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Traveller-digest     Friday, December 10 1999     Volume 1999 : Number 1475<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: The Rise and Supposed Decline of the RPG Empire<BR>
Re: Re: Mass communication, the nobility and epistemology (LONG)<BR>
RE: <BR>
Re Munchkins<BR>
Re: GT: Nobles wish list<BR>
Re: The Rise and Supposed Decline of the RPG Empire<BR>
RE: The will to kill<BR>
RE: Active RPGing<BR>
Re: Postman, CCGs, Communications Variability <BR>
Re: There goes our salvage... and car!<BR>
Re: <BR>
Wager<BR>
Wager<BR>
Re: The Rise and Supposed Decline of the RPG Empire<BR>
Wager<BR>
Apple II disks to Mac was Re: Starfleet = Coast Guard<BR>
Re: Re : electronic warfare<BR>
Re: The will to kill<BR>
Re: <BR>
Munchkins<BR>
Re: OT/Flamebait: Starship Troopers revisited<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 14:22:45 -0000<BR>
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
Subject: RE: The Rise and Supposed Decline of the RPG Empire<BR>
<BR>
Bruce Johnson wrote:<BR>
> On Thu, 9 Dec 1999, Kiri Aradia Morgan wrote:<BR>
> > What is a munchkin?<BR>
<snip><BR>
> Somewhere on the net is floating the great 4 classes of RPG<BR>
> player lists: Munchkin, Role Player, Loonie and He-Man.<BR>
<snip><BR>
> Anyone have a current reference  or url?<BR>
<BR>
I found it at http://www.shadowsource.org/archive/humor/munchkin.html<BR>
<BR>
includes ...<BR>
<BR>
Magic in Call of Cthulhu:<BR>
    Real Men - don't believe in magic<BR>
    Real Roleplayers - cast Elder Sign<BR>
    Loonies - cast Summon Smurf<BR>
    Munchkins - cast Control Cthulhu<BR>
<BR>
Favorite Star to put a colony world:<BR>
    Real Men - Beta Lyrae<BR>
    Real Roleplayers - Alpha Centauri<BR>
    Loonies - Cygnus X-1<BR>
    Munchkins - whereever gives them the most benefits<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Regards PLST<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 07:51:45 -0700<BR>
From: cos 90 <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Re: Mass communication, the nobility and epistemology (LONG)<BR>
<BR>
>I do think that his point on shows like Sesame Street is dead on. What<BR>
>constitutes education should not be chosen based on what is easily<BR>
>televisable. This means those things which can be taught in a short segment,<BR>
>which is unconnected from other short segments, and which can be distilled<BR>
>down to entertainment.<BR>
><BR>
>After all, what happens when you get to something like, grammar, or math at<BR>
>the level above 2+2=4?<BR>
<BR>
That's what regular school is for. Sesame Street is intended for the toddler<BR>
and Kindergarten set, and the concepts therein are supposedly there to help<BR>
establish the foundation of the basics: the alphabet, counting to 10, that<BR>
sort of thing. It isn't supposed to go above that level, and when the kid is<BR>
ready to go past that, he's supposedly beyond the intended audience for the<BR>
show anyway.<BR>
<BR>
>More importantly they have to *look good on camera*, and they (or their<BR>
>speechwriters) have to write soundbites which are full of sound and fury but<BR>
>say little or nothing at all.<BR>
<BR>
Wow. Our provincial premier looks like a wino. I personally think he's <BR>
doing a good job, but he still isn't very photogenic.<BR>
<BR>
>Just because you like to drive doesn't mean that you might not be involved<BR>
>in an automobile accident, or be run over by a car. You are talking about<BR>
>something *completely* different than what Postman talks about in "Amusing<BR>
>Ourselves to Death".<BR>
<BR>
Ah. I was arguing from what I understand of Postman from some of his<BR>
other works, most specifically Technopoly. I neglected to consider the<BR>
idea that different books would have different foci.<BR>
<BR>
>human being?", or "What kind of effects might result when people can get<BR>
>their money out, day or night, without so much as talking to a person?"<BR>
<BR>
What kind of effects might result when a librarian-turned-bookseller in<BR>
northwestern Canada and a student in Philadelphia can have an intelligent<BR>
discussion via the written word transmitted electronically in a forum read<BR>
by dozens of people? :)<BR>
<BR>
>the answers seemed benign, or beneficial, I don't think he'd have a problem<BR>
>with it.<BR>
<BR>
He finds bad points about it. I can see good points about it. Like being<BR>
able to take money out of my bank account when the bank is closed because<BR>
it is more convenient for me to do so. Or someone ordering a book they need<BR>
in the middle of the night and having it on my order screen the next<BR>
morning for me to process.<BR>
<BR>
Speaking of which, if I don't get off this keyboard I won't make it to work<BR>
on time, so I'll have to come back to this message later. :-D<BR>
<BR>
- -- g<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: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 14:51:34 -0000<BR>
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
Subject: RE: <BR>
<BR>
iSteve wrote:<BR>
> I seem to remember a 70\'s TV show called \"Salvage One\" where<BR>
> a junkyard owner and his improbably handsome sons built a<BR>
> multi-use rocket IN THEIR BACK YARD which they used to recover<BR>
> \"junk\" from the moon, and then to get into all kinds of scrapes<BR>
> and adventures....<BR>
><BR>
> Very realistic it was too.<BR>
><BR>
> Anyone else remember this, or was it just an awful dream?<BR>
<BR>
I remember it (just).  I thought it was 1980 or  1981.  IIRC  the<BR>
"junkyard owner" was a successful  salvage  industry  businessman<BR>
called Harry who was not above the odd scam here and  there.  The<BR>
other characters weren't his sons but an ex-astronaut now working<BR>
as a used car salesman, and an attractive female scienist who had<BR>
invented a rocket super-fuel (powerful enough for their rocket to<BR>
be a multi-use SSTO but too dangerous for NASA  to  use  even  on<BR>
unmanned launches).  I think they only went to the  moon  in  the<BR>
movie-length pilot episode, thereafter their rocket was  used  on<BR>
Earth as a sort of Thunderbird 1 type thing.<BR>
<BR>
My local video store has loads of re-released 70's  and  80's  TV<BR>
(not this show unfortuneately) in their  nostalgia  section.  All<BR>
with  stickers  saying  "Relive  your  wasted  youth!"  ...  very<BR>
appropriate. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
Regards PLST<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 22:41:20 +1000<BR>
From: "Alan Bradley" <alanb@elf.brisnet.org.au><BR>
Subject: Re Munchkins<BR>
<BR>
> From: "William F. Hostman" <BR>
> >What is a munchkin?<BR>
> <BR>
> IME, it's applied to those whose motto tends to be "I can do more<BR>
> mega-damage than you can", as well as demanding "More pay for less play"<BR>
> for their characters. They also tends to do 3 hour analyses of their<BR>
> GURPS or Hero system characters looking for the ultimate point saving<BR>
> ballance.<BR>
<BR>
<snicker><BR>
<BR>
I used to play Hero system games (mostly Champions) a lot.  I could write<BR>
down point-optimised characters straight off the top of my head, because I<BR>
knew the rules, and had done the analysis in non-play time.<BR>
<BR>
The resulting characters weren't quite the most powerful possible, because<BR>
I had tuned them down to make them roleplayable, rather than just being<BR>
combat monsters, but they were tough enough.  Of course, they did all tend<BR>
to look a lot like each other...<BR>
<BR>
Knowing the combat rules helped, as did actually having been involved in<BR>
enough (gamed) combats to have developed some tactical skill.<BR>
<BR>
Of course I can't do that with GURPS, but given that I would most likely be<BR>
playing GT, or something strange like Atomic Horror, I doubt it would<BR>
matter that much.  The munchkins would have their Scout/Commando<BR>
battledress, and I would simply attempt to avoid being in the area when<BR>
they get themselves killed....<BR>
<BR>
I've got a TNE game starting after New Year, the collapse of civilisation<BR>
as we know it permitting.  I've been talking Traveller to the high-school<BR>
kids who will provide most of the group over the last month.  I've been<BR>
getting all kinds of flashes of "Oops!  These people actually care about<BR>
the stats of the guns they will be using", and other things I rarely pay<BR>
much attention to.  <BR>
<BR>
I may just kit them out with some standard gear supplied by their patron,<BR>
and not let them select their stuff.  That way, they will get lots of<BR>
spiffy ACRs and things (maybe even combat armour, or at least combat<BR>
environment suits), but I won't have to worry about them stressing over the<BR>
urgency of owning a gauss pistol, or wearing battledress everytime they<BR>
walk down the street.  <BR>
<BR>
Of course, they won't be freelance adventurers, but will be picked agents<BR>
of the Generic Star Empire, so I will have them pretty tightly on a string<BR>
anyway.  This is to make it easy for me to introduce them to the setting,<BR>
and the scenarios I've set up for them, which will lead on to them having<BR>
greater freedom to make decisions once they know what kind of decisions<BR>
they will need to make.<BR>
<BR>
Alan Bradley<BR>
alanb@elf.brisnet.org.au<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 10:28:55 EST<BR>
From: Sethkimmel@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: GT: Nobles wish list<BR>
<BR>
I would also like to see character writeups for:<BR>
<BR>
1) The Imperial family (Emperor,Emperess, Grand Princess,Lucan and Varian<BR>
<BR>
2) Norris, Brzyk, Dulinor (I know he's dead in GT, HOWEVER...:-) ) and the <BR>
other 4 Archdukes<BR>
<BR>
3) Duke Craig and Duchess Margaret (if they end up becoming major players in <BR>
GT)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 10:48:44 EST<BR>
From: JFZeigler@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: The Rise and Supposed Decline of the RPG Empire<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 12/10/99 2:23:40 AM Eastern Standard Time, <BR>
david.d.jaques-watson@centrelink.gov.au writes:<BR>
<BR>
> I suggested to my FLGS that "SJG may be the saviour of Traveller", since it <BR>
> is the only company putting out Trav in any form with worldwide <BR>
distribution.<BR>
>  <BR>
>  They turned around and said, "Actually, Traveller may be the saviour of <BR>
SJG",<BR>
>  since many SJG supplements sit on the shelves for a L-O-N-G time before <BR>
> being bought, while the Trav stuff barely hits the shelves before it walks <BR>
out<BR>
> the door. They have sold out of all the G:T stock they have ever brought in <BR>
> within the first 2-3 weeks (often sooner).<BR>
<BR>
That fits my experience too.  The first book I did for SJG (non-Traveller) is<BR>
still selling, but slowly.  _First In_ is zipping along in comparison.  The<BR>
biggest problem with the GURPS approach is that any one worldbook<BR>
probably has only a limited market.  Traveller already has a big fan base,<BR>
though.<BR>
<BR>
I suspect the most accurate statement is, Mr. Miller and SJG have set<BR>
up a relationship which is very beneficial for both of them.<BR>
<BR>
- ----------<BR>
Jon F. Zeigler: Mathematician, computer geek, amateur historian, freelance<BR>
writer, occasional scribbler of bad poetry<BR>
"For any statement, no matter how innocuous, there exists a nonempty<BR>
set of people who will take offense at it."<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 11:06:45 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: The will to kill<BR>
<BR>
Anthony Jackson writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>I can't think of any higher life form which fights purely on<BR>
>instinct.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	I agree, sophoncy might even be defined in terms of<BR>
	the replacement of instinct with thought.<BR>
<BR>
>In any case, the problem is that a race which has a tendency<BR>
>to kill its own kind will probably wipe itself out, intelligent<BR>
>or not.<BR>
<BR>
	This would depend on population density, social structure,<BR>
	and under what circumstances killing is triggered.<BR>
<BR>
>Of course, a race which had children in litters might be more<BR>
>violent, since killing off a few extra individuals is basically<BR>
>good in that case.  Perhaps a mutant form of hiver ;)<BR>
<BR>
	Highly territorial, solitary organisms may be more likely<BR>
	to use lethal force on other members of their species, but<BR>
	such species are unlikely to develop technology.  What about<BR>
	geneered soldiers?  If you produce a bunch of clones that<BR>
	have absolutely no hesitation to kill, will they kill each<BR>
	other at the drop of a hat?<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 11:12:04 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Active RPGing<BR>
<BR>
J2K writes:<BR>
>>I'd wager money that most of the people on this list, even though<BR>
>>they consider themselves roleplayers, aren't currently involved in<BR>
>>a campaign.<BR>
>Not me. I'm GM:ing 2 campaigns and as a player in some 6-7 campaigns<BR>
>played alternatively. <BR>
<BR>
	Nor I.  I'm GMing an active campaign with 4 players.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 08:31:13 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Terry Mixon <tlmixon@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Postman, CCGs, Communications Variability <BR>
<BR>
- --- Keith Johnson <keithalanjohnson@home.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> > >I'd wager money that most of the people on this list, even though<BR>
> they<BR>
> > >consider themselves roleplayers, aren't currently involved in a<BR>
> campaign.<BR>
> > >That's not an attack on anybody, that's merely the reality of the<BR>
> situation.<BR>
> <BR>
> I am involved in about four different campaigns that meet at least<BR>
> once a <BR>
> month, one of them meeting twice a month.  As for Traveller, I play<BR>
> it <BR>
> whenever I run a convention game (three to four times a year).  My<BR>
> current <BR>
> batch of players *hate/loathe* most sci fi games. :(<BR>
 <BR>
I am involved in one game face to face (when I am in the US <BR>
again <g>) and a *bunch* of pbem games, two traveller and the <BR>
rest of various kinds.<BR>
<BR>
Terry<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Thousands of Stores.  Millions of Products.  All in one place.<BR>
Yahoo! Shopping: http://shopping.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 08:32:45 PST<BR>
From: "Brandon Cope" <copeab@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: There goes our salvage... and car!<BR>
<BR>
>From: "The Roc" <roc@kewl.com.au><BR>
>In the real world Australia, if a conman can sell a stolen vehicle to a<BR>
>second hand motor dealer and they fail to determine it was stolen and it is<BR>
>sold on to Walter Smith for $7999, and Walt drives the car home, and within<BR>
>hours, the original owner sees it and reports it... the vehicle is seised <BR>
>by<BR>
>the police, identification confirmed, and it is either returned to the <BR>
>owner<BR>
>or the insurance company (if they have paid out on it)... Walt does NOT get<BR>
>his $7999 back, nor any part of it.  Walt has no $7999 and no car to show<BR>
>for it!  This could quite well be the way these issues on stolen vessels <BR>
>and<BR>
>salvage claims work in the Imperium?<BR>
<BR>
So the used car dealer gets to keep the money? Or does he get to go to <BR>
prison for dealing in stolen goods?<BR>
<BR>
A generous and sadistic GM,<BR>
<BR>
Brandon Cope<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 09:41:02 -0700 (MST)<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
Subject: Re: <BR>
<BR>
Not Andy Griffith, Lloyd Bridges. <BR>
<BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 10 Dec 1999, Jory Earl wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Andy Griffith played the inventor.  No, it wasn't a dream..:)<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>
> ----- Original Message -----<BR>
> From: <iSteve@outhere.f9.co.uk><BR>
> To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
> Sent: Sunday, January 10, 1999 12:00 AM<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> ><BR>
> > >An interesting point. There\'s a fun Ben Bova book called, \"Sam Gunn,<BR>
> >Unlimited,\" about a rather entrepenurial guy called, Sam Gunn (believe it<BR>
> or >not). One of his money making schemes is to pick up all the old landers<BR>
> and >probes on the moon from the 50s and 60s, and sell them off to the<BR>
> Smithsonian. >The US Government says, \"no! mine! miiinnnne!\" but anyway he<BR>
> makes a load of >cash...<BR>
> ><BR>
> > I seem to remember a 70\'s TV show called \"Salvage One\" where a junkyard<BR>
> owner and his improbably handsome sons built a multi-use rocket IN THEIR<BR>
> BACK YARD which they used to recover \"junk\" from the moon, and then to get<BR>
> into all kinds of scrapes and adventures....<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Very realistic it was too.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Anyone else remember this, or was it just an awful dream?<BR>
> ><BR>
> > iSteve<BR>
> ><BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri,December 10 1999 : 15 18 05<BR>
From: iSteve@outhere.f9.co.uk<BR>
Subject: Wager<BR>
<BR>
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>I\'d wager money that most of the people on this list, even though they >consider themselves roleplayers, aren\'t currently involved in a campaign.  >That\'s not an attack on anybody, that\'s merely the reality of the<BR>
>situation.<BR>
> <BR>
Exactly how much money are we talking?   *grin*<BR>
<BR>
iSteve<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri,December 10 1999 : 15 18 59<BR>
From: iSteve@outhere.f9.co.uk<BR>
Subject: Wager<BR>
<BR>
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<BR>
>I\'d wager money that most of the people on this list, even though they >consider themselves roleplayers, aren\'t currently involved in a campaign.  >That\'s not an attack on anybody, that\'s merely the reality of the<BR>
>situation.<BR>
> <BR>
Exactly how much money are we talking?   *grin*<BR>
<BR>
iSteve<BR>
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<BR>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 09:59:15 -0700 (MST)<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
Subject: Re: The Rise and Supposed Decline of the RPG Empire<BR>
<BR>
On Thu, 9 Dec 1999, James W. Lindsay wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> On Thu, 9 Dec 1999 09:51:28 -0800 (PST), Kiri Aradia Morgan wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> > On Thu, 9 Dec 1999, cos 90 wrote:<BR>
> > <BR>
> > > >turns out to be a Rules Lawyer or munchkin. I hand him<BR>
> > > >that (him ain't sexist, never met a female gamer who<BR>
> > > >was a rules lawyer or munchkin) and we're all happy.<BR>
> > > <BR>
> > > I have -- I know a female gamer who is also a munchkin. One<BR>
> > > who has other unwelcome qualities. <BR>
> > <BR>
> > What is a munchkin?<BR>
> <BR>
> Here's something posted by Bruce from over two years ago:<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
Damn, so _this_ is what it feels like to blow an aging roll...I don't<BR>
remember that at all!<BR>
<BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri,December 10 1999 : 15 35 12<BR>
From: iSteve@outhere.f9.co.uk<BR>
Subject: Wager<BR>
<BR>
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<BR>
>I\'d wager money that most of the people on this list, even though they >consider themselves roleplayers, aren\'t currently involved in a campaign.  >That\'s not an attack on anybody, that\'s merely the reality of the<BR>
>situation.<BR>
> <BR>
Exactly how much money are we talking?   *grin*<BR>
<BR>
iSteve<BR>
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<BR>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 10:06:29 -0700 (MST)<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
Subject: Apple II disks to Mac was Re: Starfleet = Coast Guard<BR>
<BR>
On Thu, 9 Dec 1999, Gary Miles wrote:<BR>
 <BR>
> I will try to put it down and post it this weekend. I actually had written <BR>
> it as an article for a fanzine article a few years back, but the files are <BR>
> on 5.25" on an Apple IIe.<BR>
> <BR>
> By the way, do any of you Macheads on the list (Rob? Don?) know of a way to <BR>
> hook up my old IIe 5.25" floppy drives to my Mac Performa 630 to be able to <BR>
> transfer text files? Email me off list if you do (or on list if anyone else <BR>
> is interested.<BR>
<BR>
The easiest way to do it is to scrounbge up an old Apple II with a 3.5"<BR>
drive, hook the 5 1/4 drive to that, then use the Apple II as the transfer<BR>
mechanism, since (up to System 8.5 (?)) the Mac OS will read ProDOS<BR>
floppies. I saw a IIc for $5 a while back...I'm still kicking myself for<BR>
not picking it up for this purpose.<BR>
<BR>
ONce upon a long time ago, Apple made a Apple II disk adapter for the LC<BR>
series (dunno if yours is one of the 6,439 different Performa models that<BR>
was a relabelled LCI/II/III, though I thought those wer all 4xx designated<BR>
models) These adapters occasionally pop up.<BR>
<BR>
There was _also_, once upon a long time ago, Apple II clone boards that<BR>
fit into a PC-XT. I know those things existed because I had one at work.<BR>
It was a tricky pain to set up, but it worked...<BR>
<BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 09:12:41 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Re : electronic warfare<BR>
<BR>
Robert O'Connor writes:<BR>
<BR>
>      Mesoscale sensors, relying on aperture synthesis techniques, are<BR>
> deployed above (geosync orbit?) and on the battlefield.<BR>
<BR>
Synthetic aperture is not particularly useful on objects which may be moving (it is dependent on knowledge of relative velocity).  It also only gives high resolution in one dimension.  Besides which, for sensors other than radar, starship-grade phased array sensors are plenty (a 10 meter thermograph has a resolution of about 40 centimeters from 200 kilometer low orbit, which is sufficient to pick up living beings).  Note that in a major conflict, sensor platforms in low orbit won't last very long, particularly if they use active sensors.<BR>
<BR>
>      Another possible avenue of attack is to target the enemy's electronics<BR>
> (is it possible to perform TEMPEST type surveillance at a range of<BR>
> several hundred metres, or even further?).<BR>
<BR>
Properly shielded electronics aren't vulnerable to Tempest.<BR>
<BR>
>      Other possibilities include orbital infrared surveillance (low depth<BR>
> ground penetrating systems are currently being evaluated), and<BR>
> sophisticated optical sensors to track submarines by bioluminescence<BR>
> from dinoflagellates disturbed by the vehicle's passage ; or, using<BR>
> models of oceanic circulation to detect variances in wave patterns<BR>
> caused by marine traffic(!).<BR>
I suspect these are highly dependent on knowledge of the exact ecosystem of the world's oceans.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 09:19:03 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: The will to kill<BR>
<BR>
Ian Ferguson writes:<BR>
> Anthony Jackson writes:<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
> >I can't think of any higher life form which fights purely on<BR>
> >instinct.<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
> <BR>
>      I agree, sophoncy might even be defined in terms of<BR>
>      the replacement of instinct with thought.<BR>
<BR>
By 'higher' I mean 'vertebrate'.  Animals _do_ have to learn.<BR>
> <BR>
> >In any case, the problem is that a race which has a tendency<BR>
> >to kill its own kind will probably wipe itself out, intelligent<BR>
> >or not.<BR>
> <BR>
>      This would depend on population density, social structure,<BR>
>      and under what circumstances killing is triggered.<BR>
<BR>
If killing is only 'triggered' than the race clearly _does_ have an anti-killing instinct.<BR>
> <BR>
> >Of course, a race which had children in litters might be more<BR>
> >violent, since killing off a few extra individuals is basically<BR>
> >good in that case.  Perhaps a mutant form of hiver ;)<BR>
> <BR>
>      Highly territorial, solitary organisms may be more likely<BR>
>      to use lethal force on other members of their species, but<BR>
>      such species are unlikely to develop technology.  What about<BR>
>      geneered soldiers?  If you produce a bunch of clones that<BR>
>      have absolutely no hesitation to kill, will they kill each<BR>
>      other at the drop of a hat?<BR>
<BR>
Maybe.  They'd be sociopaths.  Quite possibly well-disciplined sociopaths, but sociopaths.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 12:27:57 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: <BR>
<BR>
It was Andy Griffith, I remember him clearly in the pilot episode.<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>
- ----- Original Message ----- <BR>
From: "Bruce Johnson" <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Friday, December 10, 1999 11:41 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Not Andy Griffith, Lloyd Bridges. <BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 16:51:57 -0000<BR>
From: "Matthew Bond" <mgb@akira.swinternet.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Munchkins<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: cos 90 <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Date: 10 December 1999 03:34<BR>
Subject: Re: The Rise and Supposed Decline of the RPG Empire<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>> I have -- I know a female gamer who is also a munchkin. One<BR>
>> who has other unwelcome qualities.<BR>
><BR>
>What is a munchkin?<BR>
<BR>
Is this a rhetorical question, or a serious request for a definition?<BR>
<BR>
From the TML FAQ:<BR>
<BR>
"Munchkin - Derogatory term referring to RPG players who is interested in<BR>
minimising their disadavantages, maximising their advantages and having the<BR>
coolest weapons and equipment. Role playing skills are not to the forefront<BR>
here."<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
That sounds more like a powergamer to me.<BR>
<BR>
To my mind a munchkin differs from a powergamer in that a powergamer works<BR>
within the framework of the applicable rule system to create the most<BR>
powerful character they can. Munchkins will ignore rules they don't<BR>
like/understand.<BR>
<BR>
Thus munchkins end up wielding +10 "Holy Vorpal Avengers of Sharpness"<BR>
Bastard Swords in both hands, or have several disadvantages in Gurps that<BR>
add up to 150pts (or more... *shudder*) at start etc.<BR>
<BR>
Munckins also tend to be young or newbies, and usually progress to being<BR>
powergamers as they 'mature' in game experience, as that tends to suit their<BR>
style of play.<BR>
<BR>
Munchkins will take a 'broken' ship or NPC design and use it to justify<BR>
their own interpretation of reality in the game. ie will point to the<BR>
character sheet of the 'young' Conan in the back of Gurps:Conan, as an<BR>
example of a 'realistic' starting character for a barbarian warrior, even<BR>
though at age 16 Conan is a 217.5pt character with 119 pts of<BR>
disadvantages... eeek! (note: by the time Conan is at the height of his<BR>
power, as King of Aquilonia, he's a 859.5pt character with 106pts of<BR>
disadvantages....).<BR>
<BR>
A powergamer will stick to the rules (eg in Gurps no more than 40 pt's of<BR>
disadvantages unless you have only one for more than 40pts) but will aim to<BR>
become as powerful as Conan / Strephon / Darth Vader etc during the game.<BR>
<BR>
Matt<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 14:08:36 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: OT/Flamebait: Starship Troopers revisited<BR>
<BR>
At 06:59 AM 12/8/99, you wrote:<BR>
>At 12:21 AM 12/8/1999 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>>All I know is that our (Cornell University) paintball team routinely beats <BR>
>>out all the academies....  West Point typically comes in about 4th <BR>
>>nationally, the others are further behind...<BR>
><BR>
>The USMA at West Point doen't recruit football players.  It recruits future<BR>
>Army officers.<BR>
><BR>
>Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
<BR>
        Hi, Doug!<BR>
<BR>
        You're 100% right, and the distinction is *lost* on civvies<BR>
sometimes...  I used to paint-ball with a few lads in the Canadian<BR>
Militia...  all us Forces types would get creamed when up against a pure<BR>
civvies team...  why?  We'd try not to take casualties;  we had a healthy<BR>
disinterest in getting "killed".  I distinctly remember one open feilds game<BR>
where three guys took a run a me and my winger...  he had a spot-sight on<BR>
his semi-auto and I had and SMG...  I got taken out and we wiped them out...<BR>
they figured removing the "SMG guy" right away was worth the risk...<BR>
<BR>
        ...We all thought they were crazy...  However, at the end of the<BR>
match, they had the flag more times than we did.  <shrug><BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Michel R. Vaillancourt	misha@atlantic-online.ns.ca<BR>
				ICQ # 31172292<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	    NET-City Communications....<BR>
	         Providing "Solutions for the Common Company"<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	***REMEMBER - Always virus-check your emails ***<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1475<BR>
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