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Date:	11/21/99 4:54:08 AM Pacific Standard Time<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Sunday, November 21 1999     Volume 1999 : Number 1370<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>
Re: Totally OT but ...<BR>
package deliveries<BR>
Traveller PBEM<BR>
Re: Starship disabling weapons...<BR>
Re: Starship weapons...<BR>
Re: Traveller Navigation and Gunnery<BR>
Re: Traveller Navigation and Gunnery<BR>
Ine Givar<BR>
RE: Starship weapons...<BR>
Re: Disabling Weapons<BR>
Re: Traveller Navigation and Gunnery<BR>
Re: Traveller Navigation and Gunnery<BR>
Re: Starship weapons...<BR>
Re: Totally OT but ...<BR>
Weapons of mass destruction (Was: Traveller Nav, Gun...)<BR>
Re: Traveller Navigation and Gunnery<BR>
Re: User Interface Question<BR>
Re: How to do a gritty, X-Files-like scenario?<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 20 Nov 1999 20:49:17 -0700<BR>
From: cos 90 <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Totally OT but ...<BR>
<BR>
><< When I discovered the carrier was U.S. Postal service, I understood.<BR>
> I don't know about other list members but my experience with US mail has<BR>
> been dreadful.  I always try to use UPS whenever possible as I know that if<BR>
> US mail can screw it up or lose it, they WILL.  Frankly I'm surprised anyone<BR>
> still uses them as inept as they are. >><BR>
><BR>
>Frankly I've had the exact opposite experience. USPS has always been great <BR>
>for me, whereas UPS has absolutely SUCKED. While UPS has much better<BR>
tracking <BR>
>and missing package procedures than USPS, they need it.<BR>
<BR>
I'll agree to that one. When placing an order for something for mail<BR>
order, I leave explicit instructions: under no circumstances do I want<BR>
it shipped UPS. I've had enough bad experiences with UPS that I no longer<BR>
want anything to do with it. (Only once did I have to cancel an order<BR>
because of this -- "We only ship to Canada by UPS." No thanks. For cross-<BR>
border shipping, they are *slower* than USPS handing it off to Canada<BR>
Post, and their customs fees are *much* higher...)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
     Glenn St-Germain  Edmonton, Alberta, Canada <BR>
cos90@powersurfr.com  http://plaza.powersurfr.com/glenn<BR>
        "There is no longer any normal to be"<BR>
                                 -- Gary Numan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 20 Nov 1999 19:50:37 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: package deliveries<BR>
<BR>
Kurt Feltenberger scribbled furiously:<BR>
> <BR>
> Ob Trav...<BR>
> <BR>
> That package the players have been contracted to<BR>
> deliver was left at the <BR>
> wrong address.  Now they have to get it<BR>
> back...before it is opened...<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
Or how about, they're delivering something, they don't<BR>
know what it is, but hey, it might be useful, maybe to<BR>
get it for themselves would cost more than their<BR>
delivery fee, should they grab it? But then, they<BR>
don't hold the licence for it, and the person<BR>
recieving will want to know where it is...<BR>
<BR>
Black globe, fancy gun, faster CPU for their computer<BR>
(if it's currently a clapped out, slow, one)... or,<BR>
back to the navigation thread, a current accurate<BR>
sector map? (which would be quite valuable, given our<BR>
recent conclusions)<BR>
> Kurt Feltenberger<BR>
> kurt@blazenet.net<BR>
> Morrow Project Campaign http://www.sol-3.net<BR>
> WT-L Support Pages http://www.sol-3.net/wt-l<BR>
> <BR>
> "To our Country! In her intercourse with foreign<BR>
> nations,<BR>
>       may she always be in the right, but our<BR>
> country, right or wrong!"<BR>
> ~Stephen Decatur<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
<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 20:12:17 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Traveller PBEM<BR>
<BR>
Someone was asking about this?<BR>
<BR>
The site for a Traveller PBEM is at:<BR>
http://www.ssgfx.com/traveller/<BR>
I haven't used it so I can't recommend it, but it's<BR>
the only one I know of.<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 19:24:43 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Starship disabling weapons...<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 03:28 PM 11/18/99 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>>One of my players suggested that nuclear dampers (In TNE) could be<BR>
> focussed<BR>
>>on the engineering section of a ship and could either reduce power<BR>
> plant<BR>
>>output or boost it resulting in the drives safetys shutting them<BR>
> down. I<BR>
>>think this may also work against the jump drives fast burn fusion<BR>
> reactor.<BR>
>><BR>
>>What do people think?<BR>
><BR>
>         Used the idea before ... if it can either enhance or suppress<BR>
> nuclear reactions, it *has* to be able to affect fusion reactions.<BR>
> However, you might also assume that the fusion plant itself is using<BR>
> nuc damper technology to even allow fusion plants so small and<BR>
> powerful. Then you have to decide if a long-distance projector can<BR>
> overwhelm the local field enough to affect anything. There's a<BR>
> difference between suppressing a nuclear warhead at some distance and<BR>
> overwhelming a field right inside the reactor at the same distance.<BR>
<BR>
The heck with "overwhelming". If you can keep the projector aimed in<BR>
the right direction, and the "beam" (or area effect) has the nodes and<BR>
anti-nodes we've been told about, then given the rate at which the<BR>
*range* is almost certainly changing, you are going to get nodes and<BR>
anti-nodes passing thru there constantly. <BR>
<BR>
So the reactor has to try to compensate for something that's boosting<BR>
the reaction this millisecond and damping it the next.<BR>
<BR>
Personally, I'd be tempted to rule that the automatics see this much<BR>
instability and shut down the reactor since this would normally only be<BR>
seen if the control systems were *badly* damaged or some crucial<BR>
component was about to fail. <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: Sat, 20 Nov 1999 20:42:31 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Starship weapons...<BR>
<BR>
> ><BR>
> >         Used the idea before ... if it [nuclear<BR>
damper] can either<BR>
> enhance or suppress<BR>
> > nuclear reactions, it *has* to be able to affect<BR>
> fusion reactions.<BR>
<BR>
No, it doesn't. I always assumed the damper damped<BR>
_fission_ reactions, which are entirely different to<BR>
_fusion_ reactions. I am assuming that the nuclear<BR>
missiles which the dampers are designed to make<BR>
harmless are largely fission bombs; these are easier<BR>
to make (at any tech level, just like it's easier to<BR>
make a knife than scissors) than fusion bombs, and<BR>
current fusion bombs require a fission bomb as a<BR>
"trigger". This is because fusion only takes place at<BR>
very high temperatures. At our tech level we achieve<BR>
these high temperatures with a fission bomb. So<BR>
damping fission effects would stop any of our tech<BR>
level's bombs going off; the fission reaction fails,<BR>
so the hydrogen/deuterium/tritium just vapourises into<BR>
space.<BR>
<BR>
Damping _fusion_ reactions would be a whole different<BR>
thing.<BR>
<BR>
Incidentally, in our own sun, obviously fission<BR>
doesn't trigger the fusion. Instead, gravity creates<BR>
high pressure, which creates high temperature, and<BR>
makes the atoms energetic enough and close enough for<BR>
fusion to occur. Could this suggest a trigger for high<BR>
TL fusion bopmbs would be a gravitic generator?<BR>
Instead of constant light g's, a hundred thousand for<BR>
a tenth of a second? Then damping fusion would be a<BR>
matter of damping the gravitic generator of the<BR>
drive...<BR>
<BR>
If so, can we make directional gravitic generators, to<BR>
make a starship explode or implode? Just a thought.<BR>
<BR>
I still hold that the intention of the dampers was<BR>
that they'd damp fission. This, barring the gravitic<BR>
trigger, would work on _all_ nukes. And thus, wouldn't<BR>
affect fusion power reactors! (Though if you had an<BR>
old fission reactor you'd lose power.)<BR>
<BR>
=====<BR>
KA Schuant<BR>
member: Chef's Guild International, Sporting Shooter's Assoc, Amnesty Int, Carlton Soccer Club<BR>
Melbourne<BR>
Australia<BR>
ph 0411 893 561<BR>
<BR>
"Duct tape is like the Force: it has a light side, a dark side, and it binds the universe together"<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 01:42:20 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Navigation and Gunnery<BR>
<BR>
From: DaveShayne <daveshayne@email.msn.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>  You actually gain possession of something usefull instead of a<BR>
>bunch of glowing craters.  If you target the population: anybody left<BR>
>over is probably going to be less than thrilled with you.  If you target<BR>
>only the centers of government/military: you run the risk of killing the<BR>
>people that can agree to whatever it is you want from them.  If you<BR>
>target the whole planet: you get a glowing lifeless ball. Which is<BR>
>perfect if your goal is to litter the galaxy with glowing lifeless balls -<BR>
>less perfect if you actually want usefull planets to tax and stuff.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Okay, that is if you assume that the Imperium is going to bombard a planet<BR>
back into the stone age and erase all life on the surface of a planet. I<BR>
made no indication that this might even be the case.<BR>
<BR>
Let's put the scenario in another way. Say you've got worlds which don't<BR>
want to be part of the Imperium, or who are currently part of the Imperium<BR>
and wish to regain their independence.<BR>
<BR>
What's going to stop them from doing so? What's to stop them from, I don't<BR>
know, sabotaging their own industrial capacity to the extent that they<BR>
*can't* pay Imperial taxes? What do you do then, do you drop Imperial<BR>
Marines to force them to work at gun point? Do you drop Imperial Marine<BR>
Engineers onto the planet, build new industrial centers, and then force the<BR>
populace to work at gunpoint?<BR>
<BR>
At some point, if you're the Imperium, and you're as hardnosed as is claimed<BR>
in canon, you're going to have to deal with the pontentiality of hitting<BR>
civilian populations to make it known that you're not going to tolerate such<BR>
slacking.<BR>
<BR>
>Well if you want to control a city/country/planet somebody has to<BR>
>physically be there. But if you can convince your enemy not to fight<BR>
>PFC Poppinfresh doesn't necesarily have to get muddy.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
1.) If you want to control a city / country / planet in a traditional sense,<BR>
somebody's got to be there. The Imperium doesn't *want* to control cities /<BR>
countries / planets in the traditional sense. They simply want them to pay<BR>
taxes.<BR>
<BR>
2.) Yes, and how would you convince the populace not to fight? Propaganda<BR>
campaigns might work, but they can also fail miserably. Perhaps a sufficient<BR>
show of force might be in order, like, I dunno, hauling in big rocks and<BR>
dropping them on select population centers.<BR>
<BR>
>>How am I to be convinced that the Imperium (or other major interstellar<BR>
>>power) won't see value in dropping big, cheap rocks on major cities in<BR>
>order<BR>
>>to get their way?<BR>
><BR>
>Because craters don't pay taxes.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Neither does a determined populace. So, we're back at square one.<BR>
<BR>
>Countries go to war mostly to impose their will on others.<BR>
<BR>
Well, sometimes it is to do more than simply impose their will on other<BR>
countries. It's been relatively common for a country to go to war to annex<BR>
territory. That's not an anal distinction, it is far more than a mere<BR>
imposition of will.<BR>
<BR>
>Unless a countries aim is genocide less drastic measures will<BR>
>usually suffice.<BR>
<BR>
It doesn't have to be genocide. Let me state again that total destruction<BR>
does not have to follow from rock dropping.<BR>
<BR>
>Having to rebuild a conquered teritory and deal with enemies<BR>
>seeking revenge for attrocities commited is a real drag on the<BR>
>economy and way of life.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
This would be different from the situation in what way after a land war in<BR>
what way precisely?<BR>
<BR>
>It's so much easier to convince your enemy that you might enhance<BR>
>their radiant luminosity if they don't accept your reasonable offer of<BR>
>protectorate status, and quickly get about the business of<BR>
>import/export, than it is to actually wipe them out, wait for the ground<BR>
>to cool, plant a fresh colony, and then start up the import/export<BR>
>business.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Ah, okay. So now you're saying the mere threat of rock dropping will be<BR>
enough to bring a world around. The only problem is that from time to time a<BR>
world's going to say, "Hey! You're not *really* gonna whack us with rocks!"<BR>
<BR>
Then what happens exactly... start a land war? Or follow through on the use<BR>
of cheap and brutal "terror weapons"?<BR>
<BR>
>This is just the way I see things not holy writ or anything. But it fits my<BR>
>conception of the 3I (and must other empires/kingdoms/nations I've<BR>
>experienced.)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Where do things such as the firebombing of Dresden, the atomic bombing of<BR>
Hiroshima and (tongue planted firmly in cheek) the God smiting of Sodom and<BR>
Gommorah fit into those conceptions?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 01:49:14 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Navigation and Gunnery<BR>
<BR>
From: Leonard Erickson <shadow@krypton.rain.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>I'd say that there are likely "laws of space warfare" that the<BR>
>Imperium, Zhodani, and Solomani adhere to. Probably the Hivers do<BR>
>as well.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Okay, I'll buy that much. Rules of space warfare *do* make at least a little<BR>
sense in this context. I'm most interested in the Imperium's internal use of<BR>
big rocks.<BR>
<BR>
>The K'kree aren't likely to hold to them, except for the fact that if<BR>
>they go up against anybody who *does*, they are already at both a size<BR>
>and TL disadvantage. Which means they don't *dare* violate them because<BR>
>worse could be done to them than they could do back.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Okay.<BR>
<BR>
>The Aslan likely have *stricter* rules (because they are even more<BR>
>strongly against damaging "land"), and consider many things allowed<BR>
>under the "laws" to be "dishonorable".<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Makes sense.<BR>
<BR>
>The Vargr don't count because they are a bunch of more or less<BR>
>disorganized groups. If one of the groups attacked any of the "big<BR>
>powers" and violated the "laws", they'd get clobbered but good,<BR>
>especially since many *other* vargr groups would likely join in on the<BR>
>winning side.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
That would precisely be the reason that they'd be so likely to use them<BR>
though. Hauling big rocks into orbit and smiting cities would be just the<BR>
kind of thing that Vargr raiding bands might do to extort cash from the<BR>
planetary government. It would be even more attractive because they probably<BR>
wouldn't have a Navy or Army to speak of.<BR>
<BR>
Terror weapons would be most believable in the hands of Vargr (and the<BR>
Imperium for handling internal troubles, but I digress).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 08:46:54 +0000<BR>
From: Steve Emsley <iSteve@outhere.f9.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Ine Givar<BR>
<BR>
Hi folks, I'm a first time poster....<BR>
<BR>
I play predominantly CT, but I have a copy of T4 (but none of the<BR>
intervening materials, so forgive me if this is a dumb question), and<BR>
would like a large, organised terrorist group as the major bad guy in my<BR>
campaign.  In a few places on the net, and on the list I've heard of the<BR>
Ine Givar, but can't find any canonical references, nor any great detail<BR>
from the sources I have read of them (superb terrorist organisation so<BR>
far...lol).<BR>
<BR>
Could someone point me in the right direction to find out more?<BR>
<BR>
Regards,<BR>
<BR>
iSteve<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 18:46:28 -0800<BR>
From: "Antony Farrell" <Skaran@bigpond.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Starship weapons...<BR>
<BR>
In FFS1 it basically states that nuclear dampers work by causing<BR>
intereference with the strong and weak nuclear forces, it states "At<BR>
negative modes the forces are reduced, and at positive nodes they are<BR>
reinforced."<BR>
My physics is rather rusty, are these forces involved in fusion, if so then<BR>
a damper field could effect a fusion reactor. Would it be able to get<BR>
through a reactors containment field which is likely either electro-magnetic<BR>
or gravitic in nature?<BR>
If such a field could not penetrate an electro-magnetic field then I could<BR>
see warships being built with electro-magnetic screens (perhaps the<BR>
electro-static armour) to prevent opposing damping projectors from effecting<BR>
them. (In FFS1 the range of the DN is specified first and all other figures<BR>
are dervied from this, thus with sufficient power and volume a reasonable<BR>
range ND projector can be built.)<BR>
Antony Farrell<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 23:47:01 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: Disabling Weapons<BR>
<BR>
On 19 Nov 99, at 6:59, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<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>
> Hard to organize a riot if all your megaphones stiop working.<BR>
<BR>
That's what your Megaphone/fib is for.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
Rupert Boleyn <paradise.net.nz><BR>
Wellington, New Zealand<BR>
<BR>
A pessimist is an optimist with a sense of history.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 01:33:13 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Navigation and Gunnery<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Ah, okay. So now you're saying the mere threat of rock dropping will be<BR>
> enough to bring a world around. The only problem is that from time to time a<BR>
> world's going to say, "Hey! You're not *really* gonna whack us with rocks!"<BR>
><BR>
> Then what happens exactly... start a land war? Or follow through on the use<BR>
> of cheap and brutal "terror weapons"?<BR>
<BR>
In this situation "big rocks" have a decided advantage. You can nudge a<BR>
rock into a collision orbit, and anybody on world with much of a<BR>
telescope can *see* you do it. Doesn't take but a few observations and<BR>
a calculator to determine the new orbit. And you've got *months* to<BR>
watch it come at you. <BR>
<BR>
And as long as the Imperium holds the "high ground" you can *see* it<BR>
come at you, and not be able to do a damn thing about it. And there's a<BR>
definite deadline as *nobody* is going to be able to stop or deflect it<BR>
once it gets within a few days of impact.<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: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 01:39:26 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Navigation and Gunnery<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>The Vargr don't count because they are a bunch of more or less<BR>
>>disorganized groups. If one of the groups attacked any of the "big<BR>
>>powers" and violated the "laws", they'd get clobbered but good,<BR>
>>especially since many *other* vargr groups would likely join in on the<BR>
>>winning side.<BR>
><BR>
> That would precisely be the reason that they'd be so likely to use them<BR>
> though. Hauling big rocks into orbit and smiting cities would be just the<BR>
> kind of thing that Vargr raiding bands might do to extort cash from the<BR>
> planetary government. It would be even more attractive because they probably<BR>
> wouldn't have a Navy or Army to speak of.<BR>
<BR>
I think you need to look into the actual "mechanics" involved in rock<BR>
dropping. *Nobody* "haul[s] big rocks into orbit". It takes an unreal<BR>
amount of power, even by Traveller standards, to shift the orbit of a<BR>
"big rock" so that it'll hit a planet *months* later. <BR>
<BR>
If you want something to hit before there's time for a courier to leave<BR>
and bring back reinforcements, the situation is rather different. You<BR>
are talking about "small" rocks (ship sized) and it winds up being<BR>
easier to threaten to drop a "junker" ship on them under autopilot. <BR>
<BR>
You need *enormous* (and expensive!) drives to shift rocks. <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: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 01:47:19 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Starship weapons...<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>> Used the idea before ... if it [nuclear damper] can either enhance<BR>
>>> or suppress nuclear reactions, it *has* to be able to affect fusion<BR>
>>> reactions.<BR>
<BR>
> No, it doesn't. I always assumed the damper damped<BR>
> _fission_ reactions, which are entirely different to<BR>
> _fusion_ reactions. I am assuming that the nuclear<BR>
> missiles which the dampers are designed to make<BR>
> harmless are largely fission bombs; these are easier<BR>
> to make (at any tech level, just like it's easier to<BR>
> make a knife than scissors) than fusion bombs, and<BR>
> current fusion bombs require a fission bomb as a<BR>
> "trigger". This is because fusion only takes place at<BR>
> very high temperatures. At our tech level we achieve<BR>
> these high temperatures with a fission bomb. So<BR>
> damping fission effects would stop any of our tech<BR>
> level's bombs going off; the fission reaction fails,<BR>
> so the hydrogen/deuterium/tritium just vapourises into<BR>
> space.<BR>
<BR>
> Damping _fusion_ reactions would be a whole different<BR>
> thing.<BR>
<BR>
The dampers are stated to work by manipulating the weak nuclear force.<BR>
Said force turns out to be involved in fission *and* fusion. So while<BR>
it may take a different "setting", there's no reason they *can't*<BR>
affect a fusion reaction, and lots of reasons to think they can.<BR>
<BR>
> I still hold that the intention of the dampers was<BR>
> that they'd damp fission.<BR>
<BR>
Nope. They are *specificly* describes as being able to speed or or slow<BR>
down fission. And I'm pretty sure that fusion is mentioned also.<BR>
<BR>
BTW, when used against missiles, it's virtually certain that the damper<BR>
is used to *accelerate* decay, so that the sub-critical masses in the<BR>
warhead will melt and ruin the warhead before it gets close enough to<BR>
hurt you. <BR>
<BR>
Slowing down down the reaction would only be useful if you caught the<BR>
warhead at the exact millisecond that the explosive charges compress<BR>
the fissionables past critical mass. Hit it outside that window and the<BR>
warhead can still go off as soon as the beam moves to another target. <BR>
<BR>
It's been specifically noted that "cleaning up" after a nuke blast on a<BR>
planet surface involves making the radioactive material decay faster.<BR>
This makes the contaminated area much more lethal (and hotter in the<BR>
*thermal* sense) whgile you are doing this. But in a relatively short<BR>
time, there's no more shortlived isotopes in the area, and long-lived<BR>
isotopes give off negligible amounts of radiation unless *extremely*<BR>
concentrated. <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: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 01:58:00 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Totally OT but ...<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 05:14 PM 11/20/99 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>>In a message dated 11/20/99 10:13:09 AM Pacific Standard Time,<BR>
>>j-man@iname.com writes:<BR>
><BR>
> <<SNIP>><BR>
><BR>
>>On USENET rec.guns, everybody is bitching about how UPS employees steal guns<BR>
>>constantly (and is the reason UPS won't ship them via ground anymore). I've<BR>
>>corresponded with someone who had to send his weapon back to Smith and <BR>
> Wesson<BR>
>>for repair (it wasn't his issue weapon so the department wouldn't fix it).<BR>
>>When S+W sent it back to him via UPS, it was delivered to the wrong<BR>
>>apartment. The instructions said that the package could only be released to<BR>
>>the owner via ID and signature. The nitwit driver didn't bother to check the<BR>
>>paperwork or ID and gave the weapon to this person. The rightful owner (who<BR>
>>is a LEO by the way...) reported it stolen and contacted BATF as well as his<BR>
>>department. Both UPS and his neighbor are now in BIG trouble.<BR>
><BR>
> IMO, this is yet another net legend.  When shipping a handgun, it must <BR>
> leave and arrive at an FFL holder's address so that it can be logged into <BR>
> their bound book, and then logged out when you take possession of the <BR>
> weapon.  Unless the person in question held an FFL, I highly doubt Smith & <BR>
> Wesson would even consider shipping it.<BR>
<BR>
As stated above, this *wasn't* a sale. It was the return of a piece<BR>
from a factory repair. As far as I know, the rule you mention is only<BR>
for *sale* of a firearm.<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: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 13:37:34 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Weapons of mass destruction (Was: Traveller Nav, Gun...)<BR>
<BR>
Luther Martin wrote:<BR>
> This is the ultimate reason why it is very unlikely<BR>
> that such things like<BR>
> near-c rocks will be regularly used as weapons.<BR>
<BR>
I want to disagree with you here. During war, more or less every weapon<BR>
that is effective to use will be used. Kyle pointed out the atrocities<BR>
commited by the *allies* during WWII as an example. Especially the<BR>
bombings of Dresden were interesting, as it was not a military target.<BR>
On the contrary, many German civilians had gone there to avoid being<BR>
bombed. The bombing was done at that spot in order to ruin the German<BR>
morale quickly...<BR>
<BR>
> Civilizations which progress far<BR>
> enough to reach advanced technology will also have<BR>
> come to the same<BR>
> conclusion.<BR>
<BR>
Hehe... if we (stupid humans) learned from history, that is, we would<BR>
have come to the same conclusion. I do not have the exact wording for<BR>
this quote, but one of the Wright brothers said (about the flying<BR>
machine) that this machine will make further wars impossible, since the<BR>
potential for destruction is so great.<BR>
<BR>
Sadly enough, it had been said before. A pope (don't know which, have to<BR>
find my quotations collection) once said (not an exact quote either)<BR>
about a new weapon that it was too accurate, silent, quick, and deadly<BR>
to allow for any more wars. That weapon was the crossbow...<BR>
<BR>
ObTrav: Seeing things in this light, I find it rather improbable that<BR>
nukes aren't used by most cultures in Traveller. IMTU, the Imperium (and<BR>
thus their client states) have laws forbidding them, but many other<BR>
cultures use them. The below notes are further information about nuclear<BR>
weapons IMTU.<BR>
<BR>
The Vargr haven't got the knowledge, and the Zhodani won't give it to<BR>
them (the Zho's have got the Bomb, but they are afraid of an escalating<BR>
war). The Darrians have no problems whatsoever with using nukes if they<BR>
need to, and they have bombed several of the Sword Worlds. The Sword<BR>
Worlder's have done the same to the Darrians... This is exactly the type<BR>
of conflict (with the Imperium) that the Zhodani are afraid of.<BR>
<BR>
The K'Kree gladly nuke "bad" worlds, but won't destroy inhabitable (to<BR>
them) worlds that way. Aslan follow the Imperial way of thinking, but<BR>
some clans just *might* have an ace or two up their sleeve.<BR>
<BR>
I haven't considered Droyne or Hiver's, since I don't have any material<BR>
on these races yet (I'm waiting for GT: Alien Races 3).<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 13:48:57 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Navigation and Gunnery<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<speaking about laws of space warfare><BR>
> The K'kree aren't likely to hold to them, except for the fact that if<BR>
> they go up against anybody who *does*, they are already at both a size<BR>
> and TL disadvantage. Which means they don't *dare* violate them <BR>
> because worse could be done to them than they could do back.<BR>
<BR>
I agree to the fact (?) that the K'Kree play as dirty as they can<BR>
afford. They simply have no compassion at all for their evil,<BR>
meat-eating opponents. They will be even worse to their enemies than the<BR>
Nazis (yes, possible, but damn hard) were to the Jews...<BR>
<BR>
It's a good thing for the rest of Known Space that the K'Kree don't have<BR>
a tech advantage over everyone else...<BR>
<BR>
I would love to see you standing before a K'Kree and saying that bit<BR>
about "size disadvantage" though...   ;-)<BR>
<BR>
> The Aslan likely have *stricter* rules (because they are even more<BR>
> strongly against damaging "land"), and consider many things allowed<BR>
> under the "laws" to be "dishonorable".<BR>
<BR>
Like attacking without warning, something the humans (especially the<BR>
dirty Solomani) gladly do. The Aslan (at least clans that have had<BR>
conflict with too many humans) probably assume that a human might play<BR>
dirty at any time, no matter what the little fur-less thing says. They<BR>
won't drop the rules until the humans do, however. But I wouldn't want<BR>
to be a human marine when the Aslan get really mad...<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 13:55:09 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: User Interface Question<BR>
<BR>
Robert Prior wrote:<BR>
> 1) Would it be useful to see passenger and crew accomodations listed<BR>
> separately on the spreadsheet?<BR>
<BR>
Yes, since you might want to group them differently (cramped crew cabins<BR>
and roomy passenger cabins on a passenger ship, the reverse on a prison<BR>
ship).<BR>
<BR>
> 2) If crew and accomodation adjustments could be done automatically<BR>
> (ie. when you increase the jump drive, the number of engineers and<BR>
> their accomodations are automatically increased too), would you use<BR>
> this feature?<BR>
<BR>
Certainly. I would gladly use as many such features as possible (the<BR>
number of maneuver crew etc).<BR>
<BR>
> 3) How important would economic data (from Far Trader) be?<BR>
<BR>
I haven't read Far Trader, so I won't answer this question.<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 08:01:44 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: How to do a gritty, X-Files-like scenario?<BR>
<BR>
>ps. I do *not* advise using any of the aliens from "Voyage of the Space<BR>
>Beagle". They're a bit too much. The octopoid critter is just too hard<BR>
>to defeat, and a coeurl could take on an infestation of Aliens and win!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Too late, I already have Couerls, Ixtls and Riims in my game..:)  However I<BR>
disagree about them being too tough to take out; remember in the book that<BR>
human 'ingenuity' was what prevailed.  After reading some of the clever<BR>
things PCs have done in games posted here, I wouldn't throw in the towel on<BR>
them just yet.  :)<BR>
<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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1370<BR>
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