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Traveller-digest      Monday, December 6 1999      Volume 1999 : Number 1449<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: Postal stuff<BR>
Re: Australia reclassified to type 3 Government<BR>
RE: 3D star maps<BR>
RE: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Famous Sci Fi TV Geography (Was LEO)<BR>
Re: Cannon Fodder (Modern Ancients)<BR>
Re: Re CGI scripts<BR>
Re: OT: Must buy game (No go on Nova)<BR>
Re: Canon Fodder (or, Renegades of Yaskoydray)<BR>
Blood From a Turnip (was: Re: Australia reclassified to type 3  Government)<BR>
OT/Flamebait: Starship Troopers revisited<BR>
Re: OT/Flamebait: Starship Troopers revisited<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1435<BR>
Re: 3D Star Maps<BR>
Re: OT/Flamebait: Starship Troopers revisited<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1435<BR>
Re: 3D star maps<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 06 Dec 1999 12:53:13 GMT<BR>
From: "Jonathan Lupton" <jonathanlupton@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Postal stuff<BR>
<BR>
> > And BTW, thanks to Don - I'm impressed with Dark Nebula!<BR>
><BR>
>Well, now that I know that someone else actually has a copy.....<BR>
><BR>
>Frankie<BR>
<BR>
I have a copy too. It looks like a nice little game but I haven't had chance <BR>
to play it yet.<BR>
<BR>
The movement system is a bit different to "normal" traveller with ships only <BR>
being able to travel along specified jump routes but they can make as many <BR>
jumps per turn as they like until they reach an enemy ship or can't refuel.<BR>
<BR>
The map system is good. Basically each player randomly selects a subsector <BR>
map and adds it to the existing map until both homeworlds have been placed. <BR>
So the map ends up different each time you play.<BR>
<BR>
I had looked at producing some convertion rules for HG ships and allowing <BR>
the player to build their own ships and changing the movement rules to allow <BR>
ships to move in the normal traveller fashion but you may as well just use <BR>
the HG/TCS rules for that.<BR>
<BR>
J.<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 06 Dec 1999 07:59:26 -0500<BR>
From: "Josh W. Spencer" <macmanjws@earthlink.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Australia reclassified to type 3 Government<BR>
<BR>
Black ICE wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Antony Farrell wrote:<BR>
> ><BR>
> > The Imperial Interstellar Scout Service has reclassified the governments of<BR>
> > Australia and all Australian territories to type 3 (Self-Perpetuating<BR>
> > Oligarchy) following the release of section 165-55 of the Goods and Services<BR>
> > Tax legislation.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > "The taxation commissioner may:<BR>
> > [a] Treat a particular event that actually happened as not having happened<BR>
> > and;<BR>
> > [b] treat a particular event that did not actually happen as having<BR>
> > happened, and, where appropriate treat that event as<BR>
> > [I] having happened at a particular time, and;<BR>
> > [II] having involved particular action by a particular entity [whether or<BR>
> > not the event involved any action by that entity],<BR>
> > [c] treat a particular event that happened as;<BR>
> > [I] having happened at a time different from the time it actually happened,<BR>
> > or<BR>
> > [II] having involved particular action by a particular entity [whether or<BR>
> > not the event involved any action by that entity].<BR>
> ><BR>
> > An IISS spokesman indicated that this was necessary "type 3 government is<BR>
> > defined as "Rule by a restricted minority, with little or no input from the<BR>
> > masses, in this case it seems that the politicians also have not taken any<BR>
> > input from reality."<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Also entities beware, you are now covered by Australian legislation and may<BR>
> > be taxed for anything you do or don't do.<BR>
> <BR>
> Well, I may be putting myself at risk here, but...<BR>
> <BR>
> I'll _gladly_ pay both US and Australian taxes on income gained under<BR>
> the following conditions:<BR>
> <BR>
> 1.  That the Australian tax commissioner declares that, any contrary<BR>
> evidence notwithstanding, I am the sole winner of the most recent<BR>
> PowerBall multi-state lottery drawing that exceeded USD 100 million, and<BR>
> that, therefore, the agencies that administer the PowerBall lottery must<BR>
> pay me the prize money, as a lump sum, subject to all US and Australian<BR>
> income taxes.<BR>
> <BR>
> 2.  That any monetary gain that I enjoy due to subsequent investment of<BR>
> that portion of the lottery prize money remaining after US and<BR>
> Australian taxes imposed on the original winnings is subject only to<BR>
> taxation by the United States Federal government, and the state and<BR>
> local governments in whose jurisdiction I reside.<BR>
> <BR>
> After all, if the Australian tax commissioner can rewrite history to<BR>
> suit that office's needs, then let the commissioner spread the benefits<BR>
> around!  If the Australian tax commissioner's office lives up to its<BR>
> obligations under the terms stated above, then I certainly will live up<BR>
> to mine.  And all that revenue for Australia would come from Americans<BR>
> playing an American lottery.  Sweet, isn't it?<BR>
> <BR>
> Heck, I'll even make that agreement for _every_ time the PowerBall goes<BR>
> over USD 100 million!  Think of all the revenue for the Australian<BR>
> government, simply by invoking the tax commissioner's authority to<BR>
> rewrite history!<BR>
> <BR>
> Laissez les bon temps rouler!<BR>
> <BR>
> (Of course, should the Australian tax commissioner decline my generous<BR>
> offer, I am at little risk.  After all, while the commissioner's office<BR>
> may attempt to _assess_ taxes on me as if I had, indeed, won said<BR>
> PowerBall lottery, one _still_ cannot get blood from a turnip,<BR>
> particularly a poor college-student turnip....)<BR>
<BR>
Yes they can. It's called DIVORCE. :) :)<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
Josh<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 13:09:00 -0000 <BR>
From: Brian Caball <boc@raidtec.ie><BR>
Subject: RE: 3D star maps<BR>
<BR>
</Lurk><BR>
<BR>
I toyed with this idea for a while, and was going to write a 3D sector<BR>
viewer program (I have a very basic one for Dos which shows space near earth<BR>
out to about 10 light years, though the stellar Data I used is probably<BR>
incomplete). An Idea I had was to reduce the jump distances, and use<BR>
interstellar brown dwarfs for refuelling. Not all of these would be charted<BR>
given the difficulty in spotting them, giving ample locations for secret<BR>
deep space labs or pirate refuelling stations and the like. Incomplete maps<BR>
of an area would make invasion of an interstellar state by another a risky<BR>
business for the attacker, as the defending state would know the space much<BR>
better. Naval maps would be jealously guarded state secrets, and not<BR>
available to the civilian free trader. <BR>
<BR>
I keep meaning to go back and do the map program properly, complete with<BR>
sector / subsector generation, 3d viewer, and route calculator (given two<BR>
stars and a max jump of 2, what's the shortest route?). I doubt I ever will<BR>
find time though.<BR>
<BR>
- -Brian<BR>
<BR>
<Lurk><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 12:56:37 -0000 <BR>
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
Subject: RE: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Famous Sci Fi TV Geography (Was LEO)<BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
> > I know I haven't looked at 8+ Digests and I'm sure that someone<BR>
> > else would have been mentioned this, but as an Aussie growing up<BR>
> > with our then one and only Government TV channel, who can forget<BR>
> > the visual splendor of that infamous generic sci-fi location,<BR>
> > the BBC quarry. Man I must have seen that in twenty odd shows,<BR>
> > Dr Who (every second episode it seemed) and Blake's Seven being<BR>
> > the prime contenders.<BR>
><BR>
> You can take tours of famous BBC quarries now, I'm told.  Might<BR>
> be fun.<BR>
<BR>
BBC Radio did a Blake's Seven audio play (available on  cassette)<BR>
called The Triple Crown Affair (or something like that).  At  one<BR>
point we hear Avon and Villa sneaking up on  the  entrance  to  a<BR>
military base ...<BR>
<BR>
    Avon: "There it is."<BR>
<BR>
    Villa: "Is that it?  It looks ..."<BR>
<BR>
    Avon: "What?"<BR>
<BR>
    Villa: "Well, just like a quarry!"<BR>
<BR>
    Avon: "What did you expect?"<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Regards PLST<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 5 Dec 1999 22:21:41 -0600 (CST)<BR>
From: Cynthia Higginbotham <cyhiggin@pipeline.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Cannon Fodder (Modern Ancients)<BR>
<BR>
> Now in MTU, however, I've got a group of six Droyne worlds that remember the<BR>
> good 'ol days - that is, they never suffered the cultural slide back that<BR>
> most Droyne suffered. They know the true history of the Droyne and such -<BR>
> but without Grandfather or the Kiddies, they simply have little drive or<BR>
> ability to maintain high technology - so they're only TL 13 (GTL 11) now.<BR>
> <BR>
> Andy<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, we make that assumption about *all* Droyne worlds. They simply<BR>
have no need for technology beyond TL9 or so, but if they really, <BR>
really need it, there are drones whose job is to keep plans and <BR>
processes for the more advanced stuff. Also, Droyne know basic TL9<BR>
tech, like jump drives, lasers, etc rather the way the Star Wars<BR>
universe does--it's so ingrained into their tech base for so long<BR>
(300,000 years? Or at least 75,000.) that any group of tech workers<BR>
can throw a jump drive together (given the necessary materials) the<BR>
way you could make a wheel.<BR>
<BR>
(Anyone remember that in the Star Wars universe, blasters are<BR>
so ancient a tech that animal-riding barbarians seem to throw<BR>
them together with bailing wire and rocks?  Droyne tech is that<BR>
routine to them, too.)<BR>
<BR>
			--Cynthia<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 5 Dec 1999 09:14:00 -0600 (CST)<BR>
From: Cynthia Higginbotham <cyhiggin@pipeline.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Re CGI scripts<BR>
<BR>
> >I'm having thought along these lines as well. My ISP is what I am using for<BR>
> >server space now, and they are a real ho-dunk operation. I use a Mac, and<BR>
> >they say they can't support CGI scripting unless I'm using Win95 or NT. I<BR>
> >don't know if they know what they are talking about, but I'm no better<BR>
> >informed myself. I have some forms and stuff I have been working on for<BR>
> >RPGs, and would like to get them up on my site. So I guess I should move it.<BR>
> >Where to?<BR>
> <BR>
> Don't need to move, just point out to the little B*****ds that they DON'T<BR>
> know what they're talking about. The Scripts are stored and executed BY THE<BR>
> SERVER. The results get retuned as a web-page OR a data file. If you can<BR>
> put HTML up, you can write CGI scripts.<BR>
<BR>
I agree--and I think that what you have here is either <BR>
(1) a Micro$oft-only ISP who is<BR>
blitheringly ignorant of the existance of Active Perl with IIS extensions,<BR>
which allows you to do Perl CGI scripts on WinNT servers, or (2) an ISP<BR>
who doesn't want to be bothered with the security issues of customer-<BR>
provided CGI scripts and is blowing you off with a lame excuse. Either<BR>
that, or they are using IIS with Front Page extensions unmodified<BR>
"out of the can", and are too ignorant to do anything other than insist<BR>
that you use FrontPage to publish your web pages and .ASP scripts.<BR>
Either way, your ISP sounds like a disaster waiting to be hacked.<BR>
Hope you can find a home somewhere else. All the ones I know of<BR>
that have really good people and policies are also pay sites,<BR>
unfortunately.  <BR>
<BR>
			--Cynthia<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 06 Dec 1999 17:04:20 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: OT: Must buy game (No go on Nova)<BR>
<BR>
"Glenn M. Goffin" wrote:<BR>
> Written "Nova" still looks enough like "No va" to convey that<BR>
> meaning.<BR>
<BR>
Yes, but "decease" doesn't convey the meaning "de-cease (stop stopping)<BR>
to English readers.<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 06 Dec 1999 09:24:33 -0600<BR>
From: "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Canon Fodder (or, Renegades of Yaskoydray)<BR>
<BR>
Ah!  A new debate!  Did Grandfather wipe out ALL his kids,<BR>
and if not, where are they?<BR>
<BR>
Our heroes, Maldaar and Skelli, Imperial Bureau of Investigation,<BR>
have stumbled upon an organ-smuggling cartel whose operations<BR>
involve harvesting the victims of the so-called Low Berth Syndrome<BR>
and shipping the carcasses to an interdicted Droyne world.  While<BR>
approaching the world and trying to figure out how to get on the<BR>
surface without being blown to bits in orbit, Maldaar snorts deriseively<BR>
when Skelli mentions the power Grandfather and the Ancients must<BR>
have had.<BR>
<BR>
Maldaar:<BR>
"Well, the truth is, Grandfather is a myth cooked up by the Khazd<BR>
- -- a special projects arm of the Imperial-Zhodani-Darrian "Special<BR>
Assembly", itself an intersection of the most powerful Humaniti<BR>
industrialists and scientists in Known Space -- to mask the experiments<BR>
being done to human victims by certain political entities with certain<BR>
dark visions of a future race of uberhuman and oberhuman classes:<BR>
the Goverened (most of the people) and the Governors (the scientists,<BR>
industrialists, and military-political elements themselves).  All the so-<BR>
called evidence for the being known to us as Grandfather is planted<BR>
by these elements to direct us into thinking these devices and bases<BR>
were built in the distant past when really the work is only now starting<BR>
to bear fruit.  Black Globes are manufacturable, even by the Imperial<BR>
military's own press releases; what they're not saying is that they've<BR>
known how to make them for a hundred years and have perfected<BR>
the technique.  The great Sighting off of Vilis in 1002 confirms that<BR>
there are a number of mercenary craft with these Black Globes, and<BR>
that's just 800-dton vessels by the way.  And don't forget the phantom<BR>
"Special Arm" of the Darrian navy.  They're telling us that this stuff is<BR>
1000 years old.  Isn't it more plausible to say that these ships are<BR>
simply state-of-the-art, special military technology whose existence<BR>
was leaked to the public in order to dispel possible concerns about<BR>
our governments hiding technology from us?  Our market-friendly,<BR>
sharing-is-good government can't be seen hiding anything that's<BR>
potentially beneficial: the megacorps and major worlds would revolt.<BR>
But now you can blame it on the Darrians' secret police and their<BR>
crack squadrons.  Problem solved."<BR>
<BR>
Skelli:<BR>
"What about Twilight's Peak?  Everyone's heard the rumors about<BR>
the far traders who found an intact base, complete with warrior<BR>
Droyne, neural disintegrators, and a planetary defense grid that<BR>
dissolved several Shivva cruisers?"<BR>
<BR>
Maldaar:<BR>
"Skelli, you've fallen into believing these rumors because they say<BR>
what they're told to say and we're trained to hear.  Why was the base<BR>
destroyed?  Why did the trideo images show a few hours of nothing?<BR>
How come the only substantial remains of this base is a crater filling<BR>
with metal-laced water?  These traders stumbled onto a government<BR>
operation of such sensitivity that the base had to be destroyed, the<BR>
traders implanted with false memories, and the Zhodani blamed just<BR>
to cover their trail.  That proves it was a psionics research base,<BR>
which shows that the Imperium isn't against psionics, it's just against<BR>
normal people developing the skills that would enable them to see<BR>
through the schemes of the Khazd."<BR>
<BR>
Skelli:<BR>
"But they said it themselves, that the Droyne activated the auto-destruct.<BR>
And the planet has metallic dust which has been shown to have static<BR>
properties that well may have erased any footage shot."<BR>
<BR>
Maldaar:<BR>
"It's a cover-up.  There were no Droyne.  You ever been on a Droyne<BR>
ship?  It looks like a bird cage.  Their repairs are done a few moments<BR>
before or after a part fails.  There's no way they could have invented<BR>
anything other than a mirror with little plastic beads to play with and a<BR>
beak sharpener."<BR>
<BR>
Skelli:<BR>
"You're being rude.  And besides, research indicates that Grandafather<BR>
was a freak mutation with a hyperintelligent, hyperpsionic intellect.  Of<BR>
course he's nothing like the Droyne we know now."<BR>
<BR>
Maldaar:<BR>
"That's because he never existed.  He was made up by a conspiracy<BR>
of powerful humans with the intent of galactic domination.  Look, if<BR>
Grandfather was such a hot dude, then why is there no real proof of<BR>
his existence?  Here, key over to your galactic dictionary and search<BR>
on Yaskoydray.  There it is.  NOW, do a search on the roots of that<BR>
name.  You won't find any.  No Yas, Yask, Yaskoy, and no Dray<BR>
or Ray.  All you have there is "Skoy", meaning "arrival", or "Koy",<BR>
which means "drive".  There is no Droyne name that doesn't have a<BR>
published meaning -- Droyne are particular about that -- and even if<BR>
Yaskoydray isn't his real name it would be the name given by Droyne<BR>
to try to explain him."<BR>
<BR>
Skelli:<BR>
"Well I was told it means 'Grandfather'.  Perhaps it's a long root."<BR>
<BR>
Maldaar:<BR>
"It doesn't and it's not.  I suspect it is actually the code name for the<BR>
project that's being instigated under his name.  Check this out:<BR>
(Maldaar scribbles on his palm computer)<BR>
"Yaskoydray.  If you convert the Galanglic letters to numbers, with<BR>
'a' being 26 and 'z' being 1, you get a sequence.  It doesn't look like<BR>
much at first, but I searched some physics databases at the University<BR>
of Regina and found that the combination matches a frequency used<BR>
in black globe research."<BR>
<BR>
Skelli:<BR>
"Maldaar, they use a LOT of frequencies with research.  The probability<BR>
of any set of numbers matching a frequency must be close to 1..."<BR>
<BR>
Maldaar:<BR>
"Which is what I thought too, so I cross referenced the Galanglic name<BR>
Yaskoydray with the Zhodani and Darrian names, and came up with<BR>
two *complementary* frequencies.  Add these three up and you get<BR>
a masking frequency used in stellar physics, particle acceleration,<BR>
energy storage, Imperial linear programming, you name it, it's there.<BR>
This is high-tech stuff, Skelli; it touches every part of our infrastructure.<BR>
Yaskoydray isn't a person, it's a *key*.  A key to a cover-up of<BR>
galactic proportions and significance, Skelli, and I'm going to find out<BR>
what it is."<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 06 Dec 1999 12:12:44 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Blood From a Turnip (was: Re: Australia reclassified to type 3  Government)<BR>
<BR>
"Josh W. Spencer" wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Black ICE wrote:<BR>
> ><BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> ><BR>
> > (Of course, should the Australian tax commissioner decline my generous<BR>
> > offer, I am at little risk.  After all, while the commissioner's office<BR>
> > may attempt to _assess_ taxes on me as if I had, indeed, won said<BR>
> > PowerBall lottery, one _still_ cannot get blood from a turnip,<BR>
> > particularly a poor college-student turnip....)<BR>
> <BR>
> Yes they can. It's called DIVORCE. :) :)<BR>
<BR>
No, that's called "ruining the turnip in the attempt to get blood." <BR>
While ruined turnips may well be the primary objective in some divorce<BR>
cases, at the end of the day, all one has to show for one's efforts is a<BR>
ruined turnip, and no blood.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 13:39:33 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: OT/Flamebait: Starship Troopers revisited<BR>
<BR>
An evil genius in the grad student dorm council here shows a brace of<BR>
movies every Sunday night; last night's picks were South Park: The Movie<BR>
and Starship Troopers: The Movie.<BR>
<BR>
The merits of the film per se have been discussed already here.  I<BR>
actually liked the film more the second time I saw it; maybe it's all the<BR>
lead in the drinking water around here.  But the interesting part was the<BR>
audience reaction to it.  The elite young minds of America and several<BR>
European countries, our world's future leaders, scientists, analysts,<BR>
financial whizzes, and military brass, thought it was a "really realistic"<BR>
(sic.) movie with a great plot, although they thought the acting was a bit<BR>
weak.  They were peevish with me for cheering on the bugs and consistently<BR>
referring to our heros as "the Nazi pigdogs".  They thought that the<BR>
future world order in the film was "really pretty reasonable" and "I'd<BR>
sure go for that!" (direct quotes).<BR>
<BR>
I take comfort only from the fact that Citizens of the TML, regardless of<BR>
political viewpoint, are unlikely to take any comfort from this.<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 12:50:30 -0600<BR>
From: ehenry@newberlin.org (Eric Henry)<BR>
Subject: Re: OT/Flamebait: Starship Troopers revisited<BR>
<BR>
You don't like Dougi Nazi?<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: OT/Flamebait: Starship Troopers revisited<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
  They were peevish with me for cheering on the bugs and consistently<BR>
>referring to our heros as "the Nazi pigdogs".  They thought that the<BR>
>future world order in the film was "really pretty reasonable" and "I'd<BR>
>sure go for that!" (direct quotes).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 18:48:23 +0000<BR>
From: Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1435<BR>
<BR>
Gregg Thomason wrote:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>This is my first post, after lurking forever. Be kind.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Well I come and go in my lurking, so I'm hardly one to talk.  It's actually<BR>
less scary than you might think though!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>> Is anyone familiar with Farscape?<BR>
>    I'm an addict, yes.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
And many thanks to all those who've chipped in with comments.  It's on<BR>
again tonight and broadcast while I'm at work (i.e. *now*) but having<BR>
forgot to set the video my wife has kindly set the machine for it.  I'm<BR>
actually starting to look forward to it.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>> I watched the first part and the usual caveats about banking space<BR>
>> fighters,<BR>
>    This will be in sci-fi forever, IHMO.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Actually, I'm not sure about this.  I imagine it will be in SF (I thought<BR>
aficionados were supposed to balk at the term 'sci-fi'?) *until* we're<BR>
doing it for real and see how 'fake' banking fighters look.  Kind of like<BR>
how Buck Rogers spaceships looked ok at the time (I presume) and now look<BR>
hopelessly dated (or even classic Trek computers etc.).<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>> sounds in a vaccum<BR>
>    See above. Makes for bad TV to have long periods of silence; while<BR>
some<BR>
>    people in the audience will be thrilled that someone bothered to think<BR>
>    about it, the rest of 'em will be bored at having no sound, or think<BR>
>    their TV has died.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Ditto this.  Once a large porportion of the population has travelled in<BR>
space and *know* how 'quiet' it is (I'm not sure this will be the case as I<BR>
suspect that like living aboard ship it will actually be quiet noisy at a<BR>
'local' level), then it will become very unfashionable to have whizzing<BR>
ships.  IMO.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>> and instant speech translation apply.<BR>
>    Ah, you mean the Babel Fish; I mean, the translator microbes. ST used<BR>
to<BR>
>    have the "Universal Translator" but I think they just forgot about it<BR>
in<BR>
>    later years and assumed that everyone spoke everyone's language. Feel<BR>
>    free to correct me..<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Excepting episodes like Darmok, that's about it.  Farscape did at least try<BR>
to give a handwave with their microbes attaching to the brainstem, but I<BR>
definately felt the wind from the arms in motion.  :-)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Thanks again<BR>
<BR>
tc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 11:02:54 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: 3D Star Maps<BR>
<BR>
Ok, I set up a program to generate clusters of stars, given specific jump distances, based on the gliese data within 25 parsecs.  Due to edge effects, some clusters might be linked to others beyond the edge of the map, but I don't think this is a huge problem.  My data was also rounded to 0.1 parsecs (I'm working off some old files I was playing with a while back) so some rounding errors are possible.  Note that a 'cluster' of stars does not mean that you can reach all stars directly, just that you can reach all stars eventually.<BR>
<BR>
clustering 0.1 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1: 2961     2:    8  <BR>
clustering 0.2 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1: 2941     2:   18  <BR>
clustering 0.3 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1: 2917     2:   30  <BR>
clustering 0.4 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1: 2855     2:   61  <BR>
clustering 0.5 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1: 2798     2:   82     3:    5  <BR>
clustering 0.6 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1: 2664     2:  141     3:    9     4:    1  <BR>
clustering 0.7 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1: 2516     2:  194     3:   19     4:    4  <BR>
clustering 0.8 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1: 2320     2:  254     3:   37     4:    7     5:    2  <BR>
clustering 0.9 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1: 2090     2:  294     3:   63     4:   12     5:    6     6:    3  <BR>
   7:    2  <BR>
clustering 1.0 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1: 1881     2:  317     3:   84     4:   25     5:   10     6:    5  <BR>
   7:    2     8:    2  <BR>
clustering 1.1 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1: 1632     2:  336     3:   98     4:   37     5:   15     6:   14  <BR>
   7:    5     8:    2    10:    1    11:    1  <BR>
clustering 1.2 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1: 1407     2:  320     3:  100     4:   43     5:   26     6:   18  <BR>
   7:    5     8:    4     9:    3    10:    2    12:    1    13:    3  <BR>
  15:    2    25:    1  <BR>
clustering 1.3 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1: 1139     2:  311     3:  106     4:   58     5:   33     6:   16  <BR>
   7:   15     8:    6     9:    3    10:    2    12:    4    14:    1  <BR>
  16:    1    17:    1    19:    1    26:    1    30:    1    35:    1  <BR>
clustering 1.4 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1:  917     2:  272     3:  101     4:   50     5:   31     6:   15  <BR>
   7:   19     8:    4     9:   10    10:    3    11:    3    12:    3  <BR>
  13:    1    14:    1    16:    1    17:    2    18:    1    19:    2  <BR>
  21:    1    22:    1    26:    1    30:    1    53:    1    56:    1  <BR>
  73:    1  <BR>
clustering 1.5 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1:  708     2:  229     3:   98     4:   41     5:   25     6:   18  <BR>
   7:   19     8:    3     9:    9    10:    3    11:    7    12:    5  <BR>
  13:    1    14:    3    15:    2    17:    3    18:    3    21:    1  <BR>
  28:    1    29:    1    31:    1    34:    1    46:    1    49:    1  <BR>
 100:    1   187:    1  <BR>
clustering 1.6 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1:  574     2:  194     3:   74     4:   36     5:   29     6:   17  <BR>
   7:   14     8:    5     9:    9    10:    2    11:    4    12:    6  <BR>
  15:    3    16:    1    17:    2    19:    3    21:    3    22:    1  <BR>
  23:    1    31:    1    36:    1    38:    2    46:    1    71:    1  <BR>
  82:    1   123:    1   322:    1  <BR>
clustering 1.7 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1:  418     2:  156     3:   70     4:   38     5:   18     6:   19  <BR>
   7:   17     8:    4     9:    6    10:    2    11:    1    12:    4  <BR>
  14:    1    17:    3    20:    1    21:    5    22:    1    23:    1  <BR>
  26:    1    27:    1    29:    1    37:    1    42:    1    55:    1  <BR>
 143:    1   175:    1   628:    1  <BR>
clustering 1.8 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1:  310     2:  107     3:   56     4:   32     5:   17     6:   14  <BR>
   7:   14     8:    8     9:    1    10:    2    11:    1    12:    2  <BR>
  14:    2    15:    3    16:    1    17:    2    21:    4    22:    2  <BR>
  29:    1    32:    1    34:    1    56:    1    76:    1   181:    1  <BR>
1103:    1  <BR>
clustering 1.9 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1:  231     2:   78     3:   47     4:   27     5:   15     6:    4  <BR>
   7:    7     8:    3     9:    9    10:    4    11:    2    12:    3  <BR>
  13:    1    14:    2    21:    1    23:    2    26:    1    31:    1  <BR>
  44:    1    57:    1  1724:    1  <BR>
clustering 2.0 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1:  167     2:   57     3:   35     4:   24     5:    9     6:    7  <BR>
   7:    8     8:    1     9:    8    10:    4    11:    1    13:    2  <BR>
  14:    2    16:    2    18:    1    21:    1    33:    1    34:    1  <BR>
  69:    1  1960:    1  <BR>
clustering 2.1 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1:  119     2:   35     3:   25     4:   14     5:    6     6:    6  <BR>
   7:    5     8:    2     9:    2    10:    1    11:    2    12:    1  <BR>
  13:    1    14:    2    15:    1    21:    1    23:    1    35:    1  <BR>
2343:    1  <BR>
clustering 2.2 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1:   80     2:   25     3:   19     4:   11     5:    5     6:    6  <BR>
   7:    3     9:    1    11:    1    12:    2    15:    1    31:    1  <BR>
  32:    1  2542:    1  <BR>
clustering 2.3 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1:   60     2:   21     3:   15     4:    7     5:    3     6:    6  <BR>
   7:    2     9:    1    12:    2    13:    1  2691:    1  <BR>
clustering 2.4 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1:   37     2:   16     3:   11     4:    2     5:    3     6:    4  <BR>
   7:    1     9:    1    13:    1  2799:    1  <BR>
clustering 2.5 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1:   28     2:   14     3:    6     4:    3     5:    1     6:    2  <BR>
  13:    1  2861:    1  <BR>
clustering 2.6 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1:   19     2:   11     3:    2     4:    3     5:    1     6:    1  <BR>
  13:    1  2894:    1  <BR>
clustering 2.7 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1:   12     2:    9     3:    1     4:    2     5:    2     6:    1  <BR>
  13:    1  2907:    1  <BR>
clustering 2.8 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1:    7     2:    7     4:    1     6:    1     7:    1     8:    1  <BR>
  13:    1  2918:    1  <BR>
clustering 2.9 parsecs<BR>
Cluster Counts:<BR>
   1:    6     2:    4     4:    1     6:    1     7:    1  2946:    1  <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 13:06:34 -0600<BR>
From: "Joseph R. Dietrich" <yikes@evansville.net><BR>
Subject: Re: OT/Flamebait: Starship Troopers revisited<BR>
<BR>
>They thought that the<BR>
>future world order in the film was "really pretty reasonable" and "I'd<BR>
>sure go for that!" (direct quotes).<BR>
<BR>
Fortunately, these are the same worthys that will encircle the bugs with<BR>
automatic weapons and start firing.<BR>
<BR>
Ciao,<BR>
<BR>
Joseph R. Dietrich<BR>
yikes@evansville.net<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 13:12:24 -0600<BR>
From: "Joseph R. Dietrich" <yikes@evansville.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1435<BR>
<BR>
>Actually, I'm not sure about this.  I imagine it will be in SF (I thought<BR>
>aficionados were supposed to balk at the term 'sci-fi'?)<BR>
<BR>
IIRC "sci fi" is the favored term for science-lite space fantasy --<BR>
specifically in the video media -- like Star Trek, Star Wars, and Babylon<BR>
5. "Sf" is the term favored for "harder" science fiction, specifically in<BR>
the print media. [At least I think this is the case from the viewpoint of<BR>
one author (Mr. Asimov, in his book on writing) -- again, IIRC].<BR>
<BR>
Ciao,<BR>
<BR>
Joseph R. Dietrich<BR>
yikes@evansville.net<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 20:10:41 -0000<BR>
From: "Mark S Peace" <mark.s.peace@dunelm.org.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: 3D star maps<BR>
<BR>
>> I'd be tempted to take it all the way down to .001. That's 200 AU<BR>
>> (well, 203, but why quibble).<BR>
><BR>
>Still too far. Depending on the speed the ships use, more than 7<BR>
>days travel time will make it a jump, and thus a worthwhile target.<BR>
><BR>
>Terry<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
In a sense you're right.  You could take it right down to 0.0002 Parsecs.<BR>
(If I've got the calculation right a 6G maneuver drive is then about as<BR>
quick as a Jump drive).  However, if you want to compare number of jump<BR>
destinations with the standard traveller maps then I'd put it higher.  Upto<BR>
6000 AU (=0.03 Parsecs?) would count as the same system in Book 6.<BR>
<BR>
Anyway, whichever I use I don't seem to get anywhere near as many binaries<BR>
as I thought so I'll have to have a look at the data and figure out whats<BR>
going on.<BR>
<BR>
Another point:  What's the maximum range of Jump-1?  I would have tended to<BR>
assume 1.5 parsecs rather than 1.0.  (Otherwise a jump-1 ship couldn't<BR>
travel 2 parsecs in 2 jumps unless they were both exactly 1 parsec.)<BR>
However this doesn't tie in with the Solomani Rim data where Sol as no<BR>
Jump-1 neighbours - Alpha Cen is 1.3 parsecs I think.<BR>
<BR>
Mark.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1449<BR>
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