 Nov 1999 02:21:06 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: modern roleplayers<BR>
<BR>
This post actually contains material bringing the thread back to<BR>
Traveller. Read on...<BR>
<BR>
Kyle Schuant wrote:<BR>
> The problem being that the "tragic hero" is a loner...<BR>
> how does the traditional "party" work then?<BR>
<BR>
Normally when you play Vampire, there is no traditional "party" at all.<BR>
That's how :-)<BR>
<BR>
Actually, the characters in such a game are not quite as close friends<BR>
as in a traditional game. They keep details of their backgrounds from<BR>
each other, have secrets that the others shouldn't know about, etc. They<BR>
have gathered together more because of convenience than anything else.<BR>
After all, there are perhaps five other vampires in a city who would<BR>
consider socializing with people like you. So how much of a choice do<BR>
you really have (except leaving town, which is very dangerous)? Even the<BR>
"tragic hero" cannot bear the loneliness of enduring eternity alone.<BR>
<BR>
As long as the characters have some force holding them together, the<BR>
game will work. That force doesn't need to be friendship. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
ObTrav: This kind of game could easily be run in Traveller as well. Have<BR>
a captain of a ship (NPC or player) hire the other player characters<BR>
independently of each other. They should all be more or less desperate<BR>
for work, but they will not fit together as a group. The constant<BR>
squabbling is really fun to GM. In addition, it gives the characters a<BR>
lot more depth, since they can act out all kinds of minor quirks.<BR>
<BR>
"Did you see that package Eneri picked up last time we hit ground port?<BR>
I wonder what's inside of it."<BR>
<BR>
"Captain, I've smelled a thick, sweet odor from Eneri's room ever since<BR>
we entered jumpspace. I think he might have brought some kind of drugs<BR>
on board."<BR>
<BR>
> Glad to hear the games [Vampire et al] work for you; I just can't<BR>
> imagine how, but perhaps that reveals more about me,<BR>
> than the game?<BR>
<BR>
You should try playing in this fashion, regardless of game system. It's<BR>
a really interesting break from the "normal" group, where everyone<BR>
trusts each other completely.<BR>
<BR>
Be sure not to overdo it, though. If everyone in the group has some<BR>
reason to kill at least one of the others, things will get out of hand<BR>
sooner or later.<BR>
<BR>
Happy (?) travelling,<BR>
/ Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 20:33:19 -0500<BR>
From: otter@labyrinth.net<BR>
Subject: Culture List<BR>
<BR>
I've seen reference to a culture-centered mailing list, but I don't have<BR>
details.  Could someone help?  Reply to my personal mail is fine if you<BR>
think that everyone else on TML already knows, or if you want to avoid<BR>
having fifteen people answer me on main list.  Thank you.  =)<BR>
<BR>
Otter Driver<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 20 Nov 1999 02:49:50 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: Wow (Re: The Naming of Things)<BR>
<BR>
"Douglas E. Berry" wrote:<BR>
> I now have enough names to fill an entire book of NPCs.  Thank you to<BR>
> all how volunteered.<BR>
<BR>
You're welcome.<BR>
<BR>
BTW, I never realized it was for a book at all. I thought it was for use<BR>
in your private game. Never mind  ;-)<BR>
<BR>
Could you tell us something about the book? I know nothing (having<BR>
deleted the post).<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 18:26:36 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: PBEM??<BR>
<BR>
Sure, Tim, there's one I've just signed onto, you can<BR>
write them at: ShdoOps@aol.com. It's a kind of<BR>
spies/special forces in Star Trek thingy... will it be<BR>
good? We'll see:) I'll try to find the web page for<BR>
you...<BR>
<BR>
- --- Tim MacPherson <timac@home.com> wrote:<BR>
> Hi all<BR>
> <BR>
> Is there any PBEM groups looking for a player?<BR>
> <BR>
> Tim MacPherson<BR>
> Kelowna,BC <BR>
> CANADA<BR>
> timac@home.com<BR>
>  <BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 18:37:59 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Navigation and Gunnery<BR>
<BR>
> Consider the difficulties is computing exact<BR>
> coordinates for a jump. Even a<BR>
> little relative motion makes a big error over a few<BR>
> parsecs. The<BR>
> navigational data required to perform accurate jumps<BR>
> must be both very<BR>
> extensive as well as very precise.<BR>
yes, and I imagine that's the reason they tell us that<BR>
doing a jump without a computer is VERY risky! But I<BR>
would the most important thing is survival, rather<BR>
than time, so as long as you stay outside the stars<BR>
gravitational well (which I understand can induce<BR>
misjumps and all sorts of disasters), you'll be okay.<BR>
You can "target" your jump simply by looking out the<BR>
window, taking a bead on the star, moving a few<BR>
million miles, doing the same again, and then a third<BR>
time... with a bit of trignometry and a calculator,<BR>
you can figure the distance... I get the impression it<BR>
ain't meant to be that exact, else why do you always<BR>
jump in a random distance from the star? In Kirk's<BR>
words, "Go thataway.":)<BR>
<BR>
> The problem with adjusting fire is that you don't<BR>
> get many first round hits.<BR>
> When you are fighting a sophisticated adversary with<BR>
> meaningful<BR>
> counter-battery capability, this really matters.<BR>
> That's why the US Army does<BR>
> the "shoot and scoot." Even with TL8 technology it<BR>
> is possible to have<BR>
> counter-battery fire on the way before the first<BR>
> round impacts. (Probably<BR>
> only for high-angle fire.)<BR>
Of course. So I'd say this would just be one of the<BR>
problems for an invading army on a world. Yet more<BR>
"home ground advantage" for the defenders. But in such<BR>
a case, couldn't the invasion fleet's ships still in<BR>
orbit act as a GPS system for the invaders, thus<BR>
giving them better accuracy? Even first round hits?<BR>
<BR>
> With the other worlds, I would expect that the<BR>
> varying degrees of deviation<BR>
> from a sphere for the shape of the planet may make a<BR>
> nice, clean. accurate<BR>
> coordinate system difficult to devise.<BR>
Other worlds don't vary any more than our own does,<BR>
with the exception of planetoids/asteroids, and there<BR>
the problem would be putting not too much powder in<BR>
the breach, else your artillery round will enter<BR>
orbit!<BR>
<BR>
Anyway, don't you think terror weapons will be more<BR>
common? Anybody remember Babylon 5, where the<BR>
Centaurans bombarded Narn from orbit, basically<BR>
dropiing rocks on their cities? Doesn't prevent<BR>
guerilla warfare, of course, but artillery has NEVER<BR>
been that useful against insurgencies, do we expect<BR>
that to change in the future?<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 21:43:27 -0500<BR>
From: Rob Brady <robb@datatone.com><BR>
Subject: Re: modern roleplayers<BR>
<BR>
At 02:21 AM 11/20/99 +0100, Jens Rydholm wrote:<BR>
[Sorry, I have to check where +0100 is. Oh, .se (Sweden)]<BR>
>This post actually contains material bringing the thread back to<BR>
>Traveller. Read on...<BR>
><BR>
>Kyle Schuant wrote:<BR>
> > The problem being that the "tragic hero" is a loner...<BR>
> > how does the traditional "party" work then?<BR>
><BR>
>ObTrav: This kind of game could easily be run in Traveller as well. Have<BR>
>a captain of a ship (NPC or player) hire the other player characters<BR>
>independently of each other. They should all be more or less desperate<BR>
>for work, but they will not fit together as a group. The constant<BR>
>squabbling is really fun to GM. In addition, it gives the characters a<BR>
>lot more depth, since they can act out all kinds of minor quirks.<BR>
<BR>
I definitely like the game where a good roleplayer has a secret agenda.<BR>
He was retired out of the scouts and got this neat ship, but he is really<BR>
using this whole travelling stuff as a cover for his spying. Perhaps<BR>
one of the other pcs even knew him from his scout career, never knowing<BR>
he was a spy for Solomani Security.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
Tardy robber.. Order By Brat.. Tardy Bob ERR.. Retry bad Rob.. Retro by bard<BR>
Robert Brady                                        robb at datatone dot com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 17:58:11 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Tourism in the Marches<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> The basic idea is that Whanga is, by most definitions, a garden<BR>
> world. (more on the atmosphere taint in a second). It's lush, it's<BR>
> (mostly) green, you might even think that it was Terra if you didn't<BR>
> know better. A world well suited for human life - with one minor<BR>
> exception. No one has ever been able to get agriculture to work on<BR>
> the planet's surface. I'm still trying to handwave an explanation for<BR>
> this, but I'm thinking along the lines of a more "aggressive" strain<BR>
> of plant life on the planet which prevents any large-scale<BR>
> agricultural activity from going on for more than a season or two.<BR>
<BR>
Steal^H^H^H^H^Hborrow an idea from David Weber. There's a local<BR>
bacterium, probably entire *familes*(in the taxonomic sense) of them,<BR>
that just *loves* chlorophyll.<BR>
<BR>
Short of destroying the *entire* planetary ecology and starting over,<BR>
there's just no way to get chlorophyll based plants to last more than<BR>
*days* on the planet. <BR>
<BR>
Luckily these bugs are tied to the local ecology well enough that they<BR>
don't survive well off world.<BR>
<BR>
This has some interesting effects. For example, a number of foods won't<BR>
keep well on world. Brocolli and spinach, to name just a couple. Things<BR>
like lettuce and cabbage, which don't have all that much chlorophyll in<BR>
them keep better, though not as well as on earth. And foods with *no*<BR>
chlorophyll content (corn, grain, root veggies, etc) keep normally.<BR>
<BR>
This will affect menus, and prices. <BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 19:10:56 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: off to the Races<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> What grabs people's attention? Struggle.  Everytime<BR>
> I've flown in a<BR>
> passenger jet, I've been higher than the summit of<BR>
> Mt. Everest, yet I'm<BR>
> fascinated by the people who climb it.  There was a<BR>
> bit in an old Niven<BR>
> story "Elephant", were Beowulf Shaffer was visiting<BR>
> Earth, and saw people<BR>
> racing old autos on a stretch of freeway.  His<BR>
> reaction when he realized<BR>
> that the cars had neither radar nor autopilot..<BR>
<BR>
Quite right. I am thinking of a classic sci fi story,<BR>
by Stanislaw Lem, Heinlein or someone, where an<BR>
astronaut comes back to Earth after a hundred or more<BR>
years of STL travel, relativistic effects have meant<BR>
he only experienced a few years' passing... the whole<BR>
earth is now "safe". People are given treatment at<BR>
birth to remove all their aggression, cars have<BR>
sophisticated radar and computer systems so that they<BR>
never crash... and so now nobody explores or advances,<BR>
society is stagnant...<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 22:35:23 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-like fiction<BR>
<BR>
>>Yesterday I saw a CD at Tower titled something like "Y2K: Music for the<BR>
>Apocolypse"  Had all these great gloom and doom classical and neo classical<BR>
>pieces.  "Mars: the Bringer of War", "Battle on the Ice" for Alexander<BR>
>Nevsky, "Battle Theme" from Star Wars.  Couldn't afford it (I was picking<BR>
>up Kansas' Best of album), but I'll be back next week.<BR>
<BR>
"Mars, Bringer of War" is a good piece originally by a composer named<BR>
"Holst" from his album, "The Planets".  this was redone electronically by<BR>
another composer known as Isao Tomita.  Its very good stuff.<BR>
___________________________________________________________<BR>
 J-Man<BR>
 ICQ# 2843475<BR>
 New Hampshire - U.S.A.<BR>
 Email : j-man@iname.com<BR>
 Home Page : http://www.geocities.com/~jman037/<BR>
___________________________________________________________<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 20 Nov 1999 00:17:02 -0500<BR>
From: "Josh W. Spencer" <macmanjws@earthlink.net><BR>
Subject: Looking for Travellers' Digest Adventures 1-21<BR>
<BR>
Hello.<BR>
I am interested in obtaining copies of all the adventures in the<BR>
Travellers' Digest involving Akidda Laagir, Dur Telemon, Dr. Theodor<BR>
Krenstein, and Aybee Wan Owen. It'll be for research into their<BR>
characters and how they changed over the years they "toured" together,<BR>
but also for two other purposes:<BR>
1) Putting up a web page devoted to these characters, and<BR>
2) I have an idea for getting these people together again for a second "tour."<BR>
<BR>
If anyone has access to ALL their adventures, please contact me<BR>
off-list. If anyone from the DGP staff is on this list, please do the<BR>
same. I may also contact Marc Miller regarding these characters.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks for your help, everyone.<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
Sincerely,<BR>
Josh W. Spencer (macmanjws@earthlink.net)<BR>
Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 20 Nov 1999 18:48:22 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Game Design<BR>
<BR>
> >> But when you're writing, you have to consider<BR>
> >> not only what you write, but who's going to read it,<BR>
> >> and how they'll interpret it.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >No you don't. If you do that you'll emasculate your vision and never<BR>
write<BR>
> >anything good.<BR>
><BR>
> Sorry, but you must consider your target audience. The first thing taught<BR>
> in US colleges is to consider your target audience<BR>
<BR>
Which is probably why there hasn't been much representation by US-schooled<BR>
authors in international literary prizes recently.<BR>
<grin><BR>
<BR>
>; you don't write using<BR>
> $5 words when trying to target the general public, and you don't avoid em<BR>
> when they are part of the jargon for the field you're targeting.<BR>
<BR>
That's true, but that's just tradecraft.<BR>
I was referring to the statement in question talking about considering how<BR>
people are going to _interpret_ it.<BR>
<BR>
I probably should have put more detail, because I would agree that rule-sets<BR>
need to consider some possible interpretations, but what I disagree about is<BR>
that you should try and design a rule-set that is "munchkin" or<BR>
"rules-lawyer" proof, because any such system would be either unneccessarily<BR>
complicated and top-heavy, or so simple as to be hardly worth it.<BR>
<BR>
> Best example of successful targeting: the D&D<BR>
Basic/Expert/Companion/Master<BR>
> progression. The first book introduces the basic concept of play, and<BR>
CGen,<BR>
> and dungeon crawls. Each further box expands the game with new rules,<BR>
> campaign types, weapons, background, etc.<BR>
<BR>
But it's also an example of some of the worst technical writing, rules<BR>
design and prose I have ever seen.<BR>
<BR>
For a start, the rules expansions and changes are incompatible between<BR>
versions, and do not "flow" from one set to another in a logical way.<BR>
Secondly, figuring out how to play either game by actually reading the book<BR>
is almost impossible. Luckily for TSR, most people don't bother actually<BR>
using all the rules, and most kids playing it learn how to play from other<BR>
kids, not from reading the rules.<BR>
<BR>
The prose is about as good as that in bad Mills & Boon novels<BR>
<BR>
Just because it is _succesful_ does not mean it's _good_ . Microsoft is the<BR>
prime example of this phenomenon.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1366<BR>
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