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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 7 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1700<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: Grav Pong (was re: Turbolifts)<BR>
RE: Finding People<BR>
Re: Grav Pong (was re: Turbolifts)<BR>
Re: Vargr breeds<BR>
Re: Grav-Pong<BR>
Re: Vargr breeds<BR>
Re: "Family"<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
re:  101 Schools - What's Needed?<BR>
RE: nudity and clothes<BR>
re: Grav Pong<BR>
RE: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
RE: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
Re: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
101 Schools - What's Needed?<BR>
Re: "Its raining on planet Mongo!" (was RE: nudity and clothes)<BR>
Grav Pong<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
RE: nudity and clothes<BR>
RE: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: The Fashionable Imperial <BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
Sample University (draft) for 101 Schools<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 13:46:32 -0800<BR>
From: "David P. Summers" <summers@alum.mit.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong (was re: Turbolifts)<BR>
<BR>
>Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 13:41:54 -0500<BR>
>From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
<BR>
>Evyn MacDude wrote:<BR>
>>> moving the ship. Even a Free Trader should be able to turn any<BR>
>>>corridor into a deadly bottomless pit by turning off the gravity<BR>
>>> and reversing the inertial comp every couple of seconds.<BR>
><BR>
>>Yep.... This maneuver is called Grav Pong.<BR>
<BR>
>Yep. The ability to do Grav Pong means that there will seldom, if ever,<BR>
>be a shipboard combat action as seen in _Snapshot_ or _Azhanti<BR>
>High Lightning_. The guy sitting at the main Engineering console<BR>
>can kill anyone, anywhere on the ship with a touch of a button.<BR>
><BR>
>The only way around this, if Grav Pong is possible, is for the intruder<BR>
>to be able to lock out the Engineer's controls (or the Bridge repeaters)<BR>
>before the fight starts. It's hard to see how the intruder could get that<BR>
>much control *before* the battle starts - if anything, that kind of control<BR>
>of the ship would be an *objective* of the battle.<BR>
><BR>
>Thus I tried out a handwave/idea to make Grav-Pong less of a danger<BR>
>IMTU.<BR>
<BR>
Or you just shoot the power connector (or some key spot) the a grav plate<BR>
before you enter that section of the cooridor.<BR>
______________________________<BR>
summers@alum.mit.edu<BR>
(This is the net.  My e-mail address may be in Boston, but I'm in California.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 10:56:17 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Finding People<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
> <BR>
> As far as I know, I am the only Loren K Wiseman in the USA <BR>
> -- at least with a listed number -- there is a Lauren <BR>
> Wiseman in Chicago, but the middle initial is different.<BR>
><BR>
> Lorwn Wiseman<BR>
<BR>
This spelling of 'Loren' is an attempt to hide your identity then ?<BR>
<BR>
<grin><BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
 <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 21:51:56 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong (was re: Turbolifts)<BR>
<BR>
>Yep. The ability to do Grav Pong means that there will seldom, if ever,<BR>
>be a shipboard combat action as seen in _Snapshot_ or _Azhanti<BR>
>High Lightning_. The guy sitting at the main Engineering console<BR>
>can kill anyone, anywhere on the ship with a touch of a button.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I remember a CIN article where Ref Coalition personnel are reminded of the<BR>
utility of Grav Belts in boarding Virus-controlled ships. Since a grav belt<BR>
will nullify 99% of the gravitic force, they reduce a 6G tunnel-of-death<BR>
into a 0.06G gentle tug.<BR>
<BR>
Some of my battledress designs have grav belts built in, both for this<BR>
reason and because they make dandy atmospheric patrol units (although a<BR>
little RIFTS-esque....)<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 16:55:44 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Vargr breeds<BR>
<BR>
On Thu, 6 Jan 2000, Daniel Phelps wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Regards subspecies of Vargr I've often wondered.  My remembrance of the<BR>
> module referenced above, which I currently cannot find, suggests that the<BR>
> bigger Vargr subspecies were bred to be less intelligent docile workers sort<BR>
> of Newfie Vargr rather than Rottie Vargr while there are at least two dwarf<BR>
> subspecies.  I remember mention of a very smart blind dwarf psi subspecies<BR>
> which I picture as Psi Pug Vargr which had a master slave relationship to<BR>
> the "Newfie Vargr".   Can anyone find the module and check?<BR>
<BR>
The creepy blind psionic Vargr, who live way out core/trailing, are the<BR>
Roth Thokken; they seem to be sorta furry ninjas, unfortunately.  The<BR>
Urzaeng, the big dumb 'uns, live just trailing of Lair, around the<BR>
coreward end of the Windhorn.  The other species, all brain- or<BR>
psi-enhanced, are the Nakagun and Akumgeda, both far to core/spinward.<BR>
<BR>
> Cry havoc and loose the Vargrs of War<BR>
<BR>
"Let slip", actually ;)  -- thus proving that the Bard (Endeavour) is not<BR>
fitted with Grav Pong plates, but friction reduction carpeting.<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 21:57:14 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav-Pong<BR>
<BR>
>It's not so much the floor plates that cause grav pong, as the inertial<BR>
>compensators. If I stop the ship with 1G of acceleration, *something*<BR>
>stopped you from moving towards the bow at 1G. If I turn the ship with<BR>
>3G's of lateral acceleration, something stopped you from moving towards<BR>
>the side of the ship at 3G's.<BR>
<BR>
No, your ship can only accelerate forwards, assuming like most designs you<BR>
have one big set of drives pointing forwards. Remember you can't pull off<BR>
Star-Wars-type banked turns in space - you rotate the ship so the engines<BR>
(and aft) point along the thrust axis, and burn the main drives. You might<BR>
have low power thrusters pointing in other directions, but they'll (in all<BR>
the designs I've ever seen) be much smaller than the main drives.<BR>
<BR>
Thus your inertial compensators only need to compensate for forward<BR>
accelerations. Besides, as a GM I think that makes a rather neat solution to<BR>
the problem....<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 13:58:25 -0800<BR>
From: "David P. Summers" <summers@alum.mit.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Vargr breeds<BR>
<BR>
>Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 18:05:11 -0500<BR>
>From: "Daniel Phelps" <phelpsd@gate.net><BR>
>Does anyone play "racial" distinctions among the Vargr?  Short coarse coats<BR>
>vs. long and curly, brown and spotty vs. solid, or long broad snout vs.<BR>
>short and flat; or have the majority of the Vargr in your Traveller Universe<BR>
>bred back over time to a  standard "mongrel" Vargr.<BR>
<BR>
No.  I people already think of Vargr as "dogs" too much and wolves<BR>
don't show that kind of variation (which was impossed by external<BR>
breeding on dogs).  Nor do I see Vargr governments as being the<BR>
kind where one expects to see mass breeding experiments imposed<BR>
on the population.<BR>
<BR>
I maybe be fun to make jokes, but it can be<BR>
hard on anyone who is trying to play a serious character.<BR>
<BR>
______________________________<BR>
summers@alum.mit.edu<BR>
(This is the net.  My e-mail address may be in Boston, but I'm in California.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 17:00:18 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: "Family"<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 7 Jan 2000, Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Via electronic medium on 1/4/00 2:02 PM, jzeitlin@cyburban.com wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> > I'm a lesbian trapped in a man's body!<BR>
> <BR>
> Hey! I've been using that line for nigh on three years now, and I don't<BR>
> remember using it online. Parallel creativity? Or has the phrase wandered<BR>
<BR>
It's an extremely popular phrase.  For males to voice their lesbian<BR>
identity is, it seems, the cutting edge of gender philosophy in<BR>
contemporary America.  When I was at UMich in the early '90s, it seemed to<BR>
be the standard pickup line for frat boys.<BR>
<BR>
> off on it's own? Reason for my usage: I never understood the mindset of<BR>
> hetero male skinmonkeys, yet I am (nominally) hetero. Chat with lesbian<BR>
> friends led me to realize my mindset on sex was more like theirs. I scrawled<BR>
<BR>
I hear this a lot from straight males, but I have yet to hear it from a<BR>
lesbian.  A lesbian without a penis, I mean!  Must be careful to specify<BR>
nowadays.<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 16:59:49 -0500<BR>
From: Ethan Henry <egh@klg.com><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
"Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com> wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> Healthy females leak for reasons other than menstruation, it's just not<BR>
> always as obvious.  <BR>
<BR>
<13-year-old dork><BR>
Yah, don't you guys ever read 'Forum'? Why, just looking at a studly<BR>
guy like me is enough to make any normal girl totally "wet" with desire...<BR>
</13-year-old dork><BR>
<BR>
> I would have preferred to avoid being this graphic, but you guys keep<BR>
> thinking it's just menstruation I'm talking about.<BR>
<BR>
And geez, aren't at least some of you guys married or with serious <BR>
girlfriends? I'll never understand how a guy can live with a woman<BR>
without finding out way more than he ever wanted to know about "moon time".<BR>
<BR>
> Also, many men seem to think that just eliminating the menstrual cycle would<BR>
> be OK, and I'm not sure it wouldn't cause other problems.  <BR>
<BR>
What I don't get is the assumption that any bodily function can be<BR>
changed by taking a pill. I feel fairly confident that even by TL 15<BR>
there won't be a pill to prevent you from having to deficate and such.<BR>
Anally-insterted fusion incinerators, maybe, but you can't do everything<BR>
with a pill.<BR>
<BR>
ObTrav: Most Solomani would probably be more disposed to "allopathic"<BR>
medicine while the Vilani would lean more towards more naturopathic<BR>
treatments for illness, via things like diet modification and plant<BR>
extracts and such.<BR>
<BR>
(Before anyone thinks I'm some sort of wierdo here, my wife and I are<BR>
in the midst of more "family planning" so this kind of thing is all too<BR>
often the subject of dinner conversation. Well, except the part about<BR>
anally-inserted fusion incinerators.)<BR>
<BR>
Ethan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 17:01:34 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: re:  101 Schools - What's Needed?<BR>
<BR>
Buncha good ideas coming in.  I'm going to actually start compiling<BR>
something, I think.  Probably just limit it to colleges/universities and<BR>
a few (public) research institutes.<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 17:06:09 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: RE: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 7 Jan 2000, Thing wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Obviously you are not aware of the new anti-Californian regulations.<BR>
> Any messages from the Seattle area mentioning sunny days are now<BR>
> classified as a felony in an attempt to stem the tide of Californian<BR>
> immigration.<BR>
<BR>
I'm holding on to my old Washington ID so I can get back through the<BR>
border when I Escape from Boston.  ("Hey! 'Slug' Schwarz!  I heard you was<BR>
dead!")<BR>
<BR>
> And as anyone who watches national news knows most of downtown Seattle<BR>
> was destroyed in the riots and all of the coffee was looted.  The<BR>
> released steam from all of the damaged espresso machines is causing a<BR>
> local state of nuclear winter that will keep Seattle cloud shrouded for<BR>
> at least another generation.<BR>
<BR>
Oh, that's right.  And, if I recall correctly, global warming is melting<BR>
all the snow off the mountains and wrecking the view, and driving the<BR>
giant octopus berserk so they attack boaters/divers/surfers/kayakers on<BR>
sight.  And the forests are all either flooded, clearcut, eroded, or<BR>
burning.  And Bill Gates still lives there.  Nothing left folks, move<BR>
along.<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 16:58:14 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
David P. Summers wrote:<BR>
>Or you just shoot the power connector (or some key spot) the a grav plate<BR>
>before you enter that section of the cooridor.<BR>
<BR>
Having to thoroughly sabotage the ship as you proceeded through it<BR>
didn't suit my fancy. Besides, why should any of the power connectors<BR>
or "key spots" be on the same side of the bulkheads as the intruders,<BR>
and why should they have "In case of boarding action, shoot this<BR>
spot" marked on them?<BR>
<BR>
I think the "blast the grav plates" method would require some pretty<BR>
thorough trashing of the ship, and/or some pretty extensive schematics<BR>
of the target ship.<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 11:10:01 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
<BR>
> If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life<BR>
> Never make a pretty woman your wife<BR>
> A pretty woman makes her man feel small<BR>
> And very often causes his downfall.<BR>
> So from my person point of view<BR>
> Get an ugly girl to marry you.<BR>
> <BR>
> -Kid Creole and the Coconuts, ca. 1980 SC (Solomani Calendar)<BR>
<BR>
The original is a lot older than that.<BR>
<BR>
I first heard it in about 1971, and I think that was an old recording.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 11:10:01 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
<BR>
> If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life<BR>
> Never make a pretty woman your wife<BR>
> A pretty woman makes her man feel small<BR>
> And very often causes his downfall.<BR>
> So from my person point of view<BR>
> Get an ugly girl to marry you.<BR>
> <BR>
> -Kid Creole and the Coconuts, ca. 1980 SC (Solomani Calendar)<BR>
<BR>
The original is a lot older than that.<BR>
<BR>
I first heard it in about 1971, and I think that was an old recording.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 16:59:23 -0500<BR>
From: Mark Urbin <urbin@bigfoot.com><BR>
Subject: Re: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
<BR>
>Kenji, Most of the folks *I* have seen wearing red ties are also<BR>
>wearing blue suits. It's the AmWay "uniform". <shudder><BR>
<BR>
An online comic that every Traveller fan should read has covered this.<BR>
<BR>
http://www.purrsia.com/freefall/ff100/fv00014.htm<BR>
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
urbin@bigfoot.com -- These opinions are mine, no one else wants `em.<BR>
"Driving a Hudson Hornet on the disinformation triple bypass: cruising for<BR>
burgers & garage sales. Hooks baited, lines entangled, roadkill cooked"<BR>
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 17:13:31 -0500<BR>
From: Mark Urbin <urbin@bigfoot.com><BR>
Subject: 101 Schools - What's Needed?<BR>
<BR>
A good place to start for reference material would be the GURPS:IOU<BR>
<BR>
http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/IOU/<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
urbin@bigfoot.com -- These opinions are mine, no one else wants `em.<BR>
"Driving a Hudson Hornet on the disinformation triple bypass: cruising for<BR>
burgers & garage sales. Hooks baited, lines entangled, roadkill cooked"<BR>
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 14:12:04 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: "Its raining on planet Mongo!" (was RE: nudity and clothes)<BR>
<BR>
Shouldn't that be "Ruler in Exile of Mongo?" I believe that Mongo is now<BR>
under *Zhodani* control!<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> Glenn M. Goffin, Esq.<BR>
> Honorary Consul of the Government of<BR>
> His Protuberant Majesty<BR>
> Ming the Merciless<BR>
> Ruler of Mongo<BR>
> __________________________________________________<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 17:11:56 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
Nick Bradbeer wrote:<BR>
>No, your ship can only accelerate forwards, assuming like most designs <BR>
>you have one big set of drives pointing forwards. Remember you can't pull <BR>
>off Star-Wars-type banked turns in space - you rotate the ship so the <BR>
> engines (and aft) point along the thrust axis, and burn the main drives. <BR>
>You might have low power thrusters pointing in other directions, but they'll <BR>
>(in all the designs I've ever seen) be much smaller than the main drives.<BR>
><BR>
>Thus your inertial compensators only need to compensate for forward<BR>
>accelerations. Besides, as a GM I think that makes a rather neat solution <BR>
>to the problem....<BR>
<BR>
Roll your ship to expose weapons batteries and track targets. Fly it through <BR>
the buffeting and gravity of a gas giant atmosphere. <BR>
<BR>
Think of what kind of turning thrusters a ship needs if it has<BR>
a CT agility rating of 6, or how fast it has to spin along different axis<BR>
if all that thrust only comes straight out the tail.<BR>
<BR>
Agreed, *most* of the acceleration comes along the designed line<BR>
of acceleration from the main drives. If that's the only direction you've <BR>
compensated for, get out a mop.<BR>
<BR>
Yes, I *know* this isn't Star Wars. :-P    <G><BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 14:26:11 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
Kiri wrote:<BR>
> [attribution for quoted material lost]<BR>
> >I would think that by TL15 medical science would have  progressed to the<BR>
> >point where the "pill" doesn't just stop ovulation but the whole menstral<BR>
> >cycle.  Just think: no more cramps, no  more mood swings (beyond ther<BR>
> >normal), no more buying things with wings to stuff down your pants.<BR>
> ><BR>
> [snip]<BR>
> Also, many men seem to think that just eliminating the menstrual cycle would<BR>
> be OK, and I'm not sure it wouldn't cause other problems.  The tissue you<BR>
> eliminate once a month is eliminated because it's old and dead and won't be<BR>
> used.  I wouldn't want it to remain up there longer than necessary.  Mood<BR>
> swings are caused as often by the "Pill" as they are eliminated.  I had<BR>
> terrible problems with the "Pill" and while I'll grant that it's been<BR>
> improved a lot by then, the ease with which you guys think that this problem<BR>
> could be done away with sometimes squicks me a little.<BR>
<BR>
TL8 medical science already does it.<BR>
<BR>
Depoprovera (3-month female birth control injection) sometimes <BR>
eliminates menstruation completely. My g/f has been on depo for a <BR>
few years now and doesn't menstruate at all. Apparently the mechanism<BR>
is something like fooling the body into thinking it's one month <BR>
pregnant, continuously. I suppose that keeps the normally-expelled<BR>
uterine lining (is that right? my knowledge of female interior plumbing<BR>
is not encyclopedic) healthier somehow. Worries *me* a little, <BR>
personally, but it doesn't seem to worry her or her doctors. <BR>
<BR>
Considering that her period used to involve cramps that were painful <BR>
enough to cause her to pass out, I can understand why she'll willing<BR>
to go with depo. No cramps, no bleeding, much milder mood swings<BR>
than previously.  <BR>
<BR>
IIRC, Norplant (long-term implanted b.c.) eliminated my ex-wife's<BR>
periods<BR>
also, and she took it out early because she didn't like that - more for <BR>
pagan-spiritual reasons than health concerns. <BR>
<BR>
Both forms can have other side effects such as weight gain and other <BR>
things I probably don't need to share with the rest of the class. :)<BR>
<BR>
- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 15:01:53 -0800<BR>
From: "Thing" <gduke@telebyte.com><BR>
Subject: RE: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
On Friday, January 07, 2000 2:06 PM<BR>
Kenji Schwarz said,<BR>
<BR>
> I'm holding on to my old Washington ID so I can get back through the<BR>
> border when I Escape from Boston.  ("Hey! 'Slug' Schwarz!  I<BR>
> heard you was dead!")<BR>
Just don't let them get your glider this time!<BR>
<BR>
I'll put your name, *Strike That*, your Alias on my guest list with the<BR>
border guards!  just remember to bring you hazmat suit and a can of<BR>
cocktail weenies.<BR>
<BR>
> Oh, that's right.  And, if I recall correctly, global warming is<BR>
melting<BR>
> all the snow off the mountains and wrecking the view, and driving the<BR>
> giant octopus berserk so they attack boaters/divers/surfers/kayakers<BR>
on<BR>
> sight.  And the forests are all either flooded, clearcut, eroded, or<BR>
> burning.  And Bill Gates still lives there.  Nothing left folks, move<BR>
> along.<BR>
<BR>
Yah, they really messed up when they sent the subs from Bangor to try<BR>
and take out the Kraken, but that glow at night over the rubble piles<BR>
and craters is pretty, from a safe distance.<BR>
<BR>
G.D.D.<BR>
Thing under the stairs,<BR>
Minion of Shechemist & GothBunny,<BR>
Grand Master of the Electron Flow.<BR>
==================================<BR>
"Wickedness is a myth invented by good people to account for the curious<BR>
attractiveness of others." -Oscar Wilde<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 19:09:28 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
At 03:28 PM 1/7/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
><snipped><BR>
><BR>
>	Bear in mind that typical military vessels must compensate<BR>
>	for 3+ G.  Picture the Pirate climbing a vertical metal<BR>
>	wall carrying 200+ kg.<BR>
><BR>
>Peez<BR>
><BR>
        It seems to me that a modern CF-18 can hit 10+ if the pilot is<BR>
stupid (such as an outside loop at full throttle)....<BR>
        CF-18, I think by COACC figures has around 2g accel, so, you'd<BR>
presume that a 6-g accel mil-ship would be excerting forces of 30g's during<BR>
hard maneuvering.<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>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 17:16:24 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy \(Colin Michael\)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
Considering the amount of power grav-pong plates would need, disrupting the<BR>
flow should be pretty easy since it would be so easy to distinguish the<BR>
distribution system.<BR>
<BR>
Where is this idea introduced?<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: "Walter Smith" <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
> Having to thoroughly sabotage the ship as you proceeded through it<BR>
> didn't suit my fancy. Besides, why should any of the power connectors<BR>
> or "key spots" be on the same side of the bulkheads as the intruders,<BR>
> and why should they have "In case of boarding action, shoot this<BR>
> spot" marked on them?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 16:14:59 -0700<BR>
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@ctaz.com><BR>
Subject: Re: The Fashionable Imperial <BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> >Kenji, Most of the folks *I* have seen wearing red ties are also<BR>
> >wearing blue suits. It's the AmWay "uniform". <shudder><BR>
> <BR>
> An online comic that every Traveller fan should read has covered this.<BR>
> <BR>
> http://www.purrsia.com/freefall/ff100/fv00014.htm<BR>
<BR>
A great oldie of that strip.  Too bad he only publishes 3 times a week.<BR>
<BR>
Keven<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
tc++ tm+ tn+ t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure<BR>
                                                     In Reavers' Deep<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 17:27:20 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> At 03:28 PM 1/7/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
> ><snipped><BR>
> ><BR>
> >       Bear in mind that typical military vessels must compensate<BR>
> >       for 3+ G.  Picture the Pirate climbing a vertical metal<BR>
> >       wall carrying 200+ kg.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >Peez<BR>
> ><BR>
>         It seems to me that a modern CF-18 can hit 10+ if the pilot is<BR>
> stupid (such as an outside loop at full throttle)....<BR>
>         CF-18, I think by COACC figures has around 2g accel, so, you'd<BR>
> presume that a 6-g accel mil-ship would be excerting forces of 30g's during<BR>
> hard maneuvering.<BR>
<BR>
IIRC, G-forces (in, for instance, the above-mentioned CF-18) beyond<BR>
those caused by actual acceleration result from aerodynamic forces.  If<BR>
this is indeed the case, then a 6-G ship would pull more than 6-Gs only<BR>
when performing aerodynamic maneuvers in atmosphere.  Note that<BR>
uncompensated Gs of more than about 3-G could only be maintained for a<BR>
short period of time before the crewbeings suffer adverse effects.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 19:38:32 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
At 12:43 PM 1/7/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
[snip]<BR>
>I would have preferred to avoid being this graphic, but you guys keep<BR>
>thinking it's just menstruation I'm talking about.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
        Males tend to be "thick as a block of neutronium" when it comes to<BR>
feminine hygine issues, Kiri.  Even many who are *married*....<BR>
<BR>
>Also, many men seem to think that just eliminating the menstrual cycle would<BR>
>be OK, and I'm not sure it wouldn't cause other problems.  <BR>
<BR>
        Early menopause (or similar effects) would be a probable high<BR>
candiate....<BR>
<BR>
>Mood<BR>
>swings are caused as often by the "Pill" as they are eliminated.  I had<BR>
>terrible problems with the "Pill" and while I'll grant that it's been<BR>
>improved a lot by then,<BR>
<BR>
        My wife's clinical depression lightened significantly when she<BR>
stopped taking the damned things.<BR>
<BR>
> the ease with which you guys think that this problem<BR>
>could be done away with sometimes squicks me a little.<BR>
><BR>
>Kiri<BR>
<BR>
        I don't blame you. <BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 17:47:24 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Sample University (draft) for 101 Schools<BR>
<BR>
Here's a sample write-up of a university for the "101 Schools" project. <BR>
It's based on a project in our current Traveller campaign, set just<BR>
prior to the FFW.<BR>
<BR>
Let me know what y'all think.<BR>
<BR>
School Name: Garda-Vilis University<BR>
Location: Garda-Vilis (1118 Vilis/SM)<BR>
Tech Level: 11 (university equipped at 1 TL higher than world average)<BR>
Status: Private university<BR>
Degrees offered: Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctor's degrees<BR>
granted in Arts, Fine Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; professional<BR>
degrees granted in Law (JD), Medicine (MD), Xenomedicine (MDX), and<BR>
Veterinary Medicine (DVM)<BR>
Number of students/faculty: 12,400 students (9300 undergraduate), 1400<BR>
faculty<BR>
Noteworthy programs: Officer Training Corps, History<BR>
    Effects:  OTC graduates gain +1 on first promotion roll; History<BR>
majors receive +1 for admission to graduate school<BR>
Tuition and fees (average):<BR>
    Undergraduate: Cr 10,000/year<BR>
    Graduate: Cr 21,000/year<BR>
Financial aid available: Ability-based scholarships of up to Cr<BR>
4000/year (amount: Cr 1000 x [Edu-7], maximum award Cr 4000); need-based<BR>
aid available of up to Cr 5000/year (amount: Cr 1000 x [7-Soc]); OTC<BR>
participants with simultaneous membership in reserve planetary army<BR>
units are exempt from tuition and fees (note that this incurs a service<BR>
obligation after graduation in active planetary or Imperial armed forces<BR>
of four standard years)<BR>
Admission requirements: Standard (for rules version in use)<BR>
Perseverance: Standard<BR>
Game effects: Standard<BR>
Key NPCs and locations: To Be Determined<BR>
<BR>
Garda-Vilis University was established by a group of private citizens in<BR>
1097, as part of an investment and research program to uplift<BR>
Garda-Vilis' Tech Level to 11 (see Pocket Empires for tech uplift<BR>
rules).<BR>
<BR>
BTW, the term "standard" means that whatever the rules system you're<BR>
using syas about college applies, in terms of admissions, perseverance,<BR>
and skill/attribute increases.  IOW, under Books 5&6, college increases<BR>
your Edu attribute, while T4 awards various skills for time spent in<BR>
college (Edu only increases with Honor graduation).  I don't know about<BR>
TNE, and GT doesn't seem to address the issue directly.  I suppose that<BR>
History graduates of GVU would have a positive Reputation among fellow<BR>
historians.<BR>
<BR>
Is there anything I need to add (besides key NPCs and locations)?<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1700<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1701</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 7 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1701<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 Fashionable Imperial<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
Re: Grav-Pong<BR>
Re: "Its raining on planet Mongo!" <BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
re:  : Sample University (draft) for 101 Schools<BR>
Re: Sample University (draft) for 101 Schools<BR>
Re: fashions<BR>
Re: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
Re: fashions<BR>
re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong (was re: Turbolifts)<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav-Pong<BR>
Re: Vargr breeds<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
Vilani Allopaths<BR>
Re: Grav Pong (was re: Turbolifts)<BR>
Presidential Jelly Donuts<BR>
Re: Grav-Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 18:39:12 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
<BR>
From: Frank G. Pitt <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> > -Kid Creole and the Coconuts, ca. 1980 SC (Solomani Calendar)<BR>
> <BR>
> The original is a lot older than that.<BR>
> <BR>
> I first heard it in about 1971, and I think that was an old recording.<BR>
<BR>
The original was performed by Jimmy Soul in the early 1960s.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 15:57:16 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
>From: Ethan Henry <egh@klg.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>Anally-insterted fusion incinerators, maybe, but you can't <BR>
>do everything with a pill.<BR>
<BR>
Please don't give Kenji and the Sayat more ideas.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 22:13:02 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav-Pong<BR>
<BR>
> Are grav plates available at TL7?  Low-tech ships IMTU<BR>
> have no artificial gravity.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Under TNE they come in at TL-10, and TL-9 spacecraft (of which there are a<BR>
few in my campaign setting) have to spin, use hamster-wheels and floor<BR>
lattices, or some other substitute.<BR>
<BR>
I can't find any reference under CT, and my MT and GT books are a long way<BR>
away.<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 16:07:29 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: "Its raining on planet Mongo!" <BR>
<BR>
>From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
>Subject: Re: "Its raining on planet Mongo!" (was RE: nudity and<BR>
<BR>
>clothes)<BR>
<BR>
>Shouldn't that be "Ruler in Exile of Mongo?" I believe that <BR>
>Mongo is now under *Zhodani* control!<BR>
<BR>
>> Glenn M. Goffin, Esq.<BR>
>> Honorary Consul of the Government of<BR>
>> His Protuberant Majesty<BR>
>> Ming the Merciless<BR>
>> Ruler of Mongo<BR>
<BR>
Well, it does take a little while for news to get from the<BR>
Spinward Marches to the Solomani Rim.  Sure, we've heard the<BR>
rumors, but we haven't believed them.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 00:14:30 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
>        It seems to me that a modern CF-18 can hit 10+ if the pilot is<BR>
>stupid (such as an outside loop at full throttle)....<BR>
>        CF-18, I think by COACC figures has around 2g accel, so, you'd<BR>
>presume that a 6-g accel mil-ship would be excerting forces of 30g's during<BR>
>hard maneuvering.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
You can't use an aircraft's manoevrability to infer a spacecraft's - they're<BR>
under totally different loadings.<BR>
<BR>
Okay, perhaps a Rampart in an atmosphere (proportionally denser than ours),<BR>
performing a similar manoever would validate the numbers, but in space you<BR>
can still only generate tangential acceleration equal to the power of your<BR>
main drives. Evasion has to consist of burning that thrust off in a variety<BR>
of different and unpredictable directions.<BR>
<BR>
(Apologies - I'm doing engineering coursework right now, so I'm turning back<BR>
into a hard-ass engineering student....)<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 00:18:54 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
>What I don't get is the assumption that any bodily function can be<BR>
>changed by taking a pill. I feel fairly confident that even by TL 15<BR>
>there won't be a pill to prevent you from having to deficate and such.<BR>
>Anally-insterted fusion incinerators, maybe, but you can't do everything<BR>
>with a pill.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Hmm....lemme see....under FFS1 the minimum size fusion plant at TL-15 is<BR>
still 100 litres, which would probably hurt... It doesn't drop much at TL16,<BR>
either (75 litres).<BR>
<BR>
But....an Ancients' relic TL-21 Matter-Antimatter annihilation incinerator<BR>
can be built right down to...oh, no that's still 20 litres (and generating<BR>
10 megawatts...)<BR>
<BR>
Homopolar generators might be a solution, especially if we can harvest the<BR>
energy released by incinerating the....subject material., but I wouldn't<BR>
like to think about the possible gyroscopic effects.<BR>
<BR>
And I think we'll skip right over Explosive Power Generation.....<BR>
<BR>
Uhh, I'll have to give FamSpof a call, it seems.<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
+++<BR>
(I'd make some crack about getting anal about engineering, but it almost<BR>
certainly wouldn't be worth it...)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 16:21:25 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: re:  : Sample University (draft) for 101 Schools<BR>
<BR>
>From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
<BR>
>Is there anything I need to add (besides key NPCs and<BR>
>locations)?<BR>
<BR>
1-School fight song.<BR>
2-Reputation/general impression (academically stressful / party<BR>
school / commuter campus / spoiled rich kids etc.)<BR>
3-Layout of steam pipe system.<BR>
<BR>
I offer a few modest attempts:<BR>
<BR>
1-<BR>
Fight fiercely, GeeVee-You,<BR>
Demonstrate to them our skill<BR>
Albeit they possess the might<BR>
Nonetheless, we have the will!<BR>
<BR>
Hurl that spheroid down the field<BR>
and fight fi-ight fight! <BR>
But don't be too rough<BR>
Fight fi-ight fight!<BR>
<BR>
(with apologies to Dr. Lehrer again)<BR>
<BR>
2-<BR>
GVU:  It's sort of the Rhylanor of Vilis subsector.<BR>
<BR>
3-<BR>
Hard to do in ascii.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 16:29:49 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Sample University (draft) for 101 Schools<BR>
<BR>
It was previously written:<BR>
<BR>
> T4 awards various skills for time spent in college<BR>
<BR>
Was it John Belushi in Animal House who said "Eight years of college down<BR>
the drain!"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 11:32:53 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: fashions<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: Peter Newman <pnewman@gci.net><BR>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Date: Saturday, 8 January 2000 2:07<BR>
Subject: Re: fashions<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) wrote<BR>
><BR>
>> In mail you [Peter Newman] write:<BR>
><BR>
>> > " Temperature: The interior of a normal ship is about<BR>
>> > 25 degrees C [77 F]." - CT Sup. 7 Traders & Gunboats<BR>
>> > p. 7.<BR>
><BR>
>> At 77 degrees I and a number of people I know will be wearing as little<BR>
>> as we can get away with. Because it's way outside our "comfort zone".<BR>
><BR>
>Then would be wearing shorts & a short sleeved shirt? Or<BR>
>is it so far outside your comfort zone that you'd prefer<BR>
>to be shirtless?<BR>
><BR>
>Comfort zones vary, mine is centered at 76F. I am colder working<BR>
>at a desk, or watching a movie at 68F than I am going for a walk<BR>
>at 35F wearing identical clothing.<BR>
<BR>
    When you get excited, like in combat, you sweat. Its not nice when the<BR>
sweat beads your on your skin if your seated etc. A sensible elastic<BR>
"wicking" garment would be comfortable, something similiar to push bike<BR>
clothing and they could house the contacts for pressure suit telltales. X<BR>
Boat pilots undoubtedly wear as little or as much as they like just by<BR>
adjusting the environment controls but on larger ships the various<BR>
compartments are likely to have different settings. In the Engineering<BR>
department you have the three different plants, at least one is going to<BR>
generate a bit of heat! I can see the "Engineers culture" will still have a<BR>
clothing bias.<BR>
    If you think about fashion on Earth, climate effects it, how about<BR>
another planet? Stellar type, hydrographics, atmosphere etc will bear on<BR>
whats comfortable, which will change what is fashionable. (Its the latest in<BR>
P-Suits Dahrlink!)<BR>
    Some random thoughts (Random thoughts table)<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 16:43:53 -0800<BR>
From: Evyn MacDude <wmacdude@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: Re: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
<BR>
Chris Seamans wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> From: Frank G. Pitt <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
><BR>
> > > -Kid Creole and the Coconuts, ca. 1980 SC (Solomani Calendar)<BR>
> ><BR>
> > The original is a lot older than that.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > I first heard it in about 1971, and I think that was an old recording.<BR>
><BR>
> The original was performed by Jimmy Soul in the early 1960s.<BR>
<BR>
 Uh... Guys,,,, It's stolen from an old Abbot & Costello routine.<BR>
circ. 1935ish.<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
The theme of the whole thing is clear. We have to be careful with wisdom. We<BR>
have to make certain we're ready for it when it comes knocking on our door.<BR>
Knowledge isn't always a blessing;<BR>
    sometimes, it's damnation.<BR>
Play Dirty: Let's All Go to the Movies!, by John Wick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 11:55:27 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: fashions<BR>
<BR>
>and my comfort zone is far cooler (the better half calls me her portable<BR>
>heater) as I'm happy at about 55F to 60F. Anything higher I start to over<BR>
>heat (needless to say I spend most of the summer in side with the AC going)<BR>
><BR>
>Wayne<BR>
<BR>
    Have you Ever got into bed and heard your wife say "My feet are<BR>
boiling"? I call my wife "Cryo-feet," she defies logical explanation! How<BR>
can feet get that cold and not have frost bite?<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 16:57:20 -0800<BR>
From: "David P. Summers" <summers@alum.mit.edu><BR>
Subject: re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
At 3:42 PM -0800 1/7/00, owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
(Traveller-diges wrote:<BR>
Fri, 7 Jan 2000 16:58:14 -0500<BR>
Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
<BR>
>David P. Summers wrote:<BR>
>>Or you just shoot the power connector (or some key spot) the a grav plate<BR>
>>before you enter that section of the cooridor.<BR>
<BR>
>Having to thoroughly sabotage the ship as you proceeded through it<BR>
>didn't suit my fancy.<BR>
<BR>
Well, to each their own.  I like the fact it most boarding actions<BR>
will be in free fall, which is why the skill is prevalent in a<BR>
universe with gravitics.<BR>
<BR>
>Besides, why should any of the power connectors<BR>
>or "key spots" be on the same side of the bulkheads as the intruders,<BR>
>and why should they have "In case of boarding action, shoot this<BR>
>spot" marked on them?<BR>
<BR>
I'm not sure they have any choice.  It may well be that there you have<BR>
to put some "shootable" spot at the surface of the plate.  If each plate a<BR>
corner that you feed power into, then you can shoot there.  Or maybe if you<BR>
put a whole in the middle it disrupts the field collection...<BR>
<BR>
It doesn't have to marked, anyone who knows how plates work will know it.<BR>
<BR>
>I think the "blast the grav plates" method would require some pretty<BR>
>thorough trashing of the ship, and/or some pretty extensive schematics<BR>
>of the target ship.<BR>
<BR>
Not really, shoot the corner of each plate (or the center or whatever)<BR>
______________________________<BR>
summers@alum.mit.edu<BR>
(This is the net.  My e-mail address may be in Boston, but I'm in California.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 21:01:33 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
At 05:27 PM 1/7/00 -0600, you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>IIRC, G-forces (in, for instance, the above-mentioned CF-18) beyond<BR>
>those caused by actual acceleration result from aerodynamic forces.  If<BR>
>this is indeed the case, then a 6-G ship would pull more than 6-Gs only<BR>
>when performing aerodynamic maneuvers in atmosphere.  Note that<BR>
>uncompensated Gs of more than about 3-G could only be maintained for a<BR>
>short period of time before the crewbeings suffer adverse effects.<BR>
><BR>
>-- <BR>
>AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
<BR>
        Can anyone who knows something about aerodynamics and physics<BR>
confirm or deny that?<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>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 21:04:14 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
At 12:14 AM 1/8/00 -0000, you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>You can't use an aircraft's manoevrability to infer a spacecraft's - they're<BR>
>under totally different loadings.<BR>
><BR>
>Okay, perhaps a Rampart in an atmosphere (proportionally denser than ours),<BR>
>performing a similar manoever would validate the numbers, but in space you<BR>
>can still only generate tangential acceleration equal to the power of your<BR>
>main drives. Evasion has to consist of burning that thrust off in a variety<BR>
>of different and unpredictable directions.<BR>
><BR>
>(Apologies - I'm doing engineering coursework right now, so I'm turning back<BR>
>into a hard-ass engineering student....)<BR>
><BR>
>Nick<BR>
><BR>
        Hi, Nick!<BR>
        Actually, thanks.  So, it isn't radial forces in the turn that cause<BR>
the problem for the aircraft pilot?  <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>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 20:21:01 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
<BR>
From: Evyn MacDude <wmacdude@worldnet.att.net><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>  Uh... Guys,,,, It's stolen from an old Abbot & Costello routine.<BR>
> circ. 1935ish.<BR>
<BR>
That may be the case, but the song, which was quote, goes back to Jimmy Soul<BR>
in the early 60s. The "original" in this case is the original version of the<BR>
song that was quoted. I have no idea if the song was plagiarized from an<BR>
earlier comedy routine, inspired by an earlier comedy routine, or<BR>
independently written by Jimmy Soul, or whoever was writing songs for him.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 01:25:16 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
>        Hi, Nick!<BR>
>        Actually, thanks.  So, it isn't radial forces in the turn that<BR>
cause<BR>
>the problem for the aircraft pilot?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
While an aircraft can only generate less than 1G (unless it's a Harrier<BR>
redlining its engine, which generates around 1.something small) of force<BR>
forwards, the life from the wings (which has to be at least 1G of force for<BR>
the plane to fly) can be much greater than that in the right situation (high<BR>
airspeed and high alpha).<BR>
<BR>
Pulling back the stick hard while at high speed in a jet will drop the tail,<BR>
cause a high angle of attack, and greatly increase the upthrust from the<BR>
wings. This causes the plane to climb hard. Since the tailplane is behind<BR>
the centre of pressure, it acts like the flights on an arrow and turns the<BR>
aircraft nose-up. As the aircraft pivots, both the direction of flight and<BR>
the angle at which the winglift acts rotate back.<BR>
<BR>
What you end up with is an aircraft flying in a tight loop, with the<BR>
winglift causing a radial acceleration considerably in excess of 1G,<BR>
irrespective of engine power. Since the pilot is always seated with his head<BR>
pointing towards the centre of the curcle, he experiences an upward force<BR>
from the seat floor (so it feels like he's being pushed into it hard, and<BR>
this is heavier). If the radial acceleration gets too high, the pilot can<BR>
black out.<BR>
<BR>
A spacecraft, by contrast, can't turn like this. It can't have an upward<BR>
component of force without either an atmosphere or serious thrusters in the<BR>
bottom of the ship. For a spacecraft to turn, it must point its main drives<BR>
outward and fire them, so the resulting acceleration is towards the centre<BR>
of the circle. To all intents and purposes this is the same force system as<BR>
for the aircraft, except that the crew are sitting at an angle 90 degrees<BR>
different, so they experience the force as forward, not upward.<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 12:33:33 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong (was re: Turbolifts)<BR>
<BR>
>Some of my battledress designs have grav belts built in, both for this<BR>
>reason and because they make dandy atmospheric patrol units (although a<BR>
>little RIFTS-esque....)<BR>
><BR>
>Nick<BR>
<BR>
    I actually like the first Rifts book. Then came the "Here's a picture<BR>
and every little dimple in the pic is a gun" stuff. I'd actually buy the<BR>
first book but the rest is only good for winter fuel I'm afraid.<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 01:34:28 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
>>can still only generate tangential acceleration equal to the power of your<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>        Actually, thanks.  So, it isn't radial forces in the turn that<BR>
cause<BR>
>the problem for the aircraft pilot?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Upon rereading my original post, I should have said you can generate radial<BR>
forces - of course you can generate the force in whichever direction you<BR>
point the drives.<BR>
<BR>
I think I just attacked a totally different question....<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 12:37:56 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav-Pong<BR>
<BR>
>No, your ship can only accelerate forwards, assuming like most designs you<BR>
>have one big set of drives pointing forwards. Remember you can't pull off<BR>
>Star-Wars-type banked turns in space - you rotate the ship so the engines<BR>
>(and aft) point along the thrust axis, and burn the main drives. You might<BR>
>have low power thrusters pointing in other directions, but they'll (in all<BR>
>the designs I've ever seen) be much smaller than the main drives.<BR>
><BR>
>Thus your inertial compensators only need to compensate for forward<BR>
>accelerations. Besides, as a GM I think that makes a rather neat solution<BR>
to<BR>
>the problem....<BR>
><BR>
>Nick<BR>
<BR>
    My TL12 800dton Solomani Marine Assault Ship has ducted drive tunnels<BR>
facing forward so the ship doesn't have to change attitude during the final<BR>
approach to target. I think a few ships might feature this, all you have to<BR>
do is buy a lot of thruster plates . . .<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 12:40:31 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Vargr breeds<BR>
<BR>
>No.  I people already think of Vargr as "dogs" too much and wolves<BR>
>don't show that kind of variation (which was impossed by external<BR>
>breeding on dogs).  Nor do I see Vargr governments as being the<BR>
>kind where one expects to see mass breeding experiments imposed<BR>
>on the population.<BR>
><BR>
>I maybe be fun to make jokes, but it can be<BR>
>hard on anyone who is trying to play a serious character.<BR>
<BR>
    Not having the vargr suppliment, I've always thought of them as dogs.<BR>
The description given in the rules book said "canine" not "lupine."<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 17:41:10 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
>>I would have preferred to avoid being this graphic, but you guys keep<BR>
thinking it's just menstruation I'm talking about.<BR>
>><BR>
> Males tend to be "thick as a block of neutronium" when it comes to<BR>
feminine hygine issues, Kiri.  Even many who are *married*....<BR>
><BR>
Hai, so desu ne...  ::sigh::<BR>
<BR>
(it really doesn't need to be translated, or I would have..)<BR>
<BR>
>>Mood swings are caused as often by the "Pill" as they are eliminated.  I<BR>
had terrible problems with the "Pill" and while I'll grant that it's been<BR>
improved a lot by then,<BR>
>><BR>
> My wife's clinical depression lightened significantly when she stopped<BR>
taking the damned things.<BR>
><BR>
Those things can throw me into a suicidal funk within weeks, and there's no<BR>
reason to take them because if I've taken them for more than a week, I have<BR>
no desire to have sex anyway.<BR>
<BR>
>> the ease with which you guys think that this problem could be done away<BR>
with sometimes squicks me a little.<BR>
>><BR>
>        I don't blame you.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Well... it's kind of amazing to find out that your natural bodily functions<BR>
are viewed by the other gender as a pathological condition that you should<BR>
be taking a pill for.  Depo and Norplant work very well for some people but<BR>
I know at least two women that I don't want to be on the same city block as<BR>
the week after they get their depo shots, and they swear that there is no<BR>
effect, but no one else would agree with them.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's<BR>
a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect and love your darkest side,<BR>
disposing of only what is obsolete or impractical.  It's all about giving<BR>
yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 12:47:19 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Vilani Allopaths<BR>
<BR>
>ObTrav: Most Solomani would probably be more disposed to "allopathic"<BR>
>medicine while the Vilani would lean more towards more naturopathic<BR>
>treatments for illness, via things like diet modification and plant<BR>
>extracts and such.<BR>
><BR>
>Ethan<BR>
<BR>
    That has always seemed odd to me, the Vilani may have a l-o-o-o-ng<BR>
tradition of special food preparation but must of the biota on their planet<BR>
would be incompatible wouldn't it? I'd assume that they'd be less likely to<BR>
have natural remedies, that and the fact that there was few natural diseases<BR>
on thier planet.<BR>
    (This is a stock argument within our old RPG group)<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 01:45:54 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong (was re: Turbolifts)<BR>
<BR>
>    I actually like the first Rifts book. Then came the "Here's a picture<BR>
>and every little dimple in the pic is a gun" stuff. I'd actually buy the<BR>
>first book but the rest is only good for winter fuel I'm afraid.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I have the first RIFTS book, and got as far as generating a character for a<BR>
campaign we never started. I was going to play a SAMAS pilot. I just like<BR>
the idea of flying battledress patrols.<BR>
<BR>
Hence the Eagle BD.<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 20:57:50 -0500<BR>
From: Jeff Zeitlin <jzeitlin@cyburban.com><BR>
Subject: Presidential Jelly Donuts<BR>
<BR>
On Wed, 5 Jan 2000 19:16:47 -0500 (EST), "Chris Seamans"<BR>
<semo@pil.net> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>From: Douglas E. Berry <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
<BR>
>> My roommate's favorite:  JFK announcing to the world "I am a jelly<BR>
>> doughnut!"<BR>
<BR>
>Although a well loved popular error, the truth is that Berliner means both a<BR>
>tasty jelly-filled and a resident of Berlin. I was crushed when I went to<BR>
>Germany and mentioned it in the presence of my German exchange partner who<BR>
>was anything but amused by the implication in the story that Germans cannot<BR>
>tell the difference between synonyms when the difference is crystal clear in<BR>
>the context in which the words are spoken.<BR>
<BR>
As I understand it, the problem wasn't the word "Berliner"; it<BR>
was the word "ein".  IOW, "Ich bin Berliner", I am a resident of<BR>
Berlin; "Ich bin ein Berliner" (which is what JFK said), I am a<BR>
jelly-donut.<BR>
<BR>
The semantic equivalent in English would be for a Dane to come to<BR>
this country and say "I am a Danish" vs "I am Danish".  Although<BR>
I would generally expect a Dane to have better English than<BR>
President Kennedy had German.<BR>
<BR>
>Ever since then I've been rather careful when faced with "silly American"<BR>
>stories which can be read as "stupid foreigner" stories.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
Jeff Zeitlin<BR>
jzeitlin@cyburban.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 01:55:50 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav-Pong<BR>
<BR>
>    My TL12 800dton Solomani Marine Assault Ship has ducted drive tunnels<BR>
>facing forward so the ship doesn't have to change attitude during the final<BR>
>approach to target. I think a few ships might feature this, all you have to<BR>
>do is buy a lot of thruster plates . . .<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Well, okay then. But the vast majority of designs I've seen have only one<BR>
major thrust axis. In *most* cases it makes a lot more sense. (ie it's all<BR>
you need, and it's cheapest that way.)<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 13:06:01 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: David P. Summers <summers@alum.mit.edu><BR>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com>;<BR>
traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
<traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Date: Saturday, 8 January 2000 12:02<BR>
Subject: re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>At 3:42 PM -0800 1/7/00, owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
>(Traveller-diges wrote:<BR>
>Fri, 7 Jan 2000 16:58:14 -0500<BR>
>Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
><BR>
>>David P. Summers wrote:<BR>
>>>Or you just shoot the power connector (or some key spot) the a grav plate<BR>
>>>before you enter that section of the cooridor.<BR>
><BR>
>>Having to thoroughly sabotage the ship as you proceeded through it<BR>
>>didn't suit my fancy.<BR>
><BR>
>Well, to each their own.  I like the fact it most boarding actions<BR>
>will be in free fall, which is why the skill is prevalent in a<BR>
>universe with gravitics.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
    This why we Never mess with the grav, merchants etc rarely get 0-G skill<BR>
in their lives and there's always one guy who does the "Full-auto-spin."<BR>
Pirates like 0-G, they are trained in it. Leave the bloody plates on and set<BR>
up portable airlocks in the main corridors (a singular piece of inspiration<BR>
on the part of my Scout PC!)<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1701<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 7 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1702<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: Grav-Pong<BR>
Re: Fashion & Red Ties<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
RE: nudity and clothes<BR>
Grav Pong<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
Re: Re Fashion...<BR>
Re: Sing Along!<BR>
RE: Grav Pong<BR>
A very sad thing <BR>
RE: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Thanks<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re Judges Guild<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
RE: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1701<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 13:09:23 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav-Pong<BR>
<BR>
>Well, okay then. But the vast majority of designs I've seen have only one<BR>
>major thrust axis. In *most* cases it makes a lot more sense. (ie it's all<BR>
>you need, and it's cheapest that way.)<BR>
><BR>
>Nick<BR>
<BR>
    Well, yeah. I was being argumentative : )<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 18:08:48 -0800<BR>
From: "Kelly St.Clair" <kellys@efn.org><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashion & Red Ties<BR>
<BR>
On Thu, 6 Jan 2000 22:46:14 -0900, "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
<BR>
>I always thought there was something a little queer about AmWay...<BR>
>Especially since it's the only organization I know of where a bunch of<BR>
>pearls or diamonds means a group of wealthy men... and they hug each other<BR>
>publicly, and often.<BR>
<BR>
Having had parents who were in "The Business" for a while, and having<BR>
experimented with it myself a few years back, I would have to say that<BR>
there's nothing "queer" about the Amway corporate culture.  Very straight<BR>
and conservative, "plain decent folks" in suits and dresses (always).<BR>
Positively Republican.  Non-extroverts will be killed and eaten; this is an<BR>
organization about SELLING.<BR>
<BR>
It's also very much about Traditional Couples Working Together and<BR>
Supporting Each Other.  "If you do not have a Spouse, or at least a Steady<BR>
Boy/Girlfriend, one will be issued to you at the next seminar."<BR>
<BR>
As a single non-suit-wearing young liberal, who finds sales difficult or<BR>
even dishonest, I quickly decided it was not for me.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- --------------<BR>
Kelly St.Clair   "The Jigglypuff's trilling seems to have a <BR>
kellys@efn.org    tranquilizing effect on the human nervous system.<BR>
                  Fortunately, I am... immune..."<BR>
                            -- Mr. Spock, THE TROUBLE WITH POKEMON<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 22:19:41 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
At 01:25 AM 1/8/00 -0000, you wrote:<BR>
>A spacecraft, by contrast, can't turn like this. It can't have an upward<BR>
>component of force without either an atmosphere or serious thrusters in the<BR>
>bottom of the ship. For a spacecraft to turn, it must point its main drives<BR>
>outward and fire them, so the resulting acceleration is towards the centre<BR>
>of the circle. To all intents and purposes this is the same force system as<BR>
>for the aircraft, except that the crew are sitting at an angle 90 degrees<BR>
>different, so they experience the force as forward, not upward.<BR>
><BR>
>Nick<BR>
><BR>
        Hello again!<BR>
        So, really, the grav-plates *aren't in the floors* in a Traveller<BR>
starship...  and they aren't creating a gravity well...  they are *repulsor<BR>
plates* mounted in the *walls*...  a floor plate would be generating a force<BR>
at the wrong axis...  which would require far too much energy to make up for.<BR>
        Ok, so much for canon....<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>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 21:23:24 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: RE: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 7 Jan 2000, Thing wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Yah, they really messed up when they sent the subs from Bangor to try<BR>
> and take out the Kraken, but that glow at night over the rubble piles<BR>
> and craters is pretty, from a safe distance.<BR>
<BR>
Wow.  If it's that bad, even I, a _card-carrying Pacific rim bigot and PNW<BR>
separatist_, might think twice about even _visiting_!  Cripes!!!!!!<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 21:20:03 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
Nick Bradbeer wrote:<BR>
>A spacecraft, by contrast, can't turn like this. It can't have an upward<BR>
>component of force without either an atmosphere or serious thrusters in the<BR>
>bottom of the ship. For a spacecraft to turn, it must point its main drives<BR>
>outward and fire them, so the resulting acceleration is towards the centre<BR>
>of the circle. To all intents and purposes this is the same force system as<BR>
>for the aircraft, except that the crew are sitting at an angle 90 degrees<BR>
>different, so they experience the force as forward, not upward.<BR>
<BR>
I don't see why a spaceship can't have "serious thrusters" in the bottom<BR>
or sides of the ship. "Serious" only has to be 1G or less, and a lot of<BR>
that (according to SOM) you can get by changing the direction of<BR>
thrust from the drive plates (25% thust at 90 degrees off of main axis of<BR>
acceleration, IIRC).<BR>
<BR>
Once you have these off-angle accelerators available for maneuver<BR>
and agility, all bets on which direction thrust is coming from are off.<BR>
1G can kill you if you aren't ready for it, and a lot of things you'd have<BR>
to do to get ready for it can make you pretty ineffective in close combat.<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 22:27:37 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
At 05:41 PM 1/7/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>><BR>
>Hai, so desu ne...  ::sigh::<BR>
><BR>
>(it really doesn't need to be translated, or I would have..)<BR>
<BR>
        Actually, while I can't translate what you said, I have a fair idea<BR>
what you *meant* for some reason.<BR>
<BR>
        [snip]<BR>
<BR>
>>> the ease with which you guys think that this problem could be done away<BR>
>with sometimes squicks me a little.<BR>
>>><BR>
>>        I don't blame you.<BR>
>><BR>
><BR>
>Well... it's kind of amazing to find out that your natural bodily functions<BR>
>are viewed by the other gender as a pathological condition that you should<BR>
>be taking a pill for.  <BR>
<BR>
        Actually, at the risk of causing another Dresden on the TML, I do<BR>
get that response from women by times.  Y'see, as a member of the local<BR>
Society for Creative Anacrhronism, I once in a while strap on 60lbs of<BR>
platemail, a 10lb helm, a 5lb shield and heft a ~3lb club made to look like<BR>
a sword and spend two or three hours getting hit by other chaps dressed like<BR>
me.  Most women not in the SCA, when they hear that statement get a<BR>
condecending look on thier faces and mutter something about "testosterone"<BR>
under thier breath.<BR>
        Even when studies in the '80s proved that testosterone doesn't do<BR>
what pop-culture says it does.  <BR>
<BR>
        [snip]<BR>
><BR>
>Kiri<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>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 21:31:46 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 7 Jan 2000, Glenn Goffin wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> >From: Ethan Henry <egh@klg.com><BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> >Anally-insterted fusion incinerators, maybe, but you can't <BR>
> >do everything with a pill.<BR>
> <BR>
> Please don't give Kenji and the Sayat more ideas.<BR>
<BR>
We already had a team look into that, on a theoretical level.  Fusion is<BR>
holy and can only be used for reproduction.<BR>
<BR>
(Vile barking livestock creature, you!)<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
for<BR>
SayBOOM<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 12:50:13 +1000<BR>
From: "The Roc" <roc@kewl.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Fashion...<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: William F. Hostman <aramis@gci.net><BR>
To: <traveller@mpgn.com><BR>
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2000 6:10 PM<BR>
Subject: Re Fashion<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> ><BR>
> Think of how inconsequential it would be in any startown near a mains<BR>
route<BR>
> port! SOO many different fads, fasions, cultureal and subcultural identity<BR>
> markers...<BR>
<BR>
Makes reading up on your destination world almost an essential requirement?<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> > There is also the<BR>
> >"pleasure droid,"<BR>
<BR>
<snip><BR>
<BR>
> I always assumed she was AC/DC, fully<BR>
> functional... with a retractable phallus<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
And errrr, ummm... pneumatic knockers?  You know, to make her les shapely?<BR>
<BR>
- -- The Roc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 18:41:24 -0800<BR>
From: "Kelly St.Clair" <kellys@efn.org><BR>
Subject: Re: Sing Along!<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 07 Jan 2000 11:19:14, "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
<BR>
>Learning by rhythm is an amazing thing.  Ask any American in their late 20s<BR>
>to mid 30s to recite the multiplication table for the number three, and<BR>
>they will sing it to you.<BR>
<BR>
I didn't get enough Math Rock to fall "victim" to that.  The Preamble to<BR>
the Declaration of Independence, however...  (It's amusing to watch people<BR>
try NOT to sing it.)<BR>
<BR>
And let's not forget the one that's so pervasive most people never even<BR>
notice it:  the alphabet.<BR>
<BR>
>God Bless Schoolhouse Rock.  Almost thirty years later and I still know all<BR>
>the words to those things.<BR>
<BR>
Yup.  Though a lot of them, especially the History Rock segments, look<BR>
TERRIBLY un-PC these days. ;)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- --------------<BR>
Kelly St.Clair   "The Jigglypuff's trilling seems to have a <BR>
kellys@efn.org    tranquilizing effect on the human nervous system.<BR>
                  Fortunately, I am... immune..."<BR>
                            -- Mr. Spock, THE TROUBLE WITH POKEMON<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 15:47:12 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
> While an aircraft can only generate less than 1G (unless it's a Harrier<BR>
> redlining its engine,<BR>
<BR>
Several aircraft can accelerate while in a vertical climb, which means they<BR>
must be able to generate more than 1G of thrust.<BR>
<BR>
One such aircraft was the Electric Lightning, but I believe the F16 can do<BR>
it also, at least the one I saw stand on it's tail at the end of a runway<BR>
sure looked like liked it was accelerating for the first twenty thousand odd<BR>
feet.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 18:47:17 -0800<BR>
From: "Bruce Macintosh" <bruce.macintosh@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: A very sad thing <BR>
<BR>
Author Patrick O'Brian died this week. For those (probably much of the list),<BR>
who aren't familiar with him, O'Brian was arguably the best writer of<BR>
historical<BR>
fiction in this century.<BR>
<BR>
The relevance to Traveller is that his novels of the British Royal Navy are an<BR>
excellent model for a Naval campaign, dealing with similar issues of<BR>
communication lags, shipboard life and leadership, isolation and travel.<BR>
(I've often thought of the Napoleonic navy as a model in many other ways -<BR>
since Traveller starships are unlikely to explode from battle damage<BR>
the same way that Napoleonic warships were unlikely to sink,  rituals and<BR>
ethics of honourable surrender might well develop along Napoleonic<BR>
lines.)<BR>
<BR>
For anyone interested, any of the first four books in his long series are an<BR>
excellent starting point - "Master and Commander", the first in the<BR>
series; "Post Captain", written as an homage to Jane Austen (think of it<BR>
as the male viewpoint on the romance in "Persuasion"); "HMS Surprise", the<BR>
archetype<BR>
of a long naval voyage; and the "Mauritius Campaign", a textbook description<BR>
of a combined naval/army operation to capture a series of islands, an<BR>
excellent<BR>
model for a military Traveller campaign.<BR>
<BR>
I would especially recommend the books to fans of Weber or Feintuch -<BR>
O'Brian is so much better a writer than any of these Hornblower-come-latelies<BR>
inside or outside the SF genre that it's stunning.<BR>
<BR>
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/obituaries/newsid_429000/429210.stm<BR>
has the BBC obituary.<BR>
<BR>
Bruce Macintosh<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 15:56:51 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> >IIRC, G-forces (in, for instance, the above-mentioned CF-18) beyond<BR>
> >those caused by actual acceleration result from aerodynamic forces.  If<BR>
> >this is indeed the case, then a 6-G ship would pull more than 6-Gs only<BR>
> >when performing aerodynamic maneuvers in atmosphere.  Note that<BR>
> >uncompensated Gs of more than about 3-G could only be maintained for a<BR>
> >short period of time before the crewbeings suffer adverse effects.<BR>
> >AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
><BR>
>         Can anyone who knows something about aerodynamics and physics<BR>
> confirm or deny that?<BR>
<BR>
Deny.<BR>
<BR>
6G in Traveller means that you can accelerate at 6G in a vacuum.<BR>
<BR>
Most crew beings can easily withstand such accelerations for the sort of<BR>
time that such accelerations are likley to be applied in a combat, assuming<BR>
normal preparations, such as acceleration couches and G-suits.<BR>
<BR>
Hell, _I_ have held my head up under 5G acceleration. It was like trying to<BR>
lift your whole bodyweight with your neck, but it's possible. And I had to<BR>
contol the stick and the rudders at the same time. If all I had to do was<BR>
lie back and tweak a computer-type joystick, it would be easy to fly under<BR>
such conditions.<BR>
<BR>
Long term acceleration would mean merely that they'd have to not move for<BR>
that time period. Repeated exposuire to long term accceleration like that<BR>
might be damaging, but that wouldn't bother the military<BR>
<BR>
With inertial compensators, 6G manuevers become no problem at all.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 02:54:45 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
>        So, really, the grav-plates *aren't in the floors* in a Traveller<BR>
<BR>
<SNIP><BR>
>        Ok, so much for canon....<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<shrug> No idea about *how* they work....<BR>
<BR>
I'm not saying the canon grav plate's invalid, but if you're going to mount<BR>
the drives on the back end of your ship then forward's the way the forces<BR>
work. Handwave inertial compensation in whatever way you want.<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 13:59:39 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Thanks<BR>
<BR>
    I'll keep the bandwidth-burning to a minimum.<BR>
    Thanks for the thoughts about the dog, he's fine and has been given a<BR>
clean bill of health. Said disaster-dog feels well enough in fact to have<BR>
eviscerated one of my work boots this morning. The vet has said that it was<BR>
the prompt application of medication that has left the poison-pup without<BR>
after-effects, so if you suspect a poisoning its the minutes that count.<BR>
    Thanks again<BR>
    Jim, Peta and Butch the Poodle.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 03:00:10 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
>Several aircraft can accelerate while in a vertical climb, which means they<BR>
>must be able to generate more than 1G of thrust.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
You're right - I thought about it, but I couldn't think of any offhand.<BR>
<BR>
I concede the Lightning. Can the F-16 really do it though? Have the new<BR>
models got a significantly better thrust-to-weight ratio, because I was<BR>
fairly certain the -Cs and -Ds couldn't.<BR>
<BR>
Thinking about it, ISTR the Mig-25 could as well.<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 17:57:06 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Judges Guild<BR>
<BR>
>They apparently have a lot of their Traveller stuff back as well.  I never<BR>
>pick up the Glimmerdrift Reaches.  Anyone have any comments on that<BR>
>particular supplement?<BR>
><BR>
Having used the 4 sector JG "Domain", I found them to be well on par (If<BR>
not better in content) than Suplements 3 or 10 (Marches & SolRim). They<BR>
have rumor tables by polity. They have subsector maps which can be easily<BR>
copied. They have wide margins for notes. They do, however, lack the<BR>
notations on bases, gas giants, etc... they just used stars to indicate<BR>
system locations, and marked bondaries and routes. They could easily have<BR>
done a "Races of Gateway" supplement for their races introduced. I remember<BR>
the Mandannin co-dominion was an interesting bit.<BR>
<BR>
Note also that the production quality physically is poor, but at least it<BR>
is low acid newsprint (mine have not even yellowed at all!).<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 04:04:36 +0100 (MET)<BR>
From: Tommy Grav <tommy.grav@astro.uio.no><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 7 Jan 2000, Michel Vaillancourt wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>        Hello again!<BR>
>        So, really, the grav-plates *aren't in the floors* in a Traveller<BR>
>starship...  and they aren't creating a gravity well...  they are *repulsor<BR>
>plates* mounted in the *walls*...  a floor plate would be generating a force<BR>
>at the wrong axis...  which would require far too much energy to make up for.<BR>
>        Ok, so much for canon....<BR>
<BR>
To counter the effects of the main thruster you would need some kind of<BR>
gravity field going along the axis of thrust. For most ships that would<BR>
mean that you have grav plates in the walls. To simulate the effects of <BR>
a normal 1G field inside the ship you'll need the plates in the floor <BR>
to. <BR>
<BR>
I have my own view on this whole matter. To simulate a gravitational<BR>
field you have to have two grav plates so that the field lines run from<BR>
one plate to another. Between these two plates you can have a 0G to 1G<BR>
or higher at the higher TLs in either way. The field takes several minutes<BR>
to cange 1G either way so that the plates are not ripped out of their <BR>
sockets. Since i like HePlaR much more than thruster plates I also <BR>
use the fact that it will take several minutes to get the thrusters to go<BR>
from no thrust to 1G thrust. The acceleration will therefor be gradually<BR>
increasing making it possible to brace oneself against it or strap oneself<BR>
in. No ship IMTU has full internal compensators as doors, strange wall shapes<BR>
and so one make the two plate system little useful. Crew and passengers has<BR>
to strap themself in for acceleration and most high acceleration vessels<BR>
will have internal compesation in the chairs. <BR>
<BR>
As a result anti-grav is just a way of removing the effects of a gravity <BR>
field that is already present. At TL10 it removes 75%, 87.5% at TL11 and<BR>
99% at TL12.<BR>
<BR>
>        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
Tommy Grav<BR>
- -------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
tommy.grav@astro.uio.no     http://www.uio.no/~tommygr/  <BR>
Institute of Astrophysics, UiO, No  <BR>
IMTU tn++t4+tg+ ru+ge++ !3i jt+au+st+ls hi++dr-so++zh-sy-sw++ <BR>
 <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 22:13:25 -0500<BR>
From: "J. Mark Brooks" <jmbrooks@bigfoot.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
<BR>
How did that series end, by the way?<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
[mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Kenneth<BR>
Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions<BR>
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2000 10:44 AM<BR>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Glenn St-Germain wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> All this discussion of the Cylons on Battlestar Galactica have reminded<BR>
> me that Space, Canada's SF cable channel, is beginning to run that series<BR>
> starting this coming Saturday at 6:00 pm Eastern, 4:00 pm Mountain...<BR>
> but the channel is available only in Canada.<BR>
<BR>
Sci-Fi ran the whole series here in the US on one day--Christmas.  I taped<BR>
the whole thing.<BR>
<BR>
It's amazing how much I remembered from watching it in junior high.  I<BR>
haven't seen the show since then, and with most of the episodes, I could<BR>
remember what was going to happen.<BR>
<BR>
Kenneth.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 19:08:19 -0800<BR>
From: "Bruce Macintosh" <bruce.macintosh@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
>Yep. The ability to do Grav Pong means that there will seldom, if ever,<BR>
>be a shipboard combat action as seen in _Snapshot_ or _Azhanti<BR>
>High Lightning_. The guy sitting at the main Engineering console<BR>
>can kill anyone, anywhere on the ship with a touch of a button.<BR>
><BR>
>The only way around this, if Grav Pong is possible<BR>
<BR>
Other possibilities:<BR>
Grav Belts might protect against externally-imposed fields; certainly<BR>
if grav belts can provide propulsion, they could be adjusted to automatically<BR>
counter the force imposed by the ship's plates. Battledress would have the<BR>
grav belt built in.<BR>
<BR>
Alternatively, grav fields might have significant inertia - if the field takes<BR>
a<BR>
minute or two to be established or shut down, people might be able to<BR>
react quickly enough to re-orient themselves. Or they may only be capable<BR>
of working in one direction - so to play full-fledged "pong" you would have to<BR>
buy two complete sets, which is expensive for civilian ships. Some kind of<BR>
continuity requirement could require all the plates on the ship to apply<BR>
force in the same direction, and either all be on or all off, so whatever you<BR>
do to the pirates happens to you...<BR>
<BR>
Bruce<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 21:57:48 -0500<BR>
From: "Delos" <delos@superior.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1701<BR>
<BR>
Hi all...I had to laugh when I got this from a friend, but it gives<BR>
me an idea of a specific 'fresh' food source available on a long<BR>
star voyage. It would have struck me as clich if it was in a fiction<BR>
novel (and I have no idea if this is reliable.)<BR>
<BR>
In any case, it was fun to read.<BR>
<BR>
"THIS IS DISTURBING TO HERE SINCE I PERSONALLY<BR>
LOVE KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN..................<BR>
I received this last week and trashed it but I had to retrieve it today<BR>
after listening to the radio this morning. WW Just some information for<BR>
those who care. KFC has been a part of our American traditions for many<BR>
years. Many people, day in and day out, eat at KFC religiously. Do they<BR>
really<BR>
know what they are eating?<BR>
During a recent study of KFC done at the<BR>
University of New Hampshire, they found some very upsetting<BR>
facts. First of all, has anybody noticed that just recently,<BR>
the company has changed their name? Kentucky Fried Chicken has become<BR>
KFC. Does anybody know why? We thought the real reason was because the<BR>
"FRIED" food issue. It's not. The reason why they call it KFC is<BR>
because they can not use the word chicken anymore. Why? KFC does not use<BR>
real chickens. They actually use genetically manipulated organisms. These so<BR>
called<BR>
"chickens" are kept alive by tubes inserted into their bodies to pump<BR>
blood and nutrients throughout their structure. They have no<BR>
beaks, no feathers, and no feet.  Their bone structure is dramatically<BR>
shrunk to get more meat of them<BR>
This is great for KFC because they do not have to pay so<BR>
much for their production costs. There is no more plucking<BR>
of the feathers or the of the beaks and feet.<BR>
The government has told them to change all of<BR>
their menus so they do not say chicken anywhere. If you look closely<BR>
you will notice this. Listen to their commercials, I guarantee you will not<BR>
see or hear the word chicken. I find this matter to be very disturbing.<BR>
I hope people will start to realize this and let other people<BR>
know. Please forward this message to as many people as you can.<BR>
 Together we make KFC start using real chicken again.<BR>
        Brenda J. Rivera Decision One  Coordinator 617-873-3124"<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
<BR>
Delos<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 04:10:29 +0100 (MET)<BR>
From: Tommy Grav <tommy.grav@astro.uio.no><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 7 Jan 2000, Walter Smith wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Nick Bradbeer wrote:<BR>
>I don't see why a spaceship can't have "serious thrusters" in the bottom<BR>
>or sides of the ship. "Serious" only has to be 1G or less, and a lot of<BR>
>that (according to SOM) you can get by changing the direction of<BR>
>thrust from the drive plates (25% thust at 90 degrees off of main axis of<BR>
>acceleration, IIRC).<BR>
<BR>
The question then is if the acceleration is instantaneous or if it has a<BR>
build up time. If it takes a minute or more for the accelration to build up <BR>
from 0 to 1G then most people will have time to react. <BR>
<BR>
>Once you have these off-angle accelerators available for maneuver<BR>
>and agility, all bets on which direction thrust is coming from are off.<BR>
>1G can kill you if you aren't ready for it, and a lot of things you'd have<BR>
>to do to get ready for it can make you pretty ineffective in close combat.<BR>
<BR>
But your opponent will also suffer the same problem as you in close <BR>
combat. My guess is that if there is close combat somewhere on the ship <BR>
few are going to start messing with the environmental controls of that area.<BR>
<BR>
And are there friendlies not strapped in on the ship you do not disable<BR>
the gravplates and inertial compensators in their area and start accelerating. <BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>Walt Smith<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Tommy Grav<BR>
- -------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
tommy.grav@astro.uio.no     http://www.uio.no/~tommygr/  <BR>
Institute of Astrophysics, UiO, No  <BR>
IMTU tn++t4+tg+ ru+ge++ !3i jt+au+st+ls hi++dr-so++zh-sy-sw++ <BR>
 <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 04:10:29 +0100 (MET)<BR>
From: Tommy Grav <tommy.grav@astro.uio.no><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 7 Jan 2000, Walter Smith wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Nick Bradbeer wrote:<BR>
>I don't see why a spaceship can't have "serious thrusters" in the bottom<BR>
>or sides of the ship. "Serious" only has to be 1G or less, and a lot of<BR>
>that (according to SOM) you can get by changing the direction of<BR>
>thrust from the drive plates (25% thust at 90 degrees off of main axis of<BR>
>acceleration, IIRC).<BR>
<BR>
The question then is if the acceleration is instantaneous or if it has a<BR>
build up time. If it takes a minute or more for the accelration to build up <BR>
from 0 to 1G then most people will have time to react. <BR>
<BR>
>Once you have these off-angle accelerators available for maneuver<BR>
>and agility, all bets on which direction thrust is coming from are off.<BR>
>1G can kill you if you aren't ready for it, and a lot of things you'd have<BR>
>to do to get ready for it can make you pretty ineffective in close combat.<BR>
<BR>
But your opponent will also suffer the same problem as you in close <BR>
combat. My guess is that if there is close combat somewhere on the ship <BR>
few are going to start messing with the environmental controls of that area.<BR>
<BR>
And are there friendlies not strapped in on the ship you do not disable<BR>
the gravplates and inertial compensators in their area and start accelerating. <BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>Walt Smith<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Tommy Grav<BR>
- -------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
tommy.grav@astro.uio.no     http://www.uio.no/~tommygr/  <BR>
Institute of Astrophysics, UiO, No  <BR>
IMTU tn++t4+tg+ ru+ge++ !3i jt+au+st+ls hi++dr-so++zh-sy-sw++ <BR>
 <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 18:11:57 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>The only way around this, if Grav Pong is possible, is for the intruder<BR>
>to be able to lock out the Engineer's controls (or the Bridge repeaters)<BR>
>before the fight starts. It's hard to see how the intruder could get that<BR>
>much control *before* the battle starts - if anything, that kind of control<BR>
>of the ship would be an *objective* of the battle.<BR>
><BR>
I generally discount the threat fo Grav Pong, IMTU, by one simple,<BR>
effective, and non-player arguable fiat: IMTU, AG/GComps require a<BR>
surrounding cage. Ships are built with this cage being the outer hull. All<BR>
the area inside the cage is affected similarly; thus it also slows down the<BR>
turn rates of big ships, and requires that Really big ships have multiple<BR>
sections for AG.<BR>
<BR>
Also, there is the problem that, in most cases, boarding follows knowcking<BR>
out the target's PP. So, you get 0-G, no working doors except manual and<BR>
maintenance hatches, and airlocks won't repressurize.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1702<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1703</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 7 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1703<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 BG on SciFi<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes <BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Collector Edition Reprints Announcement<BR>
Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
Re: Fashions<BR>
Re Archaeology, Paleontology, and Traveller<BR>
Re Vargr and Dogs<BR>
Re: fashions (long)<BR>
Re: Re Archaeology, Paleontology, and Traveller<BR>
Re: Fashions<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
Re: Fashions<BR>
I don't wanna think about it<BR>
Re: Finding People<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 18:11:43 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re BG on SciFi<BR>
<BR>
>Was it all 24 episodes?  I'd heard they weren't going to show quite the<BR>
>entire run of the original show.  I was lucky and was able to watch the 24<BR>
>hour marathon the Sci-Fi channel did in '93, now that's the way to see it!<BR>
>Unfortunatly I've not gotten a chance to see it since then :^(<BR>
><BR>
They didn't include any of the BG84 Cr*p. So they only had 17 hours.<BR>
<BR>
BTW, it's supposed to start back into daily run on SciFi next week.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 19:15:25 -0800<BR>
From: "James W. Lindsay" <jlindsay@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 7 Jan 2000 16:57:20 -0800, David P. Summers wrote:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> >Besides, why should any of the power connectors<BR>
> >or "key spots" be on the same side of the bulkheads as the intruders,<BR>
> >and why should they have "In case of boarding action, shoot this<BR>
> >spot" marked on them?<BR>
> <BR>
> I'm not sure they have any choice.  It may well be that there you have<BR>
> to put some "shootable" spot at the surface of the plate.  If each plate a<BR>
> corner that you feed power into, then you can shoot there.  Or maybe if you<BR>
> put a whole in the middle it disrupts the field collection...<BR>
> <BR>
> It doesn't have to marked, anyone who knows how plates work will know it.<BR>
> <BR>
> >I think the "blast the grav plates" method would require some pretty<BR>
> >thorough trashing of the ship, and/or some pretty extensive schematics<BR>
> >of the target ship.<BR>
> <BR>
> Not really, shoot the corner of each plate (or the center or whatever)<BR>
<BR>
Assuming you can tell where one plate starts and another ends.  Carpeting<BR>
(or whatever) would foil any plans to place precise shots to sever power<BR>
connections to the plates.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
James W. Lindsay             Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada<BR>
http://members.home.net/jlindsay                    ICQ:#7521644<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
Profanity is the one language all programmers know best.<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 21:33:19 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
"Frank G. Pitt" wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> ><BR>
> > >IIRC, G-forces (in, for instance, the above-mentioned CF-18) beyond<BR>
> > >those caused by actual acceleration result from aerodynamic forces.  If<BR>
> > >this is indeed the case, then a 6-G ship would pull more than 6-Gs only<BR>
> > >when performing aerodynamic maneuvers in atmosphere.  Note that<BR>
> > >uncompensated Gs of more than about 3-G could only be maintained for a<BR>
> > >short period of time before the crewbeings suffer adverse effects.<BR>
> > >AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
> ><BR>
> >         Can anyone who knows something about aerodynamics and physics<BR>
> > confirm or deny that?<BR>
> <BR>
> Deny.<BR>
<BR>
I assume that you're denying the "adverse effects" portion of the post.<BR>
> <BR>
> 6G in Traveller means that you can accelerate at 6G in a vacuum.<BR>
> <BR>
> Most crew beings can easily withstand such accelerations for the sort of<BR>
> time that such accelerations are likley to be applied in a combat, assuming<BR>
> normal preparations, such as acceleration couches and G-suits.<BR>
<BR>
Please note that I carefully did _not_ define what "a short period of<BR>
time" is in my assertion that crewbeings would begin to suffer adverse<BR>
effects from extended accelerations of 3+Gs uncompensated.  ;-)<BR>
> <BR>
> Hell, _I_ have held my head up under 5G acceleration. It was like trying to<BR>
> lift your whole bodyweight with your neck, but it's possible. And I had to<BR>
> contol the stick and the rudders at the same time. If all I had to do was<BR>
> lie back and tweak a computer-type joystick, it would be easy to fly under<BR>
> such conditions.<BR>
<BR>
For over _one hour_ of constant 5-G acceleration (using HG combat turns,<BR>
two turns equals one hour)?  I suspect that you would become fatigued<BR>
within the thirty minutes of one HG combat turn, which would degrade<BR>
your effectiveness. <BR>
> <BR>
> Long term acceleration would mean merely that they'd have to not move for<BR>
> that time period. Repeated exposuire to long term accceleration like that<BR>
> might be damaging, but that wouldn't bother the military<BR>
<BR>
Are you sure that the military wouldn't be bothered?  After all, sending<BR>
a crew to probable death is one thing.  Sending a crew to almost certain<BR>
physical and mental crippling is quite another.  There's a Robert<BR>
Heinlein story (unfortunately, I don't have it ready-to-hand, nor do I<BR>
recall the title) that deals with a pilot boosting at 3+Gs from Earth to<BR>
(IIRC) out near Pluto, with vital medical supplies.  The pilot arrives<BR>
in time to halt the epidemic (and is unable to calculate what should be<BR>
an easy parking orbit); however, the time spent at high-G boost has<BR>
rendered him the equivalent of an eighty-year-old man, both physically<BR>
and mentally.<BR>
> <BR>
> With inertial compensators, 6G manuevers become no problem at all.<BR>
<BR>
Assuming that you have compensation of 5 or 6 Gs, I agree.  Below that,<BR>
you have to make tradeoffs between mission requirements and crew<BR>
endurance.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 20:24:26 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
<BR>
>> In defence of RAH, though, he did suffer a stroke during the period<BR>
>> that he was writing The Number Of The Beast, and you can almost tell<BR>
>> where in the book he was when it happened, as the book abruptly changes<BR>
>> direction at that point. It was in TNOTB that he first started writing<BR>
>> with lots of weird sex, a trend which continued in his novels thereafter<BR>
>> (especially those featuring Lazarus Long and family)...<BR>
><BR>
>I think you need to check your facts. The stroke occured while writing<BR>
>"I Will Fear No Evil", which was *years* earlier. It's also arguably<BR>
>the *worst* thing he ever wrote. Some years back Virginia Heinlein<BR>
>confessed to having done the final draft on IWFNE because the deadline<BR>
>was approaching and robert simply wasn't *able* to do it. <BR>
<BR>
I stand corrected. It was while I was reading TNOTB for the first time<BR>
that a friend, a die-hard Heinlein fan, told me about it being the one<BR>
he was writing when he had the stroke -- and that the point in the book<BR>
where he was at when the stroke happened was obvious because of how the<BR>
plot abruptly changes direction.<BR>
<BR>
>IWFNE has some "weird sex". But as I noted before, that thread runs<BR>
>back thru Heinlein's stuff. Consider Glory Road. <BR>
<BR>
One of the only two Heinlein novels that I've somehow never gotten<BR>
around to reading...<BR>
<BR>
>Consider a few of Heinlein's fantasy short stories.<BR>
<BR>
I never even knew he *wrote* fantasy... not being a fan of the genre <BR>
myself...<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, 07 Jan 2000 20:20:54 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes <BR>
<BR>
>>such that I don't dare venture outside by day without sunglasses on.<BR>
>>Anything brighter than a heavy overcast is uncomfortable, and in full<BR>
>>direct sunlight I can't see at all. In a case like that, what would I<BR>
>>do?<BR>
<BR>
>    Are you an asthmatic? It may be your medication.<BR>
<BR>
Nope, it's not medication. I'm not asthmatic, and the only meds I'm on,<BR>
I've been on for only a few weeks -- this bit with sunlight goes back <BR>
many, many years. I'm told it has something to do with my being severely<BR>
nearsighted, combined with the fact that I wear contact lenses...<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, 8 Jan 2000 14:47:56 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
>Also, there is the problem that, in most cases, boarding follows knowcking<BR>
>out the target's PP. So, you get 0-G, no working doors except manual and<BR>
>maintenance hatches, and airlocks won't repressurize.<BR>
><BR>
>William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
<BR>
    As usual, you have to ask yourself, "What does the attacker want?"<BR>
<BR>
    If he's after the cargo which is normally protected against a blow-out,<BR>
the attacker will attempt to destroy the power plant and any stored energy<BR>
to render the target vessel incapable of manoeuvre. The attacker then<BR>
manoeuvres closer and using his densitometer will destroy the bridge,<BR>
engineering and any weapons systems remaining. When he's absolutely sure<BR>
that the vessel is decompressed and the occupants can no longer change the<BR>
environment aboard the target ship he will board. If the occupants have any<BR>
sense at all they let the pirate take what he wants and leave, otherwise the<BR>
pirate will stand of after the cargo transfer and destroy the target.<BR>
    If he's after the vessel he will have hijackers and/or a demolition<BR>
device aboard. Once the ship is incapable of manoeuvre again he closes and<BR>
sends a breaching party to the engineers section and take control of the<BR>
drive room. Once they have that you have to negotiate or hide it out.<BR>
<BR>
    I think these would be the tried-and-true methods. As each relies on the<BR>
engineering section being nonfunctional the grav plates don't really come<BR>
into it.<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 22:46:04 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy \(Colin Michael\)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Collector Edition Reprints Announcement<BR>
<BR>
The Collector Edition Reprints - Note from Marc:<BR>
<BR>
"I'm sending off Classic Reprint 1 to the printer next week. It ships to<BR>
those who ordered at the end of the month.  Contains Books 0 - 8. Plus the<BR>
actual print run statistics. And the original map of the Imperium draft I<BR>
created (from which the printed one was made). And the original art for the<BR>
Sunburst Logo (guess which GDW game it appeared in first?)."<BR>
<BR>
Hey, a trivia question!  Who knows where that logo first appeared?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
All the Traveller news that's fit to print: www.downport.com/news/ ;-)<BR>
<BR>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>
Colin Michael, WebDev<BR>
www.downport.com<BR>
The Traveller Domain<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 20:38:46 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
<BR>
>Bzzzt! Wrong !<BR>
><BR>
>It was in "Stranger in A Strange Land" (and less descriptively "Glory Road")<BR>
>that he started that, and all but one of the Lazarus Long Family books were<BR>
>written _before_<BR>
>TNOTB.<BR>
<BR>
Bzzzt! Wrong!<BR>
<BR>
There are, in fact, *two* Lazarus Long Family books after TNOTB: The Cat<BR>
Who Walks Through Walls, and To Sail Beyond Sunset. TSBS leaves enough<BR>
hanging that had RAH not died when he did, there would likely have been<BR>
at least one more in the series. <BR>
<BR>
(I call these two, TCWWTW and TSBS, part of the LL Family because LL and<BR>
his bunch appear in both, as important characters.)<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, 07 Jan 2000 20:35:32 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
<BR>
>I think you need to check your facts. The stroke occured while writing<BR>
>"I Will Fear No Evil", which was *years* earlier. It's also arguably<BR>
>the *worst* thing he ever wrote. Some years back Virginia Heinlein<BR>
>confessed to having done the final draft on IWFNE because the deadline<BR>
>was approaching and robert simply wasn't *able* to do it. <BR>
<BR>
(Supplemental... this teaches me not to send my messages right away.)<BR>
<BR>
Sorry, Leonard, your information is incorrect. I Will Fear No Evil<BR>
was published in 1970. Robert's stroke (actually, a "transient ischemic <BR>
attack", a stroke precursor) was in 1977. His first novel after the<BR>
near-stroke: The Number Of The Beast. <BR>
<BR>
Source: the Robert A. Heinlein FAQ, <BR>
	http://www.nitrosyncretic.com/rah/rah_faq.htm<BR>
<BR>
But you're right about one thing: I Will Fear No Evil is probably the<BR>
worst Heinlein I've ever read...<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, 07 Jan 2000 20:44:10 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions<BR>
<BR>
>My comfort zone is far warmer than yours, which means that I<BR>
>usually wear a sweater in the office, and sometimes fingerless<BR>
>gloves.  For me, 75F to 80F would mean long-sleeved cotton dress<BR>
>shirt and khakis; 65F to 70F would be the same with a wool or<BR>
>cashmere sweater.  (I'm so happy to have my own thermostat in<BR>
>this office!)  Of course, my work mainly involves sitting and<BR>
>reading, writing, and talking.<BR>
<BR>
I know what you mean. In the summer, everyone else around me will<BR>
be in short sleeves and I'm in a sweatshirt. Now that it's cold,<BR>
and people are in long sleeves, I often have a fleece jacket over<BR>
my regular clothes indoors (unzipped). Never wore fingerless gloves<BR>
indoors, though... <BR>
<BR>
(And in reference to someone else's post -- my toes are often like<BR>
ice too.)<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, 7 Jan 2000 18:36:03 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Archaeology, Paleontology, and Traveller<BR>
<BR>
>Regards proto-wolf canines extant 300,000 years back, check a text on<BR>
>vertebrate paleontology.<BR>
<BR>
One of the problems with the traveller setting is that, for the viability<BR>
of the speciation problem, the date should be about 30,000 YBP (-35,000<BR>
YI), rather than 300,000 YBP.  Otherwise, we're looking at early hominids,<BR>
possibly even some australopithecines, some not-quite-wolves-yet canids,<BR>
and have yet to have the speciation even of the ice ages hit in full. So<BR>
this leaves a few options for handling it IYTU:<BR>
<BR>
1) Assume that Traveller Canon includes the create of H. Sapiens as<BR>
300KYBP, as well as Canis Lupis.<BR>
2) Assume Traveller simply posted the dates wrong, and the anchients were<BR>
merely  one tenth as far back as the books state. (Rationalization of this<BR>
for YTU left to you... but see bleow for ideas)<BR>
3) Assume the various Human Minor Races are separate species from the Human<BR>
Major Races, and thus we get H Villani, H. Solomani, H. Zdantl, H.<BR>
Jonkerer, etc., all derived from (IIRC H. Erectus or H. Habilis).<BR>
4) Assume some genetic tampering to prevent genetic drift, and H' Sapiens<BR>
was re-introduced to Terra about 30KYPB...<BR>
5) Assume Grandfather's empire continued to shift individuals from world to<BR>
world to prevent genetic drift from becoming too far, and thus preventing<BR>
true speciation. Note: This one also explains abductions... GF is just<BR>
making certain we can still interbreed... Now, where did he hide the<BR>
uplifted cows?<BR>
<BR>
Integrating a change like tthis: you can always explain the text dates as<BR>
imperial "Official Data", so standardized that no one dares double check it.<BR>
<BR>
Personally, I like #5... but IMTU, Yaskodray is unaware his early child,<BR>
Yaskodritz, who played box of rocks until the war, went into his own pocket<BR>
dimension, and finally came back out when he finally got a probe BACK...<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 18:52:49 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Vargr and Dogs<BR>
<BR>
>No.  I people already think of Vargr as "dogs" too much and wolves<BR>
>don't show that kind of variation (which was impossed by external<BR>
>breeding on dogs).  Nor do I see Vargr governments as being the<BR>
>kind where one expects to see mass breeding experiments imposed<BR>
>on the population.<BR>
><BR>
one small problem with this assumption: You seem to make the assumption<BR>
that the basic lupine DNA is fairly limited in variation. Truth, it would<BR>
seem, is that, essentially, wolves are merely the default, and that random<BR>
mutations are very common which bring out the variability if actively bred<BR>
for. What's more, wolfish traits are typically dominant traits, not<BR>
recessives, so they mask many recessive traits.<BR>
<BR>
According to several sources, the most memorable of which was "The Ultimate<BR>
Guide: Dogs" from Discovery Channel, when you mongrelize purebreds, you<BR>
tend to wind up with something closer to wolf that either parent. Long term<BR>
hybridizing provides a return to a wolfish dog.<BR>
<BR>
It also takes only a half dozen generations without outside breeding to<BR>
find a stableized mutation in a canine population. (It happened with<BR>
aleutian fox farms in this century... which is why they aren't there<BR>
anymore... the coats quickly became undesireable).<BR>
<BR>
Which brings me to the Vargr: Assuming that Canis Lupus WAS truly Canis<BR>
Lupus when the Anchients nabbed them, why would they not have the basic<BR>
breed-forming capabilities of Wolves?<BR>
<BR>
Similarly, I've heard many a dog breeder comment that Wolf-Hybrids will go<BR>
after anything, but most "Breeds" tend to pusue anything that doesn't look<BR>
like their dam. In many cases, I've heard that certain purebreeds basically<BR>
have to be COERCED into in-breed copulation. Canids/Lupines seem to be<BR>
wired for anti-speciation behaviors. I would assume this to be fairly true<BR>
of Vargr, as well... so the gap in their wiring for the various breeds was<BR>
probably (and IMTU, definitely) a tinkering project.<BR>
<BR>
As for behavioural differences, I expect players of Vargr to play<BR>
characters who would, aside from their loyalty issues, make sense as human<BR>
characters. In short, I don't impose much on Vargr players until and unless<BR>
a dominance issue arises.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 22:52:46 -0500<BR>
From: "Thom Harris" <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
Subject: Re: fashions (long)<BR>
<BR>
Alright!!!!!! Good one Jory...Almost splorted!<BR>
<BR>
Thom<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message ----- <BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2000 9:02 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: fashions (long)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Well, there goes my idea for a new vargr-killing gun, the CGMP-15.<BR>
> (chocolate gun, Man-portable)<BR>
> ___________________________________________________________<BR>
>  J-Man<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 23:08:40 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Archaeology, Paleontology, and Traveller<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 7 Jan 2000, William F. Hostman wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> One of the problems with the traveller setting is that, for the viability<BR>
> of the speciation problem, the date should be about 30,000 YBP (-35,000<BR>
> YI), rather than 300,000 YBP.  Otherwise, we're looking at early hominids,<BR>
> possibly even some australopithecines, some not-quite-wolves-yet canids,<BR>
<BR>
At least for the hominid side of things, no.  Homo sapiens (in what it<BR>
pleases us to call the real world) goes back to around 400kya; modern H.<BR>
sapiens to 30something kya. (Which would make a great TV series, dontcha<BR>
think?)<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 22:14:15 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions<BR>
<BR>
Glenn St-Germain wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> <BR>
> I know what you mean. In the summer, everyone else around me will<BR>
> be in short sleeves and I'm in a sweatshirt. Now that it's cold,<BR>
> and people are in long sleeves, I often have a fleece jacket over<BR>
> my regular clothes indoors (unzipped). Never wore fingerless gloves<BR>
> indoors, though...<BR>
<BR>
Meanwhile, eleven years ago this month, at Ft. Benning, GA, I was<BR>
learning that jump wings make you weather resistant*.  Sergeant's<BR>
stripes also help make you weather resistant, when you encounter one of<BR>
your soldiers without appropriate gear.  Shortly after my promotion to<BR>
sergeant, while my unit was performing Preventive Maintenance Services<BR>
and Checks in the motor pool, it began to drizzle.  I (having checked<BR>
the weather ahead of time) had my poncho with me.  One of the junior<BR>
enlisted in my platoon (not even in my section!) had forgotten his<BR>
poncho.  I chewed him out (briefly), then let him use my poncho.  After<BR>
all, one of the things they taught us at PLDC (Primary Leadership<BR>
Development School, aka "Primary _Landscape_ Development School") was<BR>
that the welfare of the soldiers under one came ahead of one's own<BR>
welfare.<BR>
<BR>
*BTW, jump wings also make you _bullet_ resistant.... ;-) <BR>
<BR>
<<snip>><BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 23:11:04 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 7 Jan 2000, Michel Vaillancourt wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> >Well... it's kind of amazing to find out that your natural bodily functions<BR>
> >are viewed by the other gender as a pathological condition that you should<BR>
> >be taking a pill for.  <BR>
> <BR>
>         Actually, at the risk of causing another Dresden on the TML, I do<BR>
> get that response from women by times.  Y'see, as a member of the local<BR>
> Society for Creative Anacrhronism, I once in a while strap on 60lbs of<BR>
> platemail, a 10lb helm, a 5lb shield and heft a ~3lb club made to look like<BR>
> a sword and spend two or three hours getting hit by other chaps dressed like<BR>
> me.  Most women not in the SCA, when they hear that statement get a<BR>
> condecending look on thier faces and mutter something about "testosterone"<BR>
> under thier breath.<BR>
>         Even when studies in the '80s proved that testosterone doesn't do<BR>
> what pop-culture says it does.  <BR>
<BR>
I'm not sure what you're saying here -- that dressing in 75+lbs of gear<BR>
and bashing things is a "natural bodily function" for males?  Or that it's<BR>
not?  And in the later case, I don't see how it relates to what Kiri was<BR>
talking about.  It seems to me you're conflating different sorts of<BR>
attitude for the sake of rhetorical effect.<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 22:15:29 -0600<BR>
From: Andy Holzrichter <jhereg@southwind.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
	As long as the ships drives are still functional it should not really<BR>
matter HOW the compensators work.  Turn them off and leave them off.  Strap<BR>
everyone important in.  (OK this really should be step 1, but PCs don't<BR>
normally think that far ahead. <g>)  Have the pilot fly as wildly as<BR>
possible, ie dive, roll, spin, accelerate, decellerate, and perform complex<BR>
variations of the above.  I've been in the back of a pickup before.  I<BR>
don't want to think what +3 -.3 Gs is going to be like in an open room or<BR>
corridor.  As I said, the drives have to be working, so this is largely an<BR>
anti hijacking manuever, but it should be wildly effective.<BR>
<BR>
							Andy<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 00:28:54 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
At 11:11 PM 1/7/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>I'm not sure what you're saying here -- that dressing in 75+lbs of gear<BR>
>and bashing things is a "natural bodily function" for males?  Or that it's<BR>
>not?  And in the later case, I don't see how it relates to what Kiri was<BR>
>talking about.  It seems to me you're conflating different sorts of<BR>
>attitude for the sake of rhetorical effect.<BR>
><BR>
>Kenji<BR>
><BR>
        Sorry, obviously wasn't clear.  I was remarking that a common<BR>
reaction I recieve from women in this area towards my interest in a<BR>
physical, heavy hand-to-hand combat sport was that I am possesed of an over<BR>
abundance of testosterone.  And, the feeling I got from some of these<BR>
enlightened ladies was that the existance of this natural chemical in my<BR>
person was something I ought to be taking a drug to deal with.  <BR>
        I would guess the feelings I had at the time towards this mentality<BR>
were similar to what Kiri was commenting on from her side of the POV.  In<BR>
both cases, its an issue about ignorance & education.  I was just trying to<BR>
say I had an idea how she felt on the topic.<BR>
        By nature, I am not prone to rhetoric.  I apologise to both you and<BR>
Kiri if it came off that way.  Not my intent at all.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
        (savouring the taste of tobasco and fresh foot)<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>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 23:46:58 EST<BR>
From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 00-01-07 13:40:16 EST, you write:<BR>
<BR>
<< Peter Newman <pnewman@gci.net><BR>
 Subject: Re: fashions<BR>
 <BR>
  I also note that the excuse of warm starships provide an <BR>
 excellent excuse for more Traveller art featuring scantily <BR>
 clad babes & hunks which should help Traveller sales & provide <BR>
 eye candy for Traveller fans. >><BR>
<BR>
Not gonna happen -- SJ Game's contract is very clear on this point.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
and, in another matter:<BR>
<BR>
<< Mark Preston" <mark@mpreston.demon.co.uk><BR>
         Subject: RE: Old...<BR>
 <BR>
         I'm already 46. <BR>
<BR>
         >> I'm 41 and proud to be an old perv!<BR>
        >><BR>
        >> --Glenn<BR>
 <BR>
         Got ya beat! 45 next month... >><BR>
<BR>
Ha. Youngsters . . . I could be your father<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
's younger business partner.<BR>
<BR>
Loren Wiseman<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 23:47:11 EST<BR>
From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
Subject: I don't wanna think about it<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 00-01-07 18:43:02 EST, you write:<BR>
<BR>
<< Well, except the part about<BR>
 anally-inserted fusion incinerators.) >><BR>
<BR>
There are certain words that should never appear in the same sentence. <BR>
"anally-inserted" and  "fusion incinerators" are one set. 'Sexually <BR>
transmitted" and "flesh-eating bacteria" are another. <BR>
<BR>
LKW<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 23:47:10 EST<BR>
From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Finding People<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 00-01-07 15:09:17 EST, Doug Berry writes:<BR>
<BR>
<<  And of course Jordan Weisman of FASA.  :) >><BR>
<BR>
Ah, yes -- my evil twin. No, wait . . . maybe I'm _his_ evil twin . . . I <BR>
forget.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, I always check phone books when I travel, looking for another <BR>
L-o-r-en W-i-s-e-m-a-n -- also do Anywho/etc. searches from time to time -- <BR>
and I have come to the conclusion I am the only Loren K Wiseman, at least in <BR>
the US. It would explain the annoying phone calls I used to get at 2 AM:<BR>
<BR>
<numerous rings><BR>
<BR>
"Hello"<BR>
<BR>
"Uh ... is...uh....this...us the Loren Wiseman who edits the Journal?"<BR>
<BR>
"Yes"<BR>
<BR>
"uh...Can I . . . uh . . . ask you a question?"<BR>
<BR>
"Make it quick, I don't like getting business calls at home . . ."<BR>
<BR>
"Uh . . . well, I uh . . . wondered what color jumpspace is?"<BR>
<BR>
****************************************<BR>
<BR>
My point is that I am as vulnerable as any, and more vulnerable than most to <BR>
the dangers of some loon deciding to hunt me up and pay me a visit. I have <BR>
been lucky, I guess, in that I have never had a genuinely frightening fan <BR>
show up on my doorstep -- I know many industry professionals, however, who <BR>
have had very bad experiences (Steve, for example, has some stories that'll <BR>
curl your hair -- he once served on a panel at a Worldcon titled "When Fans <BR>
Go Bad"), and I know a number of SF pros who have become recluses after being <BR>
stalked. <BR>
<BR>
Totally non Traveller anecdote: A great many people think Loren Wiseman is a <BR>
woman, and even today it is not uncommon for me to receive letters beginning <BR>
'Dear Ms. Wiseman." At a Gen-Con many years ago, the GDW booth was aproached <BR>
by a very irate fan who demanded to see " . . . that stupid c*nt Loren <BR>
Wiseman, who messed up my Journal subscription!" Frank pointed over to me <BR>
(male, 6"3", 350 lbs in those days, dense beard). I asked what was the <BR>
problem. He stared at my name tag, worked his mouth a couple of times <BR>
(soundlessly), turned three shades of purple, and ran. I never did find out <BR>
what was wrong. <BR>
<BR>
Loren Wiseman<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1703<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 8 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1704<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>
Boarding Actions (Long) (was re: Grav Pong)<BR>
OT : Web Hosting<BR>
Re: fashions (long)<BR>
Re Wing Loading<BR>
Re AG & IC<BR>
RE: Grav Pong<BR>
RE: Traveller-digest V1999 #1701<BR>
Re: Fashions<BR>
Re: Boarding Actions (Long) pretty heated<BR>
RE: A very sad thing<BR>
[none]<BR>
[none]<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
Re: SJG bashing<BR>
Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
RE: Confusing Quoting<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 23:41:45 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: Boarding Actions (Long) (was re: Grav Pong)<BR>
<BR>
Jim & Peta Lawrie wrote:<BR>
>    I think these would be the tried-and-true methods. As each relies on the<BR>
>engineering section being nonfunctional the grav plates don't really come<BR>
>into it.<BR>
<BR>
Aye, *very* nonfunctional. Pounded to scrap, seems like, with every<BR>
place a PC might be blown to scrap as well.<BR>
<BR>
There's a decision I made here that is based on the desired in-game effect,<BR>
not an optimal strategy based on starship damage tables.<BR>
<BR>
It all revolves around what possible outcomes I want available if the starship <BR>
the PC's are on gets attacked and boarded.<BR>
<BR>
Under your suggestion, the moment the PC's ship gets boarded they<BR>
are dead or captured, and the starship you've been basing your campaign<BR>
around is captured or destroyed. The boarding action becomes a<BR>
no-win situation for the players - by the time they have the option to<BR>
surrender, their ship is a blasted hulk, and if they don't surrender at<BR>
this point they are killed.<BR>
<BR>
Now, I agree that there should be the occaisional no-win scenario like<BR>
this, but I think they should be rare and part of a campaign-changing<BR>
plan.<BR>
<BR>
Let's try this again from another point of view:<BR>
<BR>
Situation One: a corsair overtakes the PC's Free Trader.<BR>
The PC's are outmaneuvered and outgunned. The corsairs fire with<BR>
some restraint, as they require a happy medium between disabling<BR>
the vessel and blowing up expensive things they want to steal.<BR>
Most hits on a Traveller starship will have temporary (though expensive)<BR>
effects, all the corsairs need is a temporary disablement of the Trader's<BR>
power plant.<BR>
<BR>
At most starship engagement ranges, it's very difficult to only damage<BR>
what you want to. That cargo bay, computer or bridge becomes very<BR>
vulnerable to damage that makes the corsair's attack a waste of time<BR>
and opportunity.<BR>
<BR>
The corsair is also under a time pressure, at least in most star systems.<BR>
How long can he afford to pound on your ship, before he has to break<BR>
off and dodge a patrol cruiser? And what good does a carried-out threat<BR>
of killing the entire ship (which can take a considerable amount of time)<BR>
do the pirate? <BR>
<BR>
Even if he only gets a twenty-minute window from a downed power<BR>
plant, he must dock and send over a boarding party. The time pressure<BR>
may be intense. <BR>
<BR>
Now, take a look at the classic 400dtn _Nishemani_ class corsair.<BR>
How many men do they have on board? About ten, altogether. Some<BR>
have to fly the corsair. If the seven or eight boarders are killed by<BR>
the three to five Free Trader crew and any interested pasengers, the<BR>
corsair may not have enough people on board to man the turrets,<BR>
or even effectively get away. If an engineer gets the power back on<BR>
during the boarding action and the Trader crew wins, the Free Trader<BR>
may be back in the fight on much more equal terms...even before that<BR>
Patrol Cruiser shows up.<BR>
<BR>
Under your point of view, by the time the corsairs are beating down the<BR>
airlock door, the fate of the crew (or at least their ship) is pretty much<BR>
decided. The crew has already lost their ship, their only choice is <BR>
whether they encourage the corsairs to kill them or not.<BR>
<BR>
By this more game-outcome oriented point of view, the outcome of the <BR>
boarding action can be critical. If Main Engineering can be functional without <BR>
preventing boarding actions, then destruction/complete disablement of the <BR>
Trader by the Corsair becomes unneccessary and perhaps non-optimal.<BR>
The Trader can survive a boarding action and perhaps even profit from it.<BR>
<BR>
Situation Two: A band of hijackers attempt to sabotage the PC's ship,<BR>
to disable it so it can be caught and boarded by a corsair lurking<BR>
nearby.<BR>
<BR>
Again, by focusing success requirements on disabling main engineering,<BR>
the action becomes less satisfying. Either the bomb worked, and the<BR>
PC's go through the no-win situation from situation one, or the bomb<BR>
failed, and the chief engineer plays grav-pong with the would-be hijackers.<BR>
Again, no boarding action will occur with a relevant outcome, except<BR>
perhaps the ambush of the watch engineer by the hijackers.<BR>
<BR>
If Main Engineering is vital, but not the *only* vital target, then there is<BR>
more that can happen. Furthermore, the effects of the first situation will<BR>
apply as well.<BR>
<BR>
Don't just look at how well the technology handwaves fit together - look at<BR>
what game effects they will have as well.<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 00:09:42 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: OT : Web Hosting<BR>
<BR>
Hey guys, I need some help here.  I'm trying to setup my own domain but I am<BR>
having problems determining if a domain name is taken.  I decided to go with<BR>
www.hostway.com for my webhosting, and I used their domain lookup to check<BR>
on "www,j-man.com" and I was informed this was available, so I signed up<BR>
with this.  A week later Hostway's company support emails back (after I<BR>
asked why it still doesn't work) that someone ELSE owns this domain and if<BR>
this is me (it wasn't), for a fee they could switch it over to a new domain.<BR>
<BR>
Also, I need to know who offers an affordable, HONEST domain hosting<BR>
service.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks for your time!<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>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 00:15:25 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: fashions (long)<BR>
<BR>
Hey, you know, I think you're on to something here!<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: "Thing" <gduke@telebyte.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2000 10:20 AM<BR>
Subject: RE: fashions (long)<BR>
> It may not be good for killing Vargr, but from what I have seen it might<BR>
> have its uses in a pacification campaign against those pesky female<BR>
> Aslan in comfortable shoes.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 20:16:36 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Wing Loading<BR>
<BR>
>You can't use an aircraft's manoevrability to infer a spacecraft's - they're<BR>
>under totally different loadings.<BR>
><BR>
You also can't directly infer a 747's wing loading from a cessna 185's<BR>
either... they operate in different regimes... scale factors in, especially<BR>
in bracing strengths.<BR>
<BR>
HOWEVER, the mass-load of an airframe design should be similar to that of a<BR>
Large aircraft IN ATMOSPHERE.<BR>
<BR>
And, to address the issue of how much loading occurs due to combat rotations:<BR>
1) Find length of ship<BR>
2) find rotational time for a full 360.<BR>
3) apply these to solve for G's with the formula for centrifugal force.<BR>
Most of them I have seen want RPM's; to get RPM's from Rot time RPM=60/Tr.<BR>
<BR>
I don't have the centrifugal force calcs handy, but note that any sustained<BR>
rotaions with radii less than 50m will have the potential for<BR>
disorientation; under about 10m, it can get extremely disquieting.<BR>
<BR>
Oh, and as for "Lag" on the I-Comps: a thought for the wise, at a 1/100th<BR>
second lag, 6g's gets you just shy of 6cm/s vector accumulated in that lag.<BR>
6cm of vector is 0.2 KPH. A considerable nudge. Maybe a bruise. Definitely<BR>
enough to make you screw up controls. BTW, your hand will have moved,<BR>
assuming no musculature, about 1/3 a millimeter DURING the lag. You want<BR>
your comps set to the same lag as your thrusters. That way, you can<BR>
actively compensate both the rotation and  thrust.<BR>
<BR>
And another complication, for DGP using groups who use T-plates: According<BR>
to DGP, you can overthrust by up to 4x rating along the drive  axis, and<BR>
you can also apply non-axial thrust at reductions down to (IIRC) 25% on<BR>
directly oppsosite  intended thrust vector thrusts... combining the two,<BR>
you can get up to 24g on the most powerful of ships, and you can put up to<BR>
your rated thrust as full reverse! It also makes all MT T-plate ships<BR>
totally VTOL...<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 19:49:40 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re AG & IC<BR>
<BR>
>Under TNE they come in at TL-10, and TL-9 spacecraft (of which there are a<BR>
>few in my campaign setting) have to spin, use hamster-wheels and floor<BR>
>lattices, or some other substitute.<BR>
><BR>
>I can't find any reference under CT, and my MT and GT books are a long way<BR>
>away.<BR>
MT RM pg 81, top:<BR>
TL 10 for both "Artificial Grav Plates" and "Inertial Compensators",<BR>
separate systems.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 18:29:11 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
> > > >IIRC, G-forces (in, for instance, the<BR>
> > > > above-mentioned CF-18) beyond those<BR>
> > > > caused by actual acceleration result<BR>
> > > > from aerodynamic forces.  If this is<BR>
> > > > indeed the case, then a 6-G ship<BR>
> > > > would pull more than 6-Gs only when<BR>
> > > > performing aerodynamic maneuvers in atmosphere.<BR>
> > > > Note that uncompensated Gs of more<BR>
> > > > than about 3-G could only be maintained<BR>
> > > > for a >short period of time before the<BR>
> > > > crewbeings suffer adverse effects.<BR>
> > > > AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
> > ><BR>
> > > Can anyone who knows something about<BR>
> > > aerodynamics and physics<BR>
> > > confirm or deny that?<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Deny.<BR>
><BR>
> I assume that you're denying the "adverse effects" portion of the post.<BR>
<BR>
Both portions actually, as the post implies that 6G in traveller is not 6G<BR>
acceleration, but merely a 6G rating, which is wrong.<BR>
<BR>
> > 6G in Traveller means that you can accelerate at 6G in a vacuum.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Most crew beings can easily withstand such accelerations for<BR>
> > the sort of time that such accelerations are likley to be<BR>
> > applied in a  combat, assuming normal preparations, such<BR>
> > as acceleration couches and G-suits.<BR>
><BR>
> Please note that I carefully did _not_ define what "a short period of<BR>
> time" is in my assertion that crewbeings would begin to suffer adverse<BR>
> effects from extended accelerations of 3+Gs uncompensated.  ;-)<BR>
<BR>
OK.<BR>
<BR>
> > Hell, _I_ have held my head up under 5G acceleration.<BR>
> > It was like trying to lift your whole bodyweight with<BR>
> > your neck, but it's possible. And I had to contol the<BR>
> > stick and the rudders at the same time. If all I had<BR>
> > to do was lie back and tweak a computer-type joystick,<BR>
> > it would be easy to fly under such conditions.<BR>
><BR>
> For over _one hour_ of constant 5-G acceleration (using HG combat turns,<BR>
> two turns equals one hour)?  I suspect that you would become fatigued<BR>
> within the thirty minutes of one HG combat turn, which would degrade<BR>
> your effectiveness.<BR>
<BR>
I don't think a constant acceleration would be such a problem, it would be<BR>
constantly changing acceleration that would be tiring. I'm  tired after<BR>
fifteen minutes of aeros, going from -4 to +5 (sometimes further , but we're<BR>
not supposed to go outside those limits, and groundies get annoyed if they<BR>
have to do a fatigue check on the aircraft.) and most of the tiredness is<BR>
because of having to compensate for the changes and actually trying to move<BR>
my head, arms & feet at the higher G's<BR>
<BR>
But I'm not tired walking around in 1G for an hour.<BR>
<BR>
I suspect people could handle lying down, using finger or hand controls at<BR>
higher G without becoming unduly tired. I'm not sure how much, I'd say<BR>
definitely 3G, possibly 5G. maybe more. The hardest part would be lying<BR>
still that long, though that could be relieved via massage-capable couches<BR>
and such.<BR>
<BR>
"Uh, captain, they got the massage control circuitry !"<BR>
<BR>
"I - ow - know, Lt. - oof - Smith"<BR>
<BR>
> > Long term acceleration would mean merely that they'd<BR>
> > have to not move for that time period. Repeated<BR>
> > exposuire to long term accceleration like that<BR>
> > might be damaging, but that wouldn't bother the military<BR>
<BR>
> Are you sure that the military wouldn't be bothered?<BR>
<BR>
Not if it was neccessary.<BR>
But I'd agree they wouldn't do it just for normal patrol or shuttle work.<BR>
<BR>
>  After all, sending<BR>
> a crew to probable death is one thing.  Sending a crew to almost certain<BR>
> physical and mental crippling is quite another.  There's a Robert<BR>
> Heinlein story (unfortunately, I don't have it ready-to-hand, nor do I<BR>
> recall the title) that deals with a pilot boosting at 3+Gs from Earth to<BR>
> (IIRC) out near Pluto, with vital medical supplies.  The pilot arrives<BR>
> in time to halt the epidemic (and is unable to calculate what should be<BR>
> an easy parking orbit); however, the time spent at high-G boost has<BR>
> rendered him the equivalent of an eighty-year-old man, both physically<BR>
> and mentally.<BR>
<BR>
I suspect that story is a bit of overkill, based on the effects of G-testing<BR>
on people at NASA (y'know those videos of people with their faces going all<BR>
flubbery & stretched-out like )<BR>
<BR>
Thing is, those are based on putting people in centrifuges, which have a<BR>
somewhat different affect than just accelerating you, you're also being spun<BR>
around at high speed and being subject to a constantly _changing_<BR>
acceleration, rather than a constant one.<BR>
<BR>
BTW, just to make it clear, while a centrifuge may apply a constant 6G of<BR>
scalar value to the person, acceleration is a change in velocity, and<BR>
velocity is a vector, and the vector is constantly changing in a centrifuge.<BR>
<BR>
Again, I'd say the biggest problems would be the inability to move much, and<BR>
the attendant problems.<BR>
<BR>
While there may be additional pressure on cardiac and respiratory systems, I<BR>
suspect no more than, for instance, living at higher altitude,  which could<BR>
be relieved with appropriately designed systems, such as increasing oxygen<BR>
content, pressure suits, massage units, etc.<BR>
<BR>
But that's just my current thoughts, we don't have medical knowledge on the<BR>
effects of contant accelerations greater than 1G.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 18:41:33 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Traveller-digest V1999 #1701<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Delos<BR>
><BR>
> Hi all...I had to laugh when I got this from a friend, but it gives<BR>
> me an idea of a specific 'fresh' food source available on a long<BR>
> star voyage. It would have struck me as clich if it was in a fiction<BR>
> novel (and I have no idea if this is reliable.)<BR>
<BR>
It's not, at least not in New Zealand. I know one of the farmers that<BR>
provides chickens to KFC, and while they are battery environment, in other<BR>
words, not free range chooks, they are definitely still chickens.<BR>
<BR>
The reason he gave me for the change to KFC is that the words "Kentucky" and<BR>
"Fried" are not considered good words by advertising people in most<BR>
countries, where as "KFC" means just the product and can be marketed more<BR>
easily.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 22:39:29 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions<BR>
<BR>
>>  I also note that the excuse of warm starships provide an <BR>
>> excellent excuse for more Traveller art featuring scantily <BR>
>> clad babes & hunks which should help Traveller sales & provide <BR>
>> eye candy for Traveller fans.<BR>
><BR>
>Not gonna happen -- SJ Game's contract is very clear on this point.<BR>
><BR>
>Loren Wiseman<BR>
<BR>
I take it, then, that I shouldn't hold my breath for the release of<BR>
GURPS Nudeworld...<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, 8 Jan 2000 16:42:22 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding Actions (Long) pretty heated<BR>
<BR>
>There's a decision I made here that is based on the desired in-game effect,<BR>
>not an optimal strategy based on starship damage tables.<BR>
<BR>
    You know, I really resent that. I don't make assumptions about you,<BR>
don't make them about me. When I play an NPC (I'm nearly always the GM) I<BR>
try and give them realistic goals, I don't  have Faceless goons (tm).<BR>
Frontal wave assaults like credibility, its a "space orc" tactic.<BR>
<BR>
<Snip<<BR>
>Situation One: a corsair overtakes the PC's Free Trader.<BR>
>The PC's are outmaneuvered and outgunned. The corsairs fire with<BR>
>some restraint, as they require a happy medium between disabling<BR>
>the vessel and blowing up expensive things they want to steal.<BR>
>Most hits on a Traveller starship will have temporary (though expensive)<BR>
>effects, all the corsairs need is a temporary disablement of the Trader's<BR>
>power plant.<BR>
><BR>
>At most starship engagement ranges, it's very difficult to only damage<BR>
>what you want to. That cargo bay, computer or bridge becomes very<BR>
>vulnerable to damage that makes the corsair's attack a waste of time<BR>
>and opportunity.<BR>
><BR>
>The corsair is also under a time pressure, at least in most star systems.<BR>
>How long can he afford to pound on your ship, before he has to break<BR>
>off and dodge a patrol cruiser? And what good does a carried-out threat<BR>
>of killing the entire ship (which can take a considerable amount of time)<BR>
>do the pirate?<BR>
<BR>
    Why? Space is Very Big. Pirates do not attack were you can call for<BR>
help, it negates the point of attacking. My PCs would roll their eyeballs if<BR>
there was a patrol cruiser a few light seconds away. Any one with decent<BR>
sensors is capable of spotting a patrol cruiser, they are a Visible<BR>
Deterent. SBDs in gas giants and asteroid belts are a pirates worry and they<BR>
are avoided by loitering near the jump points where you have ample time to<BR>
jump out after your attack.<BR>
<BR>
>Now, take a look at the classic 400dtn _Nishemani_ class corsair.<BR>
>How many men do they have on board? About ten, altogether. Some<BR>
>have to fly the corsair. If the seven or eight boarders are killed by<BR>
>the three to five Free Trader crew and any interested pasengers, the<BR>
>corsair may not have enough people on board to man the turrets,<BR>
>or even effectively get away. If an engineer gets the power back on<BR>
>during the boarding action and the Trader crew wins, the Free Trader<BR>
>may be back in the fight on much more equal terms...even before that<BR>
>Patrol Cruiser shows up.<BR>
<BR>
    All the more reason to get rid of any resistance, if there is such a<BR>
small crew (laughable, a redesign is needed) won't they try and protect<BR>
their hide?<BR>
<BR>
>Under your point of view, by the time the corsairs are beating down the<BR>
>airlock door, the fate of the crew (or at least their ship) is pretty much<BR>
>decided. The crew has already lost their ship, their only choice is<BR>
>whether they encourage the corsairs to kill them or not.<BR>
><BR>
>By this more game-outcome oriented point of view, the outcome of the<BR>
>boarding action can be critical. If Main Engineering can be functional<BR>
without<BR>
>preventing boarding actions, then destruction/complete disablement of the<BR>
>Trader by the Corsair becomes unneccessary and perhaps non-optimal.<BR>
>The Trader can survive a boarding action and perhaps even profit from it.<BR>
<BR>
    My guys would laugh at me! They'd say I was trying to go soft on them,<BR>
aren't pirates dangerous at all?<BR>
<BR>
>Situation Two: A band of hijackers attempt to sabotage the PC's ship,<BR>
>to disable it so it can be caught and boarded by a corsair lurking<BR>
>nearby.<BR>
><BR>
>Again, by focusing success requirements on disabling main engineering,<BR>
>the action becomes less satisfying. Either the bomb worked, and the<BR>
>PC's go through the no-win situation from situation one, or the bomb<BR>
>failed, and the chief engineer plays grav-pong with the would-be hijackers.<BR>
>Again, no boarding action will occur with a relevant outcome, except<BR>
>perhaps the ambush of the watch engineer by the hijackers.<BR>
<BR>
    This is where you totally missed my point, by tried-and-true I'm saying<BR>
this is a standard tactic. PCs tend to be made of sterner stuff than the<BR>
average citizen, a bomb on board would be found awfully fast with my old<BR>
group. They'd have Big Reservations about any passengers or possible<BR>
stowaways after that. If a Pirate approaches they invariably send a laser<BR>
message telling you to stop, its common sense to do so. They outgun you 2-1,<BR>
go hero on them and they fight for their lives. Kill one and you've killed a<BR>
friend, a comrade. They don't laugh it off. Its best for a little merchant<BR>
to just go to 'all stop' and let them take what they want.<BR>
<BR>
>If Main Engineering is vital, but not the *only* vital target, then there<BR>
is<BR>
>more that can happen. Furthermore, the effects of the first situation will<BR>
>apply as well.<BR>
>Don't just look at how well the technology handwaves fit together - look at<BR>
>what game effects they will have as well.<BR>
>Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
    I bet you don't talk like that to peoples faces.<BR>
    In my campaign there is rare fighting, my players would be offended if<BR>
their opponents did not act as if they were fighting for their lives and try<BR>
intelligent tactics first. On their freighter a passenger found smuggling a<BR>
weapon on board has no argument, the are shovelled into a low berth and<BR>
handed over to the Navy as a hijacker. Our views on pirates aren't feelgood<BR>
notions of 17th century rogues but Indonesian Pirates of today.<BR>
    We hardly ever use starship combat and I don't run a MinMax game thank<BR>
you very much.<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 18:57:55 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: A very sad thing<BR>
<BR>
> Author Patrick O'Brian died this week. For those (probably much<BR>
> of the list), who aren't familiar with him, O'Brian was arguably the best<BR>
writer of<BR>
> historical fiction in this century.<BR>
<snip><BR>
> I would especially recommend the books to fans of Weber or Feintuch -<BR>
> O'Brian is so much better a writer than any of these<BR>
> Hornblower-come-latelies<BR>
> inside or outside the SF genre that it's stunning.<BR>
<BR>
Definitely the best writer of naval historical fiction, much better than<BR>
Kent and Pope for example, and even Forester<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 20:39:01 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: [none]<BR>
<BR>
Ethan:<BR>
>>ObTrav: Most Solomani would probably be more disposed to "allopathic"<BR>
>>medicine while the Vilani would lean more towards more naturopathic<BR>
>>treatments for illness, via things like diet modification and plant<BR>
>>extracts and such.<BR>
Jim:<BR>
>    That has always seemed odd to me, the Vilani may have a l-o-o-o-ng<BR>
>tradition of special food preparation but must of the biota on their planet<BR>
>would be incompatible wouldn't it? I'd assume that they'd be less likely to<BR>
>have natural remedies, that and the fact that there was few natural diseases<BR>
>on thier planet.<BR>
<BR>
Two problems: One, since we know from canon that the Vilani did not have<BR>
good disease theory for H. vilani, we know they won't have nearly the same<BR>
kinds of anti-biotics.<BR>
Two: They ahve no way to test any such cures except by testing on H.vilani<BR>
subjects, as nothing else on vland comes close.<BR>
<BR>
This lads to a number of lesser problems:<BR>
1) Bacteria is bacteria; if the local bacteria requires any amino acids<BR>
that don't kill the host H. vilani AND are common in said H. vilani's food,<BR>
they will be able to adapt to living on/in H. Vilani.<BR>
2) Bacteria will best be treated with some form of anti-biotic derived from<BR>
something adapted to kill local bacteria.<BR>
3) Vilani are used to the idea that all things good for you are extracted<BR>
from local sources, and processed heavily, since we know from canon that<BR>
the Shugilli prepared the foods, and used that leverage (which enabled H.<BR>
Vilani to survive on Vland) to become the nobility of Vland.<BR>
4) it is implied by canon that most vland-native species are not just<BR>
inedible, but toxic to H. vilani.<BR>
5) Canon states that vilani surgury had the blessing and the curse of not<BR>
needing sterile conditions, as most local bugs won't take.<BR>
6) Since all the human excrement DOESN'T result in lots of derivatives, one<BR>
must assume that something kills off the intesinal bacterial load of H.<BR>
Vilani when it's  no longer protected by being inside h. vilani.<BR>
H. Solomani has a long history of naturopathic medicine.<BR>
H. Vilani doesn't even have naturopathic FOOD.<BR>
<BR>
Why do I suspect most vilani meals will be exquisitely flavored mush,<BR>
pudding, or extracted starches (like poi, or certain others).<BR>
<BR>
I expect vilani medicine to be all kinds of elixers that are, essentially,<BR>
incompletely processed foodstuffs, possibly starting to spoil. Leave just<BR>
enough toxic stuff to cause the desired reaction, but not enough to kill.<BR>
And, BTW, IMTU, Vilani medicine is two separate fields: Trauma Aid<BR>
(including Surgury), and Phamacological Medicine. And Pharmacists are all<BR>
Nobles. Any two bit hack with a knife could open you up on vland, and not<BR>
be worried about anything except peritonitis and bleeding.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 20:49:42 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: [none]<BR>
<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> Think of how inconsequential it would be in any startown near a mains<BR>
>route<BR>
>> port! SOO many different fads, fasions, cultureal and subcultural identity<BR>
>> markers...<BR>
><BR>
>Makes reading up on your destination world almost an essential requirement?<BR>
<BR>
Only if it's OFF the mains. Along the mains, the startowns surrounding the<BR>
port will be, by necessity alone, more than tolerant, even if the local<BR>
govnerment isn't! So, along the main routes, all you have to do is avoid<BR>
LEGAL snafu's... and not go too far from the port, where all you'll get is<BR>
stares or cold shoulders from locals. I have a personal theory that MOST<BR>
startown violece will be travellers, not locals.<BR>
<BR>
>> > There is also the "pleasure droid,"<BR>
[snip]<BR>
>> I always assumed she was AC/DC, fully<BR>
>> functional... with a retractable phallus<BR>
[snip]<BR>
>And errrr, ummm... pneumatic knockers?  You know, to make her les shapely?<BR>
<BR>
No. Hydraulic. Pneumatic wouldn't feel right. Even then, they'd proly only<BR>
range A-D cup; (I'm able to fill an A cup, and I'm not particularly<BR>
overwieght, male, and 30) most women won't mind a male with an A cup.<BR>
<BR>
Most SCA Fighters that I've met, BTW, tend to be the types wou could fill<BR>
an A, maybe a B cup, if they ever tried. Sirs Jade and Kylson come<BR>
immediately to mind. (Sir Kylson is DEFINITELY a B-Cup, even if most of his<BR>
is from musculature underneath...)<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 22:04:24 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: "John R. Snead" <jsnead@netcom.com><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
"Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Well... it's kind of amazing to find out that your natural bodily functions<BR>
> are viewed by the other gender as a pathological condition that you should<BR>
> be taking a pill for.  <BR>
<BR>
Actually, almost every woman I know has stated more than once that she<BR>
would love a pill or something to turn her hormonal cycles completely off,<BR>
and views them as something they would rather go away.  While admittedly I<BR>
hang with bohemians and bizarre eccentrics, this reaction does seem rather<BR>
common. <BR>
<BR>
Bringing things back to a more SF slant, Vonda M. McIntyre postulates a<BR>
world with biofeedback methods of controlling everything from menstruation<BR>
to fertility and hair growth in her (excellent) novels _Dreamsnake_ and<BR>
_The Exile Wating_.  <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -John Snead jsnead@netcom.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 01:07:55 EST<BR>
From: Sethkimmel@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: SJG bashing<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 1/6/00 11:25:05 PM Pacific Standard Time, <BR>
jzeitlin@cyburban.com writes:<BR>
<BR>
<< AOL doesn't care about the spam problem" would be a<BR>
 reasonable conclusion to draw based on the sheer number of<BR>
 spammers that use the service, apparently without risk to their<BR>
 access - in spite of anything AOL may say.  See the difference? >><BR>
<BR>
Forgive this semi-troll "gun thing", but I am trying to talk my wife into <BR>
dumping AOL because they consider AOL websites that mention guns to be <BR>
pornography, and summarily send nasty E mails to EVERYBODY connected with the <BR>
site (paraphrasing) "your site has been deleted for having objectionable <BR>
pornographic materials on it". A sporting goods store owner was outraged <BR>
because his wife and daughter got these E mails and his site, containing his <BR>
on line catalog (that sells rifles and shotguns) was deleted. To be fair, I <BR>
read this on rec.guns and the story was undoubtably biased against AOL. I <BR>
personally object to one of my interests being lumped with pornography, and <BR>
thus want to leave AOL.<BR>
<BR>
Ob Trav: Believe or not; I found a link...:-). I wonder if an AOL based <BR>
website that is Traveller based, and mentioned FICTIONAL guns like ACRs, Snub <BR>
pistols, FGMPs, etc. would be dumped, and the designer getting rude E mails <BR>
from AOL terminating their account...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 01:18:32 EST<BR>
From: Sethkimmel@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 1/7/00 3:07:45 AM Pacific Standard Time, <BR>
shadow@krypton.rain.com writes:<BR>
<BR>
<< And consider what was publishable *at<BR>
 all* at the time they were written.<BR>
 <BR>
 When the market allowed, he went right up to the limits.<BR>
  >><BR>
<BR>
Don't forget Harry Turtledove....:-)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 22:27:07 -0800<BR>
From: Jesse DeGraff <jdegraff@pacbell.net><BR>
Subject: RE: Confusing Quoting<BR>
<BR>
Oops...<BR>
Jesse<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
[mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Benyamene'<BR>
ZeAbe' Akella<BR>
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2000 12:43 PM<BR>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Confusing Quoting<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Via electronic medium on 1/4/00 4:16 PM, dom@cybergoths.u-net.com wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> ISTR that outlook can't do this easily? Certainly my work a/c version<BR>
> won't do it. Anyone know how?<BR>
<BR>
I'm using Outlook, and it does it. The ">" thing I mean. To pare out bits of<BR>
a message I am not responding to, or is too extensive to quote, I select<BR>
what I want in my reply, then hit "reply". I don't know what an a/c version<BR>
is. I don't like the massive quote posts myself, but if one must quote the<BR>
entire post, it would be nice if the new stuff was on top. And Jesse, this<BR>
is almost a non-issue, but when you start off with a >splort<, It marks the<BR>
rest of the paragraph as a previous post. You might try <splort>ing instead.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1704<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1705</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 8 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1705<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: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
re: Boarding Actions, pretty hot under the collar<BR>
RE: Finding People<BR>
RE:<BR>
RE: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
The female cycle<BR>
Re: A very sad thing <BR>
genderstuph<BR>
Re Vargr and Dogs<BR>
Re: Vargr breeds<BR>
Tech advancement w/o writen word (Was:  Re: )<BR>
Re: "Family"<BR>
Where in the world (wide web) am I anyway?<BR>
Re: "Family"...<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes...<BR>
Re: Vargr breeds<BR>
re: Sample University (draft) for 101 Schools<BR>
KFC<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 01:35:40 EST<BR>
From: Sethkimmel@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 1/7/00 11:55:25 AM Pacific Standard Time, <BR>
gridlore@pop.mindspring.com writes:<BR>
<BR>
<< So come the night of the big party, a WWII German Staff car with<BR>
 >motorcycle escort drives up. He gets out in an SS "Colonel"'s<BR>
 >uniform and enters the party.  >><BR>
<BR>
I can deal with the Werwacht, but SS uniforms offend me...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 01:30:12 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: re: Boarding Actions, pretty hot under the collar<BR>
<BR>
Jim & Peta Lawrie wrote:<BR>
>    You know, I really resent that. I don't make assumptions about you,<BR>
> don't make them about me. When I play an NPC (I'm nearly always the <BR>
> GM) I try and give them realistic goals, I don't  have Faceless goons (tm).<BR>
> Frontal wave assaults like credibility, its a "space orc" tactic.<BR>
<BR>
Well, you spend about every paragraph in your post making assumptions<BR>
about me and how I run my campaigns, so I guess I won't spend<BR>
much effort feeling bad about your resentments. <G><BR>
<BR>
I pointed out that a pirate boarding operation (that actually *happens*) IYTU <BR>
has only two possible outcomes, both of which will have critical campaign <BR>
effects - either the PC's lose their ship, or the PC's die and lose their ship.<BR>
Of course, this should make such boarding operations very rare IYTU, as <BR>
you've said they are. <BR>
<BR>
My take on the official TU implies that actions aboard are pretty common.<BR>
Either the PC's are a special case and magically avoid them, or the<BR>
PC's lose their ship to boarders every time it happens, or there is a third<BR>
alternative. <BR>
<BR>
(Note, I think of a PC ship with destroyed engines, power plant and<BR>
bridge as "lost", unless the PC's have more spare cash on them than<BR>
in the TU's I've been used to.)<BR>
<BR>
J & P again:<BR>
>    Why? Space is Very Big. Pirates do not attack were you can call for<BR>
> help, it negates the point of attacking. <BR>
<BR>
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the first Traveller P*racy Discussion<BR>
of the year 2000, for your entertainment and edification. Brought to you by <BR>
the TML Flamewar Reenactment Society!!  <G><BR>
<BR>
J (or P), you are talking about some very critical points that, IMO,<BR>
put together in one place a *host* of assumptions (unwritten and<BR>
written rules) about how a TU functions. How do sensors work?<BR>
Can the PC's (or NPC's) sneak into or sneak out of a system without being<BR>
detected? What kind of defenses does an "average" star system have,<BR>
and where are they, and how willing and able are they to rendezvous<BR>
with the PC's ship in time? The list is quite extensive, and I think<BR>
that thinking these assumptions through in a TU can really help a<BR>
GM figure out how their TU is going to work on many levels.<BR>
<BR>
In the interests of peace on the list, I will forgo this part of the discussion<BR>
here. The P*racy question is one of the liveliest and most divisive<BR>
subjects that comes by the TML, it's been pretty much done to death<BR>
here, but if you like I will be happy to show you what I mean in private<BR>
email.<BR>
<BR>
As for some other points not directly related to P*racy:<BR>
<BR>
J & S wrote:<BR>
>    My guys would laugh at me! They'd say I was trying to go soft on them,<BR>
> aren't pirates dangerous at all?<BR>
<BR>
What are your Traders carrying? Handguns, a couple suits of jack or<BR>
cloth armor, perhaps a shotgun or SMG?<BR>
<BR>
How does that compare to the ACR's, combat armor and laser (or<BR>
even energy!) weapons carried by the revenue agents/IIS special<BR>
team/corsairs?<BR>
<BR>
Or are the equipment lists reversed? Eight guys with combat skills,<BR>
armor and milspec weapons are very dangerous. Putting them under<BR>
a time or situation pressure sounds very reasonable to me, especially<BR>
if they outnumber the defenders. <BR>
<BR>
NPC's can use their heads, work together, and still be in a situation<BR>
that reduces their advantage. I find even fights more interesting, especially<BR>
since I can be pretty hard on my PC's even during a "fair fight". <BR>
<BR>
(As for redesigning the Corsair, we can take that to private email. Suffice<BR>
it to say, IMO it will be a rare corsair captain who gets to design his own<BR>
raider ship.)<BR>
<BR>
If a quirk of the technology makes a direct assualt the only possible<BR>
tactic, *and it can work*, it will be used. Variations on it will be tried,<BR>
and such a variation may completely turn the tactic on it's head,<BR>
but the base tactic will still be used.<BR>
<BR>
J & P again:<BR>
>    I bet you don't talk like that to peoples faces.<BR>
<BR>
All the time. Deal with it. Sorry if your *assumptions* aren't in sync<BR>
with reality, don't expect me to lose sleep over it.<BR>
<BR>
(GM, various systems, since 1978. Frequently have discussions with<BR>
members of my game groups about GM technique, game balance, <BR>
game design, plot-led vs PC-led storylines, etc.)<BR>
<BR>
J & P again:<BR>
> In my campaign there is rare fighting, my players would be offended if<BR>
> their opponents did not act as if they were fighting for their lives and try<BR>
> intelligent tactics first. On their freighter a passenger found smuggling a<BR>
> weapon on board has no argument, the are shovelled into a low berth and<BR>
> handed over to the Navy as a hijacker. Our views on pirates aren't feelgood<BR>
> notions of 17th century rogues but Indonesian Pirates of today.<BR>
<BR>
OK, that's your TU. Note that the average outcome of an Indonesian<BR>
pirate against a cargo ship is sneak & grab & scoot, *not* "burn the<BR>
ship to the waterline and slay them all if they resist!!". <BR>
<BR>
Again, people can act intelligently and fight for their lives in a situation<BR>
that puts them at a severe disadvantage. The "intelligent" response<BR>
to such a situation is to either not get into it, or to maximize what<BR>
advantages (training, personal weapons, etc) you *do* have.<BR>
<BR>
An infantryman landing at Omaha beach was in a very bad situation,<BR>
with a whole list of disadvantages. In the final outcome, the landing<BR>
succeeded. It's possible that there was no other effective way to<BR>
open that front except what was done. Intelligent people don't always<BR>
get things their way. <BR>
<BR>
J * P wrote:<BR>
> We hardly ever use starship combat and I don't run a MinMax game thank<BR>
> you very much.<BR>
<BR>
Sorry if I touched a nerve. MinMax wasn't in the vocabulary of my post that<BR>
you responded to, that leaves just one place for it to come from.<BR>
<BR>
In My Opinion, a small change (or even clarification) in how inertial <BR>
compensators/dampeners work can have interesting effects on the<BR>
flavor of a Traveller campaign, and can even make some of the cliches<BR>
of heroic SF possible. Take it as an accusation if you like, that's not<BR>
up to me.<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 20:08:16 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Finding People<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
> <BR>
> Totally non Traveller anecdote: A great many people <BR>
> think Loren Wiseman is a  woman, and even today <BR>
> it is not uncommon for me to receive letters beginning <BR>
> 'Dear Ms. Wiseman." <BR>
<BR>
I have to admit I thought that way back in the seventies too.<BR>
Then again, I also thought Lee Gold was a man. <BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 20:11:30 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE:<BR>
<BR>
> >Makes reading up on your destination world almost an essential<BR>
> requirement?<BR>
><BR>
> Only if it's OFF the mains. Along the mains, the startowns surrounding the<BR>
> port will be, by necessity alone, more than tolerant, even if the local<BR>
> govnerment isn't!<BR>
<BR>
I imagine "Startown" to be sort of like MacDonalds, largely the same in most<BR>
places, and the only place where Imperials feel safe eating <grin><BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 02:09:40 EST<BR>
From: TDRandall@aol.com<BR>
Subject: RE: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
<BR>
Funny, the only episode I really remember that pushed the plot to its desired conclusion was when Apollo caught some footage from Earth regarding the lunar landing.  Seems like it was such a bad environment (noisy, over the engines?) and used such antiquated technology that Starbuck told him there was noway he had really captured anything worthwhile.<BR>
<BR>
Was there anything that put them definitely closer to Earth in the real series?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 23:04:53 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: The female cycle<BR>
<BR>
From: John R. Snead <jsnead@netcom.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>"Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com> wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> Well... it's kind of amazing to find out that your natural bodily<BR>
functions are viewed by the other gender as a pathological condition that<BR>
you should be taking a pill for.<BR>
>><BR>
>Actually, almost every woman I know has stated more than once that she<BR>
would love a pill or something to turn her hormonal cycles completely off,<BR>
and views them as something they would rather go away.  While admittedly I<BR>
hang with bohemians and bizarre eccentrics, this reaction does seem rather<BR>
common.<BR>
><BR>
>Bringing things back to a more SF slant, Vonda M. McIntyre postulates a<BR>
world with biofeedback methods of controlling everything from menstruation<BR>
to fertility and hair growth in her (excellent) novels _Dreamsnake_ and _The<BR>
Exile Wating_.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Biofeedback control of fertility, I would love.  That's a constant in<BR>
everything Vonda writes, even the Star Trek stuff.  Have you read her<BR>
wonderful Starfarers series?<BR>
<BR>
I suspect the females of your acquaintance want CONTROL over their bodily<BR>
functions.  So do I.  Turning them off entirely, no.<BR>
<BR>
A complete hysterectomy and oophorectomy will turn them off entirely.  It<BR>
will also destroy the sex drive in most females without hormone replacement<BR>
therapy.  Most women aren't thrilled with the idea of undergoing this<BR>
surgery even if it is medically necessary.<BR>
<BR>
Sex is really important to me and I have noticed that things feel different<BR>
at different phases in the cycle.  Those are not things I want to give up.<BR>
And I don't have an easy time of it, either.  I've just learned to accept<BR>
that like most aspects of my life, anything I really enjoy has a nuisance<BR>
factor.<BR>
<BR>
They have pleasurable aspects which are of great value to me.  I know a lot<BR>
of women don't place much value on sex.  It is my opinion that if they ever<BR>
had had any really good sex, this would change.<BR>
<BR>
I do believe that TL 15 should have dead on 100% reliable birth control of<BR>
some kind.  And as I said when I protested "pregnancy rolls" in D & D, any<BR>
society which has figured out resurrection of the dead has almost certainly<BR>
mastered control of fertility!<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's<BR>
a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect and love your darkest side,<BR>
disposing of only what is obsolete or impractical.  It's all about giving<BR>
yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 02:13:37 -0500<BR>
From: Bill Rutherford <worj@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: A very sad thing <BR>
<BR>
At 06:47 PM 01/07/2000 -0800, Bruce wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Author Patrick O'Brian died this week. For those (probably much of the list),<BR>
>who aren't familiar with him, O'Brian was arguably the best writer of<BR>
>historical<BR>
>fiction in this century.<BR>
<BR>
This is a disaster of the worst type!  I'm just starting "Blue at the <BR>
Mizzen" (20th and, it seems, last in the series)...  I guess this means <BR>
that Lucky Jack will never see White or Red.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>The relevance to Traveller is that his novels of the British Royal Navy are an<BR>
>excellent model for a Naval campaign, dealing with similar issues of<BR>
>communication lags, shipboard life and leadership, isolation and travel.<BR>
>(I've often thought of the Napoleonic navy as a model in many other ways -<BR>
>since Traveller starships are unlikely to explode from battle damage<BR>
>the same way that Napoleonic warships were unlikely to sink,  rituals and<BR>
>ethics of honourable surrender might well develop along Napoleonic<BR>
>lines.)<BR>
<BR>
Further, I've always been amazed at how BIG the world was in O'Brian's <BR>
novels - a model for the Imperium in the sense of sheer size it imparted to <BR>
the reader...<BR>
...<BR>
>I would especially recommend the books to fans of Weber or Feintuch -<BR>
>O'Brian is so much better a writer than any of these Hornblower-come-latelies<BR>
>inside or outside the SF genre that it's stunning.<BR>
<BR>
O'Brian loved the sea and the age of sail and it showed in his books.  He <BR>
brought a sense of wonder to his novels I only ever found elsewhere in, <BR>
say, Asimov's or Heinlein's (sp?) work way back 35 years or so ago when I <BR>
was little and science fiction was (to me...) new...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Bill Rutherford<BR>
worj@home.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 23:18:28 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: genderstuph<BR>
<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>>Well... it's kind of amazing to find out that your natural bodily<BR>
functions are viewed by the other gender as a pathological condition that<BR>
you should be taking a pill for.<BR>
>><BR>
> Actually, at the risk of causing another Dresden on the TML, I do get that<BR>
response from women by times.  Y'see, as a member of the local Society for<BR>
Creative Anacrhronism, I once in a while strap on 60lbs of platemail, a 10lb<BR>
helm, a 5lb shield and heft a ~3lb club made to look like a sword and spend<BR>
two or three hours getting hit by other chaps dressed like me.  Most women<BR>
not in the SCA, when they hear that statement get a condescending look on<BR>
thier faces and mutter something about "testosterone" under thier breath.<BR>
Even when studies in the '80s proved that testosterone doesn't do what<BR>
pop-culture says it does.<BR>
><BR>
Idiocy is not a gender-specific trait.<BR>
<BR>
Personally, I consider testosterone to be an addictive recreational drug,<BR>
and my favorite delivery device just left the house.<BR>
<BR>
I like men as people in general and I'm excessively fond of one in<BR>
particular.  And since I know a few females in SCA who share your habit, I<BR>
don't really see what it has to do with testosterone.<BR>
<BR>
Perhaps by the time of the 3I, that particular form of idiocy will be a lot<BR>
less common.  I think being bi helps in one major area-- you learn real fast<BR>
that both genders have their advantages and disadvantages.  I've had many of<BR>
the same complaints about my girlfriends that men have had, and many of the<BR>
same complaints about my boyfriends that my gay male and straight female<BR>
friends have.  I think it is 90% socialization and 10% hormones, but it<BR>
doesn't matter.  If you love someone, you put up with their particular<BR>
physical and emotional quirks, gender-based and otherwise.<BR>
<BR>
Hiroshi may never master the art of remembering to put down the seat.  It is<BR>
not worth my sanity to get upset about it.  I do other things he finds<BR>
annoying.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's<BR>
a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect and love your darkest side,<BR>
disposing of only what is obsolete or impractical.  It's all about giving<BR>
yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 23:05:19 -0800<BR>
From: "David P. Summers" <summers@alum.mit.edu><BR>
Subject: Re Vargr and Dogs<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 18:52:49 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
<BR>
>>No.  I people already think of Vargr as "dogs" too much and wolves<BR>
>>don't show that kind of variation (which was impossed by external<BR>
>>breeding on dogs).  Nor do I see Vargr governments as being the<BR>
>>kind where one expects to see mass breeding experiments imposed<BR>
>>on the population.<BR>
<BR>
>one small problem with this assumption: You seem to make the assumption<BR>
>that the basic lupine DNA is fairly limited in variation. Truth, it would<BR>
>seem, is that, essentially, wolves are merely the default, and that random<BR>
>mutations are very common which bring out the variability if actively bred<BR>
>for. What's more, wolfish traits are typically dominant traits, not<BR>
>recessives, so they mask many recessive traits.<BR>
><BR>
>According to several sources, the most memorable of which was "The Ultimate<BR>
>Guide: Dogs" from Discovery Channel, when you mongrelize purebreds, you<BR>
>tend to wind up with something closer to wolf that either parent. Long term<BR>
>hybridizing provides a return to a wolfish dog.<BR>
<BR>
I'm not sure what you are saying.  My point is that the variability,<BR>
such as breeds of dogs show, is latent in the gene pool unless it<BR>
is breed for by directed breeding (which I don't see happening)<BR>
or by evolution (such as coyotes in areas in which wolves have been<BR>
eliminated growing larger to fill the niche).  (What kind of variabiltiy<BR>
would primates show with selective breeding?)  For that reason,<BR>
Vargr will, in fact, be much like the wolves in variablity.<BR>
<BR>
>It also takes only a half dozen generations without outside breeding to<BR>
>find a stableized mutation in a canine population. (It happened with<BR>
>aleutian fox farms in this century... which is why they aren't there<BR>
>anymore... the coats quickly became undesireable).<BR>
><BR>
>Which brings me to the Vargr: Assuming that Canis Lupus WAS truly Canis<BR>
>Lupus when the Anchients nabbed them, why would they not have the basic<BR>
>breed-forming capabilities of Wolves?<BR>
<BR>
Maybe they do, but who is selectively breeding them?  If you look<BR>
at the Vargr mentality and the kinds of governments they have,<BR>
it would seem less likely than forced breeding of humans.<BR>
1984 kind of senarios would seems to fit humans better than<BR>
Vargr.<BR>
<BR>
>Similarly, I've heard many a dog breeder comment that Wolf-Hybrids will go<BR>
>after anything, but most "Breeds" tend to pusue anything that doesn't look<BR>
>like their dam. In many cases, I've heard that certain purebreeds basically<BR>
>have to be COERCED into in-breed copulation. Canids/Lupines seem to be<BR>
>wired for anti-speciation behaviors. I would assume this to be fairly true<BR>
>of Vargr, as well... so the gap in their wiring for the various breeds was<BR>
>probably (and IMTU, definitely) a tinkering project.<BR>
<BR>
I agree, but who is doing the tinkering?<BR>
______________________________<BR>
summers@alum.mit.edu<BR>
(This is the net.  My e-mail address may be in Boston, but I'm in California.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 23:26:12 -0800<BR>
From: "David P. Summers" <summers@alum.mit.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Vargr breeds<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 12:40:31 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
<BR>
>    Not having the vargr suppliment, I've always thought of them as dogs.<BR>
>The description given in the rules book said "canine" not "lupine."<BR>
<BR>
They are of the genus canine.  That includes wolves...<BR>
______________________________<BR>
summers@alum.mit.edu<BR>
(This is the net.  My e-mail address may be in Boston, but I'm in California.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 23:34:30 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Tech advancement w/o writen word (Was:  Re: )<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman <aramis@gci.net> wrote:<BR>
> >> >How about societies that never develop writing.  What TL could be<BR>
reached<BR>
> >> >based on an oral tradition?  I would think maybe TL4.<BR>
> >><BR>
> >> I don't think so.. just about every culture that advanced out of the<BR>
stone<BR>
> >> age has developed writing.  It might be one of those vital links that<BR>
> >> allows the culture to step up another notch.<BR>
<BR>
I don't know about all of the "native" American tribes, but the<BR>
Tsa La Gee (Cherokee) people had no written language<BR>
until well after the introduction of the European settlers.  In<BR>
fact they had no written language until after the trail of tears.  I<BR>
don't know if you would consider them to be TL1 or not, I do<BR>
know that they had daggers (TL1) and  bows (TL?) and<BR>
that they worked soft metals (like gold, silver and copper).<BR>
<BR>
> One other method of note: A bardic tradition (in the Celtic sense, not the<BR>
> French), where history, etc is set to music, and memorized that way.<BR>
><BR>
> >It might become more possible if they are psionic; allowing for greater<BR>
> >possibility of retention and transfer of complex concepts.<BR>
<BR>
Another possibility would be racial memory (like that described in Jean<BR>
Auel's novels (Clan of the Cave Bears, etc.)) where anything that is learned<BR>
is passed on to the off spring.<BR>
<BR>
<snip><BR>
> I like the idea of a college of musicians, who trains the general<BR>
populace,<BR>
> and specialists therein who keep the oral traditions in song of the<BR>
> accumulated knowledge of a given guild. Operations by rote learning, tho<BR>
> not of need rote execution, no need even for a written language!<BR>
<BR>
IIRC all of the "native" American tribes had such traditions.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 23:35:00 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: "Family"<BR>
<BR>
Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu> wrote:<BR>
> On Wed, 5 Jan 2000, Jason T. Barnabas wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> > LSLISTD [Score: 1 pt]<BR>
><BR>
> Huh?  LSLISTD?  Is that like acid, cut with the  list?<BR>
<BR>
Laughed So Loud I Scared The Dogs.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 23:36:34 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Where in the world (wide web) am I anyway?<BR>
<BR>
David P. Summers <summers@alum.mit.edu> .sig says:<BR>
> ______________________________<BR>
> summers@alum.mit.edu<BR>
> (This is the net.  My e-mail address may be in Boston, but I'm in<BR>
California.)<BR>
<BR>
One of the things I have found to be strange about the net, I<BR>
had 3 different email addresses while living in the same<BR>
small town in Oklahoma.  The last one I have had since, it<BR>
went with me all the way to Florida and all the way out here<BR>
to California.<BR>
<BR>
Small world (wide web).<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 18:09:51 +1000<BR>
From: "The Roc" <roc@kewl.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: "Family"...<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella <xrp@sierratel.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2000 6:15 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: "Family"<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Via electronic medium on 1/4/00 2:02 PM, jzeitlin@cyburban.com wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> > I'm a lesbian trapped in a man's body!<BR>
><BR>
> Hey! I've been using that line for nigh on three years now, and I don't<BR>
> remember using it online. Parallel creativity?<BR>
<BR>
I had a big, burly straight bloke mate in my teens that used that term a<BR>
lot, and I believe he got it from someone older than he...  I always liked<BR>
the way that post op TV (whose name escapes me) referred to himself as a<BR>
lesbian, just because she was once a man and is now a woman, doesn't mean<BR>
squat... she still prefers women even now!<BR>
<BR>
I also had a submissive lass visit from Utah, who always referred to herself<BR>
as a "bi-lesbian" - she likes men, but prefers women.  I liked that<BR>
terminology as well.<BR>
<BR>
- -- The Roc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 18:23:37 +1000<BR>
From: "The Roc" <roc@kewl.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes...<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Ethan Henry <egh@klg.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2000 7:59 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com> wrote:<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Healthy females leak for reasons other than menstruation, it's just not<BR>
> > always as obvious.<BR>
><BR>
> <13-year-old dork><BR>
> Yah, don't you guys ever read 'Forum'? Why, just looking at a studly<BR>
> guy like me is enough to make any normal girl totally "wet" with desire...<BR>
> </13-year-old dork><BR>
<BR>
Hey, do you know Spanner?  That's exactly how he talks... with an<BR>
Aussie/Pommy-cross accent of course... and he's 23...<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> And geez, aren't at least some of you guys married or with serious<BR>
> girlfriends? I'll never understand how a guy can live with a woman<BR>
> without finding out way more than he ever wanted to know about "moon<BR>
time".<BR>
<BR>
And not to mention how some women's cycle changes over the course of 3-6<BR>
months and her pill prescription has to change to make it regular again (my<BR>
wife's... errrr, sorry, to much information!)<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> (Before anyone thinks I'm some sort of wierdo here, my wife and I are<BR>
> in the midst of more "family planning" so this kind of thing is all too<BR>
> often the subject of dinner conversation. Well, except the part about<BR>
> anally-inserted fusion incinerators.)<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Not in the least Ethan.  In my world, I chose to be aware of what happened<BR>
to the bodies of the women I love and have loved... but I was one of a few<BR>
compared to the other blokes I knew... that was "secret woman's business"<BR>
and in no way relevant to us ocker, cobber blokes.  I don't assume things<BR>
were different with men the world over (many just NOT wanting to know about<BR>
it).<BR>
<BR>
- -- The Roc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 19:08:18 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Vargr breeds<BR>
<BR>
>>    Not having the vargr suppliment, I've always thought of them as dogs.<BR>
>>The description given in the rules book said "canine" not "lupine."<BR>
><BR>
>They are of the genus canine.  That includes wolves...<BR>
<BR>
    Goes to show how little I know about Biology.<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 00:24:06 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: re: Sample University (draft) for 101 Schools<BR>
<BR>
At 18:42 -0500 7/1/00, Black ICE <wombat@premier.net> wrote:<BR>
>Here's a sample write-up of a university for the "101 Schools" project.<BR>
>It's based on a project in our current Traveller campaign, set just<BR>
>prior to the FFW.<BR>
><BR>
>Let me know what y'all think.<BR>
<BR>
Looks good from a BITS perspective.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 18:43:17 +1000<BR>
From: "The Roc" <roc@kewl.com.au><BR>
Subject: KFC<BR>
<BR>
Downunder, KFC ads do use the word "chicken" in their ads.  The KFC change,<BR>
I imagined, was for trend... ever since "Kentucky Fried Chicken" came to Oz,<BR>
the people called it KFC (I assume most countries did?  But if not, Aussies<BR>
have a thing about shortening names if not changing them outright - like<BR>
"Kentucky Duck" which was popular the length of the East Coast several years<BR>
ago).<BR>
<BR>
- -- The Roc<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Delos <delos@superior.net><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2000 12:57 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1701<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Hi all...I had to laugh when I got this from a friend, but it gives<BR>
> me an idea of a specific 'fresh' food source available on a long<BR>
> star voyage. It would have struck me as clich if it was in a fiction<BR>
> novel (and I have no idea if this is reliable.)<BR>
><BR>
> In any case, it was fun to read.<BR>
><BR>
> "THIS IS DISTURBING TO HERE SINCE I PERSONALLY<BR>
> LOVE KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN..................<BR>
> I received this last week and trashed it but I had to retrieve it today<BR>
> after listening to the radio this morning. WW Just some information for<BR>
> those who care. KFC has been a part of our American traditions for many<BR>
> years. Many people, day in and day out, eat at KFC religiously. Do they<BR>
> really<BR>
> know what they are eating?<BR>
> During a recent study of KFC done at the<BR>
> University of New Hampshire, they found some very upsetting<BR>
> facts. First of all, has anybody noticed that just recently,<BR>
> the company has changed their name? Kentucky Fried Chicken has become<BR>
> KFC. Does anybody know why? We thought the real reason was because the<BR>
> "FRIED" food issue. It's not. The reason why they call it KFC is<BR>
> because they can not use the word chicken anymore. Why? KFC does not use<BR>
> real chickens. They actually use genetically manipulated organisms. These<BR>
so<BR>
> called<BR>
> "chickens" are kept alive by tubes inserted into their bodies to pump<BR>
> blood and nutrients throughout their structure. They have no<BR>
> beaks, no feathers, and no feet.  Their bone structure is dramatically<BR>
> shrunk to get more meat of them<BR>
> This is great for KFC because they do not have to pay so<BR>
> much for their production costs. There is no more plucking<BR>
> of the feathers or the of the beaks and feet.<BR>
> The government has told them to change all of<BR>
> their menus so they do not say chicken anywhere. If you look closely<BR>
> you will notice this. Listen to their commercials, I guarantee you will<BR>
not<BR>
> see or hear the word chicken. I find this matter to be very disturbing.<BR>
> I hope people will start to realize this and let other people<BR>
> know. Please forward this message to as many people as you can.<BR>
>  Together we make KFC start using real chicken again.<BR>
>         Brenda J. Rivera Decision One  Coordinator 617-873-3124"<BR>
> __________________________________________________<BR>
><BR>
> Delos<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1705<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1706</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 8 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1706<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: Re: Re Archaeology, Paleontology, and Traveller<BR>
Re: SJG bashing<BR>
Re: SJG bashing<BR>
Re: GURPS Nudeworld<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Fashions<BR>
Re: SJG bashing<BR>
Re: SJG bashing<BR>
Re: Cylons<BR>
Re: SJG bashing<BR>
Re Vargr<BR>
Subscribing to Traveller List<BR>
Re: GURPS vs. T5?<BR>
Re: JFK<BR>
Re: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 23:33:14 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Re: Re Archaeology, Paleontology, and Traveller<BR>
<BR>
>On Fri, 7 Jan 2000, William F. Hostman wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> One of the problems with the traveller setting is that, for the viability<BR>
>> of the speciation problem, the date should be about 30,000 YBP (-35,000<BR>
>> YI), rather than 300,000 YBP.  Otherwise, we're looking at early hominids,<BR>
>> possibly even some australopithecines, some not-quite-wolves-yet canids,<BR>
><BR>
>At least for the hominid side of things, no.  Homo sapiens (in what it<BR>
>pleases us to call the real world) goes back to around 400kya; modern H.<BR>
>sapiens to 30something kya. (Which would make a great TV series, dontcha<BR>
>think?)<BR>
<BR>
Uh, Kenji, the dating of H. sapiens further back than 250 KYBP is argued hotly.<BR>
<BR>
H. Erectus is the species I should have listed, and Erectus is known to<BR>
date at least 700 kybp, and seems gone by 125 kybp; most acknowledge H.<BR>
Sapiens archaic to between 400 and 125 KYBP, but the vast majority of what<BR>
I've read indicates they began appearing as recognizably H. S. a as opposed<BR>
to H. Erectus about 250 KYBP. There is no question by 200 KYBP. there is<BR>
much question for prior to 295 KYBP, the END of the dominion of the<BR>
anchients & their final war.<BR>
<BR>
In the traveller context, H. Sapiens archaic COULD very well be a result of<BR>
a delayed genetic delivery means... it is unlikely to have been the source<BR>
of the hominid selections by the anchients, especially since it would be<BR>
putting them as doing this in the last bits, something which, while not<BR>
supported is not contravened by canon, but doesn't seem to fit all that<BR>
well, either. Especially since that final war lasts 2000 years. Now, the<BR>
whole question becomes moot if H. Erectus really should have been H.<BR>
Sapiens Erectus.<BR>
<BR>
also interesting: Homo Zhdatlas arises 197 KYBP. H Sapiens Sapiens (Modern<BR>
Homo Sapiens) is currently dated by various means to between 40 and 12<BR>
KYBP, MT lists the date as 15K PI, or 12 KYBP. Certain recent test indicate<BR>
genetic origins for moder H. Sapiens to a common ancestor some 40 KYBP, but<BR>
a rival group claims a common ancestor right about the time of the first<BR>
civilizations of note: about 10 KYBP.<BR>
<BR>
Sources:<BR>
_The Last Two Million Years_<BR>
Price and Feinman, _Images of the Past_<BR>
GDW, _MegaTraveller Imperial Encyclopedia_<BR>
Time (Article clearly remembered, from winter of last year, but name and<BR>
issue not; on the genetic dating methods used recently)<BR>
<BR>
Note Dates KYBP are 1000's of years before present; dates from<BR>
megatraveller have had 3000 years correction applied<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 03:39:39 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: SJG bashing<BR>
<BR>
From: <Sethkimmel@aol.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> To be fair, I  read this on rec.guns and the story was undoubtably<BR>
> biased against AOL.<BR>
<BR>
Out of curiosity, have you asked AOL about it, or taken a look at their<BR>
Terms of Service? While I am not fond of AOL by any stretch of the<BR>
imagination, and I will never again do business with them for a number of<BR>
reasons, going right to the source and checking out the facts for yourself<BR>
usually works best.<BR>
<BR>
For example, I'm currently in email with a Berliner (that is, a citizen of<BR>
Berlin, not a Pfannkuchen), and I've learned a number of things that I would<BR>
not have learned had I not been curious enough to check this out for myself.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 03:54:25 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: SJG bashing<BR>
<BR>
Chris, are you talking about AOL?  If so, please email me privately the info<BR>
you dug up.<BR>
<BR>
thanks!<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: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2000 3:39 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: SJG bashing<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> From: <Sethkimmel@aol.com><BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> > To be fair, I  read this on rec.guns and the story was undoubtably<BR>
> > biased against AOL.<BR>
><BR>
> Out of curiosity, have you asked AOL about it, or taken a look at their<BR>
> Terms of Service? While I am not fond of AOL by any stretch of the<BR>
> imagination, and I will never again do business with them for a number of<BR>
> reasons, going right to the source and checking out the facts for yourself<BR>
> usually works best.<BR>
><BR>
> For example, I'm currently in email with a Berliner (that is, a citizen of<BR>
> Berlin, not a Pfannkuchen), and I've learned a number of things that I<BR>
would<BR>
> not have learned had I not been curious enough to check this out for<BR>
myself.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 00:34:08 -0800<BR>
From: Keith Johnson <keithalanjohnson@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: GURPS Nudeworld<BR>
<BR>
At 01:33 AM 1/8/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>I take it, then, that I shouldn't hold my breath for the release of<BR>
>GURPS Nudeworld...<BR>
<BR>
Not unless Hugh Hefner or Larry Flynt buys Steve Jackson Games.<BR>
<BR>
If that ever happens, I think my wife might have a problem with the <BR>
employee comp policy. ;)<BR>
<BR>
_________________________________________________________________<BR>
Reverend Keith Johnson          keithalanjohnson@home.com<BR>
Cam # [9910-018]                http://www.thedragonscoils.com/<BR>
Magistrate Daniel Hutchinson - Boggan Grump<BR>
Simon Tong - Soulforger of the San Francisco Silent Legion<BR>
Richard Sarrazin - Lasombra - *initiated* *proven*<BR>
  - Member of The Children of the Rising Moon pack<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 08:37:15 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
At 22:10 -0500 7/1/00, "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk> wrote:<BR>
>I concede the Lightning. Can the F-16 really do it though? Have the new<BR>
>models got a significantly better thrust-to-weight ratio, because I was<BR>
>fairly certain the -Cs and -Ds couldn't.<BR>
<BR>
One of my dad's anecdotes was watching an EE Lightning going vertical <BR>
at the end of the runway at an airshow, then going to look at the <BR>
runway later. The force from the engines had cracked and blackened <BR>
the runway below.<BR>
<BR>
ObTrav: HePLAR. Nuff said.<BR>
<BR>
>Thinking about it, ISTR the Mig-25 could as well.<BR>
<BR>
Can't the F15 as well?<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 08:44:44 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions<BR>
<BR>
At 23:47 -0500 7/1/00, Black ICE <wombat@premier.net> wrote:<BR>
>*BTW, jump wings also make you _bullet_ resistant.... ;-)<BR>
<BR>
Are jump wings canon, and do they use a lanthanum grid? Does the <BR>
damage resistance stretch to meson fire? Have you FFS2 stats?<BR>
<BR>
Twisted minds want to know how these 'MiGo' drives work!<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 08:52:21 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: SJG bashing<BR>
<BR>
At 1:33 -0500 8/1/00, Sethkimmel@aol.com wrote:<BR>
>Ob Trav: Believe or not; I found a link...:-). I wonder if an AOL based<BR>
>website that is Traveller based, and mentioned FICTIONAL guns like ACRs, Snub<BR>
>pistols, FGMPs, etc. would be dumped, and the designer getting rude E mails<BR>
>from AOL terminating their account...<BR>
<BR>
Better ObTrav: Watch the reaction of your local Traveller GunBunny <BR>
(ie tooled up killing machine) when you give them 'Emperor's <BR>
Arsenal'. That's almost porongraphic! Then extrapolate it to the EA <BR>
material being on website...<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 04:04:00 EST<BR>
From: Sethkimmel@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: SJG bashing<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 1/8/00 12:44:23 AM Pacific Standard Time, semo@pil.net <BR>
writes:<BR>
<BR>
<< Out of curiosity, have you asked AOL about it, or taken a look at their<BR>
 Terms of Service? While I am not fond of AOL by any stretch of the<BR>
 imagination, and I will never again do business with them for a number of<BR>
 reasons, going right to the source and checking out the facts for yourself<BR>
 usually works best. >><BR>
<BR>
Not yet, but I will get off my lazy a** and do so...:-)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 01:17:43 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Cylons<BR>
<BR>
Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca> wrote:<BR>
> Benyamene Akella writes:<BR>
> >Jason Barnabas <cybernaut@netzero.net> wrote:<BR>
> >>Actually, in the TV series, the Cylons were described as a<BR>
> >>lizard-like race.  Who created the robots, who were not true<BR>
> >>Cylons.<BR>
> >Interesting, I missed that. Probably rolling on the floor laughing.<BR>
> >Not that I didn't like the show, I think it is great. But very<BR>
> >funny at times. Would you know what episode? Is that the race of<BR>
> >Big Purple Head, or were they never seen or what?<BR>
><BR>
> The actual Cylons were rarely seen.  I only saw them in<BR>
> poorly-lighted conditions, but I seem to remember that they<BR>
> looked like basic reptilian humanoids.<BR>
<BR>
I don't ever recall seeing them in the TV series.  The scene I<BR>
was remembering was one of the adults (probably either<BR>
StarBuck or Comdr. Addamma's son explaining to the little<BR>
boy (Boxy?) about Cylons.  He also told the boy that the<BR>
original (organic) Cylons were extinct.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 04:18:20 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: SJG bashing<BR>
<BR>
From: Jory Earl <j-man@iname.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Chris, are you talking about AOL?  If so, please email me privately<BR>
> the info you dug up.<BR>
<BR>
Well, I was advising Seth to ask AOL about their policy concerning gun<BR>
related homepages. Email shares a number of fascinating similarities with<BR>
oral transmission. Both methods of communication lend themselves to the<BR>
"snowball" effect. Today, it may be "AOL considers gun-related websites to<BR>
be pornographic," but next month, it could be "AOL wants to devour the first<BR>
born child of every gun owner." The unfortunate part is, you never know<BR>
exactly where you're entering into the transmission of a story. A month ago,<BR>
there might have been an earlier version in which a guy who had a gun<BR>
related website was politely informed by AOL that due to the risk of<BR>
lawsuits, websites selling guns cannot be hosted on AOL's server.<BR>
<BR>
The information I've received from the fellow I'm speaking with from Berlin<BR>
relates to the Kennedy "Ich bin ein Berliner / I am a Jelly Donut" tale.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> thanks!<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: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
> To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
> Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2000 3:39 AM<BR>
> Subject: Re: SJG bashing<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> > From: <Sethkimmel@aol.com><BR>
> ><BR>
> ><BR>
> > > To be fair, I  read this on rec.guns and the story was undoubtably<BR>
> > > biased against AOL.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Out of curiosity, have you asked AOL about it, or taken a look at their<BR>
> > Terms of Service? While I am not fond of AOL by any stretch of the<BR>
> > imagination, and I will never again do business with them for a number<BR>
of<BR>
> > reasons, going right to the source and checking out the facts for<BR>
yourself<BR>
> > usually works best.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > For example, I'm currently in email with a Berliner (that is, a citizen<BR>
of<BR>
> > Berlin, not a Pfannkuchen), and I've learned a number of things that I<BR>
> would<BR>
> > not have learned had I not been curious enough to check this out for<BR>
> myself.<BR>
> ><BR>
><BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 00:25:21 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Vargr<BR>
<BR>
Jim:<BR>
>>    Not having the vargr suppliment, I've always thought of them as dogs.<BR>
>>The description given in the rules book said "canine" not "lupine."<BR>
<BR>
David:<BR>
>They are of the genus canine.  That includes wolves...<BR>
<BR>
Me:<BR>
What used to be known as Lupus Lupus, the Wolf, has been redubbed in more<BR>
recent morphologies as Canis Lupus or even Canis Familiaris Lupus. The<BR>
common dog is Canis Familiaris, or alternately, Canis Lupus familiaris,<BR>
Canis Domesticus, or even Canis Lupus Domesticus.<BR>
<BR>
As to the separation for inbreeding purpoises amongst vargr, to answer<BR>
David's query: Geography, followed by culturally induced inbreeding<BR>
tendancies.<BR>
<BR>
***No offense intended to any ethic, social, or other groups here***, but<BR>
by western standards, Samoans are fairly inbred. They have noticable<BR>
morphological differences in bone thickness and muscle mass. They have a<BR>
strong cultural tendancy to avoid couplings with non-samoans. Even in areas<BR>
like alaska, the samoan and tongan communities (visually, at least to me,<BR>
indistinguishable) tend to avoid even each other!<BR>
<BR>
The morphological groups can best be described along these lines:<BR>
Caucasoids, Nilotics, Negroids, Asiatics, Amerinds, Eskimoes, and<BR>
Polynesians. Based solely upon one factor, these groups will TEND to be<BR>
somewhat self-oriented for various reasons, most noteably, that most men<BR>
tend to pursue women very similar (yet different enough to avoid too much<BR>
inbreeding) to their mothers. Whether this is cultural or genetic, I know<BR>
not (The studies have all been based soley upon visual similarity, at least<BR>
the 3 I've read the results of), but would tend to postulate that products<BR>
of Anchients Genetic Engineering would probably have the reverse engineered<BR>
in; mate with the furthest diverse person you can find. BTW, the studies<BR>
all showed a similar Daughter seeks man like Daddy tendancy, but not as<BR>
strong. Humans have formed breeds because of geographic isolation; those<BR>
breeds remain true due to cultural tendancies to breed like to like.<BR>
<BR>
I posulate that the subspecies of vargr noted in the sources were similarly<BR>
isloated groups of vargr on Lair. And, like the samoans, they developed the<BR>
trait of not breeding outside their own, and when it does happen, the child<BR>
is raised as one of the clan, by kidnap if need be, and quickly encouraged<BR>
to breed  back in. This happens enough to avoid full speciation, but not so<BR>
often as to prevent breed development. Eventually, in any isolated pocket,<BR>
either you will wind up with a mutation for dominance of some prominently<BR>
present recessive gene, or you will by selection pressure remove the<BR>
dominant gene from the pool. (See Dawkins, _The Selfish Gene_ and _the<BR>
Blind Watchmaker_). If, by luck, a desireable and useful (read here as<BR>
pro-psionic) mutation occurs, either as a dominant gene, or as a recessive<BR>
which later mutates to dominance, it will provde some small edge, and thus<BR>
be somewhat reinforced. As it becomes more prevalent, similar mutations<BR>
will also be selected for as more powerful psionic abilites become<BR>
available, and thus desireability begins to become linked with the edge of<BR>
psionic potential.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, the tinkering that post-dates the Final War is the fault of<BR>
Yaskodray's unknown bastard from before his enlightenment, Yaskodritz. Yz<BR>
had the same enlightenment, due to similar experiences, but knew he was #2,<BR>
and that if #1 ever found him a threat, he was toast. Yy, IMTU, only got<BR>
those kids he hatched AFTER his enlightenment; he Didn't have the records<BR>
to track down his pre-awakening children, and didn't figure them to be a<BR>
threat, as they'd quietly bided their time.<BR>
<BR>
But I don't feel a character like Yz to be essential for maintaining<BR>
selection in Vargr. I think most vargr will be GENETICALLY wired to seek<BR>
difference, and the  stable "Alternate Breeds" have a dominant trait of<BR>
seeking to "Breed Back In Their Own" overriding the breed far and wide<BR>
Semi-dominant. [1] Then any beneficial mutations (and a few not-so friendly<BR>
ones, too) have a free ride in their closed communites, plus, due to<BR>
occasional raids, occasional wild free-love seekers, and the whims of fate,<BR>
out into the general populace. Additionally, any such groups will have<BR>
social stigmas amonst other groups, and thus tend to be ghettoed.<BR>
<BR>
[1] The concept of a semi-dominant trait is one that is not currently<BR>
widely accepted, or so I've read, but it refers to some trait which, in its<BR>
self is recessive, or even non-expressed, but when a certain set of<BR>
condditions arises, it begins to express itself. Current theories include<BR>
some traits defined by presence of 1 OR 2 matchings, making mendel's model<BR>
workable but incomplete:<BR>
<BR>
A is a semi-recessive<BR>
B is a dominant<BR>
- - is a null (no competing active component)<BR>
C is a recessive<BR>
<BR>
If you have A-,AA, or AC, you get expression of A<BR>
If you have AB, B-, BB, or BC, you get B.<BR>
if you have C-, you get nothing.<BR>
if you get CC, you get expression C<BR>
<BR>
Whther this works in Real life this way, I don't know. I have heard of the<BR>
theory in a number of articles from Scientific American, however, in all<BR>
cases it was indicated in the section about possible other interpretations<BR>
and glossed over quickly. There was an article in Nature and in the Lancet,<BR>
both of which explained the theory (The  lancet one, IIRC, was about cancer<BR>
succeptability). IMTU, however, some genes do work this way.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 06:14:15 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Subscribing to Traveller List<BR>
<BR>
Someone just asked me how to subscribe to this list and I haven't a clue.<BR>
anyone?<BR>
___________________________________________________________<BR>
 J-Man<BR>
 ICQ# 2843475<BR>
 New Hampshire - U.S.A.<BR>
 Email : j-man@iname.com<BR>
 Home Page : http://www.geocities.com/~jman037/<BR>
___________________________________________________________<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 02:31:47 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: GURPS vs. T5?<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Please, people, stop talking drivel. California law applies to<BR>
> California and not, for instance, to me in the UK. Please be aware of<BR>
> sensible jurisdictional boundaries and don't fill the list with<BR>
> discussion that should be either private mail or handled through your<BR>
> legal representatives.<BR>
<BR>
Alas, he *isn't* talking drivel. The laws as currently set up really<BR>
*do* work that way. People in foreign countries *have* been gone after<BR>
for stuff they put on the net that wasn't illegal in their country but<BR>
was in the other country. True, the authorities rarely get much<BR>
co-operation, but even that has happened. <BR>
<BR>
One of the more prominent "anonymous remailer" systems shut down a few<BR>
years back after getting hit with a search warrant that a foreign<BR>
prosecutor talked the local prosecutor into issuing.<BR>
<BR>
And the case referred to involved a Tennessee DA filing charges against<BR>
the operators of a California BBS on the theory that since the BBS<BR>
could be *called* from TN, they were "delivering" the content to TN,<BR>
making them subject to TN "community standards". The operators were<BR>
convicted, and are either trying to get the Supreme Court to hear an<BR>
appeal, or have had the appeal refused. <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, 8 Jan 2000 02:37:45 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: JFK<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 10:56 AM 1/6/2000 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>>>Word has it that when JFK made his linguistic blunder, there was some<BR>
>>>tittering in the crowd, but the Germans were too polite to actually<BR>
>>>break into laughter -- they knew what he was trying to say...<BR>
>><BR>
>>When John Diefenbaker was in Mexico (as PM) he made a short speach in<BR>
>>Spanish. Everyone politely applauded, then the Mexican President thanked<BR>
>>him for addressing them in his native French.<BR>
><BR>
> Jimmy Carter expressed his great lust for the Polish people in '78.<BR>
<BR>
That wasn't Carter's fault. He'd been assigned a translator who turned<BR>
out to be an incompetent.<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, 8 Jan 2000 02:39:10 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 11:47 AM 1/6/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>>and by closing time, my interests have become a bit less<BR>
>>detailed: alive and apparently of the right sex might be enough.<BR>
>> Actually, just the second item might be enough.<BR>
><BR>
> That's the big advantage of bisexuality.<BR>
<BR>
Yeah, you can be rejected by twice as many people...<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, 8 Jan 2000 02:45:00 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>IWFNE has some "weird sex". But as I noted before, that thread runs<BR>
>>back thru Heinlein's stuff. Consider Glory Road.<BR>
><BR>
> One of the only two Heinlein novels that I've somehow never gotten<BR>
> around to reading...<BR>
<BR>
Oh, you *need* to. It's one of his better works, and has a lot of neat<BR>
stuff.<BR>
 <BR>
>>Consider a few of Heinlein's fantasy short stories.<BR>
><BR>
> I never even knew he *wrote* fantasy... not being a fan of the genre<BR>
> myself...<BR>
<BR>
Oh yeah, Glory Road is as much fantasy as SF. "Magic, Inc." is "hard<BR>
fantasy" of the type "Unknown"(?) (Fantasy spin-off of Astounding kill<BR>
by the wartime paper shortage) used to print. <BR>
<BR>
And several of his early stories are fantasy.<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, 8 Jan 2000 02:48:27 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>I think you need to check your facts. The stroke occured while writing<BR>
>>"I Will Fear No Evil", which was *years* earlier. It's also arguably<BR>
>>the *worst* thing he ever wrote. Some years back Virginia Heinlein<BR>
>>confessed to having done the final draft on IWFNE because the deadline<BR>
>>was approaching and robert simply wasn't *able* to do it.=20<BR>
><BR>
> (Supplemental... this teaches me not to send my messages right away.)<BR>
><BR>
> Sorry, Leonard, your information is incorrect. I Will Fear No Evil<BR>
> was published in 1970. Robert's stroke (actually, a "transient ischemic=20<BR>
> attack", a stroke precursor) was in 1977. His first novel after the<BR>
> near-stroke: The Number Of The Beast.=20<BR>
><BR>
> Source: the Robert A. Heinlein FAQ,=20<BR>
>         http://www.nitrosyncretic.com/rah/rah_faq.htm<BR>
<BR>
Ok, I sit corrected. But he was *really* ill while writing IWFNE. <BR>
<BR>
> But you're right about one thing: I Will Fear No Evil is probably the<BR>
> worst Heinlein I've ever read...<BR>
<BR>
Yep.<BR>
<BR>
And as I said, try tracking down some of his earlier stuff. It's mostly<BR>
pretty good, and there's a *lot* of variety.<BR>
<BR>
ObTrav: The psi powers from "Project Nightmare" ought to be fun.<BR>
Basicly psi abilities used as nuke dampers (at continental ranges!) and<BR>
also to detonate (and how!) *very* sub-critical masses of fissionable. <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, 8 Jan 2000 02:56:48 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Erwin Fritz replied to Thing:<BR>
>> > What little trinket might a PC routinely carry that would draw the<BR>
>> > wrong assumptions on some world?<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Well, the PCs in my group carry guns ...<BR>
><BR>
> LOL!<BR>
><BR>
> How *original*...<BR>
><BR>
> I imagine that jewelry would be a common source of wrong assumptions. A<BR>
> male wearing jewelry would be unacceptable in some cultures. In other<BR>
> cultures, jewelry would be a direct indicator of wealth, so the man<BR>
> without any would be thought of as really poor...<BR>
><BR>
> "Move along. You are not allowed to beg here."<BR>
><BR>
> "But I am an Imperial Noble!"<BR>
><BR>
> "Yeah, I've heard that one before. Now beat it, or you're going to spend<BR>
> a few days locked up in a cell."<BR>
<BR>
And there are a *lot* of cultures where a man who isn't wearing a<BR>
visible knife is either considered to be an effeminate poof, or thought<BR>
to be someone under a vow preventing him from fighting. <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, 8 Jan 2000 03:01:11 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>> Oh, that's right.  And, if I recall correctly, global warming is<BR>
>> melting all the snow off the mountains and wrecking the view, and<BR>
>> driving the giant octopus berserk so they attack<BR>
>> boaters/divers/surfers/kayakers on sight.  And the forests are all<BR>
>> either flooded, clearcut, eroded, or burning.  And Bill Gates still<BR>
>> lives there.  Nothing left folks, move along.<BR>
<BR>
> Yah, they really messed up when they sent the subs from Bangor to try<BR>
> and take out the Kraken, but that glow at night over the rubble piles<BR>
> and craters is pretty, from a safe distance.<BR>
<BR>
And just to keep Californians from looking a bit to the south, I have<BR>
to report that Oregon and southern Washington are lovely if you like<BR>
landslides and flooding...<BR>
<BR>
And let's not dwell on the stuff the flooding carried into the rivers<BR>
from Teledyne Wah Chang's "waste piles" and the cooling pond at Trojan.<BR>
<BR>
And, of course, Hanford should go any day now...<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, 8 Jan 2000 03:12:27 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
<BR>
>Ok, I sit corrected. But he was *really* ill while writing IWFNE.<BR>
><BR>
>> But you're right about one thing: I Will Fear No Evil is probably the<BR>
worst Heinlein I've ever read...<BR>
>><BR>
>Yep.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Sorry, I really *like* that book, so much that my copy is falling apart.  I<BR>
love the notebooks of Lazarus Long.<BR>
<BR>
But I like Heinlein's sexy/romantic polyamory stories.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect<BR>
and love your darkest side, disposing of only what is obsolete or<BR>
impractical.  It's all about giving yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1706<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1707</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
Date:	1/8/00 6:58:54 AM Pacific Standard Time<BR>
From:	owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com (Traveller-digest)<BR>
Sender:	owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
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</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10><BR>
Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 8 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1707<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: Subscribing to Traveller List<BR>
Re: Subscribing to Traveller List<BR>
duplicate postings was Re SolConfed<BR>
OT "perverse" tastes<BR>
Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
Re: Presidential Jelly Donuts<BR>
Re: fashions<BR>
Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
Re: Voice of Reason (Solomani Version)<BR>
Temperature aboard ship (was 'Fashion')<BR>
Re: Grav Pong (was re: Turbolifts)<BR>
Re: Grav-Pong<BR>
Space Island One<BR>
RAFM Ships for Sale<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Earth 21C<BR>
Re: "Family"<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 03:20:22 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Terry Mixon <tlmixon@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Subscribing to Traveller List<BR>
<BR>
- --- Jory Earl <j-man@iname.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Someone just asked me how to subscribe to this list and I haven't a<BR>
> clue. Anyone?<BR>
<BR>
Have him/her send a message to <BR>
<BR>
Majordomo@lists.MPGN.COM<BR>
<BR>
In the body have:<BR>
<BR>
subscribe traveller <thier address><BR>
<BR>
To unsubscribe, use the same address as a destination but <BR>
the word unsubscribe instead.<BR>
<BR>
Terry<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 03:22:52 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Terry Mixon <tlmixon@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Subscribing to Traveller List<BR>
<BR>
- --- Jory Earl <j-man@iname.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Someone just asked me how to subscribe to this list and I haven't a<BR>
> clue. Anyone?<BR>
<BR>
Appoligies if the first one actually got out with the <BR>
wrong address. I had the wrong majordomo in the previous <BR>
message. If it did, disregard.<BR>
<BR>
Have him/her send a message to <BR>
<BR>
majordomo@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
<BR>
In the body have:<BR>
<BR>
subscribe traveller <thier address><BR>
<BR>
To unsubscribe, use the same address as a destination but <BR>
the word unsubscribe instead.<BR>
<BR>
Terry<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 22:51:01 +0000<BR>
From: Martin Hardgrave <martin@deira.demon.co.uk><BR>
Subject: duplicate postings was Re SolConfed<BR>
<BR>
In message <Pine.OSF.4.10.10001050003260.27376-<BR>
100000@is07.fas.harvard.edu>, Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
writes<BR>
><Pine.OSF.4.10.10001050003260.27376-100000@is07.fas.harvard.edu><BR>
 <Pine.OSF.4.10.10001050003260.27376-100000@is07.fas.harvard.edu><BR>
<BR>
Is there a reason I seem to be getting lots of duplicate postings such<BR>
as the above?<BR>
- -- <BR>
Martin Hardgrave<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 03:20:03 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: OT "perverse" tastes<BR>
<BR>
>>>and by closing time, my interests have become a bit less detailed: alive<BR>
and apparently of the right sex might be enough.  Actually, just the second<BR>
item might be enough.<BR>
>>><BR>
>> That's the big advantage of bisexuality.<BR>
>><BR>
>Yeah, you can be rejected by twice as many people...<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Or have two categories of weirdly specific tastes that add up to being<BR>
almost attracted to half as many people of both genders as the average<BR>
person is attracted to people of one, LOL.<BR>
<BR>
I think the main reason I was no good at polyamory is that it sounded like a<BR>
real nice theory but I can almost never manage to find more than one person<BR>
that turns me on enough to make it worth the bother!<BR>
<BR>
My take on bisexuality comes from a line in a story by Trish Thomas, which<BR>
I'm not quoting exactly.   The main character, a lesbian, is going crazy<BR>
over a very effeminate boy who likes to wear drag...  "But so few people<BR>
really turn me on it seems like a shame to get hung up on a gender issue!"<BR>
<BR>
(OTOH, I do have one friend who swears she can always predict who in any<BR>
given room full of people I will find most attractive.  And there is the<BR>
joke that was current last spring... "Oh, Kiri has a new BF"...  "Really?<BR>
What instrument does he play, and what prefecture did he emigrate from?")<BR>
<BR>
I have one person in my life that I really really want and love, and I'm<BR>
grateful for that... as big as I talk, I don't know how I would ever deal<BR>
with the scheduling issues, which were always a killer the few times I had<BR>
more than one serious relationship going.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect<BR>
and love your darkest side, disposing of only what is obsolete or<BR>
impractical.  It's all about giving yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 03:17:03 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> In a message dated 1/7/00 11:55:25 AM Pacific Standard Time, <BR>
> gridlore@pop.mindspring.com writes:<BR>
><BR>
> << So come the night of the big party, a WWII German Staff car with<BR>
>  >motorcycle escort drives up. He gets out in an SS "Colonel"'s<BR>
>  >uniform and enters the party.  >><BR>
><BR>
> I can deal with the Werwacht, but SS uniforms offend me...<BR>
<BR>
I do understand. But if you just look at them as *clothing* they are<BR>
rather "neat" looking. Which, naturally, only makes this worse. <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, 8 Jan 2000 03:14:59 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 03:02 AM 1/7/2000 PST, you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>>So come the night of the big party, a WWII German Staff car with<BR>
>>motorcycle escort drives up. He gets out in an SS "Colonel"'s<BR>
>>uniform and enters the party. <BR>
><BR>
> Donna Barr (who draws the Desert Peach and has done Traveller illustrations<BR>
> in the past) tends to wear the uniform of a Wehrmacht Feldwebel to parties.<BR>
>  She's dyed it pink.<BR>
<BR>
I ran into her at several Orycons (until the concom started getting<BR>
anal about "weapons"). She and her "crew" tended to run around in<BR>
various Wehrmacht uniforms, and *not* "pristine" ones. Field uniforms,<BR>
well broken in.<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, 8 Jan 2000 03:18:10 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>> On Behalf Of Leonard Erickson<BR>
>><BR>
>> In hot weather a light "dress" (aka SCA "robe") is a *lot* more<BR>
>> comfortable than trousers *or* shorts.<BR>
><BR>
> There's a polynesian "dress" that men wear a lot over here. Can't remember<BR>
> the name for it, but I think it starts with 'm'. Mu-mu or something like<BR>
> that.<BR>
><BR>
> Also, the head of our police 'union' a few years back, used to wear a kaftan<BR>
> most of the time, another culture's valid male "dress".<BR>
<BR>
> I'm currently wearing (because it's quite hot outside) just a very large<BR>
> T-shirt, one that comes to my knees when standing.<BR>
<BR>
Yep, definitely a "tunic".<BR>
<BR>
Alas, all of the above tend to be viewed as "womens clothes" over here.<BR>
<BR>
I wish I knew where my late friend got his djellaba. Kinda nice.<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, 8 Jan 2000 03:09:16 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> The other problem was  the  lack  of  pockets.  In  a  high  tech<BR>
> environment I would think there is less that you  need  to  carry<BR>
> (no physical money or keys, for example).  Also the hair  on  the<BR>
> forearms and chest and elsewhere could be genetically altered  to<BR>
> have velco-like properties to hold lightweight items (like  small<BR>
> PADDs or spare ammo  magazines).  Nipple  rings  could  serve  as<BR>
> conveinent teather points for lightweight equipment, too.<BR>
<BR>
Not on *my* body you don't. <BR>
<BR>
I happen to know someone who got a nipple ring snagged on something.<BR>
The ring *didn't* tear out, but they almost wished it had.<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, 8 Jan 2000 03:05:48 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>>I would have preferred to avoid being this graphic, but you guys keep<BR>
> thinking it's just menstruation I'm talking about.<BR>
>>><BR>
>> Males tend to be "thick as a block of neutronium" when it comes to<BR>
> feminine hygine issues, Kiri.  Even many who are *married*....<BR>
>><BR>
> Hai, so desu ne...  ::sigh::<BR>
><BR>
> (it really doesn't need to be translated, or I would have..)<BR>
<BR>
Besides, it's one of the things that even a gaijin tends to pick up<BR>
after Shogun, various bits of Anime, and the occasional samurai flick. :-)<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, 08 Jan 2000 12:42:45 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: Presidential Jelly Donuts<BR>
<BR>
Jeff Zeitlin wrote:<BR>
> As I understand it, the problem wasn't the word "Berliner"; it<BR>
> was the word "ein".  IOW, "Ich bin Berliner", I am a resident of<BR>
> Berlin; "Ich bin ein Berliner" (which is what JFK said), I am a<BR>
> jelly-donut.<BR>
><BR>
> The semantic equivalent in English would be for a Dane to come to<BR>
> this country and say "I am a Danish" vs "I am Danish".  Although<BR>
> I would generally expect a Dane to have better English than<BR>
> President Kennedy had German.<BR>
<BR>
I disagree, but I may be wrong. Are there any native Germans on the list<BR>
who can sort this out? From what I remember of my studies:<BR>
<BR>
"Ich bin Berliner" relates to "I am Danish" the same way as<BR>
"Ich bin ein Berliner" relates to "I am a Dane"<BR>
<BR>
A German would have no problem with any of the sentences.<BR>
<BR>
No more than you English-speaking folks would think that the paragraph<BR>
above this one means that Germans may be punished (I sentence you to<BR>
five months in prison) in any fashion.<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 03:50:37 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: fashions<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) wrote<BR>
><BR>
>> In mail you [Peter Newman] write:<BR>
><BR>
>> > " Temperature: The interior of a normal ship is about<BR>
>> > 25 degrees C [77 F]." - CT Sup. 7 Traders & Gunboats <BR>
>> > p. 7.<BR>
><BR>
>> At 77 degrees I and a number of people I know will be wearing as little<BR>
>> as we can get away with. Because it's way outside our "comfort zone".<BR>
><BR>
> Then would be wearing shorts & a short sleeved shirt? Or<BR>
> is it so far outside your comfort zone that you'd prefer<BR>
> to be shirtless?<BR>
<BR>
It's far enough outside my comfort zone that I open windows in mid<BR>
winter. My apartment hits that sort of temp *in spite* of the termostat<BR>
being set far lower due to weird flows between apartments in the<BR>
building. <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, 8 Jan 2000 03:54:19 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Zane H. Healy wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> Was it all 24 episodes?  I'd heard they weren't going to show quite the<BR>
>> entire run of the original show.  I was lucky and was able to watch the 24<BR>
>> hour marathon the Sci-Fi channel did in '93, now that's the way to see it!<BR>
>> Unfortunatly I've not gotten a chance to see it since then :^(<BR>
><BR>
> I don't think it was quite 24 episodes.  It was 21 hours total.  I<BR>
> read on one of the Battlestar sites that the show was packaged some<BR>
> years ago into a 21 hour miniseries type of thing.  They left a<BR>
> couple of shows out on purpose--I don't know why.  And, I read that<BR>
> this package had a couple of additional scenes not seen anywhere else.<BR>
<BR>
> I'm sure this is what Sci-Fi showed.<BR>
><BR>
> They strung it all together, telling almost a complete story.  I say<BR>
> "almost" because there is no ending, of course.<BR>
<BR>
> I think it might have been nice to add the very first show of<BR>
> Galactica 1980--just because they find Earth in that one (although I,<BR>
> like most Galactica fans, hated G: 1980.  I didn't like it even as a<BR>
> kid.)<BR>
<BR>
Actually, there's *one* Galactica 1980 episode that (with suitable<BR>
editing) *belongs* in the original series. It's the one where Starbuck<BR>
crash lands on a planet and rebuilds a Cyclon out of sheer *boredom*.<BR>
<BR>
It has a *priceless* line from the Cyclon. One that confirms what<BR>
*everyone* had been thinking all along. Starbuck has said something<BR>
along the lines of "If you are so smart, how come *you* crashed here?"<BR>
<BR>
"We were taking a vote on what to do when the planet came up and hit us."<BR>
<BR>
Yep, Cyclons really *do* fly by committee. Which explains why they have<BR>
three per fighter...<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, 8 Jan 2000 03:22:25 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Voice of Reason (Solomani Version)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>> From: Leonard Erickson<BR>
>> In mail you write:<BR>
>> <BR>
>>> Actually, I have not. I have the AM: Solomani, but I have<BR>
>>> researched Soviet propaganda and watch the Psicorp/Nightwatch<BR>
>>> episodes of Babylon 5.<BR>
 <BR>
>> Try to dig up a copy of a book a friend gave me for Christmas about 10<BR>
>> years back:<BR>
>> <BR>
>> "Chekisty: History of the KGB" (and it's predecessors...)<BR>
<BR>
I just realized that it managed to *escape* winding up in storage, and<BR>
was on the reference shelf across the room. <BR>
<BR>
CHEKISTY: A History of the KGB<BR>
John J. Dziak<BR>
Ivy Books 1988<BR>
(published by Ballatine Books)<BR>
ISBN 0-8041-0381-X<BR>
<BR>
>> When someone at work commented on it I merely smiled and said I was<BR>
>> studying it for tips on administering the LAN. :-)<BR>
><BR>
> I'm not sure of the scale, but I think that's a 1.<BR>
><BR>
> Of course, propaganda isn't just the property of "totalitarian" societies,<BR>
> nor are secret police forces, and so on.<BR>
<BR>
The author points out that Soviet society was almost a<BR>
counter-intelligence organ in and of itself. Far more than "mere"<BR>
propoganda there.<BR>
<BR>
And the book has wonderful likes like a chart/timeline/family tree of<BR>
the various Soviet intelligence services over the years from the<BR>
Revolution to the time of the book. file off some serial numbers and<BR>
you've got a history of several agencies for some Traveller power,<BR>
complete with historical alliances and rivalries.<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, 8 Jan 2000 22:52:56 +1100<BR>
From: "AB" <ab@rossmack.com><BR>
Subject: Temperature aboard ship (was 'Fashion')<BR>
<BR>
Forwarded through the XBoat network:<BR>
<BR>
> I always have the engineers keep my ship at 17C in the crew areas and 23C<BR>
> (that's 62.6F and 73.4F for you old Solomani) up in passenger country.  It<BR>
> discourages the passengers from wearing too much clothing, making it<BR>
harder<BR>
> for them to conceal weapons or other nasties on their person.  It also<BR>
> discourages them psychologically from trying to get into areas of the ship<BR>
> that aren't restricted but where we don't want them wandering.  I keep the<BR>
> lights slightly dimmer in those areas for the same reason.<BR>
><BR>
> N Taylor<BR>
> Captain,<BR>
> PMV Dazzle Response<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 06:17:36 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong (was re: Turbolifts)<BR>
<BR>
He, he, he.  Grav Pong great idea.  My wife the space-pirate loves the<BR>
idea, too.  She also mentions its just another reason to have spare<BR>
pirate engineers for boardings to take control of engineering first,<BR>
even if the victim's already surrendered.<BR>
<BR>
darkhstarr<BR>
<BR>
Walter Smith wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Evyn MacDude wrote:<BR>
> >> moving the ship. Even a Free Trader should be able to turn any<BR>
> >>corridor into a deadly bottomless pit by turning off the gravity<BR>
> >> and reversing the inertial comp every couple of seconds.<BR>
> <BR>
> >Yep.... This maneuver is called Grav Pong.<BR>
> <BR>
> Yep. The ability to do Grav Pong means that there will seldom, if ever,<BR>
> be a shipboard combat action as seen in _Snapshot_ or _Azhanti<BR>
> High Lightning_. The guy sitting at the main Engineering console<BR>
> can kill anyone, anywhere on the ship with a touch of a button.<BR>
> <BR>
> The only way around this, if Grav Pong is possible, is for the intruder<BR>
> to be able to lock out the Engineer's controls (or the Bridge repeaters)<BR>
> before the fight starts. It's hard to see how the intruder could get that<BR>
> much control *before* the battle starts - if anything, that kind of control<BR>
> of the ship would be an *objective* of the battle.<BR>
> <BR>
> Thus I tried out a handwave/idea to make Grav-Pong less of a danger<BR>
> IMTU.<BR>
> <BR>
> Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 06:36:27 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav-Pong<BR>
<BR>
A rule of thumb of my wife developed as the space Bette Noire is never<BR>
board a vessel until it has surrendered or the powerplant put out of<BR>
operation.  In the case of surrender, she usually orders all personnel (<BR>
and passengers, if any)to quarters except for the captain or surviving<BR>
ranking ship officer.  And then boards while reminding the victim that<BR>
her weapons are still locked on target.<BR>
<BR>
darkhstarr<BR>
<BR>
Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Walter Smith writes:<BR>
> >Erwin Fritz wrote:<BR>
> >>Unless at least one of the boarders (the first guy in the door)<BR>
> >>has a vacc suit that has some sort of "anchor" to fix him to a<BR>
> >>spot of his choosing. He can anchor himself while he works on a<BR>
> >>manual override of the grav controls, if one exists.<BR>
> >For just this reason, no ship designer ought to install a manual<BR>
> >override to any significant grav controls where the "first man in<BR>
> >the door" of a boarding party can get to it.<BR>
> <BR>
>         Naturally, engineering would be one of the primary targets<BR>
>         of boarding parties, but I agree that disabling a ships<BR>
>         gravetics would be difficult to accomplish quickly.  As<BR>
>         we are on the subject, what are the best tactics in boarding<BR>
>         /repelling (assuming that grav pong is not an option).<BR>
> <BR>
> >>Alternatively, the boarders could come in with their own portable<BR>
> >>grav plates and use them to override the ship's ones.<BR>
> >So they can only fight where they've "laid down a carpet"?<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
> <BR>
>         Sounds awkward.  I suppose that FGMP-equiped troops could<BR>
>         blast away any nearby gravetics.  It might also be possible<BR>
>         to disable specific systems, if you know where to do it.<BR>
>         for example, the boarding ship could pull alongside (within<BR>
>         a few hundred meters) and use pinpoint laser shots to cut<BR>
>         critical power/control lines.  Boarders might do something<BR>
>         similar using explosive or thermal charges (or their personal<BR>
>         weapon).<BR>
> <BR>
> >>IMTU, grav plates don't instantly change G forces. It takes one<BR>
> >>combat round per change of G. So, to reduce a room to zero-G takes<BR>
> >>one round.<BR>
> >It's not so much the floor plates that cause grav pong, as the<BR>
> >inertial compensators.<BR>
> <BR>
>         I always figured that the floor plates provided G compensation.<BR>
>         If one assumes that the floor plates can create a G field on<BR>
>         an angle, then the net field can be made to be 1G straight<BR>
>         "down."<BR>
> <BR>
> >If I stop the ship with 1G of acceleration, *something* stopped you<BR>
> >from moving towards the bow at 1G. If I turn the ship with 3G's of<BR>
> >lateral acceleration, something stopped you from moving towards<BR>
> >the side of the ship at 3G's. If grav plates only pull down, then<BR>
> >the ones in the floor can't stop these other movements.<BR>
> <BR>
>         This may be version-dependant, but IMTU (CT) ships can only<BR>
>         accelerate at their rated M-drive straight ahead, and must<BR>
>         turn the ship around to accelerate in the opposite direction.<BR>
>         Lateral acceleration, and angular acceleration, are generated<BR>
>         by much smaller thrusters that only manage about 10% of the<BR>
>         main drive's G.<BR>
> <BR>
> >Therefore, if inertial comp is based on grav plates, then every<BR>
> >wall, floor and ceiling of areas protected by inertial comp must<BR>
> >have a grav plate in them, all linked together to provide *near-<BR>
> >instant* applications of G-forces appropriate to cancel out the<BR>
> >effects of accelerations on people in the ship.<BR>
> <BR>
>         I like the sophonts on board to feel the ship maneuvering,<BR>
>         so I am quite happy with a time lag on G compensation.<BR>
> <BR>
> <snipped><BR>
> >First variant:<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
> >Extreme external accelerations applied to this field will be pretty<BR>
> >much unnoticed until a certain stress level is reached, which<BR>
> >causes the field to fail almost instantly.<BR>
> <BR>
>         Is it necessary to have it behave in this fashion?  I would<BR>
>         have a time lag in response to changing accelerations, and<BR>
>         the field would continue to function if an acceleration<BR>
>         exceeded the plate's ability to completely compensate.<BR>
> <BR>
> >These grav plates take some time to build up a charge, so while<BR>
> >you can turn them off pretty quickly, turning them on again takes<BR>
> >seconds or minutes per G. Even if you can get that corridor to 6G,<BR>
> >it will take a while.<BR>
> <BR>
>         Sounds good, though one could have them slow going off as<BR>
>         well.<BR>
> <BR>
> >You can still turn off the grav plates, then turn on the engines<BR>
> >and toss the enemy in the shut off areas around with some hefty<BR>
> >maneuvers. To do this, your maneuver drives will have to be<BR>
> >operational - and you usually can't board a ship that has<BR>
> >operational manuever drives.<BR>
> <BR>
>         It could still be useful vs hijackers, aggressive carnivorous<BR>
>         xenomorphs, etc.<BR>
> <BR>
> >Second variant: Inertial compensation is actually Inertial<BR>
> >Dampening.<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
> <BR>
>         This works very well, though ponging boarders might still<BR>
>         be possible once the crew has strapped in.  I still like<BR>
>         the Traveller feel of using grav plates: just my own<BR>
>         prejudice.<BR>
> <BR>
>         Are grav plates available at TL7?  Low-tech ships IMTU<BR>
>         have no artificial gravity.<BR>
> <BR>
> Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 10:56:20 +1000<BR>
From: "Alan Bradley" <alanb@elf.brisnet.org.au><BR>
Subject: Space Island One<BR>
<BR>
I ran into an odd show on TV last night - Space Island One.  It was on at<BR>
2.30am, so I guess they weren't expecting anyone to actually be watching...<BR>
<BR>
It was pretty average stuff, but it was SF.  Basically, it was about a<BR>
bunch of people on a space station... and that about sums it up.  The<BR>
technology was pretty near future stuff, with some robots and decent<BR>
computers.<BR>
<BR>
It seems to have been made in Britain, in 1997.  Has anyone heard of<BR>
it/seen it before?<BR>
<BR>
Alan Bradley<BR>
alanb@elf.brisnet.org.au<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 07 Jan 1980 20:40:05 -0800<BR>
From: Rob Dean <rsdean@erols.com><BR>
Subject: RAFM Ships for Sale<BR>
<BR>
I've got a batch of RAFM CT-era (in appearance) ships that I'd like<BR>
to get rid of.  I'd like $50, and the lot consists of:<BR>
<BR>
1 Lab ship<BR>
1 Type R Subsidized Merchant<BR>
2 System Defense Boats<BR>
2 Gazelles<BR>
4 A2 Far traders<BR>
4 Type A Free Traders<BR>
2 Yachts<BR>
6 Type S Scouts<BR>
and 15 small craft (looks like 3 Shuttles, and 4 each cutters,<BR>
pinnaces and ships boats).<BR>
<BR>
I've painted one Far Trade and one Scout, remainder unpainted or<BR>
primed.  <BR>
<BR>
Reply off-list please!<BR>
<BR>
Rob Dean<BR>
(Traveller Dinosaur)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 12:57:16 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
>BTW, just to make it clear, while a centrifuge may apply a constant 6G of<BR>
>scalar value to the person, acceleration is a change in velocity, and<BR>
>velocity is a vector, and the vector is constantly changing in a<BR>
centrifuge.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
No, relative to the person being swung, the acceleration vector applies in a<BR>
constant direction (upward through the axis of the body). Since you only<BR>
want to analyse the force on the person, you can use them as the frame of<BR>
reference.<BR>
<BR>
Normally the capsule on the end of the centruge arm is suspended in a cradle<BR>
which allows it to swing outward as the speed increases, specifically to<BR>
allow the pilot to experience a constant upward force.<BR>
<BR>
>But that's just my current thoughts, we don't have medical knowledge on the<BR>
>effects of contant accelerations greater than 1G.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I believe some long-duration tests have been conducted in centrifuges by<BR>
either NASA or the USAF, but I don't know either what the results were, or<BR>
even if they were made fully public.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, I've always used the FFS rule that every uncompensated gee over 1<BR>
makes tasks a level more difficult. I rarely find this a problem though, as<BR>
the TL-9 ships without inertial comp can rarely pull over 2G, and the<BR>
acceleration tends to increase in proportion with the compensator power as<BR>
TL rises.<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 23:54:31 +1000<BR>
From: "Alan Bradley" <alanb@elf.brisnet.org.au><BR>
Subject: Earth 21C<BR>
<BR>
24 December 1999<BR>
PSLV can launch satellite to Moon<BR>
NEW DELHI: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has begun preliminary<BR>
studies to assess the feasibility of undertaking a mission to Moon and<BR>
India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is capable of sending a<BR>
spacecraft there, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.<BR>
Minister of State in the Department of Space Vasundhara Raje said in a<BR>
written reply that such a mission would help understand the formation and<BR>
evolution of Moon by collecting new data on distribution of elements like<BR>
thorium, uranium and potassium on the lunar surface.<BR>
Other advantages of the mission, which was still under preliminary<BR>
examination, would be from investigating cometary matter, prospecting<BR>
helium<BR>
and studying lunar interior, she said.<BR>
On a question on transfer of technology to private companies for<BR>
manufacture<BR>
and launch of PSLVs, Raje said ISRO was holding the preliminary phase of<BR>
discussions with potential industries for the move.<BR>
This would help the ISRO concentrate on hi-tech research and development,<BR>
system engineering and management, while the task of large-scale<BR>
manufacturing could be entrusted to the industry, she said.<BR>
Currently, many sub-systems and components used by the ISRO were being<BR>
supplied by private companies, she said.<BR>
 For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service<BR>
|Disclaimer|<BR>
For comments and feedback send Email<BR>
Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 1999.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 04:07:45 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: "Family"<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On Fri, 7 Jan 2000, Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> Via electronic medium on 1/4/00 2:02 PM, jzeitlin@cyburban.com wrote:<BR>
>> <BR>
>> > I'm a lesbian trapped in a man's body!<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Hey! I've been using that line for nigh on three years now, and I don't<BR>
>> remember using it online. Parallel creativity? Or has the phrase wandered<BR>
><BR>
> It's an extremely popular phrase.  For males to voice their lesbian<BR>
> identity is, it seems, the cutting edge of gender philosophy in<BR>
> contemporary America.  When I was at UMich in the early '90s, it seemed to<BR>
> be the standard pickup line for frat boys.<BR>
><BR>
>> off on it's own? Reason for my usage: I never understood the mindset of<BR>
>> hetero male skinmonkeys, yet I am (nominally) hetero. Chat with lesbian<BR>
>> friends led me to realize my mindset on sex was more like theirs. I <BR>
> scrawled<BR>
><BR>
> I hear this a lot from straight males, but I have yet to hear it from a<BR>
> lesbian.  A lesbian without a penis, I mean!  Must be careful to specify<BR>
> nowadays.<BR>
<BR>
You need to specify "without a *natural* (as opposed to *artifical*)<BR>
penis". As a lesbian friend says, "Hell yes, I have a penis. I have a<BR>
whole *drawer* full of them. And most of them are probably bigger than<BR>
that jerk's..."<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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1707<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 8 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1708<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: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
Re: Vargr and Dogs<BR>
re:  101 Schools - What's Needed?<BR>
RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1707<BR>
Re: fashions<BR>
RE: Grav Pong<BR>
ObTrav - Jurisdiction (was GURPS vs. T5)<BR>
Re: I don't wanna think about it<BR>
Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
Re: Re: Re Archaeology, Paleontology, and Traveller<BR>
re:  101 Schools - What's Needed?<BR>
Re: genderstuph<BR>
Re: Fashions<BR>
Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
RE: Finding People<BR>
Re: GURPS Nudeworld<BR>
Re: GURPS vs. T5?<BR>
Re: KFC<BR>
Re: GURPS vs. T5?<BR>
Re: Re Archaeology, Paleontology, and Traveller<BR>
Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 15:00:01 GMT<BR>
From: j_pete@bellsouth.net (Pete)<BR>
Subject: Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 7 Jan 2000 22:13:25 -0500, "J. Mark Brooks"<BR>
<jmbrooks@bigfoot.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>How did that series end, by the way?<BR>
><BR>
With a whimper.<BR>
<BR>
================================================================================<BR>
- - Jeff Peterson                                             j_pete@bellsouth.net<BR>
"To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."<BR>
                                                    -George Washington<BR>
Pete 0609 D258A85-3 S kk- hi++ as+ va++ dr++ so zh- vi+ da++ A833<BR>
NOG #74  AirStar Nova 700<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 08:14:08 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Vargr and Dogs<BR>
<BR>
>(What kind of variabiltiy<BR>
>would primates show with selective breeding?)<BR>
<BR>
How else would you explain the National Football League?<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, 7 Jan 2000 16:06:17 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: re:  101 Schools - What's Needed?<BR>
<BR>
>You need the category "Degrees offered".  The following issues<BR>
>should be addressed:<BR>
><BR>
>-Associate's / Bachelor's / Master's / Doctor's degrees<BR>
>-degrees in Arts / Sciences / Engineering / Fine Arts<BR>
>(e.g. BA or BS or BFA)<BR>
<BR>
This is the traditional Solomani approach. What about Vilani scholastics?<BR>
Do they have different degrees?  Different identifiers?<BR>
<BR>
>-Professional degrees (e.g. JD, MD) (and by implication,<BR>
>professional schools attached)<BR>
>-Vocational programs and certificates (e.g., Certificate in<BR>
>Gravitic Maintenance)<BR>
<BR>
A while back I posted my way of handling certificates and degrees, which is<BR>
a way of abstracting the final exam. The player still gets any benefits<BR>
from the school/training program, but before they get the official<BR>
qualification they must "pass the exam": succeed at a task requiring the<BR>
skill in question. This allows for players who have the skills but can't<BR>
prove it, and also for NPCs who passed the exam but don't really have the<BR>
skills (or as high a level as they are claiming).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 08:27:44 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
<BR>
>Ok, I sit corrected. But he was *really* ill while writing IWFNE. <BR>
<BR>
That might explain why it's at the bottom of most people's RAH lists...<BR>
<BR>
>And as I said, try tracking down some of his earlier stuff. It's mostly<BR>
>pretty good, and there's a *lot* of variety.<BR>
<BR>
One thing I discovered when finding the RAH FAQ (which includes a complete<BR>
list of his works) -- there's a lot of early stuff that I never heard of<BR>
on the list. Sixth Column, for example. I started reading RAH in high <BR>
school, as the school library had a complete set of his "juvenile" works<BR>
and a few others (Starship Troopers, The Door Into Summer).<BR>
<BR>
Any ones in particular you'd suggest among "his earlier stuff"?<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, 08 Jan 2000 08:40:14 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1707<BR>
<BR>
>> The semantic equivalent in English would be for a Dane to come to<BR>
>> this country and say "I am a Danish" vs "I am Danish".  Although<BR>
>> I would generally expect a Dane to have better English than<BR>
>> President Kennedy had German.<BR>
><BR>
>I disagree, but I may be wrong. Are there any native Germans on the list<BR>
>who can sort this out? <BR>
<BR>
I posted a confirmation from a native German earlier in this thread: my<BR>
mother emigrated from Germany when she was 19. She also taught German in<BR>
high school at one point (she's now retired). And I did check with her<BR>
on this recently, when the thread came up. "Ich bin ein Berliner" does<BR>
really mean "I am a jelly doughnut" -- although if you get a Berliner <BR>
in Germany, you'd have something similar to, but not identical to, the<BR>
jelly donut you'd get at the local Tim Horton's or Dunkin Donuts...<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, 08 Jan 2000 10:43:50 -0500<BR>
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net><BR>
Subject: Re: fashions<BR>
<BR>
At 04:42 pm 1/6/00 PST, you wrote:<BR>
>In mail you write:<BR>
><BR>
>> [I will discuss only shipboard fashions in this post.]<BR>
>><BR>
>> " Temperature: The interior of a normal ship is about<BR>
>> 25 degrees C [77 F]." - CT Sup. 7 Traders & Gunboats <BR>
>> p. 7.<BR>
>><BR>
>> Given this bit of canon we need top ask what kind<BR>
>> of clothes most people tend to wear when it is this<BR>
>> temperature?<BR>
><BR>
>At 77 degrees I and a number of people I know will be wearing as<BR>
little<BR>
>as we can get away with. Because it's way outside our "comfort<BR>
zone".<BR>
><BR>
>I don't know *where* they got that figure, but "standard" room temp<BR>
is<BR>
>more like 70F (21C). And 20C (68F) is often quoted as "normal".<BR>
<BR>
	Time to put another sweater on ...<BR>
<BR>
- -- Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with your Microsoft<BR>
product.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 11:17:40 -0500<BR>
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net><BR>
Subject: RE: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
At 07:09 pm 1/7/00 -0400, you wrote:<BR>
>At 03:28 PM 1/7/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>><snipped><BR>
>><BR>
>>	Bear in mind that typical military vessels must compensate<BR>
>>	for 3+ G.  Picture the Pirate climbing a vertical metal<BR>
>>	wall carrying 200+ kg.<BR>
>><BR>
>>Peez<BR>
>><BR>
>        It seems to me that a modern CF-18 can hit 10+ if the pilot<BR>
is<BR>
>stupid (such as an outside loop at full throttle)....<BR>
>        CF-18, I think by COACC figures has around 2g accel, so,<BR>
you'd<BR>
>presume that a 6-g accel mil-ship would be excerting forces of 30g's<BR>
during<BR>
>hard maneuvering.<BR>
<BR>
	The 6-G mil ship doesn't have *anything* to cause the acceleration<BR>
but its 6-G drive, and therefore CANNOT suffer more than 6Gs in<BR>
space.<BR>
<BR>
	The CF-18 is using its aerodynamic surfaces and high airspeed to<BR>
generate 10G aerodynamic forces, not the ~1G engine. If the pilot<BR>
continues high-G maneuvers he quickly runs out of airspeed; the<BR>
engine isn't capable of making speed as fast as he uses it. "Speed is<BR>
Life" is a fighter pilot motto, meaning he who has the most speed at<BR>
the beginning of the engagement can maneuver more and hopefully<BR>
survive.<BR>
<BR>
- -- Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with your Microsoft<BR>
product.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 16:13:38 -0000<BR>
From: "Mark Preston" <mark@mpreston.demon.co.uk><BR>
Subject: ObTrav - Jurisdiction (was GURPS vs. T5)<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
[mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Trevor,<BR>
Peter<BR>
Sent: 07 January 2000 14:50<BR>
To: 'traveller@lists.imagiconline.com'<BR>
Subject: RE: GURPS vs. T5?<BR>
I agree that limited discussion helps (which is why I am replying) but<BR>
only when there is a basis for comparison. Unfortunately, this issue<BR>
has been a "can he be busted" discussion instead. The difference<BR>
between the limited UK application of the "citizens breaking our law<BR>
**anywhere** must answer to the courts" and the US attitude of "US law<BR>
applies to **anything** that appears in the US regardless of what<BR>
jurisdiction it is based in or who it comes from" is very interesting.<BR>
<BR>
Mark Preston wrote:<BR>
> Please, people, stop talking drivel. California law applies to<BR>
> California and not, for instance, to me in the UK. Please be aware<BR>
of<BR>
> sensible jurisdictional boundaries and don't fill the list with<BR>
<BR>
[snip]<BR>
<BR>
Two points:<BR>
<BR>
1) I find that the occasional (and limited discussion) about  law<BR>
   in other countries can be useful as a  Traveller  Ref<BR>
<BR>
[snip]<BR>
<BR>
2) Actually "sensible jurisdictional boundaries" no longer  apply<BR>
   to UK citizens (at the whim of Parliament).  There are only  a<BR>
   few examples I'm aware of so far but the  precedent  has  been<BR>
   made: UK laws can be applied to UK citizens outside the UK!<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 11:29:08 -0500<BR>
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net><BR>
Subject: Re: I don't wanna think about it<BR>
<BR>
At 11:47 pm 1/7/00 EST, you wrote:<BR>
>In a message dated 00-01-07 18:43:02 EST, you write:<BR>
><BR>
><< Well, except the part about<BR>
> anally-inserted fusion incinerators.) >><BR>
><BR>
>There are certain words that should never appear in the same<BR>
sentence. <BR>
>"anally-inserted" and  "fusion incinerators" are one set. 'Sexually <BR>
>transmitted" and "flesh-eating bacteria" are another. <BR>
<BR>
	OK, who's keeping score? This is the first time I have *ever* burst<BR>
out laughing while reading email. Were I drinking, my treasured<BR>
Natural Keyboard (*not* Elite) would be dead, the cat would be wet,<BR>
and my jar'o'snacks would be filled ...<BR>
<BR>
	The worst part about this? I desperately want to share the joke with<BR>
somebody, but you just can't! Imagine forwarding that email to a<BR>
non-TML friend or coworker.<BR>
<BR>
- -- Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with your Microsoft<BR>
product.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 09:20:41 -0800<BR>
From: "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> >How did that series end, by the way?<BR>
> ><BR>
> With a whimper.<BR>
><BR>
I hear that Hollywood may remake the show (this from host of 'Red's Classic<BR>
Movies' out here in Lotus Land, have no idea where he got his info from)<BR>
<BR>
Wayne<BR>
wewart@home.com<BR>
icq22113294<BR>
http://www.members.home.net/wewart/wewart/traveller/<BR>
<BR>
Give a man fire and he is warm for the night.<BR>
Set a man on fire and he is warm all his life.<BR>
- - Terry Pratchett<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 11:31:19 -0600<BR>
From: Kenneth Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions <dreamer@brokersys.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
<BR>
TDRandall@aol.com wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Funny, the only episode I really remember that pushed the plot to its desired conclusion was when Apollo caught some footage from Earth regarding the lunar landing.  Seems like it was such a bad environment (noisy, over the engines?) and used such antiquated technology that Starbuck told him there was noway he had really captured anything worthwhile.<BR>
><BR>
> Was there anything that put them definitely closer to Earth in the real series?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
One thing that caught my attention the second time around was that they travelled through galaxies.  I didn't comprehend what that meant in 8th grade.<BR>
<BR>
As the series went on, they moved farther and farther away from the Cylons, which I thought was cool.  I remember thinking the series was very episodic, like Star Trek.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, it is quite linear story-telling, like Babylon 5.  There are several two-parters and a couple of three-parters.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
As far as them getting to Earth, that would be the first episode of the second series, called Galactica 1980.  It is a completely horrible series, but they do find Earth, right there in the beginning.<BR>
<BR>
Kenneth.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 12:33:17 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Re: Re Archaeology, Paleontology, and Traveller<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 7 Jan 2000, William F. Hostman wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> >On Fri, 7 Jan 2000, William F. Hostman wrote:<BR>
> ><BR>
> >> One of the problems with the traveller setting is that, for the viability<BR>
> >> of the speciation problem, the date should be about 30,000 YBP (-35,000<BR>
> >> YI), rather than 300,000 YBP.  Otherwise, we're looking at early hominids,<BR>
> >> possibly even some australopithecines, some not-quite-wolves-yet canids,<BR>
> ><BR>
> >At least for the hominid side of things, no.  Homo sapiens (in what it<BR>
> >pleases us to call the real world) goes back to around 400kya; modern H.<BR>
> >sapiens to 30something kya. (Which would make a great TV series, dontcha<BR>
> >think?)<BR>
> <BR>
> Uh, Kenji, the dating of H. sapiens further back than 250 KYBP is argued hotly.<BR>
> <BR>
> H. Erectus is the species I should have listed, and Erectus is known to<BR>
> date at least 700 kybp, and seems gone by 125 kybp; most acknowledge H.<BR>
> Sapiens archaic to between 400 and 125 KYBP, but the vast majority of what<BR>
> I've read indicates they began appearing as recognizably H. S. a as opposed<BR>
> to H. Erectus about 250 KYBP. There is no question by 200 KYBP. there is<BR>
> much question for prior to 295 KYBP, the END of the dominion of the<BR>
> anchients & their final war.<BR>
<BR>
Okay; I'll take your word for this.  My knowledge of the field is based on<BR>
a couple classes & seminars the better part of a decade ago.<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 12:35:27 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: re:  101 Schools - What's Needed?<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 7 Jan 2000, Robert Prior wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> >-Associate's / Bachelor's / Master's / Doctor's degrees<BR>
> >-degrees in Arts / Sciences / Engineering / Fine Arts<BR>
> >(e.g. BA or BS or BFA)<BR>
> <BR>
> This is the traditional Solomani approach. What about Vilani scholastics?<BR>
> Do they have different degrees?  Different identifiers?<BR>
<BR>
Personally, I prefer to tone down the Vilani influence in the 3rd<BR>
Imperium, especially compared to the T4/M:0 stuff that was published.  I<BR>
prefer making Vilani culture & influence limited to the spheres of a) the<BR>
four Vilani megacorps, and b) the Vilani Cultural Region (about half of<BR>
Vland Sector, in the MT/DGP materials).<BR>
<BR>
> A while back I posted my way of handling certificates and degrees, which is<BR>
> a way of abstracting the final exam. The player still gets any benefits<BR>
> from the school/training program, but before they get the official<BR>
> qualification they must "pass the exam": succeed at a task requiring the<BR>
> skill in question. This allows for players who have the skills but can't<BR>
> prove it, and also for NPCs who passed the exam but don't really have the<BR>
> skills (or as high a level as they are claiming).<BR>
<BR>
If you could repost this to me privately, I'd really enjoy reading it.<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 09:52:00 -0800<BR>
From: "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: genderstuph<BR>
<BR>
>Kiri wrote<BR>
><BR>
> Hiroshi may never master the art of remembering to put down the seat.  It<BR>
is<BR>
> not worth my sanity to get upset about it.  I do other things he finds<BR>
> annoying.<BR>
><BR>
I may be the only male in the world who's better half get mad when I put the<BR>
set down. Her cat love to drink from it and get very vocal (he is a Siamese<BR>
long hair) when he can't get to it.<BR>
<BR>
Wayne<BR>
wewart@home.com<BR>
icq22113294<BR>
http://www.members.home.net/wewart/wewart/traveller/<BR>
<BR>
Give a man fire and he is warm for the night.<BR>
Set a man on fire and he is warm all his life.<BR>
- - Terry Pratchett<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 09:41:00<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions<BR>
<BR>
At 11:46 PM 1/7/2000 EST, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>  I also note that the excuse of warm starships provide an <BR>
> excellent excuse for more Traveller art featuring scantily <BR>
> clad babes & hunks which should help Traveller sales & provide <BR>
> eye candy for Traveller fans. >><BR>
><BR>
>Not gonna happen -- SJ Game's contract is very clear on this point.<BR>
<BR>
This from the company that gave us the Bulletproof Nudity Rules (CII 76)<BR>
<BR>
"PCs can increase PD by undressing.  A ragged t-shirt or skintight bodysuit<BR>
is PD 3, stripped to the waist or skimpy swimwear is PD 5, total nudity is<BR>
PD 7.  Add +1 for female PCs."<BR>
<BR>
The Dan Smith illo on the same page is interesting, to say the least.  :)<BR>
<BR>
>Ha. Youngsters . . . I could be your father<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
>'s younger business partner.<BR>
<BR>
I'm now four years past my expected life expectancy.  Darn whippersnappers!<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
We all enter the world in the same way: naked, screaming, soaked in blood.<BR>
But if you live your life right, that kind of thing doesn't have to stop<BR>
there.  <BR>
- -- Dana Gould <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 09:47:35<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
<BR>
At 03:12 AM 1/8/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>But I like Heinlein's sexy/romantic polyamory stories.<BR>
><BR>
>Kiri  =)<BR>
<BR>
OK, I have to ask.  What do you think of "Friday"?<BR>
<BR>
If I get the answer I expect, I'm going to demand genetic testing between<BR>
this Kiri and mine to see if they are clones.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 09:53:06<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Finding People<BR>
<BR>
At 08:08 PM 1/8/2000 +1300, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>> Totally non Traveller anecdote: A great many people <BR>
>> think Loren Wiseman is a  woman, and even today <BR>
>> it is not uncommon for me to receive letters beginning <BR>
>> 'Dear Ms. Wiseman." <BR>
><BR>
>I have to admit I thought that way back in the seventies too.<BR>
>Then again, I also thought Lee Gold was a man. <BR>
<BR>
For a time in the mid-eighties I wrote fanzine stuff under the name D.E.<BR>
Berry (future Berry scholars will refer to this as the "pretentious ass<BR>
period").<BR>
<BR>
Somehow, I started getting mail for Dee Berry.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas "Penguin Boy" Berry  gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
  http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
"But that's not the point!" raged Ford. "The point is that I am now a<BR>
perfectly safe penguin, and my colleague here is rapidly running out of<BR>
limbs!"  - The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 09:54:47<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: GURPS Nudeworld<BR>
<BR>
At 12:34 AM 1/8/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>At 01:33 AM 1/8/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>>I take it, then, that I shouldn't hold my breath for the release of<BR>
>>GURPS Nudeworld...<BR>
><BR>
>Not unless Hugh Hefner or Larry Flynt buys Steve Jackson Games.<BR>
<BR>
Well, if Hefner buys it we might see a G: Bunnies and Burrows reprint...<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 09:56:32<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: GURPS vs. T5?<BR>
<BR>
At 02:31 AM 1/8/2000 PST, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>One of the more prominent "anonymous remailer" systems shut down a few<BR>
>years back after getting hit with a search warrant that a foreign<BR>
>prosecutor talked the local prosecutor into issuing.<BR>
<BR>
Ah, yes.. anon.penet.fi<BR>
<BR>
>And the case referred to involved a Tennessee DA filing charges against<BR>
>the operators of a California BBS on the theory that since the BBS<BR>
>could be *called* from TN, they were "delivering" the content to TN,<BR>
>making them subject to TN "community standards". The operators were<BR>
>convicted, and are either trying to get the Supreme Court to hear an<BR>
>appeal, or have had the appeal refused. <BR>
<BR>
The case is being appealed, and is expected to be overturned for a dozen<BR>
reasons.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 09:58:24<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC<BR>
<BR>
At 06:43 PM 1/8/2000 +1000, you wrote:<BR>
>Downunder, KFC ads do use the word "chicken" in their ads.  The KFC change,<BR>
>I imagined, was for trend... ever since "Kentucky Fried Chicken" came to Oz,<BR>
>the people called it KFC (I assume most countries did?  But if not, Aussies<BR>
>have a thing about shortening names if not changing them outright - like<BR>
>"Kentucky Duck" which was popular the length of the East Coast several years<BR>
>ago).<BR>
<BR>
We've always called it that... what's fun is KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut<BR>
are all owned by yhe same company, and have been comining operations.<BR>
<BR>
We call them Kentaco Huts.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 13:11:44 -0500<BR>
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net><BR>
Subject: Re: GURPS vs. T5?<BR>
<BR>
At 09:56 am 1/8/00, you wrote:<BR>
>At 02:31 AM 1/8/2000 PST, you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>>One of the more prominent "anonymous remailer" systems shut down a<BR>
few<BR>
>>years back after getting hit with a search warrant that a foreign<BR>
>>prosecutor talked the local prosecutor into issuing.<BR>
><BR>
>Ah, yes.. anon.penet.fi<BR>
><BR>
>>And the case referred to involved a Tennessee DA filing charges<BR>
against<BR>
>>the operators of a California BBS on the theory that since the BBS<BR>
>>could be *called* from TN, they were "delivering" the content to<BR>
TN,<BR>
>>making them subject to TN "community standards". The operators were<BR>
>>convicted, and are either trying to get the Supreme Court to hear<BR>
an<BR>
>>appeal, or have had the appeal refused. <BR>
><BR>
>The case is being appealed, and is expected to be overturned for a<BR>
dozen<BR>
>reasons.<BR>
<BR>
	After how many years, and at what cost to the original "victims?"<BR>
And for how long did Tennessee successfully impose their local<BR>
community standards and laws on that BBS and other BBSs so far,<BR>
simply out of fear? Whether it was constitutional or not, I'd say<BR>
they did a good job of getting their laws to rule elsewhere ...<BR>
<BR>
- -- Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with your Microsoft<BR>
product.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 10:16:43 -0800<BR>
From: "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Archaeology, Paleontology, and Traveller<BR>
<BR>
> 5) Assume Grandfather's empire continued to shift individuals from world<BR>
to<BR>
> world to prevent genetic drift from becoming too far, and thus preventing<BR>
> true speciation. Note: This one also explains abductions... GF is just<BR>
> making certain we can still interbreed... Now, where did he hide the<BR>
> uplifted cows?<BR>
><BR>
in the Two Thousand Worlds on Kikur<BR>
<BR>
Wayne<BR>
wewart@home.com<BR>
icq22113294<BR>
http://www.members.home.net/wewart/wewart/traveller/<BR>
<BR>
Give a man fire and he is warm for the night.<BR>
Set a man on fire and he is warm all his life.<BR>
- - Terry Pratchett<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 13:23:23 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
<BR>
I thought "Sixth Column" was pretty good.  There is a major war and the<BR>
Asians take over the U.S.  A group of freedom fighters comes across some new<BR>
types of weapons (memory is hazy here).  Wish I still had that book.<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: "Glenn St-Germain" <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2000 10:27 AM<BR>
Subject: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>Ok, I sit corrected. But he was *really* ill while writing IWFNE.<BR>
<BR>
That might explain why it's at the bottom of most people's RAH lists...<BR>
<BR>
>And as I said, try tracking down some of his earlier stuff. It's mostly<BR>
>pretty good, and there's a *lot* of variety.<BR>
<BR>
One thing I discovered when finding the RAH FAQ (which includes a complete<BR>
list of his works) -- there's a lot of early stuff that I never heard of<BR>
on the list. Sixth Column, for example.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 13:26:03 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
<BR>
Richard Hatch (Apollo) has been spear-heading an effort to bring BG back.<BR>
They've updated the viper designs and such.  There is a trailer out there<BR>
but not on the internet.<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: "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2000 12:20 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> ><BR>
> > >How did that series end, by the way?<BR>
> > ><BR>
> > With a whimper.<BR>
> ><BR>
> I hear that Hollywood may remake the show (this from host of 'Red's<BR>
Classic<BR>
> Movies' out here in Lotus Land, have no idea where he got his info from)<BR>
><BR>
> Wayne<BR>
> wewart@home.com<BR>
> icq22113294<BR>
> http://www.members.home.net/wewart/wewart/traveller/<BR>
><BR>
> Give a man fire and he is warm for the night.<BR>
> Set a man on fire and he is warm all his life.<BR>
> - Terry Pratchett<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 10:44:19 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
>(Before anyone thinks I'm some sort of wierdo here, my wife and I are<BR>
>in the midst of more "family planning" so this kind of thing is all too<BR>
>often the subject of dinner conversation. Well, except the part about<BR>
>anally-inserted fusion incinerators.)<BR>
><BR>
>Ethan<BR>
<BR>
Although a minor modification gives that possibilities as a<BR>
self-cauterizing rape shield, eh?  I'll leave it to Kenji to design the<BR>
actual game stats...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1708<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1709</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
Date:	1/8/00 4:39:09 PM Pacific Standard Time<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 8 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1709<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: Space Island One<BR>
Re: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
RE: Traveller-digest V1999 #1701<BR>
Re: Vargr and Dogs<BR>
RE: Finding People<BR>
Re: GURPS Nudeworld<BR>
RE: Finding People<BR>
Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
Primate Breeding Progress Report( was Re: Vargr and Dogs)<BR>
Space Dogs is an eye-opener<BR>
RE: Finding People<BR>
Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging s.f. writers)<BR>
Re: I don't wanna think about it<BR>
Laser visibility<BR>
Re: Presidential Jelly Donuts<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
Re: I don't wanna think about it<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Nudeworld clarification<BR>
Re: Space Island One<BR>
Re: 101 Schools - What's Needed?<BR>
Re: Finding People<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Presidential Jelly Donuts<BR>
Re: Fashions<BR>
Re: Laser visibility<BR>
BG<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 10:34:32 -0800<BR>
From: "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Space Island One<BR>
<BR>
> I ran into an odd show on TV last night - Space Island One.  It was on at<BR>
> 2.30am, so I guess they weren't expecting anyone to actually be<BR>
watching...<BR>
> It seems to have been made in Britain, in 1997.  Has anyone heard of<BR>
> it/seen it before?<BR>
><BR>
YTV in Canada ran it (not sure if they still do). I saw 2 or 3 shows, fell<BR>
asleep during every one of them.<BR>
<BR>
Wayne<BR>
wewart@home.com<BR>
icq22113294<BR>
http://www.members.home.net/wewart/wewart/traveller/<BR>
<BR>
Give a man fire and he is warm for the night.<BR>
Set a man on fire and he is warm all his life.<BR>
- - Terry Pratchett<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 10:06:41<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
<BR>
At 02:39 AM 1/8/2000 PST, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>> That's the big advantage of bisexuality.<BR>
><BR>
>Yeah, you can be rejected by twice as many people...<BR>
<BR>
But at least you have, in the immortal words of the US Air Force, a<BR>
target-rich environment.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 10:11:30<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Traveller-digest V1999 #1701<BR>
<BR>
At 06:41 PM 1/8/2000 +1300, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>The reason he gave me for the change to KFC is that the words "Kentucky" and<BR>
>"Fried" are not considered good words by advertising people in most<BR>
>countries, where as "KFC" means just the product and can be marketed more<BR>
>easily.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, most of the outlets in the US seem to just be using KFC.  The<BR>
advertising has also dumped the full name.<BR>
<BR>
Not all that odd, when was the last time you heard the full name of<BR>
companies like<BR>
<BR>
International Business Machines<BR>
Federal Express<BR>
United Parcel Service<BR>
American Telephone & Telegraph<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 10:12:48<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Vargr and Dogs<BR>
<BR>
At 08:14 AM 1/8/2000 -0700, you wrote:<BR>
>>(What kind of variabiltiy<BR>
>>would primates show with selective breeding?)<BR>
><BR>
>How else would you explain the National Football League?<BR>
<BR>
Well, if we selectivelty bred for better football players, we'd end up with<BR>
500lb linemen block for backs who can hit thirty mph.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 14:25:10 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: RE: Finding People<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, 8 Jan 2000, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> For a time in the mid-eighties I wrote fanzine stuff under the name D.E.<BR>
> Berry (future Berry scholars will refer to this as the "pretentious ass<BR>
> period").<BR>
> <BR>
> Somehow, I started getting mail for Dee Berry.<BR>
<BR>
What a fool those people were!  We, on the other hand, know perfectly well<BR>
that "D.E." can only stand for "Discharge Energy".  <BR>
<BR>
In gear,<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 14:26:25 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: GURPS Nudeworld<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, 8 Jan 2000, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> >Not unless Hugh Hefner or Larry Flynt buys Steve Jackson Games.<BR>
> <BR>
> Well, if Hefner buys it we might see a G: Bunnies and Burrows reprint...<BR>
<BR>
1.5 (multiple stares, no actual "shushes").<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 12:06:52<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Finding People<BR>
<BR>
At 02:25 PM 1/8/2000 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>What a fool those people were!  We, on the other hand, know perfectly well<BR>
>that "D.E." can only stand for "Discharge Energy".  <BR>
<BR>
At that point, it better stood for Drunken Excess<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 13:14:34 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
<BR>
>Richard Hatch (Apollo) has been spear-heading an effort to bring BG back.<BR>
>They've updated the viper designs and such.  There is a trailer out there<BR>
>but not on the internet.<BR>
<BR>
Two things about Richard Hatch's version of the new BG series he wants<BR>
to do:<BR>
1. It will have as much as the original cast as possible, taking place<BR>
20 years after the original series;<BR>
2. The events in "Galactica 1980" will have never happened, passed off as<BR>
a nightmare Starbuck had after eating too much pizza or something...<BR>
<BR>
I hope he pulls it off. He spoke at a SF con here a couple of years ago<BR>
and told us what he was planning -- it sounded like a great idea.<BR>
<BR>
About the original cast: Lorne Greene (Adama) is of course not available,<BR>
but they would negotiate with Greene's estate to use his likeness and/or<BR>
clips for flashbacks. John Colicos (Baltar) is all for it. Dirk Benedict<BR>
(Starbuck) is willing to come out of retirement for this. Noah Hathaway<BR>
(Boxey) isn't interested, but has given Richard his moral support -- they<BR>
could cast anyone as the adult "Boxey" and no one would know the difference.<BR>
And Maren Jensen (Athena) has dropped off the face of the earth -- as of<BR>
the time of the con (Spring 1998), they have not been able to find her or<BR>
anyone who knows where she is...<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, 08 Jan 2000 14:27:13 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Primate Breeding Progress Report( was Re: Vargr and Dogs)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/08/00 at 02:04 PM,  "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>>How else would you explain the National Football League?<BR>
<BR>
>Well, if we selectivelty bred for better football players, we'd end up<BR>
>with 500lb linemen block for backs who can hit thirty mph.<BR>
<BR>
We're working on it, Doug.  <g><BR>
<BR>
<tongue in cheek><BR>
<BR>
Most offensive linemen are 300+ lb, up 30 lb over the last<BR>
generation, with little or no loss of speed or quickness.  Getting<BR>
to 500 may be stretching it, but give us a few more breeding cycles.<BR>
<BR>
As for the backs hitting 30 mph, we're making progress there too.<BR>
We aren't concerned with sustained velocity, just acceleration and<BR>
top end burst speed over 40 to 100 yards.  Using that as a guide,<BR>
there are 200 lb backs in their pads running the 40 in 4.2 and 4.3<BR>
seconds today.  Converting 4.2 seconds over 40 yards gives a top end<BR>
velocity of ~19.5 mph.  These velocities match top sprinters of a<BR>
generation ago.  If we continue to develop along these lines we can<BR>
expect running backs to break 4.0 (and exceed 20 mph) in the next<BR>
generation.  If we take 100 yard sprints into consideration top<BR>
speeds already exceed 22 mph and may be approaching 25 mph in a few<BR>
years.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 16:05:01 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Space Dogs is an eye-opener<BR>
<BR>
I just received my copy of the new BITS adventure "Space Dogs" from<BR>
Warehouse 23 ( www.warehouse23.com ) and have been enjoying the read.  One<BR>
thing that really struck me is the condescension with which Vargr people are<BR>
treated by humans.  Inhumane treatment is in fact the push in this<BR>
adventure, with a special sidebar detailing the racial stereotyping suffered<BR>
by the dogs.  Of course, since the players will be the butt of the joke, it<BR>
may not seem too funny.<BR>
<BR>
This adventure reads rather like a campaign, with several scenarios building<BR>
one after the other.  One thing, though; while some of the situations seem<BR>
dire and the overall campaign is quite serious, the writing is hilarious.<BR>
Vargr with doggie names, bad puns about packs, pelts, paws and tails, not to<BR>
mention place and ship names that make one groan.  But there is plenty of<BR>
meat in the little book for you to gnaw on (oh dear, now I'm doing it!),<BR>
including two ships with small deck plans, a small colonial world setting<BR>
and an Embassy Ball.  Oops, mustn't say anything more.  Other than this; it<BR>
was $8 well spent.<BR>
<BR>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>
Colin Michael, WebDev<BR>
www.downport.com<BR>
The Traveller Domain<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 16:26:38 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: RE: Finding People<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, 8 Jan 2000, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> >What a fool those people were!  We, on the other hand, know perfectly well<BR>
> >that "D.E." can only stand for "Discharge Energy".  <BR>
> <BR>
> At that point, it better stood for Drunken Excess<BR>
<BR>
No matter; both are principles of good Travelling!<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 21:38:12 -0000<BR>
From: "CHARLES WALKER" <cnw@globalnet.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging s.f. writers)<BR>
<BR>
Sixth Column    AKA  The Day after Tomorrow<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 13:23:23 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
<BR>
I thought "Sixth Column" was pretty good.  There is a major war and the<BR>
Asians take over the U.S.  A group of freedom fighters comes across some new<BR>
types of weapons (memory is hazy here).  Wish I still had that book.<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: "Glenn St-Germain" <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2000 10:27 AM<BR>
Subject: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>Ok, I sit corrected. But he was *really* ill while writing IWFNE.<BR>
<BR>
That might explain why it's at the bottom of most people's RAH lists...<BR>
<BR>
>And as I said, try tracking down some of his earlier stuff. It's mostly<BR>
>pretty good, and there's a *lot* of variety.<BR>
<BR>
One thing I discovered when finding the RAH FAQ (which includes a complete<BR>
list of his works) -- there's a lot of early stuff that I never heard of<BR>
on the list. Sixth Column, for example.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 16:59:18 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: I don't wanna think about it<BR>
<BR>
> OK, who's keeping score? This is the first time I have *ever* burst<BR>
>out laughing while reading email. Were I drinking, my <snip><BR>
><BR>
>-- Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with your Microsoft<BR>
>product.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
And followed by a sigfile which got a chuckle out of me.<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 21:58:39 GMT<BR>
From: "i Steve" <isteve1967@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Laser visibility<BR>
<BR>
Hi chaps - advice time again.<BR>
<BR>
Would the beam of a weapons-grade laser be visible to the human eye?  I have <BR>
them invisible and silent (apart from a barely discernable "snap" due to the <BR>
air being rapidly heated), but my players vehemently disagree....obviously <BR>
my view goes IMTU, but I wondered what the "real universe" answer was...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
iSteve<BR>
isteve@outhere.f9.co.uk<BR>
isteve1967@hotmail.com<BR>
ICQ#54933683<BR>
<BR>
Yoda DOS: (A)bort or (F)ail, there is no (R)etry....<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 17:31:27 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Presidential Jelly Donuts<BR>
<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> I disagree, but I may be wrong. Are there any native Germans on the<BR>
> list who can sort this out? From what I remember of my studies:<BR>
><BR>
> "Ich bin Berliner" relates to "I am Danish" the same way as<BR>
> "Ich bin ein Berliner" relates to "I am a Dane"<BR>
><BR>
> A German would have no problem with any of the sentences.<BR>
<BR>
I'm getting the distinct impression that you may be right. On<BR>
soc.culture.germany, which contains a number of card carrying Germans, I<BR>
posed a question concerning the issue, and the responses seem to focus<BR>
mostly on Kennedy's thick accent. The question has also gotten me involved<BR>
in an email discussion with a German, who was a young boy living in West<BR>
Berlin when Kennedy made his speech, and his comments on the subject have<BR>
been extremely helpful.<BR>
<BR>
I've also been tipped to look in the direction of one Robert Lochner, who<BR>
served as Kennedy's translator on the trip and who wrote the fateful<BR>
statement. This has been helpful, as he was part of the Cold War Oral<BR>
History Project which is referenced in several places on the web. I have yet<BR>
to come across any first hand accounts of the incident that mention either<BR>
roaring laughter, as the traditional version of the tale goes, or tittering,<BR>
as other versions of the tale go.<BR>
<BR>
The version of the incident which is beginning to take shape is one which is<BR>
at odds with the "jelly donut" version. I'm far from done with this one,<BR>
however, and the process hs been interesting.<BR>
<BR>
> No more than you English-speaking folks would think that the<BR>
> paragraph above this one means that Germans may be punished (I<BR>
> sentence you to five months in prison) in any fashion.<BR>
<BR>
That's what my German exchange partner told me several years ago as well,<BR>
which is what got us into this mess in the first place. A fellow named Bernd<BR>
Ascherl posted the following comment to the discussion on<BR>
soc.culture.german:<BR>
<BR>
"But, as I as a native speaker percieve it, the connotation of "Ich bin<BR>
Berliner" (_without_ indefinite article) is more that the person speaking<BR>
wants to express, that he/she definitely is from Berlin, not<BR>
from Hamburg or Munich, while when he/she says "Ich bin ein<BR>
Berliner" (_with_ indefinite article) it connotes that he/she is one of the<BR>
people of Berlin; addressing other folks from Berlin this means: I am one of<BR>
you! And isn't this, what Kennedy really wanted to say?"<BR>
<BR>
It has been interesting. If nothing else, I've at least learned that a<BR>
Berliner, or someone who wants to indicate that they're from Berlin, would<BR>
never, ever call a Pfannkuchen a Berliner.<BR>
<BR>
That's my last comment on this on the list, as it's way, way off topic.<BR>
Sorry for devouring the bandwidth.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 22:41:17 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
>Although a minor modification gives that possibilities as a<BR>
>self-cauterizing rape shield, eh?  I'll leave it to Kenji to design the<BR>
>actual game stats...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
This kind of application could actually start to become practical[1] at<BR>
about TL-21 using Matter-Antimatter Annihilation.<BR>
<BR>
I have to go and get an eyebath all of a sudden.<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
+++<BR>
[1] Disclaimer: Your definition of 'practical' may differ from mine. By<BR>
quite a lot.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 23:15:46 GMT<BR>
From: j_pete@bellsouth.net (Pete)<BR>
Subject: Re: I don't wanna think about it<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, 08 Jan 2000 11:29:08 -0500, "David J. Golden"<BR>
<goldendj@pcisys.net> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>-- Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with your Microsoft<BR>
>product.<BR>
><BR>
Soooo, that would make it a feature!<BR>
<BR>
================================================================================<BR>
- - Jeff Peterson                                             j_pete@bellsouth.net<BR>
"If a country is worth living in, it is worth fighting for."   -Manning Coles<BR>
Pete 0609 D258A85-3 S kk- hi++ as+ va++ dr++ so zh- vi+ da++ A833<BR>
NOG #74  AirStar Nova 700<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 23:50:16 GMT<BR>
From: "Erick Graff" <siniypiva@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
>Several aircraft can accelerate while in a vertical climb, which means they<BR>
>must be able to generate more than 1G of thrust.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
   The F-15 can accelerate in a vertical climb. It uses it when launching <BR>
that Low-orbit satallite killing missile they played with in the eighties.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
    Erick<BR>
<BR>
    lead me astray, beguiling female voices.<BR>
                                      -Ovid<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 18:50:11 EST<BR>
From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Nudeworld clarification<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 00-01-08 13:28:55 EST, you write:<BR>
<BR>
<< >Not gonna happen -- SJ Game's contract is very clear on this point.<BR>
 <BR>
 This from the company that gave us the Bulletproof Nudity Rules (CII 76) >><BR>
<BR>
I should clarify things at this point, and append my original statement to <BR>
read "SJ Game's contract _with Marc Miller/Far Future Enterprises_ is very <BR>
clear on this point." Steve is not opposed to exposing skin in his books, <BR>
provided there is a purpose to it and it is not something that will make <BR>
trouble with the distributors or the postal inspector. <BR>
<BR>
LKW<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 19:04:36 -0500<BR>
From: Bill Rutherford <worj@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Space Island One<BR>
<BR>
At 10:56 AM 01/08/2000 +1000, Alan wrote:<BR>
>I ran into an odd show on TV last night - Space Island One.  It was on at<BR>
>2.30am, so I guess they weren't expecting anyone to actually be watching...<BR>
>...Has anyone heard of<BR>
>it/seen it before?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
It was running in the Baltimore-Washington area at 2330 on Saturdays until <BR>
about 2 weeks ago, when it dropped from the schedule.  Some of the <BR>
story-lines looked as if they'd be good fits for minor Traveller adventures <BR>
(i.e., one evening jobbies).  I thought the series was interesting in that <BR>
a) nothing much ever seems to HAPPEN aboard the station and b) the crew <BR>
generally remember to seal the air-tight doors behind themselves!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Bill Rutherford<BR>
worj@home.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 18:15:21 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: 101 Schools - What's Needed?<BR>
<BR>
Robert Prior wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >You need the category "Degrees offered".  The following issues<BR>
> >should be addressed:<BR>
> ><BR>
> >-Associate's / Bachelor's / Master's / Doctor's degrees<BR>
> >-degrees in Arts / Sciences / Engineering / Fine Arts<BR>
> >(e.g. BA or BS or BFA)<BR>
> <BR>
> This is the traditional Solomani approach. What about Vilani scholastics?<BR>
> Do they have different degrees?  Different identifiers?<BR>
<BR>
I was thinking of this as a cooperative project, where various TMLers<BR>
describe institutions of higher learning.  While the Vilani probably<BR>
_do_ have different degrees and identifiers, I'll leave those to<BR>
contributors who are better versed than I in Vilani language and<BR>
culture.<BR>
<BR>
Heck, if Kenji wants to contribute something along the lines of the<BR>
Sayat Classroomfullish Husbanding of Educationing Environments and<BR>
Social Engineerifying, let him!<BR>
<BR>
I will be willing to archive all the schools described, and make them<BR>
generally available.<BR>
<BR>
<<snip>><BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 18:17:31 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Finding People<BR>
<BR>
"Douglas E. Berry" wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> At 02:25 PM 1/8/2000 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >What a fool those people were!  We, on the other hand, know perfectly well<BR>
> >that "D.E." can only stand for "Discharge Energy".<BR>
> <BR>
> At that point, it better stood for Drunken Excess<BR>
<BR>
Ah, yes.  You _were_ in the infantry at that time.  _And_ a paratrooper.<BR>
<BR>
"Drunken Excess" and "Airborne Infantry" are pretty redundant.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 00:13:03 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
>   The F-15 can accelerate in a vertical climb. It uses it when launching<BR>
>that Low-orbit satallite killing missile they played with in the eighties.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
ASAT?<BR>
<BR>
Okay, I retract the 'only Harrier' comment. Mea culpa.<BR>
<BR>
NB<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 15:06:26 +0100<BR>
From: Volker Greimann <volker@greimann.de><BR>
Subject: Re: Presidential Jelly Donuts<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>"Ich bin Berliner" relates to "I am Danish" the same way as<BR>
>"Ich bin ein Berliner" relates to "I am a Dane"<BR>
><BR>
>A German would have no problem with any of the sentences.<BR>
Hehe, ok, lets see:<BR>
<BR>
First sentence: Clear meaning, just as above: I am a Berliner.<BR>
Second sentence: Dual meaning:<BR>
                         a) I am a marmelade-filled doughnut with no hole <BR>
which is not as sweet as<BR>
                                 a doughnut would be.<BR>
                         b) I am one Berliner, emphasis on one.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 18:37:53 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions<BR>
<BR>
SD Mooney wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> At 23:47 -0500 7/1/00, Black ICE <wombat@premier.net> wrote:<BR>
> >*BTW, jump wings also make you _bullet_ resistant.... ;-)<BR>
> <BR>
> Are jump wings canon, and do they use a lanthanum grid? Does the<BR>
> damage resistance stretch to meson fire? Have you FFS2 stats?<BR>
<BR>
1.  Jump wings, or at least their underlying technology, are indeed<BR>
canon (see item #4 below).<BR>
<BR>
2.  No, jump wing wearers deploy a silk or nylon fine grid to initiate a<BR>
micro-jump from an aircraft in flight, enabling the wearers to reach<BR>
safely to reach the ground, much more quickly than the aircraft could<BR>
safely place them there.  Jump wings don't even require LHyd.  _Such_ a<BR>
deal!<BR>
<BR>
3.  Canon does not discuss this issue, AFAIK.  However, I at least have<BR>
suffered no noticeable damage during incidental exposure to Free Mesons,<BR>
such exposure occurring while I was wearing my jump wings.<BR>
<BR>
4.  I don't have FF&S2 stats handy.  However, their underlying<BR>
technology is described on page 35 of CSC for T4.<BR>
> <BR>
> Twisted minds want to know how these 'MiGo' drives work!<BR>
<BR>
Fun guys, those MiGo!<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 18:42:04 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Laser visibility<BR>
<BR>
i Steve wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Hi chaps - advice time again.<BR>
> <BR>
> Would the beam of a weapons-grade laser be visible to the human eye?  I have<BR>
> them invisible and silent (apart from a barely discernable "snap" due to the<BR>
> air being rapidly heated), but my players vehemently disagree....obviously<BR>
> my view goes IMTU, but I wondered what the "real universe" answer was...<BR>
<BR>
I would expect to see little sparkly bits in the path of the beam, due<BR>
to dust specks vaporizing.  Enough to tell that the weapon was fired,<BR>
but not enough to get a good fix on its location.  However, those who<BR>
have actually played with high-energy lasers could tell you more.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 15:34:48 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: BG<BR>
<BR>
>> >How did that series end, by the way?<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> With a whimper.<BR>
>><BR>
>I hear that Hollywood may remake the show (this from host of 'Red's Classic<BR>
>Movies' out here in Lotus Land, have no idea where he got his info from)<BR>
<BR>
Well, two different projects got to pre-production, before Larson Sued<BR>
Hatch. Apparently, Hatch got slapped with a restraining order, pending some<BR>
further bit of the lawsuit, and had to put his project on the shelf. Larson<BR>
s proceeding, using the same hosers who did the Wing Commander Movie. [1]<BR>
Larson's website for his movie is (IIRC) http://www.battlestarmovie.com .<BR>
Larson separated his movie rights from Universal (Some question over<BR>
whether he can get exclusive rights remains, due to the original release of<BR>
BG as a Movie by Universal). Until the courts decide, larson holds the<BR>
movie potential hostage.<BR>
<BR>
Additionally, Universal just isn't yet willing to risk reviving the series.<BR>
Hatch keeps trying, and getting more and more support. Hatch has basically<BR>
been turned loose by Universal to write novels, do comic books, etc, and<BR>
keep the property valuable for them.<BR>
<BR>
[1] While I felt the wing commander movie, had it not tried to be a<BR>
spin-off of the Games, had merit of its own. It just horribly FAILED to<BR>
adhere to any of the conventions of the games, and screewed up established<BR>
characters. It bore little resemblance, in ship designs, look and feel,<BR>
etc., to the games. I fear they will go the same way with Larson's movie.<BR>
BTW, the sketches on the above mentioned website, to me, do not look like<BR>
BG. Larson seems destined to sabatoge the fan driven "Revive, not Revise"<BR>
ideas of Hatch.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1709<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 8 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1710<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: Tech Levels<BR>
Re:Fashions<BR>
Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
Re: Laser visibility<BR>
The Guns of AOL (was Re: SJG bashing)<BR>
Re: BG<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: "Its raining on planet Mongo!" (was RE: nudity and clothes)<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Re Archaeology, Paleontology, and Traveller<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1709<BR>
Re: Laser visibility<BR>
Re: duplicate postings was Re SolConfed <BR>
Re: Laser visibility <BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 14:35:17 -0500<BR>
From: Thom Jones-Low <tjoneslo@together.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Tech Levels<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 11:46:00 -0000<BR>
> From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
> Subject: RE: Tech Levels (was Re: OT (w/penguines): Reality and Tech Level 2 and printing)<BR>
> <BR>
> Eris wrote:<BR>
> > Mark S Peace wrote:<BR>
> > > Well, in CT TL9 was listed as 'circa 1990 to 2000'.  See any laser<BR>
> > > rifles, air/rafts, jumps drives around?  2000 must be a good year.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Hey, we *could* build them...if only we knew how. <g><BR>
> <BR>
> Exactly.  People keep  confusing  TL  (production  ability)  with<BR>
> 'science level' and inventiveness.  So if someone figured out how<BR>
> Traveller style laser rifles, air/rafts, and jump  drives  worked<BR>
> they could all be built with contemporary industrial knowledge.<BR>
> <BR>
> (Or does everyone think  that  every  world  in  the  3I  has  to<BR>
> 'reinvent the wheel' every time they increase their local TL?)<BR>
> <BR>
> Regards PLST<BR>
> <BR>
	The complete rebuilding of the planetary production infrastructure for<BR>
each TL would be one of the things to slow down the TL advancement. And<BR>
yes, I do think it's a requirement. <BR>
	Each time the "New" advancement comes, you need new tools to take full<BR>
advantage of it. The forging tools used to melt and roll steel are not<BR>
the same tools used to shape aluminum or Carbon Fiber reinforced<BR>
plastics. <BR>
	The 3I's manufacturing for the long term (where an instance of a<BR>
product may last for 10 years or more, and product lines may last for<BR>
100 years) would put a damper on the (American) ideal of continual<BR>
rebuilding. <BR>
	One of the differences may well be the presence of software. Because<BR>
software is just bits, easily replicated, IMTU everyone who has a<BR>
computer generally runs the latest versions of the (Linux) OS and<BR>
applications. <BR>
	So your grav-car may be older than your father, but its autopilot<BR>
software (version 1029.77.2) was just released last week. <BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
	Thomas Jones-Low<BR>
	tjoneslo@together.net<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 18:27:00 -0500<BR>
From: Thom Jones-Low <tjoneslo@together.net><BR>
Subject: Re:Fashions<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> Date: Thu, 06 Jan 2000 12:11:17 -0500<BR>
> From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
> Subject: RE: fashions (long)<BR>
> <BR>
> Bruce Johnson writes:<BR>
> >The Imperium (and it's predecessors) has been in space for a long<BR>
> >time.<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
> >I suspect they'll have solved problems like loose hairs, pencil<BR>
> >shavings, and vaccsuit seals by then. I suspect, in fact, that<BR>
> >they'll have forgotten it was even a problem, ever.<BR>
> >Hair fashion will be dictated by exactly that: fashion. Only<BR>
> >rarely has it been dictated by function, if ever.<BR>
> <BR>
>         The length of time that humaniti has been starfaring is<BR>
>         certainly going to count, but there may still be some<BR>
>         constraints that have not been surmounted because either<BR>
>         they are too expensive or too inefficient to surmount.<BR>
> <BR>
>         As for fashion being dictated by function, I would suggest<BR>
>         that function often influences fashion, even though it may<BR>
>         not always be obvious.  The fashion of clipping poodles<BR>
>         apparently started with helping the poodles to avoid<BR>
>         tangles when retrieving in swampy terrain (I have no source<BR>
>         for this, anyone know more about it?).  Most people would<BR>
>         not think of a poodle as a working dog, nor of it's clipping<BR>
>         as functional.<BR>
> <BR>
	Poodles odd hair cuts are the "fashionization" of a cut given to them<BR>
when they were actual hunter/retrivers in swamps. You wanted to remove<BR>
most of the fur because otherwise it got tangled and hung up in the<BR>
bramble. Fur was left on the ears, chest, around the foot/leg joints and<BR>
tail to slow hypothermia. If you're really fascinated with this subject,<BR>
the AKC web site ought to have all the interesting discussion of dog<BR>
mutilations and fashions. <BR>
<BR>
	The Rail standard story (which I clipped) was posted just before<BR>
christmas, and roundly dismissed as a folk tale. <BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
	Thomas Jones-Low<BR>
	tjoneslo@together.net<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 00:46:18 GMT<BR>
From: "Boris Cibic" <kafka47@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
<BR>
Yes, I think that sf authors certainly turn into dirty old men in their <BR>
advanced years.  One need look at Asimov and his sudden discovery of sex in <BR>
the later Foundation series particularly, as his favorite scenario was to <BR>
pair up aging scientist types with young gorgeous model types with an IQ of <BR>
1000.<BR>
  But, in all fairness to this authors they are finally just coming out of <BR>
the oppressive or perhaps, a better word would repressive milieu which is <BR>
American literature which tended to equate sex with something vulgar or <BR>
dirty.  Rather, than let us say a European attitude in which sex is <BR>
something more viewed as natural and to be throughly enjoyed.  There is no <BR>
better example than in Munich along the main pedestrian mall (read: shopping <BR>
district) almost opposite the lovely medieval City Hall, there exists a sex <BR>
shop, albeit one that is fairly trendy and chic.  So all you purtian <BR>
Americans, you have nothing to lose but your clothes and a universe to gain.<BR>
   I hope SF would return to a more open and accepting universe.  The <BR>
purtian heritage is reflected in everything.  Look at official Traveller <BR>
uniforms.  Sure, they fit as snug as a condom but they hide all vestiges of <BR>
the flesh save the hands and head.  Traveller art has pioneered some of the <BR>
tight fitting vac suits in CT but as soon as we go into TNE it is back to <BR>
the bulky family vac suits that we see today's astronaught wear.  I realize <BR>
that the war on the sexes in America has liberated some space for diversity <BR>
but this hardly reflected in the outward appearance.  It's ironic that the <BR>
1950s which were the most repressed era that scandalous book covers promoted <BR>
quite purtian values.  Again I think of Asimov, re-reading the Caves of <BR>
Steel recently one really gets a sense of the self-censorship that one had <BR>
to endure as well as official censorship through things like the Haynes <BR>
Code.  Let us hope that T5 will finally liberate us from a utilitarian, <BR>
totalitarian model.  Traveller unlike D&D is not so much about adolescent <BR>
and puberty angst...witness how the Monsters much like Stein novels put the <BR>
angst onto the monsters is about creating a universe of possibilities of <BR>
diversity and wonder.  As to the tread about not being able to lose one's <BR>
clothes at a nudist beach come to Dalmatia with me one day and one will see <BR>
that when in Rome...<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 16:49:59 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Laser visibility<BR>
<BR>
If your laser can propagate through air, it will essentially interact with<BR>
it not at all, so you will not even hear a snap from air being heated. If it<BR>
interacts enough to heat the air, it probably can't propagate far enough to<BR>
damage a target.<BR>
<BR>
Most lasers with a high enough efficiency to be used as weapons are not<BR>
visible wavelengths, so they will not be visible. In particular, the UV and<BR>
X-ray lasers will be invisible. The most widely used industrial high-power<BR>
laser today is probably a carbon dioxide laser, operating at 10.6 microns,<BR>
which is in the far-infrared. Still invisible.<BR>
<BR>
For personal laser weapons, it may be useful to use a sighting laser which<BR>
operates in the visible part of the spectrum to assist the operator. This<BR>
will probably be a cheap solid-state laser like we use in laser pointers<BR>
today.<BR>
<BR>
Another comment. You may not be able to fire ship lasers in the atmosphere.<BR>
By canon, these devices operate in the UV or X-ray spectrum. These lasers<BR>
may not operate in a useful atmospheric window, but this may vary if the<BR>
compopsition of your atmosphere changes.<BR>
<BR>
Aside: has anybody else seen what it looks like when you put a UV laser<BR>
through conventional optics? Awesome!<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: i Steve <isteve1967@hotmail.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2000 1:58 PM<BR>
Subject: Laser visibility<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Hi chaps - advice time again.<BR>
><BR>
> Would the beam of a weapons-grade laser be visible to the human eye?  I<BR>
have<BR>
> them invisible and silent (apart from a barely discernable "snap" due to<BR>
the<BR>
> air being rapidly heated), but my players vehemently disagree....obviously<BR>
> my view goes IMTU, but I wondered what the "real universe" answer was...<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> iSteve<BR>
> isteve@outhere.f9.co.uk<BR>
> isteve1967@hotmail.com<BR>
> ICQ#54933683<BR>
><BR>
> Yoda DOS: (A)bort or (F)ail, there is no (R)etry....<BR>
><BR>
> ______________________________________________________<BR>
> Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 19:55:00 EST<BR>
From: GypsyComet@aol.com<BR>
Subject: The Guns of AOL (was Re: SJG bashing)<BR>
<BR>
Sethkimmel@aol.com asks:<BR>
<BR>
>Ob Trav: Believe or not; I found a link...:-). I wonder if an AOL based <BR>
>website that is Traveller based, and mentioned FICTIONAL guns like ACRs, <BR>
Snub <BR>
>pistols, FGMPs, etc. would be dumped, and the designer getting rude E mails <BR>
>from AOL terminating their account...<BR>
<BR>
 Mine has TNE stats for the WH40k Bolter and an Integral Laser Pistol, and <BR>
I've never gotten any grief. These are, of course, buried deeply...<BR>
<BR>
GC<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 18:00:07 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: BG<BR>
<BR>
>Well, two different projects got to pre-production, before Larson Sued<BR>
>Hatch. Apparently, Hatch got slapped with a restraining order, pending some<BR>
>further bit of the lawsuit, and had to put his project on the shelf. Larson<BR>
>s proceeding, using the same hosers who did the Wing Commander Movie. <BR>
<snip><BR>
>Additionally, Universal just isn't yet willing to risk reviving the series.<BR>
>Hatch keeps trying, and getting more and more support. Hatch has basically<BR>
>been turned loose by Universal to write novels, do comic books, etc, and<BR>
>keep the property valuable for them.<BR>
<snip><BR>
>BG. Larson seems destined to sabatoge the fan driven "Revive, not Revise"<BR>
>ideas of Hatch.<BR>
<BR>
Let's see... <BR>
1. Larson may have movie rights, but that is not 100% certain. On<BR>
the other hand, the rights for other media, including a TV series, are<BR>
held by Universal.<BR>
2. Universal has given Hatch the green light to do comics, books, etc.,<BR>
which keeps the franchise alive -- and puts more money into Universal's<BR>
pockets. <BR>
3. There is considerable fan support for Hatch doing a new TV series,<BR>
and that support is growing and growing as time goes on.<BR>
<BR>
I can see where this is going. Larson is fighting a losing battle, as<BR>
he has the fans AND Universal on the other side... <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, 8 Jan 2000 16:47:45 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Swordy wrote:<BR>
>>I remain entirely unconvinced that "Grav Pong" is possible.  Designing a<BR>
>>feature like that into any starship would be asking for trouble.<BR>
><BR>
> I'm not saying it's a design feature. I'm saying that, given certain<BR>
> assumptions about how grav plates and inertial compensation works,<BR>
> it's a normal and exploitable side-effect of the technology. Kind of like<BR>
> how you can burn someone's skin by pushing it up against the exhaust<BR>
> pipes of a motorcycle that's been running a while...you don't necessarily<BR>
> want the machine to do that, but you'll have to make some special<BR>
> design decisions (or technology decisions) to keep it from happening.<BR>
><BR>
> I didn't like grav pong, so I tweaked the way the technology worked<BR>
> IMTU so it wasn't such a big thing.<BR>
<BR>
Something just occured to me. <BR>
<BR>
Do *any* of the design systems actually have a *seperate* item for grav<BR>
plates and for inertial comp? If not, then they *have* to be part of<BR>
the drive system (as far as tonnage, space, and power allocations go).<BR>
And you can say that they take enough power that if the manuever drive<BR>
is knocked out, you can't run them.<BR>
<BR>
It still makes grav pong a possibility if yu are on a ship with a<BR>
working manuever drive. But that makes more sense. After all, give the<BR>
layout of way too many ships, if you simply kill the gravity & comp<BR>
while under thrust, most of the corridors become "pit traps". <BR>
<BR>
And if the ref is "mean" maybe the crew in some area can rig some<BR>
emergency power to a grav plate...<BR>
<BR>
At least it'll no longer be common.<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, 8 Jan 2000 16:41:38 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: "Its raining on planet Mongo!" (was RE: nudity and clothes)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
>>Subject: RE: nudity and clothes<BR>
><BR>
>>You missed off the old JTAS favorite:<BR>
>>"Its raining on planet Mongo!"<BR>
><BR>
> Which JTAS is that in?  I have to look it up now.  Lately, it's<BR>
> been raining Zhodani ortillery on planet Mongo.<BR>
><BR>
> --Glenn<BR>
><BR>
> Glenn M. Goffin, Esq.<BR>
> Honorary Consul of the Government of<BR>
> His Protuberant Majesty<BR>
      ^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>
> Ming the Merciless<BR>
> Ruler of Mongo<BR>
           ^^^^^<BR>
<BR>
Sure you don't mean the planet Porno? :-)<BR>
<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, 8 Jan 2000 16:54:00 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> I remain entirely unconvinced that "Grav Pong" is possible.  Designing a<BR>
> feature like that into any starship would be asking for trouble.<BR>
<BR>
It's not a "feature" it's a *consequence* of artificial grav/inertial<BR>
comp (which may or my not be the same technology).<BR>
<BR>
> Malfunction, sabotage, computer programming bug; any of them could trigger a<BR>
> disaster.  I somehow doubt that any ship could get certified for passenger<BR>
> traffic with that sort of time bomb in place.<BR>
<BR>
So what happens if you are walking down one of the long corridors in<BR>
most "airplane" like designs, while the ship is boosting at several g,<BR>
and the compensators/grav plates get cut? <BR>
<BR>
Answer, you are "standing" on the *wall* of a deep shaft, under several<BR>
g of acceleration *down* the shaft.<BR>
<BR>
Since I refuse to believe that the tech can be 100% reliable,<BR>
especially in case of *deliberate* attempts to screw it up, this *has*<BR>
to be possible. <BR>
<BR>
> From an engineering stand point the idea gives one a headache.  How do you<BR>
> make a grav plate that works in two directions?  What kind of housing or<BR>
> mount would hold it?  Could the bulkheads and overheads stand the stress of<BR>
> switching grav direction?  Could the equipment in the area take the stress?<BR>
<BR>
Whatever generates internal gravity *may* only have to generate forces<BR>
in one direction. But whatever neutralizes the effects of the *ship's*<BR>
acceleration on the inside *has* to work in multiple directions. <BR>
<BR>
Sure the main thrust axis is fixed, but it doesn't take all *that* fast<BR>
a turn to generate significant accelerations in the outer parts of te<BR>
ship. And "good enineering" would tend to design *all* the modules to<BR>
be interchangeable, so they'd all need to be able to handle a few gees<BR>
in any direction. <BR>
<BR>
> Perhaps it would be possible to booby trap an area of the ship with grav<BR>
> plates in all six directions and no metal surfaces to hook your magnetic<BR>
> boots to.  Probably be fun to do a brig that way, too.  But you certainly<BR>
> would not do cargo or machinery areas that way.  No matter, it is certain<BR>
> that the AHL class does not have such a feature.<BR>
<BR>
Again, it's not a feature, just a "side effect" of the abilities the<BR>
system is *required* to have. It's no different than the fact that<BR>
"normal" environmental control and ship safety systems *will* make it<BR>
possible to vent any section of the ship (as defined by the air tight<BR>
bulkheads) to vacuum (standard fire control feature). <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, 9 Jan 2000 01:12:36 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
>Do *any* of the design systems actually have a *seperate* item for grav<BR>
>plates and for inertial comp? If not, then they *have* to be part of<BR>
>the drive system (as far as tonnage, space, and power allocations go).<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
TNE does. But they're quite power intensive. I have a couple of ships where<BR>
the A-grav has to be turned off before they can power up things like CG.<BR>
Everybody has to strap in to land, for example.<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 19:18:49 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
> <BR>
> > Swordy wrote:<BR>
> >>I remain entirely unconvinced that "Grav Pong" is possible.  Designing a<BR>
> >>feature like that into any starship would be asking for trouble.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > I'm not saying it's a design feature. I'm saying that, given certain<BR>
> > assumptions about how grav plates and inertial compensation works,<BR>
> > it's a normal and exploitable side-effect of the technology. Kind of like<BR>
> > how you can burn someone's skin by pushing it up against the exhaust<BR>
> > pipes of a motorcycle that's been running a while...you don't necessarily<BR>
> > want the machine to do that, but you'll have to make some special<BR>
> > design decisions (or technology decisions) to keep it from happening.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > I didn't like grav pong, so I tweaked the way the technology worked<BR>
> > IMTU so it wasn't such a big thing.<BR>
> <BR>
> Something just occured to me.<BR>
> <BR>
> Do *any* of the design systems actually have a *seperate* item for grav<BR>
> plates and for inertial comp?<BR>
<BR>
FF&S2 treats inertial compensation and artificial gravity as a single<BR>
item, distint from drives (page 80, and Table 214).  See below:<BR>
<BR>
"Artificial gravity inertial compensators create an artificial gravity<BR>
field directed between the deck plates of a ship to provide a constant<BR>
gravity field.  The generators are also tied into the ship's computer,<BR>
which varies the field strength to counteract the effects of a ship's<BR>
acceleration, up to a maximum level."<BR>
<BR>
Note also that power requirements listed in Table 214 are not related to<BR>
drive power requirements.<BR>
<BR>
<<snip>><BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 16:50:49 -0900<BR>
From: Richard Martin <asrlm@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Archaeology, Paleontology, and Traveller<BR>
<BR>
"William F. Hostman" wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >Regards proto-wolf canines extant 300,000 years back, check a text on<BR>
> >vertebrate paleontology.<BR>
> <BR>
> One of the problems with the traveller setting is that, for the viability<BR>
> of the speciation problem, the date should be about 30,000 YBP (-35,000<BR>
> YI), rather than 300,000 YBP.  Otherwise, we're looking at early hominids,<BR>
> possibly even some australopithecines, some not-quite-wolves-yet canids,<BR>
> and have yet to have the speciation even of the ice ages hit in full. So<BR>
> this leaves a few options for handling it IYTU:<BR>
> <BR>
> 1) Assume that Traveller Canon includes the create of H. Sapiens as<BR>
> 300KYBP, as well as Canis Lupis.<BR>
> 2) Assume Traveller simply posted the dates wrong, and the anchients were<BR>
> merely  one tenth as far back as the books state. (Rationalization of this<BR>
> for YTU left to you... but see bleow for ideas)<BR>
> 3) Assume the various Human Minor Races are separate species from the Human<BR>
> Major Races, and thus we get H Villani, H. Solomani, H. Zdantl, H.<BR>
> Jonkerer, etc., all derived from (IIRC H. Erectus or H. Habilis).<BR>
<BR>
Actually it could be H. sapiens villani, Homo sapiens sapiens(Solomani),<BR>
etc. This would allow for #4 and #5 below as they could all be a sub<BR>
species much like the Papio hamadryas anubis (Olive Baboon), Papio<BR>
hamadryas cynocephalus (Yellow baboon), Papio hamadryas hamadryas<BR>
(hamadryas baboon), etc. This could be possible by using the same<BR>
population of Homo erectus, uplifted to Home sapiens. Then the 300K<BR>
timeline is secure and also might also help explain Homo (sapiens?)<BR>
neanderthal which shows up around 200K ago. Who knows, maybe Homo<BR>
sapiens sapiens is just a tinkered neanderthal?!? <BR>
<BR>
> 4) Assume some genetic tampering to prevent genetic drift, and H' Sapiens<BR>
> was re-introduced to Terra about 30KYPB...<BR>
> 5) Assume Grandfather's empire continued to shift individuals from world to<BR>
> world to prevent genetic drift from becoming too far, and thus preventing<BR>
> true speciation. Note: This one also explains abductions... GF is just<BR>
> making certain we can still interbreed... <BR>
<BR>
Now, where did he hide the<BR>
> uplifted cows?<BR>
<BR>
maybe in David Brin's Universe... <BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> Integrating a change like tthis: you can always explain the text dates as<BR>
> Imperial "Official Data", so standardized that no one dares double check it.<BR>
<BR>
Official Data.. maybe more like Imperial propaganda!! Just what are they<BR>
hiding??<BR>
<BR>
Is there any mention of older Homo species on any of the other planets?<BR>
If not then how fast did the other human races develope? From the time<BR>
of Solomani civilization it has taken only about 13K years for Solomani<BR>
to reach the stars. That leaves about 283K of very slow development. If<BR>
the other races made it before us then I would deduce that they might<BR>
have been more favored in the "tinkering" department. Or maybe once the<BR>
experiment was started the Solomani were the control group? This is what<BR>
I like about science, once one mystery has been solved, several more<BR>
take its place..<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Richard Martin<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I think, therefor I am, therefor I must be... Still here<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 20:58:05 -0500<BR>
From: peersce@mindspring.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1709<BR>
<BR>
Well, if we selectivelty bred for better football players, we'd end up with<BR>
500lb linemen block for backs who can hit thirty mph.<BR>
<BR>
The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood denies claims that it is breeding a Kwisatz<BR>
Haderach Quarterback that can see the future and throw the ball right to<BR>
where the receivers hands will be...<BR>
<BR>
The Spice Must Flow...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 18:06:02 -0800<BR>
From: Kristian Miller <travellerne@3rd-imperium.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Laser visibility<BR>
<BR>
Luther Martin wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Another comment. You may not be able to fire ship lasers in the atmosphere.<BR>
> By canon, these devices operate in the UV or X-ray spectrum. These lasers<BR>
> may not operate in a useful atmospheric window, but this may vary if the<BR>
> compopsition of your atmosphere changes.<BR>
<BR>
Hi Luther and All,<BR>
<BR>
I'll ditto what Luther said:  combat lasers are invisible--that's canon<BR>
from CT as well and it makes sense.  The hard X-ray (about 1Mev/photon)<BR>
is the best for penetration and energy deposition but it doesn't work in<BR>
an atmosphere.  Some infrared frequencies and microwaves have problems<BR>
with water in the atmosphere.  IMTU to avoid the problem the lasers are<BR>
a free electron laser so are tunable--the biggest part of the technology<BR>
is making an FEL rugged enough for a weapon.<BR>
<BR>
> Aside: has anybody else seen what it looks like when you put a UV laser<BR>
> through conventional optics? Awesome!<BR>
<BR>
I used to use nitrogen lasers for an experiment I worked on.  Of course<BR>
the UV didn't penetrate glass, but you got a pretty blue glow from the<BR>
off-frequency laser emissions.  I did use a more powerful UV laser to<BR>
test my sunglasses to see if they stopped UV as advertised--they sure<BR>
did.<BR>
<BR>
Kristian<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 19:03:46 -0700<BR>
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@ctaz.com><BR>
Subject: Re: duplicate postings was Re SolConfed <BR>
<BR>
> In message <Pine.OSF.4.10.10001050003260.27376-<BR>
> 100000@is07.fas.harvard.edu>, Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
> writes<BR>
> ><Pine.OSF.4.10.10001050003260.27376-100000@is07.fas.harvard.edu><BR>
>  <Pine.OSF.4.10.10001050003260.27376-100000@is07.fas.harvard.edu><BR>
> <BR>
> Is there a reason I seem to be getting lots of duplicate postings such<BR>
> as the above?<BR>
<BR>
It stuttered?<BR>
<BR>
Keven<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
tc++ tm+ tn+ t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure<BR>
                                                     In Reavers' Deep<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 19:37:19 -0700<BR>
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@ctaz.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Laser visibility <BR>
<BR>
> Hi chaps - advice time again.<BR>
> <BR>
> Would the beam of a weapons-grade laser be visible to the human eye?  I have <BR>
> them invisible and silent (apart from a barely discernable "snap" due to the <BR>
> air being rapidly heated), but my players vehemently disagree....obviously <BR>
> my view goes IMTU, but I wondered what the "real universe" answer was...<BR>
<BR>
Yes, unless there is a *LOT* of particulate matter between the laser and the target.<BR>
<BR>
Keven<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
tc++ tm+ tn+ t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure<BR>
                                                     In Reavers' Deep<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 17:28:45 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>         It seems to me that a modern CF-18 can hit 10+ if the pilot is<BR>
> stupid (such as an outside loop at full throttle)....<BR>
>         CF-18, I think by COACC figures has around 2g accel, so, you'd<BR>
> presume that a 6-g accel mil-ship would be excerting forces of 30g's during<BR>
> hard maneuvering.<BR>
<BR>
Nope. The CF-18 gets those accelerations due to *aerodynamic* forces on<BR>
the airframe. Turns and banks, etc where the acceleration change<BR>
(direction change) is caused by airflow over the frame, *not* by engine<BR>
thrust.<BR>
<BR>
Spacecraft manuever in a *totallly* different manner. For one thing,<BR>
the direction they are *moving* (course) and the direction they are<BR>
"pointed" (orientation) have *no* connection whatsoever.<BR>
<BR>
All *course* changes require main engine thrust, which will always be<BR>
towards the back (or bottom, if you ship is laid out that way). All<BR>
*orientation* changes will be done by "steering jets"<BR>
<BR>
So, as long as the main drive isn't thrusting, a ship can be pointed in<BR>
*any* direction relative to its motion. And remember, it doesn't stop<BR>
or even slow down just because the engine is off. <BR>
<BR>
And you *can't* make maneuvers that subject you to more acceleration<BR>
that the drive can produce. <BR>
<BR>
Of yeah, in a "one man fighter" the accelerations will all be "flat on<BR>
your back" instead of "from head to toes" the way it is in an aircraft.<BR>
Which means that g=tolerances are *way* higher, due to the difference<BR>
in direction.<BR>
<BR>
Manuevers are *very* counter-intuitive for folks raised in an<BR>
atmosphere and gravity well. <BR>
<BR>
Consider a ship going "north" at 10 units of velocity, and with an<BR>
acceleration of 2 units per turn. He wants to wind up going "west" at<BR>
the same speed. He *could* do this by pointing his engines north and<BR>
blasting for 5 turns, then point them east and blast for another 5<BR>
turns. The first "burn" killed his "northward" velocity (2*5=10). The<BR>
second established his "westward velocity.<BR>
<BR>
Or he can point them northeast, and blast for 7.07 turns.<BR>
<BR>
So to "turn", he pointed his ship along the "radius" of the turn. Which<BR>
looks very strange if you are used to the way things work on Earth<BR>
instead of the way they work in space.<BR>
<BR>
See if you can find one of the versions of the rules with "vector<BR>
movement" rules for ships, or track down a copy of Mayday. Either one<BR>
gives a decent feel for the way movement in space really works. <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, 8 Jan 2000 17:48:01 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> IIRC, G-forces (in, for instance, the above-mentioned CF-18) beyond<BR>
> those caused by actual acceleration result from aerodynamic forces.  If<BR>
> this is indeed the case, then a 6-G ship would pull more than 6-Gs only<BR>
> when performing aerodynamic maneuvers in atmosphere.  Note that<BR>
> uncompensated Gs of more than about 3-G could only be maintained for a<BR>
> short period of time before the crewbeings suffer adverse effects.<BR>
<BR>
Uncompensated forces of more than 3g *outside* of atmospheric manuevers<BR>
won't bother a fighter pilot much. Remember, space fighters experience<BR>
the accel as "front to back", not "head to toe". Laying on your *back*<BR>
g-tolerances go *way* up. 3g for *hours* will be "uncomfortable, but<BR>
that's about it. With things like acceleration tanks, several turns at<BR>
10 g or more may be possible. <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, 8 Jan 2000 17:53:51 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> I don't see why a spaceship can't have "serious thrusters" in the bottom<BR>
> or sides of the ship. "Serious" only has to be 1G or less, and a lot of<BR>
> that (according to SOM) you can get by changing the direction of<BR>
> thrust from the drive plates (25% thust at 90 degrees off of main axis of<BR>
> acceleration, IIRC).<BR>
<BR>
Maninly because they are a waste of space, mass and power. SOM (which<BR>
many folks, including me do *not* accept as canon for this stuff) does<BR>
have the "diverted thrust". That gives *more* than enough for any<BR>
*practical* use. <BR>
<BR>
Turning the ship can be done quickly and with a lot less power. Also,<BR>
keep in mind that "manueverability" doesn't *really* count for a lot,<BR>
simply due to the laws of physics. At a full 6 g, you can only change<BR>
your ship's position (relative to the one it wopuld have had if you<BR>
hadn't tried the manuever) by 30 meters in the first second. Which<BR>
means that for lasers, they just have to spread their shots over a 60<BR>
meter circle to be sure that at least one hits you. And that's from a<BR>
range of half a light second. Half way to the moon!<BR>
<BR>
> Once you have these off-angle accelerators available for maneuver<BR>
> and agility, all bets on which direction thrust is coming from are off.<BR>
<BR>
But what *good* do they do? Remember, the motion of the ship is<BR>
determined by the *sum* of the forces acting thru the ship's center of<BR>
mass. "Jinking" just plain isn't *possible* with spacecraft at "normal"<BR>
velocities. <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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1710<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1711</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 8 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1711<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: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re Grav Pong and Design Sequences<BR>
Fashions and sunnies...<BR>
Re: RAFM Ships for Sale<BR>
Re: KFC...<BR>
Re: KFC...<BR>
Re: KFC...<BR>
Re: I don't wanna think about it<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Sub-categories of Traveller<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
RE: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
Re: KFC...<BR>
RE: OT "perverse" tastes<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 18:30:55 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 12:14 AM 1/8/00 -0000, you wrote:<BR>
>><BR>
>>You can't use an aircraft's manoevrability to infer a spacecraft's - they're<BR>
>>under totally different loadings.<BR>
>><BR>
>>Okay, perhaps a Rampart in an atmosphere (proportionally denser than ours),<BR>
>>performing a similar manoever would validate the numbers, but in space you<BR>
>>can still only generate tangential acceleration equal to the power of your<BR>
>>main drives. Evasion has to consist of burning that thrust off in a variety<BR>
>>of different and unpredictable directions.<BR>
>><BR>
>>(Apologies - I'm doing engineering coursework right now, so I'm turning back<BR>
>>into a hard-ass engineering student....)<BR>
>><BR>
>>Nick<BR>
>><BR>
>         Hi, Nick!<BR>
>         Actually, thanks.  So, it isn't radial forces in the turn that cause<BR>
> the problem for the aircraft pilot?  <BR>
<BR>
It *is* the radial force. But they are generated by the control<BR>
surfaces interacting with the atmosphere *not* by the engine. <BR>
<BR>
You can't *have* radial forces like that in a spacecraft. Only forces<BR>
generated by the drive. Contrary to all the movies and TV (except for<BR>
Babylon 5) spacecraft can't bank!<BR>
<BR>
Take a look at combat scenes in Babylon 5, especially with the small<BR>
fighters. They'll boost all the way to a close pass at a target, and<BR>
*during* the pass the ship rotates to keep its weapons bearing on the<BR>
target (with no effect on the fighter's course). Then after the pass,<BR>
they stay oriented "backwards", as their main drives first decelerate<BR>
them, then start accelerating them back towards their target.<BR>
<BR>
The old computer game "space war" has realistic movement too.<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, 8 Jan 2000 18:36:17 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>         As long as the ships drives are still functional it should not really<BR>
> matter HOW the compensators work.  Turn them off and leave them off.  Strap<BR>
> everyone important in.  (OK this really should be step 1, but PCs don't<BR>
> normally think that far ahead. <g>)  Have the pilot fly as wildly as<BR>
> possible, ie dive, roll, spin, accelerate, decellerate, and perform complex<BR>
> variations of the above.  I've been in the back of a pickup before.  I<BR>
> don't want to think what +3 -.3 Gs is going to be like in an open room or<BR>
> corridor.  As I said, the drives have to be working, so this is largely an<BR>
> anti hijacking manuever, but it should be wildly effective.<BR>
<BR>
Except that "diving" isn't a possible manuever. Rolling and spinning<BR>
merely change the *orientation* of the ship, not the *course*. And<BR>
there *are no* "complex variations". <BR>
<BR>
Keep in mind that when a ship is moving tens or hundreds of km/sec<BR>
(typical velocities) even a 6 g drive is only going to change the ship's<BR>
vector *slowly*. <BR>
<BR>
At 6g, *regardless of your initial velocity, after 1 second, you will<BR>
be at most 30 meters from the position you'd have occupied if you'd<BR>
just coasted.<BR>
<BR>
After 2 seconds, you'll be 120 meters away. And so on. <BR>
<BR>
Of course, everyone within 150,000 km (half a light second) knows<BR>
*exactly* where you were a second ago (half a second for the<BR>
radar/lidar pulse to get from them to you, another half second for it<BR>
to return). So they only need to target a 60 meter diameter sphere was<BR>
laser, meson and particle beam fire.<BR>
<BR>
At 300,000 km, they know where you were 2 seconds ago. So the "target<BR>
sphere" is up to 240 meters in diameter.<BR>
<BR>
Of course, if you are using a reaction drive, or doing anything else<BR>
that registers on *passive* sensors, you've halved the lag time. So at<BR>
150,000 km, the target sphere will only be 7.5 meters across. In other<BR>
words, they can target the center of your ship and be assured of<BR>
hitting *some* part of the ship.<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, 8 Jan 2000 18:46:22 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>>can still only generate tangential acceleration equal to the power of your<BR>
><BR>
>><BR>
>>        Actually, thanks.  So, it isn't radial forces in the turn that<BR>
> cause<BR>
>>the problem for the aircraft pilot?<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> Upon rereading my original post, I should have said you can generate radial<BR>
> forces - of course you can generate the force in whichever direction you<BR>
> point the drives.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, you can only generate the sort of "radial" (ie "at right<BR>
angles to engine thrust) forces he was thinking of if you add a *huge*<BR>
"belly thruster". :-)<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, 8 Jan 2000 18:48:07 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>        Hi, Nick!<BR>
>>        Actually, thanks.  So, it isn't radial forces in the turn that<BR>
> cause<BR>
>>the problem for the aircraft pilot?<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> While an aircraft can only generate less than 1G (unless it's a Harrier<BR>
> redlining its engine, which generates around 1.something small) of force<BR>
> forwards, <BR>
<BR>
Actually several modern fighters generate *more* than 1 g. The F15 or<BR>
F-18 (or maybe both), can be pointed straight up for as long as the<BR>
pilot feels like it or until he reached *really* high altitudes. <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, 8 Jan 2000 18:59:39 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Since i like HePlaR much more than thruster plates I also <BR>
> use the fact that it will take several minutes to get the thrusters to go<BR>
> from no thrust to 1G thrust. <BR>
<BR>
Huh? Why does it take several minutes? Check out a space launch<BR>
sometime. The only reason *acceleration* (as opposed to velocity) is<BR>
low at the start is because most of the fuel is still there. The thrust<BR>
doesn't change appreciably after the first few *seconds* (except for<BR>
throttle settings on throttlable rockets). But the *mass* of the rocket<BR>
changes drasticly. <BR>
<BR>
Heplar has such a high Isp that there *won't* be huge mass changes, and<BR>
thus, the accel is going to be pretty constant aside from startup,<BR>
which I have trouble believing is "several minutes".<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, 8 Jan 2000 19:05:42 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>     This why we Never mess with the grav, merchants etc rarely get 0-G skill<BR>
> in their lives and there's always one guy who does the "Full-auto-spin."<BR>
<BR>
Merchants are going to have zero-g skill. They have to do repairs<BR>
outside the hull. They also have to deal with things like the (rare,<BR>
but possible) case where they need to work on the powerplant while<BR>
orbiting a world, or doing a slow coast to/from the jump point.<BR>
<BR>
And orbital transfers of cargo are going to happen at high ports, and<BR>
at other places.<BR>
<BR>
> Pirates like 0-G, they are trained in it. Leave the bloody plates on and set<BR>
> up portable airlocks in the main corridors (a singular piece of inspiration<BR>
> on the part of my Scout PC!)<BR>
<BR>
Zero-G *combat* is another matter. <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, 8 Jan 2000 17:51:08 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Other possibilities:<BR>
<BR>
> Grav Belts might protect against externally-imposed fields; certainly<BR>
> if grav belts can provide propulsion, they could be adjusted to automatically<BR>
> counter the force imposed by the ship's plates. Battledress would have the<BR>
> grav belt built in.<BR>
<BR>
Assuming it's the same sort of force. They may react to "real" gravity<BR>
and not to whatever it is that ships use. :-)<BR>
<BR>
> Alternatively, grav fields might have significant inertia - if the<BR>
> field takes a minute or two to be established or shut down,<BR>
<BR>
Then it can't protect against manuevering forces that occur over a<BR>
shorter time frame. Which screws things up worse than grav pong does.<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, 8 Jan 2000 17:06:43 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Also, there is the problem that, in most cases, boarding follows knowcking<BR>
> out the target's PP. So, you get 0-G, no working doors except manual and<BR>
> maintenance hatches, and airlocks won't repressurize.<BR>
<BR>
Sure they will. If there's pressure on the other side, you use the<BR>
manual "bleed" valve (required as a safety feature!). And to<BR>
*depressurize*, you either suse the same valve (on the *other* side of<BR>
the lock) to waste the air in the lock, or you use a manual pump (pop<BR>
open the clearly marked panel and attach the hande and start pumping). <BR>
<BR>
Also, there will be clearly marked, *standardized* connectors for<BR>
hooking up emergency power to run the lock. <BR>
<BR>
There are a number of different airlock types that we should keep in<BR>
mind. Most are intended to deal with a pressure gradient in only *one*<BR>
direction. <BR>
<BR>
"Swinging door"<BR>
- ----------------<BR>
<BR>
High pressure    +--------+      low pressure/vacuum<BR>
                 |        |<BR>
                \        \<BR>
                 |        |<BR>
                 +--------+<BR>
<BR>
The doors are held shut by the pressure difference as well as any<BR>
"locking" mechanisms. Get the pressure difference backwards, and the<BR>
doors don't seal worth a damn. These are mostly found as locks between<BR>
the interior and exterior of the ship.<BR>
<BR>
"Iris", "sliding door" etc<BR>
- ---------------------------<BR>
<BR>
These are for when low pressure could be either direction. They move<BR>
sideways, and thus aren't working against pressure. But the pressure<BR>
difference *will* make "sliding" doors tend to "bind" against one side<BR>
or the other of their "track". This can be exploited as a "safety"<BR>
feature, but doing so *will* increase the odds of a jam due to batle<BR>
damage.<BR>
<BR>
Iris doors don't have that problem, but they are mechanical complex,<BR>
require high precision fits, and strike me as being rather fragile.<BR>
<BR>
"Cardassian" airlocks, as seen on Deep Space Nine solve both problems.<BR>
They are obviously based on rolling block gun actions, and won't care<BR>
much about any sort of reasonable pressure difference. They are one of<BR>
the few "sideways" designs that is likely to *not* be jammed by nearby<BR>
explosions. They can also be opened with a pressure difference between<BR>
the sides. Their disadvantage is that they use rather more space and<BR>
weight than other designs.<BR>
<BR>
"Rotating drum"<BR>
- ----------------<BR>
<BR>
These are a cylinder with a portion of the side cut away. The cylinder<BR>
can be rotated so the opening is accessible from one side or the other.<BR>
<BR>
They waste air, but are convenient for things like "trash locks" and<BR>
small personnel locks. <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, 8 Jan 2000 18:22:45 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Grav Pong and Design Sequences<BR>
<BR>
>Something just occured to me.<BR>
><BR>
>Do *any* of the design systems actually have a *seperate* item for grav<BR>
>plates and for inertial comp? If not, then they *have* to be part of<BR>
>the drive system (as far as tonnage, space, and power allocations go).<BR>
>And you can say that they take enough power that if the manuever drive<BR>
>is knocked out, you can't run them.<BR>
><BR>
MT, TNE, T4: all have separated G-Comps and Artificial Gravity from the drives.<BR>
<BR>
Under MT: They are even two separate items.<BR>
Under TNE: IIRC, again, they are two separate items, plus FF&S1 has a few<BR>
options.<BR>
Under T4: FF&S2 has separated them from the drives, as well. I can't<BR>
remember whether they are two separate systems or not, but I do recall they<BR>
are not part of the drives.<BR>
<BR>
Under CT: Whatever they are, they become part of ships at TL 10...<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 13:48:30 +1000<BR>
From: "The Roc" <roc@kewl.com.au><BR>
Subject: Fashions and sunnies...<BR>
<BR>
Well, I am in constant e-mail correspondence with a Japanese business woman<BR>
as well as formerly hosted Japanese students and/or their parents (mostly<BR>
teachers and office workers/managers), and mentioned some of Kiri's comments<BR>
in general conversation.  I was figured the part about the compensated<BR>
dating was true and wasn't surprised to find that in the major cities<BR>
(mainly), that that was the case.  Name brand bags, etc. are in huge demand<BR>
as status symbols, but it was surprising to hear that many schools allow a<BR>
certain "style" of bag, but NO name-brands!  Woo hoo!<BR>
<BR>
I wasn't sure of the sunnies-thing, and again it doesn't come as a surprise<BR>
to hear that many Japanese people own and wear sunglasses, from mum's and<BR>
dad's to the kids (even toddlers - which is also common in Aussie<BR>
preschools).  However, I do find the idea appealing in a game situation<BR>
where such things (sun glasses or the like) are part of a<BR>
sub-culture/organisation uniform, so that will remain on file.<BR>
<BR>
Getting back to the "I can always tell a Korean from a Japanese"-thing,<BR>
these same adult people find it ammusing that a non-japanese person can<BR>
claim that when they themselves state that they cannot!  One correspondent<BR>
wrote, "If youe were to take me to Tokyo or Osaka and point out two men, one<BR>
Japanese and the other Korean or even Chinese, both in a business suit.  I<BR>
am afraid I would let you down if you needed to know whcih was which."<BR>
Several conceded that perhaps a very few people may be able to do this, but<BR>
surely it must be very rare.  So I stand in awe of those on the list that<BR>
claim to have this ability, but am comfortable to know I am in the majority<BR>
and not lacking in a certain skill <phew><BR>
<BR>
By the way, I'm not having a go at anyone claiming rightly or wrongly (as<BR>
another father of one of my former students said, "Many people claiming they<BR>
can tell us apart my friend, really must have two penieis[sic]!"*) that they<BR>
can do this, just pointing out to anyone who knows they can't, that it is<BR>
not a common ability.<BR>
<BR>
* An old, but common in-joke I once mentioned to him.<BR>
<BR>
- -- The Roc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 22:40:59 EST<BR>
From: Sethkimmel@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: RAFM Ships for Sale<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 1/8/00 5:45:18 AM Pacific Standard Time, rsdean@erols.com <BR>
writes:<BR>
<BR>
<< rsdean@erols.com (Rob Dean) >><BR>
<BR>
Am I too late? If not, I'll take 'em...<BR>
<BR>
Seth<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 13:59:43 +1000<BR>
From: "The Roc" <roc@kewl.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC...<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Douglas E. Berry <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2000 9:58 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: KFC<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> At 06:43 PM 1/8/2000 +1000, you wrote:<BR>
> >Downunder, KFC ads do use the word "chicken" in their ads.  The KFC<BR>
change,<BR>
> >I imagined, was for trend... ever since "Kentucky Fried Chicken" came to<BR>
Oz,<BR>
> >the people called it KFC (I assume most countries did?  But if not,<BR>
Aussies<BR>
> >have a thing about shortening names if not changing them outright - like<BR>
> >"Kentucky Duck" which was popular the length of the East Coast several<BR>
years<BR>
> >ago).<BR>
><BR>
> We've always called it that... what's fun is KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut<BR>
> are all owned by yhe same company, and have been comining operations.<BR>
><BR>
> We call them Kentaco Huts.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Yes, I saw online the cross-promotion of Starwars with these three!  We<BR>
don't have Taco Bell down here and I couldn't honestly say if KFC and PH are<BR>
owned by the same company.  I did distinctly hear once that they were not<BR>
(in Australia), but that may well have changed.  KFC and Sizzlers are (or<BR>
was) owned by the same people...?<BR>
<BR>
I like "Kentaco Hut" though, and will keep that on file for an up-coming<BR>
campaign someday (I've already mentioned how Pepsi won the cola wars - to<BR>
piss off the PC's ;) as the Solomani franchise food chain :^)<BR>
<BR>
- -- The Roc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 19:49:37 -0800<BR>
From: "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC...<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> Yes, I saw online the cross-promotion of Starwars with these three!  We<BR>
> don't have Taco Bell down here and I couldn't honestly say if KFC and PH<BR>
are<BR>
> owned by the same company.  I did distinctly hear once that they were not<BR>
> (in Australia), but that may well have changed.  KFC and Sizzlers are (or<BR>
> was) owned by the same people...?<BR>
><BR>
> I like "Kentaco Hut" though, and will keep that on file for an up-coming<BR>
> campaign someday (I've already mentioned how Pepsi won the cola wars - to<BR>
> piss off the PC's ;) as the Solomani franchise food chain :^)<BR>
><BR>
All three; KFC, PH, and TB, are owned by PepsiCo, proud makers of Pepsi. So<BR>
I guess it works just fine to have "Kentaco Hut in YTU if Pepsi won the cola<BR>
wars.<BR>
<BR>
Wayne<BR>
wewart@home.com<BR>
icq22113294<BR>
http://www.members.home.net/wewart/wewart/traveller/<BR>
<BR>
Give a man fire and he is warm for the night.<BR>
Set a man on fire and he is warm all his life.<BR>
- - Terry Pratchett<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 21:58:08 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC...<BR>
<BR>
The Roc wrote:<BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> <BR>
> Yes, I saw online the cross-promotion of Starwars with these three!  We<BR>
> don't have Taco Bell down here and I couldn't honestly say if KFC and PH are<BR>
> owned by the same company.  I did distinctly hear once that they were not<BR>
> (in Australia), but that may well have changed.  KFC and Sizzlers are (or<BR>
> was) owned by the same people...?<BR>
> <BR>
> I like "Kentaco Hut" though, and will keep that on file for an up-coming<BR>
> campaign someday (I've already mentioned how Pepsi won the cola wars - to<BR>
> piss off the PC's ;) as the Solomani franchise food chain :^)<BR>
<BR>
Note that KFC, Taco Hell, and Pizza Slut are all owned by PepsiCo....<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 19:37:09 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: I don't wanna think about it<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> In a message dated 00-01-07 18:43:02 EST, you write:<BR>
><BR>
> << Well, except the part about<BR>
>  anally-inserted fusion incinerators.) >><BR>
><BR>
> There are certain words that should never appear in the same sentence. <BR>
> "anally-inserted" and  "fusion incinerators" are one set. 'Sexually <BR>
> transmitted" and "flesh-eating bacteria" are another. <BR>
<BR>
So I guess that means you don't want to hear about the "crabs" you can<BR>
pick up on some planets?<BR>
<BR>
:-)<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, 8 Jan 2000 19:10:26 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>  After all, sending<BR>
>> a crew to probable death is one thing.  Sending a crew to almost certain<BR>
>> physical and mental crippling is quite another.  There's a Robert<BR>
>> Heinlein story (unfortunately, I don't have it ready-to-hand, nor do I<BR>
>> recall the title) that deals with a pilot boosting at 3+Gs from Earth to<BR>
>> (IIRC) out near Pluto, with vital medical supplies.  The pilot arrives<BR>
>> in time to halt the epidemic (and is unable to calculate what should be<BR>
>> an easy parking orbit); however, the time spent at high-G boost has<BR>
>> rendered him the equivalent of an eighty-year-old man, both physically<BR>
>> and mentally.<BR>
><BR>
> I suspect that story is a bit of overkill, based on the effects of G-testing<BR>
> on people at NASA (y'know those videos of people with their faces going all<BR>
> flubbery & stretched-out like )<BR>
<BR>
Actually, in the story, the pilot uses accel more like *40* g. <BR>
<BR>
> Thing is, those are based on putting people in centrifuges, which have a<BR>
> somewhat different affect than just accelerating you, you're also being spun<BR>
> around at high speed and being subject to a constantly _changing_<BR>
> acceleration, rather than a constant one.<BR>
<BR>
> BTW, just to make it clear, while a centrifuge may apply a constant 6G of<BR>
> scalar value to the person, acceleration is a change in velocity, and<BR>
> velocity is a vector, and the vector is constantly changing in a centrifuge.<BR>
<BR>
No, the accel in a centrifuge is constant, as long as the speed is<BR>
constant. From the *subject's* frame of reference it's out from the<BR>
center. <BR>
<BR>
Don't confuse the direction of the *velocity* vector (a tangent to the<BR>
circle) and the direction of the *acceleration* vector (radial). <BR>
<BR>
The subject's *orientation* ("facing") is changing exactly in step with<BR>
the directional changes of the vectors. <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, 8 Jan 2000 23:00:46 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Sub-categories of Traveller<BR>
<BR>
I was recently added as an editor of the Traveller category on the Open<BR>
Database Project. ( http://dmoz.org/Games/Roleplaying/Systems/Traveller/ )<BR>
This is a huge, human managed web site listing service that is the reference<BR>
for searches by Netscape, AOL, Alta Vista, etc.  I'm just soliciting entries<BR>
and getting them on the listing so far, but there will soon be need to make<BR>
sub-categories so that the listing is easier to navigate.<BR>
<BR>
So now I am asking my fellow Traveller players and web denizens to offer<BR>
their opinions of how a useful listing would be divided.  The goal is to<BR>
help web searchers find web sites easily.  The first thing that comes to<BR>
mind is milieu, but so many sites are multiple milieu...<BR>
<BR>
________________________<BR>
Colin Michael, Traveller Editor<BR>
Open Directory Project<BR>
http://www.dmoz.org<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 22:09:49 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
> <BR>
> > IIRC, G-forces (in, for instance, the above-mentioned CF-18) beyond<BR>
> > those caused by actual acceleration result from aerodynamic forces.  If<BR>
> > this is indeed the case, then a 6-G ship would pull more than 6-Gs only<BR>
> > when performing aerodynamic maneuvers in atmosphere.  Note that<BR>
> > uncompensated Gs of more than about 3-G could only be maintained for a<BR>
> > short period of time before the crewbeings suffer adverse effects.<BR>
> <BR>
> Uncompensated forces of more than 3g *outside* of atmospheric manuevers<BR>
> won't bother a fighter pilot much. Remember, space fighters experience<BR>
> the accel as "front to back", not "head to toe".<BR>
<BR>
Reservation: Your arguments are valid, for space fighters designed to<BR>
operate mainly in a space environment.  For fighters that must be<BR>
capable of fighting in atmosphere, they are less valid, since<BR>
atmospheric maneuvering against aerodynamic COACC fighters will place<BR>
different stresses on pilots, compared to microgravity maneuvering. <BR>
Such "multi-mission" fighters will probably have either accomodations<BR>
suited for one environment or the other, or some sort of<BR>
"variable-geometry accomodations."  At any rate, multi-environment<BR>
fighters either will tend to provide extra stresses on their crew in<BR>
their non-optimized environment, or will cost and mass more than<BR>
single-environment fighters.<BR>
<BR>
> Laying on your *back*<BR>
> g-tolerances go *way* up. 3g for *hours* will be "uncomfortable, but<BR>
> that's about it. With things like acceleration tanks, several turns at<BR>
> 10 g or more may be possible.<BR>
<BR>
Don't forget that such items as G-tanks _are_ a form of G-comp. <BR>
Fighters of lower than TL-14 may well include such devices, to prevent<BR>
excessive acceleration stresses on crewbeings.<BR>
<BR>
Personally, due to fatigue factors at 3+ Gs (FF&S2, page 80), I prefer<BR>
to keep performance within 1-G of maximum G-comp.  YMMV.  Void where<BR>
prohibited.  Residents of Galt's Gulch may send for free game pieces<BR>
(but won't).<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 17:18:21 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Kiri Aradia Morgan<BR>
><BR>
>>> But you're right about one thing: I Will Fear No Evil is probably the<BR>
>>> worst Heinlein I've ever read...<BR>
><BR>
> Sorry, I really *like* that book, so much that my copy is falling<BR>
> apart.<BR>
<BR>
Amazing.<BR>
<BR>
I was informed by a certain rather feminist-inclined SF writer that no woman<BR>
could ever stomach Heinlein's attempts at writing women,and that IWFNE was<BR>
the worst one, as no woman, not even one who was originally a man, would act<BR>
like that !<BR>
<BR>
Congratulations on being the exception<BR>
<grin><BR>
<BR>
> I love the notebooks of Lazarus Long.<BR>
<BR>
Well, yes. Classic quote materiel.<BR>
<BR>
> But I like Heinlein's sexy/romantic polyamory stories.<BR>
<BR>
You're supposed to be disgusted at the sexist depiction of women !<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 22:49:25 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC...<BR>
<BR>
From: The Roc <roc@kewl.com.au><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Yes, I saw online the cross-promotion of Starwars with these three!<BR>
> We don't have Taco Bell down here and I couldn't honestly say if<BR>
> KFC and PH are owned by the same company.  I did distinctly hear<BR>
> once that they were not (in Australia), but that may well have<BR>
> changed.  KFC and Sizzlers are (or was) owned by the same<BR>
> people...?<BR>
<BR>
KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut are all owned by Tricon Global Restaurants,<BR>
Inc. Tricon Restaurants International, a division of TGR, Inc., manages the<BR>
international arm of Tricon's fast food empire.<BR>
<BR>
Tricon Global is an independent spinoff of PepsiCo, Inc., and the two<BR>
companies still have an excellent working relationship.<BR>
<BR>
> I like "Kentaco Hut" though, and will keep that on file for an up-<BR>
> coming campaign someday (I've already mentioned how Pepsi won<BR>
> the cola wars - to piss off the PC's ;) as the Solomani franchise food<BR>
> chain :^)<BR>
<BR>
Since these three chains were once all owned by PepsiCo., this might not be<BR>
too far off the mark! :)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 17:22:30 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: OT "perverse" tastes<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Kiri Aradia Morgan<BR>
><BR>
> Or have two categories of weirdly specific tastes that add up to being<BR>
> almost attracted to half as many people of both genders as the average<BR>
> person is attracted to people of one, LOL.<BR>
<BR>
Pardon ?<BR>
<BR>
Did you get Sir Humphrey of the Home Office to write that paragraph for you<BR>
?<BR>
<BR>
It's gotta be a contender for most confusing paragraph !<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1711<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1712</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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From:	owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com (Traveller-digest)<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Sunday, January 9 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1712<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: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
Re: OT "perverse" tastes<BR>
Re: Sub-categories of Traveller<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1709<BR>
RE: Fashions<BR>
The Traveller Bibliography from BITS<BR>
Re: Sub-categories of Traveller<BR>
Re: Laser visibility<BR>
[none]<BR>
Re: Low TL<BR>
Trav Items for sale...<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
The pogrom begins..<BR>
Re: GURPS vs. T5?<BR>
Re: fashions<BR>
Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
Re: Space Island One<BR>
Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
Re: Where in the world (wide web) am I anyway?<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 23:27:38 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
<BR>
Well I for one won't miss "boxey".  Ack. G-1980 a bad dream?  Works for me.<BR>
 As for Athena..maybe she ran into a Vargr operative and now has a new<BR>
definition for "doggie style"?<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: "Glenn St-Germain" <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2000 3:14 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
1. It will have as much as the original cast as possible, taking place<BR>
20 years after the original series;<BR>
2. The events in "Galactica 1980" will have never happened, passed off as<BR>
a nightmare Starbuck had after eating too much pizza or something...<BR>
<BR>
I hope he pulls it off. He spoke at a SF con here a couple of years ago<BR>
and told us what he was planning -- it sounded like a great idea.<BR>
<BR>
About the original cast: Lorne Greene (Adama) is of course not available,<BR>
but they would negotiate with Greene's estate to use his likeness and/or<BR>
clips for flashbacks. John Colicos (Baltar) is all for it. Dirk Benedict<BR>
(Starbuck) is willing to come out of retirement for this. Noah Hathaway<BR>
(Boxey) isn't interested, but has given Richard his moral support -- they<BR>
could cast anyone as the adult "Boxey" and no one would know the difference.<BR>
And Maren Jensen (Athena) has dropped off the face of the earth -- as of<BR>
the time of the con (Spring 1998), they have not been able to find her or<BR>
anyone who knows where she is...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 14:43:07 +1000<BR>
From: "The Roc" <roc@kewl.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: OT "perverse" tastes<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Frank G. Pitt <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2000 2:22 PM<BR>
Subject: RE: OT "perverse" tastes<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> > On Behalf Of Kiri Aradia Morgan<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Or have two categories of weirdly specific tastes that add up to being<BR>
> > almost attracted to half as many people of both genders as the average<BR>
> > person is attracted to people of one, LOL.<BR>
><BR>
> Pardon ?<BR>
><BR>
> Did you get Sir Humphrey of the Home Office to write that paragraph for<BR>
you<BR>
> ?<BR>
><BR>
> It's gotta be a contender for most confusing paragraph !<BR>
><BR>
> Frankie<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
Yes Prime Minister...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 22:34:21 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Sub-categories of Traveller<BR>
<BR>
"Swordy (Colin Michael)" wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> I was recently added as an editor of the Traveller category on the Open<BR>
> Database Project. ( http://dmoz.org/Games/Roleplaying/Systems/Traveller/ )<BR>
> This is a huge, human managed web site listing service that is the reference<BR>
> for searches by Netscape, AOL, Alta Vista, etc.  I'm just soliciting entries<BR>
> and getting them on the listing so far, but there will soon be need to make<BR>
> sub-categories so that the listing is easier to navigate.<BR>
> <BR>
> So now I am asking my fellow Traveller players and web denizens to offer<BR>
> their opinions of how a useful listing would be divided.  The goal is to<BR>
> help web searchers find web sites easily.  The first thing that comes to<BR>
> mind is milieu, but so many sites are multiple milieu...<BR>
<BR>
Off the top of my head, I can see two axes of division:  Rule-set and<BR>
Milieu.<BR>
<BR>
For instance, the AuricTech page supports multiple milieux (M:0,<BR>
M:1100), using one rule-set (T4).  Thus, AuricTech would be listed for<BR>
those searching for T4 support, those searching for M:0 support (my<BR>
TL-12 ships), and those searching for M:1100 support (my TL-13+<BR>
designs).<BR>
<BR>
If/when I include CT or GT designs on my site, AuricTech would also be<BR>
listed under those rule-sets (but in the same milieux).<BR>
<BR>
OTOH, if I instead decide to provide ships for the Interstellar Wars<BR>
(M:IW), using T4 rules, then AuricTech would still be listed under one<BR>
rule-set (T4), but would have M:IW added to the supported milieux mix.<BR>
<BR>
Milieux:<BR>
<BR>
M:IW (The Interstellar Wars period)<BR>
M:0 (The forming of the 3I; T4's "home" setting)<BR>
M:1100 (Classic Traveller setting, pre-Rebellion)<BR>
M:1120 (MegaTraveller's Rebellion)<BR>
M:1200 (TNE)<BR>
M:GT (GURPS Traveller; Strephon lives)<BR>
M:X (any other setting using one of the Traveller rule-sets)<BR>
<BR>
Rule-sets:<BR>
CT (includes Books 4-8)<BR>
MT<BR>
TNE<BR>
T4<BR>
GT<BR>
Other (FUDGE Traveller, Traveller CoC, etc.)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Thus as stated above, AuricTech would be listed under M:0 and M:1100<BR>
(for settings), and T4 for rule-set.  If I ever get around to posting<BR>
the High Guard stats for some of my designs, then AuricTech would gain a<BR>
CT listing, under the same milieux.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I would also recommend that Traveller Web sites include milieux and<BR>
rule-sets in their lists of metatags.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 23:45:07 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1709<BR>
<BR>
4.0!  Goal!  :)<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: <peersce@mindspring.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2000 8:58 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1709<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Well, if we selectivelty bred for better football players, we'd end up<BR>
with<BR>
> 500lb linemen block for backs who can hit thirty mph.<BR>
><BR>
> The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood denies claims that it is breeding a Kwisatz<BR>
> Haderach Quarterback that can see the future and throw the ball right to<BR>
> where the receivers hands will be...<BR>
><BR>
> The Spice Must Flow...<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 17:48:27 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Fashions<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Black ICE<BR>
><BR>
> SD Mooney wrote:<BR>
> ><BR>
> > At 23:47 -0500 7/1/00, Black ICE <wombat@premier.net> wrote:<BR>
> > >*BTW, jump wings also make you _bullet_ resistant.... ;-)<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Are jump wings canon, and do they use a lanthanum grid? Does the<BR>
> > damage resistance stretch to meson fire? Have you FFS2 stats?<BR>
><BR>
> 1.  Jump wings, or at least their underlying technology, are indeed<BR>
> canon (see item #4 below).<BR>
<BR>
Why when reading this do I get a picture of a trooper riding something<BR>
shaped like a winged sanitary pad ?<BR>
<BR>
I blame it on Kiri's posts.<BR>
<BR>
> 2.  No, jump wing wearers deploy a silk or nylon fine grid to initiate a<BR>
> micro-jump from an aircraft in flight, enabling the wearers to reach<BR>
> safely to reach the ground, much more quickly than the aircraft could<BR>
> safely place them there.  Jump wings don't even require LHyd.  _Such_ a<BR>
> deal!<BR>
><BR>
> 3.  Canon does not discuss this issue, AFAIK.  However, I at least have<BR>
> suffered no noticeable damage during incidental exposure to Free Mesons,<BR>
> such exposure occurring while I was wearing my jump wings.<BR>
<BR>
For somne reason I read that as<BR>
<BR>
"suffered no noticeable damage during incidental exposure to Free MAsons"<BR>
<BR>
> 4.  I don't have FF&S2 stats handy.  However, their underlying<BR>
> technology is described on page 35 of CSC for T4.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Twisted minds want to know how these 'MiGo' drives work!<BR>
><BR>
> Fun guys, those MiGo!<BR>
<BR>
Are they the oriental branch of Mikoyan & Gurevich ?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 23:42:01 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: The Traveller Bibliography from BITS<BR>
<BR>
I have spent entirely too much of my Saturday with my nose in this new book.<BR>
That is because Tim Collinson has obviously spent way too many Saturdays<BR>
working on this bibliography.  But the end result is a great reference book<BR>
on the game.  I won't jump up and down and yell that it is something that<BR>
everyone must get, but for collectors and old timers like myself it is<BR>
actually exciting to have this guide.  Tim has given a bite-sized review of<BR>
each title (where possible) and categorized them nicely by version and<BR>
company and type of resource.  But perhaps the most useful portion of the<BR>
book is at the back.  There you will find *five* indices.  Consider them:<BR>
<BR>
Index by Author - Index by Date - Index by Era & Type - Index by Publisher -<BR>
Index by Title<BR>
<BR>
I've had so much fun thinking about it myself that I'll leave you to imagine<BR>
for yourself what uses those little babies can be put to. :-)  Or you could<BR>
just visit www.warehouse23.com and see if they have one for you.<BR>
<BR>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>
Colin Michael, WebDev<BR>
www.downport.com<BR>
The Traveller Domain<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 23:54:00 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Sub-categories of Traveller<BR>
<BR>
Good job Swordy, I'm doing the Gamma world section on that database.<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: "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
To: "T M L" <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2000 11:00 PM<BR>
Subject: Sub-categories of Traveller<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> I was recently added as an editor of the Traveller category on the Open<BR>
> Database Project. ( http://dmoz.org/Games/Roleplaying/Systems/Traveller/ )<BR>
> This is a huge, human managed web site listing service that is the<BR>
reference<BR>
> for searches by Netscape, AOL, Alta Vista, etc.  I'm just soliciting<BR>
entries<BR>
> and getting them on the listing so far, but there will soon be need to<BR>
make<BR>
> sub-categories so that the listing is easier to navigate.<BR>
><BR>
> So now I am asking my fellow Traveller players and web denizens to offer<BR>
> their opinions of how a useful listing would be divided.  The goal is to<BR>
> help web searchers find web sites easily.  The first thing that comes to<BR>
> mind is milieu, but so many sites are multiple milieu...<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 20:50:39 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Laser visibility<BR>
<BR>
Kristian,<BR>
<BR>
I agree that the FEL is the technology of choice. Do you know the physics of<BR>
FEL beams? Are they necessarily eigenfunctions of the Fourier transform<BR>
(e.g. Gaussian, G-H, etc) like you get from a resonant cavity? I have always<BR>
thought that the self-diffracting nature of the usual Gaussian beams makes<BR>
them useless for long-range ship combat. Even "gravitational lensing" will<BR>
not save you. Is there a solution to this problem with FELs?<BR>
<BR>
Since I have always thought of ship lasers as FELs, I envision rings of<BR>
turrets around a ship which all get their electrons from one central<BR>
racetrack. Any thoughts here?<BR>
<BR>
Now, since ship lasers will not propagate through air, consider what happens<BR>
if you fire one while you are on a planet's surface (yes, with an<BR>
atmosphere). Ouch!<BR>
<BR>
Luther<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Kristian Miller <travellerne@3rd-imperium.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2000 6:06 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: Laser visibility<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Luther Martin wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> > Another comment. You may not be able to fire ship lasers in the<BR>
atmosphere.<BR>
> > By canon, these devices operate in the UV or X-ray spectrum. These<BR>
lasers<BR>
> > may not operate in a useful atmospheric window, but this may vary if the<BR>
> > compopsition of your atmosphere changes.<BR>
><BR>
> Hi Luther and All,<BR>
><BR>
> I'll ditto what Luther said:  combat lasers are invisible--that's canon<BR>
> from CT as well and it makes sense.  The hard X-ray (about 1Mev/photon)<BR>
> is the best for penetration and energy deposition but it doesn't work in<BR>
> an atmosphere.  Some infrared frequencies and microwaves have problems<BR>
> with water in the atmosphere.  IMTU to avoid the problem the lasers are<BR>
> a free electron laser so are tunable--the biggest part of the technology<BR>
> is making an FEL rugged enough for a weapon.<BR>
><BR>
> > Aside: has anybody else seen what it looks like when you put a UV laser<BR>
> > through conventional optics? Awesome!<BR>
><BR>
> I used to use nitrogen lasers for an experiment I worked on.  Of course<BR>
> the UV didn't penetrate glass, but you got a pretty blue glow from the<BR>
> off-frequency laser emissions.  I did use a more powerful UV laser to<BR>
> test my sunglasses to see if they stopped UV as advertised--they sure<BR>
> did.<BR>
><BR>
> Kristian<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 19:57:34 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: [none]<BR>
<BR>
>At 6g, *regardless of your initial velocity, after 1 second, you will<BR>
>be at most 30 meters from the position you'd have occupied if you'd<BR>
>just coasted.<BR>
[snip]<BR>
>Of course, if you are using a reaction drive, or doing anything else<BR>
>that registers on *passive* sensors, you've halved the lag time. So at<BR>
>150,000 km, the target sphere will only be 7.5 meters across. In other<BR>
>words, they can target the center of your ship and be assured of<BR>
>hitting *some* part of the ship.<BR>
<BR>
Wrong, Leonard. Time On Target, assuming lightspeed lag and Active Sensors,<BR>
would be 3x the distance in LS. Passives it's still 2x. You must make your<BR>
firing plot so that it is large enough to cover the probable location at<BR>
intercept.<BR>
<BR>
So, in the case above, assuming a light-speed weapon:<BR>
dist=0.5 LS<BR>
TOT(A)=1.5s	Dta(A)= 45m [1]<BR>
TOT(P)=1.0s	Dta(P)= 30m<BR>
<BR>
[1] actually, should be 30*1.5^2 =30*2.25=67.5m. Assumes d=0.5*a*t*t, and<BR>
6G=60m/s/s<BR>
<BR>
This also asumes a pulse that is long enough to intercept along the axis of<BR>
the beam. at these ranges, easily. Most pulses will be several km long, so<BR>
that's not a real problem here. Meson guns and P-Beams lag would be a<BR>
little longer lag, as they are not at light speed. Plasma and Fusion guns<BR>
will have noteable lag differences, assuming we have them going a whopping<BR>
.25 C, they are still going to have recoil enough to be useable as<BR>
thrusters....<BR>
<BR>
And missiles.... forget Remote-Piloted missiles past rages of about 50,000<BR>
km; the lag factor is REALLY bad, so you pretty much need some form of<BR>
active terminal guidance.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 16:24:43 +1100<BR>
From: David Healey <dhealey@giant.net.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Low TL<BR>
<BR>
On 3/1/2000, Jason Barnabas said :<BR>
<BR>
>High Priest continues, "But most important son, if the<BR>
>Primary FF ever fails to produce the desired results, activate<BR>
>the Secondary FF and do Ceremony Number One*."<BR>
><BR>
>"Ceremony Number One?" asks his heir apparent in awe.<BR>
><BR>
>"Yes," says the High Priest, "Ceremony Number One is the<BR>
>holiest and least common of all the Sacred Ceremonies,<BR>
>it causes the old Primary to be consumed and a new<BR>
>Secondary to be created and elevates the old Secondary to<BR>
>Primary status.  The Secondary is never to be used for<BR>
>anything else until it is properly consecrated as the new<BR>
>Primary."<BR>
<BR>
You're secretly an MVS Sysprog, aren't you ?<BR>
<BR>
Dave<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 00:32:31 -0500<BR>
From: Tal Meta <talmeta@cybercomm.net><BR>
Subject: Trav Items for sale...<BR>
<BR>
If anyone is interested, I'm looking to divest myself of the bulk of my<BR>
older Traveller items, mostly MegaTraveller & T:NE era stuff. Rather<BR>
than encourage posts back to the list, please checkout<BR>
http://members.xoom.com/talmeta/sales.txt for a list of what I have, and<BR>
please email me directly if you're interested in anything. (I'm on<BR>
digest mode, so replies to the list won't get seen for awhile...)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
talmeta@cybercomm.net - Heretic, Dilettante, & God-Machine<BR>
ICQ - 12594453<BR>
AIM - talmeta<BR>
Homepage - <http://members.xoom.com/talmeta><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 22:10:56 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Thing <gduke@kendaco.telebyte.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
The discussion of the viablitilty of Grav Pong got me thinking again.<BR>
<BR>
How do you match vectors with a ship that can still maneuver long enough<BR>
to dock and board?<BR>
<BR>
I imagine just rolling about your long axis would make maneuvering in a<BR>
pain.  If the pilot of the target ship just gives a little kick it would<BR>
probably put enough torq to tear any docking collar or such.<BR>
<BR>
I can see boarding if either the engines/maneuvering thrusters are<BR>
disabled, or it surrenders in order to only loose its cargo.  Of course if<BR>
they surrender and then try Grav pong when once the agressors board,<BR>
that's another matter.<BR>
<BR>
G.D.D.<BR>
=========<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 15:01:19 -0800<BR>
From: "Antony Farrell" <Skaran@bigpond.com><BR>
Subject: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
In Traveller the bulk of a ships volume is fuel tankage. In that case what<BR>
do people think about the tactic used in the Mote in Gods Eye of marines<BR>
boarding enemy ships by ramming them in cutters (presumably reinforced).<BR>
Would this work in Traveller given the types and thicknesses of armour on<BR>
the ships? Presumably the cutters are still useable after the collision.<BR>
<BR>
If the tank was full of l-hyd it would obviously vent allowing the marines<BR>
access to an empty compartment.<BR>
<BR>
Comments?<BR>
<BR>
Antony Farrell<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 20:08:37 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: The pogrom begins..<BR>
<BR>
Here people, look at this :<BR>
<BR>
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/city/000105/3389524.html<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
(It was refered to on Pyramid)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 22:41:45 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: GURPS vs. T5?<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>And the case referred to involved a Tennessee DA filing charges against<BR>
>>the operators of a California BBS on the theory that since the BBS<BR>
>>could be *called* from TN, they were "delivering" the content to TN,<BR>
>>making them subject to TN "community standards". The operators were<BR>
>>convicted, and are either trying to get the Supreme Court to hear an<BR>
>>appeal, or have had the appeal refused. <BR>
><BR>
> The case is being appealed, and is expected to be overturned for a dozen<BR>
> reasons.<BR>
<BR>
Oh? Check this out:<BR>
<BR>
http://www.Loundy.com/CASES/US_v_Thomas2.html<BR>
<BR>
That's the 3-4 year old decision of the Distric level appeals court.<BR>
The only appeal *left* is the Supreme Court, and I seem to recall<BR>
hearing that they refused cert.<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, 8 Jan 2000 22:47:41 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: fashions<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 04:42 pm 1/6/00 PST, you wrote:<BR>
>>In mail you write:<BR>
>><BR>
>>> [I will discuss only shipboard fashions in this post.]<BR>
>>><BR>
>>> " Temperature: The interior of a normal ship is about<BR>
>>> 25 degrees C [77 F]." - CT Sup. 7 Traders & Gunboats <BR>
>>> p. 7.<BR>
>>><BR>
>>> Given this bit of canon we need top ask what kind<BR>
>>> of clothes most people tend to wear when it is this<BR>
>>> temperature?<BR>
>><BR>
>> At 77 degrees I and a number of people I know will be wearing as<BR>
>> little as we can get away with. Because it's way outside our<BR>
>> "comfort zone".<BR>
<BR>
>> I don't know *where* they got that figure, but "standard" room temp<BR>
>> is more like 70F (21C). And 20C (68F) is often quoted as "normal".<BR>
<BR>
>         Time to put another sweater on ...<BR>
<BR>
Which is *why* you shoot for the low end. It's "easy" to put on a<BR>
sweater. Once I've stripped to the skin, what the heck am I supposed to<BR>
do next?<BR>
<BR>
Someone commented on the fact that ships have to be *cooled* not<BR>
*heated* as the reason. Nice idea, *bad* engioneering. You'd want to<BR>
cool to the *low* end so as to allow a safety margin if the cooling<BR>
goes out.<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, 8 Jan 2000 22:55:43 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>Ok, I sit corrected. But he was *really* ill while writing IWFNE.=20<BR>
><BR>
> That might explain why it's at the bottom of most people's RAH lists...<BR>
><BR>
>>And as I said, try tracking down some of his earlier stuff. It's mostly<BR>
>>pretty good, and there's a *lot* of variety.<BR>
><BR>
> One thing I discovered when finding the RAH FAQ (which includes a complete<BR>
> list of his works) -- there's a lot of early stuff that I never heard of<BR>
> on the list. Sixth Column, for example. I started reading RAH in high=20<BR>
> school, as the school library had a complete set of his "juvenile" works<BR>
> and a few others (Starship Troopers, The Door Into Summer).<BR>
><BR>
> Any ones in particular you'd suggest among "his earlier stuff"?<BR>
<BR>
Send me a copy of that list of his works, and I'll send it back with<BR>
recommendations. <BR>
<BR>
Sadly, most of my library is in storage, so I can't just grab stuff off<BR>
the shelf like I used to. :-(<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, 8 Jan 2000 22:57:11 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> I thought "Sixth Column" was pretty good.  There is a major war and the<BR>
> Asians take over the U.S.  A group of freedom fighters comes across some new<BR>
> types of weapons (memory is hazy here).  Wish I still had that book.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, it's a top secret Army research installation. <BR>
<BR>
What's *really* interesting is if you can find the mid to late 1970s<BR>
John W. Campbell collection that has *his* version of the idea. I can't<BR>
recall the title of the book, but the story is "All". <BR>
<BR>
As I understand it, Campbell verbally described the plot to Heinlein<BR>
and asked him to write it (Campbell being the editor at the time,<BR>
couldn't get his own stuff published). <BR>
<BR>
I swiped Mota/All as a diety for my D&D campaign. :-)<BR>
<BR>
ps. note that "Mota" spelled backwards is "Atom". <BR>
pps. those weapons were *neat*...<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, 8 Jan 2000 23:02:24 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Space Island One<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> I ran into an odd show on TV last night - Space Island One.  It was on at<BR>
> 2.30am, so I guess they weren't expecting anyone to actually be watching...<BR>
><BR>
> It was pretty average stuff, but it was SF.  Basically, it was about a<BR>
> bunch of people on a space station... and that about sums it up.  The<BR>
> technology was pretty near future stuff, with some robots and decent<BR>
> computers.<BR>
><BR>
> It seems to have been made in Britain, in 1997.  Has anyone heard of<BR>
> it/seen it before?<BR>
<BR>
The name sounds familiar. Maybe the Sci-Fi channel had something about it?<BR>
<BR>
Anyother list members recall a late 50s/early 60s show called "Men Into<BR>
Space"? It was all black and white, and more "documentary" than<BR>
"drama", which explains why it has never been seen since. But it had<BR>
decent production values. I've got an old Murray Leinster book that's<BR>
essentially a novelization of the whole series. <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, 8 Jan 2000 22:18:58 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>Ok, I sit corrected. But he was *really* ill while writing IWFNE.<BR>
>><BR>
>>> But you're right about one thing: I Will Fear No Evil is probably the<BR>
> worst Heinlein I've ever read...<BR>
>>><BR>
>>Yep.<BR>
>><BR>
><BR>
> Sorry, I really *like* that book, so much that my copy is falling apart.  I<BR>
> love the notebooks of Lazarus Long.<BR>
<BR>
The notebooks of Lazarus Long are in "Time Enough For Love". <BR>
<BR>
"I Will Fear No Evil" is the one with the rich guy who winds up with<BR>
his brain transplanted into the body of his beatiful secretary.<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, 08 Jan 2000 23:18:44 -0800<BR>
From: "James W. Lindsay" <jlindsay@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, 8 Jan 2000 23:27:38 -0500, Jory Earl wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Well I for one won't miss "boxey".  Ack. G-1980 a bad dream?  Works for me.<BR>
>  As for Athena..maybe she ran into a Vargr operative and now has a new<BR>
> definition for "doggie style"?<BR>
<BR>
Don't you be talkin' about my Athena that way!  Ms. Jensen got me through<BR>
puberty... (ewww!)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
James W. Lindsay             Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada<BR>
http://members.home.net/jlindsay                    ICQ:#7521644<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
The best cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep.<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 23:01:22 -0800<BR>
From: "David P. Summers" <summers@alum.mit.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Where in the world (wide web) am I anyway?<BR>
<BR>
>Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 23:36:34 -0800<BR>
>From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
<BR>
>David P. Summers <summers@alum.mit.edu> .sig says:<BR>
>> ______________________________<BR>
>> summers@alum.mit.edu<BR>
>> (This is the net.  My e-mail address may be in Boston, but I'm in<BR>
>California.)<BR>
><BR>
>One of the things I have found to be strange about the net, I<BR>
>had 3 different email addresses while living in the same<BR>
>small town in Oklahoma.  The last one I have had since, it<BR>
>went with me all the way to Florida and all the way out here<BR>
>to California.<BR>
><BR>
>Small world (wide web).<BR>
<BR>
When I really noticed the problem was when I advertised a game<BR>
on a local (N. Cal.) posting a number of years ago and found<BR>
out later that someone didn't respond because they didn't live<BR>
in the Boston area....  :-)<BR>
<BR>
The address is MIT's "e-mail forwarding for life" and is pretty<BR>
much my permanent e-mail address (for personal mail) not matter<BR>
where I am.  It is just too convenient to give up...<BR>
______________________________<BR>
summers@alum.mit.edu<BR>
(This is the net.  My e-mail address may be in Boston, but I'm in California.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1712<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1713</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest      Sunday, January 9 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1713<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 Vargr<BR>
Re: Laser visibility<BR>
Re: Laser visibility<BR>
Re: BG, Count Iblis and everything else way off topic<BR>
RAH<BR>
SCORE<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1688<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: fashions<BR>
RE: RAH<BR>
Re: Rat dogs!<BR>
Re: Tech Levels<BR>
Re: fashions (long)<BR>
Re: Laser visibility<BR>
Re: fashions<BR>
Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: <BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1704<BR>
Re: JFK<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 23:14:27 -0800<BR>
From: "David P. Summers" <summers@alum.mit.edu><BR>
Subject: Re Vargr<BR>
<BR>
Sat, 8 Jan 2000 00:25:21 -0900<BR>
"William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
>***No offense intended to any ethic, social, or other groups here***, but<BR>
>by western standards, Samoans are fairly inbred. They have noticable<BR>
>morphological differences in bone thickness and muscle mass. They have a<BR>
>strong cultural tendancy to avoid couplings with non-samoans. Even in areas<BR>
>like alaska, the samoan and tongan communities (visually, at least to me,<BR>
>indistinguishable) tend to avoid even each other!<BR>
<BR>
[snip]<BR>
<BR>
>I posulate that the subspecies of vargr noted in the sources were similarly<BR>
>isloated groups of vargr on Lair. And, like the samoans, they developed the<BR>
>trait of not breeding outside their own, and when it does happen, the child<BR>
>is raised as one of the clan, by kidnap if need be, and quickly encouraged<BR>
>to breed  back in. This happens enough to avoid full speciation, but not so<BR>
>often as to prevent breed development.<BR>
<BR>
I'm not sure that you are going to see this sort of thing survive<BR>
space travel and subsequent mixing.  Somaonas may _tend_ to avoid<BR>
couping with non-Samoans, but they don't do it completely and they<BR>
are, in time, going to mix.<BR>
<BR>
More importantly, the kind of variation presented in the DGP<BR>
Vargr module, IMO, goes well beyond regional variations.<BR>
<BR>
> Eventually, in any isolated pocket,<BR>
>either you will wind up with a mutation for dominance of some prominently<BR>
>present recessive gene, or you will by selection pressure remove the<BR>
>dominant gene from the pool. (See Dawkins, _The Selfish Gene_ and _the<BR>
>Blind Watchmaker_). If, by luck, a desireable and useful (read here as<BR>
>pro-psionic) mutation occurs, either as a dominant gene, or as a recessive<BR>
>which later mutates to dominance, it will provde some small edge, and thus<BR>
>be somewhat reinforced. As it becomes more prevalent, similar mutations<BR>
>will also be selected for as more powerful psionic abilites become<BR>
>available, and thus desireability begins to become linked with the edge of<BR>
>psionic potential.<BR>
<BR>
But the same forces that create this in a group, then push to<BR>
spread the gene further when the two groups mix.<BR>
<BR>
>IMTU, the tinkering that post-dates the Final War is the fault of<BR>
>Yaskodray's unknown bastard from before his enlightenment, Yaskodritz.<BR>
[snip]<BR>
<BR>
Well, this addition puts a spin, IMO, that doesn't fit the feel of<BR>
the Vargr.<BR>
<BR>
>But I don't feel a character like Yz to be essential for maintaining<BR>
>selection in Vargr. I think most vargr will be GENETICALLY wired to seek<BR>
>difference, and the  stable "Alternate Breeds" have a dominant trait of<BR>
>seeking to "Breed Back In Their Own" overriding the breed far and wide<BR>
>Semi-dominant. [1]<BR>
<BR>
I don't agree.  Any trait that has what it takes to spread through<BR>
out a subgroup has what it takes to spread further.  As ot seeking<BR>
only to breed with your own subgroup, the example you yourself gave<BR>
about dog breed reverting to the basic type if left alone (which<BR>
is quite true) argues quite well against it.<BR>
<BR>
______________________________<BR>
summers@alum.mit.edu<BR>
(This is the net.  My e-mail address may be in Boston, but I'm in California.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 23:14:49 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Laser visibility<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> If your laser can propagate through air, it will essentially interact with<BR>
> it not at all, so you will not even hear a snap from air being heated. If it<BR>
> interacts enough to heat the air, it probably can't propagate far enough to<BR>
> damage a target.<BR>
<BR>
Yes and no. It'll lose power, but there's a wide range between where it<BR>
starts to interact and where it loses so much power it isn't worth trying.<BR>
<BR>
> Most lasers with a high enough efficiency to be used as weapons are not<BR>
> visible wavelengths, so they will not be visible. In particular, the UV and<BR>
> X-ray lasers will be invisible. The most widely used industrial high-power<BR>
> laser today is probably a carbon dioxide laser, operating at 10.6 microns,<BR>
> which is in the far-infrared. Still invisible.<BR>
<BR>
Air is *less* transparent at UV and X-ray wavelengths than at visible.<BR>
That's why they have UV filters for cameras. Without them, pictures<BR>
look "hazy" because of the absorbed UV. <BR>
<BR>
Hi-power xrays being absorbed by air is what *causes* the blast from a<BR>
nuclear weapon. In spot, you get a minor "blast" and a *huge* X-ray<BR>
pulse. In air, the xrays don't get more than a few yards before being<BR>
absorbed by (and heating) air. The superheated air provides the blast<BR>
wave, the "thermal pulse", and many other effects.<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, 8 Jan 2000 23:10:15 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Laser visibility<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Hi chaps - advice time again.<BR>
><BR>
> Would the beam of a weapons-grade laser be visible to the human eye?  I have <BR>
> them invisible and silent (apart from a barely discernable "snap" due to the <BR>
> air being rapidly heated), but my players vehemently disagree....obviously <BR>
> my view goes IMTU, but I wondered what the "real universe" answer was...<BR>
<BR>
Visible. One of my old Analog magazines (in storage, or I'd give you the<BR>
issue reference) has an article on high power lasers with a picture of<BR>
a beam going across a lab. <BR>
<BR>
It looks like a bad special effect! it's about 1/3rd blobs of plasma,<BR>
due to ionizatiuon breakdown of the air. <BR>
<BR>
As I recall, anything over a megawatt per cm^2 is going to do that in<BR>
air, with it getting worse as the power density goes up.<BR>
<BR>
So the answer is:<BR>
<BR>
Beam laser: yes<BR>
Pulse laser: maybe, depedns on power and duration<BR>
rapid pulse rate pulse laser, yep!<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, 08 Jan 2000 23:39:08 -0800<BR>
From: Keith Johnson <keithalanjohnson@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: BG, Count Iblis and everything else way off topic<BR>
<BR>
>Two things about Richard Hatch's version of the new BG series he wants<BR>
>to do:<BR>
>1. It will have as much as the original cast as possible, taking place<BR>
>20 years after the original series;<BR>
>2. The events in "Galactica 1980" will have never happened, passed off as<BR>
>a nightmare Starbuck had after eating too much pizza or something...<BR>
><BR>
>I hope he pulls it off. He spoke at a SF con here a couple of years ago<BR>
>and told us what he was planning -- it sounded like a great idea.<BR>
<BR>
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0193000<BR>
<BR>
The thing that makes me shudder is that someone is playing the role of <BR>
Count Iblis.  Count Iblis, for those of you who don't know, played "Satan" <BR>
in a really terrible two part episode of BG.  This is not exactly the <BR>
character I look forward to resurfacing for a second BG series.<BR>
<BR>
Why Imperious Leader keeps Baltar alive (and in command) is beyond me. . .<BR>
_________________________________________________________<BR>
Rev. Keith Johnson      /\     keith@sjgames.com<BR>
Assistant Webmaster    /()\    keithalanjohnson@home.com<BR>
Steve Jackson Games   /____\   reverendkeith@hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
  IMTU tm+ t4+@ tg++$ ru- ge-@ st+ pi+ he+ dr+ hi-@ zh+<BR>
_________________________________________________________ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 18:54:27 +1100<BR>
From: "AB" <ab@rossmack.com><BR>
Subject: RAH<BR>
<BR>
>> But I like Heinlein's sexy/romantic polyamory stories.<BR>
<BR>
> You're supposed to be disgusted at the sexist depiction of women !<BR>
<BR>
When you remember that Heinlein was born in 1907 his ideas on sexual freedom<BR>
and the role of women were way ahead of his time.  However he was still a<BR>
victim of his upbringing in many respects and that shows through in many of<BR>
his books.<BR>
<BR>
I think "I will fear no evil" was an attempt for him to 'come to grips with<BR>
his own feminine side', if you'll excuse the hackneyed phrase, by him<BR>
seriously trying to imagine what it would be like to be in that situation.<BR>
<BR>
His female characters tend to be an interesting mix of feminine and<BR>
masculine; I suspect he tries to imbue his leading females with what he sees<BR>
as the positive qualities of both sexes.  (The only 'bad' main female<BR>
character I can remember is Belle from 'The Door into Summer.')  He seems to<BR>
see a strong sex drive as a positive characteristic and I think that leads<BR>
to the 'sexist' image.<BR>
<BR>
His male characters, on the other hand, tend to be strong in only positive<BR>
'male' characterisitics, and that further reinforces the impression of<BR>
sexism.<BR>
<BR>
I try not to judge him too harshly on this issue - I think all he was trying<BR>
to say is that women can be women and men can be men and they can exult in<BR>
the respective strengths of their genders.  I think he would have been<BR>
horrified to have been called a sexist.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 00:05:23 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: SCORE<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
>Subject: RE: Fashions<BR>
>Why when reading this do I get a picture of a trooper riding something<BR>
>shaped like a winged sanitary pad ?<BR>
<BR>
score 2!<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 18:39:10 +0000<BR>
From: Andy Scarfe <andy@bridgest.demon.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1688<BR>
<BR>
In message <200001062156.QAA75847@lists.imagiconline.com>, Traveller-<BR>
digest <owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com> writes<BR>
>Pete, or possibly Jeff Peterson, wrote:<BR>
>><BR>
>> Is it just me or did RAH's later books get kind of weird. I sometimes<BR>
>> got the impression he was writing with one hand (if you get my drift.)<BR>
><BR>
>It wasn't just you.<BR>
><BR>
>In a desperate effort to avoid the RAH thread, has anyone else <BR>
>noticed that Niven is starting to read more like a dirty old man<BR>
>than he used to? Do other big-name science fiction writers get <BR>
>this way as they get older?<BR>
><BR>
>- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
        Have you read Jack Vance's last few books - the Lyonesse books<BR>
in particular. When you consider he was in his late seventies/early<BR>
seventies when he wrote them, then they have some rather 'questionable'<BR>
sections. Perhaps it's a trend? Anyone know of any dirty old women<BR>
writers?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Andy Scarfe     trav@bridgest.demon.co.uk<BR>
<BR>
        "When the Lord comes, it won't be on a major appliance."<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 02:20:39 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Antony Farrell" <Skaran@bigpond.com><BR>
>Subject: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
><BR>
>In Traveller the bulk of a ships volume is fuel tankage. In that case what<BR>
>do people think about the tactic used in the Mote in Gods Eye of marines<BR>
>boarding enemy ships by ramming them in cutters (presumably reinforced).<BR>
>Would this work in Traveller given the types and thicknesses of armour on<BR>
>the ships? Presumably the cutters are still useable after the collision.<BR>
<BR>
  In that background the target ships have energy absorbing force globes -<BR>
the lander/shuttle only survives impact because of that property. That<BR>
would make the troops a KKM in Traveller :><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 02:19:52 -0800<BR>
From: "Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella" <xrp@sierratel.com><BR>
Subject: Re: fashions<BR>
<BR>
Via electronic medium on 1/6/00 1:05 AM, jimpeta@primus.com.au wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Don't be ridiculous! Don't you know that fictional heroes never urinate,<BR>
> defecate, menstruate or any other sort of -ate?! The can leap from air raft<BR>
> to air raft without messing up their hair too! You can be so unrealistic!<BR>
> Jim<BR>
<BR>
<Rev. Jackson><BR>
Now let us not be overly hasty. There are those heroes of a fictional nature<BR>
whom have been known to cogitate. And others who readily agitate. Neither<BR>
(roll eyes, shrug) should we forget that some may calibrate. A Mr. Scotty<BR>
comes to mind, but the point is moot. Suffice it to say that many heroes may<BR>
perform /some/ actions ending in the suffix "-ate".<BR>
</Rev. Jackson><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 23:45:57 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: RAH<BR>
<BR>
> >> But I like Heinlein's sexy/romantic polyamory stories.<BR>
><BR>
> > You're supposed to be disgusted at the sexist depiction of women !<BR>
><BR>
> When you remember that Heinlein was born in 1907 his ideas on<BR>
> sexual freedom and the role of women were way ahead of his time.<BR>
<BR>
Er, whoops, sorry I didn't intend to start that argument, I was merely<BR>
joking with Kiri.<BR>
<BR>
I have no problems with the majority of RAH's portrayals of female<BR>
characters or his sexual politics.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 02:50:58 -0800<BR>
From: "Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella" <xrp@sierratel.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Rat dogs!<BR>
<BR>
Via electronic medium on 1/6/00 10:39 AM, tiamat@tsoft.com wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> But come on, do you really want various DOG BREEDS represented amongst the<BR>
> Vargr?  Some shepherds and huskies might be cool but I personally do not<BR>
> even want to contemplate Poodle-Vargr, let alone Chihuahua Vargr.<BR>
<BR>
Ew, no. But there could /still/ be variation. I've be tempted to base them<BR>
of canids at the time of the Ancients, with a little research. Then adjust<BR>
characteristics to fit a handful of suitable worlds. I'm intrigued by a<BR>
previous poster's challange to the idea that they /have/ to be so hirsuit.<BR>
Very interesting idea.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 03:09:51 -0800<BR>
From: "Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella" <xrp@sierratel.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Tech Levels<BR>
<BR>
Via electronic medium on 1/6/00 12:18 PM, dom@cybergoths.u-net.com wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> (Spending too much time playing the recently released MacOS version<BR>
> of Total Annihilation)<BR>
<BR>
Is it addictive? Been playing Imperialism 2. Great game. How much did TA<BR>
cost, where could I get it, and what would you give it rating wise? You can<BR>
respond diect to me as this is diverging from Trav, or perhaps review it on<BR>
A Gamer's Life.<BR>
<BR>
Is there any sim type games out there more Traveller in feel besides the<BR>
conquest game Galactica? For Mac OS?<BR>
xrp@sierratel.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 03:17:39 -0800<BR>
From: "Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella" <xrp@sierratel.com><BR>
Subject: Re: fashions (long)<BR>
<BR>
Via electronic medium on 1/6/00 1:45 PM, jimpeta@primus.com.au wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Unfortunately the little guy ate some Panadiene two days ago and I'm<BR>
> looking at him lying on the couch with a drip in his foreleg and a muzzle<BR>
> tied to his head, waiting to see if he'll die.<BR>
<BR>
Best wishes, I know how that feels. The Vigil is a hard post.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 22:46:36 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Laser visibility<BR>
<BR>
>> Would the beam of a weapons-grade laser be visible to the human eye?  I<BR>
have<BR>
>> them invisible and silent (apart from a barely discernable "snap" due to<BR>
the<BR>
>> air being rapidly heated), but my players vehemently<BR>
disagree....obviously<BR>
>> my view goes IMTU, but I wondered what the "real universe" answer was...<BR>
><BR>
>I would expect to see little sparkly bits in the path of the beam, due<BR>
>to dust specks vaporizing.  Enough to tell that the weapon was fired,<BR>
>but not enough to get a good fix on its location.  However, those who<BR>
>have actually played with high-energy lasers could tell you more.<BR>
><BR>
>AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
>"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
<BR>
    (Irrelevant post warning)<BR>
    We just ran "Marooned" and the solo scout ended up in a firefight with<BR>
the local boys, he was armed with the best TL13 can provide against the<BR>
local TL6 lads. Using his nightvision gear and sneaking around being<BR>
unpleasant worked until he got complacent and sat in one spot being Mr<BR>
Sniper with the Invisible-Noiseless-Gun (tm). He forgot that even though his<BR>
TL13 Laser Rifle has an x-ray beam and can't be seen, the beam sets fire to<BR>
everything in its path. He still sat in that smouldering clump of bushes<BR>
until Leeroy and pals opened up on it.<BR>
    If I recall, in MT the TL9 laser are IR and the TL13 Lasers are X-ray.<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 08:03:25 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: fashions<BR>
<BR>
I probably getting in a little late on the discussion, but I feel that<BR>
the players careers or lifestyle may have a bearing on how many clothes<BR>
are worn.  The lady pirates in my piracy campaign always wore vacc<BR>
skins, vacc suits or battledress on board during flight because of the<BR>
uncertainity of combat or other space hazards.  Even on a R&R planet<BR>
they tending to wear special flex or body armour that allow them to<BR>
unseal certain parts of the armour for recreation or other activities.<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
> <BR>
> > At 04:42 pm 1/6/00 PST, you wrote:<BR>
> >>In mail you write:<BR>
> >><BR>
> >>> [I will discuss only shipboard fashions in this post.]<BR>
> >>><BR>
> >>> " Temperature: The interior of a normal ship is about<BR>
> >>> 25 degrees C [77 F]." - CT Sup. 7 Traders & Gunboats<BR>
> >>> p. 7.<BR>
> >>><BR>
> >>> Given this bit of canon we need top ask what kind<BR>
> >>> of clothes most people tend to wear when it is this<BR>
> >>> temperature?<BR>
> >><BR>
> >> At 77 degrees I and a number of people I know will be wearing as<BR>
> >> little as we can get away with. Because it's way outside our<BR>
> >> "comfort zone".<BR>
> <BR>
> >> I don't know *where* they got that figure, but "standard" room temp<BR>
> >> is more like 70F (21C). And 20C (68F) is often quoted as "normal".<BR>
> <BR>
> >         Time to put another sweater on ...<BR>
> <BR>
> Which is *why* you shoot for the low end. It's "easy" to put on a<BR>
> sweater. Once I've stripped to the skin, what the heck am I supposed to<BR>
> do next?<BR>
> <BR>
> Someone commented on the fact that ships have to be *cooled* not<BR>
> *heated* as the reason. Nice idea, *bad* engioneering. You'd want to<BR>
> cool to the *low* end so as to allow a safety margin if the cooling<BR>
> goes out.<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, 09 Jan 2000 09:26:48 -0500<BR>
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net><BR>
Subject: Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
<BR>
At 10:55 pm 1/8/00 PST, you wrote:<BR>
>In mail you write:<BR>
><BR>
>>>Ok, I sit corrected. But he was *really* ill while writing<BR>
IWFNE.=20<BR>
>><BR>
>> That might explain why it's at the bottom of most people's RAH<BR>
lists...<BR>
>><BR>
>>>And as I said, try tracking down some of his earlier stuff. It's<BR>
mostly<BR>
>>>pretty good, and there's a *lot* of variety.<BR>
>><BR>
>> One thing I discovered when finding the RAH FAQ (which includes a<BR>
complete<BR>
>> list of his works) -- there's a lot of early stuff that I never<BR>
heard of<BR>
>> on the list. Sixth Column, for example. I started reading RAH in<BR>
high=20<BR>
>> school, as the school library had a complete set of his "juvenile"<BR>
works<BR>
>> and a few others (Starship Troopers, The Door Into Summer).<BR>
>><BR>
>> Any ones in particular you'd suggest among "his earlier stuff"?<BR>
><BR>
>Send me a copy of that list of his works, and I'll send it back with<BR>
>recommendations. <BR>
><BR>
>Sadly, most of my library is in storage, so I can't just grab stuff<BR>
off<BR>
>the shelf like I used to. :-(<BR>
<BR>
	An abbreviated list of my recommendations (my collection is ALSO in<BR>
storage ...)<BR>
<BR>
	- Space Cadets<BR>
	- Rolling Stones<BR>
	- Moon Is A Harsh Mistress<BR>
	- Starship Troopers<BR>
	- Puppet Masters<BR>
<BR>
	"Sixth Column," to put it bluntly, reads like a jingoistic,<BR>
stereotyped, anti-oriental, rabble-rousing piece of wartime<BR>
propaganda. Which, IIRC, is what it was supposed to be. Having said<BR>
that, it was <BR>
<BR>
- -- Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with your Microsoft<BR>
product.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 10:50:32 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
At 10:10 PM 1/8/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>The discussion of the viablitilty of Grav Pong got me thinking again.<BR>
><BR>
>How do you match vectors with a ship that can still maneuver long enough<BR>
>to dock and board?<BR>
<BR>
        You can't.<BR>
<BR>
>I imagine just rolling about your long axis would make maneuvering in a<BR>
>pain.  If the pilot of the target ship just gives a little kick it would<BR>
>probably put enough torq to tear any docking collar or such.<BR>
<BR>
        Right...<BR>
<BR>
>I can see boarding if either the engines/maneuvering thrusters are<BR>
>disabled, or it surrenders in order to only loose its cargo.  Of course if<BR>
>they surrender and then try Grav pong when once the agressors board,<BR>
>that's another matter.<BR>
<BR>
        IMTU, pirates are either after the cargo or after the kill....<BR>
"Privateers" in TNEC get paid by destroyed tonnage of "designated enemy"<BR>
shipping.  "Pirates" get paid by stealing the cargo and contents of the<BR>
ship's safe.<BR>
<BR>
        Now, in the Piracy scenario, its in everyone's best interests not to<BR>
get out of hand....  the Pirate doesn't want to kill anybody in hand-to-hand<BR>
(the UN gets cranky about that) and the Merchant doesn't want to be<BR>
murdered....  Since I use CT/HG, in single-ship combats I use the HG system<BR>
but *not* the relative computer issue...  I allow the modifers for computer<BR>
programs.  So, any Pirate worth his parrotoid is going to be running the<BR>
best versions of PREDICT and SELECT he can afford to allow the disabling of<BR>
the maneuver drive on a ship that won't "heave to".<BR>
<BR>
        Ambush the boarding party (who use jet-packs, not a boarding arm)<BR>
with either grav-pong or a Marine contingent, and the Pirate is going to<BR>
pound your Merchant in to the cargo-bay contents of a garbage scow.<BR>
Everyone knows that.<BR>
<BR>
        So, the only ones who do things like that are Q-Ships and Player<BR>
Characters, IMTU.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Michel R. Vaillancourt	misha@atlantic-online.ns.ca<BR>
				ICQ # 31172292<BR>
	"Reality Error in Progress....<BR>
			       ....Do Not Adjust Your Penguin"	<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Cyberpunk:  	"http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/cp2020"<BR>
	Traveller:		"http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/traveller"<BR>
	AD&D:		"http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/adnd_eurania"<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	    ***REMEMBER - Always virus-check your emails ***<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 12:27:37 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
>Actually, you can only generate the sort of "radial" (ie "at right<BR>
>angles to engine thrust) forces he was thinking of if you add a *huge*<BR>
>"belly thruster". :-)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Uhhh....yeess. <Aaarghh, damn these terms... #:-)  ><BR>
<BR>
I was pointing out that you can turn a spacecraft in an orbit around an<BR>
object by pointing the drives away from that object and continually burning<BR>
while you rotate the ship to keep the drives pointing away. This is a radial<BR>
force, since it's applied along the radius of the circle, but unlike the<BR>
F-18's wing-produced radial force, it's coming from behind rather than below<BR>
with respect to the crew.<BR>
<BR>
To generate the radial force AND have it orientated the same as in a<BR>
fighter, you'd need the big-ass belly thruster. I think we're agreed on<BR>
that.<BR>
<BR>
But anyway, wasn't the original point that spacecraft can't use atmospheric<BR>
manoevring in space?<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 12:33:03 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
>Except that "diving" isn't a possible manuever. Rolling and spinning<BR>
>merely change the *orientation* of the ship, not the *course*. And<BR>
>there *are no* "complex variations".<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Possibly if you had powerful rotational thrusters and a long ship, you could<BR>
spin the ship about a short axis and thrun corridors near the ends of the<BR>
ship into centrifuges.<BR>
<BR>
>Keep in mind that when a ship is moving tens or hundreds of km/sec<BR>
>(typical velocities) even a 6 g drive is only going to change the ship's<BR>
>vector *slowly*.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
It doesn't matter what the velocity of the ship is relative to the<BR>
'gameboard'. If you apply a 6G burn forward (asuming the drive doesn't take<BR>
5 minutes to come up to power - which since you can evade I assume it<BR>
doesn't) then corridor walls will be accelerating at 6G past a person<BR>
floating in the centre of the corridor - and the end wall is accelerating<BR>
towards him at 6G as well.<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 12:59:29 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: <BR>
<BR>
>Wrong, Leonard. Time On Target, assuming lightspeed lag and Active Sensors,<BR>
>would be 3x the distance in LS. Passives it's still 2x. You must make your<BR>
>firing plot so that it is large enough to cover the probable location at<BR>
>intercept.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
It doesn't matter whether you're using actives or passives, the time lag is<BR>
still the same. Consider a ship 1 light second away from you, that appears<BR>
to your scanners to be at point X, and is travelling at 300 m/s<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
With Passive Sensors:<BR>
1 second ago, Target ship is at point X. Passive emissions leave targer<BR>
ship.<BR>
0 seconds ago, Target ship now 300m past point X. Passive returns reach your<BR>
ship<BR>
    Maximum Error on passives = 300m. (+1 second's acceleration)<BR>
1 second from now, laser fire reaches target ship. Ship is 600m past point X<BR>
    Maximum Error on laser fire = 600m (+2 seconds' acceleration)<BR>
<BR>
With Active Sensors:<BR>
2 seconds ago, Target ship is 300m of point X. Active emissions leave array<BR>
1 second ago, Target ship is at point X. Active emissions hit targer ship.<BR>
0 seconds ago, Target ship now 300m past point X. Active returns reach your<BR>
ship<BR>
    Maximum Error on passives = 300m. (+1 second's acceleration)<BR>
1 second from now, laser fire reaches target ship. Ship is 600m past point X<BR>
    Maximum Error on laser fire = 600m (+2 seconds' acceleration)<BR>
<BR>
The extra second the active emissions require to reach the target don't<BR>
affect the timelag inaccuracy at all.<BR>
<BR>
NB<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 10:27:39 EST<BR>
From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1704<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 00-01-08 01:34:18 EST, you write:<BR>
<BR>
<< I take it, then, that I shouldn't hold my breath for the release of<BR>
 GURPS Nudeworld...<BR>
  >><BR>
<BR>
The contract with Marc covers only GURPS Traveller products, so while GURPS <BR>
Traveller Nekkidworld is right out, the cover of GURPS Wizards is about as <BR>
far as our distributors will let us go (in fact, it is a little over the line <BR>
for most of them). See also, GURPS Planet Krishna.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 10:27:40 EST<BR>
From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: JFK<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 00-01-08 09:58:54 EST, you write:<BR>
<BR>
<< Are there any native Germans on the list who can sort this out? From what <BR>
I remember of my studies:<BR>
 <BR>
 "Ich bin Berliner" relates to "I am Danish" the same way as<BR>
 "Ich bin ein Berliner" relates to "I am a Dane"  >><BR>
<BR>
For what it's worth, my German instructor in college (who was born in <BR>
Hamburg) explained the joke to my class as I have previously outlined ("Ich <BR>
bin ein Berliner" = jelly doughnut, "Ich bin Berliner" = I am a citizen of <BR>
Berlin) and used the "I am Danish/I am a Danish" analogy to explain it to us <BR>
lunkheads. I remember seeing film of the speech (I was alive and sentient <BR>
back then), and no one in the audience laughed, as they knew what Kennedy <BR>
meant (he was applauded, as I recall) and it was a minor mistake of the sort <BR>
people commonly make when speaking a second language. <BR>
<BR>
Almost Unrelated: When I was in Sweden a few years ago, I bought a phrase <BR>
book and attempted a few simple sentences. Everyone I talked to at any length <BR>
insisted we speak English. One of them told me that it was nice of me to make <BR>
the effort, but my accent was horrible, and I could barely be understood. I <BR>
did discover that there are many advantages to playing the "dumb but <BR>
well-meaning foriegner" in a country where most people like Americans and <BR>
many of them relish the chance to try their English on a native speaker (I <BR>
spent many hours helping an attractive young woman sharpen her English in <BR>
preparation for her trip to America).<BR>
<BR>
Ah, memories . . . <BR>
<BR>
Loren Wiseman<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1713<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1714</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest      Sunday, January 9 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1714<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: nudity and clothes <BR>
Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
Re: KFC...<BR>
Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
Re: 101 Schools - What's Needed?<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1688<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1709<BR>
Fw: <BR>
Bye bye<BR>
Re: Low TL<BR>
Re: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Heinlein and women<BR>
Re: OT "perverse" tastes<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
Re: Sub-categories of Traveller<BR>
-ating<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1709<BR>
Re: KFC...<BR>
Re: Sub-categories of Traveller<BR>
Re: -ating<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
Re: Rat dogs!<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes...<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 10:58:59 -0500<BR>
From: "Thom Harris" <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes <BR>
<BR>
I have a sensitivity to UV. My eyes are a pale blue and I was told by a<BR>
doctor years ago that I "probably" didn't have enough color pigment to help<BR>
block the UV. I sometimes have to wear sunglasses on overcast days. Gets me<BR>
a few stares but that's the breaks.....<BR>
<BR>
Thom<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: "Glenn St-Germain" <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2000 10:20 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> >>such that I don't dare venture outside by day without sunglasses on.<BR>
> >>Anything brighter than a heavy overcast is uncomfortable, and in full<BR>
> >>direct sunlight I can't see at all. In a case like that, what would I<BR>
> >>do?<BR>
><BR>
> >    Are you an asthmatic? It may be your medication.<BR>
><BR>
> Nope, it's not medication. I'm not asthmatic, and the only meds I'm on,<BR>
> I've been on for only a few weeks -- this bit with sunlight goes back<BR>
> many, many years. I'm told it has something to do with my being severely<BR>
> nearsighted, combined with the fact that I wear contact lenses...<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>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 08:58:34 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
<BR>
>Well I for one won't miss "boxey".  Ack. G-1980 a bad dream?  Works for me.<BR>
> As for Athena..maybe she ran into a Vargr operative and now has a new<BR>
>definition for "doggie style"?<BR>
<BR>
If the new series takes place 20 years after the original, "Boxey" would<BR>
be 25 or 26 years old and likely have outgrown his childhood nickname.<BR>
Both the Galactica 1980 series and the Richard Hatch novels call this<BR>
character "Troy". I have no problem with that.<BR>
<BR>
As for Athena, they could easily recast the part without problem.<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: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 08:31:33<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC...<BR>
<BR>
At 07:49 PM 1/8/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>All three; KFC, PH, and TB, are owned by PepsiCo, proud makers of Pepsi. So<BR>
>I guess it works just fine to have "Kentaco Hut in YTU if Pepsi won the cola<BR>
>wars.<BR>
<BR>
They used to be owned by PepsiCo.  They fast food division was spun off a<BR>
year or so ago.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 11:33:19 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
<BR>
On Sun, 9 Jan 2000, Boris Cibic wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Code.  Let us hope that T5 will finally liberate us from a utilitarian, <BR>
> totalitarian model.  <BR>
<BR>
!!!!!  What on earth do you mean by _this_?  Traveller, in all its<BR>
incarnations (but especially the TML, because we're the BEST), is<BR>
fundamentally a utilitarian, totalitarian fantasy!  That's why we're going<BR>
to rule the world!  Hahahahahahahaha!  "Liberate from utilitarianism!"<BR>
Hahahahahahaha!<BR>
<BR>
> Traveller unlike D&D is not so much about adolescent <BR>
> and puberty angst...<BR>
<BR>
Hmph.  Speak for yourself!<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 11:36:30 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: 101 Schools - What's Needed?<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, 8 Jan 2000, Black ICE wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Heck, if Kenji wants to contribute something along the lines of the<BR>
> Sayat Classroomfullish Husbanding of Educationing Environments and<BR>
> Social Engineerifying, let him!<BR>
<BR>
SayCHEESE?  Hm!  Well, perhaps that _is_ a part of the Concourse I hadn't<BR>
noticed before.  I'll have to look into this.  You do recall, I hope, the<BR>
utterly brilliant and superior Sayat "subsidized merchant" that SayVROOM<BR>
built for THUDDD 8?  We have new ones here in the 1120s.  Oh yes.  Oh yes.<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 11:41:26 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1688<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, 8 Jan 2000, Andy Scarfe wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>         Have you read Jack Vance's last few books - the Lyonesse books<BR>
> in particular. When you consider he was in his late seventies/early<BR>
> seventies when he wrote them, then they have some rather 'questionable'<BR>
> sections. Perhaps it's a trend? Anyone know of any dirty old women<BR>
> writers?<BR>
<BR>
Well, I just was reading Ursula LeGuin's Droyne ethnography, disguised as<BR>
_Always Coming Home_, and noticed she was being 'frank' in a way I don't<BR>
remember at all from her earlier stuff.  And from what I've heard of her<BR>
in person, she seems, these days, to relish those four-letter-words.<BR>
<BR>
(I am blushing just THINKING about these words, like I told you all.)<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 08:45:18<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1709<BR>
<BR>
At 08:58 PM 1/8/2000 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood denies claims that it is breeding a Kwisatz<BR>
>Haderach Quarterback that can see the future and throw the ball right to<BR>
>where the receivers hands will be...<BR>
<BR>
We've already seen that.  His name was Joe Montanta (worship)<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 16:46:37 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Fw: <BR>
<BR>
>>    Maximum Error on passives = 300m. (+1 second's acceleration)<BR>
>>    Maximum Error on passives = 300m. (+1 second's acceleration)<BR>
><BR>
>Two errors in my last post, spotted after I hit the send button.<BR>
><BR>
>First, the second line of the two above ahouls read 'maximum error on<BR>
>actives',<BR>
><BR>
>and secondly I forgot to point out that since you also know the craft's<BR>
>residual velocity vector when it was at point X, you can predict the 300m,<BR>
>so the error is only the error that can be introduced by 1 second's<BR>
>acceleration (or 2 seconds for the lasers), which is 1/2 * acceleration *<BR>
>(time squared).<BR>
><BR>
>Nick<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 17:06:28 -0000<BR>
From: "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Bye bye<BR>
<BR>
Okay, term starts tomorrow, so the time has come again for me to<BR>
unsubscribe.<BR>
<BR>
Can somebody mail me direct if anything happens about this Trav day in<BR>
Yorkshire - I'd appreciate that.<BR>
<BR>
See you all in a couple of months.<BR>
<BR>
Nick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 10:29:17 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Low TL<BR>
<BR>
David Healey <dhealey@giant.net.au> wrote:<BR>
> You're secretly an MVS Sysprog, aren't you ?<BR>
<BR>
I will neither confirm nor deny this rumor.  What's your<BR>
clearance anyway?  Maybe we should have external<BR>
security come by and have a "little discussion" with you.<BR>
Drop this matter instantly.  You have been warned. ;-)<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 13:34:01 EST<BR>
From: Sethkimmel@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 1/8/00 10:45:48 AM Pacific Standard Time, <BR>
gridlore@pop.mindspring.com writes:<BR>
<BR>
<< But at least you have, in the immortal words of the US Air Force, a >><BR>
<BR>
I like the old Woody Allen quip about it doubling your chances of getting a <BR>
date on a Saturday night...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 13:48:11 EST<BR>
From: Sethkimmel@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 1/8/00 11:05:48 PM Pacific Standard Time, <BR>
Skaran@bigpond.com writes:<BR>
<BR>
<< If the tank was full of l-hyd it would obviously vent allowing the marines<BR>
 access to an empty compartment.<BR>
  >><BR>
<BR>
Canon (AHL and Snapshot) allow NO ONE in to Lhyd tankage. It states that a <BR>
person, even in battledress is immediately eliminated. I guess they get flash <BR>
frozen?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 11:22:19 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Heinlein and women<BR>
<BR>
From: Frank G. Pitt <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>> From Kiri Aradia Morgan<BR>
>><BR>
>>>> But you're right about one thing: I Will Fear No Evil is probably the<BR>
worst Heinlein I've ever read...<BR>
>>>><BR>
>> Sorry, I really *like* that book, so much that my copy is falling apart.<BR>
>><BR>
>Amazing.<BR>
><BR>
>I was informed by a certain rather feminist-inclined SF writer that no<BR>
woman could ever stomach Heinlein's attempts at writing women, and that<BR>
IWFNE was the worst one, as no woman, not even one who was originally a man,<BR>
would act like that!<BR>
><BR>
I still like the book, but I realized that I had gotten it confused with<BR>
_Time Enough for Love_ when I read this.<BR>
<BR>
IWFNE is not the one that is falling apart.<BR>
<BR>
Whoever this author was, she lacked imagination, then.  Some people who have<BR>
marinated too long in radical feminist polemics end up that way.  I consider<BR>
myself feminist, but I don't often say so because of the nasty old<BR>
schoolmarms who have co-opted a word that once meant "someone who subscribes<BR>
to the radical notions that women are people, people should have equal<BR>
rights, and that people should be equally compensated for the things they<BR>
do" and made it mean something entirely different.<BR>
<BR>
It wasn't a *terribly* realistic book.  It wasn't a *terribly* realistic<BR>
situation.   There were things she did that I would never have done and<BR>
things she did that I would have done exactly the same.<BR>
<BR>
I'll surprise you again and tell you that the book was given to me in junior<BR>
high school by another girl, who also adored it.<BR>
<BR>
>Congratulations on being the exception <grin><BR>
><BR>
Well, there's always one.<BR>
<BR>
>> But I like Heinlein's sexy/romantic polyamory stories.<BR>
><BR>
>You're supposed to be disgusted at the sexist depiction of women !<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Why?  all of Heinlein's females are smart, competent, well-educated, brave,<BR>
and generally cheerful.  They like themselves, they take shit from no one,<BR>
and they do very well as a consequence.  There's no need to hate men if<BR>
you're not afraid of them and don't let them bully you.  Yes, they use their<BR>
good looks and sexuality to their advantage.  Heinlein heroes and heroines<BR>
always use all their assets to get what they want.  This is not a bad way to<BR>
be, provided you have the basic integrity to prevent you from using your<BR>
assets and strong will to get things that are bad for other people and<BR>
yourself.<BR>
<BR>
I have wondered how Heinlein would portray an ugly girl, but then again, I'm<BR>
not sure Heinlein believed that there are ugly girls.  Heinlein liked women<BR>
more than most women like themselves.  This is a sad commentary on the state<BR>
of the feminine self-image in this culture.  I tend not to believe in ugly<BR>
people either.  I think that the ugliest thing in the world is low<BR>
self-esteem.   When someone really is happy with themselves and has a<BR>
positive outlook on life, there is an inner glow that emanates from them<BR>
that blurs out all the less attractive physical features they may or may not<BR>
have.<BR>
<BR>
I've run a lot of very Heinleinian female characters in CT.  The one thing<BR>
Heinlein said that bothered me the most is that (this is a paraphrase, the<BR>
book is in another room) "people who can't understand mathematics are not<BR>
fully human".  That is because I have a mathematical learning disability<BR>
that makes arithmetic very difficult for me.  But I will grant that it would<BR>
say something unpleasant about me if I did not try.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect<BR>
and love your darkest side, disposing of only what is obsolete or<BR>
impractical.  It's all about giving yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 11:25:54 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Re: OT "perverse" tastes<BR>
<BR>
From: Frank G. Pitt <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
><BR>
><BR>
>> From Kiri Aradia Morgan<BR>
>><BR>
>> Or have two categories of weirdly specific tastes that add up to being<BR>
almost attracted to half as many people of both genders as the average<BR>
person is attracted to people of one, LOL.<BR>
><BR>
>Pardon?  Did you get Sir Humphrey of the Home Office to write that<BR>
paragraph for you?  It's gotta be a contender for most confusing paragraph !<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Sorry, let's try that again.<BR>
<BR>
Being bi can mean you have twice as many "targets" as other people, but it<BR>
can also mean, if you are like me and respond to a number of unusual<BR>
criteria sexually, that you have a very small number of "targets" in which<BR>
gender is not really a selection factor.<BR>
<BR>
A friend of mine once said that she could always tell who I'd be attracted<BR>
to by looking at their eyes and the shape of their faces, and that it had<BR>
nothing to do with gender, that all my past and present partners regardless<BR>
of age, gender or race looked alike to her.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 14:29:48 -0500<BR>
From: "Thom Harris" <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
You apparently missed the part of his post that stated he would RAM the ship<BR>
and VENT the L-Hyd into space, THEN the boarding party could enter.<BR>
<BR>
Thom<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: <Sethkimmel@aol.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2000 1:48 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> In a message dated 1/8/00 11:05:48 PM Pacific Standard Time,<BR>
> Skaran@bigpond.com writes:<BR>
><BR>
> << If the tank was full of l-hyd it would obviously vent allowing the<BR>
marines<BR>
>  access to an empty compartment.<BR>
>   >><BR>
><BR>
> Canon (AHL and Snapshot) allow NO ONE in to Lhyd tankage. It states that a<BR>
> person, even in battledress is immediately eliminated. I guess they get<BR>
flash<BR>
> frozen?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 11:53:45 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
From: Douglas E. Berry <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>Donna Barr (who draws the Desert Peach and has done Traveller illustrations<BR>
in the past) tends to wear the uniform of a Wehrmacht Feldwebel to parties.<BR>
She's dyed it pink.<BR>
><BR>
Not pink, dear.  Pink is tacky.  It's peach.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's<BR>
a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect and love your darkest side,<BR>
disposing of only what is obsolete or impractical.  It's all about giving<BR>
yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 15:03:17 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Sub-categories of Traveller<BR>
<BR>
> > So now I am asking my fellow Traveller players and web denizens to offer<BR>
> > their opinions of how a useful listing would be divided.  The goal is to<BR>
> > help web searchers find web sites easily.  The first thing that comes to<BR>
> > mind is milieu, but so many sites are multiple milieu...<BR>
<BR>
Or maybe something like this:<BR>
<BR>
Adventure : campaign site, resources for adventuring, amber zones, patron,<BR>
encounters, etc<BR>
<BR>
Background : presenting a background story or supporting the official<BR>
Traveller universe<BR>
<BR>
Rules : Expanding, fixing or supporting the rules, including tables, errata,<BR>
design systems, economics, how things work...<BR>
<BR>
Technology : weapons, vehicles, ships - actual examples, pics, deckplans,<BR>
and programs for gearheads<BR>
<BR>
Category chosen based on general flavor.  Pages or sections of a site could<BR>
be submitted individually<BR>
<BR>
Comments?<BR>
<BR>
( see directory at http://dmoz.org/Games/Roleplaying/Systems/Traveller/ )<BR>
<BR>
________________________<BR>
Colin Michael, Traveller Editor<BR>
Open Directory Project<BR>
http://www.dmoz.org<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 12:05:57 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: -ating<BR>
<BR>
>> Don't be ridiculous! Don't you know that fictional heroes never urinate,<BR>
>> defecate, menstruate or any other sort of -ate?! The can leap from air raft<BR>
>> to air raft without messing up their hair too! You can be so unrealistic!<BR>
>> Jim<BR>
><BR>
><Rev. Jackson><BR>
>Now let us not be overly hasty. There are those heroes of a fictional nature<BR>
>whom have been known to cogitate. And others who readily agitate. Neither<BR>
>(roll eyes, shrug) should we forget that some may calibrate. A Mr. Scotty<BR>
>comes to mind, but the point is moot. Suffice it to say that many heroes may<BR>
>perform /some/ actions ending in the suffix "-ate".<BR>
></Rev. Jackson><BR>
<BR>
And let us not forget the action of the captured hero(ine): Expectorate in<BR>
the villain's face as a last act of defiance.<BR>
(Yes, characters HAVE done this IMTU.)<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 12:00:03 +0100<BR>
From: Volker Greimann <volker@greimann.de><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1709<BR>
<BR>
At 02:58 09.01.00 , you wrote:<BR>
>The Spice Must Flow...<BR>
<BR>
Yeah, Girl POWER!<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 12:03:31 +0100<BR>
From: Volker Greimann <volker@greimann.de><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC...<BR>
<BR>
At 04:49 09.01.00 , you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>All three; KFC, PH, and TB, are owned by PepsiCo, proud makers of Pepsi. So<BR>
>I guess it works just fine to have "Kentaco Hut in YTU if Pepsi won the cola<BR>
>wars.<BR>
<BR>
Hehehe! In Germany, most Pizza Huts dont carry Pepsi, but Coca Cola. <BR>
Burger King does, too.<BR>
Taco Bell and KFC i have not seen here yet.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 15:27:05 -0600<BR>
From: tim@premier.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Sub-categories of Traveller<BR>
<BR>
> > > So now I am asking my fellow Traveller players and web denizens to offer<BR>
> > > their opinions of how a useful listing would be divided.  The goal is to<BR>
> > > help web searchers find web sites easily.  The first thing that comes to<BR>
> > > mind is milieu, but so many sites are multiple milieu...<BR>
> <BR>
> Or maybe something like this:<BR>
> <BR>
> Adventure : campaign site, resources for adventuring, amber zones, patron,<BR>
> encounters, etc<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> Background : presenting a background story or supporting the official<BR>
> Traveller universe<BR>
> <BR>
> Rules : Expanding, fixing or supporting the rules, including tables, errata,<BR>
> design systems, economics, how things work...<BR>
> <BR>
> Technology : weapons, vehicles, ships - actual examples, pics, deckplans,<BR>
> and programs for gearheads<BR>
> <BR>
> Category chosen based on general flavor.  Pages or sections of a site could<BR>
> be submitted individually<BR>
> <BR>
> Comments?<BR>
<BR>
Some other ideas should look at the gaming industry like a all the <BR>
companies that support Traveller.  This should also include resalers <BR>
as well like your site.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
You should probably add library data to this group. To adventure or <BR>
background groups.<BR>
<BR>
Another grouping should be by type of ship design being used.  <BR>
This will speed up fleet building.<BR>
<BR>
Dont forget all the computer software aviable for Traveller.  It would <BR>
be nice to track this down quickly.<BR>
<BR>
This is just a quick set of ideas.  Thanks for trying this out.<BR>
<BR>
 <BR>
Tim Reynolds<BR>
tim@premier.net <BR>
225-334-5063<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
Getting an education was a bit like a communicable <BR>
sexual disease.  It made you unsuitable for <BR>
a lot of jobs and then you had the urge to pass it on.<BR>
<BR>
Terry Pratchett <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 15:17:16 -0600<BR>
From: "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net><BR>
Subject: Re: -ating<BR>
<BR>
>>> Don't be ridiculous! Don't you know that fictional heroes never urinate,<BR>
>>> defecate, menstruate or any other sort of -ate?! The can leap from air<BR>
raft<BR>
>>> to air raft without messing up their hair too! You can be so<BR>
unrealistic!<BR>
>>> Jim<BR>
<BR>
Not speaking from Traveller experience, but many a time my Fantasy<BR>
characters have had to visit the privy in the middle of the night. Believe<BR>
me, nothing dies faster than a creature who attacks my wood elf on the way<BR>
to the crapper, and it tends to happen too often for my tastes :)<BR>
<BR>
TV<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 13:53:26 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson <shadow@krypton.rain.com> wrote:<BR>
Thing(?) wrote:<BR>
> >> > What little trinket might a PC routinely carry that would draw the<BR>
> >> > wrong assumptions on some world?<BR>
> And there are a *lot* of cultures where a man who isn't wearing a<BR>
> visible knife is either considered to be an effeminate poof, or thought<BR>
> to be someone under a vow preventing him from fighting.<BR>
<BR>
I had a friend who was a missionary in Africa.  He reported<BR>
a couple of fashion facts:<BR>
<BR>
I commented on the beautiful tie he was wearing and he<BR>
replied that it was a Bannannannannunu (an African brand<BR>
name).  He also told me that it was a well known fact that<BR>
Bannannannannunu's kept wild elephants away.<BR>
<BR>
I informed him that there weren't wild elephants within a<BR>
thousand miles.  He smiled and asked, "See how well they<BR>
work?"<BR>
<BR>
That may have been a set up for the joke; however, he did<BR>
mention a rather embarrassing event that happened to him<BR>
early in his stay in Africa that has a bit more bearing upon<BR>
this thread:<BR>
<BR>
He had a beautiful young native lady come to his first<BR>
meeting.  She was a good woman and was so moved by<BR>
his sermon that she responded (some would say "got<BR>
saved").  While talking with her he became disconcerted<BR>
by her bare teats and offered her his suit jacket (or maybe<BR>
it was a sports jacket or blazer).<BR>
<BR>
When she returned the following nights of the meeting, she<BR>
wore that same jacket.  He didn't mind her having his jacket,<BR>
he just couldn't stand the fact that she had cut out the upper<BR>
third of the front of it and was wearing it as if it were a mark<BR>
of honor.<BR>
<BR>
Eventually, he became accustomed to native modesty and<BR>
for a time he was worried that perhaps his wife, also a good<BR>
and modest woman would need to cut the fronts out of her<BR>
garments.  However; according to the contact specialists he<BR>
asked about it, the natives understood the difference in their<BR>
modest dress mores and European mores (close enough to<BR>
American), so she didn't.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 15:59:38 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Rat dogs!<BR>
<BR>
On 01/09/00 at 03:56 PM,  "Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella" <xrp@sierratel.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>Via electronic medium on 1/6/00 10:39 AM, tiamat@tsoft.com wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>> But come on, do you really want various DOG BREEDS represented amongst the<BR>
>> Vargr?  Some shepherds and huskies might be cool but I personally do not<BR>
>> even want to contemplate Poodle-Vargr, let alone Chihuahua Vargr.<BR>
<BR>
>Ew, no. But there could /still/ be variation. I've be tempted to base<BR>
>them of canids at the time of the Ancients, with a little research. Then<BR>
>adjust characteristics to fit a handful of suitable worlds. I'm intrigued<BR>
>by a previous poster's challange to the idea that they /have/ to be so<BR>
>hirsuit. Very interesting idea.<BR>
<BR>
That was me, and just as we humans appear to have much finer hair<BR>
now compared to what we think our anscesters looked like, so *might*<BR>
vargr.  And the idea of poodle-vargr or chihuahua-vargr is amusing,<BR>
but not exactly what I had in mind.  <g><BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 14:01:03 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes...<BR>
<BR>
The Roc <roc@kewl.com.au> wrote:<BR>
<snip><BR>
> Not in the least Ethan.  In my world, I chose to be aware of what happened<BR>
> to the bodies of the women I love and have loved... but I was one of a few<BR>
> compared to the other blokes I knew... that was "secret woman's business"<BR>
> and in no way relevant to us ocker, cobber blokes.  I don't assume things<BR>
> were different with men the world over (many just NOT wanting to know<BR>
about<BR>
> it).<BR>
<BR>
In my case, it was more a matter of not finding a woman who<BR>
was willing to discuss it.  For most of them it is a subject that<BR>
simply is NOT discussed in mixed company.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri, I for one would like to say thank you for your openness.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1714<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1715</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
Date:	1/9/00 4:58:36 PM Pacific Standard Time<BR>
From:	owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com (Traveller-digest)<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Sunday, January 9 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1715<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: ObTrav - Jurisdiction (was GURPS vs. T5)<BR>
Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
Lost & Found...<BR>
Accessing Tankage<BR>
Targetting again<BR>
Re: Vargr fashions<BR>
Re: JFK<BR>
Re: KFC...<BR>
Re: Old<BR>
Re: -ating<BR>
Re: "Plumbing" (was Re: SJG bashing)<BR>
Re: I don't wanna think about it <BR>
Re: Fw: <BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: Weird food...<BR>
Imperial Navy<BR>
Re: KFC...<BR>
Re: Imperial Navy<BR>
Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
Ideas to ponder...<BR>
Re: Heinlein and women<BR>
Re: KFC...<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 14:05:43 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: ObTrav - Jurisdiction (was GURPS vs. T5)<BR>
<BR>
Mark Preston or Peter Trevor wrote:<BR>
> 2) Actually "sensible jurisdictional boundaries" no longer  apply<BR>
>    to UK citizens (at the whim of Parliament).  There are only  a<BR>
>    few examples I'm aware of so far but the  precedent  has  been<BR>
>    made: UK laws can be applied to UK citizens outside the UK!<BR>
<BR>
Believe it or not, the same is true of Californians.  Especially<BR>
the laws that you don't want applied to you.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 16:09:44 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/09/00 at 04:02 PM,  "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net> said:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>	An abbreviated list of my recommendations (my collection is ALSO in<BR>
>storage ...)<BR>
<BR>
>	- Space Cadets<BR>
>	- Rolling Stones<BR>
>	- Moon Is A Harsh Mistress<BR>
>	- Starship Troopers<BR>
>	- Puppet Masters<BR>
<BR>
>	"Sixth Column," to put it bluntly, reads like a jingoistic, stereotyped,<BR>
>anti-oriental, rabble-rousing piece of wartime<BR>
>propaganda. Which, IIRC, is what it was supposed to be. Having said that,<BR>
>it was <BR>
<BR>
It was what?  A lot of fun.  That's how I'd describe it, and yes it<BR>
could be said to be anti-oriental, rabble-rousing and jingoistic.<BR>
<BR>
Citizen of the Galaxy<BR>
Between Planets<BR>
Friday<BR>
The first half of Number of the Beast<BR>
Door into Summer<BR>
Job<BR>
Gulf<BR>
The Green Hills of Earth<BR>
The Space Patrol<BR>
The Roads Must Roll...<BR>
<BR>
...heck!  ANYTHING RAH wrote, I'd recommend.  Even when it wasn't<BR>
good, and at the end it was only good in bits and pieces, I liked<BR>
Bob's work, and I can't say that about many authors.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 15:27:28 -0700<BR>
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@ctaz.com><BR>
Subject: Lost & Found...<BR>
<BR>
Anybody happen to know where Chris Giffen is hiding out these days?<BR>
<BR>
Need to talk with him a sec...<BR>
<BR>
Keven<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
tc++ tm+ tn+ t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure<BR>
                                                     In Reavers' Deep<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 13:35:28 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Accessing Tankage<BR>
<BR>
>Skaran@bigpond.com writes:<BR>
>> If the tank was full of l-hyd it would obviously vent allowing the marines<BR>
>> access to an empty compartment.<BR>
<BR>
>Canon (AHL and Snapshot) allow NO ONE in to Lhyd tankage. It states that a<BR>
>person, even in battledress is immediately eliminated. I guess they get flash<BR>
>frozen?<BR>
<BR>
Think about what they are designed for: -110c to +100c temps; in vaccum,<BR>
you can probably expand this a bit for lower temps, as you have only<BR>
radiative cooling; in vaccum, your upper temp limit really is how much can<BR>
you radiate away, so you can probably go to +150, assuming you don't expose<BR>
your radiators to direct insolation. In LHyd, however, you are going to do<BR>
several of the following:<BR>
1) Boil L-Hyd, as you shed heat into it by convection<BR>
2) suddenly cool your radiation vanes... possibly generating cracks or<BR>
worse failures (THey will, by definition, be higher than +100c, probably<BR>
about 200-300c), and you'll be cooling them unevenly down to about -200c,<BR>
by convection.<BR>
3) suffer crygenic failures on gaskets and seals, thereby allowing<BR>
hydrogen, both liquid and gasseous, a means in.<BR>
4) suffer compressive effects, as, IIRC, LHyd is normally stored at several<BR>
atms of pressure, in order to reduce the cooling needed. Imperial Vacc<BR>
Suits are good for 5 Atm. But, if you get cryogenically induced failures,<BR>
even 3 could be a problem....<BR>
5) if you have failures in integrity, you are going to be mixing hydrogen<BR>
and an oxygen-(whatever) mix.... Oxy-Helium would be bad, but just think<BR>
about nitrogen-hydrogen-oxygen compounds... some do some very nasty things.<BR>
<BR>
BTW, the thermal-meteoroid garmet (which is an add-on to a vacc suit)<BR>
changes the range of acceptable temps to +130c to -160c. Since LHyd is<BR>
going to be well below -160 (-250c, IIRC, assuming under moderate<BR>
pressure), that's still going to hit the same coolant systems.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 16:37:37 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Targetting again<BR>
<BR>
On 01/09/00 at 04:13 PM,  "Nick Bradbeer" <nickb@ndirect.co.uk> said:<BR>
<BR>
>    Maximum Error on passives = 300m. (+1 second's acceleration) 1 second<BR>
>from now, laser fire reaches target ship. Ship is 600m past point X<BR>
>    Maximum Error on laser fire = 600m (+2 seconds' acceleration)<BR>
<BR>
I'd like to point out that with passives (and actives in most cases,<BR>
sensing a target isn't an isolated event.  Your sensors have been<BR>
tracking the target for some time giving you a good idea of it's<BR>
vector.  The variation isn't really 600m + (2 sec acceleration),<BR>
it's just (2 sec acceleration), because you already *know* where the<BR>
ship will be if there is no vector change.  Additionally, the target<BR>
sphere isn't going to be a globe if the ship's track showed previous<BR>
acceleration is along its axis because it can't turn very far in a<BR>
second or two. I think it would look something like...<BR>
      <BR>
     .-~-. <BR>
    <-----*<BR>
     ~-.-~<BR>
<BR>
...where < represent full acceleration along the current vector, x<BR>
represents no acceleration along any vector and all points inside as<BR>
possible locations in any other case, with the probabilities higher<BR>
close to the <----* line.  Another point is that because the<BR>
attacking beam extends through the entire target volume you only<BR>
have to targeting worry about a cross section.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, I use stutterwarp STL drives so movement is displacement, not<BR>
acceleration.  The displacement is in a single direction along a<BR>
line between nodes located forward and aft aboard a ship.  A ship's<BR>
ability to turn itself with thrusters and/or gyroscopes affects its<BR>
maneuverability, and typically is no more than one 30 degree turn<BR>
per minute.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 17:31:45 -0500<BR>
From: "Daniel Phelps" <phelpsd@gate.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Vargr fashions<BR>
<BR>
Was writ:<BR>
 .....people drop things and run into you and other<BR>
><BR>
>>stuff... you want your pants.<BR>
><BR>
>Those are good points.  I wonder whether the shape of Vargr<BR>
>thighs and the size of the dangling things obviate some of these<BR>
>concerns.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Excuse me for pointing out the obvious but what about a Vargr's tail.   They<BR>
aren't built like us.<BR>
<BR>
I suggest kilts.   Yes kilts for Vargr and sporrans and leggings or if its<BR>
really brisk leather hosen on each leg belted up underneath their short<BR>
kilts.  I can see it now bright screaming plaid kilts, tam o' shanner<BR>
bonnets,   ....did mention pipes if you have kilts and bonnets o' screaming<BR>
plaid,  ....like a high school production of Brigadoon on acid, you've got<BR>
to have the pipes o' war.  Yes picture it, the Royal Vargrish Highlanders,<BR>
marching out of the mist howling their war cries striking terror where ever<BR>
they trod.   "Lassie's from Hell",  "Loup Garu in Mini Skirts" the true<BR>
"Devil Pups of the Space Ways".<BR>
<BR>
Dan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 16:47:25 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: JFK<BR>
<BR>
On 01/09/00 at 04:39 PM,  GDWGAMES@aol.com said:<BR>
<BR>
>For what it's worth, my German instructor in college (who was born in <BR>
>Hamburg) explained the joke to my class as I have previously outlined<BR>
>("Ich  bin ein Berliner" = jelly doughnut, "Ich bin Berliner" = I am a<BR>
>citizen of  Berlin) and used the "I am Danish/I am a Danish" analogy to<BR>
>explain it to us  lunkheads. I remember seeing film of the speech (I was<BR>
>alive and sentient  back then), and no one in the audience laughed, as<BR>
>they knew what Kennedy  meant (he was applauded, as I recall) and it was<BR>
>a minor mistake of the sort  people commonly make when speaking a second<BR>
>language. <BR>
<BR>
I'm an old guy too and I remember the scene the nightly news.  I<BR>
noticed then and since that one of the men on the stand with Kennedy<BR>
paused and smiled before applauding, after having heard about the<BR>
"slip" that pause and smile takes on a different meaning in my mind.<BR>
I can picture him, and the crowd, blinking for a second to process<BR>
the minor error, but no doubt fully understanding and applauding the<BR>
intended meaning.<BR>
<BR>
Eris,<BR>
    maybe not the oldest, but certainly "Old Coot" material<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 16:52:11 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: KFC...<BR>
<BR>
On 01/09/00 at 04:49 PM,  "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>>All three; KFC, PH, and TB, are owned by PepsiCo, proud makers of Pepsi. So<BR>
>>I guess it works just fine to have "Kentaco Hut in YTU if Pepsi won the cola<BR>
>>wars.<BR>
<BR>
>They used to be owned by PepsiCo.  They fast food division was spun off a<BR>
>year or so ago.<BR>
<BR>
Probably with interlocking boards and a large ownership interest by<BR>
PepsiCo. <g> Even now, just try to buy a Co'Cola at Kenbelly Hut (my<BR>
version of their name ;).<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 17:57:08 EST<BR>
From: "Roger Barr" <travelergm@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Old<BR>
<BR>
>I can proudly say that at 42 I qualify to many as old, and as a Traveller<BR>
>player since 1979 I truly seem to many to be perverted.  But I'm hanging in<BR>
>there!<BR>
><BR>
>Ken<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Hang in there Ken!<BR>
At 35 I'm not too far behind you, and the rest of my players are all 30+.<BR>
Remember: Is it better to use your brain creatively in play,  or sit around <BR>
watching the TV all the time letting your gray matter rot...<BR>
<BR>
Roger<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 17:02:13 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: -ating<BR>
<BR>
On 01/09/00 at 04:59 PM,  "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net> said:<BR>
<BR>
>>>> Don't be ridiculous! Don't you know that fictional heroes never urinate,<BR>
>>>> defecate, menstruate or any other sort of -ate?! The can leap from air<BR>
<BR>
>Not speaking from Traveller experience, but many a time my Fantasy<BR>
>characters have had to visit the privy in the middle of the night.<BR>
>Believe me, nothing dies faster than a creature who attacks my wood elf<BR>
>on the way to the crapper, and it tends to happen too often for my tastes<BR>
>:)<BR>
<BR>
In the AKUS PBEM, it was the toilet one of the characters went to in<BR>
order to get some privacy for his computer hacking.  I won't comment<BR>
on what *else* he did while in the toilet...wouldn't want to make<BR>
Kenji blush again. <wink><BR>
<BR>
Oh, and there's also masticate, my PC's are *always* sitting around<BR>
masticating. <g><BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 18:28:20 -0500<BR>
From: Jeff Zeitlin <jzeitlin@cyburban.com><BR>
Subject: Re: "Plumbing" (was Re: SJG bashing)<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 7 Jan 2000 13:38:45 -0500 (EST), Peter Newman<BR>
<pnewman@gci.net> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>All plumbing is complementary in the sense that it<BR>
>came be made to fit together with sufficient incentive,<BR>
>creativity, and lubricants.<BR>
<BR>
You just _think_ I wasn't thinking of that when I wrote my<BR>
euphemistic phrasing...<BR>
<BR>
>No plumbing is complementary (i.e. free). [Although<BR>
>converting ones self over to having no plumbing might be<BR>
>free if one already had the bolt cutters, match, needle<BR>
>& thread that's not really what I mean.] All relationships<BR>
>have a price. (Usually in terms of time, flowers, etc<BR>
>rather than in terms of cash; but I've heard that some <BR>
>encounters and/or relationships are of a commercial<BR>
>nature, I've heard there is even a profession based on<BR>
>transactions of this nature.)<BR>
<BR>
Well, my own experience isn't statistically significant - but I<BR>
have heard anecdotal reports from usually reliable sources to the<BR>
effect that the reporter did in fact get "complementary plumbing"<BR>
with the simple expedient of inquiring (in rather cruder phrasing<BR>
than here) whether the possessor of such plumbing wished to<BR>
engage in recreational stimulation of erogenous zones.<BR>
<BR>
For those in the SCA, recall what is frequently said in this vein<BR>
about Pennsic...<BR>
- --<BR>
Jeff Zeitlin<BR>
jzeitlin@cyburban.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 16:30:06 -0700<BR>
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@ctaz.com><BR>
Subject: Re: I don't wanna think about it <BR>
<BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
> <BR>
> > In a message dated 00-01-07 18:43:02 EST, you write:<BR>
> ><BR>
> > << Well, except the part about<BR>
> >  anally-inserted fusion incinerators.) >><BR>
> ><BR>
> > There are certain words that should never appear in the same sentence. <BR>
> > "anally-inserted" and  "fusion incinerators" are one set. 'Sexually <BR>
> > transmitted" and "flesh-eating bacteria" are another. <BR>
> <BR>
> So I guess that means you don't want to hear about the "crabs" you can<BR>
> pick up on some planets?<BR>
<BR>
I'd say, it would depend on how cute their sisters were...<BR>
<BR>
Keven<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
tc++ tm+ tn+ t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure<BR>
                                                     In Reavers' Deep<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 21:37:23 GMT<BR>
From: Postmark Design Bureau <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Fw: <BR>
<BR>
Nick Bradbeer wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> and secondly I forgot to point out that since you also know the craft's<BR>
> residual velocity vector when it was at point X, you can predict the 300m,<BR>
> so the error is only the error that can be introduced by 1 second's<BR>
> acceleration (or 2 seconds for the lasers), which is 1/2 * acceleration *<BR>
> (time squared).<BR>
<BR>
Not strictly true since you can't use dopler to measure how fast the<BR>
target was moving across your line of sight, so your estimatation<BR>
of their velocity component in this direction has to be inferred by<BR>
the distance moved between successive detections from your sensors<BR>
and you can't adjust completely for the acceleration of the target<BR>
during this period - you will under estimate the velocity change by<BR>
a factor of two.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Phil Kitching, http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo<BR>
Postmark Design Bureau, Laser Communications Division<BR>
"For when your message must get through"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 21:13:44 GMT<BR>
From: Postmark Design Bureau <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
Antony Farrell wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> In Traveller the bulk of a ships volume is fuel tankage. In that case what<BR>
> do people think about the tactic used in the Mote in Gods Eye of marines<BR>
> boarding enemy ships by ramming them in cutters (presumably reinforced).<BR>
> Would this work in Traveller given the types and thicknesses of armour on<BR>
> the ships? Presumably the cutters are still useable after the collision.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, the only time you send over the marines is when then other ship<BR>
has surrendered. This is either a merchant agreeing to be inspected or<BR>
a warship that has agreed for you to send a prize crew over.<BR>
Commonly, the crew of a warship in battle will abandon ship and<BR>
set off the demolition charges. The winner gets to look over the<BR>
hulks at the end of the battle.<BR>
<BR>
The problem with putting the marines in an assault boat is that they<BR>
have to get very close. If the defenders are going to resist, then<BR>
they will have no problems destroying the cutter. If they are not<BR>
planning to resist, you just dock normally.<BR>
<BR>
Fighting the borders just encourages them to stand off and shoot up<BR>
your ship so you might as well destroy it yourself and not get killed.<BR>
<BR>
Free trader vs corsair gives a few problems to this plan since no one<BR>
has lots of spare crew.<BR>
<BR>
The options include:<BR>
<BR>
Free trader spaces their cargo which the corsair picks up. Probably<BR>
the air/raft as well if they have one. A reinforced cargo bay should<BR>
limit the damage from the couple of tons of normal explosives that<BR>
the PCs will send over but when the military give you a small nuke,<BR>
you'd better hope you remembered the damper.<BR>
<BR>
Corsair sends over a bording party covered by the guns of their ship<BR>
to loot the passengers and crew.<BR>
<BR>
The corsair loads the entire free trader into its cargo bay and does<BR>
it wants to it.<BR>
<BR>
Whatever, when a corsair gets within shooting range of your PCs,<BR>
expect a big bill for dead passengers, lost or damaged cargo and<BR>
a stolen or wrecked ship (did anyone mention insurance?) with<BR>
variations including the PCs joining the corsair crew or damaging,<BR>
destroying or capturing the corsair.<BR>
<BR>
When people commonly put a couple of gigajoules of lightspeed death<BR>
and kilotonnes of kinetic kill on even the smallest spaceship, if<BR>
the PCs can't keep the corsair at bay long enough for the Imperials<BR>
to turn up or jump out, then an encounter with a corsair is going to<BR>
significantly affect the way that the campaign continues.<BR>
- -- <BR>
Phil Kitching, http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo<BR>
Postmark Design Bureau, Laser Communications Division<BR>
"For when your message must get through"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 22:40:03 GMT<BR>
From: Postmark Design Bureau <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Weird food...<BR>
<BR>
The Roc wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> ><BR>
> > There's a fish & chip shop near Stilton (near a  friend's  place)<BR>
> > that sells Mars bars deep fried in cripy batter, does that count?<BR>
> ><BR>
> <BR>
> Hey!  There are places that do that in Oz!  We also deep fry bananas and<BR>
> pineapple rings (banana and pineapple fritters)... I know the Japanese<BR>
> don't do that, but I thought it wasn't unique... does anywhere else<BR>
> really do it? How about floating a meat pie in a bowl of split pea soup<BR>
> (a pie floater), with or without tomato sauce?<BR>
<BR>
The UK certainly fries bananas and pineapple rings.<BR>
<BR>
There's also a fish & chip shop near here that does pea fritters.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Phil Kitching, http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo<BR>
Postmark Design Bureau, Laser Communications Division<BR>
"For when your message must get through"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 10:52:55 +1000<BR>
From: dadams@parracity.nsw.gov.au<BR>
Subject: Imperial Navy<BR>
<BR>
>>><BR>
Just out of curiosity, for those who are also on the SJG boards, doesn't it<BR>
feel slightly like the IN manuscript got euthenized (sp? OK, Dr. K'd) a<BR>
smidgen quickly? I don't know any of the higher ups thinking on it - much<BR>
less yours LKW - but still - compared, say, to SM it seemed like a pretty<BR>
good book to me with a reasonable CT feel. Was I just being silly?<BR>
<BR>
Yes I'm bring it up here first and not there. I'd rather have some idea if<BR>
I'm being stupid or not before shoving my nose into a real bee's hive... :><BR>
<<<<BR>
<BR>
I was disapointed by their desicion. The bigest problem (from what I saw of the<BR>
discusions) was that the ships needed a lot of work, and that GT:Starships<BR>
really needed to be done first, in order to have proper designs. There was some<BR>
discusion on cannon and whatever, but the copy I got seems to be playable and<BR>
suitable.<BR>
<BR>
Darryl<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 15:01:25<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC...<BR>
<BR>
At 04:52 PM 1/9/2000 -0600, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>>They used to be owned by PepsiCo.  They fast food division was spun off a<BR>
>>year or so ago.<BR>
><BR>
>Probably with interlocking boards and a large ownership interest by<BR>
>PepsiCo. <g> Even now, just try to buy a Co'Cola at Kenbelly Hut (my<BR>
>version of their name ;).<BR>
<BR>
I just walk-in with my own bottle of Coke, put in the counter while I<BR>
order, then take it to my table.<BR>
<BR>
I have had one manager-type complain.  I, without a further word, turned<BR>
around and left.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas "Penguin Boy" Berry  gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
  http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
"I am the penguin bold! We sailed the sea, to tringalee,<BR>
in search of spanish gold" - The Magic Pudding - Norman Lindsay<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 16:09:59<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Imperial Navy<BR>
<BR>
Once again, please let's not discuss this for any number of reason which I<BR>
really cannot talk about.<BR>
<BR>
Trust me on this one guys.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 15:04:44<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
At 11:53 AM 1/9/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>From: Douglas E. Berry <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
<BR>
>>Donna Barr (who draws the Desert Peach and has done Traveller illustrations<BR>
>in the past) tends to wear the uniform of a Wehrmacht Feldwebel to parties.<BR>
>She's dyed it pink.<BR>
<BR>
>Not pink, dear.  Pink is tacky.  It's peach.<BR>
<BR>
the one I saw at OryCon a decade or more ago was *pink*.  It helped that<BR>
she can lisp in German, and can do a firly butch look.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 01:07:16 -0600 (CST)<BR>
From: John Osborne <osborne6@wt.net><BR>
Subject: Ideas to ponder...<BR>
<BR>
Just an adventure idea to ponder and debate (with preceeding real life<BR>
situation that made me think of this)  -<BR>
<BR>
Back in november, a hobby electronics company (ramsey electronics) got<BR>
raided by the FBI due to the alleged "surreptitous" uses of some of their<BR>
hobby kits (telephone bugs, FM transmitters, cameras hidden in smoke<BR>
detectors and alarm clocks).  Anyway, next time your PC's get a cargo, you<BR>
could make it interesting, and have it be somehting that might not be<BR>
kosher at their next destination ("I'm sorry Mr Free Trader, but we have<BR>
to impound these meson communicator kits.  Terrorists might use these to<BR>
make meson guns [1] ).<BR>
<BR>
Ideas?  Expansions upon this?<BR>
<BR>
John Osborne<BR>
osborne6@wt.net   osborne6@msu.edu<BR>
"I love the smell of fdisk in the morning"<BR>
<BR>
[1]  Yes, I know, you probably can't make a meson gun from a meson<BR>
communicator, but this just illustrates the cluelessness of starport<BR>
officials who flunked their highschool science classes.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 18:55:00 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Heinlein and women<BR>
<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
<BR>
> >You're supposed to be disgusted at the sexist depiction of women !<BR>
> ><BR>
> <BR>
> Why?  all of Heinlein's females are smart, competent, well-educated, brave,<BR>
> and generally cheerful.  They like themselves, they take shit from no one,<BR>
> and they do very well as a consequence.  There's no need to hate men if<BR>
> you're not afraid of them and don't let them bully you.  Yes, they use their<BR>
> good looks and sexuality to their advantage.  Heinlein heroes and heroines<BR>
> always use all their assets to get what they want.  This is not a bad way to<BR>
> be, provided you have the basic integrity to prevent you from using your<BR>
> assets and strong will to get things that are bad for other people and<BR>
> yourself.<BR>
> <BR>
> I have wondered how Heinlein would portray an ugly girl, but then again, I'm<BR>
> not sure Heinlein believed that there are ugly girls.  Heinlein liked women<BR>
> more than most women like themselves.  This is a sad commentary on the state<BR>
> of the feminine self-image in this culture.  I tend not to believe in ugly<BR>
> people either.  I think that the ugliest thing in the world is low<BR>
> self-esteem.   When someone really is happy with themselves and has a<BR>
> positive outlook on life, there is an inner glow that emanates from them<BR>
> that blurs out all the less attractive physical features they may or may not<BR>
> have.<BR>
<BR>
I recommend that anyone who has ever read Heinlein read Spider<BR>
Robinson's "RAH RAH R.A.H.!", published in _Time Travelers Strictly<BR>
Cash_, and more recently in _Requiem and Tributes to the Grand Master_. <BR>
Some choice quotes:<BR>
<BR>
**quote one**<BR>
<BR>
  (2) "Heinlein can't create believable women characters." There's an<BR>
easy way to support this claim: simply disbelieve in all Heinlein's<BR>
female characters....  You'll have a problem, though: several of<BR>
Heinlein's women bear a striking resemblance to his wife Virginia,<BR>
you'll have to disbelieve in her, too - which could get you killed if<BR>
your paths cross.<BR>
<BR>
**quote two**<BR>
<BR>
I think I know what enrages the radicals: two universal characteristics<BR>
of Heinlein women that I left out....  They are always beautiful and<BR>
proud of it (regardless of whether they happen to be pretty), and they<BR>
are often strongly interested in having babies.<BR>
<BR>
**quote three**<BR>
<BR>
And I repeat: if there is anything that can divert the land of my birth<BR>
from its current stampede into the Stone Age, it is the widespread<BR>
dissemination of the thoughts and perceptions that Robert Heinlein has<BR>
been selling as entertainment since 1939.<BR>
<BR>
**end quotes**<BR>
<BR>
When I asked Spider Robinson for his autograph at Exoticon II this past<BR>
November, he seemed pleased and honored that I wanted him to autograph<BR>
the essay quoted above (in my copy of _Requiem_).  The first words he<BR>
wrote, before asking my name to personalize the autograph, were: "Say it<BR>
again!", under the essay's title.<BR>
<BR>
<<snip>><BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 19:39:33 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC...<BR>
<BR>
From: <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Probably with interlocking boards and a large ownership interest by<BR>
> PepsiCo. <g> Even now, just try to buy a Co'Cola at Kenbelly Hut<BR>
> (my version of their name ;).<BR>
<BR>
Pretty much. In '97, when Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc. was spawned by<BR>
PepsiCo., every ten shares of PepsiCo. stock that a shareholder owner earned<BR>
them a share in TGR.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1715<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Sunday, January 9 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1716<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: Fashions<BR>
Re: Laser visibility<BR>
RE: Tech Levels (was Re: OT (w/penguines): Reality and Tech  Level 2 and printing)<BR>
Re: fashions<BR>
Re: The Voice of Reason (Solomani Style) (long)<BR>
Re: Rat dogs!<BR>
Re: It takes a Village (was Re: The Village People (was Re: Doug at the stake! Legion at thePiano!)<BR>
Re: It takes a Village (was Re: The Village People (was Re: Doug at the stake! Legion at thePiano!)<BR>
Re: OT (w/penguines): Reality<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1688<BR>
light lag vs targetting<BR>
Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
Re: Sub-categories of Traveller<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: fashions<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: "Its raining on planet Mongo!"<BR>
Kentaco Hut<BR>
law in flux re the internet (was Re: GURPS vs. T5?)<BR>
Re: JFK<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 19:13:22 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions<BR>
<BR>
"Frank G. Pitt" wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> ><BR>
> > 3.  Canon does not discuss this issue, AFAIK.  However, I at least have<BR>
> > suffered no noticeable damage during incidental exposure to Free Mesons,<BR>
> > such exposure occurring while I was wearing my jump wings.<BR>
> <BR>
> For somne reason I read that as<BR>
> <BR>
> "suffered no noticeable damage during incidental exposure to Free MAsons"<BR>
<BR>
This sophont is displaying unusual levels of perception for its<BR>
species.  Suggest this sophont be investigated for possible future<BR>
recruitment.<BR>
<BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> > ><BR>
> > > Twisted minds want to know how these 'MiGo' drives work!<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Fun guys, those MiGo!<BR>
> <BR>
> Are they the oriental branch of Mikoyan & Gurevich ?<BR>
<BR>
MiGo are also known as the Fungi from Yuggoth (see H.P. Lovecraft for<BR>
details).<BR>
<BR>
Analysis:  While this sophont displays remarkable cognitive skills for<BR>
its species, its knowledge base is currently at a non-threatening level<BR>
(note apparent lack of recognition of MiGo reference).  It is hoped that<BR>
this operative's suggestion that the sophont investigate the writings of<BR>
H.P. Lovecraft will nudge its speculations into optimal paths, rendering<BR>
it eligible for future recruitment.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 17:22:59 -0800<BR>
From: Kristian Miller <travellerne@3rd-imperium.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Laser visibility<BR>
<BR>
Hi Luther,<BR>
<BR>
Wow! You know I did some work on this while getting my physics degree at<BR>
Vanderbilt.  They had one of the few FELs in the country--funded by SDI,<BR>
of course, but also used for medical research.  I remember some<BR>
magnified photos that showed the difference between a surgeon's knife<BR>
cutting bone, compared to a conventional laser, compared to an FEL. <BR>
Each step made the previous technology look like the comparison of a<BR>
chain saw to a surgeon's knife.<BR>
<BR>
> I agree that the FEL is the technology of choice. Do you know the physics of<BR>
> FEL beams? Are they necessarily eigenfunctions of the Fourier transform<BR>
> (e.g. Gaussian, G-H, etc) like you get from a resonant cavity? I have always<BR>
<BR>
It's been a long while but I think the answer to that is "no."  The FEL<BR>
doesn't use a resonant cavity, but instead "wiggles" the electrons to<BR>
produce photons by synchrotron radiation.<BR>
<BR>
> thought that the self-diffracting nature of the usual Gaussian beams makes<BR>
> them useless for long-range ship combat. Even "gravitational lensing" will<BR>
> not save you. Is there a solution to this problem with FELs?<BR>
<BR>
Yes.  That's the neat part about FEL's--it's what I tried to convince<BR>
some people at GDW to adopt for TNE, but was unsuccessful.  The folks at<BR>
GDW were looking at classical optics and finding out that you couldn't<BR>
focus a laser beam narrower than a certain dispersion with giant mirrors<BR>
or lenses (so they waved their hands and made up the "homopolar<BR>
generator").  The neat things about FEL's is that you don't have to<BR>
focus the photons--you focus the electron beam and then get your photons<BR>
from that.  At about the 1 Mev/photon energy, the photons from the FEL<BR>
have a dispersion about (if memory serves me correctly) two orders of<BR>
less than conventionally focused laser beams.  So you get a much<BR>
narrower beam (that beats the Gaussian limit) at the perfect energy to<BR>
deposit lots of energy into a steel target.  <BR>
<BR>
> Since I have always thought of ship lasers as FELs, I envision rings of<BR>
> turrets around a ship which all get their electrons from one central<BR>
> racetrack. Any thoughts here?<BR>
<BR>
I had proposed that to GDW as well:  A multi-turreted ship might have an<BR>
electron accelerator sandwiched between decks.  The electron pulses are<BR>
then magnetically steered through pipes in the ship to the turret whose<BR>
turn it is to fire.  The e- beam enters the laser tubes where it is<BR>
re-focused, wiggled, the photons leave the end of the tube, and the<BR>
electrons are dumped into space or recycled.  The bulk of the laser<BR>
would be safely inside the ship.<BR>
> <BR>
> Now, since ship lasers will not propagate through air, consider what happens<BR>
> if you fire one while you are on a planet's surface (yes, with an<BR>
> atmosphere). Ouch!<BR>
<BR>
The beam is just absorbed by the atmosphere much quicker....but I don't<BR>
know how impressive that would be since you are taking the energy of an<BR>
explostion that would be focused in a few cubic centimeters and<BR>
spreading that energy out over several kilometers.<BR>
<BR>
See you later,<BR>
Kristian<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 14:25:25 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Tech Levels (was Re: OT (w/penguines): Reality and Tech  Level 2 and printing)<BR>
<BR>
On 6 Jan 00, at 0:09, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Another prioblem that just occured to me is the inherent danger of loosing<BR>
> knowledge.  Look at Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire.. Centuries<BR>
> of knowledge lost.  Writing alows you preserve that information, and to<BR>
> disseminate it.<BR>
<BR>
The replacement of oral tradition by writing also makes it easier for <BR>
authorities to control or destroy knowledge (until the printing press <BR>
and cheap paper spread the knowledge too far) by buring the records.<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 14:25:25 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: fashions<BR>
<BR>
On 5 Jan 00, at 13:56, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> At 09:48 PM 1/5/2000 -0000, you wrote:<BR>
> >And why, in an unrelated matter, does my mailer indent and '>'<BR>
> >everybody's posts except yours?<BR>
> <BR>
> I think Rupert's posts come through with each paragraph seen as a single<BR>
> line. You get the one ">" at the beginning of each paragraph.<BR>
> <BR>
> Compared to some of the formatting I've seen (and been guilty of) it's<BR>
> nothing. -- <BR>
> <BR>
> Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
> http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
I had no idea this was happening. Is anyone else seeing this (ie can I <BR>
blame it on you, or is it my mailers fault)? Maybe Pmail isn't the best <BR>
thing since sliced bread after all.<BR>
 <BR>
<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 14:25:25 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: The Voice of Reason (Solomani Style) (long)<BR>
<BR>
On 6 Jan 00, at 18:07, Nick Bradbeer wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> >Come on, Nick, everyone likes when gearishness happens!  This is the TML!<BR>
> >(And if it's a _special_ sort of design, well, you never know when<BR>
> >Famille Spofulam recruiters will come knocking on your door!)<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> <shudder> I've been hiding from FamSpof's Recruiting Department* for four<BR>
> years now.  Moving house every couple of months, carefully screening my<BR>
> designs, only allowing the sensible ones out....<BR>
> <BR>
> But I can't transmit much longer. They're coming - I can hear the pogo<BR>
> sticks in the distance.....<BR>
<BR>
Speaking of which - does anyone have a copy of those pogos, and if so <BR>
could they post me a copy? My achives of that happy (?) period in the <BR>
TML's history have long since bit the dust.<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 14:25:25 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: Rat dogs!<BR>
<BR>
On 6 Jan 00, at 10:39, Kiri Aradia Morgan wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> But come on, do you really want various DOG BREEDS represented amongst the<BR>
> Vargr?  Some shepherds and huskies might be cool but I personally do not<BR>
> even want to contemplate Poodle-Vargr, let alone Chihuahua Vargr.<BR>
<BR>
For the chihuahua's I have an answer. My parents once had this rather <BR>
large siamese tomcat that is known to have eaten a chihuahua and <BR>
possibly killed a pekinese.<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 14:25:25 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: It takes a Village (was Re: The Village People (was Re: Doug at the stake! Legion at thePiano!)<BR>
<BR>
On 5 Jan 00, at 17:59, eris@pcola.gulf.net wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Exactly!  <g> It could very well be that the Solomani have been as<BR>
> badly propagandized against as have the Zhodani.  Remember when the<BR>
> turban heads were unmitigated bad guys?  More recent thought is that<BR>
> they are anything but, well, the same may be true of the Solies.<BR>
> <BR>
> You want to know who the black hats really are?  It's the Impie<BR>
> imperialists!<BR>
<BR>
Well they are the ones with an entrenched nobility, and strong class <BR>
structure designed to minimise social mobility and ensure that those <BR>
who are upwardly mobile toe the Impie line (the only way off-planet and <BR>
into the mobility for the vast majority is through Imperial service). <BR>
They are the ones who encourage the oppression and murder of their own <BR>
citizens for the "crime" of gaining self-knowledge.<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 14:25:26 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: It takes a Village (was Re: The Village People (was Re: Doug at the stake! Legion at thePiano!)<BR>
<BR>
On 6 Jan 00, at 19:24, SD Mooney wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Well, I notice that both the Solomani and the Zhodani are open and <BR>
> honest about the existence of their plain clothes police unit (SolSec and<BR>
> the Tvarchedl').<BR>
> <BR>
> What are the Impies hiding, eh?<BR>
<BR>
It's just that the Impies are so good at keeping secrets that even <BR>
their Emporers don't know about thier secret police.<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 14:25:26 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: OT (w/penguines): Reality<BR>
<BR>
On 6 Jan 00, at 0:12, Postmark Design Bureau wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Earlier, I was listening to a program about drug immune "superbugs".<BR>
> <BR>
> The Narrator kept referring to the medical advances of the previous<BR>
> century, such as antibiotics.<BR>
> <BR>
> It'll probably take me all year to get used to the idea.<BR>
<BR>
Given that some of us still consider this to be the 20th century AD, <BR>
the writers (and narrators) would proably be better to talk about "the <BR>
advances of the 20th century" as opposed to "the last century".<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, 9 Jan 2000 17:26:29 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1688<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>         Have you read Jack Vance's last few books - the Lyonesse books<BR>
> in particular. When you consider he was in his late seventies/early<BR>
> seventies when he wrote them, then they have some rather 'questionable'<BR>
> sections. Perhaps it's a trend? Anyone know of any dirty old women<BR>
> writers?<BR>
<BR>
I don't know who old she is, but Ann Rice (of Vampire novel fame) also<BR>
wrote as Anne Rampling ("Exit to Eden") and A.N.Rocquelaire(sp) (the<BR>
"Beauty" trilogy). <BR>
<BR>
That last is not a "fairy tale" for *kids*. :-)<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, 9 Jan 2000 17:28:59 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>At 6g, *regardless of your initial velocity, after 1 second, you will<BR>
>>be at most 30 meters from the position you'd have occupied if you'd<BR>
>>just coasted.<BR>
> [snip]<BR>
>>Of course, if you are using a reaction drive, or doing anything else<BR>
>>that registers on *passive* sensors, you've halved the lag time. So at<BR>
>>150,000 km, the target sphere will only be 7.5 meters across. In other<BR>
>>words, they can target the center of your ship and be assured of<BR>
>>hitting *some* part of the ship.<BR>
><BR>
> Wrong, Leonard. Time On Target, assuming lightspeed lag and Active Sensors,<BR>
> would be 3x the distance in LS. Passives it's still 2x. You must make your<BR>
> firing plot so that it is large enough to cover the probable location at<BR>
> intercept.<BR>
<BR>
Oops! I did forget about travel time of the shot!<BR>
<BR>
> So, in the case above, assuming a light-speed weapon:<BR>
> dist=0.5 LS<BR>
> TOT(A)=1.5s     Dta(A)= 45m [1]<BR>
> TOT(P)=1.0s     Dta(P)= 30m<BR>
><BR>
> [1] actually, should be 30*1.5^2 =30*2.25=67.5m. Assumes d=0.5*a*t*t, and<BR>
> 6G=60m/s/s<BR>
<BR>
Yep.<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, 9 Jan 2000 17:32:28 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>> On Behalf Of Kiri Aradia Morgan<BR>
>><BR>
>>>> But you're right about one thing: I Will Fear No Evil is probably the<BR>
>>>> worst Heinlein I've ever read...<BR>
>><BR>
>> Sorry, I really *like* that book, so much that my copy is falling<BR>
>> apart.<BR>
><BR>
> Amazing.<BR>
><BR>
> I was informed by a certain rather feminist-inclined SF writer that no woman<BR>
> could ever stomach Heinlein's attempts at writing women,and that IWFNE was<BR>
> the worst one, as no woman, not even one who was originally a man, would act<BR>
> like that !<BR>
<BR>
Heck, since it's *long* been known that Heinlein's *wife* proof-read<BR>
and commebted on the stories, it's pretty obvious that *she* had no<BR>
problem with the way he wrote about women. <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, 9 Jan 2000 17:34:51 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
>> <BR>
>> In mail you write:<BR>
>> <BR>
>> > IIRC, G-forces (in, for instance, the above-mentioned CF-18) beyond<BR>
>> > those caused by actual acceleration result from aerodynamic forces.  If<BR>
>> > this is indeed the case, then a 6-G ship would pull more than 6-Gs only<BR>
>> > when performing aerodynamic maneuvers in atmosphere.  Note that<BR>
>> > uncompensated Gs of more than about 3-G could only be maintained for a<BR>
>> > short period of time before the crewbeings suffer adverse effects.<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Uncompensated forces of more than 3g *outside* of atmospheric manuevers<BR>
>> won't bother a fighter pilot much. Remember, space fighters experience<BR>
>> the accel as "front to back", not "head to toe".<BR>
><BR>
> Reservation: Your arguments are valid, for space fighters designed to<BR>
> operate mainly in a space environment.  For fighters that must be<BR>
> capable of fighting in atmosphere, they are less valid, since<BR>
> atmospheric maneuvering against aerodynamic COACC fighters will place<BR>
> different stresses on pilots, compared to microgravity maneuvering. <BR>
> Such "multi-mission" fighters will probably have either accomodations<BR>
> suited for one environment or the other, or some sort of<BR>
> "variable-geometry accomodations."  At any rate, multi-environment<BR>
> fighters either will tend to provide extra stresses on their crew in<BR>
> their non-optimized environment, or will cost and mass more than<BR>
> single-environment fighters.<BR>
<BR>
Remember, the forces on the pilot are different *because of the<BR>
environment*. The pilot is in the *same* position/orientation in *both*<BR>
environments. <BR>
<BR>
BTW, a fighter that enters atmosphere at Mach 25 (orbital velocity) and<BR>
has a 3-6g engine is going to be a *real* problem for "ordinary"<BR>
airbased fighters. It's not only faster, it's going to *keep* speed<BR>
better. It can't turn as sharply, but that's not quite as important. <BR>
<BR>
>> Laying on your *back*<BR>
>> g-tolerances go *way* up. 3g for *hours* will be "uncomfortable, but<BR>
>> that's about it. With things like acceleration tanks, several turns at<BR>
>> 10 g or more may be possible.<BR>
><BR>
> Don't forget that such items as G-tanks _are_ a form of G-comp. <BR>
> Fighters of lower than TL-14 may well include such devices, to prevent<BR>
> excessive acceleration stresses on crewbeings.<BR>
<BR>
> Personally, due to fatigue factors at 3+ Gs (FF&S2, page 80), I prefer<BR>
> to keep performance within 1-G of maximum G-comp.  YMMV.  Void where<BR>
> prohibited.  Residents of Galt's Gulch may send for free game pieces<BR>
> (but won't).<BR>
<BR>
Well, the way many of us figure things is that space fighters *do*<BR>
incorporate the best g-comp available at their TL. But they can (and<BR>
*should*) be built with G-tanks and the ability to do as mant more gees<BR>
than the g-comp as they can. The pilots may only cruise at the g-comp<BR>
limit, but they will *fight* at as high an acceleration as they can<BR>
handle. <BR>
<BR>
I figure that the pilots will be selected for g-tolerance, especially<BR>
long duration. So fighter pilots will have more people from high-g<BR>
planets, and (if I recall studies correctly) a *very* high percentage<BR>
of short people and women, since both correlate strongly with the sort<BR>
of endurance required. Heck, if it doesn't require *too* much extra<BR>
power, or increase off-duty accidents too much, "fighter quarters" may<BR>
be kept at 1.5 to 2 g. <BR>
<BR>
Even at our *current* TLs they are looking at controls that *don't*<BR>
require major muscle movement to use. This is with the specific intent<BR>
of making them easier to fly at high accel. <BR>
<BR>
For what it's worth, I think most rules sets make about 9-10 g a limit<BR>
for a space fighter *regardless* of compensation. You just can't get<BR>
enough *duration* out of craft with high g-ratings.<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, 9 Jan 2000 17:49:07 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>         An abbreviated list of my recommendations (my collection is ALSO in<BR>
> storage ...)<BR>
><BR>
>         - Space Cadets<BR>
>         - Rolling Stones<BR>
>         - Moon Is A Harsh Mistress<BR>
>         - Starship Troopers<BR>
>         - Puppet Masters<BR>
><BR>
>         "Sixth Column," to put it bluntly, reads like a jingoistic,<BR>
> stereotyped, anti-oriental, rabble-rousing piece of wartime<BR>
> propaganda. Which, IIRC, is what it was supposed to be. Having said<BR>
> that, it was <BR>
<BR>
You should read *Campbell's* version! Heinlein did the best he could<BR>
with a premise that was rather slanted. BTW, there's nothing inherently<BR>
impossible aboput "race specific" weapons of that sort. You just have<BR>
to keep in mind that whatever "racial" protien configuration you choose<BR>
*won't* have a distribution that matches external characteristics 100%.<BR>
It'd *still* make a useful weapon given the sort of circumstances they had.<BR>
<BR>
Heck, during the Solomani/Vilani wars, or the Imperial/Zhodani wars a<BR>
weapon that could destroy some critical protien in only *one* of the<BR>
"races" would have been a great weapon, as well as a good security<BR>
measure. <BR>
<BR>
Say that the structure of hemoglobin (which *does* have major<BR>
variations) has a different structure between the three "races". Given<BR>
the right sort of feinberger wave generator you'd have an *excellent<BR>
"area effect" weapon. If it kills 0.5% of people on your side, it's<BR>
*still* a good idea. Just screen troops to keep the susceptible ones<BR>
away from the front. <BR>
<BR>
Getting back to RAH, his *short stories* deserve reading. Especially<BR>
the non-Future History ones. Though the Future History ones are pretty<BR>
good too:<BR>
<BR>
"Columbus was a Dope" (FH)<BR>
"It's Great to be Back" (FH)<BR>
"Project Nightmare"<BR>
"Gentlemen, Be Seated" (FH) (and a *great* gag to pull on some players!)<BR>
<BR>
And a bunch more whose titles I can't recall.<BR>
<BR>
ps. "Columbus was a Dope" deserves *wide* distribution, just for the<BR>
shock value to anti-space types.<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, 9 Jan 2000 18:01:46 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Sub-categories of Traveller<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> I was recently added as an editor of the Traveller category on the Open<BR>
> Database Project. ( http://dmoz.org/Games/Roleplaying/Systems/Traveller/ )<BR>
> This is a huge, human managed web site listing service that is the reference<BR>
> for searches by Netscape, AOL, Alta Vista, etc.  I'm just soliciting entries<BR>
> and getting them on the listing so far, but there will soon be need to make<BR>
> sub-categories so that the listing is easier to navigate.<BR>
><BR>
> So now I am asking my fellow Traveller players and web denizens to offer<BR>
> their opinions of how a useful listing would be divided.  The goal is to<BR>
> help web searchers find web sites easily.  The first thing that comes to<BR>
> mind is milieu, but so many sites are multiple milieu...<BR>
<BR>
I'd be tempted to make the first level division be:<BR>
1. "rules independent"<BR>
2. X version rules<BR>
3. Y version rules<BR>
4. Z version rules<BR>
<BR>
etc.<BR>
<BR>
Because folks have generated a *lot* of stuff that's version<BR>
independent. And even if it's for the "wrong" milieu, it's easier to<BR>
work with than stuff that's for the right one, but the wrong rules<BR>
version.<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, 9 Jan 2000 17:24:11 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> You apparently missed the part of his post that stated he would RAM the ship<BR>
> and VENT the L-Hyd into space, THEN the boarding party could enter.<BR>
<BR>
And the venting LH2 will quick freeze the ramming shuttle and its<BR>
contents. LH2 is *cold*, and even though it has far less heat capacity<BR>
than water, there's a lot of it, and it only needs to lower the temp of<BR>
the shuttle by 50 K or so. <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, 09 Jan 2000 20:04:33 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: fashions<BR>
<BR>
On 01/09/00 at 08:03 PM,  "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz> said:<BR>
<BR>
>On 5 Jan 00, at 13:56, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>> At 09:48 PM 1/5/2000 -0000, you wrote:<BR>
>> >And why, in an unrelated matter, does my mailer indent and '>'<BR>
>> >everybody's posts except yours?<BR>
>> <BR>
>> I think Rupert's posts come through with each paragraph seen as a single<BR>
>> line. You get the one ">" at the beginning of each paragraph.<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Compared to some of the formatting I've seen (and been guilty of) it's<BR>
>> nothing. -- <BR>
>> <BR>
>> Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
>> http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
>I had no idea this was happening. Is anyone else seeing this (ie can I <BR>
>blame it on you, or is it my mailers fault)? Maybe Pmail isn't the best <BR>
>thing since sliced bread after all.<BR>
<BR>
It's not happening with me, can't speak for others. <g><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 17:34:17 -0800<BR>
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <gmgoffin@pacbell.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
> From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
<BR>
> The old computer game "space war" has realistic movement too.<BR>
<BR>
Fond memories are rekindled.  That's the only arcade game I miss.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 17:30:08 -0800<BR>
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <gmgoffin@pacbell.net><BR>
Subject: Re: "Its raining on planet Mongo!"<BR>
<BR>
> From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
> Subject: Re: "Its raining on planet Mongo!" (was RE: nudity and clothes)<BR>
<BR>
> > Glenn M. Goffin, Esq.<BR>
> > Honorary Consul of the Government of<BR>
> > His Protuberant Majesty<BR>
>       ^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>
> > Ming the Merciless<BR>
> > Ruler of Mongo<BR>
>            ^^^^^<BR>
> <BR>
> Sure you don't mean the planet Porno? :-)<BR>
<BR>
In my Traveller universe, the planet Mongo shares many attributes of the<BR>
planet Porno.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 17:38:38 -0800<BR>
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <gmgoffin@pacbell.net><BR>
Subject: Kentaco Hut<BR>
<BR>
I'm going to steal the name because it sounds cool, but I can't decide<BR>
if it should be an NPC, a starship, or a megacorporate fast food chain.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 17:10:06 -0800<BR>
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <gmgoffin@pacbell.net><BR>
Subject: law in flux re the internet (was Re: GURPS vs. T5?)<BR>
<BR>
> From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
> Subject: Re: GURPS vs. T5?<BR>
> <BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
> <BR>
> > Please, people, stop talking drivel. California law applies to<BR>
> > California and not, for instance, to me in the UK. Please be aware of<BR>
> > sensible jurisdictional boundaries and don't fill the list with<BR>
[deletion]<BR>
> <BR>
> Alas, he *isn't* talking drivel. The laws as currently set up really<BR>
> *do* work that way. People in foreign countries *have* been gone after<BR>
> for stuff they put on the net that wasn't illegal in their country but<BR>
[deletion]<BR>
<BR>
> One of the more prominent "anonymous remailer" systems shut down a few<BR>
[deletion]<BR>
 <BR>
> And the case referred to involved a Tennessee DA filing charges against<BR>
> the operators of a California BBS on the theory that since the BBS<BR>
> could be *called* from TN, they were "delivering" the content to TN,<BR>
> making them subject to TN "community standards". The operators were<BR>
[deletion]<BR>
<BR>
Yet another case involves three U.S. citizens who set up a sports<BR>
gambling web site on the Caribbean somewhere.  Gambling on sports by use<BR>
of the telephone system is illegal in the United States, but in the<BR>
Caribbean country.  The U.S. government is trying to prosecute these<BR>
guys.  The result is that they cannot come back to the United States<BR>
unless they are willing to face prosecution.  One of them has decided to<BR>
be the test case, and has appeared and entered a plea of not guilty. <BR>
There was a good article about it in the SF Weekly a few weeks ago<BR>
(sfweekly.com).  SF Weekly is one of our several weekly entertainment<BR>
and muckraking newpapers.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 18:03:09 -0800<BR>
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <gmgoffin@pacbell.net><BR>
Subject: Re: JFK<BR>
<BR>
> From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
<BR>
> Almost Unrelated: When I was in Sweden a few years ago, I bought a phrase <BR>
[deletion]<BR>
> make the effort, but my accent was horrible, and I could barely be understood. I<BR>
> did discover that there are many advantages to playing the "dumb but <BR>
> well-meaning foriegner" in a country where most people like Americans and <BR>
<BR>
My language story set in Sweden was not as enjoyable as yours, but it<BR>
has I think potential Traveller application:  <BR>
<BR>
My then-girlfriend and I drove into Lund pretty late at night and got<BR>
lost in the medieval center of town.  As we drove around around in<BR>
circles looking for a street that would lead us out (yes, it was a bit<BR>
like driving in Boston), I overheard two men speaking English as they<BR>
walked, one obviously American by his accent.  <BR>
<BR>
When we came by them a second time, I pulled alongside and said<BR>
something in English to the effect of, "excuse me, can you help us find<BR>
a way out of here to the hotel Victoria (or whatever it was)"  The<BR>
American replied in English, "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't speak Swedish," to<BR>
which I replied as politely as I could (after all, I was asking for<BR>
help), "I don't either; that's why I addressed you in English."<BR>
<BR>
How often might a human living in a Vargr community respond to a<BR>
question in Galanglic with, "sorry, I don't speak Gvegh"?<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
("Varg", it turns out, is Swedish for wolf.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1716<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1717</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest      Monday, January 10 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1717<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: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: fashions<BR>
OT : KFC<BR>
OT :Sir Humphery Appleby<BR>
Re Target Areas<BR>
Formatting Problems (was Re Fasions)<BR>
Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1704<BR>
Re: Heinlein and women<BR>
Re: -ating<BR>
Re: BG, Count Iblis and everything else way off topic<BR>
Re: RAH<BR>
Re: KFC...<BR>
Re: Kentaco Hut<BR>
Re: Laser Visibility<BR>
Re: light lag vs targeting<BR>
Re: OT :Sir Humphery Appleby<BR>
re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: JFK<BR>
Re: Laser Visibility<BR>
E-mail<BR>
Re: Ideas to ponder...<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 09:43:27 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
>The discussion of the viablitilty of Grav Pong got me thinking again.<BR>
><BR>
>How do you match vectors with a ship that can still maneuver long enough<BR>
>to dock and board?<BR>
<BR>
IIRC, boarding was only done when the target couldn't maneuver or fire.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, my Marines use boarding pods. Think jump troops in space (different<BR>
pod, same idea).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 09:51:04 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: fashions<BR>
<BR>
>Which is *why* you shoot for the low end. It's "easy" to put on a<BR>
>sweater. Once I've stripped to the skin, what the heck am I supposed to<BR>
>do next?<BR>
<BR>
An argument I've often made at work, with no success. Eventually I realized<BR>
that the women* turning the heat up didn't care about logic: the best<BR>
temperature was the one they liked, and no one else mattered.<BR>
<BR>
*Not being sexist, just descriptive. While most of the teachers I work with<BR>
are nice, the most troublesome ones happen to be female (and several of<BR>
them use the 'oppressed minority' claim in arguments, even though women<BR>
outnumber men on staff). The worst was the %%^^ (hint: rhymes with clucking<BR>
witch) who ignored the "out of order" sign on the womens' toilet, because<BR>
she "couldn't be expected to walk all the way downstairs to go to the<BR>
washroom." Said toilet overflowed into my office, dribbling onto our<BR>
computers and my desk...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:15:34 +1000<BR>
From: dadams@parracity.nsw.gov.au<BR>
Subject: OT : KFC<BR>
<BR>
>>><BR>
All three; KFC, PH, and TB, are owned by PepsiCo, proud makers of Pepsi. So<BR>
I guess it works just fine to have "Kentaco Hut in YTU if Pepsi won the cola<BR>
wars.<BR>
<<<<BR>
<BR>
Its even worse for us Aussies. KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell (There is 1 in<BR>
Sydney) are owned by Pepsico. Pepsi however, is made by Lion Nathan, the NZ beer<BR>
manufacturer. It is a lot like Burger King. In Australia, Hungry Jacks (which I<BR>
believe is a pancake shop in the states) is a burger franchise where we get<BR>
Whoppers and what not. Burger King is attempting to enter the market with its<BR>
own name, causing conciderable confusion.<BR>
<BR>
We have so far avoided the Starbuck's curse, but I really miss the old Fish and<BR>
Chips shops and Milk Bars. They make the best hamburgers (with beetroot!). I<BR>
believe the days of a freshly cooked bacon,egg and pineapple hamburger is<BR>
numbered. CURSE YOU IMPERIAL YANK BAS---------------------<BR>
<BR>
<<Solsec wished to appologise for the interuption>>><BR>
<BR>
Darryl<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:20:30 +1000<BR>
From: dadams@parracity.nsw.gov.au<BR>
Subject: OT :Sir Humphery Appleby<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> Did you get Sir Humphrey of the Home Office to write that paragraph for<BR>
you<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
He was actually Department of Adminsitrative Afairs (DAA), later Cabinet<BR>
Secutary, and later (according to the books) commited to a home for the<BR>
clinically deranged.<BR>
<BR>
ObTRAV: You want a obtuse beaurocrat, making life difficult for the players<BR>
(hiding the meaning of sentances in gobblygook, paperwork and other joys), Sir<BR>
Humphery is the man! Read the books, see the episodes, this is how an empire<BR>
runs!<BR>
<BR>
Darryl<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 17:29:54 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Target Areas<BR>
<BR>
>Oops! I did forget about travel time of the shot!<BR>
><BR>
[snip]<BR>
>> [1] actually, should be 30*1.5^2 =30*2.25=67.5m. Assumes d=0.5*a*t*t, and<BR>
>> 6G=60m/s/s<BR>
><BR>
>Yep.<BR>
<BR>
4 years in a row, Leonard... <EFG><BR>
I think I have my full post from a few years ago (which got reposted last<BR>
year) somewhere on my system. Fortunately, Traveller's main weapons are C<BR>
or >.75C, so target circles don't get too big.... unless you allow those 6g<BR>
rated ships to pump their T-Plates to 400%.... and even then, 24G's for  a<BR>
second is only 120m. so... that's a 280m radius.... Hmmm THAT is enough for<BR>
anythign under 1KTd to give a chance of miss. I think I'll limit 400%<BR>
boosting to 5 diameters, and 200%  to 10 diameters.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 17:23:22 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Formatting Problems (was Re Fasions)<BR>
<BR>
>I had no idea this was happening. Is anyone else seeing this (ie can I<BR>
>blame it on you, or is it my mailers fault)? Maybe Pmail isn't the best<BR>
>thing since sliced bread after all.<BR>
><BR>
I don't get the problem WHEN I READ THE DIGESTS. I often encounter it in<BR>
replies to non-digest mails. What is happening is that a hard return is<BR>
being looked for, and not found. The digester seems to convert soft returns<BR>
to hard returns.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 18:08:35 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Battlestar Galactica<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>> Well I for one won't miss "boxey".  Ack. G-1980 a bad dream?  Works for <BR>
>> me.<BR>
<BR>
Well, as I noted before "The Return of Starbuck" deserves to be<BR>
salvaged. The rest can go out the airlock.<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, 9 Jan 2000 18:15:35 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1704<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> The contract with Marc covers only GURPS Traveller products, so while<BR>
> GURPS Traveller Nekkidworld is right out, the cover of GURPS Wizards<BR>
> is about as far as our distributors will let us go (in fact, it is a<BR>
> little over the line for most of them). See also, GURPS Planet<BR>
> Krishna.<BR>
<BR>
Let me note that while the background universe for Planet Krishna<BR>
*doesn't* fit Traveller, the planet itself *can* be dropped in fairly<BR>
easily. <BR>
<BR>
I also recommend grabbing copies of de Camp's stories set in that<BR>
Universe (besides the ones set on Krishna, there's one set on another<BR>
planet that's a fun read "Roque Queen".)<BR>
<BR>
The Krishnans and their cultures are well described. The aliens in<BR>
Rogue Queen are also humanoid, but with a semi-hive structure. Each<BR>
city has a Queen who is the only fertile female. There a number of male<BR>
drones, and many, many female but non-fertile workers (they are female,<BR>
but without secondary sexual characteristics, ie no breats, and narrow<BR>
hips). During the story, they discover by accident how to turn a worker<BR>
into a Queen.  Which results in a major revolution.<BR>
<BR>
Players could trigger the same sort of thing if you introduce them onto<BR>
the planet. :-)<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, 9 Jan 2000 18:25:27 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Heinlein and women<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> I have wondered how Heinlein would portray an ugly girl, but then again, I'm<BR>
> not sure Heinlein believed that there are ugly girls.  Heinlein liked women<BR>
> more than most women like themselves.  This is a sad commentary on the state<BR>
> of the feminine self-image in this culture.  I tend not to believe in ugly<BR>
> people either.  I think that the ugliest thing in the world is low<BR>
> self-esteem.   When someone really is happy with themselves and has a<BR>
> positive outlook on life, there is an inner glow that emanates from them<BR>
> that blurs out all the less attractive physical features they may or may not<BR>
> have.<BR>
<BR>
Check out "Expanded Universe" and a couple of the other very late<BR>
collections of previously uncollected Heinlein stuff. He wrote 2 or 3<BR>
stories for a girls magazine about a college girl. I suspect that she<BR>
was not supposed to be "better than average" in looks. <BR>
<BR>
> I've run a lot of very Heinleinian female characters in CT.  The one thing<BR>
> Heinlein said that bothered me the most is that (this is a paraphrase, the<BR>
> book is in another room) "people who can't understand mathematics are not<BR>
> fully human".  That is because I have a mathematical learning disability<BR>
> that makes arithmetic very difficult for me.  But I will grant that it would<BR>
> say something unpleasant about me if I did not try.<BR>
<BR>
Please note that (in "Beyond This Horizon") Heinlein has arithmetic<BR>
being taught to a genius level child *after* a bunch of other math<BR>
*because* it is aribitrary, and mostly rote memorization.<BR>
<BR>
Math is mostly *quite* understandable *without* arithmetic. Geometry,<BR>
set theory, logic, all work just fine without it. And you can get the<BR>
*concepts* of things like calculus without needing arithmetic. You'll<BR>
just need arithmetic (or a calculator) to solve actual problems in many<BR>
of these areas.<BR>
<BR>
Oh yeah, it was *Lazarus Long* saying that. We have some evidence that<BR>
Heinlein agreed, but it's not conclusive.<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, 9 Jan 2000 18:32:31 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: -ating<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>> Don't be ridiculous! Don't you know that fictional heroes never urinate,<BR>
>>> defecate, menstruate or any other sort of -ate?! The can leap from air <BR>
> raft<BR>
>>> to air raft without messing up their hair too! You can be so unrealistic!<BR>
>>> Jim<BR>
>><BR>
>><Rev. Jackson><BR>
>>Now let us not be overly hasty. There are those heroes of a fictional nature<BR>
>>whom have been known to cogitate. And others who readily agitate. Neither<BR>
>>(roll eyes, shrug) should we forget that some may calibrate. A Mr. Scotty<BR>
>>comes to mind, but the point is moot. Suffice it to say that many heroes may<BR>
>>perform /some/ actions ending in the suffix "-ate".<BR>
>></Rev. Jackson><BR>
><BR>
> And let us not forget the action of the captured hero(ine): Expectorate in<BR>
> the villain's face as a last act of defiance.<BR>
> (Yes, characters HAVE done this IMTU.)<BR>
<BR>
If I *know* it's going to be a "last act of defiance", I'd rather it be<BR>
"detonATE" the bomb hidden in my body". :-)<BR>
<BR>
That way I get to take the bad guy with me!<BR>
<BR>
"The size of your honor guard in hell is determined by the number of<BR>
 enemies you sent ahead of you."<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, 9 Jan 2000 18:06:16 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: BG, Count Iblis and everything else way off topic<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>>Two things about Richard Hatch's version of the new BG series he wants<BR>
>>to do:<BR>
>>1. It will have as much as the original cast as possible, taking place<BR>
>>20 years after the original series;<BR>
>>2. The events in "Galactica 1980" will have never happened, passed off as<BR>
>>a nightmare Starbuck had after eating too much pizza or something...<BR>
>><BR>
>>I hope he pulls it off. He spoke at a SF con here a couple of years ago<BR>
>>and told us what he was planning -- it sounded like a great idea.<BR>
><BR>
> http://us.imdb.com/Title?0193000<BR>
><BR>
> The thing that makes me shudder is that someone is playing the role of <BR>
> Count Iblis.  Count Iblis, for those of you who don't know, played "Satan" <BR>
> in a really terrible two part episode of BG.  This is not exactly the <BR>
> character I look forward to resurfacing for a second BG series.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, given the "nature" of BG society, and the "legend" they were<BR>
following, it made *sense* to have "Transcended" entities on both sides<BR>
involved, at least peripherally.<BR>
<BR>
> Why Imperious Leader keeps Baltar alive (and in command) is beyond me. . .<BR>
<BR>
Because in spite of his mistakes, he *still* does a better job of<BR>
figuring out Adama's tactics than any Cylon.<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:51:13 +1100<BR>
From: "AB" <ab@rossmack.com><BR>
Subject: Re: RAH<BR>
<BR>
> Er, whoops, sorry I didn't intend to start that argument, I was merely<BR>
> joking with Kiri.<BR>
<BR>
> I have no problems with the majority of RAH's portrayals of female<BR>
> characters or his sexual politics.<BR>
<BR>
> Frankie<BR>
<BR>
Oh, sorry...  I recently introduced my spouse to Heinlein and have been<BR>
discussing this sort of thing with her on and off, so it's pretty fresh in<BR>
my mind.<BR>
<BR>
> "people who can't understand mathematics are not fully human". ... But I<BR>
will grant that it would say something unpleasant about me if I did not try.<BR>
<BR>
Yes... I had some trouble with this too, especially with the implied<BR>
definition that "understanding mathematics" requires the ability to do<BR>
differential calculus in your head, possibly while under heavy acceleration<BR>
and enduring scathing sarcasm from your loved ones.<BR>
<BR>
This seems to me to be a special case of his general issue with people who<BR>
are too lazy to think.  (See the short story "Gulf" for a classic example.)<BR>
<BR>
Ob Trav:<BR>
*Background*<BR>
I too have run several NPC's (and a PC) based on Heinlein characters and<BR>
generic character types.  One of whom was an <ahem> "ethically challenged<BR>
merchant" who deliberately set out to create an enclave based on the<BR>
teachings of the ancient solomani philosopher we have been discussing.  When<BR>
the PC's over-ran the base several of the people there went with the PCs.<BR>
They have since been trying to convert the PC group around to a similar<BR>
philosophy.  (The lightbulb has just gone on for the one of my players that<BR>
reads this list!)<BR>
<BR>
*Adventure Hook*<BR>
If you are comfortable GM-ing interpersonal relationships have the PCs find<BR>
such a group (and I'm thinking of the characteristics of a Heinlein<BR>
polyandry) to tag along with for a while.  Most typical male PC's will be<BR>
happy when the attractive female comes on to them, but then what about the<BR>
next one?  What then when they go off to another of the PC's?  Do they get<BR>
jealous?  How do they deal with a group with a very different set of mores?<BR>
Being Heinleiners, the new group members are probably only attracted to some<BR>
of the PC's; those with similar enough mindsets.  What do the 'shunned ones'<BR>
do?<BR>
<BR>
This sort of role play is best pitched on two levels - one to the characters<BR>
and one to the players so you can appeal to both.  It's much more rewarding<BR>
to have a character persue a romantic interest if you set up the object of<BR>
desire to appeal to the player too.  Overlay this on a more typical<BR>
traveller adventure as a subplot and watch the fun.<BR>
<BR>
- -AB<BR>
<BR>
PS:  To the list of recommendations I would also add:<BR>
<BR>
Glory Road (already mentioned)<BR>
Space Family Stone<BR>
Stranger in a Strange Land (recently re-released with 70,000 extra words<BR>
trimmed from the original at the publisher's request)<BR>
Podkayne of Mars<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:33:34 +1000<BR>
From: "The Roc" <roc@kewl.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC...<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Volker Greimann <volker@greimann.de><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2000 9:03 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: KFC...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> At 04:49 09.01.00 , you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> >All three; KFC, PH, and TB, are owned by PepsiCo, proud makers of Pepsi.<BR>
So<BR>
> >I guess it works just fine to have "Kentaco Hut in YTU if Pepsi won the<BR>
cola<BR>
> >wars.<BR>
><BR>
> Hehehe! In Germany, most Pizza Huts dont carry Pepsi, but Coca Cola.<BR>
> Burger King does, too.<BR>
> Taco Bell and KFC i have not seen here yet.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Yes to the Coke-a-cola for KFC and Pizza Hut, but KFC hasn't carried Coke<BR>
for many years now, and as for Pizza Hut, I don't purchase soft drinks from<BR>
them anyway, but I suspect it is Pepsi?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 23:05:25 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Kenji Schwarz <schwarz@fas.harvard.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Kentaco Hut<BR>
<BR>
On Mon, 10 Jan 2000, Glenn M. Goffin wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> I'm going to steal the name because it sounds cool, but I can't decide<BR>
> if it should be an NPC, a starship, or a megacorporate fast food chain.<BR>
<BR>
An evil gangster lord, of course -- Kentaco the Hutt.<BR>
<BR>
Kenji<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 20:09:39 -0800<BR>
From: "Bruce Macintosh" <bruce.macintosh@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Laser Visibility<BR>
<BR>
>Yes.  That's the neat part about FEL's--it's what I tried to convince<BR>
>some people at GDW to adopt for TNE, but was unsuccessful.  The folks at<BR>
>GDW were looking at classical optics and finding out that you couldn't<BR>
>focus a laser beam narrower than a certain dispersion with giant mirrors<BR>
>or lenses (so they waved their hands and made up the "homopolar<BR>
>generator").<BR>
Actually, it was the "gravitational focus" they made up<BR>
<BR>
>The neat things about FEL's is that you don't have to<BR>
>focus the photons--you focus the electron beam and then get your photons<BR>
>from that.  At about the 1 Mev/photon energy, the photons from the FEL<BR>
>have a dispersion about (if memory serves me correctly) two orders of<BR>
>less than conventionally focused laser beams.<BR>
I would be interested in seeing a reference for that. The propogating<BR>
beam of photons ought to still obey the wave optics laws...it's possible<BR>
that FELs have (in theory) better beam quality and hence get closer to<BR>
their diffraction limit, but I wouldn't have expected them to exceed it.<BR>
(I should also note that 1 MeV/photon is well into the gamma ray, which<BR>
might be the source of the difference between that and a conventional<BR>
laser which would be definitionally longer wavelength. Even the<BR>
maddest of 80s-era SDI proposals didn't plan on using gamma-ray<BR>
FELs, in part because efficiency goes down sharply with decreasing<BR>
wavelength...)<BR>
<BR>
FFS/TNE lasers actually are defined as being free electron, albeit<BR>
in the UV rather than x/gamma-ray until TL-13.<BR>
<BR>
Bruce<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 20:14:34 -0800<BR>
From: "Bruce Macintosh" <bruce.macintosh@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targeting<BR>
<BR>
Why do people keep assuming active sensors would have longer<BR>
lightlag than passive? The time it takes the active-sensor pulse<BR>
to travel out to the target doesn't matter; the active sensor<BR>
pulse is effectively measuring the position of the target at the<BR>
moment it reflects off the target, not the moment it leaves the<BR>
sensor. So the lag is only the propogation time back from target<BR>
to sensor (plus the propogation time of the weapon), the same<BR>
as passive sensors.<BR>
<BR>
Active sensors have a major targeting advantage in that they<BR>
can provide a very precise range to a target (necessary<BR>
even to hit it with a laser, if the target is moving); passive<BR>
sensors can't do this without building up a solution based on<BR>
motion/acceleration, or with two widely (1000s of km) seperated<BR>
sensors. Active sensors have the disadvantage that their<BR>
effectiveness falls off as R^4 rather than R^2, and of<BR>
course they give away your position. Active LIDAR will probably<BR>
be the key tactical sensor for actual fire-control locks, with<BR>
passive sensors for initial detection and sneaky shots from<BR>
ambush.<BR>
<BR>
Bruce (wearing his Official Sensor Guru hat)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 15:12:18 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: OT :Sir Humphery Appleby<BR>
<BR>
>> Did you get Sir Humphrey of the Home Office to write that paragraph for<BR>
>you<BR>
>><BR>
><BR>
>He was actually Department of Adminsitrative Afairs (DAA), later Cabinet<BR>
>Secutary, and later (according to the books) commited to a home for the<BR>
>clinically deranged.<BR>
><BR>
>ObTRAV: You want a obtuse beaurocrat, making life difficult for the players<BR>
>(hiding the meaning of sentances in gobblygook, paperwork and other joys),<BR>
Sir<BR>
>Humphery is the man! Read the books, see the episodes, this is how an<BR>
empire<BR>
>runs!<BR>
><BR>
>Darryl<BR>
<BR>
    There's a great red tape cameo in White Dwarf 50 called "A few<BR>
formalities" by Garth Nix. Its great for torturing PCs.<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 23:13:57 -0500<BR>
From: "Walter G. Smith" <smithw@hartwick.edu><BR>
Subject: re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
>Merchants are going to have zero-g skill. They have to do repairs<BR>
>outside the hull. They also have to deal with things like the (rare,<BR>
>but possible) case where they need to work on the powerplant while<BR>
>orbiting a world, or doing a slow coast to/from the jump point.<BR>
<BR>
>And orbital transfers of cargo are going to happen at high ports, and<BR>
>at other places.<BR>
<BR>
I think this will be a factor of how long the culture has been in space,<BR>
and how much of the technology used for space travel is so ancient<BR>
as to be invisible.<BR>
<BR>
I think you're right that the skill is useful, I also think that a merchant<BR>
crew might do without. Highport cargo transfers may involve mating your<BR>
cargo lock to a bay on the port, and all is kept in a gravity field...or<BR>
robots or specialist zero-G workers may do the actual transfer work.<BR>
<BR>
I'd hope my merchant crew had at least a familiarity with zero-G work,<BR>
of course, for the emergency situations you mentioned.<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 20:47:46 -0800<BR>
From: "James W. Lindsay" <jlindsay@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: JFK<BR>
<BR>
On Mon, 10 Jan 2000 18:03:09 -0800, Glenn M. Goffin wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> > From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
> <BR>
> > Almost Unrelated: When I was in Sweden a few years ago, I bought a phrase <BR>
> [deletion]<BR>
> > make the effort, but my accent was horrible, and I could barely be understood. I<BR>
> > did discover that there are many advantages to playing the "dumb but <BR>
> > well-meaning foriegner" in a country where most people like Americans and <BR>
> <BR>
> My language story set in Sweden was not as enjoyable as yours, but it<BR>
> has I think potential Traveller application:  <BR>
> <BR>
> My then-girlfriend and I drove into Lund pretty late at night and got<BR>
> lost in the medieval center of town.  As we drove around around in<BR>
> circles looking for a street that would lead us out (yes, it was a bit<BR>
> like driving in Boston), I overheard two men speaking English as they<BR>
> walked, one obviously American by his accent.  <BR>
> <BR>
> When we came by them a second time, I pulled alongside and said<BR>
> something in English to the effect of, "excuse me, can you help us find<BR>
> a way out of here to the hotel Victoria (or whatever it was)"  The<BR>
> American replied in English, "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't speak Swedish," to<BR>
> which I replied as politely as I could (after all, I was asking for<BR>
> help), "I don't either; that's why I addressed you in English."<BR>
> <BR>
> How often might a human living in a Vargr community respond to a<BR>
> question in Galanglic with, "sorry, I don't speak Gvegh"?<BR>
<BR>
As a white male living in Vancouver (with a significant Asian and East<BR>
Indian population), it is sometimes fun to answer their questions with<BR>
"Sorry, I don't speak English."  Only sometimes, however.  You gotta pick<BR>
you moments :)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
James W. Lindsay             Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada<BR>
http://members.home.net/jlindsay                    ICQ:#7521644<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
She had more Chins than the Chinese phonebook!<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 21:02:19 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Laser Visibility<BR>
<BR>
Bruce Macintosh wrote:<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> >The neat things about FEL's is that you don't have to<BR>
> >focus the photons--you focus the electron beam and then get your photons<BR>
> >from that.  At about the 1 Mev/photon energy, the photons from the FEL<BR>
> >have a dispersion about (if memory serves me correctly) two orders of<BR>
> >less than conventionally focused laser beams.<BR>
> I would be interested in seeing a reference for that. The propogating<BR>
> beam of photons ought to still obey the wave optics laws...it's possible<BR>
> that FELs have (in theory) better beam quality and hence get closer to<BR>
> their diffraction limit, but I wouldn't have expected them to exceed it.<BR>
> (I should also note that 1 MeV/photon is well into the gamma ray, which<BR>
> might be the source of the difference between that and a conventional<BR>
> laser which would be definitionally longer wavelength. Even the<BR>
> maddest of 80s-era SDI proposals didn't plan on using gamma-ray<BR>
> FELs, in part because efficiency goes down sharply with decreasing<BR>
> wavelength...)<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
I don't think that he's saying that FELs are better, but rather that<BR>
Gaussian beams are worse. A good introductory book on laser physics is<BR>
<em>Lasers</em> by Milonni and Eberly (spellings are probably wrong). I used<BR>
it in my first year of graduate study in optics. It covers beam optics as<BR>
well as FELs.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 15:29:55 +1000<BR>
From: "The Roc" <roc@kewl.com.au><BR>
Subject: E-mail<BR>
<BR>
Doesn't happen on my e-mail program, "X" characters long and that's it, new<BR>
line.<BR>
<BR>
- -- The Roc<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Rupert Boleyn <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2000 11:25 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: fashions<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> On 5 Jan 00, at 13:56, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> > At 09:48 PM 1/5/2000 -0000, you wrote:<BR>
> > >And why, in an unrelated matter, does my mailer indent and '>'<BR>
> > >everybody's posts except yours?<BR>
> ><BR>
> > I think Rupert's posts come through with each paragraph seen as a single<BR>
> > line. You get the one ">" at the beginning of each paragraph.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Compared to some of the formatting I've seen (and been guilty of) it's<BR>
> > nothing. --<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
> > http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
><BR>
> I had no idea this was happening. Is anyone else seeing this (ie can I<BR>
> blame it on you, or is it my mailers fault)? Maybe Pmail isn't the best<BR>
> thing since sliced bread after all.<BR>
><BR>
><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>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 21:45:13 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Ideas to ponder...<BR>
<BR>
Now if you were an experienced free trader, you would certainly have some<BR>
sort of database which describes the quirks, both legal and cultural of all<BR>
the planets which you may visit? I am more than slightly biased in favor of<BR>
grand plots in which the very future of the Imperium is at stake, but plots<BR>
like these seem an awful lot like a GM killing a character because he didn't<BR>
say that he was putting his vacc suit on prior to EVA.<BR>
<BR>
I have significant real-world experience in several areas, but running a<BR>
trading spaceship is not one of them. If I am role playing a ship captain, I<BR>
should at least get pointers from the GM on what a ship captain would know<BR>
in his game.<BR>
<BR>
Now if a law is changed after the latest update to the database, that's a<BR>
different story... A sudden change, either economic, political, or whatever,<BR>
causes a sudden change in local laws which then hit the players... Upon<BR>
reaching orbit and getting their update to Jane's Economies of the Spinward<BR>
Marches, they find that their current cargo is now illegal to land and sell.<BR>
Maybe it's all part of a plot involving government officials to get that<BR>
type of cargo inexpensively. Since the players can't dispose of the cargo<BR>
legally, maybe a shady representative of some faction approaches them with a<BR>
great deal... The players are informed of the shady business by a<BR>
high-placed friend on the planet's surface. The friend then gives the<BR>
players proof of the conspiracy which they can then run amok with. Do they<BR>
turn in the corrupt official, or do they just let him know that they know,<BR>
and that they expect an unspecified favor in the future?<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: John Osborne <osborne6@wt.net><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2000 11:07 PM<BR>
Subject: Ideas to ponder...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> Just an adventure idea to ponder and debate (with preceeding real life<BR>
> situation that made me think of this)  -<BR>
><BR>
> Back in november, a hobby electronics company (ramsey electronics) got<BR>
> raided by the FBI due to the alleged "surreptitous" uses of some of their<BR>
> hobby kits (telephone bugs, FM transmitters, cameras hidden in smoke<BR>
> detectors and alarm clocks).  Anyway, next time your PC's get a cargo, you<BR>
> could make it interesting, and have it be somehting that might not be<BR>
> kosher at their next destination ("I'm sorry Mr Free Trader, but we have<BR>
> to impound these meson communicator kits.  Terrorists might use these to<BR>
> make meson guns [1] ).<BR>
><BR>
> Ideas?  Expansions upon this?<BR>
><BR>
> John Osborne<BR>
> osborne6@wt.net   osborne6@msu.edu<BR>
> "I love the smell of fdisk in the morning"<BR>
><BR>
> [1]  Yes, I know, you probably can't make a meson gun from a meson<BR>
> communicator, but this just illustrates the cluelessness of starport<BR>
> officials who flunked their highschool science classes.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1717<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Monday, January 10 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1718<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: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
Re: traveller poll!<BR>
Re: Turbolifts<BR>
Re: Vargr fashions<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Re: Heinlein and women<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Language....<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: fashions<BR>
Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
Re: JFK<BR>
Re: JFK<BR>
Re: JFK<BR>
Re: Tech Levels<BR>
Re: OT but interesting.<BR>
[deckplans] Re: Free Trader plans<BR>
RE: RAH<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 22:12:18 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
Frank G. Pitt <frankie@mundens.gen.nz> wrote:<BR>
> I'm currently wearing (because it's quite hot outside) just a very large<BR>
> T-shirt, one that comes to my knees when standing.<BR>
<BR>
I have one of those.  Mine has a cute pink pig on it and says,<BR>
"Hog Wild!"  It is great for lounging around the house.  I have<BR>
even been known to wear it around town over a pair of light<BR>
shorts.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 22:13:27 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: traveller poll!<BR>
<BR>
Rob Brady <robb@datatone.com> wrote:<BR>
> When I was a younger Boy Scout (of America) ...<BR>
> ObTrav: What youth organizations exist in the 3I that inculcate children<BR>
> with values that they find useful as they grow up. While the Boy Scouts of<BR>
> America is an unabashedly (and fighting in court about it right now) God<BR>
> based private organization, how would a 3I sponsored paramilitary boys<BR>
> group be different. Would this be the type of thing to inspire little<BR>
> boys to want to be "Starship Troopers"?<BR>
<snip><BR>
<BR>
Kind of reminds me of an early sky phy story about an Eagle<BR>
Scout who went to Mars (or was it Venus) to get certain<BR>
badges that were simply unattainable on Terra and would<BR>
qualify him to be a Martian (or Venusian) Eagle.  On the way<BR>
there, he stopped on Luna to pick up the badges needed to<BR>
be a Lunar Eagle.  The story might have been by R.A.H.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, there are a variety of such paramilitary organizations<BR>
for youths including the BSA and the Girl Guides.  BTW, if<BR>
there is anyone that knows about real Girl Guides, I would<BR>
like to hear about them.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 22:14:12 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Turbolifts<BR>
<BR>
Richard Wilson wrote:<BR>
> If your shafts go all the way to the outer hull, they could double as<BR>
ecape<BR>
> pods/life boats. How much space would an air scrubber take up anyway?<BR>
> Could one fit into the wall of a lift car?<BR>
<BR>
According to FF&S2 standard life support only takes up 8<BR>
liters per cubic meter (okay, FF&S2 says 0.008 m^3/m^3).<BR>
So, if the car were 1 Td, the standard life support could be<BR>
contained in  0.112 cubic meters (112 liters).  If the shape<BR>
were hexagonal (IIRC, the Star Trek turbo lifts are), then one<BR>
of the walls c. 8.3+ cm thick could accommodate all of the life<BR>
support requirements.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 22:15:21 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Vargr fashions<BR>
<BR>
Many of you have written about "dangly parts" in this thread.<BR>
I have been around dogs my whole life and I can tell you for<BR>
a fact that when they walk upright (on two legs), they don't<BR>
have "dangly" parts.  The penis of a canine is contained in a<BR>
sheath, which serves the same function as the foreskin in<BR>
humans and is firmly attached to the belly.  The testicles are<BR>
contained in a scrotum which is firmly drawn up against the<BR>
body except when they are responding to a bitch in heat.<BR>
<BR>
I could see them wearing aprons, bandoleers and tool belts<BR>
as a necessity, but not clothing per se.  However; fashion is<BR>
another matter all together.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, the Vargr have a wide a variety of fashion styles as<BR>
any other people.  When it comes to Vargr spacers, most<BR>
will wear a light kilt or something like a thong or boxers to<BR>
cover their "privates," not for their own protection, but to<BR>
prevent problems with others hang ups over seeing their<BR>
hairy (perhaps I should say furry) sheaths and scrotums.<BR>
<BR>
In some mixed services where they are required to wear<BR>
uniforms, they are often allowances made for the fact that<BR>
they are Vargr and not hairless.  Very often this will take the<BR>
form of a torq or a short vest type garment.<BR>
<BR>
Facial fur and the fur on the rest of the head is occasionally<BR>
cut in a variety of styles.  Often in styles that are similar to<BR>
those worn by their human co-workers (not to be confused<BR>
with cow-orkers).<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 22:42:26 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
I think that one key element is being disregarded in these calculations:<BR>
settling time for the turret. You calculate where you think the target is<BR>
and point your laser there. But when things actually move, it is difficult<BR>
to get them to move to an extremely precise location.<BR>
<BR>
Suppose that your laser is 1 m long and that you are firing at a target<BR>
100,000 km away. If the end of your weapon is off by even 0.1 micron, then<BR>
your beam is off by 10 m at the target range. It will take a very advanced<BR>
control system to move the turrets this accurately. Note that this error is<BR>
roughly the same magnitude as the error from people's calculations for error<BR>
due to evasion.<BR>
<BR>
Calculations typically done also assume that you know *exactly* where the<BR>
ship will be at some future point (i.e. when you fire the weapon). In my<BR>
lab, I used to have a number of electron microscopes. If the microscopes<BR>
were not carefully isolated from the building, things like vibrations from<BR>
HVAC and even people walking by in the hall would cause noticeable change in<BR>
image quality. So much that this stopped us from using very high<BR>
magnification for a while. Imagine how these vibrations would have affected<BR>
a laser trying to hit a target 100,000 km away.<BR>
<BR>
Now exactly how stable a platform is a ship, particularly one in combat? I'm<BR>
guessing that it will be vey difficult to totally isolate a turret from<BR>
vibrations and shocks, particularly when your'e being zapped by the bad<BR>
guys. Even small vibrations, like the 0.1 micron error described above, will<BR>
add significant targeting error.<BR>
<BR>
Anyway, back to the settling time. Even if you ignore vibrations, it will<BR>
take a finite amount of time to get your laser *accurately* pointed in the<BR>
right direction, so that the time lag in the calculations discussed on the<BR>
TML may be far too low. How much time do you need to accurately point a<BR>
laser turret? Are there any control system engineers out there who can<BR>
provide a meaningful estimate in this area?<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Leonard Erickson <shadow@krypton.rain.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2000 5:28 PM<BR>
Subject: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
><BR>
> >>At 6g, *regardless of your initial velocity, after 1 second, you will<BR>
> >>be at most 30 meters from the position you'd have occupied if you'd<BR>
> >>just coasted.<BR>
> > [snip]<BR>
> >>Of course, if you are using a reaction drive, or doing anything else<BR>
> >>that registers on *passive* sensors, you've halved the lag time. So at<BR>
> >>150,000 km, the target sphere will only be 7.5 meters across. In other<BR>
> >>words, they can target the center of your ship and be assured of<BR>
> >>hitting *some* part of the ship.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Wrong, Leonard. Time On Target, assuming lightspeed lag and Active<BR>
Sensors,<BR>
> > would be 3x the distance in LS. Passives it's still 2x. You must make<BR>
your<BR>
> > firing plot so that it is large enough to cover the probable location at<BR>
> > intercept.<BR>
><BR>
> Oops! I did forget about travel time of the shot!<BR>
><BR>
> > So, in the case above, assuming a light-speed weapon:<BR>
> > dist=0.5 LS<BR>
> > TOT(A)=1.5s     Dta(A)= 45m [1]<BR>
> > TOT(P)=1.0s     Dta(P)= 30m<BR>
> ><BR>
> > [1] actually, should be 30*1.5^2 =30*2.25=67.5m. Assumes d=0.5*a*t*t,<BR>
and<BR>
> > 6G=60m/s/s<BR>
><BR>
> Yep.<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, 9 Jan 2000 23:04:19 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Heinlein and women<BR>
<BR>
> Kiri Aradia Morgan wrote:<BR>
> > I have wondered how Heinlein would portray an ugly girl, but then again,<BR>
I'm<BR>
> > not sure Heinlein believed that there are ugly girls.<BR>
<BR>
One of RAH's early series was a series about a girl and her<BR>
family.  In the earliest of these she is either a pre- or early-<BR>
teen.  She is awkward and unsure of herself.  Her brother is<BR>
a brat and she deals with all the problems that young people<BR>
have been dealing with as long as there have been young<BR>
people in civilization.<BR>
<BR>
As the stories progress, she grows up and while she is never<BR>
described as beautiful and she is described (by one of her<BR>
boy friends) as being Rubenisque (sp?).<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 23:12:44 -0800<BR>
From: "James W. Lindsay" <jlindsay@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
On Sun, 9 Jan 2000 22:42:26 -0800, Luther Martin wrote:<BR>
<BR>
[snip]<BR>
<BR>
> Anyway, back to the settling time. Even if you ignore vibrations, it will<BR>
> take a finite amount of time to get your laser *accurately* pointed in the<BR>
> right direction, so that the time lag in the calculations discussed on the<BR>
> TML may be far too low. How much time do you need to accurately point a<BR>
> laser turret? Are there any control system engineers out there who can<BR>
> provide a meaningful estimate in this area?<BR>
<BR>
IIRC, shipboard lasers in Traveller are precisely aimed by either "flexing"<BR>
a lightweight mirror in the path of the beam, or via gravitics near the end<BR>
of the laser "barrel".  Coarse aiming is still handled via motors and<BR>
servos in the turret itself.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
James W. Lindsay             Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada<BR>
http://members.home.net/jlindsay                    ICQ:#7521644<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
Wakko of Borg: Heeeeeeellllllllo Collective!<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 23:57:09 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kiri Aradia Morgan <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Language....<BR>
<BR>
On Sun, 9 Jan 2000, James W. Lindsay wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> On Mon, 10 Jan 2000 18:03:09 -0800, Glenn M. Goffin wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
k> > My language story set in Sweden was not as enjoyable as yours, but it<BR>
> > has I think potential Traveller application:  <BR>
> > <BR>
> > My then-girlfriend and I drove into Lund pretty late at night and got<BR>
> > lost in the medieval center of town.  As we drove around around in<BR>
> > circles looking for a street that would lead us out (yes, it was a bit<BR>
> > like driving in Boston), I overheard two men speaking English as they<BR>
> > walked, one obviously American by his accent.  <BR>
> > <BR>
> > When we came by them a second time, I pulled alongside and said<BR>
> > something in English to the effect of, "excuse me, can you help us find<BR>
> > a way out of here to the hotel Victoria (or whatever it was)"  The<BR>
> > American replied in English, "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't speak Swedish," to<BR>
> > which I replied as politely as I could (after all, I was asking for<BR>
> > help), "I don't either; that's why I addressed you in English."<BR>
> > <BR>
> > How often might a human living in a Vargr community respond to a<BR>
> > question in Galanglic with, "sorry, I don't speak Gvegh"?<BR>
> <BR>
> As a white male living in Vancouver (with a significant Asian and East<BR>
> Indian population), it is sometimes fun to answer their questions with<BR>
> "Sorry, I don't speak English."  Only sometimes, however.  You gotta pick<BR>
> you moments :)<BR>
> <BR>
LOL!<BR>
<BR>
I have often wondered what non-English speaking white people do in Japan.<BR>
<BR>
I can pass for Japanese or half-Japanese (I am, after all, *part* Asian)<BR>
with relative ease.  I have long, straight black hair, pale skin, and<BR>
black eyes.  However, I lack an epicanthic fold because I am fully half<BR>
Irish and those genes did not dominate.<BR>
<BR>
I have more than once had the following experience in Japan-- my backpack<BR>
is unzipped, or I drop something on a train station platform, or I<BR>
absent-mindedly walk through the wrong door.  A stranger warns me of<BR>
what's going on, I take care of it, turn around to thank them, and when<BR>
they look directly into my face, they lose the ability to speak Japanese.<BR>
<BR>
Despite the fact that I have perfectly understood what they said and<BR>
performed the necessary actions to fix the problem, their jaw flops open<BR>
and they ransack their brains for any and all English phrases they barely<BR>
remember from high school, no matter how long ago that was.  They then<BR>
ignore my requests that we continue in Japanese.  The only way to get it<BR>
to stop is to say, flatly "Eigo ga zenzen dekimasen."  (I can't speak<BR>
English at all.)<BR>
<BR>
Then they look shocked for five minutes, until they realize that I have<BR>
been speaking Japanese the whole time.<BR>
<BR>
Another experience that I frequently have is that little old Hispanic<BR>
ladies in my mostly Hispanic neighborhood will walk past three genuine<BR>
Latinas to get directions, etc. from me in Spanish.  There is only one<BR>
problem with this.  I do not speak Spanish.<BR>
<BR>
If I say "no habla espanol" they are convinced that I must be lying.  If I<BR>
say "I don't speak Spanish" they don't believe that, either.  They are<BR>
convinced that someone as dark-haired and dark-eyed as me cannot have been<BR>
born in this country.  The only thing that works is "Supeingo ga zenzen<BR>
dekimasen."  (I can't speak Spanish at all.)<BR>
<BR>
I also used to amuse the guy who worked at the Quicky Mart in Columbus, OH<BR>
because when obnoxious fratboys would hit on me in the store, I would<BR>
pretend that I couldn't speak English.  He was also part Asian and he<BR>
understood every word that I said, LOL.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
******************************************************************************<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan                                  93!  Thou Art God<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"If time passes, everything turns into beauty<BR>
If the rains stop, tears clean the scars of memory away<BR>
Everything starts wearing fresh colors<BR>
Every sound begins playing a heartfelt melody<BR>
Jealousy embellishes a page of the epic<BR>
Desire is embraced in a dream..."              -- X-JAPAN<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 02:43:45 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>> From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
><BR>
>> The old computer game "space war" has realistic movement too.<BR>
><BR>
> Fond memories are rekindled.  That's the only arcade game I miss.<BR>
<BR>
I've got the shareware version for the PC. CGA or Hercules?<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 02:45:43 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: fashions<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On 5 Jan 00, at 13:56, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> At 09:48 PM 1/5/2000 -0000, you wrote:<BR>
>> >And why, in an unrelated matter, does my mailer indent and '>'<BR>
>> >everybody's posts except yours?<BR>
>> <BR>
>> I think Rupert's posts come through with each paragraph seen as a single<BR>
>> line. You get the one ">" at the beginning of each paragraph.<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Compared to some of the formatting I've seen (and been guilty of) it's<BR>
>> nothing. -- <BR>
>> <BR>
>> Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
>> http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
><BR>
> I had no idea this was happening. Is anyone else seeing this (ie can I <BR>
> blame it on you, or is it my mailers fault)? Maybe Pmail isn't the best <BR>
> thing since sliced bread after all.<BR>
<BR>
This post was fine. But some people's posts *do* come thru as one line<BR>
per paragraph. <BR>
<BR>
I suspect this is due to "auto-wrap" functions in some Winodows based<BR>
mailers. The text wraps on the sender's screen, but no "newline" is<BR>
inserted in the text.<BR>
<BR>
Yet another case of ignoring longer established Internet standards by<BR>
designers who "know better". <grrr!><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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 02:50:10 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 11:53 AM 1/9/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>>From: Douglas E. Berry <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
><BR>
>>>Donna Barr (who draws the Desert Peach and has done Traveller illustrations<BR>
>>in the past) tends to wear the uniform of a Wehrmacht Feldwebel to parties.<BR>
>>She's dyed it pink.<BR>
><BR>
>>Not pink, dear.  Pink is tacky.  It's peach.<BR>
><BR>
> the one I saw at OryCon a decade or more ago was *pink*.  It helped that<BR>
> she can lisp in German, and can do a firly butch look.<BR>
<BR>
Doug, have you ever *seen* what designers call "peach"?<BR>
<BR>
BTW, You were at Orycon? Sheesh! You should have said something on the<BR>
list! <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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 02:53:12 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: JFK<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> ("Varg", it turns out, is Swedish for wolf.)<BR>
<BR>
And "vargr" is Old Norse for wolf. Alas, a "minor" detail escaped the<BR>
folks at GDW who chose the name. The terminating "r" is *silent*. <BR>
<BR>
As an example, the SCA name I'm registering is "Eirikr inn kengr"[1].<BR>
Which is pronounced (more or less) "Erik in keng". The terminal "r"s<BR>
merely indicate a noun-form of the word!<BR>
<BR>
So "Vargr" is pronounced "varg" (or maybe "warg", I'm not sure how "v"<BR>
is prounonced in Old Norse).<BR>
<BR>
But I'm willing to bet that most of you prounced it "varg-er" or some<BR>
such. So did I until the heralds helping me documented my name as being<BR>
something that would fit "in period" hit me over the head about those<BR>
terminal "r"s. <sigh><BR>
<BR>
[1] For those who care, the name translates into English as "Erik the<BR>
    bent" (or "the kinky" as the herald who suggested "kengr" to me put<BR>
    it :-)<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 06:25:23 -0500<BR>
From: "Josh W. Spencer" <macmanjws@earthlink.net><BR>
Subject: Re: JFK<BR>
<BR>
On 01/10/2000 05:53, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<snip the Vargr stuff...I stand corrected...><BR>
> <BR>
> [1] For those who care, the name translates into English as "Erik the<BR>
> bent" (or "the kinky" as the herald who suggested "kengr" to me put<BR>
> it :-)<BR>
Lucky Paula Jones' lawyers didn't get ahold of this type of name. They would<BR>
have stuck it to Bill Clinton in two seconds!<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Josh W. Spencer (macmanjws@earthlink.net)<BR>
Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA<BR>
http://home.earthlink.net/~macmanjws<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 12:51:43 +0100 (MET)<BR>
From: Tommy Grav <tommy.grav@astro.uio.no><BR>
Subject: Re: JFK<BR>
<BR>
On Mon, 10 Jan 2000, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>In mail you write:<BR>
><BR>
>> ("Varg", it turns out, is Swedish for wolf.)<BR>
><BR>
>And "vargr" is Old Norse for wolf. Alas, a "minor" detail escaped the<BR>
>folks at GDW who chose the name. The terminating "r" is *silent*. <BR>
<BR>
Again i point to my last name :-)<BR>
<BR>
>So "Vargr" is pronounced "varg" (or maybe "warg", I'm not sure how "v"<BR>
>is prounonced in Old Norse).<BR>
<BR>
Without much knowledge of the art of formal pronounciation I would <BR>
go for varg. <BR>
<BR>
>But I'm willing to bet that most of you prounced it "varg-er" or some<BR>
>such. So did I until the heralds helping me documented my name as being<BR>
>something that would fit "in period" hit me over the head about those<BR>
>terminal "r"s. <sigh><BR>
<BR>
I had always thought that it sounded best as "vargrrrr" ending the <BR>
word with a growl. That is how I always viewed the vargrs <BR>
saying the word. When non-scholars IMTU uses the word it becomes<BR>
the simple "varg".<BR>
<BR>
>Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
<BR>
Tommy Grav<BR>
- -------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
tommy.grav@astro.uio.no     http://www.uio.no/~tommygr/  <BR>
Institute of Astrophysics, UiO, No  <BR>
IMTU tn++t4+tg+ ru+ge++ !3i jt+au+st+ls hi++dr-so++zh-sy-sw++ <BR>
 <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 21:42:47 +1000<BR>
From: "Alan Bradley" <alanb@elf.brisnet.org.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Tech Levels<BR>
<BR>
> From: Thom Jones-Low <BR>
> 	The complete rebuilding of the planetary production infrastructure for<BR>
> each TL would be one of the things to slow down the TL advancement. And<BR>
> yes, I do think it's a requirement. <BR>
> 	Each time the "New" advancement comes, you need new tools to take full<BR>
> advantage of it. The forging tools used to melt and roll steel are not<BR>
> the same tools used to shape aluminum or Carbon Fiber reinforced<BR>
> plastics. <BR>
<BR>
It's clearly not a requirement at low TLs.  Earth still has differential<BR>
TLs, including some areas that are pretty close to TL0, and were literally<BR>
TL0 until quite recently.<BR>
<BR>
It's not unknown in the TU to have "lost" populations on worlds:  see<BR>
Tarsus, or some of the Keith brothers' stuff.  Even without this there can<BR>
be places where there is a high-tech enclave on a low-tech world.<BR>
<BR>
It's probably better to view TL advancement as requiring the rebuilding of<BR>
the production infrastructure of an "economy" - by which I mean a<BR>
relatively separate economic unit, which may be a world, or a nation, or an<BR>
enclave, or even just a village.  Since it's "relatively separate", it can<BR>
be considered in isolation from, say, it's trading partners, whether or not<BR>
these are on the same planet.<BR>
<BR>
It would also probably require an economic unit of a certain size at a<BR>
certain point, but that gets into what does it mean for a world inhabited<BR>
by 40 people to be TL 15.<BR>
<BR>
Alan Bradley<BR>
alanb@elf.brisnet.org.au<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 21:28:59 +1000<BR>
From: "Alan Bradley" <alanb@elf.brisnet.org.au><BR>
Subject: Re: OT but interesting.<BR>
<BR>
A couple of days ago I posted the following:<BR>
> from REUTERS in Beijing<BR>
> > <BR>
> >                 Updated at 3.45pm:<BR>
> >                 China will ban use of Microsoft Corp's new<BR>
> >                 Windows 2000 operating system throughout<BR>
> >                 the government and instead opt for a<BR>
> >                 homegrown software system.<BR>
> > <BR>
> >                 Ministries would instead use ''Red Flag -<BR>
> >                 Linux'', a new platform developed by Chinese<BR>
> >                 researchers and based on upstart operating<BR>
> >                 system Linux, the Yangcheng Evening News<BR>
> >                 said.<BR>
<rest snipped><BR>
<BR>
There has since been a denial of this story.  It's a funny one though -<BR>
there seems to be a bit of a game going on to pressure Microsoft by<BR>
threatening it with competition.  <BR>
<BR>
OBTRAV:  Hi-Pop worlds might have a certain amount of room to play silly<BR>
buggers with megacorps, either maneuvering between them, or even competing<BR>
with them in certain areas.<BR>
<BR>
Alan Bradley<BR>
alanb@elf.brisnet.org.au<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 04:03:23 EST<BR>
From: GypsyComet@aol.com<BR>
Subject: [deckplans] Re: Free Trader plans<BR>
<BR>
From: GypsyComet@aol.com<BR>
<BR>
Erwin Fritz <efritz@GLJA.com> types:<BR>
<BR>
>Thanks. I took a look at this design and it doesn't match the MT<BR>
>statistics for the free trader. Oh well. I'll probably just rework the<BR>
>plans I had.<BR>
<BR>
  Not surprising, as MT changed the ship design model quite a bit.<BR>
Fuel calculations changed radically, drive sizes changed, the 20-ton<BR>
Bridge vanished, etc.<BR>
<BR>
 I'm going to add the necessary volume to the hull (probably by bulking<BR>
out the rear wings, since the hull is already at Needle length) and redo<BR>
the interior. Obviously an MT interpretation is called for. This is an<BR>
airframe version of the Type-A, but is otherwise standard so far.<BR>
Anyone have a prefered TL?<BR>
<BR>
GC<BR>
<BR>
- --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ----------------------------<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:09:28 -0800<BR>
From: "Antony Farrell" <Skaran@bigpond.com><BR>
Subject: RE: RAH<BR>
<BR>
> -----Original Message-----<BR>
> From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> [mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of AB<BR>
> Sent: Sunday, 9 January 2000 6:51 PM<BR>
> To: TML<BR>
> Subject: Re: RAH<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> > Er, whoops, sorry I didn't intend to start that argument, I was merely<BR>
> > joking with Kiri.<BR>
><BR>
> > I have no problems with the majority of RAH's portrayals of female<BR>
> > characters or his sexual politics.<BR>
><BR>
> > Frankie<BR>
><BR>
> Oh, sorry...  I recently introduced my spouse to Heinlein and have been<BR>
> discussing this sort of thing with her on and off, so it's pretty fresh in<BR>
> my mind.<BR>
><BR>
> > "people who can't understand mathematics are not fully human". ... But I<BR>
> will grant that it would say something unpleasant about me if I<BR>
> did not try.<BR>
><BR>
> Yes... I had some trouble with this too, especially with the implied<BR>
> definition that "understanding mathematics" requires the ability to do<BR>
> differential calculus in your head, possibly while under heavy<BR>
> acceleration<BR>
> and enduring scathing sarcasm from your loved ones.<BR>
><BR>
> This seems to me to be a special case of his general issue with people who<BR>
> are too lazy to think.  (See the short story "Gulf" for a classic<BR>
> example.)<BR>
><BR>
> Ob Trav:<BR>
> *Background*<BR>
> I too have run several NPC's (and a PC) based on Heinlein characters and<BR>
> generic character types.  One of whom was an <ahem> "ethically challenged<BR>
> merchant" who deliberately set out to create an enclave based on the<BR>
> teachings of the ancient solomani philosopher we have been<BR>
> discussing.  When<BR>
> the PC's over-ran the base several of the people there went with the PCs.<BR>
> They have since been trying to convert the PC group around to a similar<BR>
> philosophy.  (The lightbulb has just gone on for the one of my<BR>
> players that<BR>
> reads this list!)<BR>
><BR>
> *Adventure Hook*<BR>
> If you are comfortable GM-ing interpersonal relationships have<BR>
> the PCs find<BR>
> such a group (and I'm thinking of the characteristics of a Heinlein<BR>
> polyandry) to tag along with for a while.  Most typical male PC's will be<BR>
> happy when the attractive female comes on to them, but then what about the<BR>
> next one?  What then when they go off to another of the PC's?  Do they get<BR>
> jealous?  How do they deal with a group with a very different set<BR>
> of mores?<BR>
> Being Heinleiners, the new group members are probably only<BR>
> attracted to some<BR>
> of the PC's; those with similar enough mindsets.  What do the<BR>
> 'shunned ones'<BR>
> do?<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
Arnt the shunned one a race native to the planet Tekumel?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1718<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1719</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
Date:	1/10/00 8:49:01 AM Pacific Standard Time<BR>
From:	owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com (Traveller-digest)<BR>
Sender:	owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Monday, January 10 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1719<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: ObTrav - Jurisdiction (was GURPS vs. T5)<BR>
RE: Old<BR>
Re: OT "perverse" tastes<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: Laser Visibility<BR>
Re: traveller poll!<BR>
Re: OT :Sir Humphery Appleby<BR>
Re: RAH<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Languages (was Re: JFK)<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Traveller/GURPS Conversions<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Patrick O'Brian<BR>
Lanugage....<BR>
RE: nudity and clothes<BR>
Re: traveller poll!<BR>
RE: nudity and clothes<BR>
RE: Lanugage....<BR>
RE: KFC<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:09:31 -0800<BR>
From: "Antony Farrell" <Skaran@bigpond.com><BR>
Subject: RE: ObTrav - Jurisdiction (was GURPS vs. T5)<BR>
<BR>
> -----Original Message-----<BR>
> From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> [mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Jason T.<BR>
> Barnabas<BR>
> Sent: Sunday, 9 January 2000 2:06 PM<BR>
> To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> Subject: Re: ObTrav - Jurisdiction (was GURPS vs. T5)<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> Mark Preston or Peter Trevor wrote:<BR>
> > 2) Actually "sensible jurisdictional boundaries" no longer  apply<BR>
> >    to UK citizens (at the whim of Parliament).  There are only  a<BR>
> >    few examples I'm aware of so far but the  precedent  has  been<BR>
> >    made: UK laws can be applied to UK citizens outside the UK!<BR>
><BR>
> Believe it or not, the same is true of Californians.  Especially<BR>
> the laws that you don't want applied to you.<BR>
> --<BR>
> Jason<BR>
> ______________________________________________<BR>
>In Australia some laws also apply to citizens overseas. Recently there was<BR>
a successful prosecution of someone for a crime committed in I think<BR>
Thailand. And with our new tax system coming through with its fantasy<BR>
clauses how long before those USofA states are absorbed by the growing<BR>
Australian empire?<BR>
Antony<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:09:30 -0800<BR>
From: "Antony Farrell" <Skaran@bigpond.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Old<BR>
<BR>
> -----Original Message-----<BR>
> From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> [mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Roger Barr<BR>
> Sent: Sunday, 9 January 2000 2:57 PM<BR>
> To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> Subject: Re: Old<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> >I can proudly say that at 42 I qualify to many as old, and as a Traveller<BR>
> >player since 1979 I truly seem to many to be perverted.  But I'm<BR>
> hanging in<BR>
> >there!<BR>
> ><BR>
> >Ken<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> Hang in there Ken!<BR>
> At 35 I'm not too far behind you, and the rest of my players are all 30+.<BR>
> Remember: Is it better to use your brain creatively in play,  or<BR>
> sit around<BR>
> watching the TV all the time letting your gray matter rot...<BR>
><BR>
> Roger<BR>
><BR>
Ran my first game of Traveller from the 3 little black books in 1978. Which<BR>
incidently was the 2nd roleplaying game I purchased. The first was Empire of<BR>
the Petal Throne.<BR>
<BR>
Antony<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 07:24:56 -0700 (MST)<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
Subject: Re: OT "perverse" tastes<BR>
<BR>
On Sun, 9 Jan 2000, Kiri Aradia Morgan wrote:<BR>
 <BR>
> A friend of mine once said that she could always tell who I'd be attracted<BR>
> to by looking at their eyes and the shape of their faces, and that it had<BR>
> nothing to do with gender, that all my past and present partners regardless<BR>
> of age, gender or race looked alike to her.<BR>
<BR>
Oh, so she was a Vargr, then? ;-)<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 03:03:25 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Free trader vs corsair gives a few problems to this plan since no one<BR>
> has lots of spare crew.<BR>
><BR>
> The options include:<BR>
><BR>
> Free trader spaces their cargo which the corsair picks up. Probably<BR>
> the air/raft as well if they have one. A reinforced cargo bay should<BR>
> limit the damage from the couple of tons of normal explosives that<BR>
> the PCs will send over but when the military give you a small nuke,<BR>
> you'd better hope you remembered the damper.<BR>
<BR>
Definitely. And nukes & explosives aren't the worst they can do. How do<BR>
you have an entire cargo container (several tons) of *thermite*. Even<BR>
if it doesn't burn thru the hull, or important bulkheads, you'll have<BR>
this lump of steel welded to the deck. Try explaining *that* at a<BR>
normal shipyard!<BR>
<BR>
> Corsair sends over a bording party covered by the guns of their ship<BR>
> to loot the passengers and crew.<BR>
<BR>
Tends to be hard on the boarding party if the target is a Q-ship.<BR>
Maybe even hard on the ship that sent them. <BR>
<BR>
> The corsair loads the entire free trader into its cargo bay and does<BR>
> it wants to it.<BR>
<BR>
Not if *I* have anything to say about it! Just stop and consider what<BR>
another ship, *inside* your can do to you. For example, cut in the the<BR>
*reaction* drive... <ouch!><BR>
<BR>
> When people commonly put a couple of gigajoules of lightspeed death<BR>
> and kilotonnes of kinetic kill on even the smallest spaceship, if<BR>
> the PCs can't keep the corsair at bay long enough for the Imperials<BR>
> to turn up or jump out, then an encounter with a corsair is going to<BR>
> significantly affect the way that the campaign continues.<BR>
<BR>
Yep.<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 03:15:45 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Laser Visibility<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>The neat things about FEL's is that you don't have to<BR>
>>focus the photons--you focus the electron beam and then get your photons<BR>
>>from that.  At about the 1 Mev/photon energy, the photons from the FEL<BR>
>>have a dispersion about (if memory serves me correctly) two orders of<BR>
>>less than conventionally focused laser beams.<BR>
<BR>
> I would be interested in seeing a reference for that. The propogating<BR>
> beam of photons ought to still obey the wave optics laws...it's possible<BR>
> that FELs have (in theory) better beam quality and hence get closer to<BR>
> their diffraction limit, but I wouldn't have expected them to exceed it.<BR>
<BR>
I expect that part of what he is referring to is the "break" that they<BR>
get from *not* having a sharply defined "edge" to the beam. As I recall<BR>
FEL's generally send a beam thru an aperture *much* wider than the<BR>
beam, which means that the beam "density, tapers off at the "edges".<BR>
That should greatly reduce diffraction effects because the "edge" is so<BR>
"fuzzy".<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 03:20:55 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: traveller poll!<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Kind of reminds me of an early sky phy story about an Eagle<BR>
> Scout who went to Mars (or was it Venus) to get certain<BR>
> badges that were simply unattainable on Terra and would<BR>
> qualify him to be a Martian (or Venusian) Eagle.  On the way<BR>
> there, he stopped on Luna to pick up the badges needed to<BR>
> be a Lunar Eagle.  The story might have been by R.A.H.<BR>
<BR>
There's an RAH story *similar* to that. The scout is an Eagle (on<BR>
Earth), and his family is emigrating to (Mars or Venus, I forget<BR>
which). Due to the schedules, they'll be on the Moon for a month or<BR>
more (I forget the exact amount). So he plans to try to get the badges<BR>
he would need to qualify as an Eagle Scout by *Lunar* Council rules,<BR>
and again on whereever they are emigrating to. The story is set on the<BR>
Moon, and a number of the Lunar Scouts aren't too thrilled with the<BR>
idea of this greenhorn thinking he can get the (two?) badges he needs<BR>
in only a few weeks. But the Scoutmaster points out that the guy has<BR>
every right to *try*, and they should do their best to help, but make<BR>
sure he *does* earn the badges fairly. <BR>
<BR>
The fun part comes when there's an accident on a hike...<BR>
<BR>
I *Think* the title is "The <something> Pits of Luna". <BR>
 <BR>
> IMTU, there are a variety of such paramilitary organizations<BR>
> for youths including the BSA and the Girl Guides.  BTW, if<BR>
> there is anyone that knows about real Girl Guides, I would<BR>
> like to hear about them.<BR>
<BR>
Much to my surprise, I found out that a couple of Religious groups have<BR>
*their own* versions of Scouting, because they find something about the<BR>
BSA objectionable. Do a search on "Royal Rangers" (it's a *US* group!).<BR>
<BR>
Also note that Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts sort of "merge" into the<BR>
Explorers, which is a sort of "generalized cadet" thing. Each Explorer<BR>
post is associated with some sort of profession and they sort of work<BR>
as cadets. There are Explorer posts associated with Police, Fire, and<BR>
other jobs. <BR>
<BR>
So "scouting" and "explorers" could be part of the "pre-18" path for<BR>
some careers and give if not actual skills, bonuses on rolling for some<BR>
skills.<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 03:35:17 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: OT :Sir Humphery Appleby<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>> Did you get Sir Humphrey of the Home Office to write that paragraph for<BR>
>> you<BR>
><BR>
> He was actually Department of Adminsitrative Afairs (DAA), later Cabinet<BR>
> Secutary, and later (according to the books) commited to a home for the<BR>
> clinically deranged.<BR>
><BR>
> ObTRAV: You want a obtuse beaurocrat, making life difficult for the<BR>
> players (hiding the meaning of sentances in gobblygook, paperwork and<BR>
> other joys), Sir Humphery is the man! Read the books, see the<BR>
> episodes, this is how an empire runs!<BR>
<BR>
Grab any of Keith Laumer's "Retief" stories (most are shorts, a few are<BR>
full fledged novels) and take note of how all the CDT (Corps<BR>
Diplomatique Terrestrienne) personnel *except* Retief act.<BR>
<BR>
Laumer knew all about that sort of thing. He was retired from the US<BR>
Consular Corps! <BR>
<BR>
All the other CDT personnel will give your players nightmares. Well,<BR>
Magnan may try to help if they catch himat the right time. He'll<BR>
*sometimes* be sympathetic. <BR>
<BR>
Retief, on the other hand, is someone the players will *love* (if he's<BR>
helping them) or *hate* (if he's out to stop their scheme). <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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 03:41:56 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: RAH<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> PS:  To the list of recommendations I would also add:<BR>
><BR>
> Glory Road (already mentioned)<BR>
> Space Family Stone<BR>
<BR>
That's "The Rolling Stones" in the US versions (probably in *all* the<BR>
"English language" versions). It's a "pun" on an old proverb: "A<BR>
rolling stone gathers no moss."<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 03:10:21 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> I think that one key element is being disregarded in these calculations:<BR>
> settling time for the turret. You calculate where you think the target is<BR>
> and point your laser there. But when things actually move, it is difficult<BR>
> to get them to move to an extremely precise location.<BR>
><BR>
> Suppose that your laser is 1 m long and that you are firing at a target<BR>
> 100,000 km away. If the end of your weapon is off by even 0.1 micron, then<BR>
> your beam is off by 10 m at the target range. It will take a very advanced<BR>
> control system to move the turrets this accurately. Note that this error is<BR>
> roughly the same magnitude as the error from people's calculations for error<BR>
> due to evasion.<BR>
<BR>
You don't move the laser. You move the (extremely high quality)<BR>
*mirror* that the beam bounces off. *Much* lighter, and much easier to<BR>
stabilize. It's how they aim most of the real world systems.<BR>
<BR>
> Calculations typically done also assume that you know *exactly* where the<BR>
> ship will be at some future point (i.e. when you fire the weapon). In my<BR>
> lab, I used to have a number of electron microscopes. If the microscopes<BR>
> were not carefully isolated from the building, things like vibrations from<BR>
> HVAC and even people walking by in the hall would cause noticeable change in<BR>
> image quality. So much that this stopped us from using very high<BR>
> magnification for a while. Imagine how these vibrations would have affected<BR>
> a laser trying to hit a target 100,000 km away.<BR>
<BR>
> Now exactly how stable a platform is a ship, particularly one in combat? I'm<BR>
> guessing that it will be vey difficult to totally isolate a turret from<BR>
> vibrations and shocks, particularly when your'e being zapped by the bad<BR>
> guys. Even small vibrations, like the 0.1 micron error described above, will<BR>
> add significant targeting error.<BR>
<BR>
Ask Bruce. As I recall, he and others have stated that we can aim to<BR>
the required degree of accuracy *now*. <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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 07:36:07 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Languages (was Re: JFK)<BR>
<BR>
>As a white male living in Vancouver (with a significant Asian and East<BR>
>Indian population), it is sometimes fun to answer their questions with<BR>
>"Sorry, I don't speak English."  Only sometimes, however.  You gotta pick<BR>
>you moments :)<BR>
<BR>
Reminds me of one time I was in Montreal: I came out of the Metro (subway)<BR>
station, and I knew I was two blocks away from where I was going, but I<BR>
had no idea which direction to go. I stopped someone more or less at random,<BR>
a young woman in her 20s, and asked her -- in French -- which direction it<BR>
was to Peel Street. She replied, very slowly, "I don't speak French!". <BR>
<BR>
(I repeated my question in English and we both had a good laugh over it,<BR>
both of us being "Anglo" in Montreal...)<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 15:31:58 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>In mail you write:<BR>
><BR>
>> Free trader vs corsair gives a few problems to this plan since no one<BR>
>> has lots of spare crew.<BR>
>><BR>
>> The options include:<BR>
>><BR>
>> Free trader spaces their cargo which the corsair picks up. Probably<BR>
>> the air/raft as well if they have one. A reinforced cargo bay should<BR>
>> limit the damage from the couple of tons of normal explosives that<BR>
>> the PCs will send over but when the military give you a small nuke,<BR>
>> you'd better hope you remembered the damper.<BR>
><BR>
>Definitely. And nukes & explosives aren't the worst they can do. How do<BR>
>you have an entire cargo container (several tons) of *thermite*. Even<BR>
>if it doesn't burn thru the hull, or important bulkheads, you'll have<BR>
>this lump of steel welded to the deck. Try explaining *that* at a<BR>
>normal shipyard!<BR>
<BR>
It's so much easier when you can just "raise a level 10 containment field<BR>
in cargo bay 4"<BR>
<BR>
Of course the corsair is gambling that most people wouldn't want waste<BR>
cargo volume carrying a couple of tons of explosives "just in case".<BR>
OTOH, most PCs wouldn't consider carrying a couplke of tons of explosives<BR>
a waste.<BR>
<BR>
:-)<BR>
<BR>
>> Corsair sends over a bording party covered by the guns of their ship<BR>
>> to loot the passengers and crew.<BR>
><BR>
>Tends to be hard on the boarding party if the target is a Q-ship.<BR>
>Maybe even hard on the ship that sent them. <BR>
<BR>
>> The corsair loads the entire free trader into its cargo bay and does<BR>
>> it wants to it.<BR>
><BR>
>Not if *I* have anything to say about it! Just stop and consider what<BR>
>another ship, *inside* your can do to you. For example, cut in the the<BR>
>*reaction* drive... <ouch!><BR>
<BR>
The assumption is that you capture the crew as well and they don't<BR>
want to become dead. The odds seem to be slightly better than if<BR>
you agree to pick up that large bomb from option 1.<BR>
<BR>
Ultimately, when the corsair guesses wrong as to their victim's<BR>
reaction, they are likely to retire - permanently - quite possibly<BR>
with both sides wrecked.<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 09:37:11 -0600<BR>
From: Loren Wiseman <lkw@io.com><BR>
Subject: Traveller/GURPS Conversions<BR>
<BR>
Can anyone help this gentleman?<BR>
<BR>
>Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:27:31 +0100<BR>
>From: Mark Pastoor <pastoor@obiwan.pi.tu-berlin.de><BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>Dear Loren,<BR>
><BR>
>two days ago I bought GURPS Vehicles (2nd Edition). For my campagne I<BR>
>use a compilation of rules derived from TWILIGHT 2000 and Traveller<BR>
>(TNE) for handling combat (firearms and heavy weapons) and "Fire,<BR>
>Fusion, & Steel" for construction. I don't want to change my houserules<BR>
>but I want to use the GURPS construction rules. So (at last), here is my<BR>
>question:<BR>
><BR>
>How can I convert the GURPS-based combat ratings (espec. PD, DR) to<BR>
>Traveller (armor value AV, damage value DV, ...).<BR>
><BR>
>Thanks in advance,<BR>
><BR>
>Mark Pastoor                    pastoor@obiwan.pi.tu-berlin.de<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Loren Wiseman<BR>
     Traveller Line Manager<BR>
     Traveller Guru-in-Residence<BR>
     SJ Games<BR>
     LKW@IO.COM<BR>
     (512) 447-7866 VOX<BR>
     (512) 447-1144 FAX<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 11:45:20 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
At 03:31 PM 1/10/00 +0000, you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>Ultimately, when the corsair guesses wrong as to their victim's<BR>
>reaction, they are likely to retire - permanently - quite possibly<BR>
>with both sides wrecked.<BR>
>Phil Kitching<BR>
>--<BR>
<BR>
        Hi, Phil!<BR>
        I think you are right on the money.  Essentially, pirates picking on<BR>
non-civillians are in a heap of trouble...  And PC's are not considered<BR>
"civillian non-combatants"  =)<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<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>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 10:12:08 -0600<BR>
From: ehenry@newberlin.org (Eric Henry)<BR>
Subject: Patrick O'Brian<BR>
<BR>
I'd have copied in Bruce's message but it's still on the home computer.<BR>
<BR>
NPR did a story on O'Brian this past Friday, a story which i wish i hadn't<BR>
heard because the fellow sounded like a real bastard in his youth.<BR>
<BR>
His parents were German and English with the last name of Russ.  He was<BR>
married with a son and then a daughter with Spinal Bifida (sp?).  Shortly<BR>
thereafter he left his family and then changed his name to O'Brian.<BR>
<BR>
His work is popular but given his style of using early 19th century language<BR>
i found his work difficult to read, although the concert where Maturin and<BR>
Aubrey first meet is quite amusing.<BR>
<BR>
I still prefer C.S. Forester's Hornblower series.  Yes, it's technically<BR>
incorrect in places but the character is the prototypical captain.  And for<BR>
me, easier to read.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 16:14:48 +0000<BR>
From: Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk<BR>
Subject: Lanugage....<BR>
<BR>
>> As a white male living in Vancouver (with a significant Asian and East<BR>
>> Indian population), it is sometimes fun to answer their questions with<BR>
>> "Sorry, I don't speak English."  Only sometimes, however.  You gotta<BR>
pick<BR>
>> you moments :)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>I have often wondered what non-English speaking white people do in Japan.<BR>
<BR>
>I can pass for Japanese or half-Japanese (I am, after all, *part* Asian)<BR>
>with relative ease.  I have long, straight black hair, pale skin, and<BR>
>black eyes.  However, I lack an epicanthic fold because I am fully half<BR>
>Irish and those genes did not dominate.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Apropos of nothing in particularly but too much time on my hands while I<BR>
have a half hour break before a late night duty, this reminds me of an<BR>
incident in New Zealand when I was out walking with a German friend.<BR>
<BR>
Someone approached us and asked directions and my companion - who spoke<BR>
perfectly good English - decided, for fun, to answer in German and pretend<BR>
he couldn't speak English.  When they both turned to me to sort it out I<BR>
thought I might as well join the fun and knowing just enough German to<BR>
carry it off, pretended I spoke no English.<BR>
<BR>
It was my freund's bed, he could sleep in it!  (He eventually had to resort<BR>
to a feigned broken English to give the directions we'd been asked for, but<BR>
he cracked up all the way 'home'.)<BR>
<BR>
OB TRAV: The PCs encounter a pair of NPCs they need to talk to but don't<BR>
speak any common language.  They discover, after much fun and games, that<BR>
in fact they can communicate but some cultural/religious/other prevented<BR>
them from doing so for a period.  Imagine the look on the PCs face when the<BR>
'period' is up and the pair start talking directly to the PCs without the<BR>
interupter.<BR>
<BR>
tc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 16:26:08 -0000<BR>
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
Subject: RE: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
Kiri wrote:<BR>
> > I would think that by TL15 medical science would have<BR>
> > progressed to the point where the "pill" doesn't just stop<BR>
> > ovulation but the whole menstral cycle.<BR>
><BR>
> Healthy females leak for reasons other than menstruation, it's<BR>
> just not always as obvious.<BR>
<snip><BR>
> Also, many men seem to think that just eliminating the<BR>
> menstrual cycle would be OK, and I'm not sure it wouldn't<BR>
> cause other problems.  The tissue you eliminate once a month<BR>
> is eliminated because it's old and dead and won't be used.  I<BR>
> wouldn't want it to remain up there longer than necessary.<BR>
> Mood swings are caused as often by the "Pill" as they are <BR>
> eliminated.  I had terrible problems with the "Pill" and<BR>
> while I'll grant that it's been improved a lot by then, the<BR>
> ease with which you guys think that this problem could be<BR>
> done away with sometimes squicks me a little.<BR>
<BR>
I appologise if I have given any  offensive,  however  the  finer<BR>
details (actually any details at all!)  of  the  female  menstral<BR>
cycle were not considered an  educational  priority  by  my  high<BR>
school teachers  or  parents.  And  I  am  not  in  a  long  term<BR>
relationship with a woman at present.<BR>
<BR>
The suggestion of using the "pill" was more of a handwave  around<BR>
the medical side of things ... as I  had  already  suggested  the<BR>
TL15 equivalent of bromide for male IN crew how about this as  an<BR>
alternative to the pill for female IN crew: the surgical  removal<BR>
and storage of the reproductive organs, to  be  returned  (intact<BR>
and functioning) upon mustering out of service.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU a female PC (played by a female) who was  a  turret  gunner,<BR>
lost her  ability  to  have  children  after  sustaining  massive<BR>
internal injuries in combat (it was a bit of a fluke she survived<BR>
at all).  External cold-storage of reproductive organs  (male  as<BR>
well as female) could be seen as a safeguard against that sort of<BR>
thing.<BR>
<BR>
So, my image for IN personnel is of human beings transformed into<BR>
nude semi-hairless neuters with implanted velco strips  and  body<BR>
rings.  Hmmm ... modify the eyes for better seeing in poor  light<BR>
conditions and  partially  atrophy  the  muscles  from  prolonged<BR>
zero-G exposure ... starting to sound like  the  Greys  from  the<BR>
X-Files!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Regards PLST<BR>
(Guess its time for my medication.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 09:37:39 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: traveller poll!<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
><BR>
> Also note that Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts sort of "merge" into the<BR>
> Explorers, which is a sort of "generalized cadet" thing. Each Explorer<BR>
> post is associated with some sort of profession and they sort of work<BR>
> as cadets. There are Explorer posts associated with Police, Fire, and<BR>
> other jobs.<BR>
<BR>
Yeah <wistful sigh>, there was an Explorer Troop set up here  at Old<BR>
Tucson Studios (then more of a movie and TV location, now it's mostly<BR>
amusement park) that was a film stunt man group. Unfortunately, my<BR>
parents wouldn't sign the waiver :-(<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 08:41:05 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kiri Aradia Morgan <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: RE: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
On Mon, 10 Jan 2000, Trevor, Peter wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> The suggestion of using the "pill" was more of a handwave  around<BR>
> the medical side of things ... as I  had  already  suggested  the<BR>
> TL15 equivalent of bromide for male IN crew how about this as  an<BR>
> alternative to the pill for female IN crew: the surgical  removal<BR>
> and storage of the reproductive organs, to  be  returned  (intact<BR>
> and functioning) upon mustering out of service.<BR>
> <BR>
No, this is NOT preferable.  You need those organs for other reasons and<BR>
hormone replacement therapy does not fix all the problems their removal<BR>
would cause!<BR>
<BR>
How would you like to have your balls cut off and put in cold storage for<BR>
a couple of years?  Does that sound like fun?  A woman's ovaries don't<BR>
just produce eggs, they produce all her sexual hormones, just like you<BR>
still need your balls even after you have sired all the children you want.<BR>
<BR>
Sure, a woman can have sex with a man without all her hormones, if you use<BR>
enough lube, but it isn't going to be FUN for her.  And the pills don't<BR>
get it quite right for a lot of people who HAVE to have these organs<BR>
removed.  Furthermore, without getting really graphic, cervical<BR>
stimulation can really be an important part of the... um... sensation for<BR>
some women.  The radical feminists who say that 100% of female orgasmic<BR>
sensation is located in the clitoris don't live in MY body.  That little<BR>
bit is the keystone, but the rest of the arch is important too.<BR>
<BR>
Sheesh!  Why don't you guys just not worry about it?  Your female gunner<BR>
could have had regenerative therapy instead.  If you can regrow a flocking<BR>
liver, why not a flocking uterus?<BR>
<BR>
Kiri<BR>
<BR>
******************************************************************************<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan                                  93!  Thou Art God<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"If time passes, everything turns into beauty<BR>
If the rains stop, tears clean the scars of memory away<BR>
Everything starts wearing fresh colors<BR>
Every sound begins playing a heartfelt melody<BR>
Jealousy embellishes a page of the epic<BR>
Desire is embraced in a dream..."              -- X-JAPAN<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 16:42:31 -0000<BR>
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Lanugage....<BR>
<BR>
Timothy Collinson wrote:<BR>
> OB TRAV: The PCs encounter a pair of NPCs they need to talk to<BR>
> but don't speak any common language.<BR>
<snip><BR>
<BR>
Going OT again:  I once  worked  in  the  French/German  part  of<BR>
Switzerland for 6 weeks  (not  all  of  that  country  is  skiing<BR>
resorts, some is quite  dull  and  boring).  I  and  an  American<BR>
collegue went to an Italian restaurant for  lunch  and  the  only<BR>
language we had in common with the waitress was Spanish!<BR>
<BR>
Back ObTrav: There was an article (I think it was in Dragon/Aries<BR>
magazine) that explored the 'fun' of languages ... <BR>
<BR>
The PCs stop a passing Aslan in the street to ask for directions.<BR>
At first the creature looks puzzled, but as the PCs repeat  their<BR>
query more slowly the Aslan starts to snarl and demands thay take<BR>
back what they have just said about his mother!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Reagrds PLST<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 11:49:16 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: KFC<BR>
<BR>
Delos writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>(and I have no idea if this is reliable.)<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>They actually use genetically manipulated organisms. These so<BR>
>called "chickens" are kept alive by tubes inserted into their<BR>
>bodies to pump blood and nutrients throughout their structure.<BR>
>They have no beaks, no feathers, and no feet.  Their bone<BR>
>structure is dramatically shrunk to get more meat of them<BR>
<BR>
	This is beyond current technology. I assume that geneered<BR>
	organisms, such as steaks that grow on synthetic blood<BR>
	provided by machines, will be available at higher TLs, but<BR>
	we are nowhere near doing it yet.<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>Please forward this message to as many people as you can.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	Usually a good indicator of poppycock.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1719<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Monday, January 10 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1720<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: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
CT/MT Animals To G:T Animals<BR>
RE: boarding actions<BR>
RE: boarding actions<BR>
RE: nudity and clothes<BR>
re: The Traveller Bibliography from BITS<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: JFK<BR>
RE: Lanugage....<BR>
Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
Re: Language....<BR>
Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
Re: The Voice of Reason (Solomani Style) (long)<BR>
re:  Languages (was Re: JFK)<BR>
re: Lanugage....<BR>
Re: Language....<BR>
Templar report on the X-Files in plain English (was RE: nudity and clothes)<BR>
Scouts, Explorers, Ect. (Was:  Re: traveller poll!)<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 08:53:21 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kiri Aradia Morgan <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
On Mon, 10 Jan 2000, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
> <BR>
> > At 11:53 AM 1/9/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
> >>From: Douglas E. Berry <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
> ><BR>
> >>>Donna Barr (who draws the Desert Peach and has done Traveller illustrations<BR>
> >>in the past) tends to wear the uniform of a Wehrmacht Feldwebel to parties.<BR>
> >>She's dyed it pink.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >>Not pink, dear.  Pink is tacky.  It's peach.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > the one I saw at OryCon a decade or more ago was *pink*.  It helped that<BR>
> > she can lisp in German, and can do a firly butch look.<BR>
> <BR>
> Doug, have you ever *seen* what designers call "peach"?<BR>
> <BR>
Don't any of you guys actually READ her comics?  "Pink is tacky" etc. is a<BR>
Pfirsich line!<BR>
<BR>
Kiri<BR>
<BR>
******************************************************************************<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan                                  93!  Thou Art God<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"If time passes, everything turns into beauty<BR>
If the rains stop, tears clean the scars of memory away<BR>
Everything starts wearing fresh colors<BR>
Every sound begins playing a heartfelt melody<BR>
Jealousy embellishes a page of the epic<BR>
Desire is embraced in a dream..."              -- X-JAPAN<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 09:06:40 PST<BR>
From: "Gary Miles" <garyglennmiles@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: CT/MT Animals To G:T Animals<BR>
<BR>
Has anyone come up with a GOOD way to convert CT/MT animal statistics to <BR>
G:T? I have guestimated it the few times I've run G:T, but would prefer to <BR>
figure out an easier way.<BR>
<BR>
Gary<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 12:10:38 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>Essentially, pirates picking on non-civillians are in a heap of<BR>
>trouble...  And PC's are not considered "civillian non-combatants"<BR>
<BR>
	Like the pirate IMTU that attempted to board a type Y yacht<BR>
	which turned out to be packed with mercs.  So much for the<BR>
	"rich, helpless noble."<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:51:20 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
At 12:10 PM 1/10/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>Michel Vaillancourt writes:<BR>
><snipped><BR>
>>Essentially, pirates picking on non-civillians are in a heap of<BR>
>>trouble...  And PC's are not considered "civillian non-combatants"<BR>
><BR>
>	Like the pirate IMTU that attempted to board a type Y yacht<BR>
>	which turned out to be packed with mercs.  So much for the<BR>
>	"rich, helpless noble."<BR>
><BR>
>Peez<BR>
><BR>
        In my first TU, I had a similar situation....  The players bought a<BR>
3rd hand Type-A and stuffed it full of commodities and took off for a planet<BR>
they *knew* to be loaded with pirates.  I was thinking "WTF?  Oh, well...<BR>
we can re-roll characters quick enough..."<BR>
<BR>
        They insisted, however, on buying an empty cargo container.  I said<BR>
"sure, what the heck"...  you can see where this is going, right?  At the<BR>
time, I couldn't.<BR>
<BR>
        Sure enough, they got flagged down by pirates who told them to drop<BR>
thier cargo and no one would get hurt.  The pilot stayed on board, everyone<BR>
else loaded up with every thing they had and got into the cargo container<BR>
(which they had been welding hooks and straps into all week in jump).  Pilot<BR>
dumps the cargo bay and "runs away".  Pirate stops, and sends a few guys to<BR>
EVA the containers into the hold.<BR>
<BR>
        The PC's went *ape* on them...  surprise, coupled with phenomenal<BR>
luck (die rolls that would not quit) resulted in a 30 minute fire-fight<BR>
culminating with a cutlass fight on the Corsair's bridge.  The PCs, all<BR>
wounded in some fashion, won.<BR>
<BR>
        They sold both ships at the destination world, plus thier cargo and<BR>
some cargo that was on the Corsair, plus collected some bounties on the<BR>
pirate captain and his lieutenants.  They used that money to comission the<BR>
design of the ship they wanted.<BR>
<BR>
        Damn clever, I thought.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<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>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 18:08:19 -0000<BR>
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
Subject: RE: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
Kiri wrote:<BR>
> How would you like to have your balls cut off and put in cold <BR>
> storage for a couple of years?<BR>
<BR>
Reread paragraph 3 of  my  preveous  post,  you'll  see  I  *did*<BR>
include male IN crew too.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Does that sound like fun?<BR>
<BR>
Of course not.  I'm not being totally serious here.  This is just<BR>
dark whimsey.  I wont really have nude or semi-nude  neutered  IN<BR>
crew IMTU, just as others on this list  wont  really  have  BBQ'd<BR>
K'kree on the menu or Poodle Vargr in their TUs (I hope).<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Sure, a woman can have sex with a man without all her hormones,<BR>
<BR>
The bromide reference was ment to say "no sex" during service.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Furthermore, without getting really graphic, cervical<BR>
> stimulation can really be an important part of the... um... <BR>
> sensation for some women.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, I *was* aware of this.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Your female gunner could have had regenerative therapy instead.<BR>
<BR>
Good point.  I screwed up.  Neither she nor I thought of that  at<BR>
the time.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Regards PLST<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 18:48:51 +0000<BR>
From: Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk<BR>
Subject: re: The Traveller Bibliography from BITS<BR>
<BR>
"Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>I have spent entirely too much of my Saturday with my nose in this new<BR>
book.<BR>
>That is because Tim Collinson has obviously spent way too many Saturdays<BR>
>working on this bibliography.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
that's true.  :-)<BR>
<BR>
>  But the end result is a great reference book<BR>
<BR>
<blush>  Thank you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>on the game.  I won't jump up and down and yell that it is something that<BR>
>everyone must get,<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
OK, I will... <jump, jump><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>Index by Author - Index by Date - Index by Era & Type - Index by Publisher<BR>
- -<BR>
>Index by Title<BR>
<BR>
>I've had so much fun thinking about it myself that I'll leave you to<BR>
imagine<BR>
>for yourself what uses those little babies can be put to. :-)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
It wasn't until I actually I produced these indexes the first time that I<BR>
discovered the fact that not a year has passed since 1977 that something<BR>
hasn't been published for Traveller.  That must be some kind of record for<BR>
an RPG.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Perhaps now would be a good time (in light of Colin's other thread) to<BR>
mention that I've been working on a Traveller thesaurus.  It's very<BR>
unfinished as yet, but might be handy one day for metatags.  The original<BR>
idea was to be able to keyword all the Traveller periodical articles<BR>
accurately but I got somewhat bogged down in real life.<BR>
<BR>
Just out of curiosity - if I *were* to dig this out once more, is there<BR>
anyone potty enough to think this might be of interest?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
tc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 06:44:38 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
>>Ultimately, when the corsair guesses wrong as to their victim's<BR>
>>reaction, they are likely to retire - permanently - quite possibly<BR>
>>with both sides wrecked.<BR>
>>Phil Kitching<BR>
>>--<BR>
><BR>
>        Hi, Phil!<BR>
>        I think you are right on the money.  Essentially, pirates picking<BR>
on<BR>
>non-civillians are in a heap of trouble...  And PC's are not considered<BR>
>"civillian non-combatants"  =)<BR>
><BR>
>        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
    I assume the "Corsair" ship was originally designed for the opposite<BR>
purpose, piracy suppression. Having a special design ship for privateering<BR>
seems to negate the idea a little.<BR>
    "Whats on the screen?"<BR>
    "A 400 ton Corsair, its closing."<BR>
    "Let come in a little bit, maybe they're friendly."<BR>
    Doesn't really work. I was thinking that it might be illegal to by<BR>
armoured ships under imperial law, the corsair class is essentially<BR>
unarmoured. It would be the ship of choice for private security firms<BR>
though. Most Pirates would have upgunned frieghter's wouldn't they? Fat<BR>
merchants with pop-turrets?<BR>
<BR>
    Q-Ships suffer from being transparent to density scans, at TL 12 a<BR>
density scan will go in a metre but after that they know whats inside the<BR>
ship. Is there a way of shielding ships from this? I suppose thats even more<BR>
suspicious. I suppose that rules out pop-turrets too.<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 16:07:04 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
At 06:44 AM 1/11/00 +1100, you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>    I assume the "Corsair" ship was originally designed for the opposite<BR>
>purpose, piracy suppression.<BR>
<BR>
        Oh?  Why?<BR>
<BR>
> Having a special design ship for privateering<BR>
>seems to negate the idea a little.<BR>
>    "Whats on the screen?"<BR>
>    "A 400 ton Corsair, its closing."<BR>
>    "Let come in a little bit, maybe they're friendly."<BR>
>    Doesn't really work.<BR>
<BR>
        Right.  In the "Citizens of the Imperium" they define the Corsair as<BR>
a 400 ton ship with a unique ability...  "chamelion" systems.  In short, the<BR>
Corsair can alter its external hull configuration enough to resemble another<BR>
400 ton ship and alter its transponder/ ELINT signature to be *anything*.<BR>
It would be more like:<BR>
<BR>
        "What's on the screen?"<BR>
        "A 400 ton liner, Tukera, _Gypsy Wind_, call-sign 21-hotel-oscar"<BR>
        "I've heard of her...  casino and show girls, all the high-passage<BR>
luxuries...  Nothing to worry about, hold your course."<BR>
<BR>
> I was thinking that it might be illegal to by<BR>
>armoured ships under imperial law, the corsair class is essentially<BR>
>unarmoured. It would be the ship of choice for private security firms<BR>
>though. Most Pirates would have upgunned frieghter's wouldn't they? Fat<BR>
>merchants with pop-turrets?<BR>
<BR>
        If you go by the original CT encounter tables, yes.  One thing that<BR>
works well under CT is putting a fighter in your cargo bay...  instant extra<BR>
turret.  And, as I say, any pirate worth his or her parrotoid is going to be<BR>
running SELECT-3 so they can target your engineering space....<BR>
<BR>
>    Q-Ships suffer from being transparent to density scans, at TL 12 a<BR>
>density scan will go in a metre but after that they know whats inside the<BR>
>ship. Is there a way of shielding ships from this? I suppose thats even more<BR>
>suspicious. I suppose that rules out pop-turrets too.<BR>
>    Jim.<BR>
><BR>
        Densiometers don't strike me as being meaningful kit on a Type-A or<BR>
even a sub-merchant....  electronics are expesnive and that hurts the bottom<BR>
line.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<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>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 07:30:00 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
>        If you go by the original CT encounter tables, yes.  One thing that<BR>
>works well under CT is putting a fighter in your cargo bay...  instant<BR>
extra<BR>
>turret.  And, as I say, any pirate worth his or her parrotoid is going to<BR>
be<BR>
>running SELECT-3 so they can target your engineering space....<BR>
><BR>
>>    Q-Ships suffer from being transparent to density scans, at TL 12 a<BR>
>>density scan will go in a metre but after that they know whats inside the<BR>
>>ship. Is there a way of shielding ships from this? I suppose thats even<BR>
more<BR>
>>suspicious. I suppose that rules out pop-turrets too.<BR>
>>    Jim.<BR>
>><BR>
>        Densiometers don't strike me as being meaningful kit on a Type-A or<BR>
>even a sub-merchant....  electronics are expesnive and that hurts the<BR>
bottom<BR>
>line.<BR>
><BR>
>        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
    I visited a merchant ship in Sydney harbour last year and on the bridge<BR>
was three outdated Nav systems, the guys there refered to them as the<BR>
"coffee-tables." In RL cargo ships seem pretty keen to have up to date<BR>
sensors but maybe the anology doesn't carry into Trav.<BR>
<BR>
    Random thought, there's some funky planets in the marches with TL's<BR>
around "D" and Hi pop/0 Law. It may be dangerous in system around these<BR>
planets due to swarms of non-starships that congregate around other<BR>
planetary bodies in a similiar fashion to the RL pirates north of Australia<BR>
that swarm about Malaysia and Indonesia. Here would be actual pirate bases<BR>
and the government doesn't seem overly concerned about their activities. I<BR>
wonder what a non-starship pirate group would be composed of? With high G<BR>
ratings you would have little chance of evading them.<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 12:36:54 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: JFK<BR>
<BR>
>From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
>Subject: Re: JFK<BR>
>I had written:<BR>
>> ("Varg", it turns out, is Swedish for wolf.)<BR>
>And "vargr" is Old Norse for wolf. Alas, a "minor" detail<BR>
>escaped the folks at GDW who chose the name. The terminating <BR>
>"r" is *silent*. <BR>
<BR>
Actually, I've always assumed that "vargr" is the Vargr word for<BR>
their own race in Gvegh and/or other languages, and it was<BR>
transliterated into Galanglic as "Vargr" because that happened<BR>
to be close to the Swedish "varg".  The terminal "r" is<BR>
pronounced in Gvegh, which loves consonant blends with "r", even<BR>
at the end of a word (maybe with a glottal stop: var-gr'!).  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 12:33:16<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Lanugage....<BR>
<BR>
At 04:42 PM 1/10/2000 -0000, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>The PCs stop a passing Aslan in the street to ask for directions.<BR>
>At first the creature looks puzzled, but as the PCs repeat  their<BR>
>query more slowly the Aslan starts to snarl and demands thay take<BR>
>back what they have just said about his mother!<BR>
<BR>
And, of course, the classic tale of how the Yucatan Pennisula got its name.<BR>
<BR>
The explorers landed, looked around, and asked a native "what do you call<BR>
this land?"  "Yucatan" (I don't understand what you are saying.)<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 12:38:20<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
At 02:50 AM 1/10/2000 PST, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>BTW, You were at Orycon? Sheesh! You should have said something on the<BR>
>list! <BR>
<BR>
In 1987.  Was there even a list at that point?<BR>
<BR>
You should talk.. couldn't even drive down to Corvalis to join Mark, Jesse<BR>
and myself in a little pointless mayhem.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 12:30:20<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Language....<BR>
<BR>
At 11:57 PM 1/9/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>I have often wondered what non-English speaking white people do in Japan.<BR>
<BR>
Many of the foriegn tourists we carry make the assumption that nobody in<BR>
the US speaks anything but English.<BR>
<BR>
One of our drivers picked up a bad-tempered German couple.  He listened, in<BR>
German, as they slagged the city, the company, and him personally.<BR>
<BR>
Finally, the woman began making remarks about his alleged lack of<BR>
sexuality.  At the next stoplight, Bill turned around and said (roughly)<BR>
"Wenn du mgen zu wissen, kann voran dein Flug treffen."<BR>
<BR>
Not a sound for the rest of the drive. <BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 12:39:21<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
At 08:53 AM 1/10/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Don't any of you guys actually READ her comics?  "Pink is tacky" etc. is a<BR>
>Pfirsich line!<BR>
<BR>
Of course I read them.  And I'm writing Ground Forces.<BR>
<BR>
hehehehehe....<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 12:41:58<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: The Voice of Reason (Solomani Style) (long)<BR>
<BR>
At 02:25 PM 1/10/2000 +1300, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Speaking of which - does anyone have a copy of those pogos, and if so <BR>
>could they post me a copy? My achives of that happy (?) period in the <BR>
>TML's history have long since bit the dust.<BR>
<BR>
It's on The Silly Era, which is a lot like the Missouri Archive only useless.<BR>
<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/pogostik.html<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 12:47:48 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: re:  Languages (was Re: JFK)<BR>
<BR>
>From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
>Subject: Languages (was Re: JFK)<BR>
>(I repeated my question in English and we both had a good laugh<BR>
<BR>
>over it, both of us being "Anglo" in Montreal...)<BR>
<BR>
Sometimes I wonder whether the Quebecois actually speak French. <BR>
The few that I've met understand my French perfectly, but I find<BR>
it very difficult to understand them.  One Anglo friend from<BR>
Canada had learned metropolitan French in high school, not<BR>
Quebecois.  Now she's teaching physics at Universite de<BR>
Montreal, in French.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 12:58:51 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: re: Lanugage....<BR>
<BR>
>From: Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk<BR>
>Subject: Lanugage....<BR>
<BR>
>Apropos of nothing in particularly but too much time on my <BR>
>hands [deletion]<BR>
<BR>
I've been enjoying these stories, which seem not too far off<BR>
topic.  Here's another.  <BR>
<BR>
On of my Finnish cousins was on a Spanish island in the<BR>
Meditarranean where a lot of Finns go for winter vacation.  A<BR>
couple approached her and said something in Spanish, which she<BR>
does not speak.  They asked in broken English if she spoke<BR>
English, and she said yes (her English is excellent).  The<BR>
couple tried a few times to ask her a question, but their<BR>
vocabulary and language skills were insufficient for her to<BR>
figure out what they wanted to know.  Finally, one of them<BR>
turned to the other and said, in Finnish, "this isn't working;<BR>
let's try someone else," at which point my cousin interrupted in<BR>
Finnish and they all had a good laugh.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:13:05 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kiri Aradia Morgan <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Language....<BR>
<BR>
On Mon, 10 Jan 2000, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> At 11:57 PM 1/9/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >I have often wondered what non-English speaking white people do in Japan.<BR>
> <BR>
> Many of the foriegn tourists we carry make the assumption that nobody in<BR>
> the US speaks anything but English.<BR>
> <BR>
> One of our drivers picked up a bad-tempered German couple.  He listened, in<BR>
> German, as they slagged the city, the company, and him personally.<BR>
> <BR>
> Finally, the woman began making remarks about his alleged lack of<BR>
> sexuality.  At the next stoplight, Bill turned around and said (roughly)<BR>
> "Wenn du mgen zu wissen, kann voran dein Flug treffen."<BR>
> <BR>
What's that mean?  I *don't* speak German.<BR>
<BR>
> Not a sound for the rest of the drive. <BR>
> <BR>
I bet!<BR>
<BR>
My ex-boyfriend Ikuo and I were on a date and we were sitting on the bus<BR>
going from my neighborhood to Pacific Heights.  The bus goes through<BR>
Japantown.  Two Japanese girls boarded the bus, sat down behind us, and<BR>
started speaking animatedly in Japanese, discussing how awful and rude<BR>
Americans were and how inconsiderate it was that they would litter (like<BR>
they don't in Japan, LOL, the streets of Tokyo are full of trash!), etc.<BR>
and specifically complaining about the bus window, which was open.<BR>
<BR>
Finally Ikuo turned around and asked them if they'd like him to shut the<BR>
window.<BR>
<BR>
As he shut the window, they were deathly quiet and he demanded to know<BR>
what was wrong.<BR>
<BR>
I turned around and said (in Japanese) "You're embarrassing them,<BR>
Ikkyu-chan, they didn't know your GF is American..."  When they saw the<BR>
half-white face and foldless eyelids under the black hair and heard my<BR>
dead-on Edokko accent, their humiliation was at once complete.<BR>
<BR>
Poor kids.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
<BR>
******************************************************************************<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan                                  93!  Thou Art God<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"If time passes, everything turns into beauty<BR>
If the rains stop, tears clean the scars of memory away<BR>
Everything starts wearing fresh colors<BR>
Every sound begins playing a heartfelt melody<BR>
Jealousy embellishes a page of the epic<BR>
Desire is embraced in a dream..."              -- X-JAPAN<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:28:51 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Templar report on the X-Files in plain English (was RE: nudity and clothes)<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
>Subject: RE: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
>So, my image for IN personnel is of human beings transformed <BR>
>into nude semi-hairless neuters with implanted velco strips  <BR>
>and  body rings.  Hmmm ... modify the eyes for better seeing in<BR>
<BR>
>poor light conditions and partially atrophy the muscles from <BR>
>prolonged zero-G exposure ... starting to sound like the  <BR>
>Greys from the X-Files!<BR>
<BR>
The greys aren't from the X-Files; they're a minor race from<BR>
Zeta Reticulae.  They do look the way they do because of the<BR>
factors you identified.<BR>
<BR>
They are mentioned in the X-Files, which is part of a Hiver<BR>
manipulation to get us mentally ready to defeat the crumbling<BR>
Ziru Sirka in the near future.  <BR>
<BR>
The "rebels" in the X-Files are actually Vilani special forces,<BR>
who have undergone surgery to protect them from the greys'<BR>
secret biochem weapon, the black oil.  They are trying to defeat<BR>
the greys' plan to modify Terran humans so that we will be<BR>
immune to the black oil.  The black oil will be the Plague of<BR>
Duskir, but the Solomani will be immune to it.  It's not just<BR>
the common cold, like in War of the Worlds or Vilani & Vargr. <BR>
The greys need the Terrans because there are more of us, and<BR>
we're more aggressive than the greys, and because they think<BR>
that only humans can defeat the humans who have ruled known<BR>
space for some 10,000 years.<BR>
<BR>
The local Ziru Sirka authorities just don't have the resources<BR>
to stop the greys militarily, so they have to rely on the<BR>
special ops guys.  <BR>
<BR>
The greys are also part of the Hiver conspiracy; the Hivers are<BR>
the ones who helped them develop the black oil and reproduce the<BR>
jump drive.  The Hivers made sure that the greys learned of the<BR>
non-Vilani humans on earth, and made sure that grey ships crash<BR>
landed on earth until one was captured fairly intact (compare<BR>
the Tunguska episode (botched job) with Roswell (successful<BR>
job)).  <BR>
<BR>
I hope the foregoing makes it all clear, and if you're not<BR>
authorized to know about it, please kill yourself according to<BR>
the Templar, Illuminati, or other protocols as appropriate.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:36:44 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Scouts, Explorers, Ect. (Was:  Re: traveller poll!)<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson <shadow@krypton.rain.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
><BR>
> > Kind of reminds me of an early sky phy story about an Eagle<BR>
> > Scout who went to Mars (or was it Venus) to get certain<BR>
> > badges that were simply unattainable on Terra and would<BR>
> > qualify him to be a Martian (or Venusian) Eagle.  On the way<BR>
> > there, he stopped on Luna to pick up the badges needed to<BR>
> > be a Lunar Eagle.  The story might have been by R.A.H.<BR>
><BR>
> There's an RAH story *similar* to that. The scout is an Eagle (on<BR>
> Earth), and his family is emigrating to (Mars or Venus, I forget<BR>
> which). Due to the schedules, they'll be on the Moon for a month or<BR>
> more (I forget the exact amount). So he plans to try to get the badges<BR>
> he would need to qualify as an Eagle Scout by *Lunar* Council rules,<BR>
> and again on whereever they are emigrating to. The story is set on the<BR>
> Moon, and a number of the Lunar Scouts aren't too thrilled with the<BR>
> idea of this greenhorn thinking he can get the (two?) badges he needs<BR>
> in only a few weeks. But the Scoutmaster points out that the guy has<BR>
> every right to *try*, and they should do their best to help, but make<BR>
> sure he *does* earn the badges fairly.<BR>
><BR>
> The fun part comes when there's an accident on a hike...<BR>
><BR>
> I *Think* the title is "The <something> Pits of Luna".<BR>
<BR>
Yep, I think that's it.<BR>
<BR>
> > IMTU, there are a variety of such paramilitary organizations<BR>
> > for youths including the BSA and the Girl Guides.  BTW, if<BR>
> > there is anyone that knows about real Girl Guides, I would<BR>
> > like to hear about them.<BR>
><BR>
> Much to my surprise, I found out that a couple of Religious groups have<BR>
> *their own* versions of Scouting, because they find something about the<BR>
> BSA objectionable. Do a search on "Royal Rangers" (it's a *US* group!).<BR>
<BR>
I know some Royal Rangers.  They are indeed very much like the BSA, but with<BR>
a greater emphasis on scriptures and Godly conduct.  The way I understand<BR>
it, it has less to do with objections to the BSA and more to do with a<BR>
desire for greater control.<BR>
<BR>
> Also note that Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts sort of "merge" into the<BR>
> Explorers, which is a sort of "generalized cadet" thing. Each Explorer<BR>
> post is associated with some sort of profession and they sort of work<BR>
> as cadets. There are Explorer posts associated with Police, Fire, and<BR>
> other jobs.<BR>
><BR>
> So "scouting" and "explorers" could be part of the "pre-18" path for<BR>
> some careers and give if not actual skills, bonuses on rolling for some<BR>
> skills.<BR>
<BR>
Hmm, now that's something I hadn't thought of.  It might be a<BR>
good hook for a variety of adventures.  Imagine what might<BR>
happen to a [insert service name here] captain who was<BR>
approached by a [insert paramilitary organization name here]<BR>
leader with a request to take his kaydets on a trip to [insert<BR>
name of exotic place here].<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
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Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1720<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1721</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest      Monday, January 10 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1721<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: Traveller/GURPS Conversions<BR>
Re Vargr Dangly Bits<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: Language....<BR>
RE: boarding actions<BR>
Re Converting GT to TNE<BR>
Re: Language....<BR>
Re: traveller poll!<BR>
Economics of cargo charges<BR>
Re: JFK<BR>
Densitometer Scans (was: Re: Marine Boarding Actions)<BR>
Re: CT/MT Animals To G:T Animals <BR>
re: Space Dogs is an eye-opener<BR>
Re: Fashions<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
This nudity discussion<BR>
Re: The Voice of Reason (Solomani Style) (long)<BR>
Re: Lanugage....<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1709<BR>
Re: Fashions<BR>
Testosterone poinsoning (was Re: nudity and clothes)<BR>
Re: Presidential Jelly Donuts<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:36:56 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller/GURPS Conversions<BR>
<BR>
If anyone plans to answer this off list please CC me.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks,<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Loren Wiseman <lkw@io.com><BR>
To: <traveller@mpgn.com><BR>
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2000 7:37 AM<BR>
Subject: Traveller/GURPS Conversions<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Can anyone help this gentleman?<BR>
><BR>
> >Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:27:31 +0100<BR>
> >From: Mark Pastoor <pastoor@obiwan.pi.tu-berlin.de><BR>
><BR>
> ><BR>
> >Dear Loren,<BR>
> ><BR>
> >two days ago I bought GURPS Vehicles (2nd Edition). For my campagne I<BR>
> >use a compilation of rules derived from TWILIGHT 2000 and Traveller<BR>
> >(TNE) for handling combat (firearms and heavy weapons) and "Fire,<BR>
> >Fusion, & Steel" for construction. I don't want to change my houserules<BR>
> >but I want to use the GURPS construction rules. So (at last), here is my<BR>
> >question:<BR>
> ><BR>
> >How can I convert the GURPS-based combat ratings (espec. PD, DR) to<BR>
> >Traveller (armor value AV, damage value DV, ...).<BR>
> ><BR>
> >Thanks in advance,<BR>
> ><BR>
> >Mark Pastoor                    pastoor@obiwan.pi.tu-berlin.de<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> Loren Wiseman<BR>
>      Traveller Line Manager<BR>
>      Traveller Guru-in-Residence<BR>
>      SJ Games<BR>
>      LKW@IO.COM<BR>
>      (512) 447-7866 VOX<BR>
>      (512) 447-1144 FAX<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 12:42:03 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Vargr Dangly Bits<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
>Subject: Re: Vargr fashions<BR>
><BR>
>Many of you have written about "dangly parts" in this thread.<BR>
>I have been around dogs my whole life and I can tell you for<BR>
>a fact that when they walk upright (on two legs), they don't<BR>
>have "dangly" parts.<BR>
<BR>
Jason, don't forget that Vargr ARE NOT DOGS any more than HUMANS are<BR>
chimps. Closely related, yes, but not the same. And, from the illos in AM3,<BR>
if they have the attached sheath like dogs, it is much shorter. On most<BR>
dogs I've known, it extends some 1/2 to 2/3 of the abdomen; the side view<BR>
presented shows no signs of it. Also lacking is the Penile bone. Also, the<BR>
illos show a fairly tight crotch on the cover illos; both vargr there are<BR>
wearing trousers.<BR>
<BR>
So either the sheath has been shrunken (alogn with the penis), or the<BR>
genetalia were modified like the hands were: to be more human.<BR>
Every canonical illo of a vargr I've seen wears trousers.<BR>
YMMV<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 21:28:49 GMT<BR>
From: Postmark Design Bureau <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
Jim & Peta Lawrie wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>     I assume the "Corsair" ship was originally designed for the opposite<BR>
> purpose, piracy suppression. Having a special design ship for privateering<BR>
> seems to negate the idea a little.<BR>
<BR>
There are many possibilities - a fast fat trader, a salvage ship to recover<BR>
free traders, a supply ship designed to ferry around small SDBs, fighters<BR>
and shuttles, a Vargr counter design to the type A, even a design built by<BR>
a megacorp for a trade war against a free trader cooperative. <BR>
<BR>
>     "Whats on the screen?"<BR>
>     "A 400 ton Corsair, its closing."<BR>
>     "Let come in a little bit, maybe they're friendly."<BR>
>     Doesn't really work.<BR>
<BR>
The corsair might be claiming to be the local customs ship. It might<BR>
even *be* the local customs ship!<BR>
<BR>
Also, if the merchant is loaded and the corsair is transporting vacuum,<BR>
the corsair will have a speed advantage, even though both are nominally 1G.<BR>
<BR>
Ha! I finally found the CT corsair "design" It's a hijacked X-boat tender<BR>
(1,000dT, 600dT bay for ships).<BR>
<BR>
The merchants might think it is coming to *their* aid or it might be<BR>
requesting that the merchants take a cargo down to the planet.<BR>
<BR>
> I was thinking that it might be illegal to by<BR>
> armoured ships under imperial law, the corsair class is essentially<BR>
> unarmoured. It would be the ship of choice for private security firms<BR>
> though. Most Pirates would have upgunned frieghter's wouldn't they? Fat<BR>
> merchants with pop-turrets?<BR>
<BR>
I'd think that private security firms are probably looking more to<BR>
Broadswords and Gazelles.<BR>
However, an X-boat tender with 8 x 50dT heavy fighters should surprise<BR>
a few people.<BR>
<BR>
>     Q-Ships suffer from being transparent to density scans, at TL 12 a<BR>
> density scan will go in a metre but after that they know whats inside the<BR>
> ship. Is there a way of shielding ships from this? I suppose thats even<BR>
> more suspicious. I suppose that rules out pop-turrets too.<BR>
<BR>
Densitometers aren't that common apart from survey ships - though there's<BR>
probably one in the sensor suite of a type S.<BR>
<BR>
Careful design should make it possible to confuse a low tech densitometer<BR>
until it's too late to make any difference. Especially since it isn't<BR>
likely to have an expert operator.<BR>
<BR>
Since a densitometer is designed to work from orbit, I'd assume a max of<BR>
30,000km. To detect a pop turret, probably nearer a few tens of km.<BR>
Much closer than this and you risk your target spotting your turret<BR>
popping and firing first anyway.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Phil Kitching, http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo<BR>
Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Products Division<BR>
"Microwaving halfbaked ideas from across the galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:53:24<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Language....<BR>
<BR>
At 01:13 PM 1/10/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>On Mon, 10 Jan 2000, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>> "Wenn du mgen zu wissen, kann voran dein Flug treffen."<BR>
>> <BR>
>What's that mean?  I *don't* speak German.<BR>
<BR>
"I'd show you, if you didn't have flight." more or less.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 17:04:40 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt  writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>The players bought a 3rd hand Type-A and stuffed it full of<BR>
>commodities and took off for a planet they *knew* to be loaded<BR>
>with pirates.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>Damn clever, I thought.<BR>
<BR>
	It's always nice to have players that surprise you like that.<BR>
	It's been a while...<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:04:33 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Converting GT to TNE<BR>
<BR>
Loren Wiseman asked for advice on converting GURPS stats to TNE stats.<BR>
<BR>
For weapons at least, the easy way is to use the 3G3 conversions... you<BR>
look up the weapon's 3G3 DV, based upon the GURPS damage, then look up the<BR>
TNE damage from there. THe otther weapons stats are a little harder, but<BR>
can be converted using 3G3.<BR>
<BR>
as for the rest of the vehicles, no clue.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 15:06:52 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Language....<BR>
<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> On Mon, 10 Jan 2000, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> > At 11:57 PM 1/9/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
> ><BR>
> > >I have often wondered what non-English speaking white people do in Japan.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Many of the foriegn tourists we carry make the assumption that nobody in<BR>
> > the US speaks anything but English.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > One of our drivers picked up a bad-tempered German couple.  He listened, in<BR>
> > German, as they slagged the city, the company, and him personally.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Finally, the woman began making remarks about his alleged lack of<BR>
> > sexuality.  At the next stoplight, Bill turned around and said (roughly)<BR>
> > "Wenn du mgen zu wissen, kann voran dein Flug treffen."<BR>
> ><BR>
> What's that mean?  I *don't* speak German.<BR>
<BR>
Well, according to babelfish it means:<BR>
<BR>
"If you may know, can in front your flight meet." <BR>
<BR>
So apparently _babelfish_ can't speak german, either, as I really don't<BR>
think that's what Bill said... ;-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 16:40:18 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: traveller poll!<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snips synopsis of RAH Lunar Boy Scouting story>><BR>
> <BR>
> I *Think* the title is "The <something> Pits of Luna".<BR>
<BR>
The title is "Nothing Ever Happens on the Moon."  It was originally<BR>
published by the Boy Scouts, and can be found in Heinlein's _Expanded<BR>
Universe_.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 14:38:58 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Economics of cargo charges<BR>
<BR>
Can anyone help me out here? I was pondering the economics of merchants this<BR>
morning, and I used a HG spreadsheet to create maximal (i.e. maximum cargo<BR>
space) bulk cargo ships at TL 11, 12, and 13, to compare the cost per ton of<BR>
cargo carried to 200, 400, and 800 ton merchants. Clearly, the cost is much<BR>
higher for higher jump capable ships, but I recall that cargo fees are the<BR>
same, whether the destination is 1, 2, or 3 hexes away. I doubt that you<BR>
could get funding for a business plan based on equal charges for all<BR>
destinations. What factor am I overlooking? Are the cargo fees fixed by the<BR>
Imperial government, or are they based on market forces?<BR>
<BR>
The system as it stands is highly biased to favor ships being used only for<BR>
their maximum jump, which may be the point.<BR>
<BR>
Let me know if you would like a spreadsheet of the results.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:44:48 +0000<BR>
From: Martin Hardgrave <martin@deira.demon.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: JFK<BR>
<BR>
In message <45.4525ae25.25aa02ec@aol.com>, GDWGAMES@aol.com writes<BR>
>When I was in Sweden a few years ago, I bought a phrase <BR>
>book and attempted a few simple sentences. Everyone I talked to at any length <BR>
>insisted we speak English. One of them told me that it was nice of me to make <BR>
>the effort, but my accent was horrible, and I could barely be understood.<BR>
<BR>
What do expect with a language where "den hellige anden" means either<BR>
"the holy spirit" or "the holy duck" depending on pronunciation.<BR>
<BR>
I had a Finnish colleague who complained that he couldn't understand my<BR>
Danish, much to the amusement of my Danish colleagues who found *his*<BR>
Danish accent impenetrable.<BR>
- -- <BR>
Martin Hardgrave<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 17:00:16 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Densitometer Scans (was: Re: Marine Boarding Actions)<BR>
<BR>
Jim & Peta Lawrie wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> <BR>
>     Q-Ships suffer from being transparent to density scans, at TL 12 a<BR>
> density scan will go in a metre but after that they know whats inside the<BR>
> ship. Is there a way of shielding ships from this? I suppose thats even more<BR>
> suspicious. I suppose that rules out pop-turrets too.<BR>
<BR>
Lookng at the Akins spreadsheet, densitometers are impractical for small<BR>
ships in combat.  A 500 km range densitometer requires 100 m^3 of volume<BR>
and 50 m^2 of surface area, and masses 2000 metric tons.  If my Q-ship<BR>
gets that close, your pirate is in deep serious.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 14:58:53 -0800<BR>
From: "David P. Summers" <summers@alum.mit.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: CT/MT Animals To G:T Animals <BR>
<BR>
>Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 09:06:40 PST<BR>
>From: "Gary Miles" <garyglennmiles@hotmail.com><BR>
><BR>
<BR>
>Has anyone come up with a GOOD way to convert CT/MT animal statistics to<BR>
>G:T? I have guestimated it the few times I've run G:T, but would prefer to<BR>
>figure out an easier way.<BR>
<BR>
I wasn't able to.  The best I was able to do was....<BR>
- ------------<BR>
Animals<BR>
<BR>
      There are no hard and fast rules for converting animals.  If you<BR>
have a good idea what it's like, then the best thing is just to modify<BR>
the most similar animal you can find in GURPS to suit the description.<BR>
For example  a 100 Kg pouncer carnivore might be similar to a 200 Lb Cat<BR>
(for example, a Jaguar).<BR>
      One can come up with rough guidelines as to what a Traveller animal<BR>
should look like in GURPS.  PD/DR would be similar to that of the armor<BR>
listed under the "armor" column (Jack = PD1/DR1, Mesh = PD2/ DR3, Cloth =<BR>
PD3/DR6).  Damage is similar to 1d-4+(wounds/2) (where every +4 is<BR>
replaced by a second dice, ie 1d+5 = 2d+1).  For hit points, take the<BR>
number of hits it takes to render an animal unconscious and dead, then<BR>
add them together (which we will call "total hits", TH).  TH/2 to TH<BR>
seems to be the range, with numbers generally closer to TH (particularly<BR>
for larger animals).<BR>
______________________________<BR>
summers@alum.mit.edu<BR>
(This is the net.  My e-mail address may be in Boston, but I'm in California.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:19:52 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: re: Space Dogs is an eye-opener<BR>
<BR>
At 19:38 -0500 8/1/00, Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net> wrote:<BR>
>I just received my copy of the new BITS adventure "Space Dogs" from<BR>
>Warehouse 23 ( www.warehouse23.com ) and have been enjoying the read.  One<BR>
>thing that really struck me is the condescension with which Vargr people are<BR>
>treated by humans.  Inhumane treatment is in fact the push in this<BR>
>adventure, with a special sidebar detailing the racial stereotyping suffered<BR>
>by the dogs.  Of course, since the players will be the butt of the joke, it<BR>
>may not seem too funny.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks for the review - I take it you'd like a release of SpaceDogs <BR>
II then? Set ten years on....<BR>
<BR>
US players may see SpaceDogs II at cons where SJG are if I remember <BR>
correctly: Andy said he'd sent this years' cons adventures over for <BR>
use at tournaments.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:23:29 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions<BR>
<BR>
At 19:38 -0500 8/1/00, Black ICE <wombat@premier.net> wrote:<BR>
>1.  Jump wings, or at least their underlying technology, are indeed<BR>
>canon (see item #4 below).<BR>
><BR>
>2.  No, jump wing wearers deploy a silk or nylon fine grid to initiate a<BR>
>micro-jump from an aircraft in flight, enabling the wearers to reach<BR>
>safely to reach the ground, much more quickly than the aircraft could<BR>
>safely place them there.  Jump wings don't even require LHyd.  _Such_ a<BR>
>deal!<BR>
<BR>
2.0!<BR>
<BR>
> > Twisted minds want to know how these 'MiGo' drives work!<BR>
><BR>
>Fun guys, those MiGo!<BR>
<BR>
3.0!<BR>
<BR>
Yuggoth!<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:28:09 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
At 23:17 -0500 8/1/00, shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) wrote:<BR>
>Take a look at combat scenes in Babylon 5, especially with the small<BR>
>fighters. They'll boost all the way to a close pass at a target, and<BR>
>*during* the pass the ship rotates to keep its weapons bearing on the<BR>
>target (with no effect on the fighter's course). Then after the pass,<BR>
>they stay oriented "backwards", as their main drives first decelerate<BR>
>them, then start accelerating them back towards their target.<BR>
<BR>
Let's not mention the Mimbari fighters, eh?<BR>
<BR>
Elite: Frontier had realistic movement and was an absolute pain to play.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 23:49:16 -0600 (CST)<BR>
From: John Osborne <osborne6@wt.net><BR>
Subject: This nudity discussion<BR>
<BR>
Kiri wrote:<BR>
> On Mon, 10 Jan 2000, Trevor, Peter wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> > The suggestion of using the "pill" was more of a handwave  around<BR>
> > the medical side of things ... as I  had  already  suggested  the<BR>
> > TL15 equivalent of bromide for male IN crew how about this as  an<BR>
> > alternative to the pill for female IN crew: the surgical  removal<BR>
> > and storage of the reproductive organs, to  be  returned  (intact<BR>
> > and functioning) upon mustering out of service.<BR>
> > <BR>
<BR>
This sounds slightly invasive to me.  Not to mention expensive.  Remember,<BR>
all militaries use the lowest bidder.<BR>
<BR>
> No, this is NOT preferable.  You need those organs for other reasons and<BR>
> hormone replacement therapy does not fix all the problems their removal<BR>
> would cause!<BR>
> <BR>
> How would you like to have your balls cut off and put in cold storage for<BR>
> a couple of years?  Does that sound like fun?  A woman's ovaries don't<BR>
> just produce eggs, they produce all her sexual hormones, just like you<BR>
> still need your balls even after you have sired all the children you want.<BR>
> <BR>
> Sure, a woman can have sex with a man without all her hormones, if you use<BR>
> enough lube, but it isn't going to be FUN for her.  And the pills don't<BR>
> get it quite right for a lot of people who HAVE to have these organs<BR>
> removed.  Furthermore, without getting really graphic, cervical<BR>
> stimulation can really be an important part of the... um... sensation for<BR>
> some women.  The radical feminists who say that 100% of female orgasmic<BR>
> sensation is located in the clitoris don't live in MY body.  That little<BR>
> bit is the keystone, but the rest of the arch is important too.<BR>
> <BR>
> Sheesh!  Why don't you guys just not worry about it?  Your female gunner<BR>
> could have had regenerative therapy instead.  If you can regrow a flocking<BR>
> liver, why not a flocking uterus?<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
Y'all should check out GURPS: BioTech, specifically page 48, the "Light<BR>
Menses", "Estrus", and "Reproductive Control" modifications, all of which<BR>
are low point mods (unfortunatly Reproductive Control only becomes<BR>
possible at GTL 11).  I can assume we're all good at hand waving things in<BR>
OTU, so you can say these modifications don't muck with the pleasure part<BR>
of things.<BR>
<BR>
Lots of interesting organ regerative things are discussed too.  This book<BR>
could be useful to the non-GURPS crowd as well (contrary to the<BR>
blood-draining faction that reared its ugly head earlier)<BR>
<BR>
I won't touch on other things on the same page (like Hermaphroditism and<BR>
Parthenogenesis) because that would mean having to tread upon keyboard<BR>
wrecking territory, and I just have no skill in that department.  I leave<BR>
that to Kenji, from what I've seen so far.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
John Osborne<BR>
osborne6@wt.net   osborne6@msu.edu<BR>
"I love the smell of fdisk in the morning"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:57:24 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: The Voice of Reason (Solomani Style) (long)<BR>
<BR>
At 21:11 -0500 9/1/00, "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz> wrote:<BR>
>Speaking of which - does anyone have a copy of those pogos, and if so<BR>
>could they post me a copy? My achives of that happy (?) period in the<BR>
>TML's history have long since bit the dust.<BR>
<BR>
Go to the BITS website:<BR>
<BR>
http://www.bits.org.uk/<BR>
<BR>
Click on the archive page.<BR>
<BR>
Download the 'Famille Spofulam Winter Catalogue' acrobat file.<BR>
<BR>
Do not read when drinking.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- -------------Dom Mooney---webmaster@bits.org.uk----------------<BR>
                  BITS - British Isles Traveller Support.<BR>
  http://www.bits.org.uk/              mailto:bits@bits.org.uk<BR>
Traveller is a registered trademark of FarFuture Enterprises.<BR>
GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, Inc.<BR>
BITS and CORE are trademarks of BITS UK Limited.<BR>
All rights reserved.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 15:38:37 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Lanugage....<BR>
<BR>
Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com> wrote:<BR>
> On of my Finnish cousins was on a Spanish island in the<BR>
> Meditarranean where a lot of Finns go for winter vacation.  A<BR>
> couple approached her and said something in Spanish, which she<BR>
> does not speak.  They asked in broken English if she spoke<BR>
> English, and she said yes (her English is excellent).  The<BR>
> couple tried a few times to ask her a question, but their<BR>
> vocabulary and language skills were insufficient for her to<BR>
> figure out what they wanted to know.  Finally, one of them<BR>
> turned to the other and said, in Finnish, "this isn't working;<BR>
> let's try someone else," at which point my cousin interrupted in<BR>
> Finnish and they all had a good laugh.<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
Reminds me of one of the lessons I learned from a linguist<BR>
when it comes to speaking with others who might not speak<BR>
whatever you do, always ask about languages starting with<BR>
your best and working your way down your list.<BR>
<BR>
I used to speak French, German and Spanish (none of the<BR>
especially well, but in that order of proficiency), aside from<BR>
my native American English.  I have not had cause to use<BR>
any of them in so long, that I'm not sure I could any more, but<BR>
the Glossi said start off like this, "I was raised in America<BR>
and speak English.   Je parle franais assez bon.  Ich<BR>
spreche Deutsch fast auerdem.  Hablo un poco espaol."<BR>
<BR>
Okay, so I can't remember them so well.  If I did that correctly,<BR>
that would translate to:  "I was raised in America and speak<BR>
English.  I speak French fairly well.  I speak German almost<BR>
as well.  I can speak a little Spanish."<BR>
<BR>
Some of those don't sound right, but it's been over 15 years,<BR>
so what do you expect?<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:47:39 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1709<BR>
<BR>
At 17:04 -0500 9/1/00, Volker Greimann <volker@greimann.de> wrote:<BR>
>At 02:58 09.01.00 , you wrote:<BR>
> >The Spice Must Flow...<BR>
><BR>
>Yeah, Girl POWER!<BR>
<BR>
5.0! That hit me about half a Digest down afterwards as I was skim <BR>
reading and the processor was lagging the eyes!<BR>
<BR>
Beautiful! I'm glad I swallowed first(!).<BR>
<BR>
(That could almost be rude!)<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:55:02 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions<BR>
<BR>
At 21:11 -0500 9/1/00, Black ICE <wombat@premier.net> wrote:<BR>
>Analysis:  While this sophont displays remarkable cognitive skills for<BR>
>its species, its knowledge base is currently at a non-threatening level<BR>
>(note apparent lack of recognition of MiGo reference).  It is hoped that<BR>
>this operative's suggestion that the sophont investigate the writings of<BR>
>H.P. Lovecraft will nudge its speculations into optimal paths, rendering<BR>
>it eligible for future recruitment.<BR>
<BR>
Further Suggestion: Perhaps casually mentioning <BR>
http://www.delta-green.com/ may also prime this sophont for early <BR>
recruitment and assimilation. After all, it could soon be introduced <BR>
to a 'Traveller'.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 18:52:33 -0500<BR>
From: Yosef ben Lazar <jzeitlin@cyburban.com><BR>
Subject: Testosterone poinsoning (was Re: nudity and clothes)<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 7 Jan 2000 22:10:34 -0500 (EST), Michel Vaillancourt<BR>
<misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>        Actually, at the risk of causing another Dresden on the TML, I do<BR>
>get that response from women by times.  Y'see, as a member of the local<BR>
>Society for Creative Anacrhronism, I once in a while strap on 60lbs of<BR>
>platemail, a 10lb helm, a 5lb shield and heft a ~3lb club made to look like<BR>
>a sword and spend two or three hours getting hit by other chaps dressed like<BR>
>me.  Most women not in the SCA, when they hear that statement get a<BR>
>condecending look on thier faces and mutter something about "testosterone"<BR>
>under thier breath.<BR>
<BR>
Only from non-SCAdians?  I know some _SCAdian_ women - and _men_<BR>
- - who have that reaction!<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
Yosef ben Lazar, Seahorse Pursuivant, Crown Province of stgarr,<BR>
East Kingdom (who has a voice that can - and has - knocked over<BR>
some dukes, when used most effectively)<BR>
jzeitlin@cyburban.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 18:52:35 -0500<BR>
From: Jeff Zeitlin <jzeitlin@cyburban.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Presidential Jelly Donuts<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, 8 Jan 2000 09:57:42 -0500 (EST), Jens Rydholm<BR>
<jenry023@student.liu.se> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Jeff Zeitlin wrote:<BR>
>> As I understand it, the problem wasn't the word "Berliner"; it<BR>
>> was the word "ein".  IOW, "Ich bin Berliner", I am a resident of<BR>
>> Berlin; "Ich bin ein Berliner" (which is what JFK said), I am a<BR>
>> jelly-donut.<BR>
<BR>
>> The semantic equivalent in English would be for a Dane to come to<BR>
>> this country and say "I am a Danish" vs "I am Danish".  Although<BR>
>> I would generally expect a Dane to have better English than<BR>
>> President Kennedy had German.<BR>
<BR>
>I disagree, but I may be wrong. Are there any native Germans on the list<BR>
>who can sort this out? From what I remember of my studies:<BR>
<BR>
>"Ich bin Berliner" relates to "I am Danish" the same way as<BR>
>"Ich bin ein Berliner" relates to "I am a Dane"<BR>
<BR>
>A German would have no problem with any of the sentences.<BR>
<BR>
>No more than you English-speaking folks would think that the paragraph<BR>
>above this one means that Germans may be punished (I sentence you to<BR>
>five months in prison) in any fashion.<BR>
<BR>
Ummm... Jens, read it again; I think we're saying exactly the<BR>
same thing, here.  The only thing I can think of that you might<BR>
be taking issue with is my expectation that a Dane's English<BR>
would be better than President Kennedy's German.  It's not that<BR>
an Englishman or NOTUS/American would be more or less likely to<BR>
understand what was _intended_, it's that I would expect the Dane<BR>
- - or almost any European, for that matter - to be less likely to<BR>
make the error in the first place.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jeff Zeitlin<BR>
jzeitlin@cyburban.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1721<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Monday, January 10 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1722<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: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1709<BR>
Re: The Traveller Bibliography from BITS<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: traveller poll!<BR>
Re: The P-Word (was Marine Boarding Actions)<BR>
Re: Fashions<BR>
Re: Economics of cargo charges<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1721<BR>
SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Mneumonics (sp?)<BR>
Re Vargr Dangly Bits<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
[OT] Re: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
Re: Accessing Tankage<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actinos<BR>
re: Traveller Poll!<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1711<BR>
Re: Presidential Jelly Donuts<BR>
Re: Lanugage....<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 18:52:37 -0500<BR>
From: Jeff Zeitlin <jzeitlin@cyburban.com><BR>
Subject: Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, 8 Jan 2000 13:28:01 -0500 (EST), Glenn St-Germain<BR>
<cos90@powersurfr.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>One thing I discovered when finding the RAH FAQ (which includes a complete<BR>
>list of his works) -- there's a lot of early stuff that I never heard of<BR>
>on the list. Sixth Column, for example. I started reading RAH in high <BR>
>school, as the school library had a complete set of his "juvenile" works<BR>
>and a few others (Starship Troopers, The Door Into Summer).<BR>
<BR>
_Sixth_Column_ was originally published in the U.S. as<BR>
_The_Day_After_Tomorrow_.  Decent read, if requiring a bit too<BR>
much suspension of disbelief.<BR>
<BR>
>Any ones in particular you'd suggest among "his earlier stuff"?<BR>
<BR>
_Farnham's_Freehold_.  Different kind of stuff entirely.  Also,<BR>
IMO, too much suspension of disbelief, but again, a reasonably<BR>
decent read.<BR>
<BR>
In general, I think his later stuff was a bit better, though<BR>
occasionally uneven.  IWFNE is one of the ones I've read least<BR>
often, TNOTB near the top of my reread list from him.  But I've<BR>
been reading less of his stuff recently; hot on my recent list<BR>
seem to be Greg Bear and Harry Turtledove.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jeff Zeitlin<BR>
jzeitlin@cyburban.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 18:52:39 -0500<BR>
From: Jeff Zeitlin <jzeitlin@cyburban.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1709<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, 8 Jan 2000 19:38:06 -0500 (EST), "Douglas E. Berry"<BR>
<gridlore@pop.mindspring.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Actually, most of the outlets in the US seem to just be using KFC.  The<BR>
>advertising has also dumped the full name.<BR>
<BR>
>Not all that odd, when was the last time you heard the full name of<BR>
>companies like<BR>
<BR>
>International Business Machines<BR>
>Federal Express<BR>
<BR>
They've semi-dropped this name; they legally DBA "FedEx".<BR>
<BR>
>United Parcel Service<BR>
>American Telephone & Telegraph<BR>
<BR>
Legally changed the name of the corporation to "AT&T"<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
Jeff Zeitlin<BR>
jzeitlin@cyburban.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 15:53:28 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: The Traveller Bibliography from BITS<BR>
<BR>
<Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk> wrote:<BR>
> Perhaps now would be a good time (in light of Colin's other thread) to<BR>
> mention that I've been working on a Traveller thesaurus.  It's very<BR>
> unfinished as yet, but might be handy one day for metatags.  The original<BR>
> idea was to be able to keyword all the Traveller periodical articles<BR>
> accurately but I got somewhat bogged down in real life.<BR>
><BR>
> Just out of curiosity - if I *were* to dig this out once more, is there<BR>
> anyone potty enough to think this might be of interest?<BR>
<BR>
Hey TC,  I don't recognize the term "potty" in this context,<BR>
but I find almost everything about Traveller and HTML<BR>
fascinating.  Something about both would be deliriously so.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 15:55:56 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
Jim & Peta Lawrie <jimpeta@primus.com.au> wrote:<BR>
>     Random thought, there's some funky planets in the marches with TL's<BR>
> around "D" and Hi pop/0 Law. It may be dangerous in system around these<BR>
> planets due to swarms of non-starships that congregate around other<BR>
> planetary bodies in a similiar fashion to the RL pirates north of<BR>
Australia<BR>
> that swarm about Malaysia and Indonesia. Here would be actual pirate bases<BR>
> and the government doesn't seem overly concerned about their activities. I<BR>
> wonder what a non-starship pirate group would be composed of? With high G<BR>
> ratings you would have little chance of evading them.<BR>
<BR>
Even if the government doesn't put down such nastiness,<BR>
the local merchants that profit from interstellar trade would.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 18:16:19 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
"Jason T. Barnabas" wrote:<BR>
<BR>
<<snips comparison between current RL piracy and certain worlds in the<BR>
Marches>><BR>
> <BR>
> Even if the government doesn't put down such nastiness,<BR>
> the local merchants that profit from interstellar trade would.<BR>
<BR>
Which is why, BTW, AuricTech posted a 400 dton Q-ship a couple of weeks<BR>
ago, built to resemble in shape a Fat Trader, but with a PA bay in place<BR>
of a cargo bay.  Thermopylae Lines, one of AuricTech's best customers<BR>
IMTU, commissioned the Q-ship, just to help ensure that nobody molests a<BR>
Thermopylae Lines Fat Trader.  Other Q-ships, designed to resemble<BR>
freightliners custom-built for Thermopylae, will eventually be posted<BR>
(as soon as I get around to designing some).<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 18:15:56 -0600<BR>
From: "Clint Williams" <aremis@amaonline.com><BR>
Subject: Re: traveller poll!<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote<BR>
<BR>
>Much to my surprise, I found out that a couple of Religious groups have<BR>
>*their own* versions of Scouting, because they find something about the<BR>
>BSA objectionable. Do a search on "Royal Rangers" (it's a *US* group!).<BR>
<BR>
The Royal Rangers are a part of the Assembly's of God I believe.  The<BR>
Babtist have Royal Ambassadors. ~Clint<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 16:26:19 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Re: The P-Word (was Marine Boarding Actions)<BR>
<BR>
Postmark Design Bureau wrote:<BR>
> The corsair might be claiming to be the local customs ship. It might<BR>
> even *be* the local customs ship!<BR>
<BR>
Yup. IMTU, the local equivalent of the Type-T patrol cruiser is the <BR>
standard pirate raider; my pirates run in packs, so the captured cargo <BR>
gets loaded onto a merchant ship. <BR>
<BR>
One of the bigger pirate clans actually has a local customs crew in <BR>
their pocket. The customs ship tips off the pirates as to the best<BR>
times and places to make intercepts. The patrol ship will be <BR>
conveniently making an inspection of another, less valuable target--<BR>
er, ship -- in the system when the raid happens, thereby costing <BR>
the patroller several minutes in the pursuit as the crew gets back <BR>
to stations. "Darn, command, that pirate just slipped away from us <BR>
again." <BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> Also, if the merchant is loaded and the corsair is transporting vacuum,<BR>
> the corsair will have a speed advantage, even though both are nominally 1G.<BR>
> <BR>
> Ha! I finally found the CT corsair "design" It's a hijacked X-boat tender<BR>
> (1,000dT, 600dT bay for ships).<BR>
<BR>
That's a 1G ship, though, isn't it? It's fine as one piece of a Pirate<BR>
Clan's overall plan, but not much of a raider. <BR>
<BR>
> However, an X-boat tender with 8 x 50dT heavy fighters should surprise<BR>
> a few people.<BR>
<BR>
A ship with a bunch of fighters in the cargo bay does not a carrier <BR>
make. I'd restrict this ship to the High Guard rule of launching one<BR>
craft per turn (it's got to get clear of the bay under minimum thrust <BR>
before it can leap into 6-G action). Still could be a nasty surprise <BR>
though, yes indeedy. <BR>
<BR>
<rant mode="Traveller starship designs generally suck"><BR>
I think the X-boat tender design is kinda b0rken, though. It carries <BR>
something like 100 extra tons of fuel; an Xboat entering system needs<BR>
40 or 44 or 50 tons of fuel depending on the rules in use. So the <BR>
tender can *carry* six Xboats, but only *refuel* two without a skimming<BR>
run. Since the alleged purpose of the tender is to turn around Xboats <BR>
quickly, wouldn't it make more sense to fill another 200 (or 400) tons <BR>
of the hangar with fuel tanks, thereby allowing you to turn around *6* <BR>
(or 10) Xboat flights before having to skim fuel? Why do you need to <BR>
carry six Xboats anyway? Suckers are supposed to be jumping, not riding<BR>
the tender.<BR>
</rant><BR>
<BR>
- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 16:42:22 PST<BR>
From: "Peter Bath" <plbath@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions<BR>
<BR>
unsubscribe<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 19:53:56 -0500<BR>
From: Christopher Thrash <thrash@io.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Economics of cargo charges<BR>
<BR>
>Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 14:38:58 -0800<BR>
>From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
>Subject: Economics of cargo charges<BR>
><BR>
>Can anyone help me out here? I was pondering the economics of merchants this<BR>
>morning, ... Clearly, the cost is much<BR>
>higher for higher jump capable ships, but I recall that cargo fees are the<BR>
>same, whether the destination is 1, 2, or 3 hexes away. I doubt that you<BR>
>could get funding for a business plan based on equal charges for all<BR>
>destinations. What factor am I overlooking? Are the cargo fees fixed by the<BR>
>Imperial government, or are they based on market forces?<BR>
<BR>
If you're talking about CT/MT/TNE/T4, you reached the same conclusions and<BR>
justifications we did when writing GURPS Traveller: Far Trader. Market<BR>
forces will not support the flat rate, and Imperial rate fixing at the<BR>
expense of large shippers seems unlikely. As a result, GT:FT gives freight<BR>
rates in Cr/dton/parsec, and increases the rate for higher jump numbers.<BR>
This is pretty complicated, however, which points to the most likely<BR>
out-of-context justification for flat rates: simplicity.<BR>
<BR>
GT:FT goes into great detail on the rationale behind the numbers; take a<BR>
look (if you can find a copy) and contact me off-list if you still have<BR>
questions. I'll pass them on to Jim Maclean (the real economist, and author<BR>
of those rules) if I can't help you.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 19:58:43 -0500<BR>
From: "David L. Pulver" <dlpulver@kos.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1721<BR>
<BR>
At 06:46 PM 1/10/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>From: Loren Wiseman <lkw@io.com><BR>
>To: <traveller@mpgn.com><BR>
>Sent: Monday, January 10, 2000 7:37 AM<BR>
>Subject: Traveller/GURPS Conversions<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
>> Can anyone help this gentleman?<BR>
>><BR>
>> >Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:27:31 +0100<BR>
>> >From: Mark Pastoor <pastoor@obiwan.pi.tu-berlin.de><BR>
>><BR>
>> ><BR>
>> >Dear Loren,<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> >two days ago I bought GURPS Vehicles (2nd Edition). For my campagne I<BR>
>> >use a compilation of rules derived from TWILIGHT 2000 and Traveller<BR>
>> >(TNE) for handling combat (firearms and heavy weapons) and "Fire,<BR>
>> >Fusion, & Steel" for construction. I don't want to change my houserules<BR>
>> >but I want to use the GURPS construction rules. So (at last), here is my<BR>
>> >question:<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> >How can I convert the GURPS-based combat ratings (espec. PD, DR) to<BR>
>> >Traveller (armor value AV, damage value DV, ...).<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> >Thanks in advance,<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> >Mark Pastoor                    pastoor@obiwan.pi.tu-berlin.de<BR>
<BR>
The simplest way to do this is to look at what the statistics represent.<BR>
Fortunately, TNE (unlike Megatrav and CT) and GURPS both track armor on the<BR>
same scale, i.e., as linear values directly equating with thickness of<BR>
material.<BR>
<BR>
In TNE, 2 cm of hard steel has AV of 1 (FFS, p. 38).<BR>
In GURPS Vehicles, 1 inch of hard steel has DR 70 (GURPS Vehicles 2nd Ed,<BR>
p. 4) and thus 2 cm has DR 56.<BR>
<BR>
Thus:<BR>
1 AV =  DR 56.  Multiply AV by 56 to get DR.<BR>
DR 1 = AV 1/56.  Divide DR by 56 to get AV.<BR>
<BR>
Now, onto damage. This is trickier. In general, for GURPS weapons, damage<BR>
is a die roll expressing the<BR>
average penetration of the weapon, with every 20d reflecting damage to, on<BR>
average, achieve 1 inch of hard steel penetration, which is then reduced by<BR>
armor and the remainder modified by situation (hit location, blow through)<BR>
and sometimes weapon type to determine the actual damage suffered by the<BR>
target. (In other words, much the same as 1st Edition Twilight 2000). In<BR>
contrast, TNE follows MegaTrav and 2nd Ed. T2000 by using seperate damage<BR>
and penetration values and further confuses the issue through its<BR>
differentation of penetration value (for vehicle weapons) vs. penetration<BR>
rating  and damage (for small arms). Thus, exact correlation is tricky.<BR>
However, GURPS damage correlates most closely with penetration value, which<BR>
is used much like GURPS damage. Perform these two steps:<BR>
<BR>
TNE to GURPS<BR>
	TNE vehicle weapons with Penetration Value:  [Penetration Value+7] X 2 =<BR>
average cm of steel penetrated. Use the closest range value for penetration.<BR>
	TNE smallarms:  first, calculate penetration value backward from<BR>
penetration rating (at closest range). As explained on p. 140 of FFS,<BR>
Penetration value = damage value divided by the weapon's penetration<BR>
rating. (For weapons with "Nil" penetration rating, I have gotten good<BR>
results by using "4" as a pen rating. For weapons with -1 damage, I would<BR>
treat it as 1/2.] Then calculate cm of steel penetrated as above.<BR>
	Once cm of steel penetration is known, multiply it by 8 to get the dice of<BR>
damage in GURPS terms.<BR>
<BR>
GURPS weapon damage to TNE<BR>
	[damage dice/8] = average cm of steel penetrated. This gives penetration<BR>
value. Back-calculating damage value and penetration rating is subjective<BR>
without reverse engineering the original TNE calcualtions, but by selecting<BR>
a damage value based on similar weapons you can reverse the TNE to GURPS<BR>
calculations and derive suitable damage and pen ratings.<BR>
	<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
 _____________________________________________________________________<BR>
     David L. Pulver -- Senior Staff Writer and Assistant Line Editor,<BR>
		     Guardians Of Order Incorporated<BR>
 Big Eyes, Small Mouth * Sailor Moon * Dominion Tank Police * Tenchi Muyo! RPG<BR>
             dlpulver@kos.net  http://www.guardiansorder.on.ca<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 12:01:37 +1100<BR>
From: "Hughes, Michael" <Michael.Hughes@cbr.defence.gov.au><BR>
Subject: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Mneumonics (sp?)<BR>
<BR>
	> >My kids learned the Animanics song listing the states & capitals.<BR>
	> >This was not their only source of education though.  :-)<BR>
> <BR>
> I know very few adults who can recite the alphabet without starting to<BR>
sing<BR>
> it.<BR>
<BR>
You mean, people actually _sing_ "Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta..."?  No<BR>
doubt, they try to make it fit the tune of "C-130 rollin' down the<BR>
strip...."<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Even now I can recite much of what I learned at the feet of the S.S.<BR>
(Seasame Street). The alphabet song as above (with that guy in the lunch box<BR>
with the baby grand - 'all I got was peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches')<BR>
and of course...<BR>
<BR>
Drum roll....<BR>
<BR>
Niup Niup Niup Niup Oha Oha Oha<BR>
<BR>
Those crazy wobble mouthed martians . . . .<BR>
<BR>
Ob Trav: Nup. I'm out.<BR>
<BR>
PS I missed the Snuffy is real episode, the kiddie equivalent of the moon<BR>
landing and JR shooting.<BR>
<BR>
Dangnamit<BR>
<BR>
Michael <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 17:08:04 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re Vargr Dangly Bits<BR>
<BR>
>From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
<BR>
>And, from the illos inAM3,<BR>
[deletion]<BR>
>Also lacking is the Penile bone. <BR>
<BR>
No penile bone?  In my Traveller universe, Vargr have penile<BR>
bones.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
The penis bone of the walrus is over two feet long.  As a<BR>
certain other walrus once commented, speak softly and carry a<BR>
big stick.<BR>
- --my memory of a poem I read many many years ago about the<BR>
penile bones of mammals; author, title, and title of the<BR>
anthology of poems are long forgotten<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 20:27:55 -0500<BR>
From: "Thom Harris" <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
Wouldn't fix it today but 3300 years into the future....I bet there is a<BR>
good chance that it will be 100% effective....<BR>
<BR>
Thom<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2000 11:41 AM<BR>
Subject: RE: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> On Mon, 10 Jan 2000, Trevor, Peter wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> > The suggestion of using the "pill" was more of a handwave  around<BR>
> > the medical side of things ... as I  had  already  suggested  the<BR>
> > TL15 equivalent of bromide for male IN crew how about this as  an<BR>
> > alternative to the pill for female IN crew: the surgical  removal<BR>
> > and storage of the reproductive organs, to  be  returned  (intact<BR>
> > and functioning) upon mustering out of service.<BR>
> ><BR>
> No, this is NOT preferable.  You need those organs for other reasons and<BR>
> hormone replacement therapy does not fix all the problems their removal<BR>
> would cause!<BR>
><BR>
> How would you like to have your balls cut off and put in cold storage for<BR>
> a couple of years?  Does that sound like fun?  A woman's ovaries don't<BR>
> just produce eggs, they produce all her sexual hormones, just like you<BR>
> still need your balls even after you have sired all the children you want.<BR>
><BR>
> Sure, a woman can have sex with a man without all her hormones, if you use<BR>
> enough lube, but it isn't going to be FUN for her.  And the pills don't<BR>
> get it quite right for a lot of people who HAVE to have these organs<BR>
> removed.  Furthermore, without getting really graphic, cervical<BR>
> stimulation can really be an important part of the... um... sensation for<BR>
> some women.  The radical feminists who say that 100% of female orgasmic<BR>
> sensation is located in the clitoris don't live in MY body.  That little<BR>
> bit is the keystone, but the rest of the arch is important too.<BR>
><BR>
> Sheesh!  Why don't you guys just not worry about it?  Your female gunner<BR>
> could have had regenerative therapy instead.  If you can regrow a flocking<BR>
> liver, why not a flocking uterus?<BR>
><BR>
> Kiri<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
****************************************************************************<BR>
**<BR>
> Kiri Aradia Morgan                                  93!  Thou Art God<BR>
> tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
><BR>
> "If time passes, everything turns into beauty<BR>
> If the rains stop, tears clean the scars of memory away<BR>
> Everything starts wearing fresh colors<BR>
> Every sound begins playing a heartfelt melody<BR>
> Jealousy embellishes a page of the epic<BR>
> Desire is embraced in a dream..."              -- X-JAPAN<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 12:32:01 +1000<BR>
From: david.d.jaques-watson@centrelink.gov.au<BR>
Subject: [OT] Re: The Fashionable Imperial<BR>
<BR>
Dear Folks -<BR>
<BR>
Leonard said:<BR>
>Kenji, Most of the folks *I* have seen wearing red ties are also<BR>
>wearing blue suits. It's the AmWay "uniform". <shudder><BR>
<BR>
After many were decruited in the Eighties, I always wondered where IBM's<BR>
middle-management ended up...<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
David "Hyphen" Jaques-Watson        Beowulf Down (Tavonni/Vilis/SM 1520)<BR>
http://www.tip.net.au/~davidjw                       davidjw@pcug.org.au<BR>
"I file things in historical order, with a hashing algorithm of gravity"<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
REQ'D DISCLAIMER - material & opinions contained within are solely those<BR>
of the author and do not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the<BR>
position of Centrelink or any other Commonwealth Government agency.<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 02:41:49 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: Accessing Tankage<BR>
<BR>
"William F. Hostman" wrote:<BR>
> 5) if you have failures in integrity, you are going to be mixing<BR>
> hydrogen and an oxygen-(whatever) mix.... Oxy-Helium would be bad,<BR>
> but just think about nitrogen-hydrogen-oxygen compounds... some do<BR>
> some very nasty things.<BR>
<BR>
An air-hydrogen mix is almost explosive. The higher the oxygen content<BR>
in the air, the more explosive the mix gets. A pure oxygen-hydrogen mix<BR>
is dangerous.<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 20:35:22 -0500<BR>
From: "David L. Pulver" <dlpulver@kos.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actinos<BR>
<BR>
At 07:57 PM 1/9/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 21:13:44 GMT<BR>
>From: Postmark Design Bureau <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
>Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
>IMTU, the only time you send over the marines is when then other ship<BR>
>has surrendered. This is either a merchant agreeing to be inspected or<BR>
>a warship that has agreed for you to send a prize crew over.<BR>
>Commonly, the crew of a warship in battle will abandon ship and<BR>
>set off the demolition charges. The winner gets to look over the<BR>
>hulks at the end of the battle.<BR>
><BR>
>The problem with putting the marines in an assault boat is that they<BR>
>have to get very close. If the defenders are going to resist, then<BR>
>they will have no problems destroying the cutter. If they are not<BR>
>planning to resist, you just dock normally.<BR>
><BR>
>Fighting the borders just encourages them to stand off and shoot up<BR>
>your ship so you might as well destroy it yourself and not get killed.<BR>
<BR>
Some thoughts on situations where opposed boardings may take place:<BR>
<BR>
Opposed marine boardings could concievably occur during a major fleet<BR>
action. Fleet actions in traveller can easily take 3-5 hours. A ship that<BR>
has its power crippled early in the battle is vulnerable to boarding. While<BR>
the issue is in doubt, if the cripple's vector and ebb of the action takes<BR>
it away from friends and near an enemy, that enemy may have the capability<BR>
to detach one or sevaral pinnaces full of marines (who aren't taking part<BR>
in the battle) to secure certain objects (intel, captives) before the<BR>
battle is over. The other side may be unwilling to scuttle when their side<BR>
may still win the battle, especially when their comms are still open and<BR>
they can be told "hold out for 40 minutes, and we'll send a destroyer to<BR>
relieve you". In this case, you may combine a deseperate boarding action<BR>
with a race between the defenders ("we need to hold this deck for 40<BR>
minutes") and the attackers ("we need to get inside and capture the ship so<BR>
we can grab as many of the enemy's intact weapon systems and prisioners<BR>
possible for interrog/analysis").<BR>
<BR>
If you know the enemy refuse to take or mistreat prisioners but DO want<BR>
your ship and you<BR>
have ethical problems with simple self-destruction, you might prefer to<BR>
remain inside and fight them off rather scuttle and be captured outside. In<BR>
this case, your goal is to inflict sufficient casaulties that they retreat<BR>
and kill you, or to suck in sufficient enemy forces into your vessel that,<BR>
at the last moment,you might feel good about blowing the ship and taking<BR>
them with you. Neither is exactly fun for player characters.<BR>
<BR>
Hostage-rescue situations can be more entertaining. Hijackers seize ship<BR>
but latter run out of fuel, suffer malfunction, etc.  The usual tricks for<BR>
gaining entry to hijacked aircraft apply (stealthy approaches, disguised as<BR>
repair crew, come alongside in a Kinunir with a black globe, ship's sensors<BR>
are dead due to power loss in hijacking and you come in from blind spot,<BR>
use of stealthed battledress/vacc suits, etc). In this case, you cannot<BR>
blow the ship as that would take out the hostages; at the same time, the<BR>
hijackers hope to defeat the relatively small assault party you have<BR>
smuggled in and you hope that you will overwhelm them with speed/firepower<BR>
before they can kill hostages or destroy the vessel, the latter most likely<BR>
if they are fanactical rather than criminal in intent. Zhodani commandos<BR>
are a good thing to have for hostage rescues.<BR>
<BR>
Boarding actions can be made more common, if desired, by postulating<BR>
cultures with different psychology.<BR>
For example, in the Aslan Heirate, marines or pirates might _expect_<BR>
limited resistance by a boarding party as a token precursor to honorable<BR>
surrender; alternatively, it might be the tradition to treat the<BR>
non-combatants better if the combatants fought well. This is the exact<BR>
opposite of human piratical practice, where any resistance was seen by the<BR>
boarders/pirates/besiegers as giving license to massacre the defenders.<BR>
<BR>
 _____________________________________________________________________<BR>
     David L. Pulver -- Senior Staff Writer and Assistant Line Editor,<BR>
		     Guardians Of Order Incorporated<BR>
 Big Eyes, Small Mouth * Sailor Moon * Dominion Tank Police * Tenchi Muyo! RPG<BR>
             dlpulver@kos.net  http://www.guardiansorder.on.ca<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 20:33:20 -0500<BR>
From: "Walter G. Smith" <smithw@hartwick.edu><BR>
Subject: re: Traveller Poll!<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
>I *Think* the title is "The <something> Pits of Luna". <BR>
<BR>
"The Black Pits of Luna", if I remember clearly.<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 19:54:40 -0600<BR>
From: Andy Holzrichter <jhereg@southwind.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1711<BR>
<BR>
>In mail you write:<BR>
>>         As long as the ships drives are still functional it should not<BR>
really<BR>
>> matter HOW the compensators work.  Turn them off and leave them off.  Strap<BR>
>> everyone important in.  (OK this really should be step 1, but PCs don't<BR>
>> normally think that far ahead. <g>)  Have the pilot fly as wildly as<BR>
>> possible, ie dive, roll, spin, accelerate, decellerate, and perform complex<BR>
>> variations of the above.  I've been in the back of a pickup before.  I<BR>
>> don't want to think what +3 -.3 Gs is going to be like in an open room or<BR>
>> corridor.  As I said, the drives have to be working, so this is largely an<BR>
>> anti hijacking manuever, but it should be wildly effective.<BR>
><BR>
snip<BR>
><BR>
>Of course, if you are using a reaction drive, or doing anything else<BR>
>that registers on *passive* sensors, you've halved the lag time. So at<BR>
>150,000 km, the target sphere will only be 7.5 meters across. In other<BR>
>words, they can target the center of your ship and be assured of<BR>
>hitting *some* part of the ship.<BR>
>- -- <BR>
>Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
	The point I was making was not on how difficult it was to be hit.  I am<BR>
aware of how easy it is for light speed weapons and sensors to hit a target<BR>
at any semi reasonable range.  I was more making a point about treating<BR>
hijackers to the starship equivalent of a ride in the back of a pickup.<BR>
The ship could accelerate to hit them instead of them accelerating to hit<BR>
the ship. <BR>
<BR>
								Andy<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 03:09:03 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: Presidential Jelly Donuts<BR>
<BR>
This will be my last post on this topic here on the list.<BR>
<BR>
Jeff Zeitlin wrote:<BR>
> Ummm... Jens, read it again; I think we're saying exactly the<BR>
> same thing, here.<BR>
<snip><BR>
<BR>
I am not sure, but I might be wrong. I say that "Ich bin ein Berliner"<BR>
and "I am a Dane" mean the same thing, and that "Ich bin Berliner" and<BR>
"I am Danish" mean the same.<BR>
<BR>
To put it in another way, the word "Berliner" can mean either "a person<BR>
from Berlin" or just "from Berlin", depending on context. That is not<BR>
what I think you meant.<BR>
<BR>
Since I am not a native German, I might also be wrong in my translation,<BR>
but that's another thing entirely ;-)<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 18:02:55 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Lanugage....<BR>
<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
<BR>
>Reminds me of one of the lessons I learned from a linguist<BR>
>when it comes to speaking with others who might not speak<BR>
>whatever you do, always ask about languages starting with<BR>
>your best and working your way down your list.<BR>
<BR>
I can say, "do you speak English, French, German, etc." in<BR>
several languages where that is my only phrase.  Travelling in<BR>
Scandinavia, I got used to asking, <BR>
<BR>
"protter Du engelska, tyska, franska, spanska, eller finska?" <BR>
or <BR>
"snokker De engelsk, tysk, fransk, spansk, eller finsk?", <BR>
<BR>
which got one of two reactions:  <BR>
<BR>
"Yes, I speak a little bit of English" (translation:  "I speak<BR>
English perfectly") <BR>
<BR>
or <BR>
<BR>
"Finska? Ar Du Finska?" / "Finsk? De er Finsk?" while looking at<BR>
me like I was insane (apparently no Finn would ever even attempt<BR>
to find out if the Swede or Norwegian to whom he is speaking<BR>
speaks any Finnish, and with good reason -- Finnish grammar is<BR>
so different from that of Teutonic languages that it's extremely<BR>
difficult to learn).  <BR>
<BR>
I never met anybody in Sweden or Norway who spoke Finnish, but<BR>
almost everybody I met spoke English.  Old people in Finnmark<BR>
would admit to speaking German, but really preferred English. <BR>
My Finnish cousins said that everyone in the far north, and even<BR>
just in the Baltic/Bothnian area, are still a bit upset with the<BR>
"Lapinpoltajat."<BR>
<BR>
Ob Traveller (you were waiting for the ob Traveller, weren't<BR>
you?):  In my Traveller universe, you can sometimes start a<BR>
fight when people from Gram are present just by lighting a match<BR>
or lighter and holding it while looking at them (especially if<BR>
everyone has been drinking too much).  <BR>
<BR>
During the Fourth Frontier War, Sword Worlds forces from Gram<BR>
were occupying Frenzie starport, naval base, and startown area. <BR>
Frenzie is a vaccuum world, and the facilities were underground<BR>
with antiquated and overused life support systems.  When<BR>
Imperial ships arrived to retake Frenzie, the Gram troops set<BR>
fire to whatever would burn in the starport -- including a lot<BR>
of chemical propellants and explosives, but toxic structural<BR>
plastics as well.  The life support system carried the crud<BR>
through the starport and neighboring facilities to the civilian<BR>
population center.  The filters clogged (some actually caught<BR>
fire), and the life support system failed massively.  <BR>
<BR>
Imperial forces diverted their attention to saving the lives of<BR>
the citizens of Frenzie, and the Gram forces got away.  To this<BR>
day, they are known as the Burners of Frenzie.  <BR>
<BR>
To the extent that anyone is rational about it, it is worth<BR>
noting that, after the war, the Imperial Ministry of<BR>
Colonization provided a long-term loan to Frenzie to replace and<BR>
upgrade its life support systems, which was partially<BR>
responsible for the improvement of economic conditions on<BR>
Frenzie and the upgrading of its starport to class A.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1722<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Tuesday, January 11 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1723<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: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: Re Vargr Dangly Bits<BR>
FTF Gaming <BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: Web Hosting<BR>
Re: The Voice of Reason (Solomani Style) (long)<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes...<BR>
Re: Economics of cargo charges<BR>
Re: Language....<BR>
Re: CT/MT Animals To G:T Animals<BR>
Cipatwean cuisine<BR>
RE: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
Re: Languages (was Re: JFK)<BR>
Re: Rat dogs!<BR>
Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 11:25:51 +1000<BR>
From: "Alan Bradley" <alanb@elf.brisnet.org.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
> From: Postmark Design Bureau <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
> Jim & Peta Lawrie wrote:<BR>
> >     I assume the "Corsair" ship was originally designed for the<BR>
opposite<BR>
> > purpose, piracy suppression. Having a special design ship for<BR>
privateering<BR>
> > seems to negate the idea a little.<BR>
> <BR>
> There are many possibilities - a fast fat trader, a salvage ship to<BR>
recover<BR>
> free traders, a supply ship designed to ferry around small SDBs, fighters<BR>
> and shuttles, a Vargr counter design to the type A, even a design built<BR>
by<BR>
> a megacorp for a trade war against a free trader cooperative. <BR>
<BR>
IMTU, the "corsair" was originally a naval utility vessel.  It can carry<BR>
small quantities of cargo, and personnel, and if need be can be pressed<BR>
into service as a convoy escort.<BR>
<BR>
The RW equivalent would be some kind of junk corvette, or even some kind of<BR>
armed trawler!  In fact the latter might be the best analogue:  it has the<BR>
flashy electronics that allow it to conceal its identity because it was<BR>
designed to lurk about in non-Imperial space collecting intelligence.  But<BR>
of course, getting hold of the latter kind of ships with the electronics<BR>
still on board would be nearly impossible.  Oh well, scratch that idea.<BR>
<BR>
The other thing about them is that they can be interpreted as being fairly<BR>
low-tech, say TL 11 or so.  In that case, they become obselete warships,<BR>
still perhaps in service with some planetary navies, but basically being<BR>
sold off as soon as they can be replaced.<BR>
<BR>
Anyway, enough RW wet navies have enough not-really-warships around to<BR>
provide models for all kinds of junkheaps.<BR>
<BR>
And then there are various brands of "frontier traders", for use where<BR>
civilisation isn't.<BR>
<BR>
Alan Bradley<BR>
alanb@elf.brisnet.org.au <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 17:45:19 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 02:50 AM 1/10/2000 PST, you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>>BTW, You were at Orycon? Sheesh! You should have said something on the<BR>
>>list! <BR>
><BR>
> In 1987.  Was there even a list at that point?<BR>
><BR>
> You should talk.. couldn't even drive down to Corvalis to join Mark, Jesse<BR>
> and myself in a little pointless mayhem.<BR>
<BR>
Since I can't drive *period* (never had a license) it's a bit more<BR>
excusable.<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 17:46:42 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>>In mail you write:<BR>
>><BR>
>>> Free trader vs corsair gives a few problems to this plan since no one<BR>
>>> has lots of spare crew.<BR>
>>><BR>
>>> The options include:<BR>
>>><BR>
>>> Free trader spaces their cargo which the corsair picks up. Probably<BR>
>>> the air/raft as well if they have one. A reinforced cargo bay should<BR>
>>> limit the damage from the couple of tons of normal explosives that<BR>
>>> the PCs will send over but when the military give you a small nuke,<BR>
>>> you'd better hope you remembered the damper.<BR>
>><BR>
>>Definitely. And nukes & explosives aren't the worst they can do. How do<BR>
>>you have an entire cargo container (several tons) of *thermite*. Even<BR>
>>if it doesn't burn thru the hull, or important bulkheads, you'll have<BR>
>>this lump of steel welded to the deck. Try explaining *that* at a<BR>
>>normal shipyard!<BR>
><BR>
> It's so much easier when you can just "raise a level 10 containment field<BR>
> in cargo bay 4"<BR>
><BR>
> Of course the corsair is gambling that most people wouldn't want waste<BR>
> cargo volume carrying a couple of tons of explosives "just in case".<BR>
> OTOH, most PCs wouldn't consider carrying a couplke of tons of explosives<BR>
> a waste.<BR>
><BR>
> :-)<BR>
<BR>
Dialog on a corsair that's narrowly escaped being blown to bits....<BR>
<BR>
Leader: "From now on you *check* what the destination is! I *never*<BR>
         want to attack a ship carrying a load of explosives for a<BR>
         mining installation again! UNDERSTAND?"<BR>
<BR>
"Intel" type: <gulp> "Yessir!"<BR>
<BR>
After all, blasting supplies are a high value cargo, and not *that*<BR>
much of a risk.<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 18:04:12 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re Vargr Dangly Bits<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
>>Subject: Re: Vargr fashions<BR>
>><BR>
>>Many of you have written about "dangly parts" in this thread.<BR>
>>I have been around dogs my whole life and I can tell you for<BR>
>>a fact that when they walk upright (on two legs), they don't<BR>
>>have "dangly" parts.<BR>
><BR>
> Jason, don't forget that Vargr ARE NOT DOGS any more than HUMANS are<BR>
> chimps. Closely related, yes, but not the same. And, from the illos in AM3,<BR>
> if they have the attached sheath like dogs, it is much shorter. On most<BR>
> dogs I've known, it extends some 1/2 to 2/3 of the abdomen; the side view<BR>
> presented shows no signs of it. Also lacking is the Penile bone. Also, the<BR>
> illos show a fairly tight crotch on the cover illos; both vargr there are<BR>
> wearing trousers.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, given that Vargr have been modified to walk upright, the<BR>
sheath *has* to be "detached" or turned into a "foreskin". Otherwise,<BR>
consider the *mess* when a male Vargr tries to urinate while standing<BR>
(which should be the "default" for a biped!). <BR>
<BR>
I trust I don't have to give a description of the results if the change<BR>
*isn't* made?<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 18:25:55 -0800<BR>
From: Brian Jenkins <bjenk@sprintmail.com><BR>
Subject: FTF Gaming <BR>
<BR>
I wanted to relate what happened to me last Sunday in the hopes that it<BR>
will encourage those older Traveller players like myself (I am 41) who have<BR>
been trying to find a FTF game in their area.<BR>
<BR>
Last Sunday I was feeling low and decided to go to the local game store<BR>
here in San Diego to see what kind of game I could get into.  Of course I<BR>
have been wanting to play Traveller (I am an MT type) but had found no one<BR>
who was a Referee or who played.  I was about to take Swordy's advice and<BR>
make a sign that said "Will Referee for Traveller".  There were the usual<BR>
group of young players around playing Mechwarrior and D & D.  I decided<BR>
right then and there to just start a game of traveller no matter how long<BR>
it took.  I spread my material out on a corner of a table (took a few<BR>
elbows) and just started generating characters to help with the wait.  Well<BR>
a young couple came up and asked what I was doing and I told them about the<BR>
game.  Before long another fellow came up and told me he had heard of<BR>
traveller but had never actually seen it.  So I did what any good Ref would<BR>
do.  I enticed them into rolling characters.  Well I won't give all the<BR>
details other than to tell you I refereed my first game in 15 years and the<BR>
kids had a great time.  When we wrapped up our little scenario the first<BR>
thing they asked is when we could play again and could they invite some<BR>
friends.  Well now it looks like as long as I can keep them interested I<BR>
have the start of a campaign on my hands and I am already having a ball<BR>
working on the next session.  It is wonderful to see that the lure of<BR>
traveller on people has not diminished with time.  So if you are in an area<BR>
where there is no FTF gaming maybe you can start one.  I heartily encourage<BR>
you not to give up.  The Travellers are out there.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ------------------------------------<BR>
Brian Jenkins<BR>
bjenk@sprintmail.com<BR>
ICQ #1202483<BR>
"Vision can see a goal but only Courage will get you there."<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 20:29:06 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> <BR>
> Dialog on a corsair that's narrowly escaped being blown to bits....<BR>
> <BR>
> Leader: "From now on you *check* what the destination is! I *never*<BR>
>          want to attack a ship carrying a load of explosives for a<BR>
>          mining installation again! UNDERSTAND?"<BR>
> <BR>
> "Intel" type: <gulp> "Yessir!"<BR>
<BR>
Perhaps a talented amateur "intel type" would knuckle under this way.  A<BR>
_professional_ intel weenie would point out that he/she/it had mentioned<BR>
in the intel estimate that the enemy _had_ the capability to transport<BR>
explosive materials to mining installations, and blame the ops officer<BR>
for ignoring that capability in the Oplan.  _Real_ intel weenies always<BR>
mention enemy capabilities, regardless of the assessment of enemy<BR>
intentions.  That way, it's the planning side of the house that gets the<BR>
blame when things go wrong.  (I know.  I _am_ one.)<BR>
<BR>
See the movie version of _A Clear and Present Danger_ for details....<BR>
<BR>
<<snip>><BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 21:21:01 -0500<BR>
From: "Thom Harris" <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Web Hosting<BR>
<BR>
I have seen several people ask about web hosting and so forth. This is the<BR>
one I went with after doing about a months research on the subject.<BR>
YMMV!!!!!!<BR>
<BR>
http://www.networksolutions.com/cgi-bin/domain<BR>
<BR>
Very reasonable rates, large storage area, large transfer limits, cgi-bin,<BR>
multiple email accounts, Java allowed and more.I have been using them for<BR>
six months now and I am VERY happy with them....<BR>
<BR>
Thom Harris<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2000 12:09 AM<BR>
Subject: OT : Web Hosting<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Hey guys, I need some help here.  I'm trying to setup my own domain but I<BR>
am<BR>
> having problems determining if a domain name is taken.  I decided to go<BR>
with<BR>
> www.hostway.com for my webhosting, and I used their domain lookup to check<BR>
> on "www,j-man.com" and I was informed this was available, so I signed up<BR>
> with this.  A week later Hostway's company support emails back (after I<BR>
> asked why it still doesn't work) that someone ELSE owns this domain and if<BR>
> this is me (it wasn't), for a fee they could switch it over to a new<BR>
domain.<BR>
><BR>
> Also, I need to know who offers an affordable, HONEST domain hosting<BR>
> service.<BR>
><BR>
> Thanks for your time!<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>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 15:40:25 +1300<BR>
From: "Andrew Moffatt-Vallance" <a.vallance@netaccess.co.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: The Voice of Reason (Solomani Style) (long)<BR>
<BR>
Date sent:      	Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:57:24 +0000<BR>
From:           	SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
<BR>
> Go to the BITS website:<BR>
<BR>
> http://www.bits.org.uk/<BR>
<BR>
> Click on the archive page.<BR>
<BR>
> Download the 'Famille Spofulam Winter Catalogue' acrobat file.<BR>
<BR>
> Do not read when drinking.<BR>
<BR>
Shouldn't that be a health warning before you download?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Andrew etc<BR>
Homepage http://users.netaccess.co.nz/amv/<BR>
Traveller http://www.downport.com/amv/<BR>
 "What do you expect from a species who's females are<BR>
 always in heat" Ko of the Ilui clan on Humans and honour<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 12:44:12 +1000<BR>
From: "The Roc" <roc@kewl.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes...<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Kiri Aradia Morgan <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 2:41 AM<BR>
Subject: RE: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> Sheesh!  Why don't you guys just not worry about it?  Your female gunner<BR>
> could have had regenerative therapy instead.  If you can regrow a flocking<BR>
> liver, why not a flocking uterus?<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
And I thought the liver and uterus travelled in herds and only spleens flock<BR>
together?  Live and learn...<BR>
<BR>
- -- The Roc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 04:04:14 +0000 (GMT)<BR>
From: Michel R Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Economics of cargo charges<BR>
<BR>
On Mon, 10 Jan 2000, Luther Martin wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Can anyone help me out here? I was pondering the economics of merchants this<BR>
> morning, and I used a HG spreadsheet to create maximal (i.e. maximum cargo<BR>
> space) bulk cargo ships at TL 11, 12, and 13, to compare the cost per ton of<BR>
> cargo carried to 200, 400, and 800 ton merchants. Clearly, the cost is much<BR>
> higher for higher jump capable ships, but I recall that cargo fees are the<BR>
> same, whether the destination is 1, 2, or 3 hexes away. I doubt that you<BR>
	[snip]<BR>
<BR>
	Yep.  This is one of these "Done to death things".  For CT I have<BR>
a mechanism that fixes this and handles the disparity of lower TL campaign<BR>
millieus as well.  Let me know if you want to see it.<BR>
<BR>
	--Michel<BR>
<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
		Michel R. Vaillancourt<BR>
		misha@atlantic-online.ns.ca<BR>
<BR>
	   Dad, Hubby, MIS Manager, Gamer, Author, SCAdian....<BR>
		"Who the heck has the time to have a LIFE?"<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
		Into Cyberpunk?  Check Out:<BR>
		"http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/cp2020"<BR>
		Into Traveller?  Check Out:<BR>
		"http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/traveller"<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 13:04:48 +1000<BR>
From: "The Roc" <roc@kewl.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Language....<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Douglas E. Berry <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2000 12:30 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: Language....<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> At 11:57 PM 1/9/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> >I have often wondered what non-English speaking white people do in Japan.<BR>
><BR>
> Many of the foriegn tourists we carry make the assumption that nobody in<BR>
> the US speaks anything but English.<BR>
<BR>
I can say this for the "majority" of Japanese students AND teacher escorts<BR>
(those TE's that haven't been OS before that is).<BR>
<BR>
To make matters clear, I speak NO Japanese at all and have not endevoured to<BR>
do so (it does not make us prime host families if we do, as it is thought<BR>
that we - host families - will resort to speaking Japanese in tight<BR>
situations, voiding the reason for which these short stays are organised),<BR>
except the usual "welcome" and "yummy" and such - or Suzuki, Toyota, etc.<BR>
One of my daughters is learning, so in the introduction letter to the<BR>
student and his/her family, it is mentioned, so they expect ONE Aussie to<BR>
speak at least a little Japanese.<BR>
<BR>
Tour bus drivers are rather savvy and know the benefits of knowing certain<BR>
Japanese phrases and words, and the look of surprise when one speaks to a<BR>
group in Japanese is amazing in itself!<BR>
<BR>
Obversly, I personally assume that many, if not most, French, German, Dutch,<BR>
etc., all have a basic to good understanding of English - which was not<BR>
disputed by the couple of young Dutch ladies that visited my family just the<BR>
other night (one being the cousin of a bloke my wife chats to regularly on<BR>
IRC in the Netherlands).  When he set up the meeting between us and his<BR>
backpacking cousin, I asked if she spoke English, to which he replied that<BR>
"Any European worth their education(?) knows enough English to get around,<BR>
eat, and find a job in an English-speaking country."  When I put this to the<BR>
young ladies, they tended to agree,and indeed, they both spoke quite good<BR>
English.<BR>
<BR>
As an ObTrav:  With the diversity of worlds and education standards, I don't<BR>
see anything other than Galanglic being on this scale of commonality at all.<BR>
<BR>
- -- The Roc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 19:14:43 PST<BR>
From: "Gary Miles" <garyglennmiles@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: CT/MT Animals To G:T Animals<BR>
<BR>
David Spaketh Thusly:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> >From: "Gary Miles" <garyglennmiles@hotmail.com><BR>
> ><BR>
><BR>
> >Has anyone come up with a GOOD way to convert CT/MT animal statistics to<BR>
> >G:T? I have guestimated it the few times I've run G:T, but would prefer <BR>
>to<BR>
> >figure out an easier way.<BR>
><BR>
>I wasn't able to.  The best I was able to do was...<BR>
<BR>
[good stuff snipped]<BR>
<BR>
>______________________________<BR>
>summers@alum.mit.edu<BR>
<BR>
Thanks, David... I've had your G:T writeups in my harddrive since before SJG <BR>
published their G:T. It's good, but I was hoping someone might have come up <BR>
with a little more detailed. I'm probably going to just wing it with your <BR>
shortcuts...<BR>
<BR>
Gary<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 19:16:53 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Cipatwean cuisine<BR>
<BR>
This language thread put me in the mood to write about it in<BR>
character and context -- well, so did staying up way too late<BR>
working over the weekend.  For your amusement:<BR>
<BR>
*****************************************************<BR>
<BR>
So sophs we're actually get it on get it Cipatwe, and the<BR>
captain and the chief steward are such foodies that they don't<BR>
even want to stop for a drink in Startown, no they head straight<BR>
into the local neighborhoods looking for the "gourmet ghetto." <BR>
I go along, you know, I've had the same old same old many times<BR>
before and it looks like more shake shaking with the old gold<BR>
braiders.<BR>
<BR>
So we find this place highly recommended by that na-Baron whose<BR>
entourage took up practically a whole deck a few months ago<BR>
(yeah, the one with the Vargr pog band that used the viewing<BR>
area for rehearsals, and sometimes turned off the opacifier so<BR>
that they were playing with jump space "visible" all around<BR>
them, that na-Baron).  The address is right in Zagat's Guide to<BR>
Spinward Marches Dining which must be twenty five years out of<BR>
date but there it is, Shem's Place or maybe it was Shem's<BR>
Palace, which it wasn't, wasn't a palace, but just a glive dive<BR>
with a dingy mirror behind the bar reflecting candles at the<BR>
shrine at each end, no holograms or gravitics, and the staff<BR>
just wearing real cloth clothes clothes made of real cloth, so<BR>
we knew this was the real thing.  <BR>
<BR>
Well, a restaurant is a restaurant, so we got through how many<BR>
in your party and it'll be a few minutes would you like to sit<BR>
at the bar by pantomime, as we'd forgotten the translator box<BR>
aboard ship.  So we all get a little friendly with the locals<BR>
while we're drinking that Cipatwean beer, none of them speak<BR>
Galanglic or gods forbid old high Vilani, and pretty soon it's a<BR>
party of six heading for a table way in the back and Shem's,<BR>
while still not a palace, is looking a little bigger than glive.<BR>
<BR>
Well the menus are all in Cipatwean, all blocks and squiggles<BR>
except the prices in both Vilani and Galanglic numerals, and our<BR>
companions are obviously suggesting things but our stewie knows<BR>
what we want, even knows how to make some of the dishes himself,<BR>
but wants to reverse engineer from the real thing.  So the<BR>
waitress comes over young and pretty and big big smile and a<BR>
little note pad -- yeah paper and stylus! it was like being in a<BR>
historical holovid -- if we were on Rhylanor, I'd be afraid that<BR>
the bill would exceed my cash on hand for something so obviously<BR>
and expensively retro but it was natural here -- and asks what<BR>
we'd like, which of course she says in Cipatwean, but we know<BR>
what she means, because it's a restaurant, right?  <BR>
<BR>
So stewie tries out the name of a dish that I recognize (which<BR>
you'll see bodes poorly for his pronunciation), and the waitress<BR>
looks at him kind of blank like and he tries again, and tries<BR>
another, and she smiles and says something, and they go back and<BR>
forth like that a few times but absolutely no commo is happening<BR>
it's like when the Doggies jammed our comms at Boughene during<BR>
the war.  Just static.  Our new companions are all laughing and<BR>
smiling and trying to help, but it just gets funnier and funnier<BR>
and that Cipatwean beer is really stronger than I thought and<BR>
still stewie and the skipper can't make her understand what we<BR>
want and she finally is laughing so hard that tears are starting<BR>
to come out of her eyes.<BR>
<BR>
An older native gentleman, immaculately coiffed and wearing a<BR>
very colorful robe that I realize is get it embroidered get it<BR>
not printed in about a million colors -- all real cloth, I'm<BR>
sure of it -- comes over.  He was sitting at a table nearby, and<BR>
I'd noticed him and his companions smiling, then chuckling, then<BR>
trying not to blow soup through their noses while overhearing<BR>
us.  He says to us in pretty good Galanglic, "forgive my<BR>
impertinence, honor sirs" -- honor sirs no less! -- "perhaps you<BR>
would be so kind as to allow this humble one to make a gift of<BR>
his small skills with the language of our most exalted Emperor."<BR>
 <BR>
<BR>
Skipper smiles big and waves the hand that's not resting on the<BR>
shoulder of his new friend, waves expansively, like an admiral,<BR>
"please, most honorable one, can you help my chef order his<BR>
favorite dishes for our party?" <BR>
<BR>
"Well," says the Cipatwean with a little smile, "I am sure that<BR>
the honored chef does not favor fire-roasted transistors."<BR>
<BR>
And we all laughed and he and stewie got our order taken care of<BR>
and we ate and ate and drank and drank like local princes if not<BR>
Imperial nobles for practically nothing and afterwards our new<BR>
friends took us around to the all night market, and an ongoing<BR>
show of puppets and some small reptilian animals that seemed<BR>
very smart and could interact with the puppets like they were<BR>
all actors on a stage, in a play about palace intrigue, and<BR>
love, and coups, and honor, all universal themes that even the<BR>
lizard understood, and to a bar that sold only a very sweet but<BR>
slightly bitter liquor made, if I understood correctly, from the<BR>
fermented bodies of an insectoid's larva that lives in the<BR>
ground, but I hope I did not understand, and the man who'd<BR>
helped us at Shem's Palace found us near his house and invited<BR>
us all in, we three spacers and our three friends, and the man<BR>
and his family, and we sat up much of the night smoking smoke<BR>
cooled in water and drinking sweet hot drinks and trying to<BR>
learn a few important words in Cipatwean, like how lovely are<BR>
your eyes, until our commdots suddenly went buzzing on our<BR>
throats and we had to find a cab back to the ship fast as, but<BR>
that my soph is another story.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 19:18:29 -0800<BR>
From: Jesse DeGraff <jdegraff@pacbell.net><BR>
Subject: RE: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
Excuses excuses.  There's always Greyhound!<BR>
[duck, run, cover, don armor and load rifle :) ]<BR>
<BR>
Jesse<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
[mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Leonard<BR>
Erickson<BR>
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2000 5:45 PM<BR>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 02:50 AM 1/10/2000 PST, you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>>BTW, You were at Orycon? Sheesh! You should have said something on the<BR>
>>list!<BR>
><BR>
> In 1987.  Was there even a list at that point?<BR>
><BR>
> You should talk.. couldn't even drive down to Corvalis to join Mark, Jesse<BR>
> and myself in a little pointless mayhem.<BR>
<BR>
Since I can't drive *period* (never had a license) it's a bit more<BR>
excusable.<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 21:28:39 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Languages (was Re: JFK)<BR>
<BR>
>>over it, both of us being "Anglo" in Montreal...)<BR>
><BR>
>Sometimes I wonder whether the Quebecois actually speak French. <BR>
>The few that I've met understand my French perfectly, but I find<BR>
>it very difficult to understand them.  One Anglo friend from<BR>
>Canada had learned metropolitan French in high school, not<BR>
>Quebecois.  Now she's teaching physics at Universite de<BR>
>Montreal, in French.  <BR>
<BR>
Yes, the Quebecois actually speak French -- but it's not the same<BR>
French they speak in France. Then again, the English we speak here<BR>
in North America is not the same English that they speak in England.<BR>
<BR>
It always bugged the heck out of me, the fact that in school in the<BR>
English-speaking portions of Canada we learn Parisian French, not the<BR>
French spoken elsewhere in the country. I had relatives in the Montreal<BR>
area, I wanted to learn *their* language.<BR>
<BR>
If your friend still speaks "metropolitan" French, the natives would<BR>
just see her as speaking with accent...<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: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 04:40:24 GMT<BR>
From: j_pete@bellsouth.net (Pete)<BR>
Subject: Re: Rat dogs!<BR>
<BR>
On Mon, 10 Jan 2000 14:25:25 +1300, "Rupert Boleyn"<BR>
<rboleyn@paradise.net.nz> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>On 6 Jan 00, at 10:39, Kiri Aradia Morgan wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> But come on, do you really want various DOG BREEDS represented amongst the<BR>
>> Vargr?  Some shepherds and huskies might be cool but I personally do not<BR>
>> even want to contemplate Poodle-Vargr, let alone Chihuahua Vargr.<BR>
><BR>
>For the chihuahua's I have an answer. My parents once had this rather <BR>
>large siamese tomcat that is known to have eaten a chihuahua and <BR>
>possibly killed a pekinese.<BR>
<BR>
Now there's a siamese cat I just my learn to like!!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
================================================================================<BR>
- - Jeff Peterson                                             j_pete@bellsouth.net<BR>
"Everything has an end, except sausages, which have two."     -Viking Proverb<BR>
Pete 0609 D258A85-3 S kk- hi++ as+ va++ dr++ so zh- vi+ da++ A833<BR>
NOG #74  AirStar Nova 700<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 18:11:01 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: RAH (was Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On Sat, 8 Jan 2000 13:28:01 -0500 (EST), Glenn St-Germain<BR>
> <cos90@powersurfr.com> wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>>One thing I discovered when finding the RAH FAQ (which includes a complete<BR>
>>list of his works) -- there's a lot of early stuff that I never heard of<BR>
>>on the list. Sixth Column, for example. I started reading RAH in high <BR>
>>school, as the school library had a complete set of his "juvenile" works<BR>
>>and a few others (Starship Troopers, The Door Into Summer).<BR>
><BR>
> _Sixth_Column_ was originally published in the U.S. as<BR>
> _The_Day_After_Tomorrow_.  Decent read, if requiring a bit too<BR>
> much suspension of disbelief.<BR>
><BR>
>>Any ones in particular you'd suggest among "his earlier stuff"?<BR>
><BR>
> _Farnham's_Freehold_.  Different kind of stuff entirely.  Also,<BR>
> IMO, too much suspension of disbelief, but again, a reasonably<BR>
> decent read.<BR>
<BR>
I'd recommend *against* "Farnham's Freehold". Or at least extreme<BR>
caution. It's an ok story, but has a number of aspects that royally PO<BR>
many people.<BR>
<BR>
I'd advise grabbing a copy of "Assignment in Eternity" and "The Menace<BR>
From Earth" (which was recently re-released after being out of print<BR>
for decades).<BR>
<BR>
"Assignment in Eternity" has:<BR>
	"Gulf" (the "sort of prequel" to "Friday"),<BR>
	"Elsewhen" (a *strange* fantasy with some interesting ideas),<BR>
	"Lost Legacy" (another fantasy, that assumes a lot of "lost<BR>
		civilization" stuff is true),<BR>
	"Jerry was a Man" (an interesting look at the ethics of uplift.<BR>
		Trivial, but interesting)<BR>
<BR>
"The Menace From Earth" has:<BR>
	"The Year of the Jackpot" (what happens when *all* the cycles<BR>
		coincide?) <BR>
	"By His Bootstraps" (one of *the* classic time travel stories)<BR>
	"Columbus Was a Dope" (read it!)<BR>
	"The Menace from Earth" (trivial, but ok)<BR>
	"Sky Lift" (the story about the hi-g rescue mission)<BR>
	"Goldfish Bowl" (what an encounter with *really* superior life<BR>
		forms is likely to be like)<BR>
	"Project Nightmare" (psi power used in some novel ways)<BR>
	"Water is for Washing" (minor disaster story)<BR>
<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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1723<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1724</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest     Tuesday, January 11 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1724<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: traveller poll!<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Grav Pong/Boarding actions<BR>
heroes! and forgotten books<BR>
Armor: GURPS to TNE<BR>
RE: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
RE: Cipatwean cuisine<BR>
Pirate Ships (was Re: Marine Boarding Actions)<BR>
re:  FTF Gaming<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1722<BR>
RL and Trav Pirates<BR>
Re: Cipatwean cuisine<BR>
RE: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
Re: The female cycle<BR>
Re: Accessing Tankage<BR>
Preaching the One True Traveller<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 23:23:11 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: traveller poll!<BR>
<BR>
On 01/10/00 at 11:17 PM,  shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) said:<BR>
<BR>
>Much to my surprise, I found out that a couple of Religious groups have<BR>
>*their own* versions of Scouting, because they find something about the<BR>
>BSA objectionable. Do a search on "Royal Rangers" (it's a *US* group!).<BR>
<BR>
It looks like the Royal Rangers are associated with the Assembly of<BR>
God churches.  They also appear to have infected, um spread, well<BR>
you get the idea, outside the US into various other countries.  I'm<BR>
surprised I've never heard of them.<BR>
<BR>
Ob Traveller, Marc has a pre-18 career in his T5 samples.  I think<BR>
the idea is for it to represent membership in some sort of<BR>
Scout-like group.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 21:49:43 -0800<BR>
From: "Bruce Macintosh" <bruce.macintosh@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
>I think that one key element is being disregarded in these calculations:<BR>
>settling time for the turret. You calculate where you think the target is<BR>
>and point your laser there. But when things actually move, it is difficult<BR>
>to get them to move to an extremely precise location.<BR>
<BR>
>Suppose that your laser is 1 m long and that you are firing at a target<BR>
>100,000 km away. If the end of your weapon is off by even 0.1 micron, then<BR>
>your beam is off by 10 m at the target range. It will take a very advanced<BR>
>control system to move the turrets this accurately. Note that this error is<BR>
>roughly the same magnitude as the error from people's calculations for error<BR>
>due to evasion.<BR>
<BR>
This turns out not to be that hard. Rather than steer the whole big laser<BR>
tube (which probably won't be a tube, of course, but that's a seperate issue)<BR>
you steer a small-to-medium "steering mirror" that the laser beam bounces<BR>
of of (probably not even the "main" mirror, the large one that launches the<BR>
beam, but a smaller mirror upstream.) Turning the mirror turns the beam.<BR>
Small mirrors can have their positions controlled with remarkable<BR>
accuracy - much easier to move than big honking lasers.<BR>
<BR>
For even better control, you have a sensor looking along exactly the<BR>
same optical path as the laser will fire along. You can then control the<BR>
steering mirror with a feedback loop; the feedback loop moves the mirror<BR>
so the target stays centered on the sensor, the sensor is pre-aligned<BR>
with respect to the laser beam, so the fact that the target is on the sensor<BR>
means that the beam is guaranteed a hit (unless the target moves out<BR>
of the way.)<BR>
<BR>
Systems like this ("tip/tilt" control loops) exist in modern astronomical<BR>
adaptive optics, for example; they can stabilize the image seen by a<BR>
telescope - a rather large piece of metal being shaken by wind, mechanical<BR>
flexure, and wretched mis-designed oil pump systems (don't ask), to<BR>
within a few milliarcseconds, or a ~tens of nanoradians, even with<BR>
current technology, which translates into a meter at 100,000 km.<BR>
<BR>
>Imagine how these vibrations would have affected<BR>
>a laser trying to hit a target 100,000 km away.<BR>
These sorts of systems can also cancel out vibrations (as long as the sensor<BR>
is close enough to the laser that they're vibrating together); they're<BR>
used in big laser systems (where "big" = building-sized/multi-kilowatt) as<BR>
well.<BR>
<BR>
>Anyway, back to the settling time. Even if you ignore vibrations, it will<BR>
>take a finite amount of time to get your laser *accurately* pointed in the<BR>
>right direction, so that the time lag in the calculations discussed on the<BR>
>TML may be far too low.<BR>
<BR>
Since you're not accurately pointing the whole laser tube (you just need to<BR>
aim that in the rough direction of the target), just the steering mirror,<BR>
the system can respond very rapidly - a good tip/tilt system updates at<BR>
a hundred hertz or more.<BR>
<BR>
This leads to Macintosh's first rule of space combat: Lasers Don't Miss.<BR>
(Unless, as modified by the second rule, the target moves out of the way.)<BR>
Since lasers are just moving around light, and light is easy to control,<BR>
laser accuracy is essentially perfect until speed-of-light-lag comes into<BR>
play.<BR>
<BR>
Sometime this century this is going to be a real shock for fighter pilots,<BR>
once laser weapons are commonly fielded, as they discover that the<BR>
speed and agility of their aircraft is no defence at all...<BR>
<BR>
This was discussed in great detail on this list and the (lamented)<BR>
GDW-beta/Trav-Tech-List; perhaps we need a techno-FAQ...<BR>
<BR>
Bruce<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 21:52:40 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Grav Pong/Boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
It's been written that boarding could easily be made<BR>
very dificult by the defending ship by its spinning on<BR>
its axis, and so on, relatively little movement<BR>
causing a bog headache for the boarders.<BR>
<BR>
I've two thoughts on this, from experience GMing MTU.<BR>
First is that defenders are usually firing their<BR>
ship's weapons at the attacking ship, and so like to<BR>
keep their firing platform, ie their own ship,<BR>
relatively stable, so their gunners or missiles have a<BR>
reasonable chance of hitting. Of course when the ship<BR>
gets too close they might want to stop firing, so that<BR>
its explosion doesn't damage them. Or they might not,<BR>
it all depends on the tactics of the race, navy, and<BR>
commanders on the spot, as well of course as the<BR>
situation. <BR>
Second is that IMTU ships have the space-bourne<BR>
equivalent of boarding grapnels, basically big hooks<BR>
with ropes that hook onto ships. Then they have a<BR>
boarding ram, a big reinforced airlock tube with<BR>
mighty claws that dig into the attacked ship. A hole's<BR>
then blown or cut into the side, and the boarders pour<BR>
in. Of course they may not have the luxury then of<BR>
deciding exactly where to board, but again that's a<BR>
question of the commander's tactics. <BR>
The defending ship of course can continue to spin and<BR>
turn and so on, but risks tearing great hunks of<BR>
itself off. Whether this is worse than being boarded<BR>
depends on the boarders, I guess!<BR>
This boarding ram is known to players who've<BR>
experienced it as "the Rottweiler".<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>
"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>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:11:33 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: heroes! and forgotten books<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> > Don't be ridiculous! Don't you know that fictional<BR>
> heroes never urinate,<BR>
> > defecate, menstruate or any other sort of -ate?!<BR>
> The can leap from air raft<BR>
> > to air raft without messing up their hair too! You<BR>
> can be so unrealistic!<BR>
> > Jim<BR>
> <BR>
> <Rev. Jackson><BR>
> Now let us not be overly hasty. There are those<BR>
> heroes of a fictional nature<BR>
> whom have been known to cogitate. And others who<BR>
> readily agitate. Neither<BR>
> (roll eyes, shrug) should we forget that some may<BR>
> calibrate. A Mr. Scotty<BR>
> comes to mind, but the point is moot. Suffice it to<BR>
> say that many heroes may<BR>
> perform /some/ actions ending in the suffix "-ate".<BR>
> </Rev. Jackson><BR>
<BR>
IMTU, in all my games, actually, many of the pc heroes<BR>
urinate and defecate, usually the first time they get<BR>
shot at. They also vomit(ate?) when they first see a<BR>
bullet-ridden body... The heroism becomes not the<BR>
bland indifference to explosions and bloodshed so<BR>
beloved of Southern Californian movie directors, but<BR>
the heroism of being scared, but doing what needs to<BR>
be done anyway.<BR>
<BR>
Which reminds me of a book I read recently which I<BR>
quite enjoyed but failed to note down the title of,<BR>
I'm sure someone here has read it. In it a young<BR>
ensign is assigned to a merchant ship, a passenger<BR>
liner, which is going on a long voyage. His navy is<BR>
rather like to British Navy of the 1700s, or early<BR>
1800s. A series of misadventures leave him the senior<BR>
officer, he even has to recruit (press gang) young<BR>
passengers as officer cadets to have a full complement<BR>
of officers. He faces near mutiny from his crew, the<BR>
first ever hostile boarding in space, and the first<BR>
contact with an alien species (also hostile). He<BR>
manages (just) to pull through and get everyone safely<BR>
home.<BR>
Anyone else read this? IMTU I'm basing a region<BR>
heavily on British-style navy and the like, and would<BR>
love to, um, "borrow" such ideas.<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>
"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>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 00:10:23 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Armor: GURPS to TNE<BR>
<BR>
On 01/10/00 at 11:58 PM,  "David L. Pulver" <dlpulver@kos.net> said:<BR>
<BR>
>The simplest way to do this is to look at what the statistics represent.<BR>
>Fortunately, TNE (unlike Megatrav and CT) and GURPS both track armor on<BR>
>the same scale, i.e., as linear values directly equating with thickness<BR>
>of material.<BR>
<BR>
>In TNE, 2 cm of hard steel has AV of 1 (FFS, p. 38).<BR>
>In GURPS Vehicles, 1 inch of hard steel has DR 70 (GURPS Vehicles 2nd Ed,<BR>
>p. 4) and thus 2 cm has DR 56.<BR>
<BR>
>Thus:<BR>
>1 AV =  DR 56.  Multiply AV by 56 to get DR.<BR>
>DR 1 = AV 1/56.  Divide DR by 56 to get AV.<BR>
<BR>
Are you sure?  If I haven't been reading it wrong all these years,<BR>
FFS lists the Toughness of Hard Steel as 2, that's 2 AV for 1 cm.<BR>
<BR>
Thus for Hard Steel:<BR>
<BR>
0.5 cm = 1/5" = 1 AV<BR>
2.5 cm = 1"   = 5 AV = DR 70<BR>
<BR>
and dividing both sides by 5 we get<BR>
 <BR>
1 AV = DR 14<BR>
<BR>
Multiply AV by 14 to get DR and Divide DR by 14 to get AV.<BR>
<BR>
And, if you use FFS2 armor values the factor is 9.8 to 1.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
If I have this wrong, I've really screwed up my designs.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 17:18:58 +1000<BR>
From: david.d.jaques-watson@centrelink.gov.au<BR>
Subject: RE: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
Dear Folks -<BR>
<BR>
Jesse said:<BR>
>Excuses excuses.  There's always Greyhound!<BR>
<BR>
Tut tut, for shame, Jesse.<BR>
<BR>
We all _know_ you mean *G-Hound*!<BR>
<BR>
- - Hyphen<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 19:35:50 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Cipatwean cuisine<BR>
<BR>
> [mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Glenn Goffin<BR>
<BR>
> So sophs we're actually get it on get it Cipatwe, and the<BR>
> captain and the chief steward are such foodies that they don't<BR>
> even want to stop for a drink in Startown, no they head straight<BR>
> into the local neighborhoods looking for the "gourmet ghetto." <BR>
> I go along, you know, I've had the same old same old many times<BR>
> before and it looks like more shake shaking with the old gold<BR>
> braiders.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
double-plus ultra good, droogie.<BR>
<BR>
Encore, repititiition, and more of the same !<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 01:52:12 EST<BR>
From: GypsyComet@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Pirate Ships (was Re: Marine Boarding Actions)<BR>
<BR>
"Alan Bradley" <alanb@elf.brisnet.org.au> sez:<BR>
<BR>
>> From: Postmark Design Bureau <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
>> Jim & Peta Lawrie wrote:<BR>
>> >     I assume the "Corsair" ship was originally designed for the<BR>
opposite<BR>
>> > purpose, piracy suppression. Having a special design ship for<BR>
privateering<BR>
>> > seems to negate the idea a little.<BR>
>> <BR>
>> There are many possibilities - a fast fat trader, a salvage ship to<BR>
recover<BR>
>> free traders, a supply ship designed to ferry around small SDBs, fighters<BR>
>> and shuttles, a Vargr counter design to the type A, even a design built<BR>
by<BR>
>> a megacorp for a trade war against a free trader cooperative. <BR>
><BR>
>IMTU, the "corsair" was originally a naval utility vessel.  It can carry<BR>
>small quantities of cargo, and personnel, and if need be can be pressed<BR>
>into service as a convoy escort.<BR>
<BR>
 I decided the classic Type P was actually an old and ubiquitous merchant <BR>
design, akin to the "Stock Light Freighter" of Star Wars. Much maligned by <BR>
Vilani aesthetes for its form, and thus loved by Solomani-descended merchants <BR>
and shipyarders as an alternative hullform to the Type-R. Because the <BR>
original design is unstreamlined, every shipyard that builds these has their <BR>
own flavor of streamlined overlay, causing wide variation in surface details <BR>
despite being the same ship underneath.<BR>
 (An example can be had by looking at the "Bird of Paradise" on my webpage.)<BR>
 The USL base also encourages customer-originated customization, both during <BR>
construction and later. The most common mods are an underslung external <BR>
grapple (sometimes big enough to cart off a whole Type-S, but usually meant <BR>
for a 30-50 ton subcraft of some sort), bigger engines (both decks lend <BR>
themselves to customized engineering spaces), and the "40-ton stretch" which <BR>
actually makes the ship 10% larger.  Obviously the wings vary quite a bit, <BR>
being completely absent in some cases.<BR>
 When one of these ships crosses the line into piracy, there are some <BR>
shipyards (including some of the same yards that build these in the first <BR>
place; see below) that will add the chameleonic features, allowing the ship <BR>
to alter the position of some hull plates (which renders even an originally <BR>
SL ship into a USL design, since the surface plates aren't firmly attached <BR>
anymore), change the shape and position of the wings, and alter the markings <BR>
and coloration of the hull, as well as provide a variable transponder. These <BR>
features allow the pirate to look like any number of other examples of his <BR>
hull class.<BR>
 The fact that there are so many of these ships provides camouflage to the <BR>
few bad apples in the bunch. It is commonly held (in certain circles) that <BR>
some shipyards that build these ships do so specifically to provide the <BR>
necessary cover for the corsairs. What these yards get out of the deal has <BR>
been the subject of numerous audits by the Imperial Skyport Authority <BR>
Financial Division. So far, no clear pattern has been found, much to the <BR>
satisfaction of most of the ISAFD but of high consternation to the Office of <BR>
Financial Inquisition, the covert branch of the ISAFD (you KNEW there was <BR>
going to be one...), since they are quite certain they just haven't looked in <BR>
all the right places yet...<BR>
<BR>
GypsyComet<BR>
http://member.aol.com/gypsycomet/index.html<BR>
<BR>
PS: since the messages I post to both the TML and Deckplans lists seem to hit <BR>
the TML about 8 days after hitting the deckplans list, I'm NOT going to do <BR>
that anymore...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 22:39:41 -0800<BR>
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <gmgoffin@pacbell.net><BR>
Subject: re:  FTF Gaming<BR>
<BR>
> From: Brian Jenkins <bjenk@sprintmail.com><BR>
 <BR>
> I wanted to relate what happened to me last Sunday in the hopes that it<BR>
> will encourage those older Traveller players like myself (I am 41) who have<BR>
> been trying to find a FTF game in their area.<BR>
<BR>
Bravo!  Hooking the young ... er, getting young people involved is<BR>
critical for the lasting success of the game.  I'm glad you had such<BR>
excellent results.  <BR>
<BR>
If you're ever in the SF area, let us know.  I'll email you if I ever<BR>
get to San Diego (I spent much of one summer there on business several<BR>
years ago).<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:27:20 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
>> <BR>
> <<snip>><BR>
>> <BR>
>> Dialog on a corsair that's narrowly escaped being blown to bits....<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Leader: "From now on you *check* what the destination is! I *never*<BR>
>>          want to attack a ship carrying a load of explosives for a<BR>
>>          mining installation again! UNDERSTAND?"<BR>
>> <BR>
>> "Intel" type: <gulp> "Yessir!"<BR>
><BR>
> Perhaps a talented amateur "intel type" would knuckle under this way.  A<BR>
> _professional_ intel weenie would point out that he/she/it had mentioned<BR>
> in the intel estimate that the enemy _had_ the capability to transport<BR>
> explosive materials to mining installations, and blame the ops officer<BR>
> for ignoring that capability in the Oplan.  _Real_ intel weenies always<BR>
> mention enemy capabilities, regardless of the assessment of enemy<BR>
> intentions.  That way, it's the planning side of the house that gets the<BR>
> blame when things go wrong.  (I know.  I _am_ one.)<BR>
<BR>
I had "intel" in quotes on purpose. I figure that *no* "ethically<BR>
challenged merchants" count as truly *professional*. Talented amateurs<BR>
at best, and mostly *no*-talent wannabees. <BR>
<BR>
> See the movie version of _A Clear and Present Danger_ for details....<BR>
<BR>
No thanks. They butchered the book.<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:31:12 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>> In mail you write:<BR>
>><BR>
>>> At 02:50 AM 1/10/2000 PST, you wrote:<BR>
>>><BR>
>>>>BTW, You were at Orycon? Sheesh! You should have said something on the<BR>
>>>>list!<BR>
>>><BR>
>>> In 1987.  Was there even a list at that point?<BR>
>>><BR>
>>> You should talk.. couldn't even drive down to Corvalis to join Mark, Jesse<BR>
>>> and myself in a little pointless mayhem.<BR>
>><BR>
>> Since I can't drive *period* (never had a license) it's a bit more<BR>
>> excusable.<BR>
<BR>
> Excuses excuses.  There's always Greyhound!<BR>
> [duck, run, cover, don armor and load rifle :) ]<BR>
<BR>
I may not drive, but I *can* do chemistry...<BR>
<BR>
<Jesse notes a *lot* of purple crystals scattered around his bunker,<BR>
with trails of them leading into the *open* door of the explosives<BR>
magazine...> <BR>
<BR>
BOOM!<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: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 19:59:28 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
>> Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
>> <<snip>><BR>
>>> Dialog on a corsair that's narrowly escaped being blown to bits....<BR>
>>> Leader: "From now on you *check* what the destination is! I *never*<BR>
>>>          want to attack a ship carrying a load of explosives for a<BR>
>>>          mining installation again! UNDERSTAND?"<BR>
>>> "Intel" type: <gulp> "Yessir!"<BR>
>><BR>
<Snip>.  _Real_ intel weenies always<BR>
>> mention enemy capabilities, regardless of the assessment of enemy<BR>
>> intentions.  That way, it's the planning side of the house that gets the<BR>
>> blame when things go wrong.  (I know.  I _am_ one.)<BR>
><BR>
>I had "intel" in quotes on purpose. I figure that *no* "ethically<BR>
>challenged merchants" count as truly *professional*. Talented amateurs<BR>
>at best, and mostly *no*-talent wannabees.<BR>
><BR>
>> See the movie version of _A Clear and Present Danger_ for details....<BR>
>No thanks. They butchered the book.<BR>
>Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
<BR>
    Its an open secret that modern day pirates give kick backs to corrupt<BR>
customs officials, it seems highly suspicious when the go directlty to a<BR>
high value container and open that one only.<BR>
    Jim<BR>
(PS: Tom Clancy hasn't written a decent book yet.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 08:58:21 +0000<BR>
From: Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1722<BR>
<BR>
Glenn Goffin wrote:<BR>
>"Finska? Ar Du Finska?" / "Finsk? De er Finsk?" while looking at<BR>
>me like I was insane (apparently no Finn would ever even attempt<BR>
>to find out if the Swede or Norwegian to whom he is speaking<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
LOL!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>speaks any Finnish, and with good reason -- Finnish grammar is<BR>
>so different from that of Teutonic languages that it's extremely<BR>
>difficult to learn).<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Isn't it the language of heaven?  It takes eternity to learn...<BR>
<BR>
(Actually, a rather lovely young Finn told me that it was Jesus who<BR>
answered the question on everyone's lips as to what language would be<BR>
spoken in heaven when he announced as one of his last words on the cross...<BR>
It is Finnish...)  (Sorry)<BR>
<BR>
I've yet to meet a Finn who hasn't claimed that Finnish is so difficult<BR>
even the Finns have trouble with it.  I certainly got a bit boggled at the<BR>
16 or 17 cases.  (German has just 4 which was hard enough for me.)  Perhaps<BR>
our residents from Suomi can tell us how 'literate' they feel in their own<BR>
language.  (And is something like _Kalevala_ regarded as easy reading or<BR>
does it have complex grammatical structures?)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Jason (from another thread), my apologies for using 'potty' in an<BR>
international forum.  In the UK it can either mean the (usually) plastic<BR>
container a toddler learns to go the toilet on, or someone who is slightly<BR>
deranged (in a kind of eccentric sort of way rather than actually insane).<BR>
I was using it in the latter sense.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
OB TRAV: Has the Traveller language/culture list identified a Traveller<BR>
language that is just too difficult for anyone in the Imperium to bother to<BR>
learn?  Perhaps one of the 101 institutes can contain the one professor in<BR>
known space who tries to teach it.  His classes are not well attended.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
tc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 20:09:09 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: RL and Trav Pirates<BR>
<BR>
>Jim & Peta Lawrie <jimpeta@primus.com.au> wrote:<BR>
>>     Random thought, there's some funky planets in the marches with TL's<BR>
>> around "D" and Hi pop/0 Law. It may be dangerous in system around these<BR>
>> planets due to swarms of non-starships that congregate around other<BR>
>> planetary bodies in a similiar fashion to the RL pirates north of<BR>
>Australia<BR>
>> that swarm about Malaysia and Indonesia. Here would be actual pirate<BR>
bases<BR>
>> and the government doesn't seem overly concerned about their activities.<BR>
I<BR>
>> wonder what a non-starship pirate group would be composed of? With high G<BR>
>> ratings you would have little chance of evading them.<BR>
><BR>
>Even if the government doesn't put down such nastiness,<BR>
>the local merchants that profit from interstellar trade would.<BR>
>--<BR>
>Jason<BR>
<BR>
    Well, to have a situation similiar to the one I mentioned you'd need<BR>
certain conditions. The middle class would still be relatively weak, for<BR>
pirates you need a lot of people in a closed society who are in space that<BR>
can become part-time pirates. Belters and Gas Giant miners? If the target<BR>
ships have to pass through an area where communication and/or thier capacity<BR>
to manoeuvre is limited its even better, but I don't know enough about<BR>
astrophysics to comment. Having a customs service that is either drawn from<BR>
these people or is paid badly helps too. The produce from the planet would<BR>
have to be very attractive, probably cheap knock-offs of standard Imperial<BR>
goods which turn a large profit.<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 09:11:38 +0000<BR>
From: Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk<BR>
Subject: Re: Cipatwean cuisine<BR>
<BR>
Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>This language thread put me in the mood to write about it in<BR>
>character and context -- well, so did staying up way too late<BR>
>working over the weekend.  For your amusement:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Amused and edified.  More please.  (Or should that be 'seconds'?)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
There, *nothing* is off topic if it results in something as excellent as<BR>
that post.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks<BR>
<BR>
tc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 10:39:30 +0000<BR>
From: Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk<BR>
Subject: RE: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
"Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>> On Behalf Of Leonard Erickson<BR>
>><BR>
>> In hot weather a light "dress" (aka SCA "robe") is a *lot* more<BR>
>> comfortable than trousers *or* shorts.<BR>
<BR>
>There's a polynesian "dress" that men wear a lot over here. Can't remember<BR>
>the name for it, but I think it starts with 'm'. Mu-mu or something like<BR>
>that.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I seem to recall that in Papua New Guinea men commonly wore a 'lap lap'<BR>
which was bascially a single piece of cloth wrapped round the waist and<BR>
formally worn neat and down to the shoes, less formally worn short (say,<BR>
above the knees if I recall).  My brother has one I brought back hanging on<BR>
the wall.<BR>
<BR>
Interestingly, on the ship I was on, many of the males took to wearing<BR>
these 'skirts' much to the amusement of many of the ladies on the ship.<BR>
Whilst we were in PNG and on voyage to New Zealand they were a common<BR>
sight.  As soon as we arrived in Auckland however, I never saw one worn<BR>
again!<BR>
<BR>
tc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 23:57:26 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: The female cycle<BR>
<BR>
On 7 Jan 00, at 23:04, Kiri Aradia Morgan wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> I do believe that TL 15 should have dead on 100% reliable birth control of<BR>
> some kind.  And as I said when I protested "pregnancy rolls" in D & D, any<BR>
> society which has figured out resurrection of the dead has almost certainly<BR>
> mastered control of fertility!<BR>
<BR>
When it comes to fantasy rpgs this is something that I've always <BR>
thought strange. It's right along with there being all those wonderful <BR>
animal control, holding, charm, etc spells and no bug repellant magic.<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: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 02:30:12 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Accessing Tankage<BR>
<BR>
>"William F. Hostman" wrote:<BR>
>> 5) if you have failures in integrity, you are going to be mixing<BR>
>> hydrogen and an oxygen-(whatever) mix.... Oxy-Helium would be bad,<BR>
>> but just think about nitrogen-hydrogen-oxygen compounds... some do<BR>
>> some very nasty things.<BR>
><BR>
>An air-hydrogen mix is almost explosive. The higher the oxygen content<BR>
>in the air, the more explosive the mix gets. A pure oxygen-hydrogen mix<BR>
>is dangerous.<BR>
<BR>
Drop the "Almost" from the above.  Oxygen introduced to pure (or nearly<BR>
pure) hydrogen or hydrogen derivatives amonia and methane is an explosive<BR>
mix, at least if there is an ignition source.<BR>
<BR>
What I meant is, after the explosion or flame, you get some nasty stuff...<BR>
Especially if you introduce a little carbon in, too... CO2, after all, is a<BR>
component. Some HCNO3, and other nasty nitrous/nitric/nitride stuffs. So,<BR>
if it weren't bad enough you're starting to freeze, when they thaw you<BR>
(assuming you froze quickly enough) you are covered in nasty<BR>
nitrogen-compounds...<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 02:39:12 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Preaching the One True Traveller<BR>
<BR>
Yesterday, an acquaintance contacted me, having recently returned from the<BR>
(literally) Frozen Desert of Fairbanks, where he's Attending the University<BR>
of Alaska Fairbanks, as a Theater Major. The Boy can ROLE PLAY quite<BR>
well... I'd  told him a good bit about the Imperium last summer. He begged<BR>
for info on getting a hold of some traveller rules (He's not really a GURPS<BR>
type), so I loaned him a spare set of MT, and gave him a thrashed copy of<BR>
_The Traveller Book_, since that explains many bit more clearly than does<BR>
MT (In fact, I tend to refer to my other copy of TTB when running MT...).<BR>
<BR>
I'm even going to E-mail him a copy of the errata.... and he's permission<BR>
to pencil in the corrections...<BR>
<BR>
He's planning on running a game of Traveller, simply to provide variety to<BR>
a drab and white wolf dominated area.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1724<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1725</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
Date:	1/11/00 10:08:16 AM Pacific Standard Time<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Tuesday, January 11 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1725<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>
Other Human Beings<BR>
Re: Ideas to ponder...<BR>
Re: Economics of cargo charges<BR>
Re: Language....<BR>
Re: heroes! and forgotten books<BR>
Scouts (Re: traveller poll!)<BR>
Re: The P-Word (was Marine Boarding Actions)<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: RAH<BR>
Re: Cipatwean cuisine<BR>
Re: The female cycle<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: Cipatwean cuisine<BR>
Re: Language....<BR>
RE: Armor: GURPS to TNE<BR>
OT :  Frames<BR>
Re: OT :  Frames<BR>
Re: KFC<BR>
Re: OT :  Frames<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 22:44:56 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Other Human Beings<BR>
<BR>
    I've just been watching "The Human Journey" documentary and I must say<BR>
how absolutely amazed I am! I had no idea that the concept of Homo<BR>
Neanderthal had been revised in such a dramatic fashion. I had thought of<BR>
these people as essentially ape-men and now I find that they had a similar<BR>
brain size, stood erect, were unwarlike although immensely strong and<BR>
coexisted with Homo Sapiens until their quiet, stay at home habits doomed<BR>
them. It appears that they had a culture very similar to us as well, I<BR>
wonder how many other things I was taught at school are so fundamentally<BR>
wrong.<BR>
    (I may well be going over old ground here)<BR>
    The Ancients seemed to have a marked dislike in doing anything the same<BR>
way between 'cultures.' Is it possible that various Ancient missions were<BR>
sent to Terra and took a series of samples rather than the few that are<BR>
listed in canon? The Ancients seemed to take a long view of everything, were<BR>
ageless robots monitoring human evolution and picking a sample of each new<BR>
race that evolved in the quest for a good servitor race? What an amazing<BR>
variety could be used in the campaign! (Maybe this is why the Solomani<BR>
aren't keen on exploring any further, they could have found them). These<BR>
peoples would be in no way inferior to Homo Sapiens, they would just be<BR>
Different.<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 05:55:14 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Ideas to ponder...<BR>
<BR>
I've used the concept before in my Traveller games. When I did my origin<BR>
of the pirate band 'Webrunners' (originally created by Paranoid Press<BR>
for their Beyond sector) for my campaign, I made them a group of Free<BR>
Traders that got afoul of an interplanetary grouping due to 'changes' in<BR>
cargo legality and had to turn pirate to survive.<BR>
<BR>
In a campaign in the early 80's the Free Trader I was specialist<BR>
steward/gunner on captured a corsair that attempted to capture us. Upon<BR>
landing with our prize we were feted as heroes until port authority<BR>
descovered 'illegal' drugs in our cargo.  In the course of evading<BR>
capture with the help of friendly locals we discovered that the drugs<BR>
were made illegal the same day we landed.  And the pirate ship we<BR>
captured had been repaired and its crew released.  Further investigation<BR>
revealed that the pirates were allied with the planetary government.  We<BR>
barely escaped by having to steal a ship.<BR>
<BR>
I made it an Imperial edict that all starships must update their data<BR>
upon planetfall and that all planets in the Imperium MUST keep up to<BR>
date data and willing release it to traders and ship crew.  However,<BR>
like real life, some planets are better at keeping in line with official<BR>
regs than others.  <BR>
darkhstarr<BR>
<BR>
John Osborne wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Just an adventure idea to ponder and debate (with preceeding real life<BR>
> situation that made me think of this)  -<BR>
> <BR>
> Back in november, a hobby electronics company (ramsey electronics) got<BR>
> raided by the FBI due to the alleged "surreptitous" uses of some of their<BR>
> hobby kits (telephone bugs, FM transmitters, cameras hidden in smoke<BR>
> detectors and alarm clocks).  Anyway, next time your PC's get a cargo, you<BR>
> could make it interesting, and have it be somehting that might not be<BR>
> kosher at their next destination ("I'm sorry Mr Free Trader, but we have<BR>
> to impound these meson communicator kits.  Terrorists might use these to<BR>
> make meson guns [1] ).<BR>
> <BR>
> Ideas?  Expansions upon this?<BR>
> <BR>
> John Osborne<BR>
> osborne6@wt.net   osborne6@msu.edu<BR>
> "I love the smell of fdisk in the morning"<BR>
> <BR>
> [1]  Yes, I know, you probably can't make a meson gun from a meson<BR>
> communicator, but this just illustrates the cluelessness of starport<BR>
> officials who flunked their highschool science classes.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 11:59:10 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Economics of cargo charges<BR>
<BR>
"Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com> asked:<BR>
<BR>
>...What factor am I overlooking?<BR>
<BR>
The freight and speculative cargo system was designed to help referee a<BR>
group of PCs<BR>
running a Type A free trader.[*]<BR>
<BR>
Since this is jump-1 with no spare fuel, the next published destination is<BR>
always<BR>
jump-1 away.<BR>
<BR>
Extrapolating the Imperial economy from this risks being misleading.<BR>
<BR>
GT Far Trader is the only Traveller system that is designed to be used to<BR>
do this.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
[* eg there isn't enough freight and passengers to fill a 1kdT ship between<BR>
two<BR>
      adjacent high tech high pop worlds]<BR>
<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 12:10:21 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Language....<BR>
<BR>
> On Mon, 10 Jan 2000, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> > At the next stoplight, Bill turned around and said (roughly)<BR>
> > "Wenn du mgen zu wissen, kann voran dein Flug treffen."<BR>
<BR>
Between Bruce Johnson:<BR>
<BR>
>Well, according to babelfish it means:<BR>
><BR>
>"If you may know, can in front your flight meet." <BR>
<BR>
and Douglas E. Berry:<BR>
<BR>
> "I'd show you, if you didn't have flight." more or less.<BR>
<BR>
we get:<BR>
<BR>
"I'd show you, if you didn't have a flight to catch*."<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
[* or "meet"]<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 04:16:24 -0800<BR>
From: "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: heroes! and forgotten books<BR>
<BR>
> Anyone else read this? IMTU I'm basing a region<BR>
> heavily on British-style navy and the like, and would<BR>
> love to, um, "borrow" such ideas.<BR>
<BR>
That sounds like 'Midshipman's Hope' by David Feintuch<BR>
<BR>
If you liked it, you should read the other books in the series;<BR>
'Challenger's Hope'<BR>
'Prisoner's Hope'<BR>
'Fisherman's Hope'<BR>
and 'Voices of Hope'<BR>
<BR>
Wayne<BR>
wewart@home.com<BR>
icq22113294<BR>
http://www.members.home.net/wewart/wewart/traveller/<BR>
<BR>
Give a man fire and he is warm for the night.<BR>
Set a man on fire and he is warm all his life.<BR>
- - Terry Pratchett<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 04:01:39 -0800<BR>
From: Keith Johnson <keithalanjohnson@home.com><BR>
Subject: Scouts (Re: traveller poll!)<BR>
<BR>
At 06:37 AM 1/11/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
> >Much to my surprise, I found out that a couple of Religious groups have<BR>
> >*their own* versions of Scouting, because they find something about the<BR>
> >BSA objectionable. Do a search on "Royal Rangers" (it's a *US* group!).<BR>
><BR>
>It looks like the Royal Rangers are associated with the Assembly of<BR>
>God churches.  They also appear to have infected, um spread, well<BR>
>you get the idea, outside the US into various other countries.  I'm<BR>
>surprised I've never heard of them.<BR>
<BR>
I'm an Eagle Scout, and I used to work in a county park in California.  One <BR>
day a group of Scouts came out to the park for a field <BR>
trip/expedition.  Since I happen to be very familiar with Scout uniforms, I <BR>
noticed that they were not BSA Scouts, but another group that my father <BR>
calls "pseudo-scouts".  Being the friendly type that I was back then, I <BR>
went up and introduced myself to the Scoutmaster.  It turned out that they <BR>
Royal Rangers, and I had a good time chatting about scouting and hiking <BR>
until I mentioned that I was an Eagle Scout with the BSA.  At that point, <BR>
the Scoutmaster started into a diatribe about how the Royal Rangers were <BR>
the best thing since sliced bread, and the Boy Scouts were "behind the <BR>
times".  I could care less about trying to prove how one group is better <BR>
than the other, but I couldn't help smiling when he casually said, "The <BR>
Royal Rangers are very widespread.  We have troops on all seven <BR>
continents."  He got pretty agitated after I told him I was impressed that <BR>
the Royal Rangers had a troop living on Antarctica. ;)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
obTrav:  What about a pre-career option (like Medical School or College) <BR>
that incorporates a pre-adult activity group?  Say, a four year term for <BR>
14-17 year olds?  Explorer troops come to mind when thinking about <BR>
Traveller.  Navy Explorers, Scout Explorers, Merchant Explorers and even <BR>
the usual Law Enforcement and Wilderness Explorers could make an <BR>
interesting organization to encounter in the 3rd Imp.<BR>
_________________________________________________________<BR>
Rev. Keith Johnson      /\     keith@sjgames.com<BR>
Assistant Webmaster    /()\    keithalanjohnson@home.com<BR>
Steve Jackson Games   /____\   reverendkeith@hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
  IMTU tm+ t4+@ tg++$ ru- ge-@ st+ pi+ he+ dr+ hi-@ zh+<BR>
_________________________________________________________ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 12:30:38 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: The P-Word (was Marine Boarding Actions)<BR>
<BR>
Russell Bornschlegel wrote:<BR>
<BR>
><rant mode="Traveller starship designs generally suck"><BR>
>I think the X-boat tender design is kinda b0rken, though. It carries <BR>
>something like 100 extra tons of fuel; an Xboat entering system needs<BR>
>40 or 44 or 50 tons of fuel depending on the rules in use. So the <BR>
>tender can *carry* six Xboats, but only *refuel* two without a skimming<BR>
>run. Since the alleged purpose of the tender is to turn around Xboats <BR>
>quickly, wouldn't it make more sense to fill another 200 (or 400) tons <BR>
>of the hangar with fuel tanks, thereby allowing you to turn around *6* <BR>
>(or 10) Xboat flights before having to skim fuel? Why do you need to <BR>
>carry six Xboats anyway? Suckers are supposed to be jumping, not riding<BR>
>the tender.<BR>
></rant><BR>
<BR>
If you're going to get pickky...<BR>
<BR>
If it's going to have to refuel x-boats that on arrival scatter themselves<BR>
across the system with only one week's supplies, I think it needs to have<BR>
more than 1G.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, the X-boat needs to have the 3G engine that you could fit in<BR>
with any system after book 5.<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 06:37:23 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> <BR>
> > See the movie version of _A Clear and Present Danger_ for details....<BR>
> <BR>
> No thanks. They butchered the book.<BR>
<BR>
I was referring specifically to how clearly Felix Cortez' arrogance as a<BR>
trained intel officer comes through.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 06:30:44 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
The problem is that, the most logical target for corsairs are free<BR>
traders or small shipping concerns which can't afford Q-ships.  Also I<BR>
postulated in my CT campaign that many big shipping concerns will hire<BR>
corsairs against rivals, or at least pay them to leave their ships alone<BR>
and hit rival concerns.<BR>
<BR>
Q-ships, historically, haven't had much success, since they depend upon<BR>
surprise and getting the first shot in. If the pirate or raiders notices<BR>
anything out of the ordinary that may not be possible.  Also in my mileu<BR>
pirates depend to use surprise and usually fire first, knocking out the<BR>
powerplant or jump drives preferrably.  Also it's a modus operandi to<BR>
find out all the secrets of potential targets. Even if a Q-ship is<BR>
successul, it WILL itself the target of corsair countermeasures, most<BR>
probably when in dock.<BR>
<BR>
darkhstarr<BR>
<BR>
Black ICE wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> "Jason T. Barnabas" wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> <<snips comparison between current RL piracy and certain worlds in the<BR>
> Marches>><BR>
> ><BR>
> > Even if the government doesn't put down such nastiness,<BR>
> > the local merchants that profit from interstellar trade would.<BR>
> <BR>
> Which is why, BTW, AuricTech posted a 400 dton Q-ship a couple of weeks<BR>
> ago, built to resemble in shape a Fat Trader, but with a PA bay in place<BR>
> of a cargo bay.  Thermopylae Lines, one of AuricTech's best customers<BR>
> IMTU, commissioned the Q-ship, just to help ensure that nobody molests a<BR>
> Thermopylae Lines Fat Trader.  Other Q-ships, designed to resemble<BR>
> freightliners custom-built for Thermopylae, will eventually be posted<BR>
> (as soon as I get around to designing some).<BR>
> <BR>
> --<BR>
> AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
> "Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
> Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
> <BR>
> http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 01:02:20 +1100<BR>
From: "AB" <ab@rossmack.com><BR>
Subject: Re: RAH<BR>
<BR>
>> Space Family Stone<BR>
><BR>
> That's "The Rolling Stones" in the US versions (probably in *all* the<BR>
"English language" versions). It's a "pun" on an old proverb: "A rolling<BR>
stone gathers no moss."<BR>
<BR>
Hmmmm ... I have heard of the "The Rolling Stones" reference, but my 1971<BR>
NEL paperback copy of "Space Family Stone" was published in Great Britain.<BR>
<BR>
Publishers move in mysterious ways.<BR>
<BR>
- -AB<BR>
<BR>
Ob Trav:<BR>
<BR>
Incidental Cargo:  5 dTon of leather bound copies of the rare classic "The<BR>
Diaries of Captain Mannoc", 500Cr ea.<BR>
<BR>
Available on the destination world (and pretty much everywhere in Imperium<BR>
Space) on Holocrystal as "Starcaptain's Passion" (Bills & Moon) for 2Cr a<BR>
copy.  The fact blatantly obvious to anyone who bothers to actually read a<BR>
few paragraphs of the thing.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 10:35:17 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Cipatwean cuisine<BR>
<BR>
At 07:16 PM 1/10/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>This language thread put me in the mood to write about it in<BR>
>character and context -- well, so did staying up way too late<BR>
>working over the weekend.  For your amusement:<BR>
><BR>
>*****************************************************<BR>
             [excellent prose snipped]<BR>
><BR>
>--Glenn<BR>
<BR>
        Great stuff, Glenn!  It makes wading through the noise part of the<BR>
ratio worthwhile when you trip over signal like that.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<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>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 10:36:34 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: The female cycle<BR>
<BR>
At 11:57 PM 1/11/00 +1300, you wrote:<BR>
>On 7 Jan 00, at 23:04, Kiri Aradia Morgan wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> I do believe that TL 15 should have dead on 100% reliable birth control of<BR>
>> some kind.  And as I said when I protested "pregnancy rolls" in D & D, any<BR>
>> society which has figured out resurrection of the dead has almost certainly<BR>
>> mastered control of fertility!<BR>
><BR>
>When it comes to fantasy rpgs this is something that I've always <BR>
>thought strange. It's right along with there being all those wonderful <BR>
>animal control, holding, charm, etc spells and no bug repellant magic.<BR>
><BR>
>--<BR>
>Rupert Boleyn <paradise.net.nz><BR>
>Wellington, New Zealand<BR>
<BR>
        Cantrips, my man, that is what cantrips are for....<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>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 10:55:04 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
At 06:30 AM 1/11/00 -0600, you wrote:<BR>
>The problem is that, the most logical target for corsairs are free<BR>
>traders or small shipping concerns which can't afford Q-ships.  <BR>
<BR>
        That's always been my take on it...  Pirates don't hang out in TL15<BR>
Hi-Pop cross-roads that have a Naval Base and Scout Waystation....  <g><BR>
<BR>
>Also I<BR>
>postulated in my CT campaign that many big shipping concerns will hire<BR>
>corsairs against rivals, or at least pay them to leave their ships alone<BR>
>and hit rival concerns.<BR>
<BR>
        In fact, in the AM:Vargr, the narrative in the back mentions Vargr<BR>
Corsairs taking protection money to escort mega-corp convoys through Vargr<BR>
space...  A rose, by any other name...<BR>
<BR>
>Q-ships, historically, haven't had much success, since they depend upon<BR>
>surprise and getting the first shot in. <BR>
<BR>
        It depends on what you mean by "historically"...  they did sink<BR>
U-Boats in WW2...  they depended on taking the first hit and then acting<BR>
like they were abandoning ship...  when the U-Boat would close for the<BR>
closer-range kill, the hidden cannon would come out and the brawl would<BR>
start.  They were ususally loaded with timber in the cargo holds to allow<BR>
them to take multiple water-line hits and still float....<BR>
<BR>
        The Q-Ship in Traveller, then, must mimic the behavior of a<BR>
terrified merchant until such time as the pirate is commited to the<BR>
engagement.  She must also be able to absorb damage capable of trashing a<BR>
ship of her supposed class.  She must also be able to appear "greiveously<BR>
wounded" regardless of her actual status.<BR>
        A jump-marine detactment and pop-up fusion-gun turrets are a<BR>
minimum.  Heavy armor belt and high EP and G ratings are a must.<BR>
Exterior-mounted "damage" boxes which can be exploded to release hunks of<BR>
metal, atmosphere, and "fuel" to fake engineering hits would be good, too.<BR>
A 20-ton, 6-G missile armed fighter in the "cargo bay" would also be a nice<BR>
ace up the sleeve.<BR>
<BR>
>If the pirate or raiders notices<BR>
>anything out of the ordinary that may not be possible.  <BR>
<BR>
        If you have "Star Trek" sensors yes.  IMTU, at TL11, no...  you know<BR>
what shape it is, what tonnage it it, what color it is, what its ELINT<BR>
profile is, and *maybe* what it is armed with.<BR>
<BR>
>Also in my mileu<BR>
>pirates depend to use surprise and usually fire first, knocking out the<BR>
>powerplant or jump drives preferrably.  <BR>
<BR>
        See my comments above.<BR>
<BR>
>Also it's a modus operandi to<BR>
>find out all the secrets of potential targets. Even if a Q-ship is<BR>
>successul, it WILL itself the target of corsair countermeasures, most<BR>
>probably when in dock.<BR>
<BR>
        Q-Ships, by definition, will only operate in systems with a known<BR>
piracy problem.  You may well assume that Intel Ops performed by whoever is<BR>
sending the Q-Ship in will have identified wether or not the port is "Safe"<BR>
for the Q-Ship or wether she will have to function autonomously.<BR>
<BR>
>darkhstarr<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
<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>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 08:12:13 -0700 (MST)<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
Subject: Re: Cipatwean cuisine<BR>
<BR>
On Mon, 10 Jan 2000, Glenn Goffin wrote:<BR>
 <BR>
> So sophs we're actually get it on get it Cipatwe, and the<BR>
> captain and the chief steward are such foodies that they don't<BR>
> even want to stop for a drink in Startown, no they head straight<BR>
> into the local neighborhoods looking for the "gourmet ghetto." <BR>
<BR>
<sound of crowd roaring approval><BR>
<BR>
Wow!!<BR>
<BR>
You should work late more on weekends if this is what comes of it!<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: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 17:25:02 +0100<BR>
From: Volker Greimann <volker@greimann.de><BR>
Subject: Re: Language....<BR>
<BR>
At 13:10 11.01.00 , you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> > On Mon, 10 Jan 2000, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> > > At the next stoplight, Bill turned around and said (roughly)<BR>
> > > "Wenn du mgen zu wissen, kann voran dein Flug treffen."<BR>
<BR>
First of all, this sentence is horrible grammar.<BR>
It is a direct translation of "If you like to know, can meet before your <BR>
flight!"<BR>
(Thats what it says, if translated directly. However, it is not correct <BR>
German ,-)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 12:28:47 -0500<BR>
From: "David L. Pulver" <dlpulver@kos.net><BR>
Subject: RE: Armor: GURPS to TNE<BR>
<BR>
>Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 00:10:23 -0600<BR>
>From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
<BR>
>Are you sure?  If I haven't been reading it wrong all these years,<BR>
>FFS lists the Toughness of Hard Steel as 2, that's 2 AV for 1 cm.<BR>
<BR>
Yes, you are correct: I transposed them.  Thank you!   Here is the<BR>
corrected version:<BR>
<BR>
The simplest way to do this is to look at what the statistics represent.<BR>
Fortunately, TNE (unlike Megatrav and CT) and GURPS both track armor on the<BR>
same scale, i.e., as linear values directly equating with thickness of<BR>
material.<BR>
<BR>
In TNE, 1 cm of hard steel has AV of 2 (FFS, p. 38), so 0.5 cm has AV 1.<BR>
In GURPS Vehicles, 1 inch (2.5 cm) of hard steel has DR 70 (GURPS Vehicles<BR>
2nd Ed, p. 4), so 0.5 cm has one-fifth that, or DR 14.<BR>
<BR>
Thus, AV 1 = DR 14.  Multiply by 14 to convert AV to DR; divide by 14 to<BR>
convert DR to AV.<BR>
<BR>
Now, onto damage. This is trickier. In general, for GURPS weapons, damage<BR>
is a die roll expressing the<BR>
average penetration of the weapon, with every 20d reflecting damage to, on<BR>
average, achieve 1 inch of hard steel penetration, which is then reduced by<BR>
armor and the remainder modified by situation (hit location, blow through)<BR>
and sometimes weapon type to determine the actual damage suffered by the<BR>
target. (In other words, much the same as 1st Edition Twilight 2000). In<BR>
contrast, TNE follows MegaTrav and 2nd Ed. T2000 by using seperate damage<BR>
and penetration values and further confuses the issue through its<BR>
differentation of penetration value (for vehicle weapons) vs. penetration<BR>
rating  and damage (for small arms). Thus, exact correlation is tricky.<BR>
However, GURPS damage correlates most closely with penetration value, which<BR>
is used much like GURPS damage. Perform these two steps:<BR>
<BR>
TNE to GURPS<BR>
	TNE vehicle weapons with Penetration Value:  [Penetration Value+7] X 0.5 =<BR>
average cm of steel penetrated. Use the closest range value for penetration.<BR>
	TNE smallarms:  first, calculate penetration value backward from<BR>
penetration rating (at closest range). As explained on p. 140 of FFS,<BR>
Penetration value = damage value divided by the weapon's penetration<BR>
rating. (For weapons with "Nil" penetration rating, I have gotten good<BR>
results by using "4" as a pen rating. For weapons with -1 damage, I would<BR>
treat it as 1/2.] Then calculate cm of steel penetrated as above.<BR>
	Once cm of steel penetration is known, multiply it by 8 to get the dice of<BR>
damage in GURPS terms.<BR>
<BR>
GURPS weapon damage to TNE<BR>
	[damage dice/8] = average cm of steel penetrated. This gives penetration<BR>
value, suitable for large weapons. Back-calculating damage value and<BR>
penetration rating is subjective without reverse engineering the original<BR>
TNE calcualtions, but by selecting a damage value based on similar weapons<BR>
you can reverse the TNE to GURPS calculations and derive suitable damage<BR>
and pen ratings.<BR>
<BR>
PD<BR>
	This can be ignored in TNE.<BR>
 _____________________________________________________________________<BR>
     David L. Pulver -- Senior Staff Writer and Assistant Line Editor,<BR>
		     Guardians Of Order Incorporated<BR>
 Big Eyes, Small Mouth * Sailor Moon * Dominion Tank Police * Tenchi Muyo! RPG<BR>
             dlpulver@kos.net  http://www.guardiansorder.on.ca<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 12:46:10 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: OT :  Frames<BR>
<BR>
Got another question, and guys/gals, this one has me pulling my hair out in<BR>
fits.<BR>
<BR>
How in the bloody hell do you make FRAMES work on a web page?  In Internet<BR>
Explorer it's as easy as falling out of your chair.  You just use this handy<BR>
command called "iframe".  2 lines and you have a scrollable window in the<BR>
middle of your web page.<BR>
<BR>
Netscrape of course, can't see this code.  But even an amiga browser can see<BR>
it.  SIGH.  A guy at work told me I should switch to the Netscape "frame"<BR>
way as it is a standard so that everyone can see my page.  So I cut out the<BR>
iframe stuff and TRIED to write in frames.  I went to www.htmlgoodies.com<BR>
and read both the basic and advanced tutorials on frames.  However, using<BR>
those examples gets me a blank screen in both browsers.  ARGH.  Any help<BR>
would be GREATLY appreciated.<BR>
<BR>
Here is what I am trying to do :  http://www.addr.com/~j-man/pmenu.html<BR>
___________________________________________________________<BR>
 J-Man<BR>
 ICQ# 2843475<BR>
 New Hampshire - U.S.A.<BR>
 Email : j-man@iname.com<BR>
 Home Page : http://www.geocities.com/~jman037/<BR>
___________________________________________________________<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 13:44:21 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: OT :  Frames<BR>
<BR>
At 12:46 PM 1/11/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>Got another question, and guys/gals, this one has me pulling my hair out in<BR>
>fits.<BR>
><BR>
>How in the bloody hell do you make FRAMES work on a web page? <BR>
<BR>
        Hi, there...   go take a look at my TRAVELLER or CP2020 pages (URLs<BR>
below)...  both use frames.  I'll try and be on ICQ tonight (see ID below)<BR>
if you have any questions...  it isn't too bad once you have done it once.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Michel R. Vaillancourt	misha@atlantic-online.ns.ca<BR>
				ICQ # 31172292<BR>
	"Reality Error in Progress....<BR>
			       ....Do Not Adjust Your Penguin"	<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Cyberpunk:  	"http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/cp2020"<BR>
	Traveller:		"http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/traveller"<BR>
	AD&D:		"http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/adnd_eurania"<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	    ***REMEMBER - Always virus-check your emails ***<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 12:48:24 -0500<BR>
From: Rob Brady <robb@datatone.com><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC<BR>
<BR>
At 09:57 PM 1/7/00 -0500, delos wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>novel (and I have no idea if this is reliable.)<BR>
><BR>
>In any case, it was fun to read.<BR>
><BR>
>"THIS IS DISTURBING TO HERE SINCE I PERSONALLY<BR>
>LOVE KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN..................<BR>
>During a recent study of KFC done at the<BR>
>University of New Hampshire, they found some very upsetting<BR>
>facts.<BR>
>The reason why they call it KFC is<BR>
>because they can not use the word chicken anymore. Why? KFC does not use<BR>
>real chickens. They actually use genetically manipulated organisms.<BR>
<BR>
I don't know of any gullible TMLers, but just cause you said you weren't<BR>
sure, when you receive an email that says "forward this to everyone you<BR>
know" go to urbanlegends.about.com (my favorite). This one happened to<BR>
be in the spotlight this week, "The Curse of the Frankenchicken", but<BR>
you can usually look under "Current Net Hoaxes & Rumors" and it will have<BR>
a good description of how you can't get a free copy of T5 just by<BR>
replying to this message 5 times (please don't).<BR>
<BR>
If you feel the need to forward these items to people, I will send you<BR>
a copy of the gullibility virus, and you will be OK after you have sent<BR>
that to everyone you know.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
To govern is to correct. If you set an example by being correct,<BR>
who would dare to remain incorrect?  -- Confucius<BR>
Rob Brady                               robb at datatone dot com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 13:06:30 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: OT :  Frames<BR>
<BR>
Mike, I see your pages, and looking at the source see no code for frames.  I<BR>
see a LOT of tables though.  Where is your <frameset> etc?<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: "Michel Vaillancourt" <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 12:44 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: OT : Frames<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1725<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1726</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest     Tuesday, January 11 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1726<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:  FTF Gaming<BR>
Re: heroes! and forgotten books<BR>
Re: Language....<BR>
Re: RAH<BR>
Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
re:  FTF Gaming<BR>
How to use frames<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Re: The Voice of Reason (Solomani Style) (long)<BR>
Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
Re: How to use frames<BR>
Re: Cipatwean cuisine<BR>
Re: traveller poll!<BR>
Re: Grav Pong/Boarding actions<BR>
Re: How to use frames<BR>
Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
"Finska? Ar Du Finska?" <BR>
Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
re:  Cipatwean cuisine<BR>
Re: How to use frames<BR>
Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
Re: How to use frames<BR>
Re: How to use frames<BR>
Browser & HTML (was Re: How to use frames)<BR>
Re: Browser & HTML (was Re: How to use frames)<BR>
RE: How to use frames<BR>
RE: How to use frames<BR>
Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 09:45:21<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: re:  FTF Gaming<BR>
<BR>
At 10:39 PM 1/11/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Bravo!  Hooking the young ... er, getting young people involved is<BR>
>critical for the lasting success of the game.  I'm glad you had such<BR>
>excellent results.  <BR>
><BR>
>If you're ever in the SF area, let us know.  I'll email you if I ever<BR>
>get to San Diego (I spent much of one summer there on business several<BR>
>years ago).<BR>
<BR>
This is one of the things I hope to do with the BayCon party.  Especially<BR>
if we have both Kiris there as the hormone-enhanced young men come in, and<BR>
we whisper to them that they both *love* Traveller...<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 09:46:59<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: heroes! and forgotten books<BR>
<BR>
At 04:16 AM 1/11/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>That sounds like 'Midshipman's Hope' by David Feintuch<BR>
<BR>
The most thougholy depressing hero I've ever read.  I did read all the<BR>
books, just waiting for Feintuch to give the poor guy a break!<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 09:48:34<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Language....<BR>
<BR>
At 03:06 PM 1/10/2000 -0700, you wrote:<BR>
>Kiri Aradia Morgan wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Well, according to babelfish it means:<BR>
><BR>
>"If you may know, can in front your flight meet." <BR>
><BR>
>So apparently _babelfish_ can't speak german, either, as I really don't<BR>
>think that's what Bill said... ;-)<BR>
<BR>
I was using InterTran.. and what I remembered Bill telling me.  His intent<BR>
was "If you want to know, we can meet before your flight."<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 09:52:25<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: RAH<BR>
<BR>
At 01:02 AM 1/12/2000 +1100, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Hmmmm ... I have heard of the "The Rolling Stones" reference, but my 1971<BR>
>NEL paperback copy of "Space Family Stone" was published in Great Britain.<BR>
><BR>
>Publishers move in mysterious ways.<BR>
<BR>
some editions were produiced with that name, due to Mick and the boys.<BR>
Then of course we get Sly and the Family Stone.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 19:02:00 +0100<BR>
From: Ingo Heinscher & Regina Otto <Ingo.Heinscher@germanynet.de><BR>
Subject: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
Hi!<BR>
<BR>
I was asking myself if there is any interest for creating a traveller<BR>
newsgroup on the usenet. Would you support such a proposal?<BR>
<BR>
If the answer is yes, I would appreciate if someone of you could give me<BR>
some data about the TML:<BR>
How many subscribers are there currently?<BR>
Could you give me an average number of messages per day in the TML?<BR>
And finally: Do you think the majority of the subscribers would support<BR>
an additional Traveller resource on the 'net?<BR>
<BR>
regards,                               <BR>
ingo                           <BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
Wer das Schlechte zulaesst,<BR>
darf sich nicht wundern,<BR>
wenn ihm das Schlechte widerfaehrt!<BR>
                    wichtiger aber unbekannter Philosoph<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 10:06:53 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kiri Aradia Morgan <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: re:  FTF Gaming<BR>
<BR>
On Tue, 11 Jan 2000, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> At 10:39 PM 1/11/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >Bravo!  Hooking the young ... er, getting young people involved is<BR>
> >critical for the lasting success of the game.  I'm glad you had such<BR>
> >excellent results.  <BR>
> ><BR>
> >If you're ever in the SF area, let us know.  I'll email you if I ever<BR>
> >get to San Diego (I spent much of one summer there on business several<BR>
> >years ago).<BR>
> <BR>
> This is one of the things I hope to do with the BayCon party.  Especially<BR>
> if we have both Kiris there as the hormone-enhanced young men come in, and<BR>
> we whisper to them that they both *love* Traveller...<BR>
> <BR>
And don't tell them that one of us is married and the other might as well<BR>
be?   LOL.  I'm such a tease.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
<BR>
******************************************************************************<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan                                  93!  Thou Art God<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"If time passes, everything turns into beauty<BR>
If the rains stop, tears clean the scars of memory away<BR>
Everything starts wearing fresh colors<BR>
Every sound begins playing a heartfelt melody<BR>
Jealousy embellishes a page of the epic<BR>
Desire is embraced in a dream..."              -- X-JAPAN<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 13:13:33 -0500<BR>
From: Mark Urbin <urbin@bigfoot.com><BR>
Subject: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
The best way is politely.  That is, links out of your site should have <BR>
proper code to display the new site as the top or primary frame.  I manage <BR>
a couple of webrings, and this is a must for ring code.<BR>
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
urbin@bigfoot.com -- These opinions are mine, no one else wants `em.<BR>
"Driving a Hudson Hornet on the disinformation triple bypass: cruising for<BR>
burgers & garage sales. Hooks baited, lines entangled, roadkill cooked"<BR>
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 10:16:49 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
Bruce Macintosh writes:<BR>
<BR>
<logic of lasers focusing quickly deleted><BR>
<BR>
While true, there are two issues here:<BR>
<BR>
First of all, weapons-grade laser optics aren't exactly the same as telescope<BR>
optics; firing a weapons-grade laser through telescope optics would more or <BR>
less instantly destroy the telescope, which isn't really the goal.  There may<BR>
not even be any focusing mirrors -- what do x-ray laser focusing mirrors look<BR>
like anyway?<BR>
<BR>
Secondly, we have no idea how 'grav focusing' actually works; it might be slow.<BR>
<BR>
Now, there's really no reason these technologies have to be slow, but calling<BR>
them slow is certainly a reasonable enough handwave...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 07:34:58 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: The Voice of Reason (Solomani Style) (long)<BR>
<BR>
At 0:22 -0500 11/1/00, "Andrew Moffatt-Vallance" <BR>
<a.vallance@netaccess.co.nz> wrote:<BR>
> > Go to the BITS website:<BR>
> > http://www.bits.org.uk/<BR>
> > Click on the archive page.<BR>
> > Download the 'Famille Spofulam Winter Catalogue' acrobat file.<BR>
> > Do not read when drinking.<BR>
><BR>
>Shouldn't that be a health warning before you download?<BR>
<BR>
I assumed a slower modem connection....<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 10:17:18 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kiri Aradia Morgan <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
On Tue, 11 Jan 2000, Ingo Heinscher & Regina Otto wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> I was asking myself if there is any interest for creating a traveller<BR>
> newsgroup on the usenet. Would you support such a proposal?<BR>
> <BR>
I hate Usenet and never go to the groups any more, there is too much SPAM.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri<BR>
<BR>
******************************************************************************<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan                                  93!  Thou Art God<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"If time passes, everything turns into beauty<BR>
If the rains stop, tears clean the scars of memory away<BR>
Everything starts wearing fresh colors<BR>
Every sound begins playing a heartfelt melody<BR>
Jealousy embellishes a page of the epic<BR>
Desire is embraced in a dream..."              -- X-JAPAN<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 13:32:40 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
Well it doesn't look like I'll be doing frames.  I've looked at a bunch of<BR>
sites and tried their code and nothing works.  not even altering things.  In<BR>
both Netscape 4.7 and Eplorer 5.01, I get a black screen with nothing on it.<BR>
<BR>
In Explorer all you have to do is write this :<BR>
<BR>
<IFRAME NAME="content_frame" width="640" height="200"<BR>
SRC="pistols.html"></IFRAME><BR>
<BR>
That's it.  Looks awesome.  Of course, damn nearly useless Netscrape sees<BR>
nothing on a page with that code.  I have tried every single idea I can<BR>
think of to try and make frames show ANYTHING and have so far met dismal<BR>
failure.  Even a tutorial didn't help any.  I tried the examples and they<BR>
did nothing either.<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>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: "Mark Urbin" <urbin@bigfoot.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 1:13 PM<BR>
Subject: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> The best way is politely.  That is, links out of your site should have<BR>
> proper code to display the new site as the top or primary frame.  I manage<BR>
> a couple of webrings, and this is a must for ring code.<BR>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
- -<BR>
> urbin@bigfoot.com -- These opinions are mine, no one else wants `em.<BR>
> "Driving a Hudson Hornet on the disinformation triple bypass: cruising for<BR>
> burgers & garage sales. Hooks baited, lines entangled, roadkill cooked"<BR>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
- -<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 10:24:19 PST<BR>
From: "Michael Bitrick" <mbitrick@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Cipatwean cuisine<BR>
<BR>
>From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
>Reply-To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
>To: traveller mailing aa list <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
>Subject: Cipatwean cuisine<BR>
>Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 19:16:53 -0800 (PST)<BR>
><BR>
>This language thread put me in the mood to write about it in<BR>
>character and context -- well, so did staying up way too late<BR>
>working over the weekend.  For your amusement:<BR>
><BR>
>*****************************************************<BR>
Excellent job Glenn.  I could almost taste those fire-roasted transistors.<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 13:27:44 -0500<BR>
From: Rob Brady <robb@datatone.com><BR>
Subject: Re: traveller poll!<BR>
<BR>
At 12:31 PM 1/4/00 -0600, Dan.Haag@midata.com wrote:<BR>
>Actually it was the CT players that cheated on the first poll NOT the TNE<BR>
>people.  There were more votes for CT than there were people voting.<BR>
<BR>
The polling started before the count of the people who had polled started,<BR>
and the difference in votes was by something by nine. Using the obvious<BR>
stupid hacker stack the deck system, there would have been (and is) no<BR>
difference between people polled and numbers on the list.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>      >Well, there was still one naughty person trying to stack the deck,<BR>
>      >there. The TNE version got a number of bogus entries.  Unfortunately,<BR>
>           >where there is a will (to be a jerk) there is a way :-(<BR>
>      ><BR>
>      >    - -Crusty<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
Tardy robber.. Order By Brat.. Tardy Bob ERR.. Retry bad Rob.. Retro by bard<BR>
Robert Brady                                        robb at datatone dot com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 10:38:43 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong/Boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
Kyle Schuant writes:<BR>
> It's been written that boarding could easily be made<BR>
> very dificult by the defending ship by its spinning on<BR>
> its axis, and so on, relatively little movement<BR>
> causing a bog headache for the boarders.<BR>
<BR>
In general, boarding a ship which has power and drives isn't particularly <BR>
viable in the first place.  Grav pong is mostly an anti-hijacker stunt.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 14:36:02 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
At 01:32 PM 1/11/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>Well it doesn't look like I'll be doing frames.  I've looked at a bunch of<BR>
>sites and tried their code and nothing works.  not even altering things.  In<BR>
>both Netscape 4.7 and Eplorer 5.01, I get a black screen with nothing on it.<BR>
><BR>
>In Explorer all you have to do is write this :<BR>
><BR>
><IFRAME NAME="content_frame" width="640" height="200"<BR>
>SRC="pistols.html"></IFRAME><BR>
><BR>
>That's it.  Looks awesome.  Of course, damn nearly useless Netscrape sees<BR>
>nothing on a page with that code.  <BR>
<BR>
        "Damn near useless" also conforms to HTML specs... the "iframe"<BR>
thing is another MS-ism...  sorta like them calling it DNS like everyone<BR>
else, they say its  "WINS".<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<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>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 11:46:41 -0700<BR>
From: Erwin Fritz <efritz@glja.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
Ingo Heinscher & Regina Otto wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> I was asking myself if there is any interest for creating a traveller<BR>
> newsgroup on the usenet. Would you support such a proposal?<BR>
<BR>
Nope. There are too many people trolling Usenet for email addresses,<BR>
which they later use for spam recipients. <BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Erwin Fritz<BR>
Gilbert Laustsen Jung Associates Ltd.<BR>
http://www.glja.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 11:49:26 -0800<BR>
From: "J. Paul Sanders" <timmon@primenet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
At 10:17 AM 1/11/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>On Tue, 11 Jan 2000, Ingo Heinscher & Regina Otto wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> I was asking myself if there is any interest for creating a traveller<BR>
>> newsgroup on the usenet. Would you support such a proposal?<BR>
>> <BR>
>I hate Usenet and never go to the groups any more, there is too much SPAM.<BR>
><BR>
>Kiri<BR>
><BR>
>***************************************************************************<BR>
***<BR>
>Kiri Aradia Morgan                                  93!  Thou Art God<BR>
>tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
Like this list isn't about 80% off-topic spam...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 10:58:28 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: "Finska? Ar Du Finska?" <BR>
<BR>
>From: Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk<BR>
<BR>
>OB TRAV: Has the Traveller language/culture list identified a <BR>
>Traveller language that is just too difficult for anyone in the<BR>
<BR>
>Imperium to bother to learn?  <BR>
<BR>
I think that there should be a language that makes you insane as<BR>
you learn it, but maybe that should be for a Call of Cthulhu<BR>
campaign.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 12:06:28 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
Ingo Heinscher & Regina Otto wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Hi!<BR>
> <BR>
> I was asking myself if there is any interest for creating a traveller<BR>
> newsgroup on the usenet. Would you support such a proposal?<BR>
<BR>
Not myself. Usenet more or less lost its appeal for me some time ago,<BR>
back when it started always being September on the net.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 11:07:44 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: re:  Cipatwean cuisine<BR>
<BR>
Thanks for all of your kind comments.  I'm glad you enjoyed that<BR>
outburst.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 14:18:00 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
This is why I am making the effort to 'standardize' my website.  Iframe<BR>
could be here today and gone tomorrow since it's no standard.<BR>
<BR>
What the heck kind of Internet would the 3rd Imperium enjoy?<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: "Michel Vaillancourt" <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 1:36 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
>         "Damn near useless" also conforms to HTML specs... the "iframe"<BR>
> thing is another MS-ism...  sorta like them calling it DNS like everyone<BR>
> else, they say its  "WINS".<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 12:11:27 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
J. Paul Sanders wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
 <BR>
> Like this list isn't about 80% off-topic spam...<BR>
<BR>
Off topic, yes, SPAM...well, no.<BR>
<BR>
We very rarely have offers to buy THE WORLDS BEST MASS E-MAIL SOFTWARE<BR>
for ONLY $39.95, yes 39.95, only $39.95!!<BR>
<BR>
(which is an approximation of one of the 3,128,465 messages like that I<BR>
got the last time I ventured to post something on Uselessnet. Most,<BR>
actually, either offered to let me Make Money Fast, or sell me access to<BR>
1,000's yes 1,000's of never-before-seen HOT PIXXX!!! ONly $39.95, yes<BR>
$39.95 for a FREE lifetime mebership to WWW.XXXHOTXXXDRENCHEDXXX.COM or<BR>
something like that. :-/<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 11:15:29 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
Jory Earl writes:<BR>
> This is why I am making the effort to 'standardize' my website.  Iframe<BR>
> could be here today and gone tomorrow since it's no standard.<BR>
> <BR>
> What the heck kind of Internet would the 3rd Imperium enjoy?<BR>
<BR>
Due to communications delay, it wouldn't have one.  Individual worlds might<BR>
have world networks, however; what they would be like would probably depend<BR>
on tech level and the general preferences of the locals.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 14:49:13 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
Would they use 'virtual' networks?  Where you could plug in and experience<BR>
tailored realities?<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: "Anthony Jackson" <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Cc: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 2:15 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Jory Earl writes:<BR>
> > This is why I am making the effort to 'standardize' my website.  Iframe<BR>
> > could be here today and gone tomorrow since it's no standard.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > What the heck kind of Internet would the 3rd Imperium enjoy?<BR>
><BR>
> Due to communications delay, it wouldn't have one.  Individual worlds<BR>
might<BR>
> have world networks, however; what they would be like would probably<BR>
depend<BR>
> on tech level and the general preferences of the locals.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 11:41:33 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Thing <gduke@kendaco.telebyte.com><BR>
Subject: Browser & HTML (was Re: How to use frames)<BR>
<BR>
On Tue, 11 Jan 2000, Jory Earl wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> In Explorer all you have to do is write this :<BR>
<BR>
Also remember if you are using the META tags for cache control and set it<BR>
so the page is never cached, Explorer 5.01 will not display the page.<BR>
Explorer 5 caches the page first and then displays it from cache so it<BR>
never sees the page.  If you use back end server based cache control,<BR>
everything is fine.<BR>
<BR>
G.D.D.<BR>
======<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 15:15:46 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Browser & HTML (was Re: How to use frames)<BR>
<BR>
Uhh...Ok.  I think I just heard a jet zip over my head..:)<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: "Thing" <gduke@kendaco.telebyte.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 2:41 PM<BR>
Subject: Browser & HTML (was Re: How to use frames)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> On Tue, 11 Jan 2000, Jory Earl wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> > In Explorer all you have to do is write this :<BR>
> <BR>
> Also remember if you are using the META tags for cache control and set it<BR>
> so the page is never cached, Explorer 5.01 will not display the page.<BR>
> Explorer 5 caches the page first and then displays it from cache so it<BR>
> never sees the page.  If you use back end server based cache control,<BR>
> everything is fine.<BR>
> <BR>
> G.D.D.<BR>
> ======<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 21:18:02 -0000<BR>
From: "Alistair J. R. Young" <avatar@arkane.demon.co.uk><BR>
Subject: RE: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
> Jory Earl writes:<BR>
<BR>
> > What the heck kind of Internet would the 3rd Imperium enjoy?<BR>
><BR>
> Due to communications delay, it wouldn't have one. Individual worlds might<BR>
> have world networks, however; what they would be like would<BR>
> probably depend on tech level and the general preferences of the locals.<BR>
<BR>
Not necessarily. Back in the old days, before IP, delays of similar<BR>
magnitude to jump delays were quite normal between sites, thanks to UUCP -<BR>
e-mail messages travelled at the rate of one site per day, based on each<BR>
site calling its immediate neighbours overnight (when call charges were<BR>
less) and exchanging messages for it and its other neighbours. Addressing<BR>
had to list each site a message would pass through on its way to the<BR>
destination, and the routing software would follow the list along until it<BR>
got to its recipient or a site rejected it.<BR>
<BR>
A bit like how I'd envisages the Xboat network working, really. If Duchess<BR>
Mirai on Trin wants to send a not-terribly-secure message to Norris, she<BR>
could just send e-mail to an address like:<BR>
<BR>
norris%gov.3i!regina!dinomn!ghandi!lanth!dganzio!ivendo!<BR>
  icetina!garrincski!fosey!resten!capon!carey!fornice!maltz!<BR>
  palique!nexine!katrulu@outward.gateway.net.3i<BR>
<BR>
(Note to self: next time pick a shorter example... maybe they'd only list<BR>
nodes of the network where there's a choice of routes and the terminal node,<BR>
for speed's sake, or maybe each world has a master-route file, or some<BR>
such.) The @-bit would get it to the Xboat control on Trin, and the rest of<BR>
the header would let their routing software send it on Xboats passing<BR>
through that list of systems until it gets to Regina - where they inject it<BR>
back into Regina's local Internet (turning the % back into an @, just like<BR>
our current systems) and it gets to its final recipient.<BR>
<BR>
I figure they must have some sort of automated system like this to handle<BR>
message routing for the Xboat network to work at all, given the sheer volume<BR>
of data; and given that this technology is roughly 3,300 years old at the<BR>
time in question...<BR>
<BR>
You wouldn't have the Web, certainly (interstellar, that is), or that flashy<BR>
chrome stuff that people think of when they think of the 'Net today, but<BR>
old-style UUCP was more than enough to run e-mail, Usenet (although<BR>
propagation delay would be *really* staggering - I imagine admins would be<BR>
particularly strict about people actually using the now-moribund<BR>
Distribution: header, and the old 'This message will cost hundreds of<BR>
thousands of dollars to send. Are you really sure?' message might be<BR>
compulsory.), and FTP-by-e-mail.<BR>
<BR>
Would spamming be an Imperial crime?<BR>
<BR>
Alistair<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 21:20:22 -0000<BR>
From: "Alistair J. R. Young" <avatar@arkane.demon.co.uk><BR>
Subject: RE: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
>         "Damn near useless" also conforms to HTML specs... the "iframe"<BR>
> thing is another MS-ism...  sorta like them calling it DNS like everyone<BR>
> else, they say its  "WINS".<BR>
<BR>
Point of pedantry - MS does actually have DNS; WINS is their own naming<BR>
service to retrofit the old-style LAN naming to networks that have to talk<BR>
Internet protocols as well. It's sort of like DNS made dynamic and<BR>
reimplemented by someone who had the DNS protocols described to him by<BR>
someone in the middle of some particularly *bad* acid.<BR>
<BR>
No, I'm not bitter.<BR>
<BR>
Alistair<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 13:40:19 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
Alistair J. R. Young writes:<BR>
<BR>
> Not necessarily. Back in the old days, before IP, delays of similar<BR>
> magnitude to jump delays were quite normal between sites, thanks to UUCP -<BR>
<BR>
UUCP/Usenet != Internet.  And week-long delays are still quite a bit slower<BR>
than day-long delays.<BR>
<BR>
> You wouldn't have the Web, certainly (interstellar, that is), or that<BR>
> flashy chrome stuff that people think of when they think of the 'Net<BR>
> today, but old-style UUCP was more than enough to run e-mail, Usenet<BR>
> (although propagation delay would be *really* staggering - I imagine admins<BR>
> would be particularly strict about people actually using the now-moribund<BR>
> Distribution: header, and the old 'This message will cost hundreds of<BR>
> thousands of dollars to send. Are you really sure?' message might be<BR>
> compulsory.), and FTP-by-e-mail.<BR>
<BR>
Heh.  I remember those old messages.<BR>
> <BR>
> Would spamming be an Imperial crime?<BR>
<BR>
Most likely there would just be routing-based and size-based charges for email. X-boat isn't like Usenet in that you aren't dealing with a network of systems with different owners -- the X-boat network has a single owner.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1726<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1727</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest     Tuesday, January 11 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1727<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: nudity and clothes<BR>
Re: Traveller Newsgroup - A better idea<BR>
RE: How to use frames<BR>
Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
RE: How to use frames<BR>
Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
Re: How to use frames<BR>
Re: Fashion & Red Ties<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
re:OT :  Frames<BR>
Cr to $ conversion?<BR>
Re: lasers<BR>
Re: KFC<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Re: How to use frames<BR>
Advice on worldmapping<BR>
Re: lasers<BR>
A Small Favor? <BR>
Re: Advice on worldmapping<BR>
Re: heroes! and forgotten books<BR>
Re: heroes! and forgotten books<BR>
Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
Re: KFC<BR>
Re: RAH<BR>
Re: heroes! and forgotten books<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 12:33:54 -0500<BR>
From: Ethan Henry <egh@klg.com><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca> wrote:<BR>
> > Well, except the part about<BR>
> >anally-inserted fusion incinerators.)<BR>
><BR>
> Although a minor modification gives that possibilities as a<BR>
> self-cauterizing rape shield, eh?  I'll leave it to Kenji to design the<BR>
> actual game stats...<BR>
<BR>
Yes, it did bring to mind an article I read in Salon a month or two back...<BR>
it's about how sexual violence is used in prisons to enforce obedience on <BR>
a number of levels. The article makes the HBO series 'Oz' look somewhat tame<BR>
by comparison. It might make your players want to think twice about running<BR>
'Prison Planet'. Lemme dig up the URL...<BR>
<BR>
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/08/23/prisons/index.html<BR>
<BR>
I found the article pretty disturbing. <BR>
<BR>
Ethan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 16:42:09 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Newsgroup - A better idea<BR>
<BR>
There are better ways :-)<BR>
<BR>
Downport.com is developing several new server projects, one of which is a<BR>
news server.  If any of you have used the news server at pyramid.sjgames.com<BR>
you will be familiar with the concept.  Pyramid magazine subscribers are<BR>
given password access to the server, which keeps out (most) spam.  The owner<BR>
of the server can police it and kill OT or flammable threads.  The result is<BR>
a very useful, threaded conversation that you can browse at your leisure and<BR>
give your mailbox a break.  You can even ignore it for a few weeks, then<BR>
return and pick up threads that you might have missed.  We could establish<BR>
several topical newsgroups and each member could pick and choose which to be<BR>
on.  My feeling is that many of you on this list would be well served by<BR>
this (pun intended).  Best of all, though you'd need to "subscribe" to get<BR>
the user name and password, the Traveller news group service would be free<BR>
to use.<BR>
<BR>
Feedback?  Should we spend the time it will take to set it up?<BR>
<BR>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>
Colin Michael, WebDev<BR>
www.downport.com<BR>
The Traveller Domain<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Ingo Heinscher & Regina Otto <Ingo.Heinscher@germanynet.de><BR>
> I was asking myself if there is any interest for creating a traveller<BR>
> newsgroup on the usenet. Would you support such a proposal?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 21:59:47 -0000<BR>
From: "Alistair J. R. Young" <avatar@arkane.demon.co.uk><BR>
Subject: RE: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
> Alistair J. R. Young writes:<BR>
><BR>
> > Not necessarily. Back in the old days, before IP, delays of similar<BR>
> > magnitude to jump delays were quite normal between sites,<BR>
> > thanks to UUCP -<BR>
><BR>
> UUCP/Usenet != Internet.<BR>
<BR>
Yes, I know. I'm getting sloppy in my senescence. :)<BR>
<BR>
> And week-long delays are still quite a bit slower<BR>
> than day-long delays.<BR>
<BR>
Well, yes, but a day-long delay would only have been between immediately<BR>
adjacent sites - for a message to get a long distance (or to the building<BR>
next door, if the logical routing was particularly "interesting"...) could<BR>
easily take a couple of weeks, ISTR.<BR>
<BR>
> > Would spamming be an Imperial crime?<BR>
><BR>
> Most likely there would just be routing-based and size-based<BR>
> charges for email. X-boat isn't like Usenet in that you<BR>
> aren't dealing with a network of systems with different<BR>
> owners -- the X-boat network has a single owner.<BR>
<BR>
I'm thinking more that the X-boat system would be in many cases, I think, a<BR>
bandwidth bottleneck. It might be in the Imperium's interest to discourage<BR>
junk e-mail, chain letters, and so forth (even if the sender would be<BR>
willing to pay for them) to make sure that more vital governmental and<BR>
commercial traffic *will* get through.<BR>
<BR>
Some sort of priority-based routing scheme would be essential, I would<BR>
think.<BR>
<BR>
Alistair<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 16:04:13 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> On Tue, 11 Jan 2000, Ingo Heinscher & Regina Otto wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> > I was asking myself if there is any interest for creating a traveller<BR>
> > newsgroup on the usenet. Would you support such a proposal?<BR>
> ><BR>
> I hate Usenet and never go to the groups any more, there is too much SPAM.<BR>
<BR>
Especially since, in addition to the Spam posted on the ngs themselves,<BR>
Spambots harvest e-mail addresses from Usenet posters, and send them<BR>
even _more_ Spam.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 22:02:19 -0000<BR>
From: "Alistair J. R. Young" <avatar@arkane.demon.co.uk><BR>
Subject: RE: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
> You wouldn't have the Web, certainly (interstellar, that is), or that<BR>
flashy<BR>
> chrome stuff that people think of when they think of the 'Net today,<BR>
<BR>
Actually, now I think about it, you could almost do the Web as well - a big<BR>
enough cache, updating itself regularly with regular monthly dumps of<BR>
selected portions of other (important) system's Webs - things like the<BR>
sector government's propaga^Wpublic information site, the Shopping Pages,<BR>
that sort of thing.<BR>
<BR>
Alistair<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 14:04:04 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
>From: Ingo Heinscher & Regina Otto<BR>
><Ingo.Heinscher@germanynet.de><BR>
<BR>
>I was asking myself if there is any interest for creating a <BR>
>traveller newsgroup on the usenet. Would you support such a <BR>
>proposal?<BR>
<BR>
While I neither support nor oppose your proposal, I know that I<BR>
would never use a Traveller newsgroup, primarily because I lack<BR>
the time to make use of yet another online resource.  I barely<BR>
have time to read the TML.  I only glance at the Trav-Culture<BR>
list.  TravellerinSF is a new list with only a few members, and<BR>
is just used for coordinating meetings in the San Francisco<BR>
area.  I don't even belong to any of the other mailing lists --<BR>
and there are several -- because I lack time to contribute or<BR>
even just to learn.  <BR>
<BR>
In addition, the noise to signal ratio on usenet is in general<BR>
much worse than on the TML.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 16:04:55 -0600 (CST)<BR>
From: "Jason Kemp" <Jason.Kemp@tdh.state.tx.us><BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
Jory Erl asked how to use frames for his website.<BR>
<BR>
I looked up the HTML specifications to refresh myself, and the 4.01 <BR>
specs remain consistent with what I learned under HTML2.0 and 3.2. <BR>
The URL, for reference, is:<BR>
<BR>
http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/present/frames.html<BR>
<BR>
In short, you use the Frameset tag to identify the types and relative <BR>
sizes of the frames you wish to create. After that, you can use Frame <BR>
tags to define the source file for the code that appears within it. <BR>
In place of an implied Frame, one can use Frameset again, to <BR>
establish another set of frames with a different orientation and <BR>
setup. (See the example below.) For browsers that do not recognize <BR>
the Frameset tags (and Netscape will, as I've used them before with <BR>
Navigator 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, and 4.01, before switching to IE,) the <BR>
browser will simply display the HTML bound in the Noframes tag. <BR>
I generally recommend a link here to a non-frames version of your <BR>
site. Note, at no time does the Iframe tag ever enter the HTML code.<BR>
<BR>
Example below:<BR>
<BR>
<FRAMESET cols="20%, 80%"><BR>
  <FRAMESET rows="100, 200"><BR>
      <FRAME src="contents_of_frame1.html"><BR>
      <FRAME src="contents_of_frame2.gif"><BR>
  </FRAMESET><BR>
  <FRAME src="contents_of_frame3.html"><BR>
  <NOFRAMES><BR>
      <BR>
This frameset document contains:<BR>
      <UL><BR>
         <LI><A HREF="contents_of_frame1.html">Some neat contents</A><BR>
         <LI><IMG src="contents_of_frame2.gif" alt="A neat image"><BR>
         <LI><A HREF="contents_of_frame3.html">Some other neat
         contents</A><BR>
      </UL><BR>
  </NOFRAMES><BR>
</FRAMESET><BR>
<BR>
Does this help?<BR>
<BR>
Good luck,<BR>
Jason<BR>
=============================<BR>
Jason Kemp, ADS Programmer IV<BR>
(512)458-7111 ext. 3375<BR>
Internet Address:  jason.kemp@tdh.state.tx.us<BR>
<BR>
Most computer virus and email alerts are hoaxes.  For more info, check out:<BR>
http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/culture/beliefs/urbanlegends/library/blhoax.htm<BR>
==============================<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 09:29:01 +1000<BR>
From: david.d.jaques-watson@centrelink.gov.au<BR>
Subject: Re: Fashion & Red Ties<BR>
<BR>
Dear Folks -<BR>
<BR>
Kelly said:<BR>
>As a single non-suit-wearing young liberal, who finds sales difficult or<BR>
>even dishonest, I quickly decided it was not for me.<BR>
<BR>
Ah, so you play a Scout, right?<BR>
<BR>
;-)<BR>
<BR>
- - Hyphen<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 15:10:32 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
Anthony Jackson  wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> First of all, weapons-grade laser optics aren't exactly the same as<BR>
telescope<BR>
> optics; firing a weapons-grade laser through telescope optics would more<BR>
or<BR>
> less instantly destroy the telescope, which isn't really the goal.  There<BR>
may<BR>
> not even be any focusing mirrors -- what do x-ray laser focusing mirrors<BR>
look<BR>
> like anyway?<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
I remember reading an article about focusing x-rays a few years ago. I<BR>
believe that the article said that since conventional mirrors don't work at<BR>
x-ray frequencies, you have to resort to Fresnel zone plates. These don't<BR>
work like a mirror, of course, but they can be used to focus x-rays.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 18:32:17 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: re:OT :  Frames<BR>
<BR>
At 12:58 -0500 11/1/00, "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>How in the bloody hell do you make FRAMES work on a web page?  In Internet<BR>
>Explorer it's as easy as falling out of your chair.  You just use this handy<BR>
>command called "iframe".  2 lines and you have a scrollable window in the<BR>
>middle of your web page.<BR>
><BR>
>Netscrape of course, can't see this code.  But even an amiga browser can see<BR>
>it.  SIGH.  A guy at work told me I should switch to the Netscape "frame"<BR>
>way as it is a standard so that everyone can see my page.  So I cut out the<BR>
>iframe stuff and TRIED to write in frames.  I went to www.htmlgoodies.com<BR>
>and read both the basic and advanced tutorials on frames.  However, using<BR>
>those examples gets me a blank screen in both browsers.  ARGH.  Any help<BR>
>would be GREATLY appreciated.<BR>
<BR>
The BITS site is frame based - save the frameset and the link docs as <BR>
a matter of targeting the correct link into the page - I'll have a <BR>
look as soon as U can.<BR>
<BR>
HTML 4 for Dummies quick reference is an excellent book for basic frames.<BR>
<BR>
And I generally find more non-standard Microsith Planet Destroyer <BR>
codes than Netscrape Navigator ones, but they're both guilty. As soon <BR>
as iCAB gets the plug ins and javascript I'm changing browsers.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 16:07:18 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Cr to $ conversion?<BR>
<BR>
What is the typical conversion rate which people typically use for<BR>
converting Traveller Imperial Credits into 20th century U.S. Dollars?<BR>
<BR>
I was looking at the prices of ships being constructed today at<BR>
http://www.marinelog.com/DOCS/comgh.html, and wondered how the prices of<BR>
modern ships translate into Traveller terms.<BR>
<BR>
Typical numbers: container ship $150 million (equivalent of Traveller bulk<BR>
cargo ship?), 1900 passenger cruise ship $440 million.<BR>
<BR>
By comparison, Traveller ships seem fairly expensive.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 16:26:20 -0800<BR>
From: "Bruce Macintosh" <bruce.macintosh@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: Re: lasers<BR>
<BR>
>First of all, weapons-grade laser optics aren't exactly the same as telescope<BR>
>optics; firing a weapons-grade laser through telescope optics would more or<BR>
>less instantly destroy the telescope, which isn't really the goal.<BR>
Only more-or-less; weapons-grade-laser optics at our current TL would look<BR>
a lot like telescope optics, but with dielectric rather than aluminum mirrors<BR>
(very<BR>
high reflectivity but only at a single wavelength), and possibly with active<BR>
cooling.<BR>
Remember that the laser beam is big when it hits the launch mirrors, and only<BR>
focuses at the target...<BR>
<BR>
>There may<BR>
>not even be any focusing mirrors -- what do x-ray laser focusing mirrors look<BR>
>like anyway?<BR>
Harder to say, though since x-ray lasers don't come along until TL13 I tend to<BR>
assume that part of that is driven by better mirror technology...<BR>
<BR>
Bruce<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 19:40:04 -0500<BR>
From: "Thom Harris" <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC<BR>
<BR>
All this goes with, "Did you hear, they are taking the word "gullible" out<BR>
of the dictionary." (Of course you can substitute the word gullible for<BR>
naive if you would like.)<BR>
<BR>
Thom<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: "Rob Brady" <robb@datatone.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 12:48 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: KFC<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> >"THIS IS DISTURBING TO HERE SINCE I PERSONALLY<BR>
> >LOVE KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN..................<BR>
> >During a recent study of KFC done at the<BR>
> >University of New Hampshire, they found some very upsetting facts.<BR>
> >The reason why they call it KFC is because they can not use<BR>
> > the word chicken anymore. Why?<BR>
> I don't know of any gullible TMLers, but just cause you said you weren't<BR>
> sure, when you receive an email that says "forward this to everyone you<BR>
> know" go to urbanlegends.about.com (my favorite).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 00:26:08 GMT<BR>
From: Postmark Design Bureau <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
Luther Martin wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Anthony Jackson  wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >  what do x-ray laser focusing mirrors look like anyway?<BR>
> <BR>
> I remember reading an article about focusing x-rays a few years ago. I<BR>
> believe that the article said that since conventional mirrors don't work at<BR>
> x-ray frequencies, you have to resort to Fresnel zone plates. These don't<BR>
> work like a mirror, of course, but they can be used to focus x-rays.<BR>
<BR>
Currently, I believe that X-ray telescopes use mirrors set at a very<BR>
shallow angle (so that the effective gap between the atoms is small<BR>
enough to keep the X-rays out). To maximise the effect, you have<BR>
several concentric rings of such reflectors.<BR>
<BR>
At higher Traveller tech, it might be possible to use superdense<BR>
as if it were a normal mirror. For my TU I am currently theorising<BR>
that before bonded superdense is available as a hull material at TL14,<BR>
it is used for X-ray laser mirrors at TL13.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Phil Kitching, http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo<BR>
Postmark Design Bureau, Laser Communications Division<BR>
"For when your message must get through"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 16:55:04 PST<BR>
From: "Peter Bath" <plbath@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
unsubscribe<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 18:58:27 -0600 (CST)<BR>
From: John Osborne <osborne6@wt.net><BR>
Subject: Advice on worldmapping<BR>
<BR>
Any advice the wise sages of TML could throw my way on worldmapping?<BR>
<BR>
Thanks in advance!<BR>
<BR>
John Osborne<BR>
osborne6@wt.net   osborne6@msu.edu<BR>
"I love the smell of fdisk in the morning"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 17:10:06 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: lasers<BR>
<BR>
Bruce Macintosh writes:<BR>
<BR>
> Only more-or-less; weapons-grade-laser optics at our current TL would look<BR>
> a lot like telescope optics, but with dielectric rather than aluminum<BR>
> mirrors (very<BR>
> high reflectivity but only at a single wavelength), and possibly with<BR>
> active cooling.<BR>
> Remember that the laser beam is big when it hits the launch mirrors, and<BR>
> only focuses at the target...<BR>
<BR>
True.  The basic issue is how fast the focusing mirrors are (the answer is<BR>
probably 'extremely fast', but...)<BR>
> <BR>
> >There may<BR>
> >not even be any focusing mirrors -- what do x-ray laser focusing mirrors<BR>
> >look like anyway?<BR>
> Harder to say, though since x-ray lasers don't come along until TL13 I tend<BR>
> to assume that part of that is driven by better mirror technology...<BR>
<BR>
Or better grav focusing.<BR>
<BR>
Incidentally, have you ever considered the effects of adding grav focus to your<BR>
sensor rules?  I suspect its appalling...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 17:13:48 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: A Small Favor? <BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 19:21:52 -0500 <BR>
From: Steve Daniels <stevedaniels@portcaddo.com>  <BR>
To: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com> <BR>
Subject: A Small Favor? <BR>
<BR>
Glenn, could you please post this to TML for me?  I gave up on<BR>
trying to post myself.  Just a little something I need to get<BR>
off my chest.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks,<BR>
Bloo<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----------------------------------<BR>
Dear TMLers,<BR>
<BR>
I've been away for several months and recently resubscribed.<BR>
Nevermind that I'm prevented from posting because I screwed up<BR>
the subscription process and some monkey has to manually approve<BR>
me (if it is an IEN/ImagicOnline Monkey -  well, I don't want<BR>
any favors from that shoddy outfit for reasons unrelated to<BR>
TML).  That can actually be a good thing as it limits my<BR>
knee-jerk-reaction-post ability.<BR>
<BR>
Sadly, I think many of you, even the old guard, could well<BR>
benefit from a similar restraint on your posts.  In only a<BR>
couple<BR>
of weeks of posts, there are only a handful of on-topic posts,<BR>
and I'm not counting all the LL-SJ stuff.  Spam, spam, spam. One<BR>
line responses quoting several paragraphs, posts with only<BR>
splurt scores, totally irrelevant stuff, etc.<BR>
<BR>
Whither Traveller?<BR>
<BR>
I won't bother to name the few relevant posts, but that I can do<BR>
so is sad.  I'm not the first to comment on the signal to noise<BR>
ratio.  But it is bad enough that I'm leaving the TML again,<BR>
because I'm losing the ability to siff the wheat from the chaff<BR>
(how many more needle in haystack metaphors can I use? - wait,<BR>
don't answer - that is exactly the kind of thing I've seen<BR>
lately that is ruining the list).<BR>
<BR>
This is the Traveller Kibbitz List.  Its sad that I'm leaving so<BR>
soon after coming back, but that is how low things are. For that<BR>
reason, I'd love a usenet style TML, though I'm not going to<BR>
push for it.  I will say that those who are  oncerned about<BR>
potential spam from a traveller usenet need to take an honest<BR>
look at TML as it is.  Spam spam spam traveller spam keyboard<BR>
splurt spam spam traveller spam.<BR>
<BR>
Not a sufficient diet for me.<BR>
<BR>
Adios for now.<BR>
<BR>
Bloo<BR>
<BR>
(I've already unsubscribed so send your flames to<BR>
stevedaniels@portcaddo.com - I'm not promising that I'll respond<BR>
- - consider this a parting shot).<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 20:33:26 EST<BR>
From: KenRoney@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Advice on worldmapping<BR>
<BR>
1)  Go to the library and pick up some books on planetology, especially those <BR>
with maps of the planets and moons of the solar system.  I found that <BR>
starting with a base derived from actual examples is the best way to go.  Up <BR>
to date books on terran geology and climatology are also very useful.<BR>
2) For an Earth-like world, remember just how irregular most surface features <BR>
are.  One weakness that many world mappers seem to make is to just drop a few <BR>
blobs onto a geodesic grid and call it a world.  There should be islands big <BR>
and small, archipelagos, inland lakes and seas, and a wide variety of terrain <BR>
types.  <BR>
3)  Try to visualize ocean and atmospheric flows, and their effects on <BR>
climate.  This will help you logically place forests, deserts, etc.<BR>
4)  Consider the effect of tech levels when placing man made features.  For <BR>
example, a world that has always been at a high tech level may never have <BR>
developed the road or rail grids so essential to modern society.  Cities <BR>
should have some reason for being, but with the exception of extremely <BR>
hostile locations, virtually anyplace can be justified.<BR>
6)  Scan your accumulated RPG books for good examples and bad.  Then emulate <BR>
the best ones you see.<BR>
This has been pretty basic, but it's always worked well for me.  Good Luck!<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 15:23:10 -0500<BR>
From: "Chauncey Smith" <csmith@ICDC.com><BR>
Subject: Re: heroes! and forgotten books<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Date: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 1:12 AM<BR>
Subject: heroes! and forgotten books<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>Which reminds me of a book I read recently which I<BR>
>quite enjoyed but failed to note down the title of,<BR>
>I'm sure someone here has read it. In it a young<BR>
>ensign is assigned to a merchant ship, a passenger<BR>
>liner, which is going on a long voyage. His navy is<BR>
>rather like to British Navy of the 1700s, or early<BR>
>1800s. A series of misadventures leave him the senior<BR>
>officer, he even has to recruit (press gang) young<BR>
>passengers as officer cadets to have a full complement<BR>
>of officers. He faces near mutiny from his crew, the<BR>
>first ever hostile boarding in space, and the first<BR>
>contact with an alien species (also hostile). He<BR>
>manages (just) to pull through and get everyone safely<BR>
>home.<BR>
>Anyone else read this? IMTU I'm basing a region<BR>
>heavily on British-style navy and the like, and would<BR>
>love to, um, "borrow" such ideas.<BR>
><BR>
I have a number of sci fi books that deal with that type of adventure.<BR>
1) Would be the honor Harrington novels by David Weber.<BR>
a good look at space combat at the ranges which traveller is played.<BR>
I loved the idea of the bay mounted weapons and the broadside attacks.<BR>
read the 3rd one and wrote a white paper for my 3i navy.<BR>
<BR>
2) The Sassinak books by  Anne McCaffrey<BR>
they have good space combat.. and boarding actions that I believe you're<BR>
looking for.<BR>
<BR>
3) it's not sci fi but for heros that don't want to be heroes I'd go with<BR>
Robert Jordan's wheel of time series my self. These guys loose control of<BR>
bodily functions and do all the *ates. I found the change refreshing. I may<BR>
not impose them on my PC's as they are usually hardened and have been there<BR>
before in traveller... (hey no one starts the game in the 1st term :)) but I<BR>
loved the Idea of some on loosing there lunch when they see a body my self.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 15:00:34 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: heroes! and forgotten books<BR>
<BR>
On 11 Jan 00, at 9:46, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> At 04:16 AM 1/11/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >That sounds like 'Midshipman's Hope' by David Feintuch<BR>
> <BR>
> The most thougholy depressing hero I've ever read.  I did read all the<BR>
> books, just waiting for Feintuch to give the poor guy a break!<BR>
<BR>
I found them an interesting contrast with David Weber's Harrington <BR>
books, because both the heros are similar to Hornblower (they've got <BR>
the series running on TV at the moment, and it's fine viewing), but it's <BR>
almost like they split him in two, and Harrington is the light side, and <BR>
Feintuch's the dark side (I forget his character's name) - his <BR>
character seems to have ended up with all of Hoenblower's self doubt <BR>
and depression.<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: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 15:00:34 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
On 11 Jan 00, at 19:02, Ingo Heinscher & Regina Otto wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Hi!<BR>
> <BR>
> I was asking myself if there is any interest for creating a traveller<BR>
> newsgroup on the usenet. Would you support such a proposal?<BR>
<BR>
I'd be agianst it. About the only thing most news groups are good for <BR>
is having flame wars, and even then you have to dodge the spam.<BR>
<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: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 19:33:53 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC<BR>
<BR>
>The reason why they call it KFC is<BR>
>because they can not use the word chicken anymore. Why? KFC does not use<BR>
>real chickens. They actually use genetically manipulated organisms.<BR>
<BR>
And they taste Just Like Chicken!<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: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 19:29:00 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: RAH<BR>
<BR>
>>> Space Family Stone<BR>
>><BR>
>> That's "The Rolling Stones" in the US versions (probably in *all* the<BR>
>"English language" versions). It's a "pun" on an old proverb: "A rolling<BR>
>stone gathers no moss."<BR>
><BR>
>Hmmmm ... I have heard of the "The Rolling Stones" reference, but my 1971<BR>
>NEL paperback copy of "Space Family Stone" was published in Great Britain.<BR>
><BR>
>Publishers move in mysterious ways.<BR>
<BR>
I would venture a guess and suggest that the British publisher of this<BR>
novel decided to change the name in order to avoid confusion with a musical<BR>
group from England that was fairly popular at the time...<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: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 19:37:09 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: heroes! and forgotten books<BR>
<BR>
>>That sounds like 'Midshipman's Hope' by David Feintuch<BR>
><BR>
>The most thougholy depressing hero I've ever read.  I did read all the<BR>
>books, just waiting for Feintuch to give the poor guy a break!<BR>
<BR>
I've read only one book in the series. I don't remember which one by title,<BR>
but I think it's the second one in the series. The one where his baby dies <BR>
and his wife kills herself by walking out the airlock in deepspace without<BR>
a pressure suit. I have no interest at all in reading any of the others. <BR>
IMHO, the author broke one of the cardinal rules of writing fiction,<BR>
especially<BR>
a series featuring the same lead character: the main character should be <BR>
*likeable* -- or at least, one worthy of the readers' respect. The hero of<BR>
this novel is neither -- had I been in his crew, I'd have been first in line<BR>
during a mutiny...<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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1727<BR>
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Traveller-digest    Wednesday, January 12 2000    Volume 1999 : Number 1728<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>
Third Imperium Email<BR>
Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED 101 Schools<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
Re Xmail-spam<BR>
Re: Tech Levels<BR>
FS: DA3- Death Station/Argon Gambit<BR>
Re: law in flux re the internet (was Re: GURPS vs. T5?)<BR>
KFC<BR>
RE: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
RE: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Re: A Small Favor? <BR>
Re: Advice on worldmapping<BR>
Re: Accessing Tankage<BR>
Re: Scouts (Re: traveller poll!)<BR>
Re: A Small Favor? <BR>
Re: Ideas to ponder...<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:18:41 +1100<BR>
From: "AB" <ab@rossmack.com><BR>
Subject: Third Imperium Email<BR>
<BR>
I put together some 'emails to a PC from his sister' as player handouts.<BR>
<BR>
See this as a sample of what the emails might look like:<BR>
<BR>
www.rossmack.com/ab/rpg/traveller/xgrams/035-1102.asp<BR>
<BR>
I got sick of figuring out the delivery routes after a while - but you get<BR>
the general idea.<BR>
<BR>
- -AB<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 21:09:13 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED 101 Schools<BR>
<BR>
"Hughes, Michael" wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Hi,<BR>
> <BR>
> I was going through emails receives while I was away and came across your<BR>
> posting on the TML re 101 schools. Is this for BITS? Are you taking<BR>
> submissions?<BR>
<BR>
My current plan is to work out a few schools, encourage posting of<BR>
others on the TML, and then compile the list, to be offered as a free<BR>
download (as a Rich Text File [.rtf] document, since I don't own an<BR>
Adobe Acrobat editing application), on any/all sites wanting to host<BR>
it.  I'm using the "101 Schools" working title to match the other<BR>
excellent "101 (fill-in-the-blank)" materials.  (Actually, someone else<BR>
first used the term, I just posted my thoughts on what items would be<BR>
needed to describe a school.)<BR>
> <BR>
> It sounds cool as.<BR>
<BR>
While I can't take credit for initiating the idea, I'll accept your<BR>
thanks for being willing to compile the submissions, in a standardized<BR>
format.  See my posting of Garda-Vilis University, and the followup<BR>
posts, for a draft of the information required.  Ideally, everything<BR>
should fit on 1/2 page, and few if any schools should require more than<BR>
one full page.<BR>
> <BR>
> Also, are you guys going to use DGP stuff at all (they did a bunch of stuff<BR>
> on Traveller's academic institutions), though the copy right thang would get<BR>
> in the way.<BR>
<BR>
Since the only rulesets I have on hand are CT (Books 0-6) and T4 (the<BR>
basic rulebook and _Pocket Empires_ being the most relevant), I do not<BR>
know what material DGP produced, so I can't use DGP material directly. <BR>
If other contributors choose to post MT/TNE-compliant material, that's<BR>
fine; I just would need some guidance included for use in CT/T4.<BR>
<BR>
Probably, the best way to describe primary game effects of attending a<BR>
specific college would be to describe the deviation (positive or<BR>
negative) from one's preferred ruleset's handling of college.  My<BR>
opinion is that most schools will tend to use "standard" rules for Edu<BR>
or skill increases, and that specialized game effects will be granted by<BR>
DMs for specific modifiers for affected activities (for instance, the<BR>
highly-regarded GVU OTC program gives a +1 bonus for promotion to O-2).<BR>
<BR>
Note that the first school that I posted (Garda-Vilis University)<BR>
sometimes used the term "standard" when describing benefits gained by<BR>
attending.  That is to allow Traveller referees to plug the school into<BR>
the appropriate rules.  (CT indicates that college increases the PC's<BR>
Edu, while T4 (with a larger list of skills and knowledges) awards<BR>
skills for college attendance.  Any deviation from "standard" would best<BR>
be addressed as an adjustment from the rules in the author's governing<BR>
ruleset (ideally including either CT or T4, since any input concerning<BR>
the treatment of college in MT/TNE is based on rules which I do not<BR>
own).<BR>
<BR>
BTW, since you asked questions of general interest, I am cross-posting<BR>
my reply to the TML.<BR>
> <BR>
> Oh yeah, Happy new year etc.<BR>
> <BR>
And to you and yours.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 21:13:03 -0600 (CST)<BR>
From: John Osborne <osborne6@wt.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
Just a bit of my own humble opinion, plus some suggestions...[1]<BR>
<BR>
<snip> <BR>
 <BR>
> Sadly, I think many of you, even the old guard, could well<BR>
> benefit from a similar restraint on your posts.  In only a<BR>
> couple<BR>
> of weeks of posts, there are only a handful of on-topic posts,<BR>
> and I'm not counting all the LL-SJ stuff.  Spam, spam, spam. One<BR>
> line responses quoting several paragraphs, posts with only<BR>
> splurt scores, totally irrelevant stuff, etc.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
I can kinda agree with this.  I subscribed about 5 months ago and recently<BR>
the amount of good posts has gone down.  Occaisonally, some off topic<BR>
messages will generate a decent discussion of some cultural topic.<BR>
It makes me jumpy constantly running fetchmail to see if any good TML<BR>
digests pop into my mail spool.<BR>
<BR>
> Whither Traveller?<BR>
> <BR>
<snip><BR>
<BR>
How's about some possible solutions?  I like Colin's idea of a private<BR>
newsserver, where we won't have to worry about spam (due to diligent<BR>
moderation) or email address harvesting.<BR>
<BR>
Another idea, if you are searching the archives for messages that covered<BR>
a specific topic, we could have some sort of "Deja-TML" database where we<BR>
could look up messages[2].<BR>
<BR>
Thoughts on this?<BR>
<BR>
John Osborne<BR>
osborne6@wt.net   osborne6@msu.edu<BR>
"I love the smell of fdisk in the morning"<BR>
<BR>
[1] I hope this didn't come accross as a flame.<BR>
<BR>
[2] I know, this involves some brow-sweat, hard work, and programming.<BR>
I'd volunteer.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 18:17:12 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Xmail-spam<BR>
<BR>
>> > Would spamming be an Imperial crime?<BR>
>><BR>
>> Most likely there would just be routing-based and size-based<BR>
>> charges for email. X-boat isn't like Usenet in that you<BR>
>> aren't dealing with a network of systems with different<BR>
>> owners -- the X-boat network has a single owner.<BR>
><BR>
>I'm thinking more that the X-boat system would be in many cases, I think, a<BR>
>bandwidth bottleneck. It might be in the Imperium's interest to discourage<BR>
>junk e-mail, chain letters, and so forth (even if the sender would be<BR>
>willing to pay for them) to make sure that more vital governmental and<BR>
>commercial traffic *will* get through.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, I figure there WILL be "Junk X-Mail". Only delivered to public<BR>
terminals and blanket emailing, and only when the destination world has a<BR>
good net system. Also auto-dumps into all local library data uploads for<BR>
the IISS library Data system (IMTU, there are competing ones: IISS, TNS,<BR>
and HECNS, plus, during the rebellion SMART, later D-DART). Blanket<BR>
coverage gets a time-limit, however....<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 14:35:54 +1000<BR>
From: david.d.jaques-watson@centrelink.gov.au<BR>
Subject: Re: Tech Levels<BR>
<BR>
Dear Folks -<BR>
<BR>
Thomas said:<BR>
>    The complete rebuilding of the planetary production infrastructure for<BR>
>each TL would be one of the things to slow down the TL advancement. And<BR>
>yes, I do think it's a requirement.<BR>
<BR>
This might be a good time to mention an article I was just given. It is called<BR>
"Disruptive technologies: will you be ready for the next one?" from the<BR>
"Journals" column in the _Seybold Report on Internet Publishing_.<BR>
<BR>
The article explains how new technologies can either be "sustaining<BR>
technologies" or "disruptive technologies" - one reinforces the position of the<BR>
tech suppliers, while the other causes them to fail.<BR>
<BR>
This concept was developed and studied at Harvard (there ya go, Kenji!), in a<BR>
book called "The Innovator's Dilemma" by Clayton Christiansen. New technologies<BR>
can replace old ones - and often, new firms displace the old firms as well.<BR>
<BR>
There are a few key criteria of a disruptive technology.<BR>
<BR>
One is "performance oversupply", where the current tech is great but really<BR>
offers too much to users - an overkill for what they need. The new tech offers<BR>
less (lower performance levels), but is cheaper and less sophisticated.<BR>
<BR>
The second is that disruptive technologies start out as cheaper, simpler, and<BR>
less capable than the tech they ultimately replace.<BR>
<BR>
Finally, in the early phase, they cater to a niche market. Later, as the new<BR>
tech improves, it takes over.<BR>
<BR>
Examples include traditional typesetting vs desktop publishing; proprietary<BR>
typesetters vs PostScript imagesetters (vs TrueType fonts, I imagine).<BR>
<BR>
Interestingly, the article tried to predict some current disruptive tech: offset<BR>
vs flexographic printing; plate-based vs digital printing (eg. gravure cylinders<BR>
vs inkjet/toner printers); internet vs print publications; printed vs e-books<BR>
(maybe not now, but soon, price will drop, maybe someone will develop an<BR>
electronic display that is satisfactory to read - se the recent TML discussion<BR>
on CE machines).<BR>
<BR>
So - what Solomani tech zapped the Vilani tech?  ;-)<BR>
<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
David "Hyphen" Jaques-Watson        Beowulf Down (Tavonni/Vilis/SM 1520)<BR>
http://www.tip.net.au/~davidjw                       davidjw@pcug.org.au<BR>
"I file things in historical order, with a hashing algorithm of gravity"<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
REQ'D DISCLAIMER - material & opinions contained within are solely those<BR>
of the author and do not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the<BR>
position of Centrelink or any other Commonwealth Government agency.<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 19:37:20 PST<BR>
From: "Gary Miles" <garyglennmiles@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: FS: DA3- Death Station/Argon Gambit<BR>
<BR>
I have an extra copy of Double Adventure #3- Death Station/The Argon Gambit. <BR>
I'd call it in Very Good Condition (slight cover wear, interior nearly <BR>
pristine). If anyone's interested, email me (NO replies to the list. Any <BR>
replies to the list will be ignored.) Best offer over $5 (+mailing) gets it.<BR>
<BR>
Gary<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 22:38:32 -0500<BR>
From: "Eric Freitas" <ericfrei@gte.net><BR>
Subject: Re: law in flux re the internet (was Re: GURPS vs. T5?)<BR>
<BR>
Don't things like this make you wonder if the US government is trying to<BR>
become the ONLY government on the planet?  It makes me sick to know<BR>
that the FBI now has overseas offices.  How many K'Kree would put up <BR>
with the Vargr building a 'Catch-Your-Own-Tasty-Lunch' Sports Bar on <BR>
one of their planets?<BR>
<BR>
>Yet another case involves three U.S. citizens who set up a sports<BR>
>gambling web site on the Caribbean somewhere.  Gambling on sports by use<BR>
>of the telephone system is illegal in the United States, but in the<BR>
>Caribbean country.  The U.S. government is trying to prosecute these<BR>
>guys.  The result is that they cannot come back to the United States<BR>
>unless they are willing to face prosecution.  One of them has decided to<BR>
>be the test case, and has appeared and entered a plea of not guilty. <BR>
>There was a good article about it in the SF Weekly a few weeks ago<BR>
>(sfweekly.com).  SF Weekly is one of our several weekly entertainment<BR>
>and muckraking newpapers.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 23:20:56 -0500<BR>
From: "Delos" <delos@superior.net><BR>
Subject: KFC<BR>
<BR>
Hi everyone. I posted this KFC thing not knowing if it<BR>
was in any way factual, but I thought it was worth a<BR>
laugh, if nothing else. In any case, I sent it also to<BR>
a few friends of mine and one of them claims that KFC<BR>
 has a chicken farm in Oregon whose chickens resemble<BR>
 the crazy description. They are called<BR>
'focused' chickens, apparently. I have no idea if<BR>
that it true, either. :) I don't much care, but I am<BR>
considering it in regards to space travel.<BR>
<BR>
I am betting that *fresh* chicken,<BR>
even 'focused' chicken would be better tasting than your<BR>
standard food synthesizer chicken (which tastes not quite<BR>
 but not entirely unlike chicken.) :)<BR>
<BR>
I would not have considered a food source like this<BR>
for on-board a starship, but it got me thinking.<BR>
Maybe we should start growing cows (without legs or<BR>
heads) so the space-hands can have fresh milk and<BR>
hamburgers too.<BR>
<BR>
It would make for some interesting cargos.<BR>
(My outlook express breaks up messages funny unless<BR>
I space them out like this. Sorry.)<BR>
<BR>
> All this goes with, "Did you hear, they are taking the word "gullible" out<BR>
> of the dictionary." (Of course you can substitute the word gullible for<BR>
> naive if you would like.)<BR>
> Thom<BR>
<BR>
LOL. You mean you don't believe everything you see on the net?<BR>
<BR>
Delos<BR>
delos@superior.net<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 20:17:29 -0800<BR>
From: Jesse DeGraff <jdegraff@pacbell.net><BR>
Subject: RE: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
LOL!<BR>
:)<BR>
Jesse<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
[mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Leonard<BR>
Erickson<BR>
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2000 10:31 PM<BR>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>> In mail you write:<BR>
>><BR>
>>> At 02:50 AM 1/10/2000 PST, you wrote:<BR>
>>><BR>
>>>>BTW, You were at Orycon? Sheesh! You should have said something on the<BR>
>>>>list!<BR>
>>><BR>
>>> In 1987.  Was there even a list at that point?<BR>
>>><BR>
>>> You should talk.. couldn't even drive down to Corvalis to join Mark,<BR>
Jesse<BR>
>>> and myself in a little pointless mayhem.<BR>
>><BR>
>> Since I can't drive *period* (never had a license) it's a bit more<BR>
>> excusable.<BR>
<BR>
> Excuses excuses.  There's always Greyhound!<BR>
> [duck, run, cover, don armor and load rifle :) ]<BR>
<BR>
I may not drive, but I *can* do chemistry...<BR>
<BR>
<Jesse notes a *lot* of purple crystals scattered around his bunker,<BR>
with trails of them leading into the *open* door of the explosives<BR>
magazine...><BR>
<BR>
BOOM!<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: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 20:17:33 -0800<BR>
From: Jesse DeGraff <jdegraff@pacbell.net><BR>
Subject: RE: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
Hee hee :)<BR>
J<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
[mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of<BR>
david.d.jaques-watson@centrelink.gov.au<BR>
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2000 11:19 PM<BR>
To: traveller@mpgn.com<BR>
Subject: RE: Re MEn in Uniform [OT]<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Dear Folks -<BR>
<BR>
Jesse said:<BR>
>Excuses excuses.  There's always Greyhound!<BR>
<BR>
Tut tut, for shame, Jesse.<BR>
<BR>
We all _know_ you mean *G-Hound*!<BR>
<BR>
- - Hyphen<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 20:51:11 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Bruce Macintosh writes:<BR>
><BR>
> <logic of lasers focusing quickly deleted><BR>
><BR>
> While true, there are two issues here:<BR>
><BR>
> First of all, weapons-grade laser optics aren't exactly the same as telescope<BR>
> optics; firing a weapons-grade laser through telescope optics would more or <BR>
> less instantly destroy the telescope, which isn't really the goal. <BR>
<BR>
Most big telescopes are *reflectors. The light bounces *off* the<BR>
*surface* of the optics, it doesn 't "thru" them. And as Bruce noted,<BR>
but you apparently missed, *real* weapons grade laser *do* using<BR>
mirrors to aim them.<BR>
<BR>
> There may<BR>
> not even be any focusing mirrors -- what do x-ray laser focusing mirrors look<BR>
> like anyway?<BR>
<BR>
X-ray mirrors exist. You need a piece of metal with near perfect<BR>
crystal sturcture and evenly space places of atoms. At a sufficiently<BR>
small angle of incidence, it will reflect X-rays reliably off the<BR>
atoms, because the Xray "beam" can't "see" the gaps between the atoms. <BR>
<BR>
Focusing x-rays via uch mirrors is old hat in nuclear weapons design. <BR>
<BR>
ps. The fact that *small*, well protected aiming mirrors can withstand<BR>
the beam doesn't mean that you can mirror the *target* the same way. To<BR>
start with, a process that's cheap enough for a .25 m^2 mirror may be<BR>
hideously expensive when you have to mirror a several *thousand* m^2<BR>
hull. Also, specs of dust, micrometeorite pits, etc make the mirror<BR>
surface useless. Such imperfections heat up explosively and the<BR>
explosion creates much larger defects...<BR>
<BR>
You can protect that small aiming mirror. You can't protect the hull.<BR>
Not even the hull of a missile.<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: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 22:22:08 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: A Small Favor? <BR>
<BR>
>Sadly, I think many of you, even the old guard, could well<BR>
>benefit from a similar restraint on your posts.  In only a<BR>
>couple<BR>
>of weeks of posts, there are only a handful of on-topic posts,<BR>
>and I'm not counting all the LL-SJ stuff.  Spam, spam, spam.<BR>
<BR>
I have yet to see any form of Spam on this list. No one has <BR>
posted messages about how to Make Money Fast, or buying Laser<BR>
Printer Toner in bulk, or the latest XXX web site... <BR>
<BR>
Sure, there are a lot of OT posts, but that's not quite the <BR>
same thing...<BR>
<BR>
>I won't bother to name the few relevant posts, but that I can do<BR>
>so is sad.  I'm not the first to comment on the signal to noise<BR>
>ratio.  But it is bad enough that I'm leaving the TML again,<BR>
>because I'm losing the ability to siff the wheat from the chaff<BR>
>(how many more needle in haystack metaphors can I use? - wait,<BR>
>don't answer - that is exactly the kind of thing I've seen<BR>
>lately that is ruining the list).<BR>
<BR>
That's why I subscribe to the Digest version of the list -- the <BR>
stuff I don't want to read, I can scroll past.<BR>
<BR>
>This is the Traveller Kibbitz List.  Its sad that I'm leaving so<BR>
>soon after coming back, but that is how low things are. For that<BR>
>reason, I'd love a usenet style TML, though I'm not going to<BR>
>push for it.  I will say that those who are  oncerned about<BR>
>potential spam from a traveller usenet need to take an honest<BR>
>look at TML as it is.  Spam spam spam traveller spam keyboard<BR>
>splurt spam spam traveller spam.<BR>
<BR>
I'm not wanting to be difficult, but the generally accepted definition<BR>
of "Spam" is that it is the electronic version of Junk Mail, posted<BR>
on one or several Usenet groups or sent to several e-mail recipients<BR>
at once, advertising for a service of some sort. There's been none<BR>
of that here.<BR>
<BR>
Granted, you may have a valid complaint about the signal-to-noise<BR>
ratio on this list, but at the same time it's a list that I enjoy<BR>
reading just the same. Someone recently started a moderated GURPS<BR>
Traveller list, to which I've also subscribed -- and it's about as<BR>
interesting as watching paint dry. <BR>
<BR>
Here in this list, we all have a common interest with Traveller, <BR>
and if every so often we'll go off on a tangent on another topic<BR>
of interest, so be it. The current extreme signal-to-noise ratio<BR>
can be explained as post-holiday euphoria / silliness / whatever, <BR>
and will likely subside before too long. (I've noticed fewer digests<BR>
per day as time goes on, for instance.) <BR>
<BR>
Personally, I don't think you gave TML a sufficiently long tryout.<BR>
Your loss... and in a way, ours as well -- instead of posting<BR>
meaningful, on-topic messages that would spin into their own threads <BR>
for the rest of us to ponder and discuss, you simply leave... <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: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 22:34:17 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Advice on worldmapping<BR>
<BR>
John Osborne wrote:<BR>
> Any advice the wise sages of TML could throw my way on worldmapping?<BR>
<BR>
Stuart Ferris's _World Builder Deluxe_ program generates rough <BR>
world maps from UWPs and might be a useful starting point. I'll<BR>
be using those maps for minor worlds (i.e. those I hadn't <BR>
already mapped with pencil and paper) in my campaign.<BR>
<BR>
If you'd rather do it from scratch, the guidelines in DGP's <BR>
_World Builder's Handbook_ (out of print, IIRC) or SJG's <BR>
_GT:First In_ are pretty good. Either one would be a good <BR>
investment for budding world builders -- in Traveller or <BR>
otherwise.<BR>
<BR>
- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 21:05:56 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Accessing Tankage<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>"William F. Hostman" wrote:<BR>
>>> 5) if you have failures in integrity, you are going to be mixing<BR>
>>> hydrogen and an oxygen-(whatever) mix.... Oxy-Helium would be bad,<BR>
>>> but just think about nitrogen-hydrogen-oxygen compounds... some do<BR>
>>> some very nasty things.<BR>
>><BR>
>>An air-hydrogen mix is almost explosive. The higher the oxygen content<BR>
>>in the air, the more explosive the mix gets. A pure oxygen-hydrogen mix<BR>
>>is dangerous.<BR>
><BR>
> Drop the "Almost" from the above.  Oxygen introduced to pure (or nearly<BR>
> pure) hydrogen or hydrogen derivatives amonia and methane is an explosive<BR>
> mix, at least if there is an ignition source.<BR>
<BR>
Only in certain mixture ranges... Hydrogen/air mixes are only flammable<BR>
in the 4%-74% range. Outside that range they will *not* ignite.<BR>
<BR>
Ammonia is 16-25%<BR>
Methane	   5-15%<BR>
Acetylene  2.5-100%<BR>
<BR>
Acetylene gets the 100% limit because pure acetylene can be detonated...<BR>
<BR>
Hydrogen has a fairly wide range, but note that a mix of *more* than 3<BR>
parts H2 to 1 part O2 is safe. The problem is transitioning safely from<BR>
that concentration to a "normal" (very much less than 4%) range. <BR>
<BR>
> What I meant is, after the explosion or flame, you get some nasty stuff...<BR>
> Especially if you introduce a little carbon in, too... CO2, after all, is a<BR>
> component. Some HCNO3, and other nasty nitrous/nitric/nitride stuffs. So,<BR>
> if it weren't bad enough you're starting to freeze, when they thaw you<BR>
> (assuming you froze quickly enough) you are covered in nasty<BR>
> nitrogen-compounds...<BR>
<BR>
You aren't going to get many nitrogen compounds that way. Getting<BR>
nitrogen to form compouds takes *very* high temps and pressures. That's<BR>
why it wasn't done on an industrial scale until WWI made Germany<BR>
desperate for nitrates. <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: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 21:36:09 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Scouts (Re: traveller poll!)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> obTrav:  What about a pre-career option (like Medical School or College) <BR>
> that incorporates a pre-adult activity group?  Say, a four year term for <BR>
> 14-17 year olds?  Explorer troops come to mind when thinking about <BR>
> Traveller.  Navy Explorers, Scout Explorers, Merchant Explorers and even <BR>
> the usual Law Enforcement and Wilderness Explorers could make an <BR>
> interesting organization to encounter in the 3rd Imp.<BR>
<BR>
As several stories by Heinlein and other authors point out, Scouting<BR>
would fit in *very* well with colonization efforts. An extra path to<BR>
get kids and "young adults" learning survival and technical skills. And<BR>
training them early for exploring the "wildreness".<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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 01:51:39 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: A Small Favor? <BR>
<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
<BR>
On behalf of Steve "Bloo" Daniels<BR>
<BR>
> Sadly, I think many of you, even the old guard, could well<BR>
> benefit from a similar restraint on your posts.  In only a<BR>
> couple of weeks of posts, there are only a handful of on-topic posts,<BR>
> and I'm not counting all the LL-SJ stuff.  Spam, spam, spam. One<BR>
> line responses quoting several paragraphs, posts with only<BR>
> splurt scores, totally irrelevant stuff, etc.<BR>
><BR>
> Whither Traveller?<BR>
<BR>
<snipped rest for brevity><BR>
<BR>
It's not spam, at least what I understand spam to be, but I know what Steve<BR>
meant. I agree completely. Some llist longtimers, if they're reading this,<BR>
might be saying, "What? This is the same Chris who always started an<BR>
argument whenever anybody said that something was off-topic. He actually<BR>
thinks that off-topic posts are good."<BR>
<BR>
Yes, in one way I'm contradicting myself. In another, in my deranged mind,<BR>
it makes perfect sense. You see, there are two types of off-topic threads.<BR>
One type dies shortly after it is born, and doesn't take a lot of bandwidth.<BR>
Recently, the vast majority of my off-topic posts have been of this sort.<BR>
The other type is much nastier, and I'll get to that in a bit. Bear with me.<BR>
<BR>
I am conscious when I post, and I am well aware that I am posting something<BR>
which is unrelated to Traveller. I usually don't have a problem with<BR>
off-topic posts because most off-topic threads die after a few messages.<BR>
Further, I saw the great Thanksgiving debate[1] a while back, and I think<BR>
that people griping about off-topic posts is counter-productive and outright<BR>
stupid.<BR>
<BR>
With that being said, I'm going to gripe about off-topic posts. I plan on<BR>
dropping the list in just a few days, and I've been hear for a while, so I<BR>
guess I might as well let those of you who care know why.<BR>
<BR>
Yes, I am the very same guy who said that I was proud to be the poster boy<BR>
for what's wrong with the TML. I still stand by that statement, at least in<BR>
the spirit in which it was made. I do think that off-topic posts foster a<BR>
sense of unity, they break the ice, and they're all around pretty nifty.<BR>
We're not all stereotypical Vilani, focused only on Traveller discussions. I<BR>
assume that most of the people on the list have interests, jobs and hobbies<BR>
which are outside the realm of Traveller. From time to time, these things<BR>
will creep onto the list. That's great. I think that they should. I saw<BR>
Galaxy Quest based on Jeff's comments about the movie which he posted to the<BR>
list. I embarked on a quest to see what people who walk on German soil and<BR>
breathe German air and speak German every day thought of the "Ich bin ein<BR>
Berliner" story after a post by Doug.<BR>
<BR>
Off-topic posts, at least in moderation, are a good thing.<BR>
<BR>
However, few people are showing restraint anymore. As a result, I spend way<BR>
too much time reading opinion-mongering, while naively thinking that maybe,<BR>
just maybe, that there might be something interesting or useful in there.<BR>
There isn't. Nowadays, even most on-topic threads just go off-topic and stay<BR>
off-topic for days, or even weeks and the topics they stray too aren't even<BR>
usually all that interesting, they're just opinion-mongering, ranging from<BR>
mildly amusing (usually unintentionally) to indignant and annoying.<BR>
<BR>
There are a number of people who are guilty of this, but who is to blame<BR>
isn't important. Blame on the internet always dissolves into petty<BR>
flamewars, and I don't want one of my last posts on the list to start a<BR>
fight.<BR>
<BR>
Now on to my own opinion mongering: In the last month or two, reading the<BR>
list has been doing very little for me, other than taking up way too much<BR>
time. I have attempted, several times, to start Traveller related<BR>
discussions concerning topics which interest me. The fashion threads were<BR>
the last straw for me, personally, as such a topic could have been very<BR>
interesting, but it was apparent that nobody was really that interested in<BR>
talking about the subject, and it was apparent in a few posts that at least<BR>
one person who posted an ObTrav to justify their off-topic posting hadn't<BR>
read the message which started the off-topic thread in the first place.<BR>
<BR>
So, I'm done. I through in the towel on this one. Conveniently, I start<BR>
class on Tuesday, so I have a nice rational reason for giving up the list.<BR>
The less rational, opinion-based reason is closer to the truth, however.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 21:41:27 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Ideas to ponder...<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> I've used the concept before in my Traveller games. When I did my origin<BR>
> of the pirate band 'Webrunners' (originally created by Paranoid Press<BR>
> for their Beyond sector) for my campaign, I made them a group of Free<BR>
> Traders that got afoul of an interplanetary grouping due to 'changes' in<BR>
> cargo legality and had to turn pirate to survive.<BR>
><BR>
> In a campaign in the early 80's the Free Trader I was specialist<BR>
> steward/gunner on captured a corsair that attempted to capture us. Upon<BR>
> landing with our prize we were feted as heroes until port authority<BR>
> descovered 'illegal' drugs in our cargo.  In the course of evading<BR>
> capture with the help of friendly locals we discovered that the drugs<BR>
> were made illegal the same day we landed.  And the pirate ship we<BR>
> captured had been repaired and its crew released.  Further investigation<BR>
> revealed that the pirates were allied with the planetary government.  We<BR>
> barely escaped by having to steal a ship.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, you've just explained *why* all but the smallest ports are<BR>
inside an "extrality" line, and thus *not* subject to planetary law. <BR>
<BR>
Under "normal" Traveller rules, *with* extrality, you'd be informed<BR>
that the drugs were illegal *by the port authorities* when you went to<BR>
post them for sale or arrange for transporting them out of the port. <BR>
<BR>
If you *didn't* do either, then if the world had a customs check upon<BR>
leaving the port, you'd get nailed for smuggling (which is why the port<BR>
tries to "catch" such cargoes before that point. Less hassles). Or you<BR>
might get away with delivering the goods and find out later. Like after<BR>
the local police raid the guy you sold to and he tells them where he<BR>
got the stuff. <BR>
<BR>
So as long as you don't take the stuff from the port into the areas the<BR>
planetary government has jurisdiction over, you are safe. <BR>
<BR>
This *is* different from current practice but given some incidents I've<BR>
heard of in the last 10 years or so, I *could* see things changing.<BR>
We've had folks who where travelling between two points where something<BR>
was legal get arrested while making a plane change, because the "hub"<BR>
that the airline *insisted* on routing them through was someplace where<BR>
the item *wasn't* legal. <BR>
<BR>
Sooner or later there's going to be a controversial, high profile case...<BR>
<BR>
Anyway, if we had "extrality areas" at airports and seaports, it'd be<BR>
possible for a plane carrying a load of, say, marijuana to land in the<BR>
extrality area, refuel, and continue on to its destination, and the<BR>
"local" authorities wouldn't be able to touch it. Of course, it'd<BR>
better have left someplace whewre pot was legal and have a final<BR>
destination where the same was true. <BR>
<BR>
I think "bonded warehouses" may be another development along these<BR>
lines. As I understand it, if you place a cargo "under bond", you don't<BR>
have to pay import duties on it. If someone in the country wants to buy<BR>
it, *they* pay the bond. Or, it can be transferred to a later ship<BR>
going somewhere else, and the duty is never paid because it was never<BR>
"imported".<BR>
<BR>
Obviously, this sort of arrangement doesn't net the host government a<BR>
lot (the bonding fees aren't that big, though the amount you lose if<BR>
violate the bond may be). But it makes shipping concerns a *lot* more<BR>
interested in routing their shiups through your ports! Which *does* net<BR>
the local government a lot of money.<BR>
<BR>
I suspect that the old practice of "free ports" and "free cities" was<BR>
similar. So I can see extrality happening. <BR>
<BR>
And it even make for some "interesting" scenarios. "Startown", or at<BR>
least a good chunk of it, will be inside the line. And the port will<BR>
not only make money from spacers wanting entertainment and other<BR>
"services", but also from *locals* who may have interests that are<BR>
illegal under local laws, but allowed in the "free zone". The local<BR>
cops won't mind, as it makes keeping the places in *their* jurisdiction<BR>
"clean" easy. And they can just keep an eye out for folks smuggling<BR>
stuff out of the port.<BR>
<BR>
Less chance of folks trying to *make* booze or drugs, or run hookers,<BR>
illegal betting parlors, whatever if such are freely available in the<BR>
port. <BR>
<BR>
So the port provides someplace to push the "bad elements" into, as well<BR>
as a safety valve letting locals "blow off steam". <BR>
<BR>
I'm sure folks can come up with a lot of scenarios just from the above.<BR>
<BR>
Now consider some other possibilities. Since everybody will be watching<BR>
for stuff smuggled *through* the port, inventive types may approach PCs<BR>
with schemes to try to sneak goods down to the planet (or up from the<BR>
surface) *without* going thru the port. <BR>
<BR>
Unless the PCs have a *big* tech advantage (over the *port*<BR>
authorities, as well as the local governments) attempts to sneak a<BR>
ship, or even a ship's boat past sensors aren't likely to work. <BR>
<BR>
But something *smaller* might. Fake "meteors" released from the ship<BR>
shortly after jump are one possibility. Dumping a well-stealthed<BR>
package during atmospheric entry is another. <BR>
<BR>
Getting stuff *off*-planet seems a lot harder. Only thing I can think<BR>
of would managing to get a sensor-invisible balloon into the outgoing<BR>
path of a ship. Then, *maybe* with some luck, the ship could grab it on<BR>
the way up. The big problem is making it invisible to the port and<BR>
local authorities, but *visible* to the pickup ship. As well as getting<BR>
it in the right place at the right time.<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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1728<BR>
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Traveller-digest    Wednesday, January 12 2000    Volume 1999 : Number 1729<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: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
Re: "Finska? Ar Du Finska?"<BR>
Re: How to use frames<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
Re: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
Q-ships<BR>
tragic heroes<BR>
Re: tragic heroes<BR>
Re: KFC<BR>
Re: How to use frames<BR>
RE: tragic heroes<BR>
Re: Cr to $ conversion?<BR>
Re: Cr to $ conversion?<BR>
RE: Templar report on the X-Files in plain English (was RE: nudit y and clothes)<BR>
Re: Templar report on the X-Files in plain English (was RE: nudit y and clothes)<BR>
RE: The female cycle<BR>
RE: Cr to $ conversion?<BR>
Re: Tech Levels<BR>
RE: cargo charges<BR>
RE: Boarding Actions (longish)<BR>
Re: How to use frames<BR>
Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 02:47:58 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: (anon)<BR>
> Your idea certainly has merit, but I doubt whether it would gain a<BR>
> significant following. Note what has happened, for example, to the<BR>
> recently-formed mailing lists which hoped to host more relevent<BR>
discussions<BR>
> of Traveller. No real interest has been generated.<BR>
<BR>
The thing that continues to kill these is the fact that they are web based<BR>
and load too slowly.  A news group is a very efficient way to look at the<BR>
messages.  Folks can quickly gather the messages and read them off-line.<BR>
Also, since several different groups can be started, more than one group of<BR>
Traveller folks will be nosing around through the threads.  BTW, have you<BR>
ever seen the Pyramid news groups?  The traffic there is quite high even<BR>
though they have a $15 per year subscription fee.  The number of posts<BR>
jumped significantly when they went from strictly a web board to the news<BR>
server format.<BR>
<BR>
> Can't you get similar threaded web posting services for free? I think<BR>
> Bravenet offers such a service.<BR>
<BR>
Anything web-based is going to be too slow to be viable.  It has to be as<BR>
fast or faster than email.  Also, those services load up on ads and make<BR>
administration pretty limited and time-consuming.  Managing a news server is<BR>
rough during setup, but very easy once it is going.  I am also pretty good<BR>
at pumping stuff like this, so I could get the membership built and start<BR>
some threads and get some pals to get more threads going.  Once a good start<BR>
is made I should be able to get Marc to use it (he only reads the TML<BR>
sporadically), which would lend credibility (especially if T5 playtest<BR>
groups are included), and could recruit off of the GT list and all of the<BR>
various Onelist and eGroups lists.  With the ability to archive by threads<BR>
rather than digests, I think the long-term usefulness of the setup could<BR>
eventually make the mailing list version obsolete (sacrilege!). YMMV.<BR>
<BR>
The best thing about it, though, may be having a bunch of different lists<BR>
all in one place.  There could be a general TML-style, combined discussion<BR>
group.  Then there could be groups for each set of rules, groups for culture<BR>
or off-color threads and a marketplace group for auctions and trades.  We<BR>
could have a group for play test of T5 and one for postings of local games<BR>
and IRC / PBeM games looking for players (and vice versa).  Like I said, the<BR>
SJGames news server is my model.  It has been very successful.  With so many<BR>
flavors of Traveller in one place there can be good cross-pollination, too.<BR>
<BR>
How was that for a rant :-)<BR>
<BR>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>
Colin Michael, WebDev, www.downport.com<BR>
Striving for a better (electronic) Traveller universe<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 22:25:21 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: "Finska? Ar Du Finska?"<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>From: Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk<BR>
><BR>
>>OB TRAV: Has the Traveller language/culture list identified a <BR>
>>Traveller language that is just too difficult for anyone in the<BR>
><BR>
>>Imperium to bother to learn?  <BR>
><BR>
> I think that there should be a language that makes you insane as<BR>
> you learn it, but maybe that should be for a Call of Cthulhu<BR>
> campaign.<BR>
<BR>
Samuel R. Delany, "Babel 17"<BR>
<BR>
It's a *lot* different from his later stuff. And the concept is kinda<BR>
neat, even if it's not as likely to be *possible* as it seemed then.<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: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 22:35:02 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Well it doesn't look like I'll be doing frames.  I've looked at a bunch of<BR>
> sites and tried their code and nothing works.  not even altering things.  In<BR>
> both Netscape 4.7 and Eplorer 5.01, I get a black screen with nothing on it.<BR>
><BR>
> In Explorer all you have to do is write this :<BR>
><BR>
> <IFRAME NAME="content_frame" width="640" height="200"<BR>
> SRC="pistols.html"></IFRAME><BR>
><BR>
> That's it.  Looks awesome.  Of course, damn nearly useless Netscrape sees<BR>
> nothing on a page with that code.  I have tried every single idea I can<BR>
> think of to try and make frames show ANYTHING and have so far met dismal<BR>
> failure.  Even a tutorial didn't help any.  I tried the examples and they<BR>
> did nothing either.<BR>
<BR>
Just keep in mind that Microsoft is *notorious* for *deliberately*<BR>
implementing things so that competing products don't work right.<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: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 23:55:25 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Terry Mixon <tlmixon@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
- --- John Osborne <osborne6@wt.net> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> > Whither Traveller?<BR>
> > <BR>
> <snip><BR>
> <BR>
> How's about some possible solutions?  I like Colin's idea of a<BR>
> private<BR>
> newsserver, where we won't have to worry about spam (due to diligent<BR>
> moderation) or email address harvesting.<BR>
<BR>
I like this idea. That would let me kill a thread that was not <BR>
interesting and move on to something else. Count me as a yes <BR>
vote.<BR>
 <BR>
Terry<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 00:03:21 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Terry Mixon <tlmixon@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
<BR>
- --- "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> The best thing about it, though, may be having a bunch of different<BR>
> lists<BR>
> all in one place.  There could be a general TML-style, combined<BR>
> discussion<BR>
> group.  Then there could be groups for each set of rules, groups for<BR>
> culture<BR>
> or off-color threads and a marketplace group for auctions and trades.<BR>
>  We<BR>
> could have a group for play test of T5 and one for postings of local<BR>
> games<BR>
> and IRC / PBeM games looking for players (and vice versa).  Like I<BR>
> said, the<BR>
> SJGames news server is my model.  It has been very successful.  With<BR>
> so many<BR>
> flavors of Traveller in one place there can be good<BR>
> cross-pollination, too.<BR>
> <BR>
> How was that for a rant :-)<BR>
 <BR>
Pretty good. <g><BR>
<BR>
Count me as a yes vote. I would leap at the chance to have the <BR>
same kind of ability with Traveller messages as I get on pyramid.<BR>
Bravo for a grat idea.<BR>
<BR>
Terry<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 00:25:52 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Q-ships<BR>
<BR>
It hath been written:<BR>
>>The Q-Ship in Traveller, then, must mimic the<BR>
behavior of a<BR>
terrified merchant until such time as the pirate is<BR>
commited to the<BR>
engagement.  She must also be able to absorb damage<BR>
capable of trashinga<BR>
ship of her supposed class.  She must also be able to<BR>
appear"greiveously<BR>
wounded" regardless of her actual status.>><BR>
For a good treatment of how this might work, see the<BR>
Honor Harrington series of books, she does some Q-ship<BR>
work during her rather varied career...<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>
"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>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 00:31:03 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: tragic heroes<BR>
<BR>
>><BR>
>That sounds like 'Midshipman's Hope' by David<BR>
Feintuch<BR>
Doug Berry wrote:<BR>
The most thougholy depressing hero I've ever read.  I<BR>
did read all the<BR>
books, just waiting for Feintuch to give the poor guy<BR>
a break!>><BR>
I disagree, I'd say Thomas Covenant takes the prize<BR>
for depressing hero. At least the "poor guy" in<BR>
feintuch's books wasn't constantly full of angst.<BR>
Spent of lot of time saying, "uh-oh", but always got<BR>
it together, and didn't weep and whinge like Covenant,<BR>
who had only three lines:<BR>
"I'm useless, I have no power."<BR>
"I'm too dangerous, I have too much power." and, best<BR>
of all:<BR>
"Nobody can love a nasty leper like me."<BR>
I read five out of the six books, and didn't read the<BR>
last as a matter of principle...<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>
"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>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 00:53:18 -0800<BR>
From: "Zane H. Healy" <healyzh@aracnet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: tragic heroes<BR>
<BR>
>I disagree, I'd say Thomas Covenant takes the prize<BR>
>for depressing hero. At least the "poor guy" in<BR>
>feintuch's books wasn't constantly full of angst.<BR>
>Spent of lot of time saying, "uh-oh", but always got<BR>
>it together, and didn't weep and whinge like Covenant,<BR>
>who had only three lines:<BR>
>"I'm useless, I have no power."<BR>
>"I'm too dangerous, I have too much power." and, best<BR>
>of all:<BR>
>"Nobody can love a nasty leper like me."<BR>
>I read five out of the six books, and didn't read the<BR>
>last as a matter of principle...<BR>
<BR>
<shudder> That's the series I was thinking of when Glenn commented on what<BR>
a dislikeable character Feintuch's 'hero' was.  I made the mistake of<BR>
buying the first three Thomas Covenant books just prior to going out to sea<BR>
for about a month when I only had money to buy four books, the other book<BR>
was the first Dragonriders of Pern book.  I was barely able to stomach the<BR>
first Thomas Covenant book.  That was over ten years ago, and I'm still<BR>
ticked off about that!<BR>
<BR>
				Zane<BR>
| Zane H. Healy                    | UNIX Systems Adminstrator  |<BR>
| healyzh@aracnet.com (primary)    | Linux Enthusiast           |<BR>
| healyzh@holonet.net (alternate)  | Classic Computer Collector |<BR>
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+<BR>
|     Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing,    |<BR>
|                   and Zane's Computer Museum.                 |<BR>
|                 http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/              |<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 07:12:40 +0100<BR>
From: Volker Greimann <volker@greimann.de><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC<BR>
<BR>
KFC: Good People, Good Food<BR>
<BR>
(OT:X-Files reference ;-)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 01:29:28 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
Peter Bath <plbath@hotmail.com> wrote:<BR>
> unsubscribe<BR>
<BR>
Hey Peter, you need to send this to the list serve software,<BR>
NOT the list.  IIRC, that majordomo@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
and the text of the message should be "unsubscribe traveller"<BR>
w/o the quote marks of course.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:20:58 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: tragic heroes<BR>
<BR>
> >I disagree, I'd say Thomas Covenant takes the prize<BR>
> >for depressing hero. At least the "poor guy" in<BR>
<snip><BR>
<BR>
> <shudder> That's the series I was thinking of when Glenn commented on what<BR>
> a dislikeable character Feintuch's 'hero' was.  I made the mistake of<BR>
> buying the first three Thomas Covenant books just prior to going<BR>
> out to sea<BR>
> for about a month when I only had money to buy four books, the other book<BR>
> was the first Dragonriders of Pern book.  I was barely able to stomach the<BR>
> first Thomas Covenant book.  That was over ten years ago, and I'm still<BR>
> ticked off about that!<BR>
<BR>
Then you probably won't like his "Gap" series either, starting with "The<BR>
Real Story"<BR>
There the characters are not just self-pitying but down-right nasty.<BR>
<BR>
I thought it was a damn good series myself, it told a story of "heroic"<BR>
stature, with no heroes involved, and somehow the "good guys" still came out<BR>
on top.<BR>
<BR>
Hey, it's even science fiction.<BR>
<BR>
Not quite as depressing as some of John Brunner's stuff though , who, while<BR>
I stull ejoyed the books, made good characters and had them all die before<BR>
the end of the book, usually in pointles ways, like the guy who's run over<BR>
by a car three quarters of the way through the book.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 02:45:55 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Cr to $ conversion?<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
>Subject: Cr to $ conversion?<BR>
...<BR>
>Typical numbers: container ship $150 million (equivalent of Traveller bulk<BR>
>cargo ship?), 1900 passenger cruise ship $440 million.<BR>
><BR>
>By comparison, Traveller ships seem fairly expensive.<BR>
<BR>
  Try and get a price on a small ship with a 1000 MW powerplant, and then<BR>
add a multi-year fuel supply to the cost :)<BR>
<BR>
  FWIW, under CT non-fusion power plants are cheaper per output, but the<BR>
difference in fuel costs is extreme.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 05:59:38 -0500<BR>
From: Christopher Thrash <thrash@io.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Cr to $ conversion?<BR>
<BR>
>Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 16:07:18 -0800<BR>
>From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
>Subject: Cr to $ conversion?<BR>
><BR>
>What is the typical conversion rate which people typically use for<BR>
>converting Traveller Imperial Credits into 20th century U.S. Dollars?<BR>
<BR>
Based on prices of consumer goods, Cr1 ~ $1-3 for all versions. GT<BR>
explicitly assumes (with the rest of GURPS) Cr1 = $1, in constant 1991<BR>
dollars.<BR>
<BR>
>I was looking at the prices of ships being constructed today at<BR>
>http://www.marinelog.com/DOCS/comgh.html, and wondered how the prices of<BR>
>modern ships translate into Traveller terms.<BR>
><BR>
>Typical numbers: container ship $150 million (equivalent of Traveller bulk<BR>
>cargo ship?), 1900 passenger cruise ship $440 million.<BR>
><BR>
>By comparison, Traveller ships seem fairly expensive.<BR>
<BR>
Not always a good comparison. <BR>
<BR>
First, Traveller starships are very large by commercial ship standards: one<BR>
"displacement ton" for naval vessels is 35 cubic feet, and one "register<BR>
ton" for commercial shipping is only 100 cubic feet. A Traveller "ton" is<BR>
generally 475-500 cubic feet, depending on version. So a 8,200-ton<BR>
/Lafayette/-class SSBN is only the size of a 600-dton subsidized liner; an<BR>
18,000-ton /Ohio/-class is the same size as /Kinunir/ (surface ships are<BR>
harder to compare, as they only list displacement below the waterline). A<BR>
typical large container ship with 3,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU)<BR>
would be about 20,000 Traveller tons; the /Queen Mary/, at 81,237 gross<BR>
register tons, is about 16,000 Traveller tons.<BR>
<BR>
Second, Traveller starships are probably constructed more like commercial<BR>
aircraft than ocean-going ships. The stresses and engineering requirements<BR>
are more similar, at least -- no need to worry about "hogging" or "sagging"<BR>
(where the ship is incompletely supported due to wave action), for example;<BR>
weight is also more of a factor than length. A typical airliner (B747) also<BR>
costs about $150 million, and is about the size of a subsidized merchant or<BR>
free trader (~325 dtons).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:48:20 -0000<BR>
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Templar report on the X-Files in plain English (was RE: nudit y and clothes)<BR>
<BR>
Glenn Goffin wrote:<BR>
> From: "Trevor, Peter"<BR>
> >So, my image for IN personnel is of human beings transformed <BR>
> >into nude semi-hairless neuters with implanted velco strips  <BR>
> >and  body rings.  Hmmm ... modify the eyes for better seeing in<BR>
> <BR>
> >poor light conditions and partially atrophy the muscles from <BR>
> >prolonged zero-G exposure ... starting to sound like the  <BR>
> >Greys from the X-Files!<BR>
> <BR>
> The greys aren't from the X-Files; they're a minor race from<BR>
> Zeta Reticulae.  They do look the way they do because of the<BR>
> factors you identified.<BR>
> <BR>
> They are mentioned in the X-Files, which is part of a Hiver<BR>
> manipulation to get us mentally ready to defeat the crumbling<BR>
> Ziru Sirka in the near future.  <BR>
<snip for security reasons><BR>
<BR>
Oops, you're right.  I stand corrected.<BR>
<BR>
Regards PLST<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 08:11:48 -0500<BR>
From: "Josh W. Spencer" <macmanjws@earthlink.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Templar report on the X-Files in plain English (was RE: nudit y and clothes)<BR>
<BR>
First, Peter Trevor writes:<BR>
>>><BR>
>>> So, my image for IN personnel is of human beings transformed<BR>
>>> into nude semi-hairless neuters with implanted velco strips<BR>
>>> and  body rings.  Hmmm ... modify the eyes for better seeing in<BR>
>> <BR>
>>> poor light conditions and partially atrophy the muscles from<BR>
>>> prolonged zero-G exposure ... starting to sound like the<BR>
>>> Greys from the X-Files!<BR>
<BR>
Then Glenn Goffin responds:<BR>
>> <BR>
>> The greys aren't from the X-Files; they're a minor race from<BR>
>> Zeta Reticulae.  They do look the way they do because of the<BR>
>> factors you identified.<BR>
>> <BR>
>> They are mentioned in the X-Files, which is part of a Hiver<BR>
>> manipulation to get us mentally ready to defeat the crumbling<BR>
>> Ziru Sirka in the near future.<BR>
<BR>
Did anyone see the great X-Files spoof(so to speak) on one of the final<BR>
episodes of "Crusade"? JMS did a wonderful twist on the whole thing, right<BR>
down to the Cigarette Smoking Man!<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Josh W. Spencer (macmanjws@earthlink.net)<BR>
Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA<BR>
http://home.earthlink.net/~macmanjws<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:25:16 -0000<BR>
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
Subject: RE: The female cycle<BR>
<BR>
Rupert Boleyn wrote:<BR>
> When it comes to fantasy rpgs this is something that I've always <BR>
> thought strange. It's right along with there being all those <BR>
> wonderful animal control, holding, charm, etc spells and no bug<BR>
> repellant magic.<BR>
<BR>
Check out (if you can find it on the net) the AD&D Book of Carnal<BR>
Knowledge.  There's also a GURPS Sex book lurking out there, too.<BR>
<BR>
Regards PLST<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:42:07 -0000<BR>
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Cr to $ conversion?<BR>
<BR>
Luther Martin wrote:<BR>
> What is the typical conversion rate which people typically use<BR>
> for converting Traveller Imperial Credits into 20th century U.S.<BR>
> Dollars?<BR>
<BR>
I've always assumed Cr 1.00 = USD 1.00 (circa 1980).<BR>
<BR>
Traveller was first published in 1977  and  the  equipment  price<BR>
lists were set at that time.  It was simplest to set a  1  for  1<BR>
xrate at that time.  Since then RL inflation has eroded the value<BR>
of the US dollar (and every other currency)  but  inflation  does<BR>
not exist in the 3I.<BR>
<BR>
Regards PLST<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:14:09 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Tech Levels<BR>
<BR>
At 02:35 PM 1/12/00 +1000, you wrote:<BR>
>Dear Folks -<BR>
        [snip]<BR>
>So - what Solomani tech zapped the Vilani tech?  ;-)<BR>
><BR>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
>David "Hyphen" Jaques-Watson        Beowulf Down (Tavonni/Vilis/SM 1520)<BR>
<BR>
        Solomani Meson Spinals & Vilani gunboats?<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
        (who couldn't resist)<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>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 14:01:57 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: cargo charges<BR>
<BR>
Luther Martin writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>Clearly, the cost is much higher for higher jump capable ships,<BR>
>but I recall that cargo fees are the same, whether the<BR>
>destination is 1, 2, or 3 hexes away.<BR>
<BR>
	This issue has bubbled up before.  My take (and at least<BR>
	some others') is that the charge for one ton of cargo is<BR>
	cr 500 + cr 500/parsec, plus a markup for particularly<BR>
	risky areas.  This generally makes long-range merchants<BR>
	viable. (I apply the same math to high, medium, and low<BR>
	passages as well)<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>Are the cargo fees fixed by the Imperial government, or are they<BR>
>based on market forces?<BR>
<BR>
	Personally, I don't want to get too involved in the details<BR>
	of cargo charges between worlds with various risk levels,<BR>
	volumes of trade, competition, TL, etc., etc.  The rate<BR>
	above is determined by the market IMTU, but I duck any<BR>
	informed questions about details.<BR>
<BR>
>The system as it stands is highly biased to favor ships being used<BR>
>only for their maximum jump, which may be the point.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	This makes sense to me.  Nobody wants to install tons and<BR>
	MCr's of extra jump drive and tons of fuel unless they are<BR>
	going to be needed.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 14:01:19 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Boarding Actions (longish)<BR>
<BR>
Phil Kitching writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>Also, if the merchant is loaded and the corsair is transporting<BR>
>vacuum, the corsair will have a speed advantage, even though<BR>
>both are nominally 1G.<BR>
<BR>
	Do we really want to go there?<BR>
<BR>
>Ha! I finally found the CT corsair "design" It's a hijacked<BR>
>X-boat tender (1,000dT, 600dT bay for ships).<BR>
<BR>
	This is one vessel that is mentioned, along with the 400-ton<BR>
	type P corsair (apparently design specifically for the job),<BR>
	the 100-ton type S scout (presumably because it is common,<BR>
	rather than because it is well-suited to the task), and the<BR>
	happy fun ball)<BR>
<BR>
>The merchants might think it is coming to *their* aid or it might<BR>
>be requesting that the merchants take a cargo down to the planet.<BR>
<BR>
	Under the right circumstances, this might be a good approach.<BR>
	One pirate attacks the merchant using a type S, the other<BR>
	comes to the rescue in a Fast Trader and "drives off" the<BR>
	type S, then stops to aid the damaged merchant...<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>However, an X-boat tender with 8 x 50dT heavy fighters should<BR>
>surprise a few people.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	Even a type Y yacht can be useful, with a triple turret and<BR>
	pinnace.<BR>
<BR>
	So, what other pirate tactics are there?  I would love to have<BR>
	a Piracy 101 handbook.  When I first ran Traveller, my pirates<BR>
	got squashed by PCs that spotted some obvious weaknesses in<BR>
	my pirates' tactics.  Approaches have to vary with the<BR>
	situation, and should be varied to keep merchants guessing.<BR>
	Here are a couple of mine:<BR>
<BR>
Situation: No patrol nearby, merchant is outgunned and unable to<BR>
escape.<BR>
Step 1: accelerate towards merchant, contact merchant and demand surrender<BR>
(explain that the ship and crew, as well as passengers, will not be harmed<BR>
if they do not resist)<BR>
IF THE MERCHANT SURRENDERS<BR>
	Step 2: instruct the crew to stabilize the ship (no spin)<BR>
	and have all passengers and crew don vacc suits and step<BR>
	outside without weapons<BR>
	Step 3: approach slowly, counting vacc suits (try to make<BR>
	sure that they are all occupied), keep an eye on them as<BR>
	the ship docks<BR>
	Step 4: secure the merchant, watch the vacc suits, keep a<BR>
	guard at the docking, loot the merchant<BR>
	Step 5: bring the vacc suits back on board, one by one<BR>
	(passengers first), and search them for valuables<BR>
	Step 6: leave<BR>
IF THE MERCHANT RESISTS<BR>
	Step 2: open fire, continue closing but concentrate fire on<BR>
	incoming missiles when necessary, until merchant's power<BR>
	plant is down<BR>
	Step 3: cease fire and approach quickly, but open fire<BR>
	again if power plant comes on again, stop 50 m away (in<BR>
	a possession to shoot power plant out, but not in range of<BR>
	merchant's weapons)<BR>
	Step 4: send pirates EVA to secure an airlock (possibly<BR>
	banging on several airlocks to spread defenses thin),<BR>
	dock at the secured airlock<BR>
	Step 5: secure the merchant, keep a guard at the docking,<BR>
	loot the merchant (including the crew and passengers)<BR>
	Step 6: leave<BR>
Vindictive pirates may wish to punish merchants that resist.<BR>
<BR>
Comments?  Suggestions?  Alternate tactics?<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 09:27:28 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
Yeah I know.  But this bit of code actually makes sense.  Everyone who has<BR>
had to struggle with FRAMESET commands should agree this is a FAR simpler<BR>
way to do it.  I finally got frames to work on my site (didn't know you had<BR>
to replace your BODY command with FRAMESET) so I kept coming up with a blank<BR>
screen in both IE 5.0 and Netscape 4.7.<BR>
<BR>
Now my problem is Netscape's disdain for <a name> tags.  IE will start<BR>
showing screen real-estate at the tag reference (works for me) while<BR>
Netscape tries to show that tag and all the rest.<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: "Leonard Erickson" <shadow@krypton.rain.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2000 1:35 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
><BR>
> > Well it doesn't look like I'll be doing frames.  I've looked at a bunch<BR>
of<BR>
> > sites and tried their code and nothing works.  not even altering things.<BR>
In<BR>
> > both Netscape 4.7 and Eplorer 5.01, I get a black screen with nothing on<BR>
it.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > In Explorer all you have to do is write this :<BR>
> ><BR>
> > <IFRAME NAME="content_frame" width="640" height="200"<BR>
> > SRC="pistols.html"></IFRAME><BR>
> ><BR>
> > That's it.  Looks awesome.  Of course, damn nearly useless Netscrape<BR>
sees<BR>
> > nothing on a page with that code.  I have tried every single idea I can<BR>
> > think of to try and make frames show ANYTHING and have so far met dismal<BR>
> > failure.  Even a tutorial didn't help any.  I tried the examples and<BR>
they<BR>
> > did nothing either.<BR>
><BR>
> Just keep in mind that Microsoft is *notorious* for *deliberately*<BR>
> implementing things so that competing products don't work right.<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: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:43:46 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
At 09:27 AM 1/12/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>Yeah I know.  But this bit of code actually makes sense.  Everyone who has<BR>
>had to struggle with FRAMESET commands should agree this is a FAR simpler<BR>
>way to do it.  I finally got frames to work on my site (didn't know you had<BR>
>to replace your BODY command with FRAMESET) so I kept coming up with a blank<BR>
>screen in both IE 5.0 and Netscape 4.7.<BR>
><BR>
>Now my problem is Netscape's disdain for <a name> tags.  IE will start<BR>
>showing screen real-estate at the tag reference (works for me) while<BR>
>Netscape tries to show that tag and all the rest.<BR>
>___________________________________________________________<BR>
> J-Man<BR>
<BR>
        Like I said off-list, send me the HTML and I'll fix it.  I do all my<BR>
site development with Netscape as my proofing system, so I *know* it works.<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
        (sometimes webhack)<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 #1729<BR>
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Traveller-digest    Wednesday, January 12 2000    Volume 1999 : Number 1730<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: Boarding Actions (longish)<BR>
RE: Grav Pong<BR>
RE: X-Boat Tender<BR>
Bye Bye<BR>
Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
RE: Insystem Pirates<BR>
Re: KFC<BR>
Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
re: X-Boat Tender<BR>
RE: Q-Ships<BR>
Re: Third Imperium Email<BR>
Re: A Small Favor? <BR>
aging science fiction writers<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
RE: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
Re: A Small Favor? <BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
re: X-Boat Tender<BR>
Re: A Small Favor? <BR>
RE: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:05:20 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: re: Boarding Actions (longish)<BR>
<BR>
Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
>	Step 2: instruct the crew to stabilize the ship (no spin)<BR>
>	and have all passengers and crew don vacc suits and step<BR>
>	outside without weapons<BR>
>	Step 3: approach slowly, counting vacc suits (try to make<BR>
>	sure that they are all occupied), keep an eye on them as<BR>
>	the ship docks<BR>
<BR>
You'll be depending on the merchant's honesty (or your own pre-op<BR>
intelligence) to tell how many people are really aboard - I can't see<BR>
the sensor suite anything short of an IISS survey cruiser counting<BR>
heads on another starship.<BR>
<BR>
I can see the Pirate saying "How many aboard?" and the merchant<BR>
answering "Four and eight and twelve in low." (four crew, eight high/mid<BR>
passengers and twelve low passengers)...should work for most situations,<BR>
but pirate will never be sure the merchant isn't hiding twenty marines in<BR>
the cargo bay. He does have however many crewmen are on the skin<BR>
of the ship as easy hostages against this kind of trick, of course.<BR>
<BR>
A problem: most passengers won't have Vacc Suit skill. Sending them<BR>
outside in a suit without even Vacc-0 is very dangerous, especially in a <BR>
possible panic situation. Add to that whether the merchant even has a<BR>
space suit for everyone - I'd more expect to see a vac suit for each<BR>
crewman, some skilled passengers in the couple spare suits that were <BR>
aboard, and a string of rescue balls for the (awake) passengers...the ones<BR>
in low will probably be left alone.<BR>
<BR>
And a rescue ball could easily not contain what it seems.<BR>
<BR>
So one pirate needs to go to the rescue balls and look in the little<BR>
window...<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:16:35 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
Kyle Schuant writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>First is that defenders are usually firing their ship's weapons<BR>
>at the attacking ship, and so like to keep their firing platform,<BR>
>ie their own ship, relatively stable, so their gunners or<BR>
>missiles have a reasonable chance of hitting.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	I would only expect a boarding action only if the target<BR>
	ship is incapable of acceleration and weapons fire.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:20:24 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: X-Boat Tender<BR>
<BR>
Russell Bornschlegel writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
><rant mode="Traveller starship designs generally suck"><BR>
>I think the X-boat tender design is kinda b0rken, though. It<BR>
>carries something like 100 extra tons of fuel; an Xboat entering<BR>
>system needs 40 or 44 or 50 tons of fuel depending on the rules<BR>
>in use. So the tender can *carry* six Xboats, but only *refuel*<BR>
>two without a skimming run.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	That's because the tender is teamed up with a 95-ton skimmer,<BR>
	yeah, that's the ticket... ;)<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 09:15:09 -0600<BR>
From: Dan Roseberry <rosebee@troi.csw.net><BR>
Subject: Bye Bye<BR>
<BR>
Will be bugging out for 3 months for work. Thanks to<BR>
everybody who helped me with my many Trav questions,<BR>
especially the ones that were all ready done to death. It<BR>
helps us newbies out tremendously.<BR>
Long Live TML...Long Live TML...Long Live TML :-)<BR>
Dan Roseberry (plop 101)<BR>
"So long, and thanks for all the fish!" --Douglas Adams<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 07:15:41<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
At 07:02 PM 1/11/2000 +0100, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>I was asking myself if there is any interest for creating a traveller<BR>
>newsgroup on the usenet. Would you support such a proposal?<BR>
<BR>
No.  For the sole reason that Terry Austin would cross post into it and<BR>
spread his interminable "look at me, I'm an asshole" flame wars into it.<BR>
<BR>
If you think we get off topic, read the rec.games.frp.* hierarchy.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:22:33 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Insystem Pirates<BR>
<BR>
Jason writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>Even if the government doesn't put down such nastiness,<BR>
>the local merchants that profit from interstellar trade would.<BR>
<BR>
	Of course, if the local world is balkinized, things might<BR>
	get interesting.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 08:22:19 -0700 (MST)<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC<BR>
<BR>
On Tue, 11 Jan 2000, Delos wrote:<BR>
 <BR>
> I would not have considered a food source like this<BR>
> for on-board a starship, but it got me thinking.<BR>
> Maybe we should start growing cows (without legs or<BR>
> heads) so the space-hands can have fresh milk and<BR>
> hamburgers too.<BR>
> <BR>
> It would make for some interesting cargos.<BR>
> (My outlook express breaks up messages funny unless<BR>
> I space them out like this. Sorry.)<BR>
<BR>
Well there are ample references in SF to 'carniculture tanks'. To my 20th<BR>
century e-x bichemist's way of thinking, this implies some sort of tissue<BR>
culturing, so all you get is the good bits without all the rest. Whether<BR>
you get something like hamburger or steaks, I think, would be up to the<BR>
TL, and how you (in YTU) have them work.<BR>
<BR>
FWIW, we're close, here and now, to being able to grow muscles, and other<BR>
recognizable body parts, so I'd suspect in a TL or three we'll be able to<BR>
dial in whether you want rump roast, prime rib or filet. <BR>
<BR>
I don't recall seeing such specifically listed in Traveller canon<BR>
anywhere, but I think it comes under the hazy heading of 'life support'<BR>
<BR>
In Eris' highly heretical Akus Moby TU (EHHAMTU, see we _can_ speak<BR>
Finnish ;-P carniculture tanks are part of the total LS picture. They're<BR>
optional, as one can subsist entirely on instaheats, which almost, but not<BR>
quite resemble food. You can put in big freezers and buy supplies as you<BR>
go along, or put aside the the room for a Carni tank, and garden (both<BR>
hydroponic and dirt)<BR>
<BR>
The garden has a double advantage in that it becomes part of the air<BR>
conditioning system as well, since plants (and the associated microbial<BR>
flora) can scrub a lot of contaminants out of the air. They add fresh O2<BR>
and more importantly, the complex mix of organics that we recognize as<BR>
'fresh air'.<BR>
<BR>
Unfortunately, we found our ship, finally, about a month or so after it<BR>
had been parked, left without power, and the freezers thawed, the garden<BR>
died and the carni tanks went spectacularly bad.<BR>
<BR>
Add that to all the fun stuff that getting shot up adds to the atmosphere,<BR>
plus some unidentified half flashfried bodies, and you can imagine the<BR>
stench that greeted us when we first entered the ship...it's been aired<BR>
out and cleaned up, and as we were informed this morning (in game time)<BR>
that it still stinks quite badly. <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: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:35:12 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
When I incorporated "prison planet" into my larger campaign, I didn't<BR>
include some of the more horrific realities such as this link describes.<BR>
However, I had the Warden as a real evil S.O.B. who would pick prisoners at<BR>
random and perform hideous genetic experiments on them.  Not 'killing' them<BR>
per se, but leaving them as good as dead.  I think the most memorable scene<BR>
my party ran into was the inmate who had been turned 'inside-out' and was<BR>
being kept alive by medical equipment.<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: "Ethan Henry" <egh@klg.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 12:33 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: nudity and clothes<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca> wrote:<BR>
> > > Well, except the part about<BR>
> > >anally-inserted fusion incinerators.)<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Although a minor modification gives that possibilities as a<BR>
> > self-cauterizing rape shield, eh?  I'll leave it to Kenji to design the<BR>
> > actual game stats...<BR>
><BR>
> Yes, it did bring to mind an article I read in Salon a month or two<BR>
back...<BR>
> it's about how sexual violence is used in prisons to enforce obedience on<BR>
> a number of levels. The article makes the HBO series 'Oz' look somewhat<BR>
tame<BR>
> by comparison. It might make your players want to think twice about<BR>
running<BR>
> 'Prison Planet'. Lemme dig up the URL...<BR>
><BR>
> http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/08/23/prisons/index.html<BR>
><BR>
> I found the article pretty disturbing.<BR>
><BR>
> Ethan<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:22:24 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: re: X-Boat Tender<BR>
<BR>
Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
>>in use. So the tender can *carry* six Xboats, but only *refuel*<BR>
>>two without a skimming run.<BR>
><snipped><BR>
><BR>
>	That's because the tender is teamed up with a 95-ton skimmer,<BR>
>	yeah, that's the ticket... ;)<BR>
<BR>
That probably is the ticket. X-Boats only operate in developed systems, <BR>
systems that should have at least a minimal infrastructure in place. IISS <BR>
would simply have a contract with a local company to keep a fuel shuttle<BR>
run in operation between fuel supplies and the current location of each<BR>
X-Boat Tender.<BR>
<BR>
(Note: this requirement for frequent meetings between the Tender and<BR>
various shuttlecraft may provide hijackers with an opportunity to get<BR>
aboard and seize the Tender. Just a thought.)<BR>
<BR>
Such secondary business opportunities are just one reason any planetary <BR>
noble worth his palace intrigue would hire assassins if that's what it took to <BR>
get his planet chosen for a new X-Boat stop.<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:33:17 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Q-Ships<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>>If the pirate or raiders notices<BR>
>>anything out of the ordinary that may not be possible.  <BR>
>If you have "Star Trek" sensors yes.  IMTU, at TL11, no...  you<BR>
>know what shape it is, what tonnage it it, what color it is,<BR>
>what its ELINT profile is, and *maybe* what it is armed with.<BR>
<BR>
	IMTU, power output may be estimated from plasma exhaust,<BR>
	heat dissipation, EM fields, and radiation emitions.  If<BR>
	the pirate has no way of knowing that a merchant has no<BR>
	power, getting close to one would be very risky indeed,<BR>
	unless the pirate just keeps shooting until the merchant<BR>
	is totally trashed.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 07:43:37<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Third Imperium Email<BR>
<BR>
At 01:18 PM 1/12/2000 +1100, you wrote:<BR>
>I put together some 'emails to a PC from his sister' as player handouts.<BR>
><BR>
>See this as a sample of what the emails might look like:<BR>
><BR>
>www.rossmack.com/ab/rpg/traveller/xgrams/035-1102.asp<BR>
><BR>
>I got sick of figuring out the delivery routes after a while - but you get<BR>
>the general idea.<BR>
<BR>
This was absolutely brilliant.  How good?  I want to hear what happens next!<BR>
<BR>
Patron:<BR>
<BR>
After the end of the war, the characters are approached by Lieutenant Jean<BR>
Halleigh-Daiye.  He explains that he hasn't heard anything from his family<BR>
since that last message, and wants the characters to travel to Mongo to<BR>
locate his younger sister, Cajdia.  He has the messages, and the image sent<BR>
of Cajdia's lunch with their parents.  Jean can't pay much, but promises to<BR>
give the party inside Naval information when he can.<BR>
<BR>
1.  Everything is as represented.  Cajdia was killed fighting the Zhodani<BR>
<BR>
2.  Everything is as represented.  Cajdia survived the fighting, and will<BR>
ask the character to carry a message back to her brother.<BR>
<BR>
3.  Jean is an Ine Givar.  Cajdia is a code word for the surviving cells on<BR>
Mongo to report in.  As long as the players don't probe to deeply, they<BR>
won't be in any danger.<BR>
<BR>
4. Cajdia is actually a top Ine Givar agent, along with her lover Jorge.<BR>
"Jean" is an INI agent assigned to kill her.  The actual Jean<BR>
Halleigh-Daiye was killed in battle defending Rhylanor.<BR>
<BR>
5.  Jean has been unbalanced by his experiences during the war.  He knows<BR>
Cadjia is dead, but still keeps looking for her.  When the players report<BR>
Cadjia's death, Jean will become enraged, and accuse them of killing her,<BR>
and of being Zho agents.  He will use his position in Naval Intelligence to<BR>
prove this "fact."<BR>
<BR>
6.  There never was a Jean or Cadjia Halleigh-Daiye.  When the players make<BR>
their inquires on Mongo, they will be unable to find any record of such a<BR>
family, and Naval Intelligence has no record of a Lt. Halleigh-Daiye.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry   Templar Agent at Large.<BR>
gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/sylea.html<BR>
<BR>
TravGeekCode: <BR>
tc+ tm+ !tn- t4@ ?tg+ tt@ to(CORPS)++ ru@ $ge++ 3i<BR>
ii+ au st+ ls+ pi kk+ so(++) va++ dr+ zh+ sw++ ?da<BR>
         <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 08:41:08 -0800<BR>
From: "J. Paul Sanders" <timmon@primenet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: A Small Favor? <BR>
<BR>
At 01:51 AM 1/13/00 -0500, Chris Seamans wrote:<BR>
>With that being said, I'm going to gripe about off-topic posts. I plan on<BR>
>dropping the list in just a few days, and I've been hear for a while, so I<BR>
>guess I might as well let those of you who care know why.<BR>
<snip><BR>
>So, I'm done. I through in the towel on this one. Conveniently, I start<BR>
>class on Tuesday, so I have a nice rational reason for giving up the list.<BR>
>The less rational, opinion-based reason is closer to the truth, however.<BR>
<BR>
What he said. Once I conclude the Lost Supplements project in the next 2-3<BR>
weeks I too will be leaving the list - and I've certainly "given it a<BR>
chance" - I've been around since the list started in the late 80's and even<BR>
earlier when it was on GEnie in another format. Those who seek to defend<BR>
the current state of topical vs. off-topic posts (i.e. garbage, since there<BR>
are those who quibble about using the term SPAM) on the list should really<BR>
dig into the early archives to get an idea of what the TML was like when it<BR>
was actually focused on the game.<BR>
<BR>
Cordially,<BR>
Paul <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:46:06 EST<BR>
From: "Roger Barr" <travelergm@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: aging science fiction writers<BR>
<BR>
From: JFZeigler@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Fashions and aging science fiction writers<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 1/6/00 3:49:14 PM Eastern Standard Time,<BR>
kaleja@estarcion.com writes:<BR>
<BR>
>  In a desperate effort to avoid the RAH thread, has anyone else<BR>
>  noticed that Niven is starting to read more like a dirty old man<BR>
>  than he used to? Do other big-name science fiction writers get<BR>
>  this way as they get older?<BR>
<BR>
Not really.  I haven't noticed it with Clarke or Anderson, for example.<BR>
<BR>
Of course, as I understand it Niven has always been a bit, um,<BR>
uninhibited.  (Look at the way he's portrayed in self-referential books<BR>
like _Footfall_.)  Now he's just getting older to boot.<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>
<BR>
In case you missed it, Niven wrote a really enjoyable essay about the actual <BR>
mechanics of Superman and Lois Lane attempting to consummate a marriage. It <BR>
was well argued, and in some cases, rather specific and blunt. It was <BR>
called, I believe, Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex.<BR>
His inhibitions, if any, were not present there either...<BR>
<BR>
Roger Barr<BR>
travelerGM@aol.com<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 07:47:24<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
At 09:13 PM 1/11/2000 -0600, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>How's about some possible solutions?  I like Colin's idea of a private<BR>
>newsserver, where we won't have to worry about spam (due to diligent<BR>
>moderation) or email address harvesting.<BR>
<BR>
But what do you do about me, who is one of the nmost active posters, but<BR>
can rapidly shoot of into off-topic land.<BR>
<BR>
Like I said elsewhere, it's a slow period for Traveller in general.  When<BR>
the next GT release comes out, we'll see the Trav-discussions pick up<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/sylea.html<BR>
<BR>
TML Great Old One<BR>
Plague of the Traveller Riders of the Apocalypse<BR>
Chant "Gridlore" thrice to summon.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 15:57:31 -0000<BR>
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
> At 07:02 PM 1/11/2000 +0100, you wrote:<BR>
> > I was asking myself if there is any interest for creating a<BR>
> > traveller newsgroup on the usenet. Would you support such a<BR>
> > proposal?<BR>
><BR>
> No.  For the sole reason that Terry Austin would cross post <BR>
> into it and spread his interminable "look at me, I'm an asshole"<BR>
> flame wars into it.<BR>
<BR>
And not forgetting Leroy and Clif!<BR>
<BR>
Regards PLST<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 11:02:07 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Re: A Small Favor? <BR>
<BR>
Perhaps the most telling thing about the status of the TML is how hard it is<BR>
to get replies to on-topic posts.  Flame wars get 300 posts per day, but<BR>
Brian's upbeat and well said post about starting a new group of Traveller<BR>
gamers through sheer determination got one reply and the reply got two<BR>
comments.  I'm not leaving, but I'm not reading much, either.<BR>
<BR>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>
Colin Michael, WebDev<BR>
www.downport.com<BR>
The Traveller Domain<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: J. Paul Sanders <timmon@primenet.com><BR>
> What he said. Once I conclude the Lost Supplements project in the next 2-3<BR>
> weeks I too will be leaving the list - and I've certainly "given it a<BR>
> chance" - I've been around since the list started in the late 80's and<BR>
even<BR>
> earlier when it was on GEnie in another format. Those who seek to defend<BR>
> the current state of topical vs. off-topic posts (i.e. garbage, since<BR>
there<BR>
> are those who quibble about using the term SPAM) on the list should really<BR>
> dig into the early archives to get an idea of what the TML was like when<BR>
it<BR>
> was actually focused on the game.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 11:04:54 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
C'mon Doug, THREE new BITS products came out last week.  I have reviewed two<BR>
of them here and it generated a grand total of seven posts between them.  I<BR>
was going to write a post about the Khiidkar Incident, but I was too<BR>
discouraged to bother.<BR>
<BR>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>
Colin Michael, WebDev<BR>
www.downport.com<BR>
The Traveller Domain<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Douglas E. Berry <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
><BR>
> But what do you do about me, who is one of the nmost active posters, but<BR>
> can rapidly shoot of into off-topic land.<BR>
><BR>
> Like I said elsewhere, it's a slow period for Traveller in general.  When<BR>
> the next GT release comes out, we'll see the Trav-discussions pick up<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:16:53 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: re: X-Boat Tender<BR>
<BR>
At 10:22 AM 1/12/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
>>>in use. So the tender can *carry* six Xboats, but only *refuel*<BR>
>>>two without a skimming run.<BR>
>><snipped><BR>
>><BR>
>>	That's because the tender is teamed up with a 95-ton skimmer,<BR>
>>	yeah, that's the ticket... ;)<BR>
><BR>
>That probably is the ticket. X-Boats only operate in developed systems, <BR>
>systems that should have at least a minimal infrastructure in place. IISS <BR>
>would simply have a contract with a local company to keep a fuel shuttle<BR>
>run in operation between fuel supplies and the current location of each<BR>
>X-Boat Tender.<BR>
><BR>
        [snip]<BR>
<BR>
>Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
        Hi, Walt!<BR>
<BR>
        I have always found the notion that vessels are designed in a vaccum<BR>
- --  well, an economic one, anyway -- a bit odd.  As someone who has always<BR>
lived within sight of a Naval yard of some kind, the idea that one hull has<BR>
to be able to do everything is a tad rediculous.  I watch the local "Irving"<BR>
oiler ship doing the rounds around the harbour here every week...  I watch<BR>
the G3 super frieghters leaving cargo that the costals pick up, and the<BR>
Seaway Frieghters...  the tugs, the pilot boats, the septic barge, the<BR>
garbage scow...<BR>
<BR>
        It seemed fairly obvious to me that the tender is just that... a<BR>
tender...  of *course* it had an "oiler" operating with it.  I'd even be<BR>
willing to say there is a couple of fighters loitering around so important a<BR>
vessel in some systems.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<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>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 08:14:03<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: A Small Favor? <BR>
<BR>
At 08:41 AM 1/12/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>What he said. Once I conclude the Lost Supplements project in the next 2-3<BR>
>weeks I too will be leaving the list - and I've certainly "given it a<BR>
>chance" - I've been around since the list started in the late 80's and even<BR>
>earlier when it was on GEnie in another format. Those who seek to defend<BR>
>the current state of topical vs. off-topic posts (i.e. garbage, since there<BR>
>are those who quibble about using the term SPAM) on the list should really<BR>
>dig into the early archives to get an idea of what the TML was like when it<BR>
>was actually focused on the game.<BR>
<BR>
OK, start an on-topic discussion.<BR>
<BR>
Really, all the people complaining about the signal to noise ratio seem to<BR>
be missing an important point.. this isn't a place where a few of us type<BR>
to entertain the rest, it's a forum. <BR>
<BR>
If you don't like the current signal to noise ratio, then do something<BR>
about it.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 08:16:25<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
At 03:57 PM 1/12/2000 -0000, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>> No.  For the sole reason that Terry Austin would cross post <BR>
>> into it and spread his interminable "look at me, I'm an asshole"<BR>
>> flame wars into it.<BR>
><BR>
>And not forgetting Leroy and Clif!<BR>
<BR>
There's an important difference.  Both of those worthies actually bleieved<BR>
in what they were arguing.  The had positions, and unfortunantly felty they<BR>
had to defend them with personal attacks.<BR>
<BR>
Terry will jump into anything with the sole intention of bring all the<BR>
attention onto himself.  He thrives on it.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 08:45:47<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
At 11:04 AM 1/12/2000 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>C'mon Doug, THREE new BITS products came out last week.  I have reviewed two<BR>
>of them here and it generated a grand total of seven posts between them.  I<BR>
>was going to write a post about the Khiidkar Incident, but I was too<BR>
>discouraged to bother.<BR>
<BR>
Alas, BITS doesn't get the general distribution that SJG products do.  So<BR>
there isn't the phenomenon of several different people all posting "Hey, my<BR>
FLGS got 'GT: Others' in today, what does everybody think?"<BR>
<BR>
Also, you have the infamous TML Black Hole of Quality, in which anything<BR>
really good is sucked onto the hard drives of the readers, vanishing from<BR>
the list forever.  I've dropped some of my best work ever on this list, and<BR>
never gotten a response.  No biggie, I'm not here for the ego boost, I'm<BR>
hear to discuss Traveller and any related topic with interesting people<BR>
from across the planet.<BR>
<BR>
Take the recent thread on languages.  The amusing story about Finnish<BR>
tourist trying to speak Spanish to each other is completely off topic, yes?<BR>
 Not if you use it in a game it isn't! <BR>
<BR>
We can only debate how many angels can dance on a half-die so many times.<BR>
To be honest, sometimes there isn't anything worthwhile to discuss about<BR>
Traveller.  So we get a bit off topic, we get silly, and this all<BR>
disappears when something comes up that catches the attention of the<BR>
regular posters.  It's happened before, it will happen again.<BR>
<BR>
With the exception of the "Frames" thread, and all these posts complaining<BR>
about how OT the list has become, I've found some very solid material today.<BR>
- --<BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/sylea.html<BR>
Inquisitor Maximus, Reformed Canon Church of Sylea<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:57:37 +0000<BR>
From: "Carlos Alos-Ferrer" <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at><BR>
Subject: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
These are just preliminary thoughts - I would appreciate some <BR>
list feedback here before I get any further.<BR>
<BR>
Government code 4 is described as "Representative Democracy." It <BR>
occurs to me that there is an awful lot of variety there, as is in <BR>
most gov codes, but it seems that it could be classified somehow, and <BR>
maybe refined so that some weird effects of UWP generation can be <BR>
dealt with (e.g.: "democracy implies weapons freedom," which is an <BR>
americanism).<BR>
<BR>
For example, one easy way to characterize democratic worlds out there <BR>
would be by the number of significant political parties...<BR>
<BR>
Bipartidism is clearly an extreme, but it the UK and the US might be <BR>
examples, with a lot of important differences, so maybe other <BR>
characteristics should be considered.<BR>
<BR>
3-10 parties would be the next logical category, with nowadays <BR>
example include most of western europe.<BR>
<BR>
More than 10 parties would probably be political hubs. I envision <BR>
most Vargr representative democracies with parties being of this <BR>
type.<BR>
<BR>
A further category would have no parties, with elections being <BR>
based on individual candidates. Actually, I am not <BR>
knowledgeable here, but I was thinking that maybe a TAS-sponsored <BR>
classification of the US would rather include it in this category as <BR>
opposed to bipartidism (UK), given the practical implementation of <BR>
the american system of primaries. Certainly, Vargr representative <BR>
democracies could also easily fit here.<BR>
<BR>
So, a first attempt to refine a classification of worlds with Gov <BR>
Code 4 could be....<BR>
<BR>
4.1... Bipartidism, e.g. UK. <BR>
       Law Level Roll = 2D-7<BR>
4.2... Multipartidism (3-10 parties), e.g. Spain, Austria.<BR>
       Law Level Roll = 2D-6<BR>
4.3... Extreme Multipartidism (11+ parties), e.g. ???<BR>
       Law Level Roll = 2D-5<BR>
4.4... Personal elections, e.g. US (?)<BR>
       Law Level Roll = 2D-4<BR>
<BR>
I handwave the progression in law level rolls by the rough and <BR>
probably incorrect assumption that the number of parties is inversely <BR>
related to the political power, so that with less parties you can <BR>
actually manage to implement restrictive legislations - for the <BR>
economists / mathematicians out there, I like it because it would be <BR>
an exact parallel to the well-known relationship between firm power <BR>
and number of firms in a market: Monopoly (Dictatorship), Duopoly <BR>
(Bipartidism), Oligopoly (Multipartidism), Perfect Competition <BR>
(Personal Elections).<BR>
<BR>
Carlos Alos-Ferrer<BR>
Carlos Alos-Ferrer<BR>
Geonee-Maker and BTE Ref<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Station/8772<BR>
tm+ t4 ru ge !3i(+) c+ jt-- au ls+ pi+ ta- he+ va++ gn++ so vi-<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1730<BR>
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Traveller-digest    Wednesday, January 12 2000    Volume 1999 : Number 1731<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>
XBoat networt routing<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
KFC hoax<BR>
3I or I?<BR>
Re: Third Imperium Email<BR>
Traveller Hero...<BR>
Pirate Tactics (was RE: Q-Ships)<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
RE: Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
RE: X-Boat Tender<BR>
Re: KFC hoax<BR>
Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
RE: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
Re: XBoat networt routing<BR>
Re: A Small Favor? <BR>
Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
RE: 3I or I?<BR>
RE: 3I or I?<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:12:10 +0100<BR>
From: "Mark Seemann" <dko3835@vip.cybercity.dk><BR>
Subject: XBoat networt routing<BR>
<BR>
Tue, 11 Jan 2000 21:18:02 -0000 "Alistair J. R. Young" <avatar@arkane.demon.co.uk> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> A bit like how I'd envisages the Xboat network working, really. If Duchess<BR>
> Mirai on Trin wants to send a not-terribly-secure message to Norris, she<BR>
> could just send e-mail to an address like:<BR>
> <BR>
> norris%gov.3i!regina!dinomn!ghandi!lanth!dganzio!ivendo!<BR>
>   icetina!garrincski!fosey!resten!capon!carey!fornice!maltz!<BR>
>   palique!nexine!katrulu@outward.gateway.net.3i<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, the xboat network does not work like this. As I see it, the scarce resources here are time and maybe xboats, but not transmission bandwith or information storage. If you're predefining the route, you also increase the risk that the message will be halted by trouble at some node along the way. Remember, getting a return receipt takes just as long as getting a message across, and that might (in extreme circumstances) take years. If a message is lost along the way, it'll take a long time before the original sender is notified and can try again.<BR>
<BR>
Instead, the way I envision the system, messages travel along the main trade routes where ever feasable. From one node, it is forwarded to all nodes in the 'general direction'* of the target. All messages are stamped with a unique ID; at each node this ID is registered and time-stamped, thus enabling a node to track whether a particular message already arrived before from another source or not.<BR>
<BR>
This system is redundant and thus more solid. It creates massive amounts of data, but with TL 15 computers and communications, I don't suppose that would pose a big problem. Most traffic would probably be pretty local anyway.<BR>
<BR>
* It should't be a problem defining an algorithm for 'general direction' - just think of our hexagonal sector map!<BR>
<BR>
Mark Seemann<BR>
mark@dk-online.dk (home)<BR>
marks@rainier.com (work)<BR>
20985193@note.sonofon.dk (SMS)<BR>
http://seemann.homepage.dk<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:10:45 +0100<BR>
From: Ingo Heinscher & Regina Otto <Ingo.Heinscher@germanynet.de><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
Hi! <BR>
Most of you seem to reject the idea of a Traveller newsgroup.<BR>
Ok, good to know for me, so I don't have to make all the work<BR>
of establishing RFD's and CFV's.<BR>
<BR>
There are just a few things I do not understand:<BR>
<BR>
First, some of you seem to desire a growth in numbers of Traveller fans.<BR>
So do I. <BR>
 Unfortunately a mailing list isn't very likely to attract new fans:<BR>
Most people I know reject them just because some of you reject usenet:<BR>
Spam.<BR>
It's a matter of definiton, of course. To most people, "spam" is <BR>
just "irrelevant postings". And by this definition, a mailing list <BR>
is far worse than any usenet newsgroup:You even get the spam<BR>
_into_your_own_mailbox_, not just to some server, where they can <BR>
easily be ignored. Counting the few messages regular "usenetters"<BR>
regularly receive, this is a much higher ammount of spam. <BR>
This is especially critical if your ISP gives you a <BR>
maximum amount of disk space to save unfetched messages in.<BR>
Imagine you accidently have not got the time to fetch those mails:<BR>
Your mailbox is blocked after 48 hours or so until you can fetch them<BR>
again.<BR>
A horror to most people.<BR>
<BR>
Also, it is not possible in a mailing list to "stumble across something<BR>
called Traveller"<BR>
while searching dejanews or something like it.<BR>
<BR>
Second: A private news server.<BR>
Again, you won't make any people accidently stumble over it. Also,<BR>
private news server will<BR>
produce some cost, which would have to be paid: Again, many possible<BR>
fans wouldn't even <BR>
think about joining such a news server.<BR>
<BR>
So, how will you attract more fans to discussion if you don't support<BR>
the most easy way<BR>
do this?<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Live long and propper!         <BR>
                               <BR>
ingo                           <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Wer das Schlechte zulaesst,<BR>
darf sich nicht wundern,<BR>
wenn ihm das Schlechte widerfaehrt!<BR>
                    wichtiger aber unbekannter Philosoph<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:19:27 -0500<BR>
From: Mark Urbin <urbin@bigfoot.com><BR>
Subject: KFC hoax<BR>
<BR>
H. Beam Piper covered this in his books.  I'll dig up the exact terms when <BR>
I can, but he had devices that 'grew' meat.  You want fresh beef during <BR>
your long space trips, but don't want to ship live cows along.<BR>
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
urbin@bigfoot.com  Opinions stated are those of the author's dog...<BR>
Vikings? There ain't no vikings here. Just us honest farmers. The town was<BR>
burning, the villagers were dead. They didn't need those sheep anyway.<BR>
That's our story and we're sticking to it.  http://www.bigfoot.com/~urbin/<BR>
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:22:55 +0000<BR>
From: "Carlos Alos-Ferrer" <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at><BR>
Subject: 3I or I?<BR>
<BR>
> > A bit like how I'd envisages the Xboat network working, really. If Duchess<BR>
> > Mirai on Trin wants to send a not-terribly-secure message to Norris, she<BR>
> > could just send e-mail to an address like:<BR>
> > <BR>
> > norris%gov.3i!regina!dinomn!ghandi!lanth!dganzio!ivendo!<BR>
> >   icetina!garrincski!fosey!resten!capon!carey!fornice!maltz!<BR>
> >   palique!nexine!katrulu@outward.gateway.net.3i<BR>
<BR>
Notice the "3i" last code? This got me thinking....<BR>
<BR>
Do people in the 3I routinely refer to the 3I as "the Third Imperium" <BR>
or as "the Imperium"? I would say the last, with most Vilani refusing <BR>
to acknowledge the existence of the Second Imperium and many <BR>
planetbound types not even knowing there was a first and a second....<BR>
<BR>
Carlos Alos-Ferrer<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:22:14 EST<BR>
From: TDRandall@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Third Imperium Email<BR>
<BR>
You guys are amazing!<BR>
<BR>
I, too, enjoyed the simulated Imperium emails.<BR>
<BR>
My noodle must be atrophying, though, because I went slack-jawed with the <BR>
number of Doug's possible scenarios.<BR>
<BR>
Both of you, keep up the great work!<BR>
<BR>
T Randall<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 11:30:05 -0600 (CST)<BR>
From: "Jason Kemp" <Jason.Kemp@tdh.state.tx.us><BR>
Subject: Traveller Hero...<BR>
<BR>
Greetings, All,<BR>
<BR>
Slowly but surely, I've been working to and adding a bit to my <BR>
collection of conversions from Traveller to Hero Systems, and have <BR>
posted some of that info to my website:<BR>
<BR>
http://www.flash.net/~flynn1/travhero.htm<BR>
<BR>
It is by no means complete, but in light of our efforts to bring the <BR>
TML back into the subject of Traveller, I thought I would open this <BR>
up for your perusal.<BR>
<BR>
My reasons for working on these conversions: I play with a gaming <BR>
group the enjoys the Hero System, and prefers it to any other gaming <BR>
system on the market. Seeing the success of a similar point-based <BR>
system, Gurps, with the Traveller milieu, I began working over a year <BR>
ago, off and on (more off than on,) on some conversions that would <BR>
enable me to eventually play the game we (the TML) love and enjoy in <BR>
a system that my gaming group loves.<BR>
<BR>
I've seen Fudge Traveller, Storyteller Traveller, and AD&D Traveller.<BR>
Before I started working on my own system, I found only two small<BR>
text files offering minor suggestions on weapon stats for personal<BR>
lasers and for starship conversion. (The starship file was well done,<BR>
and served as the basis for my own Starship conversion system.) This <BR>
surprised me, seeing the success of Gurps with this milieu.<BR>
<BR>
I hope that some of you who enjoy both systems might enjoy my <BR>
efforts, and be willing to offer constructive criticism that might <BR>
help round things out. :)<BR>
<BR>
"There is no game but Traveller... but when gamers won't come to the <BR>
Imperium, the Imperium must go to the gamers."<BR>
<BR>
Enjoy,<BR>
Jason<BR>
<BR>
Note: These system conversions are not intended as a challenge <BR>
against the copyright of either Traveller or Hero, and are made <BR>
available for the enjoyment of avid gamers who are fans of both <BR>
systems. Thank you.<BR>
<BR>
=============================<BR>
Jason Kemp, ADS Programmer IV<BR>
(512)458-7111 ext. 3375<BR>
Internet Address:  jason.kemp@tdh.state.tx.us<BR>
<BR>
Most computer virus and email alerts are hoaxes.  For more info, check out:<BR>
http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/culture/beliefs/urbanlegends/library/blhoax.htm<BR>
==============================<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:35:07 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Pirate Tactics (was RE: Q-Ships)<BR>
<BR>
At 10:33 AM 1/12/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>Michel Vaillancourt writes:<BR>
><snipped><BR>
>>>If the pirate or raiders notices<BR>
>>>anything out of the ordinary that may not be possible.  <BR>
>>If you have "Star Trek" sensors yes.  IMTU, at TL11, no...  you<BR>
>>know what shape it is, what tonnage it it, what color it is,<BR>
>>what its ELINT profile is, and *maybe* what it is armed with.<BR>
><BR>
>	IMTU, power output may be estimated from plasma exhaust,<BR>
>	heat dissipation, EM fields, and radiation emitions.  If<BR>
>	the pirate has no way of knowing that a merchant has no<BR>
>	power, getting close to one would be very risky indeed,<BR>
>	unless the pirate just keeps shooting until the merchant<BR>
>	is totally trashed.<BR>
><BR>
>Peez<BR>
<BR>
        Well, IMTU, pirate ops are a bit influenced by my own personal Naval<BR>
Boarding Party experience.  (Hey!  TNEC'ers...  pay attention!)  A "take the<BR>
cargo & loot the safe" pirate, as opposed to a privateer, wouldn't dock<BR>
until he knew the ship was secure.<BR>
<BR>
        Here's how its done:<BR>
<BR>
        First, get to weapons range...  I use CT, so I go with 25Mm - 50Mm<BR>
for long, 5Mm - 25Mm for short and <5Mm for point blank.  Usually deception<BR>
is the prefered way of achieving this step.        <BR>
        Second, fire a warning shot and tell the merchantman that if he<BR>
shuts his engines down and cooperates, no one will get hurt...  resist, and<BR>
the shooting starts.<BR>
        Third, once the Merchant is no longer avoiding you, pull in to about<BR>
2Mm.  Send a boarding team across....  preferably using a "fast launch" or<BR>
two as opposed to jet-packs.  Tell the merchant that if he interferes with<BR>
the boarding team, they'll blow him to scrap, all hands lost.  He and his<BR>
Cheif Engineer are to meet the Pirate Lt  at the airlock.  All other crew<BR>
and passengers are to be confined to staterooms;  anyone seen in the<BR>
corridors will be shot on sight.<BR>
        Fourth, boarding team boards...  If they find anything at the<BR>
airlock other than who they expected, they *leave*.  They get out of there<BR>
and the pirate pounds the merchant to scrap, or until the Merchant captain<BR>
begs for mercy.<BR>
        If when the board they find what they want, they 1/3 of the team to<BR>
the engine room to secure it, 1/3 to the bridge to secure it and the<BR>
remainder escort the CO and CE to CO's cabin and get the safe unlocked and<BR>
emptied.  They are then hand-cuffed and left in the CO's cabin with the door<BR>
locked and a guard posted.  Radio checks using encrypted voice comms keep<BR>
the Corsair and boarding team sure that nothing funny is going on....<BR>
Anyone found outside thier cabins after this point is gunned down, pure and<BR>
simple.<BR>
        The Corsair docks once the Bridge and Eng spaces are secure and the<BR>
cargo is transfered.  The Corsair then leaves.<BR>
        Eventually, some crew member will decide he hasn't heard any noises<BR>
in a long enough interval that it is safe to come out of his cabin and get<BR>
the rest of the crew out of theirs and untie the CO and CE.<BR>
<BR>
        Fairly buisness like and effective...  para-millitary, too.  The<BR>
Pirate is not interested in killing anyone....  that simply earns him or her<BR>
a reputation that will convince other Merchants to resist and the Navy to<BR>
send a cruiser looking for him.  Both of these situations are hard on the<BR>
bottom line.  The Merchant, OTOH, knows that if he plays by the rules, he<BR>
doesn't wind up getting his mutli-million credit investment shot out from<BR>
around him.  That's hard on the bottom line, too.<BR>
        However, the Pirate has to be sure that everyone knows that he is<BR>
deadly serious about the task at hand...  heroes will be cheerfully made<BR>
examples of.<BR>
<BR>
        Again, that's all IMTU.  YMMV.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Michel R. Vaillancourt	misha@atlantic-online.ns.ca<BR>
				ICQ # 31172292<BR>
	"Reality Error in Progress....<BR>
			       ....Do Not Adjust Your Penguin"	<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Cyberpunk:  	"http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/cp2020"<BR>
	Traveller:		"http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/traveller"<BR>
	AD&D:		"http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/adnd_eurania"<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	    ***REMEMBER - Always virus-check your emails ***<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 09:47:49 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> Most big telescopes are *reflectors. The light bounces *off* the<BR>
> *surface* of the optics, it doesn 't "thru" them. And as Bruce noted,<BR>
> but you apparently missed, *real* weapons grade laser *do* using<BR>
> mirrors to aim them.<BR>
<BR>
They still have a meaningful concept of through -- they let light in one end of a chamber and it comes out the other (or through the side, or...).<BR>
<BR>
> ps. The fact that *small*, well protected aiming mirrors can withstand<BR>
> the beam doesn't mean that you can mirror the *target* the same way.<BR>
I know.<BR>
<BR>
> You can protect that small aiming mirror. You can't protect the hull.<BR>
> Not even the hull of a missile.<BR>
<BR>
Well, you can, just not with mirrors ;).  Various sorts of white paints would make perfectly fine armor against visible-light lasers, for example.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:55:05 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
Walter Smith writes:<BR>
>Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
>>	Step 2: instruct the crew to stabilize the ship (no spin)<BR>
>>	and have all passengers and crew don vacc suits and step<BR>
>>	outside without weapons<BR>
>>	Step 3: approach slowly, counting vacc suits (try to make<BR>
>>	sure that they are all occupied), keep an eye on them as<BR>
>>	the ship docks<BR>
><BR>
>You'll be depending on the merchant's honesty (or your own pre-op<BR>
>intelligence) to tell how many people are really aboard - I can't<BR>
>see the sensor suite anything short of an IISS survey cruiser<BR>
>counting heads on another starship.<BR>
<BR>
	I was a bit lazy in explaining: the idea is not to be sure<BR>
	that all personel are out of the merchant ship.  If I am<BR>
	approaching a type A Freetrader, I can expect a minimum of<BR>
	4 crew and some passengers.  If there are 6 people in vacc<BR>
	suits outside of the hull, then no more than 4 sophonts are<BR>
	likely to be active in the ship (unless there has been<BR>
	enough time to revive low passengers).  Questioning the<BR>
	sophonts in vacc suits may help to confirm that the crew<BR>
	(or at least most of it) are out of the hull.  None of this<BR>
	insures that the ship will be undefended, but it does three<BR>
	things:<BR>
		gives you hostages<BR>
		reduces the number of defenders (especially crew)<BR>
		gives you a good reason to shoot on sight anyone<BR>
			still on board<BR>
<BR>
>I can see the Pirate saying "How many aboard?" and the merchant<BR>
>answering "Four and eight and twelve in low." (four crew, eight<BR>
>high/mid passengers and twelve low passengers)...should work for<BR>
>most situations, but pirate will never be sure the merchant<BR>
>isn't hiding twenty marines in the cargo bay.<BR>
<BR>
	Nobody said it would be risk-free ;)<BR>
<BR>
>He does have however many crewmen are on the skin<BR>
>of the ship as easy hostages against this kind of trick, of<BR>
>course.<BR>
<BR>
	I can see the pirates having the hostages perform goofy<BR>
	things like flapping their arms and twiddling their<BR>
	fingers (which the passengers might think is simple<BR>
	cruelty) to insure that the suits are not empty.  Would<BR>
	they be able to tell which suit a radio signal came from?<BR>
<BR>
>A problem: most passengers won't have Vacc Suit skill. Sending<BR>
>them outside in a suit without even Vacc-0 is very dangerous,<BR>
>especially in a possible panic situation. Add to that whether<BR>
>the merchant even has a space suit for everyone - I'd more expect<BR>
>to see a vac suit for each crewman, some skilled passengers in<BR>
>the couple spare suits that were aboard, and a string of rescue<BR>
>balls for the (awake) passengers...the ones in low will probably<BR>
>be left alone.<BR>
<BR>
	This is true, and an independant freetrader captain might<BR>
	even claim that he has only 4 vacc suits and no rescue balls<BR>
	(she/he might even be telling the truth).  Still, I would<BR>
	expect the great majority of merchants to be able to<BR>
	evacuate their ship, even if it means putting the passengers<BR>
	in vacc suits and roping them into a daisy chain.<BR>
<BR>
>And a rescue ball could easily not contain what it seems.<BR>
>So one pirate needs to go to the rescue balls and look in the<BR>
>little window...<BR>
<BR>
	On the other hand, the occupant is pretty helpless (unless<BR>
	they are in a vacc suit in the rescue ball).<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:52:25 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
Actually, Downport.com does many things to attract the casual web surfer and<BR>
the seasoned gamer.  We run a Yahoo club, belong to several web rings (most<BR>
more than once), are listed in search engines and directories, post in<BR>
Usenet, are members of Pyramid and use their boards, participate in IRC<BR>
chats and games and use eBay auctions to direct people to our site.  All of<BR>
our Traveller-related services are free to the user. Unfortunately, two out<BR>
of three people that we refer to the TML quit within a short time.  I have<BR>
not taken a poll to determine why they bug out, but the few comments I have<BR>
received have been time constraints.  Keeping people appears to be much<BR>
harder than getting them.<BR>
<BR>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>
Colin Michael, WebDev<BR>
www.downport.com<BR>
The Traveller Domain<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Ingo Heinscher & Regina Otto <Ingo.Heinscher@germanynet.de><BR>
> Second: A private news server.<BR>
> Again, you won't make any people accidently stumble over it. Also,<BR>
> private news server will<BR>
> produce some cost, which would have to be paid: Again, many possible<BR>
> fans wouldn't even<BR>
> think about joining such a news server.<BR>
><BR>
> So, how will you attract more fans to discussion if you don't support<BR>
> the most easy way<BR>
> do this?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:56:32 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: X-Boat Tender<BR>
<BR>
Walter Smith writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>Such secondary business opportunities are just one reason any<BR>
>planetary noble worth his palace intrigue would hire assassins<BR>
>if that's what it took to get his planet chosen for a new X-Boat<BR>
>stop.<BR>
<BR>
	Which fits in nicely with the rational for having inefficient<BR>
	x-boat routes.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:04:42 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC hoax<BR>
<BR>
Didn't he refer to them as "carniculture vats" or something?<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: "Mark Urbin" <urbin@bigfoot.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2000 12:19 PM<BR>
Subject: KFC hoax<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> H. Beam Piper covered this in his books.  I'll dig up the exact terms when<BR>
> I can, but he had devices that 'grew' meat.  You want fresh beef during<BR>
> your long space trips, but don't want to ship live cows along.<BR>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
- -<BR>
> urbin@bigfoot.com  Opinions stated are those of the author's dog...<BR>
> Vikings? There ain't no vikings here. Just us honest farmers. The town was<BR>
> burning, the villagers were dead. They didn't need those sheep anyway.<BR>
> That's our story and we're sticking to it.  http://www.bigfoot.com/~urbin/<BR>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
- -<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:57:35 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message ----- <BR>
From: Carlos Alos-Ferrer <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at><BR>
> 4.3... Extreme Multipartidism (11+ parties), e.g. ???<BR>
<BR>
Israel?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:03:14 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
Carlos Alos-Ferrer writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>Government code 4 is described as "Representative Democracy." It<BR>
>occurs to me that there is an awful lot of variety there, as is<BR>
>in most gov codes, but it seems that it could be classified<BR>
>somehow, and maybe refined so that some weird effects of UWP<BR>
>generation can be dealt with (e.g.: "democracy implies weapons<BR>
>freedom," which is an americanism).<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	Keep in mind that the government types, IIRC, are meant to<BR>
	reflect the atmosphere that the players experience on a<BR>
	world, rather than a strict description of the political<BR>
	system.  Thus, it would be possible to have a world governed<BR>
	by an elected parliament with four parties, that is government<BR>
	type 9 (sometimes it feels that way here...).  That doesn't<BR>
	mean that I don't want to explore the actual political system<BR>
	on some planets, but the UPP Gov type may be taken very<BR>
	flexibly.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 14:05:37 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: XBoat networt routing<BR>
<BR>
At 06:12 PM 1/12/00 +0100, you wrote:<BR>
        [snip]<BR>
>Instead, the way I envision the system, messages travel along the main<BR>
trade routes where ever feasable. From one node, it is forwarded to all<BR>
nodes in the 'general direction'* of the target. All messages are stamped<BR>
with a unique ID; at each node this ID is registered and time-stamped, thus<BR>
enabling a node to track whether a particular message already arrived before<BR>
from another source or not.<BR>
<BR>
        This makes good sense.  Similar in behaviour to the original<BR>
concepts for the Internet (ARPA/DARPANET), I believe.<BR>
<BR>
>This system is redundant and thus more solid. It creates massive amounts of<BR>
data, but with TL 15 computers and communications, I don't suppose that<BR>
would pose a big problem. Most traffic would probably be pretty local anyway.<BR>
<BR>
        TL 10 is holo-crystal storage....  Last I heard about projections<BR>
for holo-crystal storage was US Library of Congress in a sugar-cube.  You<BR>
can put a fair number of sugar-cubes into a cubic metre.<BR>
<BR>
>* It should't be a problem defining an algorithm for 'general direction' -<BR>
just think of our hexagonal sector map!<BR>
<BR>
        Agreed.<BR>
<BR>
>Mark Seemann<BR>
<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>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 11:04:27 -0800<BR>
From: "J. Paul Sanders" <timmon@primenet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: A Small Favor? <BR>
<BR>
At 08:14 AM 1/12/00 +0000, you wrote:<BR>
>At 08:41 AM 1/12/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>>What he said. Once I conclude the Lost Supplements project in the next 2-3<BR>
>>weeks I too will be leaving the list - and I've certainly "given it a<BR>
>>chance" - I've been around since the list started in the late 80's and even<BR>
>>earlier when it was on GEnie in another format. Those who seek to defend<BR>
>>the current state of topical vs. off-topic posts (i.e. garbage, since there<BR>
>>are those who quibble about using the term SPAM) on the list should really<BR>
>>dig into the early archives to get an idea of what the TML was like when it<BR>
>>was actually focused on the game.<BR>
><BR>
>OK, start an on-topic discussion.<BR>
><BR>
>Really, all the people complaining about the signal to noise ratio seem to<BR>
>be missing an important point.. this isn't a place where a few of us type<BR>
>to entertain the rest, it's a forum. <BR>
><BR>
>If you don't like the current signal to noise ratio, then do something<BR>
>about it.<BR>
>-- <BR>
><BR>
>Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
>http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
No, really, the dead presidents' "I am a jelly-donut" thread is what this<BR>
list is all about it seems. <BR>
<BR>
The point is, one posts something about TRAVELLER when they have something<BR>
relevant to say, not because they are trying to drown out the 80-90% of<BR>
off-topic posts. As for doing something about it - I am, in about three weeks.<BR>
<BR>
Paul<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:08:08 -0600 ()<BR>
From: "Joseph R. Dietrich" <yikes@evansville.net><BR>
Subject: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
>We can only debate how many angels can dance on a half-die so many times.<BR>
>To be honest, sometimes there isn't anything worthwhile to discuss about<BR>
>Traveller.  So we get a bit off topic, we get silly, and this all<BR>
>disappears when something comes up that catches the attention of the<BR>
>regular posters.  It's happened before, it will happen again.<BR>
<BR>
I have to agree with Doug here. There are certain members that tend to post<BR>
only "me-too/rotfl" one-liner posts, and sometimes the signal-to-noise<BR>
ratio goes way down, but it's always been self-correcting in my experience<BR>
(of course I'm not a real TML Great Old One like some people on the list,<BR>
but I am an unofficial TML Younger Entity).<BR>
<BR>
Some of the most interesting and thoughtful commentaries about the<BR>
alternate reality that we call the Traveller Universe I have ever read have<BR>
been on this list, and I expect the same in the future.<BR>
<BR>
ObTrav: In an effort to kick off another, possibly interesting thread, I'll<BR>
post some ideas I have for my next Traveller game. It's something of a<BR>
rehash of previous material I've posted on the list, but maybe I can get<BR>
some more of the really good feedback I got previously.<BR>
<BR>
I'm calling the setting Dark Imperium. The idea is that the Imperium<BR>
develops pretty much as in the OTU, with a couple of additions:<BR>
<BR>
1) There are huge Ancient artifacts in several hundred systems throughout<BR>
the Imperium called Jump Gates. They allow jumps for ships up to a million<BR>
dt from one system to another beyond the 6-parsec limit, probably up to 36<BR>
pc.<BR>
<BR>
2) The Ancients themselves are somewhat ... darker ... than the image<BR>
presented in the OTU. More like Things-Man-Was-Not-To-Know.<BR>
<BR>
3) Psionics is real, and is more like magic than is portrayed in the OTU.<BR>
The Psionic Institutes are more like religious organizations than<BR>
scientific organizations.<BR>
<BR>
4) There are monsters in the universe. Vampires. Shapechangers. Ghosts. I'm<BR>
trying to get a feel more like Dark Conspiracy than White Wolf gothic-punk,<BR>
although the idea of WW vampires and werewolves being vaporized by FGMPs<BR>
has a certain appeal. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
In the timeline I have scketched out in my head, the Rebellion occurs, the<BR>
Imperium collapses into Hard Times, and eventually into another Long Night<BR>
(no Virus). Centuries pass, and a TNE-style rebuilding is underway,<BR>
although with an emphasis on religious and noble powers in the lead. I'm<BR>
trying to get a Fading Suns type of setting going, with the Imperium as the<BR>
background.<BR>
<BR>
Oh, I have a webpage for it too, although nothing is there at the moment<BR>
except for a graphic:<BR>
<BR>
http://www.evansville.net/~yikes/dark_imperium.html<BR>
<BR>
If you have done anything like this before, or if you have any cool ideas I<BR>
could steal^h^h^h be inspired by, I would love the feedback.<BR>
<BR>
Ciao,<BR>
<BR>
Joseph R. Dietrich<BR>
yikes@evansville.net<BR>
Long live the TML!!!<BR>
<BR>
Ciao,<BR>
<BR>
Joseph R. Dietrich<BR>
yikes@evansville.net<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 19:04:15 +0100<BR>
From: Ingo Heinscher & Regina Otto <Ingo.Heinscher@germanynet.de><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
"Swordy (Colin Michael)" schrieb:<BR>
> <BR>
(snip)<BR>
<BR>
> Unfortunately, two out<BR>
> of three people that we refer to the TML quit within a short time.  I have<BR>
> not taken a poll to determine why they bug out, but the few comments I have<BR>
> received have been time constraints.  Keeping people appears to be much<BR>
> harder than getting them.<BR>
<BR>
Read what I wrote about full mailboxes? I 'd bet that is the main<BR>
reason...<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Live long and propper!         <BR>
                               <BR>
ingo                           <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Wer das Schlechte zulaesst,<BR>
darf sich nicht wundern,<BR>
wenn ihm das Schlechte widerfaehrt!<BR>
                    wichtiger aber unbekannter Philosoph<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:08:17 -0000<BR>
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
Subject: RE: 3I or I?<BR>
<BR>
Carlos Alos-Ferrer wrote:<BR>
> Do people in the 3I routinely refer to the 3I as "the Third<BR>
> Imperium" or as "the Imperium"? I would say the last, with most<BR>
> Vilani refusing to acknowledge the existence of the Second<BR>
> Imperium and many planetbound types not even knowing there was<BR>
> a first and a second....<BR>
<BR>
People being what  they  are  (ie.  lazy)  they  would  say  "the<BR>
Imperium" (without  the  "Third").  However,  "I"  by  itself  is<BR>
ambiguous and so  as  a  shorthand  they  would  type  "3I".  And<BR>
probably many people wouldn't know what  the  "3"  was  for  even<BR>
though they did use it themselves.<BR>
<BR>
Regards PLST<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 19:21:30 +0000<BR>
From: "Carlos Alos-Ferrer" <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at><BR>
Subject: RE: 3I or I?<BR>
<BR>
> Carlos Alos-Ferrer wrote:<BR>
> > Do people in the 3I routinely refer to the 3I as "the Third<BR>
> > Imperium" or as "the Imperium"? I would say the last, with most<BR>
> > Vilani refusing to acknowledge the existence of the Second<BR>
> > Imperium and many planetbound types not even knowing there was<BR>
> > a first and a second....<BR>
<BR>
Peter Trevor wrote:<BR>
> People being what  they  are  (ie.  lazy)  they  would  say  "the<BR>
> Imperium" (without  the  "Third").  However,  "I"  by  itself  is<BR>
> ambiguous and so  as  a  shorthand  they  would  type  "3I".  And<BR>
> probably many people wouldn't know what  the  "3"  was  for  even<BR>
> though they did use it themselves.<BR>
<BR>
Hmmm.....<BR>
How do you native speakers *pronounce* 3I?<BR>
I just got this weird image of everybody saying "three-eye" for a <BR>
long time without understanding what it was, and then starting to <BR>
think it was a bad spelling shortcut for "three eyes", like 4U <BR>
instead of "for you"... and then, everybody starts associating a <BR>
symbol with Three Eyes to the Imperium... and some weird theories <BR>
appear....<BR>
<BR>
Sazan Eyes, anyone?<BR>
<BR>
<grin, duck, and run><BR>
<BR>
Carlos Alos-Ferrer<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1731<BR>
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Traveller-digest    Wednesday, January 12 2000    Volume 1999 : Number 1732<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: Boarding Actions (longish)<BR>
Re: Q-Ships<BR>
Re: Boarding Actions (longish)<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
RE: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
RE: XBoat networt routing<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: A Small Favor? <BR>
RE: 3I or I?<BR>
Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
Re: XBoat networt routing<BR>
RE: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:23:44 -0800<BR>
From: "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding Actions (longish)<BR>
<BR>
> Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
> > Step 2: instruct the crew to stabilize the ship (no spin)<BR>
> > and have all passengers and crew don vacc suits and step<BR>
> > outside without weapons<BR>
> > Step 3: approach slowly, counting vacc suits (try to make<BR>
> > sure that they are all occupied), keep an eye on them as<BR>
> > the ship docks<BR>
><BR>
> You'll be depending on the merchant's honesty (or your own pre-op<BR>
> intelligence) to tell how many people are really aboard - I can't see<BR>
> the sensor suite anything short of an IISS survey cruiser counting<BR>
> heads on another starship.<BR>
><BR>
> I can see the Pirate saying "How many aboard?" and the merchant<BR>
> answering "Four and eight and twelve in low." (four crew, eight high/mid<BR>
> passengers and twelve low passengers)...should work for most situations,<BR>
> but pirate will never be sure the merchant isn't hiding twenty marines in<BR>
> the cargo bay. He does have however many crewmen are on the skin<BR>
> of the ship as easy hostages against this kind of trick, of course.<BR>
><BR>
My take on this is as follows<BR>
<BR>
1. Pirate have insider at starport (if pirate clan large enough, insiders at<BR>
a number of starports) to pass intel on ship cargo/number of<BR>
people(crew/passengers/low berth)/number and types of weapons. As well as<BR>
having a data base of ships (Jane Merchant Ships of the 3I) give stats on<BR>
crew numbers/weapon hard points/size of cargo hold (not as reliable as<BR>
insider but give a ruff picture of what to expect)<BR>
<BR>
2. Pirates intercept ship and start haling ship (telling ship to stop and<BR>
prepare for boarding or be fired on)<BR>
<BR>
3. If ship stops see below. If ship doesn't stop, fire a shot across the bow<BR>
to make it stop. If ship stops see below. If ship doesn't stop keep firing<BR>
at know Eng.. spaces to disable the ship.<BR>
<BR>
4. Once the ship is stopped (willingly or by being disabled) send over<BR>
boarding party (min. 10 pers with skills to operate ship) all in vacc suits<BR>
with grav belts/power armor. In groups of two, pirates move out through ship<BR>
(2 man airlock (excape rote if this hit the fan), two head to bridge to take<BR>
control, two head to Eng.. to take control, remaining groups round up<BR>
crew/passengers to common area. All pirates have comms with each other and<BR>
pirate ship so that a picture can be made how the op is going.<BR>
<BR>
5. Once control of the ship is in pirate hands, move pirates are sent over<BR>
to;<BR>
        a. claim ship as prize<BR>
        b. move cargo back to pirate ship<BR>
        c. check crew/passengers for goods/use as hostages<BR>
<BR>
6. If ship is not to be claimed. Pirates destroy all weapons<BR>
control/communications systems are fall back in groups of two to air lock<BR>
and leave ship<BR>
<BR>
7. pirate jump out system/return to pirate base.<BR>
<BR>
notes:<BR>
a. it is my believe that most ships would stop after the first shot across<BR>
the bow, comply with the demands of the pirates, and write off the loss of<BR>
cargo (insured for pirates). A PCs ship would behave as per the plays<BR>
role-playing<BR>
<BR>
Wayne<BR>
wewart@home.com<BR>
icq22113294<BR>
http://www.members.home.net/wewart/wewart/traveller/<BR>
<BR>
Give a man fire and he is warm for the night.<BR>
Set a man on fire and he is warm all his life.<BR>
- - Terry Pratchett<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:57:51 -0500<BR>
From: "Chauncey Smith" <csmith@ICDC.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Q-Ships<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
To: traveller@mpgn.com <traveller@mpgn.com><BR>
Date: Wednesday, January 12, 2000 10:31 AM<BR>
Subject: RE: Q-Ships<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> IMTU, power output may be estimated from plasma exhaust,<BR>
> heat dissipation, EM fields, and radiation emitions.  If<BR>
> the pirate has no way of knowing that a merchant has no<BR>
> power, getting close to one would be very risky indeed,<BR>
> unless the pirate just keeps shooting until the merchant<BR>
> is totally trashed.<BR>
><BR>
>Peez<BR>
><BR>
What about more then one power plant and steeping down the power?<BR>
If a Q-ship for lack of a better word was built with power plants in<BR>
different step down rates. and reduced the power output total of the ship by<BR>
steeping down the power. The sensing platform (be it pirates or helpless<BR>
trader) would get erroneous readings on their sensors.<BR>
Mounting a life support system that is slightly out sized and venting it to<BR>
space would look like hits on hall.<BR>
There is no law saying you can't mount heavier armor on a hull of what ever<BR>
type you need<BR>
<BR>
Pirates and even navel ships take prizes. If the ship doesn't have M-drive<BR>
control or targeting sensors it's very easy but the key isn't always Power<BR>
plant hits. The key is will it let you close. The closer you are the more<BR>
damage weapons on both platforms can attack each other. 400 ton or less<BR>
traders with out sandcasters don't let the pirates close.<BR>
<BR>
but the above is how I do space combat on that scale and my ideas for<BR>
q-ships.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:21:05 -0500<BR>
From: "Chauncey Smith" <csmith@ICDC.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding Actions (longish)<BR>
<BR>
This ended with a request for commits so I'm picking nits and staying on<BR>
topic.<BR>
I feel that the pirate thing would be over done.. I don't thing the Navy<BR>
would put up with more then a few isolated incidents with out dispatching a<BR>
cruiser to the area. ( yea I said cruiser 30k+ tons displacement and the<BR>
whole 9 yards) to make the area safe for good Imperial citizens. There is a<BR>
reason the AHL has fighters and sensor suite. Cruisers in IMTU are the<BR>
smallest capital ship. It's treated like a swiss army knife by the<BR>
adrimality destroyers and smaller elements are deployed in fleets. so if the<BR>
empire has sabers to rattle in side it's boarders it's going to be a cruiser<BR>
that get's sent there. (kinda like star trek the first series)<BR>
also IMTU the merchants guns reach as far as the pirates so in a toe to toe<BR>
fight the merchant so pirates depend on stealth to make take out the<BR>
merchant men. parking in orbit more then 100 diameters out and catching<BR>
ships as the vector in to the planet.<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
To: traveller@mpgn.com <traveller@mpgn.com><BR>
Date: Wednesday, January 12, 2000 9:16 AM<BR>
Subject: RE: Boarding Actions (longish)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>Situation: No patrol nearby, merchant is outgunned and unable to<BR>
>escape.<BR>
>Step 1: accelerate towards merchant, contact merchant and demand surrender<BR>
>(explain that the ship and crew, as well as passengers, will not be harmed<BR>
>if they do not resist)<BR>
>IF THE MERCHANT SURRENDERS<BR>
> Step 2: instruct the crew to stabilize the ship (no spin)<BR>
> and have all passengers and crew don vacc suits and step<BR>
> outside without weapons<BR>
> Step 3: approach slowly, counting vacc suits (try to make<BR>
> sure that they are all occupied), keep an eye on them as<BR>
> the ship docks<BR>
> Step 4: secure the merchant, watch the vacc suits, keep a<BR>
> guard at the docking, loot the merchant<BR>
> Step 5: bring the vacc suits back on board, one by one<BR>
> (passengers first), and search them for valuables<BR>
> Step 6: leave<BR>
>IF THE MERCHANT RESISTS<BR>
> Step 2: open fire, continue closing but concentrate fire on<BR>
> incoming missiles when necessary, until merchant's power<BR>
> plant is down<BR>
> Step 3: cease fire and approach quickly, but open fire<BR>
> again if power plant comes on again, stop 50 m away (in<BR>
> a possession to shoot power plant out, but not in range of<BR>
> merchant's weapons)<BR>
> Step 4: send pirates EVA to secure an airlock (possibly<BR>
> banging on several airlocks to spread defenses thin),<BR>
> dock at the secured airlock<BR>
> Step 5: secure the merchant, keep a guard at the docking,<BR>
> loot the merchant (including the crew and passengers)<BR>
> Step 6: leave<BR>
>Vindictive pirates may wish to punish merchants that resist.<BR>
><BR>
>Comments?  Suggestions?  Alternate tactics?<BR>
><BR>
>Peez<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:21:36 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
At 11:56 -0500 12/1/00, "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <BR>
<swordworlder@clinic.net> wrote:<BR>
>C'mon Doug, THREE new BITS products came out last week.  I have reviewed two<BR>
>of them here and it generated a grand total of seven posts between them.  I<BR>
>was going to write a post about the Khiidkar Incident, but I was too<BR>
>discouraged to bother.<BR>
<BR>
I'd have appreciated it ;-)<BR>
<BR>
On a more *serious* note: we released the two new adventures in <BR>
response to TML complaints about lack of Traveller adventures. <BR>
Feedback would have been nice, as we'd rather invest time and effort <BR>
into products that you'd like.<BR>
<BR>
I honestly feel that until T5 is out this place is going to be a low <BR>
S to N domain because there are a lot of people who are waiting for <BR>
'proper' Traveller. GT is cool, and a great adaption, and I buy the <BR>
supplements, but I prefer the way T5's previews were going to the GT <BR>
system. That's probably familiarity with 4 Trav incarnations before <BR>
GT coming through.<BR>
<BR>
But rarely does anyone review material *even when GT stuff comes <BR>
out*. There are a lot less debates going and the bulk of the HG style <BR>
gearhead posts have departed to SCTA and other lists. I like the <BR>
posts from Kiri / Doug etc (I'm probably as guilty as anyone on OT <BR>
stuff) because it gives a sense of community. However, it'd be nice <BR>
to see more Traveller content. There again, recently it's improving.<BR>
<BR>
Not really a rant, but a ramble,<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:25:44 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
At 11:56 -0500 12/1/00, "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Alas, BITS doesn't get the general distribution that SJG products do.  So<BR>
>there isn't the phenomenon of several different people all posting "Hey, my<BR>
>FLGS got 'GT: Others' in today, what does everybody think?"<BR>
<BR>
If your FLGS asks for BITS products SJG will supply them.<BR>
<BR>
>Also, you have the infamous TML Black Hole of Quality, in which anything<BR>
>really good is sucked onto the hard drives of the readers, vanishing from<BR>
>the list forever.  I've dropped some of my best work ever on this list, and<BR>
>never gotten a response.  No biggie, I'm not here for the ego boost, I'm<BR>
>hear to discuss Traveller and any related topic with interesting people<BR>
>from across the planet.<BR>
<BR>
To be honest, I wonder if the change of the feel of the TML is part a <BR>
result of a number of previously very active posters having real life <BR>
commitments and Traveller writing commitments draining their time now.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:36:47 -0800<BR>
From: "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com><BR>
Subject: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
My look on grav pong is that it can't happen. Changes to the grav plates<BR>
pull (from 1G to 6G or 1 G to 0G) take time to build up/decress, like using<BR>
a range top stove when you turn it on it doesn't go to max right away, it<BR>
needs time to heat up, just as when you turn if off it needs time to cool<BR>
down.<BR>
<BR>
Wayne<BR>
wewart@home.com<BR>
icq22113294<BR>
http://www.members.home.net/wewart/wewart/traveller/<BR>
<BR>
Give a man fire and he is warm for the night.<BR>
Set a man on fire and he is warm all his life.<BR>
- - Terry Pratchett<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:48:04 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
Wayne Ewart writes:<BR>
> My look on grav pong is that it can't happen. Changes to the grav plates<BR>
> pull (from 1G to 6G or 1 G to 0G) take time to build up/decress, like using<BR>
> a range top stove when you turn it on it doesn't go to max right away, it<BR>
> needs time to heat up, just as when you turn if off it needs time to cool<BR>
> down.<BR>
<BR>
The problem with grav pong is usually for grav compensation, not artificial gravity.  If grav compensation is fast enough to deal with a ship evading, its fast enough to play grav pong.  If grav compensation can be turned off, you can also play pong by just turning it off and manuevering the ship.<BR>
<BR>
Of course, you can assume that grav compensation is an intrinsic feature of thruster plates, in which case it may well not be usable for anything other than negating felt gravities from T-plates, and might not have an off switch either.  It could also be that grav compensation is basically locked to the hull in some way, in which case it would compensate automatically for any outside gravity but couldn't be used to generate a gravitational field at all.<BR>
<BR>
However, if grav compensation and artificial gravity are the same technology, grav pong is clearly possible.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:00:23 +0000<BR>
From: "Carlos Alos-Ferrer" <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at><BR>
Subject: RE: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
> Carlos Alos-Ferrer writes:<BR>
> >Government code 4 is described as "Representative Democracy." It<BR>
> >occurs to me that there is an awful lot of variety there, as is<BR>
> >in most gov codes, but it seems that it could be classified<BR>
> >somehow, and maybe refined so that some weird effects of UWP<BR>
> >generation can be dealt with (e.g.: "democracy implies weapons<BR>
> >freedom," which is an americanism).<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
<BR>
Ian Ferguson writes:<BR>
> 	Keep in mind that the government types, IIRC, are meant to<BR>
> 	reflect the atmosphere that the players experience on a<BR>
> 	world, rather than a strict description of the political<BR>
> 	system.  Thus, it would be possible to have a world governed<BR>
> 	by an elected parliament with four parties, that is government<BR>
> 	type 9 (sometimes it feels that way here...).  That doesn't<BR>
> 	mean that I don't want to explore the actual political system<BR>
> 	on some planets, but the UPP Gov type may be taken very<BR>
> 	flexibly.<BR>
<BR>
Good point. However, getting a finer description of the gov codes <BR>
might well solve that. An elected parliament with four parties which <BR>
behaves much as a bureaucracy would be a subtype... hmmm, you mean <BR>
Canada does not really fit on a "multipartidism" description?<BR>
<BR>
In 1800-Spain, there were two political parties, but, for part of the <BR>
century, there was "alternance." After so and so many years in power, <BR>
one party was replaced by the other, and so on... guess that would be <BR>
type 9, too. So, certainly type 4 needs to mean *real* input from the <BR>
governed into the election of representatives. Political parties are <BR>
not the definition of type 4.<BR>
<BR>
Carlos Alos-Ferrer<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 14:15:12 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
From: Douglas E. Berry <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> No.  For the sole reason that Terry Austin would cross post into it<BR>
> and spread his interminable "look at me, I'm an asshole" flame wars<BR>
> into it.<BR>
><BR>
> If you think we get off topic, read the rec.games.frp.* hierarchy.<BR>
<BR>
I had to ban myself from the rec.games.frp.* hierarchy because I can't<BR>
resist his un-subtle lures.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 19:25:28 -0000<BR>
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
Subject: RE: XBoat networt routing<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt wrote:<BR>
> At 06:12 PM 1/12/00 +0100, you wrote:<BR>
> > Instead, the way I envision the system, messages travel along<BR>
> > the main trade routes where ever feasable. From one node, it<BR>
> > is forwarded to all nodes in the 'general direction'* of the<BR>
> > target. All messages are stamped with a unique ID; at each<BR>
> > node this ID is registered and time-stamped, thus enabling a<BR>
> > node to track whether a particular message already arrived<BR>
> > before from another source or not.<BR>
><BR>
> This makes good sense.  Similar in behaviour to the original<BR>
> concepts for the Internet (ARPA/DARPANET), I believe.<BR>
<BR>
Hmmm ... over the years I've  noticed  something  odd  with  many<BR>
threads: they postulate a much more integrated 3I  than  anything<BR>
I've noticed in  canon  suggests.  I  seem  to  remember  reading<BR>
somewhere that the Imperium only exists  between  the  stars  and<BR>
that most planets are very autonomous in their local business.<BR>
<BR>
Yet we've had a number of threads over the past  year  suggesting<BR>
the number of minor nobles is directly related to the  number  of<BR>
population (as if the nobility was a sort of hierarchical peoples<BR>
Congress), or trying to come up with a standard Imperium-wide set<BR>
of procedures to cover when people are arrested  by  the  police.<BR>
Now we have the Imperial internet.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU: The 3I is more like a UN with teeth and the  member  worlds<BR>
are semi-independant countries.<BR>
<BR>
As for an Imperial internet: there is  none.  The  x-boat  system<BR>
(which services only some worlds)  provides  a  guarenteed  "high<BR>
speed" telegraph  service.  In  addition  to  this  there  is  an<BR>
interstellar mail system ... but for some backwater planets  this<BR>
is dependent on the occasional passing free trader.<BR>
<BR>
Planetary internets do exist on many  worlds,  but  not  all.  On<BR>
some  there  is  a  well  regulated  state-owned  Compuserve-like<BR>
system, on others a dedicated amateur Fidonet-like  system.  Many<BR>
worlds do not have the TL for mass  communications,  many  worlds<BR>
have outlawed mass communication (as a potential  threat  to  the<BR>
state, or on religious grounds, or whyever).<BR>
<BR>
There *is* a set of  standardised  communications  protocols  for<BR>
starships/spacecraft, and (where  implemented)  this  includes  a<BR>
starport information service for incoming  ships.  However,  this<BR>
last bears more resemblance to the UK's Ceefax/Teletext system (a<BR>
sort of broadcast pseudo-BBS).<BR>
<BR>
Many Imperial agencies (such as the IN or IISS) rely on  couriers<BR>
for interstellar communications.<BR>
<BR>
Meanwhile, the  MOJ  is  concerned  (a)  with  laws  against  the<BR>
Imperium,  and  (b)  providing  an  Interpol  service  to   local<BR>
authorities.  And the local  nobility  are  amabassadors  of  the<BR>
Imperium to the local planet and advocates of the local planet to<BR>
the Imperium ... they have little direct say in local affairs.<BR>
<BR>
There are some worlds which, while being fully paid-up members of<BR>
the Imperium, many of their population are completely ignorant of<BR>
the Imperium, other planets, or anything else outside  their  own<BR>
prefectures.<BR>
<BR>
(Somewhere deep in the Imperium  there  is  a  balkanised  mid-TL<BR>
planet called "Dirt".  The  local rulers have jointly  determined<BR>
that it is best the population at large do  not  know  of  things<BR>
like the Imperium and have successfully petitioned the  IISS  for<BR>
Red Zone status.  What few ships are permitted have  to  land  at<BR>
the class C starport on the far side of Dirt's one tidally-locked<BR>
satellite.)<BR>
<BR>
Regards PLST<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:36:04 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
Joseph R. Dietrich wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
> I'm calling the setting Dark Imperium. The idea is that the Imperium<BR>
> develops pretty much as in the OTU, with a couple of additions:<BR>
> <BR>
> 1) There are huge Ancient artifacts in several hundred systems throughout<BR>
> the Imperium called Jump Gates. They allow jumps for ships up to a million<BR>
> dt from one system to another beyond the 6-parsec limit, probably up to 36<BR>
> pc.<BR>
<BR>
Cool. Do they work? Has anyone figured out _how_ they work? Do they<BR>
work, but do horrible things to ships with jump drives already in<BR>
them...<BR>
<BR>
Idea: The Jump Gates were the Mains of the Ancients...jump drives are<BR>
the 'off-road' vehicles for travel where Jump Gates are<BR>
unfeasable/uneconomical/unwanted. Of course the Ancients knew that<BR>
runnig a jump equipped ship was on he order of trying to fly an airplane<BR>
through the Lincoln Tunnel; so absurd that it doesn't show up in any of<BR>
the fragmentary documentation that exists.<BR>
<BR>
Of course, anyone testing these gates will be sensible and send through<BR>
jump-equipped ships so they can go through with some hope of<BR>
recovery...he he he.<BR>
<BR>
> 2) The Ancients themselves are somewhat ... darker ... than the image<BR>
> presented in the OTU. More like Things-Man-Was-Not-To-Know.<BR>
<BR>
With millenia old secret societies dedicated to Preventing/Allowing Man<BR>
to know these things.<BR>
 <BR>
> 3) Psionics is real, and is more like magic than is portrayed in the OTU.<BR>
> The Psionic Institutes are more like religious organizations than<BR>
> scientific organizations.<BR>
<BR>
See above. They could be integral parts of the secret battle being<BR>
waged.<BR>
 <BR>
> 4) There are monsters in the universe. Vampires. Shapechangers. Ghosts. I'm<BR>
> trying to get a feel more like Dark Conspiracy than White Wolf gothic-punk,<BR>
> although the idea of WW vampires and werewolves being vaporized by FGMPs<BR>
> has a certain appeal. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
 How about Goauld (or whatever the heck the things are called in<BR>
Stargate).<BR>
 <BR>
> In the timeline I have scketched out in my head, the Rebellion occurs, the<BR>
> Imperium collapses into Hard Times, and eventually into another Long Night<BR>
> (no Virus). Centuries pass, and a TNE-style rebuilding is underway,<BR>
> although with an emphasis on religious and noble powers in the lead. I'm<BR>
> trying to get a Fading Suns type of setting going, with the Imperium as the<BR>
> background.<BR>
<BR>
This could be a time for those secret societies to become bolder, more<BR>
active, establishing themselves as the PBTT, and so forth.<BR>
<BR>
 <BR>
> Oh, I have a webpage for it too, although nothing is there at the moment<BR>
> except for a graphic:<BR>
> <BR>
> http://www.evansville.net/~yikes/dark_imperium.html<BR>
> <BR>
> If you have done anything like this before, or if you have any cool ideas I<BR>
> could steal^h^h^h be inspired by, I would love the feedback.<BR>
> <BR>
> Ciao,<BR>
> <BR>
> Joseph R. Dietrich<BR>
> yikes@evansville.net<BR>
> Long live the TML!!!<BR>
> <BR>
> Ciao,<BR>
> <BR>
> Joseph R. Dietrich<BR>
> yikes@evansville.net<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 14:36:59 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: A Small Favor? <BR>
<BR>
From: Douglas E. Berry <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> OK, start an on-topic discussion.<BR>
<BR>
I have, several times in the past month or two. The best on-topic response<BR>
which one can hope for these days is, "Hey that was pretty nifty, keep it<BR>
up," from one of the older list members. If it's a technical type thread,<BR>
like the recent one on lasers, it'll thrive for a while. However, that's<BR>
largely because Leonard will try to make it thrive, which is good.<BR>
<BR>
As I said, I don't have a problem with off-topic posts, for the most part.<BR>
Unfortunately, the off-topic posts recently have been of a different sort<BR>
than what I had become used to seeing on the list.<BR>
<BR>
> Really, all the people complaining about the signal to noise ratio<BR>
> seem to be missing an important point.. this isn't a place where a<BR>
> few of us type to entertain the rest, it's a forum.<BR>
<BR>
That's just it. To me, it looks like a few people folks do type to entertain<BR>
the rest. Like I said, the on-topic response to hope for nowadays is "that<BR>
was pretty cool." To shift the focus off of myself for a moment, so it<BR>
doesn't sound like I'm bitter because my on-topic posts are ignored, Glenn's<BR>
excellent post on Cipatwean cuisine could have served as an excellent<BR>
starting point for a discussion of food in general. Hell, I would have tried<BR>
myself, but all I know about food is that I should follow the instructions<BR>
on the box with little deviation for best results.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 19:41:42 -0000<BR>
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
Subject: RE: 3I or I?<BR>
<BR>
Carlos Alos-Ferrer wrote:<BR>
> How do you native speakers *pronounce* 3I?  I just got this<BR>
> weird image of everybody saying "three-eye" for a long time<BR>
> without understanding what it was, and then starting to think<BR>
> it was a bad spelling shortcut for "three eyes", like 4U instead<BR>
> of "for you"... and then, everybody starts associating a symbol<BR>
> with Three Eyes to the Imperium... and some weird theories<BR>
> appear....<BR>
<BR>
Naw.  "3I" means III, as in Imperial Interstellar ... er  ...  er<BR>
... hey, what does the third "I" of 3I stand for?<BR>
<BR>
Regards PLST<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:46:37 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
Swordy (Colin Michael) wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> ----- Original Message -----<BR>
> From: Carlos Alos-Ferrer <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at><BR>
> > 4.3... Extreme Multipartidism (11+ parties), e.g. ???<BR>
> <BR>
> Israel?<BR>
<BR>
Italy jumped to my mind immediately. Russia, too. the official list of<BR>
candidates in the recent elections there was huge.<BR>
<BR>
Non-partisan (what Carlos is calling 'individual') elections are widely<BR>
held in the US, though at lower levels of government; school board<BR>
elections and the like are typically non-partisan, as are many city<BR>
councils and such like. Carlos' description of primaries are actually<BR>
not really relevant, as they arent' designed to produce a<BR>
representative, but a single candidate for election. Only party members<BR>
(in most cases, Arizona is a recent change) are allowed to vote in<BR>
primaries.<BR>
<BR>
There's also a variant of the Individual Representatives, such as<BR>
described in The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, and to my knowledge, not<BR>
practiced anywhere, is simply getting enough people to cast a vote for<BR>
you. There were no primaries, no parties (per se, IIRC, although there<BR>
were factions quite soon...guess it's time for a reread of the novel);<BR>
all you had to do was get 1000 people to agree to cast a vote for you.<BR>
<BR>
This leads to 'Bob is my representative' rather than 'Bob is the<BR>
representative of ward 7, where I happen to live, even though I despise<BR>
the man.' It also leads to large, unwieldy governments, good for the<BR>
basic concept of 'those that govern least, govern best' concept pf<BR>
deomocracy.<BR>
<BR>
(although, IMHO, this is merely a cop-out. If gummint is hobbled in<BR>
favor of, say, market forces, the people actually get less say, and more<BR>
interference on their lives...it just doesn't come from the gummint...) <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:48:17 -0700<BR>
From: Erwin Fritz <efritz@glja.com><BR>
Subject: Re: XBoat networt routing<BR>
<BR>
"Trevor, Peter" wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Hmmm ... over the years I've  noticed  something  odd  with  many<BR>
> threads: they postulate a much more integrated 3I  than  anything<BR>
> I've noticed in  canon  suggests.  I  seem  to  remember  reading<BR>
> somewhere that the Imperium only exists  between  the  stars  and<BR>
> that most planets are very autonomous in their local business.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
I agree. IMTU, the Imperium exists mostly so that nobles and<BR>
megacorporations can get/stay rich and powerful.<BR>
<BR>
> Yet we've had a number of threads over the past  year  suggesting<BR>
> the number of minor nobles is directly related to the  number  of<BR>
> population (as if the nobility was a sort of hierarchical peoples<BR>
<BR>
I remember this thread, and decided that it didn't fit MTU.<BR>
<BR>
> Congress), or trying to come up with a standard Imperium-wide set<BR>
> of procedures to cover when people are arrested  by  the  police.<BR>
<BR>
I used this one, however, since it makes the local Imperial noble more<BR>
powerful. However, the chances of anyone successfully getting the noble<BR>
to rule against the planetary justice system are remote.<BR>
<BR>
> IMTU: The 3I is more like a UN with teeth and the  member  worlds<BR>
> are semi-independant countries.<BR>
<BR>
I agree.<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> As for an Imperial internet: there is  none.  The  x-boat  system<BR>
> (which services only some worlds)  provides  a  guarenteed  "high<BR>
> speed" telegraph  service.  In  addition  to  this  there  is  an<BR>
> interstellar mail system ... but for some backwater planets  this<BR>
> is dependent on the occasional passing free trader.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
IMTU the xboat system IS the interstellar mail system. Worlds on xboat<BR>
routes use the xboats. Private ships under contracts service the other<BR>
worlds.<BR>
<BR>
Mail (electronic or otherwise) will following a travelling character<BR>
around only if he gives forwarding addresses (which is part of the<BR>
standard procedure of registering as a passenger on a ship, or of filing<BR>
a flight plan).<BR>
<BR>
Naturally, this means that misjumps are very bad. If you're on a ship<BR>
that misjumps (and you make it to a starport), you had better fill out<BR>
the paperwork to let the xboat system know where you are, or you won't<BR>
get things like pension cheques, xmail, TAS High Passage tickets, etc.<BR>
<BR>
> Planetary internets do exist on many  worlds,  but  not  all.  On<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, a planetary (or solar system-wide) Internet will exist if the TL<BR>
is at least 9 and the population is at least 6. Other factors, like<BR>
government type, also affect this.<BR>
<BR>
> There *is* a set of  standardised  communications  protocols  for<BR>
> starships/spacecraft, and (where  implemented)  this  includes  a<BR>
> starport information service for incoming  ships.  However,  this<BR>
<BR>
I have several standard protocols, depending upon the media used. Most<BR>
ships have radio, so that's the most widely-used method. However, there<BR>
are different ones for meson communicators, maser communicators, etc.<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> Many Imperial agencies (such as the IN or IISS) rely on  couriers<BR>
> for interstellar communications.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
IMTU, the Navy uses its own Jump-6 couriers (some secret, some not),<BR>
because they're faster than xboats, and because there's a rivalry<BR>
between the Navy and the IISS.<BR>
<BR>
> Meanwhile, the  MOJ  is  concerned  (a)  with  laws  against  the<BR>
> Imperium,  and  (b)  providing  an  Interpol  service  to   local<BR>
> authorities.  And the local  nobility  are  amabassadors  of  the<BR>
> Imperium to the local planet and advocates of the local planet to<BR>
> the Imperium ... they have little direct say in local affairs.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
I don't use the MOJ, because that strikes me as too much like a<BR>
centralized police organization.<BR>
<BR>
I agree, for the most part, with the role of nobles. On some worlds,<BR>
though, the noble might actually run the planet. A Charismatic<BR>
Dictatorship, Non-Charismatic Dictatorship, or Captive Government world<BR>
would be a candidate for this setup.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Erwin Fritz<BR>
Gilbert Laustsen Jung Associates Ltd.<BR>
http://www.glja.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 14:54:03 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt writes:<BR>
>Well, IMTU, pirate ops are a bit influenced by my own personal<BR>
>Naval Boarding Party experience.  (Hey!  TNEC'ers...  pay<BR>
>attention!)<BR>
<BR>
	I love this list.<BR>
<BR>
>A "take the cargo & loot the safe" pirate, as opposed to a<BR>
>privateer, wouldn't dock until he knew the ship was secure.<BR>
<BR>
	Of course, "knew" is a relative term.<BR>
<BR>
>Here's how its done:<BR>
>First, get to weapons range...  I use CT, so I go with 25Mm - 50Mm<BR>
>for long, 5Mm - 25Mm for short and <5Mm for point blank.  Usually<BR>
>deception is the prefered way of achieving this step.<BR>
<BR>
	Isn't 50 Mm pretty close range?  I'm assuming 1 Mm = 10^6 m,<BR>
	so 50 Mm = 31.25" (1" = 1,000 miles as per LBB 2).  Isn't<BR>
	0-50" the closest range category for missile fire?<BR>
<BR>
>Second, fire a warning shot and tell the merchantman that if he<BR>
>shuts his engines down and cooperates, no one will get hurt...<BR>
>resist, and the shooting starts.<BR>
<BR>
	This is certainly a tactic that pirates IMTU have used, but<BR>
	it helps if the pirate can tell that the power plant is<BR>
	shut down.<BR>
<BR>
>Third, once the Merchant is no longer avoiding you, pull in to<BR>
>about 2Mm.<BR>
<BR>
	This could be risky, but that's part of a pirates life :)<BR>
	If the merchant is feeling plucky (and is not hopelessly<BR>
	outgunned), he might be tempted to engage the pirate at<BR>
	this stage.  Again, it depends on how much information<BR>
	the pirate has access to, but if the merchant can fire<BR>
	without warning at that range, the pirate ship might be<BR>
	incapacitated before being able to respond.  With all<BR>
	those pirates out in the cold vacuum of space, the tables<BR>
	might be turned quickly.<BR>
<BR>
>Send a boarding team across....  preferably using a "fast launch"<BR>
>or two as opposed to jet-packs.  Tell the merchant that if he<BR>
>interferes with the boarding team, they'll blow him to scrap, all<BR>
>hands lost.<BR>
<BR>
	The jet-packs would require a bunch of 0-G Cmbt and/or<BR>
	Vacc Suit skilled Pirates, so I would also go with the <BR>
	launch if possible, but I don't remember Ship's Boat<BR>
	being available to Pirates.  Presumably those who have<BR>
	neither the training nor the equipment will have to get<BR>
	closer.<BR>
<BR>
>He and his Cheif Engineer are to meet the Pirate Lt at the<BR>
>airlock.  All other crew and passengers are to be confined to<BR>
>staterooms;  anyone seen in the corridors will be shot on sight.<BR>
<BR>
	This works for me.  Is there any clever way of identifying<BR>
	these persons, if they have no uniforms?  The obvious trick<BR>
	would be to ask technical questions.<BR>
<BR>
>Fourth, boarding team boards...  If they find anything at the<BR>
>airlock other than who they expected, they *leave*.  They get out<BR>
>of there and the pirate pounds the merchant to scrap, or until the<BR>
>Merchant captain begs for mercy.<BR>
<BR>
	I had to do this to my PCs, much to their chagrin.<BR>
<BR>
>If when the board they find what they want, they 1/3 of the team<BR>
>to the engine room to secure it, 1/3 to the bridge to secure it<BR>
>and the remainder escort the CO and CE to CO's cabin and get the<BR>
>safe unlocked and emptied.  They are then hand-cuffed and left in<BR>
>the CO's cabin with the door locked and a guard posted.  Radio<BR>
>checks using encrypted voice comms keep the Corsair and boarding<BR>
>team sure that nothing funny is going on.... Anyone found outside<BR>
>thier cabins after this point is gunned down, pure and simple.<BR>
<BR>
	What would be the reaction to a substantial armed response<BR>
	at this point?  Presumably, the CO and CE could be held<BR>
	hostage, but the boarding party might be denied exit by<BR>
	the crew and I don't expect the Corsair to open fire.<BR>
<BR>
>The Corsair docks once the Bridge and Eng spaces are secure and<BR>
>the cargo is transfered.  The Corsair then leaves.<BR>
<BR>
	Not worth checking the cargo, crew's quarters, passenger<BR>
	compartments?<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	Very cool, swiped and saved!<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1732<BR>
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Traveller-digest    Wednesday, January 12 2000    Volume 1999 : Number 1733<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>
New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
Re: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
Re: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
Re Pirates<BR>
Re: tragic heroes<BR>
re: 3I or I?<BR>
Re: Re Pirates<BR>
Re: Cr to $ conversion?<BR>
Re: A Small Favor?<BR>
Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
RE: Pirate Tactics<BR>
RE: Boarding Actions<BR>
RE: Q-Ships<BR>
Re: New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
X-Boat Tenders<BR>
Re X-mail Routing Codes<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 11:55:34 -0800<BR>
From: "Brian Jenkins" <Brian.Jenkins@grpwise1.westek.com><BR>
Subject: New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
<BR>
Well folks,<BR>
<BR>
The campaign I started last Sunday in San Diego has already generated two phonecalls from friends of my players asking if they can participate.  I have ten years of material I have been fooling with I can now use and lots of ideas to kee them on their toes and, most importantly, having fun. I now find myself needing to bolster myself up in a certaiin area to make sure the game goes smooth for my players.  I am posting this in the hopes that you can help me out.<BR>
<BR>
I use MT rules.  I have no problem with the task resolution or personal combat and I like the system.  For starship combat I am having problems.  The MT system seems a bit odd to me and I am having trouble figuring out some of the tables for penetration.  I used to use the old CT system or the Mayday system (remember that one?).  And I still like to use the vector movement.  Is there some other type of SS combat system you can reccomend.  Or maybe you can help me understand the MT system better.  Or maybe you have come up with one that works for MT.  BTW if anyone has a spreadsheet that I can use to make MT ships for QP7 I would appreciate some help in that area.  C'mon fellow travellers!  The impression that these young kids will form of traveller will be based on how I do as a Referee.  I really need your help on this one.<BR>
<BR>
Brian Jenkins<BR>
<BR>
Bjenk@sprintmail.com<BR>
ICQ#1202483<BR>
<BR>
"It pays to be obvious. Especially if you have a reputation for subtlety."<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 11:52:58 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
<BR>
From: Swordy (Colin Michael) <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
>The thing that continues to kill these is the fact that they are web based<BR>
and load too slowly.  A news group is a very efficient way to look at the<BR>
messages.  Folks can quickly gather the messages and read them off-line.<BR>
>Also, since several different groups can be started, more than one group of<BR>
Traveller folks will be nosing around through the threads.  BTW, have you<BR>
ever seen the Pyramid news groups?  The traffic there is quite high even<BR>
though they have a $15 per year subscription fee.  The number of posts<BR>
jumped significantly when they went from strictly a web board to the news<BR>
server format.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I run message boards on Network 54 and they work really well.  They don't<BR>
seem to load slowly from my POV and people must like them because we have a<BR>
lot of regulars.  If anyone wants to do a Traveller one, I'd be happy to set<BR>
it up.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's<BR>
a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect and love your darkest side,<BR>
disposing of only what is obsolete or impractical.  It's all about giving<BR>
yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 14:56:53 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
<BR>
From: Swordy (Colin Michael) <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> The best thing about it, though, may be having a bunch of different<BR>
> lists all in one place.  There could be a general TML-style, combined<BR>
><BR>
> How was that for a rant :-)<BR>
<BR>
Colin, not only was that an excellent rant, but I'm twitching with<BR>
anticipation for this new-fangled application. For what it's worth, that's a<BR>
huge, *insanely* enthusiastic "thumbs up" vote. Did I mention that I really<BR>
like the idea?<BR>
<BR>
Hell, I'd be there.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:57:14 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Pirates<BR>
<BR>
>Comments?  Suggestions?  Alternate tactics?<BR>
<BR>
just one comment:<BR>
	Any ship which makes a good anti-pirate ship makes just as good a<BR>
pirate ship...<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, pirates, starmercs, skip tracers and armed merchantmen are frequently<BR>
all one in the same. Thus, a pirate can't tackle a real combattant, but can<BR>
out-gun a merchantman, and can be found either as escort or as pirate...<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 11:59:01 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Re: tragic heroes<BR>
<BR>
From: Zane H. Healy <healyzh@aracnet.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>>I disagree, I'd say Thomas Covenant takes the prize for depressing hero.<BR>
At least the "poor guy" in Feintuch's books wasn't constantly full of angst.<BR>
Spent of lot of time saying, "uh-oh", but always got it together, and didn't<BR>
weep and whinge like Covenant,who had only three lines:<BR>
>>"I'm useless, I have no power."<BR>
>>"I'm too dangerous, I have too much power." and, best of all:<BR>
>>"Nobody can love a nasty leper like me."<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Thomas Covenant is not a hero.  Not in my opinion.  Anyone who rapes the<BR>
only person who is taking care of him and then gets into it with the product<BR>
of that rape... on top of the lovely attitude mentioned above...<BR>
<BR>
I threw "Lord Foul's Bane" across the room and only finished the series<BR>
because the guy I was married to several years later begged me to, and it<BR>
was necessary for me to read them to do well in his D & D campaign.  (I got<BR>
stuck with the white gold... and let me tell ya, I used it a lot better!)<BR>
<BR>
><shudder> That's the series I was thinking of when Glenn commented on what<BR>
a dislikeable character Feintuch's 'hero' was.  I made the mistake of buying<BR>
the first three Thomas Covenant books just prior to going out to sea for<BR>
about a month when I only had money to buy four books, the other book was<BR>
the first Dragonriders of Pern book.  I was barely able to stomach the first<BR>
Thomas Covenant book.  That was over ten years ago, and I'm still ticked off<BR>
about that!<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Once in a while, as with "Green Mars", I regret this... but I have a rule.<BR>
If my funds are limited or my reading time is limited (and usually if one is<BR>
not, the other is) I only buy the first book in a series when I am selecting<BR>
a bunch of books.  That way, I don't get into this situation.  If the first<BR>
book is good, it may be frustrating waiting for the next paycheck, but it's<BR>
better than having nothing to read but crap for a month.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's<BR>
a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect and love your darkest side,<BR>
disposing of only what is obsolete or impractical.  It's all about giving<BR>
yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 15:02:09 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: re: 3I or I?<BR>
<BR>
Carlos Alos-Ferrer wrote:<BR>
>I just got this weird image of everybody saying "three-eye" for a <BR>
>long time without understanding what it was, and then starting to <BR>
>think it was a bad spelling shortcut for "three eyes", like 4U <BR>
>instead of "for you"... and then, everybody starts associating a <BR>
>symbol with Three Eyes to the Imperium... and some weird theories <BR>
>appear....<BR>
<BR>
Now have some would-be Illuminati in the 3I take this and start looking<BR>
at the trifoil Zhodani symbol as evidence of some strange connection...<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:17:52 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Pirates<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman writes:<BR>
> >Comments?  Suggestions?  Alternate tactics?<BR>
> <BR>
> just one comment:<BR>
>      Any ship which makes a good anti-pirate ship makes just as good a<BR>
> pirate ship...<BR>
<BR>
Not true.  Most small warships can do a fine job of killing pirates, but would<BR>
make quite poor pirates because they have fairly high maintenance costs and<BR>
negligible cargo space.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:11:45 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Cr to $ conversion?<BR>
<BR>
From: Christopher Thrash <thrash@io.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>>What is the typical conversion rate which people typically use for<BR>
converting Traveller Imperial Credits into 20th century U.S. Dollars?<BR>
>><BR>
>Based on prices of consumer goods, Cr1 ~ $1-3 for all versions.<BR>
><BR>
We always assumed Cr1 = $1 or about Y125-150 in my old games. (remember,that<BR>
was the 80's!)<BR>
<BR>
Now I'd give it about $1 or Y100.<BR>
<BR>
> GT explicitly assumes (with the rest of GURPS) Cr1 = $1, in constant 1991<BR>
dollars.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
I don't know that I could remember what a dollar would buy in 1991.  I know<BR>
in the early 90's the yen was really high because I had to pay extra for<BR>
everything I bought at Japanese stores...<BR>
<BR>
I just usually use whatever a dollar will buy at the time that I'm running<BR>
the game.  If I'm just playing, I let the ref tell me how much it costs,<BR>
unless I'm haggling, in which case I get it as low as I can and don't worry<BR>
too much about dollar conversions, especially since I have never purchased<BR>
most of the items I purchase in Traveller before.<BR>
<BR>
My old refs never really looked into my characters' clothing, cosmetic, etc.<BR>
purchases.  They tended to consider these items boring and not worth<BR>
discussing, they just assumed that when Lady Julissa got summoned to Court<BR>
(or when she went to go talk to Iolanthe about how that clone wasn't really<BR>
her husband, and what we were going to do about that, and why she should<BR>
trust that bunch of scruffy guys Jiss had gotten herself mixed up with since<BR>
running away from her arranged marriage to join the Scouts some 20-odd years<BR>
ago, and most importantly-- how we were going to find *Strephon*) she had<BR>
the right attire.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's<BR>
a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect and love your darkest side,<BR>
disposing of only what is obsolete or impractical.  It's all about giving<BR>
yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:20:05 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: A Small Favor?<BR>
<BR>
Chris Seamans wrote:<BR>
>  Glenn's<BR>
> excellent post on Cipatwean cuisine could have served as an excellent<BR>
> starting point for a discussion of food in general. Hell, I would have tried<BR>
> myself, but all I know about food is that I should follow the instructions<BR>
> on the box with little deviation for best results.<BR>
<BR>
Well, we got off onto food fairly regularly in Eris' pbem; jump transit<BR>
became 'recipe swap' time once. Eris has delighted in feeding us 'local<BR>
delicacies'; usually they consist of something alive and invertebrate.<BR>
We're learning. We _ask_ before ordering most of the time now ;-) I also<BR>
transplanted a favorite chinese takeout place to the world we're on,<BR>
conveniently located right outside the port gates.<BR>
<BR>
Curiously, the subject rarely comes up in our FTF games I have played.<BR>
It's curious, because the crew I used to game with were all good cooks,<BR>
and game days tended to be potluck days, as well or barbeque days,<BR>
weather permitting. Guess we put all of that energy into th real food we<BR>
were eating.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 14:18:54 -0600<BR>
From: Eris reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
Carlos Alos-Ferrer wrote:<BR>
 <BR>
> These are just preliminary thoughts - I would appreciate some<BR>
> list feedback here before I get any further.<BR>
 <BR>
> Government code 4 is described as "Representative Democracy." It<BR>
> occurs to me that there is an awful lot of variety there, as is in<BR>
> most gov codes, but it seems that it could be classified somehow, and<BR>
> maybe refined so that some weird effects of UWP generation can be<BR>
> dealt with (e.g.: "democracy implies weapons freedom," which is an<BR>
> americanism).<BR>
<BR>
smile when you say that Carlos ;-><BR>
 <BR>
> For example, one easy way to characterize democratic worlds out there<BR>
> would be by the number of significant political parties...<BR>
 <BR>
> Bipartidism is clearly an extreme, but it the UK and the US might be<BR>
> examples, with a lot of important differences, so maybe other<BR>
> characteristics should be considered.<BR>
<BR>
You *could* have a real Representative Democracy with a single party,<BR>
although the examples of single party states that spring to mind<BR>
aren't especially good examples of democracies. You could easily have<BR>
a no party democracy, an American President warned against the<BR>
factionalism of parties...not that he was listened to.<BR>
 <BR>
> 3-10 parties would be the next logical category, with nowadays<BR>
> example include most of western europe.<BR>
 <BR>
> More than 10 parties would probably be political hubs. I envision<BR>
> most Vargr representative democracies with parties being of this<BR>
> type.<BR>
 <BR>
> A further category would have no parties, with elections being<BR>
> based on individual candidates. <BR>
<BR>
As I mentioned above. <g> This is how I see Vargr politics, entirely<BR>
"cults of the individual", where there are as many "parties" as their<BR>
are candidates. And they only last as long as does the charisma of<BR>
their leader.<BR>
<BR>
>Actually, I am not<BR>
> knowledgeable here, but I was thinking that maybe a TAS-sponsored<BR>
> classification of the US would rather include it in this category as<BR>
> opposed to bipartidism (UK), given the practical implementation of<BR>
> the american system of primaries. Certainly, Vargr representative<BR>
> democracies could also easily fit here.<BR>
 <BR>
> So, a first attempt to refine a classification of worlds with Gov<BR>
> Code 4 could be....<BR>
> <BR>
> 4.1... Bipartidism, e.g. UK.<BR>
>        Law Level Roll = 2D-7<BR>
> 4.2... Multipartidism (3-10 parties), e.g. Spain, Austria.<BR>
>        Law Level Roll = 2D-6<BR>
> 4.3... Extreme Multipartidism (11+ parties), e.g. ???<BR>
>        Law Level Roll = 2D-5<BR>
> 4.4... Personal elections, e.g. US (?)<BR>
>        Law Level Roll = 2D-4<BR>
<BR>
No, I don't think you have that right, but that's not the Traveller<BR>
point. The point is the specification of more detailed levels of<BR>
government. Adding a decimal is what I have done with Tech Levels.<BR>
<BR>
> I handwave the progression in law level rolls by the rough and<BR>
> probably incorrect assumption that the number of parties is inversely<BR>
> related to the political power, so that with less parties you can<BR>
> actually manage to implement restrictive legislations - for the<BR>
> economists / mathematicians out there, I like it because it would be<BR>
> an exact parallel to the well-known relationship between firm power<BR>
> and number of firms in a market: Monopoly (Dictatorship), Duopoly<BR>
> (Bipartidism), Oligopoly (Multipartidism), Perfect Competition<BR>
> (Personal Elections).<BR>
<BR>
Wait! Don't you have the Law Levels in your examples backwards then? <BR>
<BR>
As a more general subject, I'd like us to consider expanding<BR>
Tech/Gov/Law in ways similar to how WBH did it.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 16:24:52 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
At 02:54 PM 1/12/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>Michel Vaillancourt writes:<BR>
>>Well, IMTU, pirate ops are a bit influenced by my own personal<BR>
>>Naval Boarding Party experience.  (Hey!  TNEC'ers...  pay<BR>
>>attention!)<BR>
><BR>
>	I love this list.<BR>
<BR>
        I am sorry, that is not allowed.  You are supposed to be mouring the<BR>
overall degredation of the quality of postings and the ongoing revival of<BR>
such done-to-death discussions.  Please refrain from further endorsements of<BR>
the kind.  Thank-you.<BR>
<BR>
        <grin><BR>
<BR>
>>A "take the cargo & loot the safe" pirate, as opposed to a<BR>
>>privateer, wouldn't dock until he knew the ship was secure.<BR>
><BR>
>	Of course, "knew" is a relative term.<BR>
<BR>
        Agreed...  If you want a  safe job, become a farmer or machinist...<BR>
space is not for the weak of heart, and space combat even less so.  I<BR>
stupidity kills in space;  more so in a civillization like the TNEC millieu<BR>
that has only had j-drives for less than a century.  Pirates, therefore,<BR>
will not be stupid...  adventuresome, yes; criminally inclined, yes;<BR>
desperate, perhaps; stupid, no.<BR>
<BR>
>>Here's how its done:<BR>
>>First, get to weapons range...  I use CT, so I go with 25Mm - 50Mm<BR>
>>for long, 5Mm - 25Mm for short and <5Mm for point blank.  Usually<BR>
>>deception is the prefered way of achieving this step.<BR>
><BR>
>	Isn't 50 Mm pretty close range?  I'm assuming 1 Mm = 10^6 m,<BR>
>	so 50 Mm = 31.25" (1" = 1,000 miles as per LBB 2).  Isn't<BR>
>	0-50" the closest range category for missile fire?<BR>
<BR>
        Megametre, is 1000km, yes.  In HG, there is "Short" and "Long"...  I<BR>
*thought* that CT defined 50Mm as the longest engagement range...  I might<BR>
be wrong...  I'll check when I get home tonight.<BR>
<BR>
>>Second, fire a warning shot and tell the merchantman that if he<BR>
>>shuts his engines down and cooperates, no one will get hurt...<BR>
>>resist, and the shooting starts.<BR>
><BR>
>	This is certainly a tactic that pirates IMTU have used, but<BR>
>	it helps if the pirate can tell that the power plant is<BR>
>	shut down.<BR>
<BR>
        Easy...  the radiators and manuever engines go cold after a few<BR>
minutes...  IR/Thermographic imaging of the hull...<BR>
<BR>
>>Third, once the Merchant is no longer avoiding you, pull in to<BR>
>>about 2Mm.<BR>
><BR>
>	This could be risky, but that's part of a pirates life :)<BR>
<BR>
        'Zactly...<BR>
<BR>
>	If the merchant is feeling plucky (and is not hopelessly<BR>
>	outgunned), he might be tempted to engage the pirate at<BR>
>	this stage.  Again, it depends on how much information<BR>
>	the pirate has access to, but if the merchant can fire<BR>
>	without warning at that range, the pirate ship might be<BR>
>	incapacitated before being able to respond.  With all<BR>
>	those pirates out in the cold vacuum of space, the tables<BR>
>	might be turned quickly.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
        The trick is in the way I do fire-control...  you can detect using<BR>
passive systems, but FCS is done with *active* sensors...  the Pirate is<BR>
maintaining an FC solution on the target at all times...  the instant his<BR>
ELINT man tells him the target goes active, he fires... the Pirate *will*<BR>
most likely get the first shot off...<BR>
<BR>
>>Send a boarding team across....  preferably using a "fast launch"<BR>
>>or two as opposed to jet-packs.  Tell the merchant that if he<BR>
>>interferes with the boarding team, they'll blow him to scrap, all<BR>
>>hands lost.<BR>
><BR>
>	The jet-packs would require a bunch of 0-G Cmbt and/or<BR>
>	Vacc Suit skilled Pirates, so I would also go with the <BR>
>	launch if possible, but I don't remember Ship's Boat<BR>
>	being available to Pirates.  <BR>
<BR>
        I can't remember, either...  <BR>
<BR>
>Presumably those who have<BR>
>	neither the training nor the equipment will have to get<BR>
>	closer.<BR>
<BR>
        Certainly...  however, in fifteen crew, you'd think you'd get one<BR>
guy with at least a J-O-T.<BR>
<BR>
>>He and his Cheif Engineer are to meet the Pirate Lt at the<BR>
>>airlock.  All other crew and passengers are to be confined to<BR>
>>staterooms;  anyone seen in the corridors will be shot on sight.<BR>
><BR>
>	This works for me.  Is there any clever way of identifying<BR>
>	these persons, if they have no uniforms?  The obvious trick<BR>
>	would be to ask technical questions.<BR>
<BR>
        Yes... or simply demand they have thier papers with them when you<BR>
meet them in the air-lock...  imposters are considered an act of aggression....<BR>
<BR>
>>Fourth, boarding team boards...  If they find anything at the<BR>
>>airlock other than who they expected, they *leave*.  They get out<BR>
>>of there and the pirate pounds the merchant to scrap, or until the<BR>
>>Merchant captain begs for mercy.<BR>
><BR>
>	I had to do this to my PCs, much to their chagrin.<BR>
<BR>
        Yeah, PC's hate fewer things more than NPCs who think like PC's...  <BR>
<BR>
>>If when the board they find what they want, they 1/3 of the team<BR>
>>to the engine room to secure it, 1/3 to the bridge to secure it<BR>
>>and the remainder escort the CO and CE to CO's cabin and get the<BR>
>>safe unlocked and emptied.  They are then hand-cuffed and left in<BR>
>>the CO's cabin with the door locked and a guard posted.  Radio<BR>
>>checks using encrypted voice comms keep the Corsair and boarding<BR>
>>team sure that nothing funny is going on.... Anyone found outside<BR>
>>thier cabins after this point is gunned down, pure and simple.<BR>
><BR>
>	What would be the reaction to a substantial armed response<BR>
>	at this point?  Presumably, the CO and CE could be held<BR>
>	hostage,<BR>
<BR>
        Certainly.<BR>
<BR>
>                but the boarding party might be denied exit by<BR>
>	the crew and I don't expect the Corsair to open fire.<BR>
<BR>
        Simple...  the pirate captain has the ace...  the Pirate Lt simply<BR>
says "my captain has no qualms about shooting your ship to wreckage with me<BR>
on it...  if you surrender now, we push you out the airlock with vacc suits<BR>
*on*...  otherwise, we've got nothing to loose in mowing every last one of<BR>
you bastards down, cause he'll kill us if we don't..."<BR>
<BR>
        The Merchant now has to decide wether he wants to test the threat or<BR>
not...  after all, while the Pirate crew might be crazy enough to "go down<BR>
swinging", the *Merchant* probably *isn't*.<BR>
<BR>
        With PCs, it essentially one group of crazies against another...<BR>
The pirates have *much* to loose if the PCs take them alive...  Jail is not<BR>
a nice place...  If the players are firing and not open to being bullied,<BR>
then you can assume that the Pirates will fight a withdrawl to the best they<BR>
can to allow the Corsair to maul the PCs with ship-to-ship weapons.<BR>
<BR>
>>The Corsair docks once the Bridge and Eng spaces are secure and<BR>
>>the cargo is transfered.  The Corsair then leaves.<BR>
><BR>
>	Not worth checking the cargo, crew's quarters, passenger<BR>
>	compartments?<BR>
><BR>
        Cargo gets grabbed and sorted later.  Crew's quarters will be where<BR>
the crew will have stashed sidearms, so that's a can of worms, and<BR>
passengers frighten easily and do stupid things;  another messy can of worms.<BR>
<BR>
>	Very cool, swiped and saved!<BR>
<BR>
        High accolades indeed!  Thank you.<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>Peez<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>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 15:29:22 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
Wayne Ewart writes:<BR>
>1. Pirate have insider at starport (if pirate clan large enough,<BR>
>insiders at a number of starports) to pass intel on ship cargo/<BR>
>number of people(crew/passengers/low berth)/number and types of<BR>
>weapons.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	This would be crucial to large-scale piracy organizations,<BR>
	and would also include spotting valuable cargo, rich<BR>
	passengers, etc., but independant corsairs might have to<BR>
	do without.<BR>
<BR>
>2. Pirates intercept ship and start haling ship (telling ship to<BR>
>stop and prepare for boarding or be fired on)<BR>
>3. If ship stops see below. If ship doesn't stop, fire a shot<BR>
>across the bow to make it stop. If ship stops see below. If ship<BR>
>doesn't stop keep firing at know Eng.. spaces to disable the ship.<BR>
<BR>
	Us CT types have to just shoot and hope that engineering<BR>
	gets hit.  Which brings up another point: what is the<BR>
	prefered weaponry for a corsair?  Any canon pirates that I<BR>
	have seen were equiped with lasers, but missiles (at least,<BR>
	according to LBB2) are better at hitting engineering.<BR>
<BR>
>4. Once the ship is stopped (willingly or by being disabled) send<BR>
>over boarding party (min. 10 pers with skills to operate ship) all<BR>
>in vacc suits with grav belts/power armor.<BR>
<BR>
	The typical pirate IMTU cannot afford a grav belt, but it<BR>
	would be nice.  YMMV.<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>6. If ship is not to be claimed. Pirates destroy all weapons<BR>
>control/communications systems are fall back in groups of two to air<BR>
>lock and leave ship<BR>
<BR>
	I could see taking measures to eliminate any danger of being<BR>
	shot on the way out, but why would they shoot then if they<BR>
	didn't on the way in?  Causing MCr of damage as you leave is<BR>
	a good way to encourage merchants to fight back in future.<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>a. it is my believe that most ships would stop after the first<BR>
>shot across the bow, comply with the demands of the pirates,<BR>
>and write off the loss of cargo (insured for pirates). A PCs ship<BR>
>would behave as per the plays role-playing<BR>
<BR>
	I agree that most merchants would heave to, depending on<BR>
	the situation (value of the cargo, financial situation of<BR>
	the master, aggressiveness of the captain, apparent or<BR>
	reputed capability of the pirate, insurance, etc.  Is<BR>
	piracy insurance likely to be feasable for freetraders<BR>
	visiting backwaters?<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 15:36:20 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Q-Ships<BR>
<BR>
Chauncey Smith writes:<BR>
>>IMTU, power output may be estimated from plasma exhaust,<BR>
>>heat dissipation, EM fields, and radiation emitions.  If<BR>
>>the pirate has no way of knowing that a merchant has no<BR>
>>power, getting close to one would be very risky indeed,<BR>
>>unless the pirate just keeps shooting until the merchant<BR>
>>is totally trashed.<BR>
>What about more then one power plant and steeping down the power?<BR>
>If a Q-ship for lack of a better word was built with power plants<BR>
>in different step down rates. and reduced the power output total<BR>
>of the ship by steeping down the power. The sensing platform (be<BR>
>it pirates or helpless trader) would get erroneous readings on<BR>
>their sensors.<BR>
<BR>
	I'm not sure that I follow this, but I imagine that the total<BR>
	power generated could be estimated (regardless of the number<BR>
	of power plants), unless the plasma, heat, radiation, EM<BR>
	field, etc. could be contained for a short while.  A simpler<BR>
	approach might be lots of heavily-shielded capacitors to run<BR>
	things while the power plant is restarted.<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>The closer you are the more damage weapons on both platforms can<BR>
>attack each other. 400 ton or less traders with out sandcasters<BR>
>don't let the pirates close.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	One possible tactic would be to play dead until the pirate<BR>
	comes close, then open fire and disable the pirate before it<BR>
	has a chance to respond.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 14:41:07 -0600<BR>
From: ehenry@newberlin.org (Eric Henry)<BR>
Subject: Re: New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
<BR>
There's a new version of MayDay available on the internet.  Version 4.1 I<BR>
believe.<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: Brian Jenkins <Brian.Jenkins@grpwise1.westek.com><BR>
><BR>
>I use MT rules.  I have no problem with the task resolution or personal<BR>
combat and I like the system.  For starship combat I am having problems.<BR>
The MT system seems a bit odd to me and I am having trouble figuring out<BR>
some of the tables for penetration.  I used to use the old CT system or the<BR>
Mayday system (remember that one?).  And I still like to use the vector<BR>
movement.  Is there some other type of SS combat system you can reccomend.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 11:06:23 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: X-Boat Tenders<BR>
<BR>
>>>in use. So the tender can *carry* six Xboats, but only *refuel*<BR>
>>>two without a skimming run.<BR>
>><snipped><BR>
>><BR>
Actually, aren't the tenders jump capable? If so, then they will typically<BR>
not be jumping, and so their jump fuel will also be available. Only when an<BR>
X-boat is incapable of jumping will they need the tender's jump capability<BR>
(and thus jump fuel).<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 11:28:49 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re X-mail Routing Codes<BR>
<BR>
>> > norris%gov.3i!regina!dinomn!ghandi!lanth!dganzio!ivendo!<BR>
>> >   icetina!garrincski!fosey!resten!capon!carey!fornice!maltz!<BR>
>> >   palique!nexine!katrulu@outward.gateway.net.3i<BR>
><BR>
>Notice the "3i" last code? This got me thinking....<BR>
><BR>
>Do people in the 3I routinely refer to the 3I as "the Third Imperium"<BR>
>or as "the Imperium"? I would say the last, with most Vilani refusing<BR>
>to acknowledge the existence of the Second Imperium and many<BR>
>planetbound types not even knowing there was a first and a second....<BR>
<BR>
Most would probably assume it meant "Imperial Information Interchange" or<BR>
something similar...<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, routing codes work by the following:<BR>
account@device!world!system!subsector!sector<BR>
and an address without the account@device would default to<BR>
XmailDaemon@iiss.imp. Parsing of multiple recipients would be separated by<BR>
parenthesizing, using a delimite (I use commas), and routing hops parsed by<BR>
the Pound Hash #...<BR>
<BR>
so, sending from, say Hamford on Regina to a buisiness on wypoc:<BR>
hamford@castle.regni.gov!Regina!Regina!C!SM#!Regina!Regina!C!SM#!Wypoc!Wypoc!G!S<BR>
M#Reservations.DragonHunt.com!Wypoc!Wypoc!G!SM<BR>
<BR>
What happens: Hamford's message gets routed to the local IISS X-mail<BR>
router, then hopped to Wypoc's, then routed out to the reservations account<BR>
at device DragonHunt.com on wypoc.<BR>
<BR>
Sending the message to a person c/o the IISS is similar in final routing,<BR>
say hammford is trying to reach Xen and customer service for Dragon Hunts<BR>
Ltd  at wypoc, but Xen has no local account:<BR>
hamford@castle.regni.gov!Regina!Regina!C!SM#!Regina!Regina!C!SM#!Wypoc!Wypoc!G!S<BR>
M#(%Xanfried,Xen%, custserve@DragonHunt.com)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
The router then generates or appends, as appropriate, file<BR>
Xanfried,Xen.xmail with the message, and stamps it for date. If scout xen<BR>
has checked in for X-mail, he can then go get it.... at wypoc's IISS X-mail<BR>
office.<BR>
<BR>
Also note, in the example, the hop will be carried by Scout/Courier, as it<BR>
is off the mains. In really wild cases, it may be left posted on the local<BR>
bulletin board....<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1733<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1734</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest    Wednesday, January 12 2000    Volume 1999 : Number 1734<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: Grav Pong<BR>
re: X-Boat Tender<BR>
Re MT Ship Combat<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
Re: A Small Favor? <BR>
Re: New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
Re: KFC<BR>
Traveller Life Support (was Re: KFC)<BR>
Re: X-Boat Tenders<BR>
Re: UNCLASSIFIED Mneumonics (sp?)<BR>
Player character life cycle<BR>
Potty<BR>
Re: New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
Mayday 4.1<BR>
RE: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re: Boarding Actions (longish)<BR>
re: Player Character Life Cycle<BR>
Re: cargo charges<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 15:43:27 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
Anthony Jackson writes:<BR>
>The problem with grav pong is usually for grav compensation,<BR>
>not artificial gravity.  If grav compensation is fast enough to<BR>
>deal with a ship evading, its fast enough to play grav pong.<BR>
<BR>
	IMTU, it is the artificial gravity that compensates for <BR>
	the acceleration of the ship.  The ship's acceleration<BR>
	doesn't generally change that fast (as an old CT fart, I<BR>
	have all major accelerations straight "ahead").  When the<BR>
	pilot does pull fast maneuvers, the inhabitants of the<BR>
	ship feel it until the grav kicks in.<BR>
<BR>
>If grav compensation can be turned off, you can also play pong by<BR>
>just turning it off and manuevering the ship.<BR>
<BR>
	Yup, although IMTU substantial acceleration can only be<BR>
	exerted in one direction, and it cannot be changed instantly.<BR>
	In any event, I expect most boarding actions to be on ships<BR>
	with disabled drives.<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>However, if grav compensation and artificial gravity are the same<BR>
>technology, grav pong is clearly possible.<BR>
<BR>
	Perhaps, but practical?<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 15:35:33 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: re: X-Boat Tender<BR>
<BR>
Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>	Which fits in nicely with the rational for having inefficient<BR>
>	x-boat routes.<BR>
<BR>
<George Peppard, grinning around a cigar><BR>
<BR>
Don't you just love it when a handwave comes together?<BR>
<BR>
</George><BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 11:47:11 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re MT Ship Combat<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>I use MT rules.  I have no problem with the task resolution or personal<BR>
>combat<BR>
>and I like the system.  For starship combat I am having problems.  The MT<BR>
>system seems a bit odd to me and I am having trouble figuring out some of the<BR>
>tables for penetration.<BR>
<BR>
I have some guidelines for using the Ref's Companion mechanics for Large<BR>
Scale combat on my web page. HTTP://home.gci.net/~aramis/ then click on the<BR>
traveller link on the upper right pane. Or direct to<BR>
http://home.gci.net/~aramis/trav.html<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:20:15<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
At 06:25 PM 1/12/2000 +0000, you wrote:<BR>
>At 11:56 -0500 12/1/00, "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>>Alas, BITS doesn't get the general distribution that SJG products do.  So<BR>
>>there isn't the phenomenon of several different people all posting "Hey, my<BR>
>>FLGS got 'GT: Others' in today, what does everybody think?"<BR>
><BR>
>If your FLGS asks for BITS products SJG will supply them.<BR>
<BR>
I shall pound upon Gamescape's head with vigor to instill this knowledge in<BR>
them.<BR>
><BR>
>>Also, you have the infamous TML Black Hole of Quality, in which anything<BR>
>>really good is sucked onto the hard drives of the readers, vanishing from<BR>
>>the list forever.  I've dropped some of my best work ever on this list, and<BR>
>>never gotten a response.  No biggie, I'm not here for the ego boost, I'm<BR>
>>hear to discuss Traveller and any related topic with interesting people<BR>
>>from across the planet.<BR>
><BR>
>To be honest, I wonder if the change of the feel of the TML is part a <BR>
>result of a number of previously very active posters having real life <BR>
>commitments and Traveller writing commitments draining their time now.<BR>
<BR>
Well, I can attest that my own writing has really cut on my desire to<BR>
discuss nuts'n'bolts Traveller.  To my immediate right is a tower of<BR>
Traveller books, military manuals, studies, almanacs, and few dictionaries,<BR>
and an Icelandic-English dictionary.  All of these are being used in<BR>
writing GF.  So please forgive me if I'm a little more off-topic than<BR>
usual, since after diving through that pile to figured out the water needs<BR>
for someone doing heavy labor in a space suit I'm really just a bit tired.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:10:39<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: A Small Favor? <BR>
<BR>
At 11:04 AM 1/12/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>No, really, the dead presidents' "I am a jelly-donut" thread is what this<BR>
>list is all about it seems. <BR>
<BR>
Which mutated into a thread about lingustic confusion.<BR>
<BR>
Which has given me an evil idea for a game to run at BayCon.<BR>
<BR>
Everything can be brought on-topic with enough imagination.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 15:47:17 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Re: New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
<BR>
Doh!  That's right:<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com/BITS_website/Acrobat/MayDay.pdf<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Eric Henry <ehenry@newberlin.org><BR>
> There's a new version of MayDay available on the internet.  Version 4.1 I<BR>
> believe.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:44:04 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC<BR>
<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>On Tue, 11 Jan 2000, Delos wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> I would not have considered a food source like this for on-board a<BR>
starship, but it got me thinking. Maybe we should start growing cows<BR>
(without legs or heads) so the space-hands can have fresh milk and<BR>
hamburgers too.<BR>
>><BR>
I sometimes think we should do this anyway.  If it can be made profitable,<BR>
wouldn't it eliminate some of the objections based on "animal cruelty" to<BR>
meat eating?  And wouldn't it be safer?  Most of the E. coli contamination<BR>
comes from the necessities and nastiness involved in slaughtering live<BR>
animals.<BR>
<BR>
>Well there are ample references in SF to 'carniculture tanks'. To my 20th<BR>
century e-x biochemist's way of thinking, this implies some sort of tissue<BR>
culturing, so all you get is the good bits without all the rest. Whether you<BR>
get something like hamburger or steaks, I think, would be up to the TL, and<BR>
how you (in YTU) have them work.<BR>
><BR>
I would think you'd get muscle tissue.  Whether it ends up being steak,<BR>
roast or hamburger depends upon how you prepare it after harvesting.  (I can<BR>
tell someone out there doesn't cook a lot.)  I would think that since it<BR>
would not be muscle that had been exercised much, it would be tender, so you<BR>
wouldn't get a lot of the types of meat that require slow cooking.<BR>
Fortunately, since tender meats are best eaten rare to medium-rare, there<BR>
would be little biological contamination of the E.coli variety.<BR>
<BR>
(Kiri, who hates well-done meat, is now thinking longingly about lunch...)<BR>
<BR>
>FWIW, we're close, here and now, to being able to grow muscles, and other<BR>
recognizable body parts, so I'd suspect in a TL or three we'll be able to<BR>
dial in whether you want rump roast, prime rib or filet.<BR>
><BR>
Probably.  And hopefully no protestors, as cultured tissues don't feel<BR>
resentments or pain at not being able to leave their tanks.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>In Eris' highly heretical Akus Moby TU (EHHAMTU, see we _can_ speak Finnish<BR>
;-P carniculture tanks are part of the total LS picture. They're optional,<BR>
as one can subsist entirely on instaheats, which almost, but not quite<BR>
resemble food. You can put in big freezers and buy supplies as you go along,<BR>
or put aside the the room for a Carni tank, and garden (both hydroponic and<BR>
dirt)<BR>
><BR>
That would seem to be more efficient for larger crews, on which you could<BR>
have one or more persons engaged to plan and prepare meals.  Dialing up<BR>
perfectly prepared foods that are completely machine-assembled and taste<BR>
like what they are supposed to taste like is a higher TL than just growing<BR>
tissue.  I've always assumed that it was a variant of the Star Trek<BR>
transporter technology.  They have "patterns" of various well-liked foods<BR>
from various cultures stored and they have a large supply of matter that<BR>
they use a variation on transporter tech to rearrange into prepared food<BR>
(and the plates, etc, it is served on)!  I can see that working, but I<BR>
really don't trust a computer and robots to actually take a hunk of steer<BR>
muscle and turn it into a perfect meal unless it is something as simple as a<BR>
steak and potatoes, or teppan-yaki.<BR>
<BR>
>The garden has a double advantage in that it becomes part of the air<BR>
conditioning system as well, since plants (and the associated microbial<BR>
flora) can scrub a lot of contaminants out of the air. They add fresh O2 and<BR>
more importantly, the complex mix of organics that we recognize as 'fresh<BR>
air'.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Very true.<BR>
<BR>
>Unfortunately, we found our ship, finally, about a month or so after it had<BR>
been parked, left without power, and the freezers thawed, the garden died<BR>
and the carni tanks went spectacularly bad.  Add that to all the fun stuff<BR>
that getting shot up adds to the atmosphere, plus some unidentified half<BR>
flashfried bodies, and you can imagine the stench that greeted us when we<BR>
first entered the ship...it's been aired out and cleaned up, and as we were<BR>
informed this morning (in game time) that it still stinks quite badly.<BR>
><BR>
LOL.<BR>
<BR>
I'm still remembering that scene in Vonda McIntyre's Starfarers series where<BR>
they realize that the "artificial stupids" which have organic brains are<BR>
actually dead and not just non-functional, after several weeks, and the<BR>
stench of the dead brains!<BR>
<BR>
Kiri<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's<BR>
a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect and love your darkest side,<BR>
disposing of only what is obsolete or impractical.  It's all about giving<BR>
yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 14:50:07 -0600<BR>
From: Eris reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
Subject: Traveller Life Support (was Re: KFC)<BR>
<BR>
I'm changing the subject for all you folks that might think it's still<BR>
off topic. <g><BR>
<BR>
Bruce Johnson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Well there are ample references in SF to 'carniculture tanks'. To my 20th<BR>
> century e-x bichemist's way of thinking, this implies some sort of tissue<BR>
> culturing, so all you get is the good bits without all the rest. Whether<BR>
> you get something like hamburger or steaks, I think, would be up to the<BR>
> TL, and how you (in YTU) have them work.<BR>
 <BR>
> FWIW, we're close, here and now, to being able to grow muscles, and other<BR>
> recognizable body parts, so I'd suspect in a TL or three we'll be able to<BR>
> dial in whether you want rump roast, prime rib or filet.<BR>
<BR>
> I don't recall seeing such specifically listed in Traveller canon<BR>
> anywhere, but I think it comes under the hazy heading of 'life support'<BR>
<BR>
This is an area of "tech" that hasn't been detailed as well as it<BR>
should be. <BR>
 <BR>
We know that at TLx we can produce this material, or that jump drive,<BR>
or sensor suite with these characteristics and for this cost, but we<BR>
don't have the same detail for Life Support, and I think we should. <BR>
 <BR>
> In Eris' highly heretical Akus Moby TU (EHHAMTU, see we _can_ speak<BR>
> Finnish ;-P carniculture tanks are part of the total LS picture. They're<BR>
> optional, as one can subsist entirely on instaheats, which almost, but not<BR>
> quite resemble food. You can put in big freezers and buy supplies as you<BR>
> go along, or put aside the the room for a Carni tank, and garden (both<BR>
> hydroponic and dirt)<BR>
> <BR>
> The garden has a double advantage in that it becomes part of the air<BR>
> conditioning system as well, since plants (and the associated microbial<BR>
> flora) can scrub a lot of contaminants out of the air. They add fresh O2<BR>
> and more importantly, the complex mix of organics that we recognize as<BR>
> 'fresh air'.<BR>
<BR>
I'm doing the details mostly with handwave (and I don't really like<BR>
that). I wanted there to be several models for life support, each with<BR>
benefits and drawbacks, each with costs that changed as TL's changed.<BR>
I put a mixed model on the PC's ship, for two reasons. First, the /Mae<BR>
Lee/ has be refitted to be an explorer, so it has had life support<BR>
systems grafted onto a ship that started life as a freight liner.<BR>
Second, I wanted the players to make some choices about the systems<BR>
they would use on the ship, so I gave them several options.<BR>
 <BR>
> Unfortunately, we found our ship, finally, about a month or so after it<BR>
> had been parked, left without power, and the freezers thawed, the garden<BR>
> died and the carni tanks went spectacularly bad.<BR>
<BR>
So, they now have options. They can build one or more of the systems<BR>
and <BR>
downplay others as they choose, but they still have to fit whatever<BR>
they choose into available volume and power. I see a conflict in the<BR>
making between the doctor wanting to expand the "garden" and the<BR>
engineer who thinks that is an "inefficient use of space."<BR>
<BR>
> Add that to all the fun stuff that getting shot up adds to the atmosphere,<BR>
> plus some unidentified half flashfried bodies, and you can imagine the<BR>
> stench that greeted us when we first entered the ship...it's been aired<BR>
> out and cleaned up, and as we were informed this morning (in game time)<BR>
> that it still stinks quite badly.<BR>
<BR>
Yeah, that too. <g>  <BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:57:21 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Re: X-Boat Tenders<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman wrote:<BR>
> >>>in use. So the tender can *carry* six Xboats, but only *refuel*<BR>
> >>>two without a skimming run.<BR>
> >><snipped><BR>
> >><BR>
> Actually, aren't the tenders jump capable? If so, then they will typically<BR>
> not be jumping, and so their jump fuel will also be available. Only when an<BR>
> X-boat is incapable of jumping will they need the tender's jump capability<BR>
> (and thus jump fuel).<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
IIRC, that 100 tons alluded to *is* the tender's jump fuel - J-1 for<BR>
a 1000-ton ship.<BR>
<BR>
- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:01:07 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: UNCLASSIFIED Mneumonics (sp?)<BR>
<BR>
What's the deal with the SEC: UNCLASSIFIED?<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 16:03:39 EST<BR>
From: "Roger Barr" <travelergm@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Player character life cycle<BR>
<BR>
- - ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Jim & Peta Lawrie <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2000 7:05 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: fashions<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>     Don't be ridiculous! Don't you know that fictional heroes never<BR>
urinate,<BR>
>defecate, menstruate or any other sort of -ate?! The can leap from air<BR>
raft<BR>
>to air raft without messing up their hair too! You can be so unrealistic!<BR>
>     Jim<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Yeah?  Well what about the food they ATE!?  PC's in my games always eat,<BR>
reflecting the life of the players themselves...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Doesn't anyone understand the true life cycle of a player character?<BR>
Just like on TV series, they eat only when the plot calls for them to have <BR>
an encounter in a restaurant, most of them are alcoholics due to the massive <BR>
amount of time spent in pubs looking for information, and they never once to <BR>
go the little spacer's room, (a.k.a. fresher).<BR>
When the character hits his retirement day, he simply explodes from all of <BR>
the years of stored up waste.<BR>
"Well, this character is done."<BR>
BOOM!!!<BR>
Smelly stuff everywhere...<BR>
<BR>
Roger Barr<BR>
TravelerGM@aol.com<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:01:29 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Potty<BR>
<BR>
From: <Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk><BR>
> Jason (from another thread), my apologies for using 'potty' in an<BR>
> international forum.  In the UK it can either mean the (usually) plastic<BR>
> container a toddler learns to go the toilet on, or someone who is slightly<BR>
> deranged (in a kind of eccentric sort of way rather than actually insane).<BR>
> I was using it in the latter sense.<BR>
<BR>
No apology needed, I welcome the opportunity to learn the<BR>
jargon/slang of someone else who speaks English.  When I<BR>
first read your post containing the term, I guessed that it<BR>
meant drunk, but that didn't quite make sense where it was<BR>
used.<BR>
<BR>
Kind of reminds me of another missionary story I heard:<BR>
A gent from the US goes overseas (I don't recall which<BR>
English speaking country he was in) and on the cab ride to<BR>
his new posting, he sees a monument and asks the cabby<BR>
what it is.  The cabby replies to the effect of, "That's the<BR>
bloody King's Cross."<BR>
<BR>
Later that evening during the assembly he tells the<BR>
congregation that he was pleased to be in town and that he<BR>
had seen the Bloody King's Cross.  You can imagine the<BR>
reaction that got in church.<BR>
<BR>
In America if a nose starts to leak vital fluid, we refer to that<BR>
as a "bloody nose."  How would you reference such?<BR>
<BR>
Would it make a difference if you were in polite company?<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 15:06:26 -0600 (CST)<BR>
From: "Jason Kemp" <Jason.Kemp@tdh.state.tx.us><BR>
Subject: Re: New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
<BR>
From: Brian Jenkins <Brian.Jenkins@grpwise1.westek.com><BR>
<BR>
> I use MT rules.  I have no problem with the task resolution or<BR>
> personal combat and I like the system.  For starship combat I am<BR>
> having problems. The MT system seems a bit odd to me and I am<BR>
> having trouble figuring out some of the tables for penetration.  I<BR>
> used to use the old CT system or the Mayday system (remember that<BR>
> one?).  And I still like to use the vector movement.  Is there some<BR>
> other type of SS combat system you can reccomend.<BR>
<BR>
The Gurps Traveller Starship Combat is very easy to follow, easy to <BR>
translate, and may provide a good backbone for an MT-based combat <BR>
system. It's the framework I'm using for the Traveller Hero <BR>
conversion I'm working on. GT has the vector movement factored into <BR>
it, and with the implementation of some skill rolls, it could be <BR>
translated over into MT fairly readily, I think. If someone doesn't <BR>
beat me to it, I'll give it a shot sometime this weekend, and see <BR>
what I can come up with for you, if you're interested. I hope that's <BR>
not too late.<BR>
<BR>
Basic premise is:<BR>
<BR>
Each turn:<BR>
1. Commo/Sensor scans.<BR>
2. Maneuver (move your vector token.)<BR>
3. Movement (move your ship and vector token, and declare ramming if <BR>
in the same hex and desired.)<BR>
4. Direct Fire Resolution.<BR>
5. Point Defense and Ramming (Missile) Attack Resolution.<BR>
6. Launching/Docking.<BR>
7. Damage Control.<BR>
Repeat until dead, gone or done.<BR>
<BR>
My 0.02Cr,<BR>
Jason<BR>
<BR>
=============================<BR>
Jason Kemp, ADS Programmer IV<BR>
(512)458-7111 ext. 3375<BR>
Internet Address:  jason.kemp@tdh.state.tx.us<BR>
<BR>
Most computer virus and email alerts are hoaxes.  For more info, check out:<BR>
http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/culture/beliefs/urbanlegends/library/blhoax.htm<BR>
==============================<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:06:41 -0800<BR>
From: "Brian Jenkins" <Brian.Jenkins@grpwise1.westek.com><BR>
Subject: Mayday 4.1<BR>
<BR>
I found the mayday 4.1 rules.  Now all I have to do is make them work for Megatraveller.  Can anyone help me there.  Or do you have something already?<BR>
I could also use the mayday systems for movement and the MT rules for combat.  Can anyone help me understand the MT combat tables better?<BR>
<BR>
Brian Jenkins<BR>
<BR>
bjenk@sprintmail.com<BR>
ICQ#1202483<BR>
<BR>
"It pays to be obvious.  Especially if you have a reputation for subtlety."<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 16:09:28 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt writes:<BR>
>>	I love this list.<BR>
>I am sorry, that is not allowed.  You are supposed to be mouring<BR>
>the overall degredation of the quality of postings and the ongoing<BR>
>revival of such done-to-death discussions.  Please refrain from<BR>
>further endorsements of the kind.  Thank-you.<BR>
>        <grin><BR>
<BR>
	Sorry, it slipped out.  :)<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>Pirates, therefore, will not be stupid...  adventuresome, yes;<BR>
>criminally inclined, yes; desperate, perhaps; stupid, no.<BR>
<BR>
	There are old Pirates, and stupid Pirates, but no stupid<BR>
	old pirates.<BR>
<BR>
>Megametre, is 1000km, yes.  In HG, there is "Short" and "Long"...<BR>
>I *thought* that CT defined 50Mm as the longest engagement range...<BR>
>I might be wrong...  I'll check when I get home tonight.<BR>
<BR>
	FWIW, IMTU laser fire gets the following range DMs:<BR>
		0"		+2	(less than 1,000 km)<BR>
		1-50"		+1<BR>
		51-100"	-0<BR>
		101-150"	-1<BR>
		151-200"	-2<BR>
		etc.<BR>
	IIRC, laser damage starts to degrade around 500"<BR>
<BR>
>>	This is certainly a tactic that pirates IMTU have used, but<BR>
>>	it helps if the pirate can tell that the power plant is<BR>
>>	shut down.<BR>
>Easy...  the radiators and manuever engines go cold after a few<BR>
>minutes...  IR/Thermographic imaging of the hull...<BR>
<BR>
	Not to mention EM fields and possibly neutrino emissions.<BR>
	That is certainly my take.<BR>
<BR>
>The trick is in the way I do fire-control...  you can detect<BR>
>using passive systems, but FCS is done with *active* sensors...<BR>
>the Pirate is maintaining an FC solution on the target at all<BR>
>times...  the instant his ELINT man tells him the target goes<BR>
>active, he fires... the Pirate *will* most likely get the first<BR>
>shot off...<BR>
<BR>
	Cool, I think that I might just use this.  I love thi...<BR>
	I mean, what a crappy list this is!<BR>
<BR>
	:)<BR>
<BR>
>Certainly...  however, in fifteen crew, you'd think you'd get one<BR>
>guy with at least a J-O-T.<BR>
<BR>
	Actually, Vacc Suit is probably more common, but I try<BR>
	to restrict J-o-T use to more technical pursuits, like<BR>
	jury-rigging a life support system out of miscelanious<BR>
	junk.<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>Simple...  the pirate captain has the ace...  the Pirate Lt<BR>
>simply says "my captain has no qualms about shooting your ship<BR>
>to wreckage with me on it...  if you surrender now, we push you<BR>
>out the airlock with vacc suits *on*...  otherwise, we've got<BR>
>nothing to loose in mowing every last one of you bastards down,<BR>
>cause he'll kill us if we don't..."<BR>
>The Merchant now has to decide wether he wants to test the threat<BR>
>or not...  after all, while the Pirate crew might be crazy enough<BR>
>to "go down swinging", the *Merchant* probably *isn't*.<BR>
<BR>
	This makes a great opportunity for role-playing, as it<BR>
	depends very much on each side convincing the other that<BR>
	they are crazy enough.  Of course, a reputation might be<BR>
	a help, or a hinderance.<BR>
<BR>
>With PCs, it essentially one group of crazies against another...<BR>
>The pirates have *much* to loose if the PCs take them alive... <BR>
>Jail is not a nice place...  If the players are firing and not<BR>
>open to being bullied, then you can assume that the Pirates will<BR>
>fight a withdrawl to the best they can to allow the Corsair to<BR>
>maul the PCs with ship-to-ship weapons.<BR>
<BR>
	If Pc's hate NPCs that think like PCs, then pirates also<BR>
	hate merchants that think like pirates.<BR>
<BR>
>Cargo gets grabbed and sorted later.  Crew's quarters will be where<BR>
>the crew will have stashed sidearms, so that's a can of worms, and<BR>
>passengers frighten easily and do stupid things;  another messy can<BR>
>of worms.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	Good point, but savy captains may use this to hide loot.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 15:06:53 -0600<BR>
From: Eris reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding Actions (longish)<BR>
<BR>
Chauncey Smith wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> This ended with a request for commits so I'm picking nits and staying on<BR>
> topic.<BR>
> I feel that the pirate thing would be over done.. I don't thing the Navy<BR>
> would put up with more then a few isolated incidents with out dispatching a<BR>
> cruiser to the area. ( yea I said cruiser 30k+ tons displacement and the<BR>
> whole 9 yards) to make the area safe for good Imperial citizens. There is a<BR>
> reason the AHL has fighters and sensor suite. Cruisers in IMTU are the<BR>
> smallest capital ship. It's treated like a swiss army knife by the<BR>
> adrimality destroyers and smaller elements are deployed in fleets. so if the<BR>
> empire has sabers to rattle in side it's boarders it's going to be a cruiser<BR>
> that get's sent there. (kinda like star trek the first series)<BR>
<BR>
Chauncey, in some TU's I agree with you, but what if the TU you're<BR>
playing in doesn't have a nice big Imperial Navy full of cruisers to<BR>
make areas safe? <g> <BR>
IMTU, there's no Imperium. There are several small polities, some of<BR>
whom have long histories of warfare with each other, and so *might*<BR>
harbor pirates if said pirates only raided "across the border." There<BR>
are other systems that are blatant about being "Open Ports" where any<BR>
ship can dock, repair and refit. In the areas outside the multisystem<BR>
polities there are no navies or patrols, other than what the local<BR>
systems can muster.<BR>
<BR>
> also IMTU the merchants guns reach as far as the pirates so in a toe to toe<BR>
> fight the merchant so pirates depend on stealth to make take out the<BR>
> merchant men. parking in orbit more then 100 diameters out and catching<BR>
> ships as the vector in to the planet.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, the effective range of ship-to-ship weapons is strongly tied to<BR>
a Weapon TL. At the same TL civilian and military weapons have about<BR>
the same range. Military weapons tend to do a lot more damage, and<BR>
have better sensors, thus can *hit* what they shoot at further out,<BR>
but pirates and merchants are pretty much on the same footing.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 16:20:04 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: re: Player Character Life Cycle<BR>
<BR>
Roger Barr wrote:<BR>
>When the character hits his retirement day, he simply explodes from all of <BR>
>the years of stored up waste.<BR>
>"Well, this character is done."<BR>
>BOOM!!!<BR>
>Smelly stuff everywhere...<BR>
<BR>
ROFL!!<BR>
<BR>
OT, reminds me of a rather messy death in an AD&D campaign.<BR>
<BR>
A character had lost his magic items, his gold, all his equipment.<BR>
He obtained a wish, and said, "I wish I had all my sh*t back."<BR>
<BR>
The game master was, in my opinion, somewhat *too* descriptive.<BR>
<BR>
;-)<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:25:45 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: cargo charges<BR>
<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
> Luther Martin writes:<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
> >Clearly, the cost is much higher for higher jump capable ships,<BR>
> >but I recall that cargo fees are the same, whether the<BR>
> >destination is 1, 2, or 3 hexes away.<BR>
><BR>
> This issue has bubbled up before.  My take (and at least<BR>
> some others') is that the charge for one ton of cargo is<BR>
> cr 500 + cr 500/parsec, plus a markup for particularly<BR>
> risky areas.  This generally makes long-range merchants<BR>
> viable. (I apply the same math to high, medium, and low<BR>
> passages as well)<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, I use the standard rates +1/2 per parsec beyond one,<BR>
so you get a progression that looks something like this:<BR>
1 pc     1.0x<BR>
2 pcs    1.5x<BR>
3 pcs    2.0x<BR>
4 pcs    2.5x<BR>
5 pcs    3.0x<BR>
6 pcs    3.5x<BR>
Just multiply the distance factor time the standard cost for<BR>
whatever you are talking about (passages or cargo).<BR>
<BR>
These are the base rates, if you are talking about a<BR>
dangerous area, rates go up (sometime quite significantly);<BR>
if the area is very safe they might go down to as little as 80%<BR>
of base.  Ships with high accelleration rates can also charge<BR>
somewhat higher prices perhaps adding as much as an<BR>
additional 10% per G rating over 1.<BR>
<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
> >Are the cargo fees fixed by the Imperial government, or are they<BR>
> >based on market forces?<BR>
><BR>
> Personally, I don't want to get too involved in the details<BR>
> of cargo charges between worlds with various risk levels,<BR>
> volumes of trade, competition, TL, etc., etc.  The rate<BR>
> above is determined by the market IMTU, but I duck any<BR>
> informed questions about details.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, there is no regulation covering normal shipping costs.<BR>
If you own a ship, you can ask what you want, the above<BR>
mentioned adjustments are only guidelines (i.e. typical<BR>
charges).  If you have stuff to ship, you can negotiate for<BR>
 whatever kind of deal you can get.<BR>
<BR>
> >The system as it stands is highly biased to favor ships being used<BR>
> >only for their maximum jump, which may be the point.<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
><BR>
> This makes sense to me.  Nobody wants to install tons and<BR>
> MCr's of extra jump drive and tons of fuel unless they are<BR>
> going to be needed.<BR>
<BR>
Yep, otherwise you'd never see anything but J1 1G ships<BR>
plying the spacelanes and those off the mains would just be<BR>
SOL.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
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Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1734<BR>
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Traveller-digest    Wednesday, January 12 2000    Volume 1999 : Number 1735<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: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
Re: Pirates<BR>
Re: X-Boat Tender<BR>
Re: New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
MT Starship Combat<BR>
Re: Pirates<BR>
Re: tragic heroes<BR>
Nobles and XBoat network routing<BR>
re:  Potty<BR>
Re: New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
RE: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
Re: Cr to $ conversion?<BR>
Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
RE: XBoat networt routing<BR>
RE: How to use frames<BR>
Re: Potty<BR>
Re: Q-Ships<BR>
Re: Traveller Hero...<BR>
Societal variation ramble (long) was Re: XBoat networt routing<BR>
re: New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 16:42:05 -0500<BR>
From: Jeff Zeitlin <jzeitlin@cyburban.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
On Tue, 11 Jan 2000 16:38:37 -0500 (EST), Ingo Heinscher & Regina<BR>
Otto <Ingo.Heinscher@germanynet.de> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>I was asking myself if there is any interest for creating a traveller<BR>
>newsgroup on the usenet. Would you support such a proposal?<BR>
<BR>
>If the answer is yes, I would appreciate if someone of you could give me<BR>
>some data about the TML:<BR>
>How many subscribers are there currently?<BR>
>Could you give me an average number of messages per day in the TML?<BR>
>And finally: Do you think the majority of the subscribers would support<BR>
>an additional Traveller resource on the 'net?<BR>
<BR>
I would read and participate on such a newsgroup if it were to be<BR>
created; I would vote _against_ its creation if the CFV came up.<BR>
<BR>
In spite of the frequent off-topic threads on the TML, it has a<BR>
generally higher signal-to-noise ratio than the majority of<BR>
non-moderated Usenet newsgroups.  We are effectively unmoderated,<BR>
except when we most need it, such as in the case of the<BR>
occasional spammer that goes through the effort of subscribing or<BR>
the occasional troll that starts a thread that flares out of<BR>
control (such as Cl*f of days past, or the recent flareup<BR>
instigated - possibly unintentionally - by LL).  We have our<BR>
share of flamewars, but even so, they seem to be quieted a lot<BR>
faster than on Usenet.  We are also not subject to invasions by<BR>
the meowers, the alt.syntax.tactical crew, or others of that ilk;<BR>
we also generally do not get the type that stops in to post<BR>
"YAHHH! Traveller SUCKS!  D&D is the ONE TRUE SYSTEM!" in hopes<BR>
of starting a flamewar, nor do we get the massive crossposts that<BR>
incite flamewars due to off-topicality.<BR>
<BR>
Propagation problems for the TML - and its many spinoff lists -<BR>
seem not to exist - if you want it, you can get it, barring some<BR>
very exceptional circumstances.  Once a newsgroup is created,<BR>
even if it is not in the alt hierarchy, newsadmins have to be<BR>
convinced to carry the group.<BR>
<BR>
In short, I see no advantage to a newsgroup.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jeff Zeitlin<BR>
jzeitlin@cyburban.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:40:49 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
From: Wayne Ewart <wewart@home.com><BR>
> My look on grav pong is that it can't happen. Changes to the grav plates<BR>
> pull (from 1G to 6G or 1 G to 0G) take time to build up/decress, like<BR>
using<BR>
> a range top stove when you turn it on it doesn't go to max right away, it<BR>
> needs time to heat up, just as when you turn if off it needs time to cool<BR>
> down.<BR>
<BR>
So, IYTU, AG isn't an inertial dampening system?  The<BR>
owner/pilot/etc. of a high G ship/boat/plane is still subject<BR>
to the nasty effects of high G?<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:54:54 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
From: Swordy (Colin Michael) <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
> Actually, Downport.com does many things to attract the casual web surfer<BR>
and<BR>
> the seasoned gamer.  We run a Yahoo club, belong to several web rings<BR>
(most<BR>
> more than once), are listed in search engines and directories, post in<BR>
> Usenet, are members of Pyramid and use their boards, participate in IRC<BR>
> chats and games and use eBay auctions to direct people to our site.  All<BR>
of<BR>
> our Traveller-related services are free to the user. Unfortunately, two<BR>
out<BR>
> of three people that we refer to the TML quit within a short time.  I have<BR>
> not taken a poll to determine why they bug out, but the few comments I<BR>
have<BR>
> received have been time constraints.  Keeping people appears to be much<BR>
> harder than getting them.<BR>
<BR>
I might suggest a two-tiered list.  Someone who has the time<BR>
could wade through the TML mail and Fwd the good stuff to<BR>
the second tier.  If the newbies respond with something<BR>
good, the wader could shoot it up to the TML.  Maybe the<BR>
second list could be called something like TMLLite.  :-)<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:03:36 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirates<BR>
<BR>
Greetings,<BR>
<BR>
> Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:17:52 -0800 (PST)<BR>
> From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
> Subject: Re: Re Pirates<BR>
> <BR>
> William F. Hostman writes:<BR>
> > >Comments?  Suggestions?  Alternate tactics?<BR>
> > <BR>
> > just one comment:<BR>
> >      Any ship which makes a good anti-pirate ship makes just as good a<BR>
> > pirate ship...<BR>
> <BR>
> Not true.  Most small warships can do a fine job of killing pirates, but would<BR>
> make quite poor pirates because they have fairly high maintenance costs and<BR>
> negligible cargo space.<BR>
<BR>
A small warship would make for a good lead vessel in a pirate fleet. <BR>
But, if I were a pirate, I'd see this as asking for trouble.  The wise<BR>
pirate wants to keep a low profile.  You go on the account with any navy<BR>
warship, the IN is goin' to be hot on your butt.  They won't rest until<BR>
they've hunted you down.<BR>
<BR>
Regards,<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
*******************************************************<BR>
"Them that die'll be the lucky ones."  Long John Silver<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 09:06:36 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: X-Boat Tender<BR>
<BR>
>        It seemed fairly obvious to me that the tender is just that... a<BR>
>tender...  of *course* it had an "oiler" operating with it.  I'd even be<BR>
>willing to say there is a couple of fighters loitering around so important<BR>
a<BR>
>vessel in some systems.<BR>
><BR>
>        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
    How accurate is the navigation on an x-boat anyway? I always assumed<BR>
that tenders only went out to retrieve x-boats and brought them back to a<BR>
base, if there's an x-boat route in a system there will be a base surely. I<BR>
suspect the scout service would be likely to place bases further out than<BR>
normal to minimise turn around time. By base I'm not referring to the<BR>
classic scout base but some variety of hull in the 600 to 1500 ton range<BR>
that could be evacuated by the navy in times of emergency.<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 16:07:01 -0600<BR>
From: Eris reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
Subject: Re: New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
<BR>
Brian Jenkins wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>For starship combat I am having problems.  The MT system seems a bit odd to me >and I am having trouble figuring out some of the tables for penetration.  I >used to use the old CT system or the Mayday system (remember that one?).  And I >still like to use the vector movement.  Is there some other type of SS combat >system you can reccomend. <BR>
<BR>
1. There's nothing wrong with Mayday for small engagements and I<BR>
suspect that's what you have in mind. I think you should be able to<BR>
use it without many alterations at all.<BR>
<BR>
  1a.  About the Mayday 4.1 at the BITS website...would someone do a<BR>
review of it for the list?  Is it task driven and set up to work with<BR>
the MT/TNE/T4/T5 task systems? <BR>
<BR>
2. If you were into TNE and had access to Brilliant Lances I'd say go<BR>
with that.<BR>
<BR>
3. If you own GURPS Traveller, there is a fairly good ship combat<BR>
system in it, but if you go that route you should convert everything<BR>
over to GT.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 14:12:38 -0800<BR>
From: "Brian Jenkins" <Brian.Jenkins@grpwise1.westek.com><BR>
Subject: MT Starship Combat<BR>
<BR>
>translate, and may provide a good backbone for an MT-based combat <BR>
>system. It's the framework I'm using for the Traveller Hero <BR>
>conversion I'm working on. GT has the vector movement factored into <BR>
>it, and with the implementation of some skill rolls, it could be <BR>
>translated over into MT fairly readily, I think. If someone doesn't <BR>
>beat me to it, I'll give it a shot sometime this weekend, and see <BR>
>what I can come up with for you, if you're interested. I hope that's <BR>
>not too late.<BR>
<BR>
Well we are playing on Saturday but I don't think anything will come up that I can't handle.  I just feel like there should be a more elegant way to do this.  BTW William I looked on  your site and it gave me some good ideas thanks! So if you can come up with a conversion to the Gurps style that can be useful to me go ahead I am open to any suggestions.  I do think that it will be something like the MT system but with Vector movement like I was saying before but who knows?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Brian Jenkins<BR>
<BR>
bjenk@sprintmail.com<BR>
ICQ#1202483<BR>
<BR>
"It pays to be obvious.  Especially when you have a reputation for subtlety."<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 14:17:53 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirates<BR>
<BR>
John Macek writes:<BR>
<BR>
> A small warship would make for a good lead vessel in a pirate fleet. <BR>
<BR>
Whoa...now we have a pirate fleet?  By 'small warship' I really mean any small<BR>
dedicated military craft, not necessarily naval scale.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:03:55 -0600 (CST)<BR>
From: Cynthia Higginbotham <cyhiggin@pipeline.com><BR>
Subject: Re: tragic heroes<BR>
<BR>
Kyle Schuant said:<BR>
<BR>
> I disagree, I'd say Thomas Covenant takes the prize<BR>
> for depressing hero. At least the "poor guy" in<BR>
> feintuch's books wasn't constantly full of angst.<BR>
> Spent of lot of time saying, "uh-oh", but always got<BR>
> it together, and didn't weep and whinge like Covenant,<BR>
> who had only three lines:<BR>
> "I'm useless, I have no power."<BR>
> "I'm too dangerous, I have too much power." and, best<BR>
> of all:<BR>
> "Nobody can love a nasty leper like me."<BR>
> I read five out of the six books, and didn't read the<BR>
> last as a matter of principle...<BR>
<BR>
You're a better sophont than I; I couldn't stand Covenant after<BR>
the first book. He whines worse than Elric... (I recently re-read<BR>
Moorcock's Hawkmoon stories after about 15 years; Hawkmoon<BR>
doesn't whine, fortunately, but has more interfering, deus-ex-<BR>
machina NPCs than an Ed Greenwood Forgotten Realms module. I<BR>
am afraid of what I'll find if I re-read Elric now that the<BR>
rosy tinge of youth has worn off my glasses.)<BR>
<BR>
And yes, it did seem like Nicky Seafort had been chosen by Fate<BR>
for her special shaft job...<BR>
<BR>
				--Cynthia<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
(To be filled in with something clever or really dumb someday..)<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
http://www.pipeline.com/~cyhiggin/  ****    cyhiggin@pipeline.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:34:52 EST<BR>
From: JFZeigler@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Nobles and XBoat network routing<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 1/12/00 2:30:18 PM Eastern Standard Time, <BR>
Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com writes:<BR>
<BR>
> Yet we've had a number of threads over the past  year  suggesting<BR>
>  the number of minor nobles is directly related to the  number  of<BR>
>  population (as if the nobility was a sort of hierarchical peoples<BR>
>  Congress), or trying to come up with a standard Imperium-wide set<BR>
>  of procedures to cover when people are arrested  by  the  police.<BR>
>  Now we have the Imperial internet.<BR>
<BR>
Now, now.  As the instigator of the thread on the nobility in question, I<BR>
don't recall ever suggesting that the Imperium had any kind of proportional-<BR>
representation *rule*.  That wouldn't make much sense, given the diversity<BR>
of local cultures.<BR>
<BR>
I think I *can* argue that the various roles played by the Imperial nobility<BR>
would imply that there's a *rough* correlation between population and the<BR>
number of (say) barons.  Hence a Traveller referee could probably come<BR>
up with a reasonable rule of thumb.  There would naturally be very wide<BR>
local variation.<BR>
<BR>
(Meanwhile, if *I* were designing the Imperial x-boat network, I would<BR>
almost certainly come up with Internet-like routing procedures.  With<BR>
differences, of course -- the time and expense involved implies that<BR>
you wouldn't want an unreliable protocol like IP at the heart of it.  And<BR>
the concept of a "connection" would be right out. :-)<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: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 14:39:08 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: re:  Potty<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
<BR>
>In America if a nose starts to leak vital fluid, we refer to <BR>
>that as a "bloody nose."  How would you reference such?<BR>
<BR>
I understand that the English always use "nosebleed," but in<BR>
American English we usually distinguish between "nosebleed" and<BR>
"bloody nose".  Bloody nose is used in the case of someone who<BR>
has just experienced facial trauma causing the nose to bleed.  A<BR>
nosebleed refers to any other reason for blood coming out of the<BR>
nose.  <BR>
<BR>
E.g., Ve gave Gani a bloody nose in their fistfight, but Sha'air<BR>
got a nosebleed when she flew too high in an open air/raft<BR>
without a vacc suit.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 11:40:08 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
<BR>
On 12 Jan 00, at 11:55, Brian Jenkins wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> I use MT rules.  I have no problem with the task resolution or personal<BR>
> combat and I like the system.  For starship combat I am having problems. <BR>
> The MT system seems a bit odd to me and I am having trouble figuring out<BR>
> some of the tables for penetration.  I used to use the old CT system or<BR>
> the Mayday system (remember that one?).  And I still like to use the<BR>
> vector movement.  Is there some other type of SS combat system you can<BR>
> reccomend.  Or maybe you can help me understand the MT system better.  Or<BR>
> maybe you have come up with one that works for MT.  BTW if anyone has a<BR>
> spreadsheet that I can use to make MT ships for QP7 I would appreciate<BR>
> some help in that area.  C'mon fellow travellers!  The impression that<BR>
> these young kids will form of traveller will be based on how I do as a<BR>
> Referee.  I really need your help on this one.<BR>
<BR>
You could solve any movement problems by tacking the Matday <BR>
system onto the MT ship combat system. As for MT's penetration <BR>
rules, Im' not too sure how they work myself (never having done a <BR>
ship to ship combat in MT). If you have a copy of High Guard you <BR>
could try that, as it's not very different.<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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 11:40:08 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
On 12 Jan 00, at 8:16, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> At 03:57 PM 1/12/2000 -0000, you wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >> No.  For the sole reason that Terry Austin would cross post <BR>
> >> into it and spread his interminable "look at me, I'm an asshole"<BR>
> >> flame wars into it.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >And not forgetting Leroy and Clif!<BR>
> <BR>
> There's an important difference.  Both of those worthies actually bleieved<BR>
> in what they were arguing.  The had positions, and unfortunantly felty<BR>
> they had to defend them with personal attacks.<BR>
> <BR>
> Terry will jump into anything with the sole intention of bring all the<BR>
> attention onto himself.  He thrives on it. -- <BR>
<BR>
Terry views USENET as his own personal zoo, and he finds great <BR>
amusement in poking all the beasties. Incidentally he's not like that <BR>
on LOCS (the Chivalry & Sorcery mailing list) at all, which shows he <BR>
does it for fun, and is therefore not going to stop.<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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 11:40:07 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: Cr to $ conversion?<BR>
<BR>
On 12 Jan 00, at 5:59, Christopher Thrash wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> First, Traveller starships are very large by commercial ship standards:<BR>
> one "displacement ton" for naval vessels is 35 cubic feet, and one<BR>
> "register ton" for commercial shipping is only 100 cubic feet. A Traveller<BR>
> "ton" is generally 475-500 cubic feet, depending on version. So a<BR>
> 8,200-ton /Lafayette/-class SSBN is only the size of a 600-dton subsidized<BR>
> liner; an 18,000-ton /Ohio/-class is the same size as /Kinunir/ (surface<BR>
> ships are harder to compare, as they only list displacement below the<BR>
> waterline). A typical large container ship with 3,000 twenty-foot<BR>
> equivalent units (TEU) would be about 20,000 Traveller tons; the /Queen<BR>
> Mary/, at 81,237 gross register tons, is about 16,000 Traveller tons.<BR>
<BR>
With surface ships the easiest way would be to take a guess at their <BR>
density (which will obviously be less than 1ton/1m^3), and work from <BR>
there. The trick is to get a useful density.<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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 09:49:00 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
>> ----- Original Message -----<BR>
>> From: Carlos Alos-Ferrer <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at><BR>
>> > 4.3... Extreme Multipartidism (11+ parties), e.g. ???<BR>
>><BR>
>> Israel?<BR>
><BR>
>Italy jumped to my mind immediately. Russia, too. the official list of<BR>
>candidates in the recent elections there was huge.<BR>
>Bruce Johnson<BR>
<BR>
    In Australia's last federal election the ballot sheet measured 1m by<BR>
1.5m but the "preferences" system insured the return of the two major<BR>
parties as the holders of power. I really can't say that it's a democracy<BR>
but its touted as one.<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 14:57:05 -0800<BR>
From: "David P. Summers" <summers@alum.mit.edu><BR>
Subject: RE: XBoat networt routing<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 19:25:28 -0000<BR>
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
<BR>
>Hmmm ... over the years I've  noticed  something  odd  with  many<BR>
>threads: they postulate a much more integrated 3I  than  anything<BR>
>I've noticed in  canon  suggests.<BR>
[The rest supports the point but is a bit long and has been deleted...]<BR>
<BR>
A classic mistake.  We are used to modern western societies with<BR>
fast communications that are increasingling integrated.  This tend<BR>
to get projected onto a Traveller setting more than it should.<BR>
______________________________<BR>
summers@alum.mit.edu<BR>
(This is the net.  My e-mail address may be in Boston, but I'm in California.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 18:50:45 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
>> Jory Earl writes:<BR>
><BR>
>> > What the heck kind of Internet would the 3rd Imperium enjoy?<BR>
>><BR>
>> Due to communications delay, it wouldn't have one. Individual worlds might<BR>
>> have world networks, however; what they would be like would<BR>
>> probably depend on tech level and the general preferences of the locals.<BR>
><BR>
>Not necessarily. Back in the old days, before IP, delays of similar<BR>
>magnitude to jump delays were quite normal between sites, thanks to UUCP -<BR>
>e-mail messages travelled at the rate of one site per day, based on each<BR>
>site calling its immediate neighbours overnight (when call charges were<BR>
>less) and exchanging messages for it and its other neighbours. Addressing<BR>
>had to list each site a message would pass through on its way to the<BR>
>destination, and the routing software would follow the list along until it<BR>
>got to its recipient or a site rejected it.<BR>
<BR>
Sounds like FIDOnet.<BR>
<BR>
>Would spamming be an Imperial crime?<BR>
<BR>
Not IMTU, because the _sender_ has to pay for the message. So if you really<BR>
want to send several million messages you can, but you have to pay for each<BR>
copy.  Also, the Scout Service does not give a volume discount, so your<BR>
letter to Aunt Maisie and the LSP sales brochure sent to 3000 engineers<BR>
each cost a Message Unit Charge -- LSP gets no discount for sending 3000 at<BR>
the same time.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, you also only specify the person's address on the destination world,<BR>
not the route the message takes to get there. The Scout Service handles<BR>
routing based on the xboat routes (which are fixed) with some variation for<BR>
transient conditions. An undeliverable message will be stored for a while<BR>
(for personal pickup/query), then deleted.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:59:11 -0500<BR>
From: "Josh W. Spencer" <macmanjws@earthlink.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Potty<BR>
<BR>
On 01/12/2000 17:39, Glenn Goffin wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> I understand that the English always use "nosebleed," but in<BR>
> American English we usually distinguish between "nosebleed" and<BR>
> "bloody nose".  Bloody nose is used in the case of someone who<BR>
> has just experienced facial trauma causing the nose to bleed.  A<BR>
> nosebleed refers to any other reason for blood coming out of the<BR>
> nose.  <BR>
> <BR>
> E.g., Ve gave Gani a bloody nose in their fistfight, but Sha'air<BR>
> got a nosebleed when she flew too high in an open air/raft<BR>
> without a vacc suit.<BR>
<BR>
Of course, there's always this interpretation:<BR>
<BR>
"Yeah, I got nosebleed seats at the Silverdome for twenty bucks and they<BR>
STILL didn't sell out!" The Silverdome, BTW, is where the NFL's Detroit<BR>
Lions play...but Not For Long!<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Josh W. Spencer (macmanjws@earthlink.net)<BR>
Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA<BR>
http://home.earthlink.net/~macmanjws<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:11:27 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Q-Ships<BR>
<BR>
>Pirates and even navel ships take prizes. If the ship doesn't have M-drive<BR>
>control or targeting sensors it's very easy but the key isn't always Power<BR>
>plant hits. The key is will it let you close. The closer you are the more<BR>
>damage weapons on both platforms can attack each other. 400 ton or less<BR>
>traders with out sandcasters don't let the pirates close.<BR>
><BR>
>but the above is how I do space combat on that scale and my ideas for<BR>
>q-ships.<BR>
Chauncy<BR>
<BR>
    I'm not too sure about taking prizes if your a pirate. I usually have<BR>
NPC pirates immediatly jump outsystem after a raid or return to a local<BR>
feature which would discourage pursuit.<BR>
    Siezing a ship seems like a way of letting the navy catch you, they are<BR>
a bit hard to hide. That said, a pirate with a few bad cruises under his<BR>
belt might start getting desperate. A free trader sold at 1/10th of its<BR>
worth will keep his ship above water for a while, maybe the PCs are hired to<BR>
track the ship down? That innocous free treader could have been hauling<BR>
(smuggling) something else that the pirates missed, illegal biowarfare<BR>
organisms? Dangerous Ancient artifacts? Ancient and evil terran elevator<BR>
music compilations?<BR>
    I play MT and there's a war going on, the navy is not likely to send<BR>
cruisers off by themselves. It would be too easy for them to run into<BR>
something too big for them to handle. A squadron of close escorts might<BR>
cruise past though.<BR>
    Does anyones campaign have the close escorts run convoys into<BR>
"questionable" systems? It may cost a bit but you can forget any pirate<BR>
encounters.<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 14:51:41 -0800<BR>
From: Keith Johnson <keithalanjohnson@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Hero...<BR>
<BR>
At 01:20 PM 1/12/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>Slowly but surely, I've been working to and adding a bit to my<BR>
>collection of conversions from Traveller to Hero Systems, and have<BR>
>posted some of that info to my website:<BR>
><BR>
>http://www.flash.net/~flynn1/travhero.htm<BR>
<BR>
Cool!  I've bookmarked it and will spend more time reading it this weekend.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>I've seen Fudge Traveller, Storyteller Traveller, and AD&D Traveller.<BR>
<BR>
I am a big fan of BRP and Chaosium.  I found the rules for Traveller BRP, <BR>
but I've never played it.<BR>
<BR>
http://www.tierzucht.uni-kiel.de/~sma/inf/chaosium/brp.html<BR>
<BR>
I have never seen the Storyteller or AD&D Traveller versions.  Can you <BR>
point me to the URL for them, or any other Trav conversions?<BR>
<BR>
_________________________________________________________<BR>
Rev. Keith Johnson      /\     keith@sjgames.com<BR>
Assistant Webmaster    /()\    keithalanjohnson@home.com<BR>
Steve Jackson Games   /____\   reverendkeith@hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
  IMTU tm+ t4+@ tg++$ ru- ge-@ st+ pi+ he+ dr+ hi-@ zh+<BR>
_________________________________________________________ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 16:34:36 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Societal variation ramble (long) was Re: XBoat networt routing<BR>
<BR>
David P. Summers wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 19:25:28 -0000<BR>
> From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
> <BR>
> >Hmmm ... over the years I've  noticed  something  odd  with  many<BR>
> >threads: they postulate a much more integrated 3I  than  anything<BR>
> >I've noticed in  canon  suggests.<BR>
> [The rest supports the point but is a bit long and has been deleted...]<BR>
> <BR>
> A classic mistake.  We are used to modern western societies with<BR>
> fast communications that are increasingling integrated.  This tend<BR>
> to get projected onto a Traveller setting more than it should.<BR>
<BR>
Not really. At least insofar as communications infrastructure goes, a<BR>
plantetary datanet is a great advantage to all but the opressive gov and<BR>
law codes.<BR>
<BR>
What happens is that most people don't recognize the somewhat<BR>
schizophrenic nature of Trav society and tech as between what's local<BR>
and what's distant. We have no experience with Trav time scales:<BR>
communications moves at the speed of travel, but only on certain scales,<BR>
whereas at others, (a fairly sharp gradient) it moves at the speed of<BR>
light.<BR>
<BR>
It is intersting to speculate on how this would affect people socially.<BR>
Interstellar commerce, trade and travel impose a rather liesurely<BR>
approach to life, while cheap power, antigrav and advanced<BR>
communications will (if we follow our example) tend to the opposite<BR>
direction. What do we get when you gamish the two together? <BR>
<BR>
I suspect that it will make societies separated by parsecs much more<BR>
different from each other than you get on a world with societies<BR>
separated by instant communications. <BR>
<BR>
At the risk of making a sweeping generalization, this, in part, accounts<BR>
for the 'it's raining on Mongo' attitude that pigeonholes entire worlds<BR>
as single societies and places.<BR>
<BR>
Remember; most worlds in the TU are expressly NOT like Terra. They were<BR>
colonized relatively recently, they were started from a technologically<BR>
advanced base in the first place (worlds that have always had fusion<BR>
power and antigrav will not have roads, much less power grids and<BR>
railways) from a smaller, already communications-rich society. All<BR>
worlds do not recapitulate phylogeny, so to speak, and so probably<BR>
develop more homogenous societal structures than what you can see on<BR>
Terra today. <BR>
<BR>
But their possible societal separation between say worlds in the<BR>
Marches, and worlds in the Ley Sector could be very large, indeed.<BR>
<BR>
Basically, I suspect that societal homogeneaity, to a great extent is<BR>
related to the communcations lag time, absent consious efforts to be<BR>
different. The greater the lag time, the greater the differences between<BR>
two societies.<BR>
<BR>
This is a really, REALLY crude estimate, and doesn't take into account a<BR>
very large number of variables, and makes the assumption that there<BR>
aren't underlying  inherent regulators of societal development,<BR>
language, and culture that we don't know about that will make human<BR>
societies to come to resemble one another.<BR>
<BR>
The X-boat network to some extent, will moderate this somewhat, by<BR>
providing a constant, albeit timelagged flow of information cross the<BR>
Imperium...this might just be one reason why it was implemnted in the<BR>
first place...<BR>
<BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:28:24 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: re: New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
<BR>
At 15:37 -0500 12/1/00, "Brian Jenkins" <BR>
<Brian.Jenkins@grpwise1.westek.com> wrote:<BR>
>I use MT rules.  I have no problem with the task resolution or <BR>
>personal combat and I like the system.  For starship combat I am <BR>
>having problems.  The MT system seems a bit odd to me and I am <BR>
>having trouble figuring out some of the tables for penetration.  I <BR>
>used to use the old CT system or the Mayday system (remember that <BR>
>one?).  And I still like to use the vector movement.  Is there some <BR>
>other type of SS combat system you can reccomend.<BR>
<BR>
Try snagging the Roleplaying Starship Combat System (RPSCS v0.9) <BR>
which is at the Missouri Archive as an Acrobat. (Linked from BITS)<BR>
<BR>
or<BR>
<BR>
Dig out MayDay and use the notes for High Guard.<BR>
<BR>
or<BR>
<BR>
Download the T4 version of MayDay M4.1 from BITS<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1735<BR>
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Traveller-digest    Wednesday, January 12 2000    Volume 1999 : Number 1736<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: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
Re: New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
re: MayDay M4.1<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED 101 Schools<BR>
Subject Lines (was: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: Third Imperium Email<BR>
Re: Vargr pronounciation (Was Re: JFK)<BR>
Re: Tech Levels<BR>
Re Dark Imperium<BR>
Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED 101 Schools<BR>
Re: New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
RE: Pirate Tactics<BR>
re:  Societal variation ramble (long) <BR>
Re: X-Boat Tender<BR>
SEC: UNCLASSIFIED OT - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:38:46 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
At 15:37 -0500 12/1/00, Eris reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net> wrote:<BR>
> > Bipartidism is clearly an extreme, but it the UK and the US might be<BR>
> > examples, with a lot of important differences, so maybe other<BR>
> > characteristics should be considered.<BR>
> > 4.1... Bipartidism, e.g. UK.<BR>
> >        Law Level Roll = 2D-7<BR>
<BR>
The UK is a weird mix.<BR>
<BR>
We have a number of levels of government elected by different <BR>
methods. The Euro and Scottish Elections (IIRC) use Proportional <BR>
Representation from lists, and the Westminster Government is elected <BR>
on a first past the post principle (ie highest wins).<BR>
<BR>
Effectively we have a two party system for the UK but:<BR>
<BR>
The present government has an absolute majority.<BR>
The third biggest party has 45+ seats in the parliament.<BR>
The percentage of vote does not relate to the percentage of seats.<BR>
<BR>
Coalitions are not unknown if parties have not absolute or small <BR>
majorities. For example, the last Tory Government lost its overall <BR>
majority and was kept in power by the Ulster Unionists, who used this <BR>
as a lever for the negotiations in Northern Ireland.<BR>
<BR>
Also, we may be seeing a shift in power at the moment (at the start <BR>
of the century government/opposition was Liberal/Tory, which moved to <BR>
Labour/Tory and may be shifting to LibDem/Labour. It'll be <BR>
interesting to watch.<BR>
<BR>
There's also much debate in the press at the moment about a <BR>
referendum on PR for Westminster voting.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:44:38 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
<BR>
At 16:28 -0500 12/1/00, "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <BR>
<swordworlder@clinic.net> wrote:<BR>
>Doh!  That's right:<BR>
>http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com/BITS_website/Acrobat/MayDay.pdf<BR>
<BR>
This URL is direct and shouldn't be bookmarked as BITS may move the <BR>
site from the present server at some point. The BITS <BR>
http://www.bits.org.uk/ address will always redirect to the correct <BR>
server though.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:48:15 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: re: MayDay M4.1<BR>
<BR>
At 16:28 -0500 12/1/00,  "Brian Jenkins" <BR>
<Brian.Jenkins@grpwise1.westek.com> wrote:<BR>
>I found the mayday 4.1 rules.  Now all I have to do is make them <BR>
>work for Megatraveller.  Can anyone help me there.  Or do you have <BR>
>something already?<BR>
>I could also use the mayday systems for movement and the MT rules <BR>
>for combat.  Can anyone help me understand the MT combat tables <BR>
>better?<BR>
<BR>
You can convert T4.x tasks to MT tasks using the BITS task system (on <BR>
the same archive page as MayDay M4.1).<BR>
<BR>
MT combat tables are similar to High Guards IIRC?<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:53:21 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
At 16:28 -0500 12/1/00, "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com> wrote:<BR>
> >>Alas, BITS doesn't get the general distribution that SJG products do.  So<BR>
> >>there isn't the phenomenon of several different people all posting "Hey, my<BR>
> >>FLGS got 'GT: Others' in today, what does everybody think?"<BR>
> ><BR>
> >If your FLGS asks for BITS products SJG will supply them.<BR>
><BR>
>I shall pound upon Gamescape's head with vigor to instill this knowledge in<BR>
>them.<BR>
<BR>
Why not ask them nicely instead? SJG is our US distributor.<BR>
<BR>
And I understand you thoughts about writing and OT stuff. I <BR>
occasionally wander OT when I need to blow a little steam.<BR>
<BR>
BITS related thoughts...<BR>
<BR>
1) Would people prefer to see ACQ released before 101 Patrons, or <BR>
both at the same time (later if this is so)?<BR>
<BR>
2) Has anyone any feelings on whether they'd like to see more <BR>
adventures like SpaceDogs and The Khiidkar Incident?<BR>
<BR>
 <BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:28:50 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED 101 Schools<BR>
<BR>
>My current plan is to work out a few schools, encourage posting of<BR>
>others on the TML, and then compile the list, to be offered as a free<BR>
>download (as a Rich Text File [.rtf] document, since I don't own an<BR>
>Adobe Acrobat editing application), on any/all sites wanting to host<BR>
>it.  I'm using the "101 Schools" working title to match the other<BR>
>excellent "101 (fill-in-the-blank)" materials.  (Actually, someone else<BR>
>first used the term, I just posted my thoughts on what items would be<BR>
>needed to describe a school.)<BR>
<BR>
Ah, and I'm compiling the submissions as a PDF document for the BITS<BR>
website. We should probably get together to avoid duplication of effort.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 19:01:41 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Subject Lines (was: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
>"Swordy (Colin Michael)" schrieb:<BR>
>> Unfortunately, two out<BR>
>> of three people that we refer to the TML quit within a short time.  I have<BR>
>> not taken a poll to determine why they bug out, but the few comments I have<BR>
>> received have been time constraints.  Keeping people appears to be much<BR>
>> harder than getting them.<BR>
><BR>
>Read what I wrote about full mailboxes? I 'd bet that is the main<BR>
>reason...<BR>
<BR>
Well, I'm seriously considering unsubscribing myself. Partly because the<BR>
time to filter the TML is becoming significant, and partly because my<BR>
mailbox has overflowed at least once (1389 messages in three days!).<BR>
<BR>
I'd really like to stay, and will put off leaving as long as possible, but<BR>
my time is limited.<BR>
<BR>
As a suggestion: it would really help (me at least, and probably others) if<BR>
people could use descriptive subject lines (with a reference to the old<BR>
subject line if they are changing direction). I suspect I missed some nice<BR>
filks that people posted, because I was deleting all messages on a<BR>
particular thread unread, before I accidentally opened on and realized that<BR>
the thread had changed (although the subject line hadn't).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 19:00:03 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Third Imperium Email<BR>
<BR>
>At 01:18 PM 1/12/2000 +1100, you wrote:<BR>
>>I put together some 'emails to a PC from his sister' as player handouts.<BR>
>><BR>
>>See this as a sample of what the emails might look like:<BR>
>><BR>
>>www.rossmack.com/ab/rpg/traveller/xgrams/035-1102.asp<BR>
>><BR>
>>I got sick of figuring out the delivery routes after a while - but you get<BR>
>>the general idea.<BR>
<BR>
[snipped Doug's patron]<BR>
<BR>
I can't load that, for some reason. Might be the ".asp" -- those seem to<BR>
give my poor old browser trouble.  Could someone please forward it to the<BR>
list (or to me personally)?  Thanks.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:27:25 -0500<BR>
From: Thom Jones-Low <tjoneslo@together.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Vargr pronounciation (Was Re: JFK)<BR>
<BR>
> Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 02:53:12 PST<BR>
> From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
> Subject: Re: JFK<BR>
> <BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
> <BR>
> > ("Varg", it turns out, is Swedish for wolf.)<BR>
> <BR>
> And "vargr" is Old Norse for wolf. Alas, a "minor" detail escaped the<BR>
> folks at GDW who chose the name. The terminating "r" is *silent*.<BR>
> <BR>
> As an example, the SCA name I'm registering is "Eirikr inn kengr"[1].<BR>
> Which is pronounced (more or less) "Erik in keng". The terminal "r"s<BR>
> merely indicate a noun-form of the word!<BR>
> <BR>
> So "Vargr" is pronounced "varg" (or maybe "warg", I'm not sure how "v"<BR>
> is prounonced in Old Norse).<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
	I believe this is where J.R.R. Tolkien got the name Worg from. Worg's<BR>
are the wolf beasts used by Goblins/Orcs as steeds in The Hobbit. So is<BR>
calling your favorite Vargr a "Worg" an insult?<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
	Thomas Jones-Low<BR>
	tjoneslo@together.net<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 19:39:53 -0500<BR>
From: Thom Jones-Low <tjoneslo@together.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Tech Levels<BR>
<BR>
> Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 21:42:47 +1000<BR>
> From: "Alan Bradley" <alanb@elf.brisnet.org.au><BR>
> Subject: Re: Tech Levels<BR>
> <BR>
> > From: Thom Jones-Low<BR>
> >       The complete rebuilding of the planetary production infrastructure for<BR>
> > each TL would be one of the things to slow down the TL advancement. And<BR>
> > yes, I do think it's a requirement.<BR>
> >       Each time the "New" advancement comes, you need new tools to take full<BR>
> > advantage of it. The forging tools used to melt and roll steel are not<BR>
> > the same tools used to shape aluminum or Carbon Fiber reinforced<BR>
> > plastics.<BR>
> <BR>
> It's clearly not a requirement at low TLs.  Earth still has differential<BR>
> TLs, including some areas that are pretty close to TL0, and were literally<BR>
> TL0 until quite recently.<BR>
> <BR>
> It's not unknown in the TU to have "lost" populations on worlds:  see<BR>
> Tarsus, or some of the Keith brothers' stuff.  Even without this there can<BR>
> be places where there is a high-tech enclave on a low-tech world.<BR>
> <BR>
> It's probably better to view TL advancement as requiring the rebuilding of<BR>
> the production infrastructure of an "economy" - by which I mean a<BR>
> relatively separate economic unit, which may be a world, or a nation, or an<BR>
> enclave, or even just a village.  Since it's "relatively separate", it can<BR>
> be considered in isolation from, say, it's trading partners, whether or not<BR>
> these are on the same planet.<BR>
> <BR>
> It would also probably require an economic unit of a certain size at a<BR>
> certain point, but that gets into what does it mean for a world inhabited<BR>
> by 40 people to be TL 15.<BR>
> <BR>
> Alan Bradley<BR>
> alanb@elf.brisnet.org.au<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
	Yes, and these decisions are made by IISS. I believe the basis of<BR>
decision for this is the highest generally available technology level,<BR>
averaged over several fields. At low TL's there isn't much<BR>
infrastructure you need to replace, but it's the speed of travel and<BR>
communication which slows TL advancement (from IISS point of view). At<BR>
high TL's, where you would have global economies, the desire to have<BR>
every one using the same materials slows TL advancement because of the<BR>
infrastructure rebuilding requirements.<BR>
<BR>
	For the Middle TL's (4-9) advancement can be quick because you don't<BR>
have to replace the infrastructure of the previous TL's (there isn't<BR>
much), but you do have the travel and information advancements to enable<BR>
quick travel. <BR>
<BR>
	You are also correct in pointing out that Earth regional TL's are<BR>
unbalanced. If we were to spend the time (and money) to give everyone<BR>
the same sustainable TL it could stagnate TL advancement for decades. <BR>
<BR>
	And while planetary government would love to claim TL advancements for<BR>
their "economic units" around, for example, the StarPort, the IISS takes<BR>
a more global view. So until the planetary government can demonstrate to<BR>
the IISS that a large percentage (50%, 75%?) of their population has<BR>
access to, can use, and understands a given set of technologies, their<BR>
TL remains the same. I'd hate to be a planetary administrator on a world<BR>
where a large (but not a majority) of people are like the Amish,<BR>
rejecting technology. <BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
	Thomas Jones-Low<BR>
	tjoneslo@together.net<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 00:23:04 GMT<BR>
From: "Boris Cibic" <kafka47@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re Dark Imperium<BR>
<BR>
Your idea for dark imperium sounds really cool.  Earlier this summer, Swordy <BR>
and I were kicking around an idea of an Ancients sourcebook. (until time <BR>
constraints made him exit...and I haven't done much work since that time)  I <BR>
don't know if you were following the threads that came out of this <BR>
discussion.  I would be happy to share in your creation, if we could some <BR>
how get it published.  Marc has been very coy about supporting the Ancients <BR>
projects as he wants to keep the Ancients still a bit of a mystery.  I would <BR>
agree with him but, until I saw the survey there is not much interest out <BR>
there for the Ancients.<BR>
<BR>
I do have some reservations about your project...feel free to reply back to <BR>
my email address and we do this in private.<BR>
1) There are huge Ancient artifacts in several hundred systems throughout<BR>
the Imperium called Jump Gates. They allow jumps for ships up to a million<BR>
dt from one system to another beyond the 6-parsec limit, probably up to <BR>
36pc.<BR>
<BR>
We developed that there is no theoretical limit and they work on the <BR>
principle of activating a wormhole network.<BR>
<BR>
2) The Ancients themselves are somewhat ... darker ... than the image<BR>
presented in the OTU. More like Things-Man-Was-Not-To-Know.<BR>
<BR>
I like this thread. GF was not the only one but we have to be careful not to <BR>
make the whole thing too Lovecraftian without Chaosium sueing us.<BR>
<BR>
3) Psionics is real, and is more like magic than is portrayed in the OTU.<BR>
The Psionic Institutes are more like religious organizations than<BR>
scientific organizations.<BR>
<BR>
Stop!  psionics must be preserved as a science.  I don't doubt how the <BR>
tenants could not be reinterpeted as a religion or magic on primative <BR>
planets.  I know Marc has allowed for magic in Traveller but I would prefer <BR>
that we would stick to Science incomprehensible would be viewed as magic <BR>
definition, otherwise, we just have Alternity.  A milieu that is not <BR>
compactable with Traveller except in one's own TU.<BR>
<BR>
4) There are monsters in the universe. Vampires. Shapechangers. Ghosts. I'm<BR>
trying to get a feel more like Dark Conspiracy than White Wolf gothic-punk,<BR>
although the idea of WW vampires and werewolves being vaporized by FGMPs<BR>
has a certain appeal. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
Unfortunately, I have played neither DC or WW.  But, I again I would caution <BR>
against going too far into the Demonrealm.  I always speculated that the <BR>
Ancients downfall was a fault or hubrus within their civilization.  A type <BR>
of Faustian prophesy working itself out and GF was trapped by it  as were <BR>
the others.  Before they had to face a greater evil.  Swordy and I called <BR>
this the Enemy or the Dark.  refering to the Heart of Darkness in us all.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
In the timeline I have scketched out in my head, the Rebellion occurs, the<BR>
Imperium collapses into Hard Times, and eventually into another Long Night<BR>
(no Virus). Centuries pass, and a TNE-style rebuilding is underway,<BR>
although with an emphasis on religious and noble powers in the lead. I'm<BR>
trying to get a Fading Suns type of setting going, with the Imperium as the<BR>
background.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I think Marc actually has other plans for that Milieu, one should check with <BR>
him what he has planned.  Swordy speculated that the Heat Death of the <BR>
universe was GF final pre-occupation following Marc's mention of it in <BR>
several places.<BR>
Boris Cibic<BR>
kafka47@hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:29:04 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED 101 Schools<BR>
<BR>
Robert Prior wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >My current plan is to work out a few schools, encourage posting of<BR>
> >others on the TML, and then compile the list, to be offered as a free<BR>
> >download (as a Rich Text File [.rtf] document, since I don't own an<BR>
> >Adobe Acrobat editing application), on any/all sites wanting to host<BR>
> >it.  I'm using the "101 Schools" working title to match the other<BR>
> >excellent "101 (fill-in-the-blank)" materials.  (Actually, someone else<BR>
> >first used the term, I just posted my thoughts on what items would be<BR>
> >needed to describe a school.)<BR>
> <BR>
> Ah, and I'm compiling the submissions as a PDF document for the BITS<BR>
> website. We should probably get together to avoid duplication of effort.<BR>
<BR>
Although William Hostman sent me a URL for a quick-n-dirty way to create<BR>
.pdf files using Ghostscript (appreciated, thanx!), I'll let you do the<BR>
final conversion.  I'll concentrate on trying to tweak the format (and<BR>
writing a few more schools), so that all the schools have equivalent<BR>
information. <BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:35:25 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: New Campaign and Starship Combat<BR>
<BR>
SD Mooney wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> <BR>
> Try snagging the Roleplaying Starship Combat System (RPSCS v0.9)<BR>
> which is at the Missouri Archive as an Acrobat. (Linked from BITS)<BR>
<BR>
I got a "404 Not Found" when I clicked the link on the Missouri Archives<BR>
to RPSC.<BR>
<BR>
Can anybody e-mail me a copy?<BR>
<BR>
(Actually, though, I'm fond of Bruce Alan Macintosh's Military Combat<BR>
System.)<BR>
<BR>
<<snip>><BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 20:55:51 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
At 04:09 PM 1/12/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
        [snip]<BR>
<BR>
>>Pirates, therefore, will not be stupid...  adventuresome, yes;<BR>
>>criminally inclined, yes; desperate, perhaps; stupid, no.<BR>
><BR>
>	There are old Pirates, and stupid Pirates, but no stupid<BR>
>	old pirates.<BR>
<BR>
        <grin>  Its getting player characters to get thier heads around this<BR>
that's the challenge....<BR>
<BR>
        "Sunbeard?  Scourge of the sector for over a decade?  The man that<BR>
the IN has had a CruRon chasing from apogee to perigee for as long as anyone<BR>
can remember?<BR>
        "Yeah, that's who's hailing us and telling us we're about to be<BR>
boarded...."<BR>
        "No problem.  Get the boys into the party gear and we'll hit 'em<BR>
with the 'Boarding Team in the Cargo Container trick'"<BR>
<BR>
>>Megametre, is 1000km, yes.  In HG, there is "Short" and "Long"...<BR>
>>I *thought* that CT defined 50Mm as the longest engagement range...<BR>
>>I might be wrong...  I'll check when I get home tonight.<BR>
><BR>
>	FWIW, IMTU laser fire gets the following range DMs:<BR>
>		0"		+2	(less than 1,000 km)<BR>
>		1-50"		+1<BR>
>		51-100"	-0<BR>
>		101-150"	-1<BR>
>		151-200"	-2<BR>
>		etc.<BR>
>	IIRC, laser damage starts to degrade around 500"<BR>
<BR>
        I can't find the bit about 50Mm being maximum engagement range, so<BR>
that must have been an MTU-ism.  However, under the CT ship combat defender<BR>
DMs table, it remarks that a range greater than 250,000km is DM -2 to hit<BR>
and greater than 500,000km is -5.<BR>
<BR>
        I think I know what happened...  when I first learned how to play<BR>
CT, the ref dropped a zero when he did his math.  There would be the 25Mm<BR>
and 50Mm numbers... <BR>
<BR>
        Hmmm.  I'm going to have to FTC (fine tooth comb) the ramifications<BR>
of that.<BR>
<BR>
        I still want a "Point Blank" range band, but that might be a whole<BR>
different issue.<BR>
<BR>
>>>	This is certainly a tactic that pirates IMTU have used, but<BR>
>>>	it helps if the pirate can tell that the power plant is<BR>
>>>	shut down.<BR>
>>Easy...  the radiators and manuever engines go cold after a few<BR>
>>minutes...  IR/Thermographic imaging of the hull...<BR>
><BR>
>	Not to mention EM fields and possibly neutrino emissions.<BR>
>	That is certainly my take.<BR>
<BR>
        Depends on your TL and sensors, but yes, certainly.<BR>
<BR>
>>The trick is in the way I do fire-control...  you can detect<BR>
>>using passive systems, but FCS is done with *active* sensors...<BR>
>>the Pirate is maintaining an FC solution on the target at all<BR>
>>times...  the instant his ELINT man tells him the target goes<BR>
>>active, he fires... the Pirate *will* most likely get the first<BR>
>>shot off...<BR>
><BR>
>	Cool, I think that I might just use this.  I love thi...<BR>
>	I mean, what a crappy list this is!<BR>
><BR>
>	:)<BR>
<BR>
        That's better.  <grin><BR>
        Incidentally, I have gunners doing sensor ops IMTU...  which is why<BR>
you need so many of the buggers.<BR>
<BR>
>>Certainly...  however, in fifteen crew, you'd think you'd get one<BR>
>>guy with at least a J-O-T.<BR>
><BR>
>	Actually, Vacc Suit is probably more common, but I try<BR>
>	to restrict J-o-T use to more technical pursuits, like<BR>
>	jury-rigging a life support system out of miscelanious<BR>
>	junk.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
        Pirates can get Zero-G Cbt as a service skill and Vacc Suit as a<BR>
Service skill...  Pilot, which can be used as Ship's Boat (-1) is and Adv<BR>
Edu 2 skill and *automatic* for Pirate Lieutenants.  So now we know who is<BR>
driving the boarding craft...  the Trusted Lieutenant.<BR>
        Incidentally, Pirates *do not* have access to Jack-O-T as a skill,<BR>
but can become *mean* fighters.<BR>
<BR>
><snipped><BR>
>>Simple...  the pirate captain has the ace...  the Pirate Lt<BR>
>>simply says "my captain has no qualms about shooting your ship<BR>
>>to wreckage with me on it...  if you surrender now, we push you<BR>
>>out the airlock with vacc suits *on*...  otherwise, we've got<BR>
>>nothing to loose in mowing every last one of you bastards down,<BR>
>>cause he'll kill us if we don't..."<BR>
>>The Merchant now has to decide wether he wants to test the threat<BR>
>>or not...  after all, while the Pirate crew might be crazy enough<BR>
>>to "go down swinging", the *Merchant* probably *isn't*.<BR>
><BR>
>	This makes a great opportunity for role-playing, as it<BR>
>	depends very much on each side convincing the other that<BR>
>	they are crazy enough.  Of course, a reputation might be<BR>
>	a help, or a hinderance.<BR>
<BR>
        Yes...  in my original Traveller game of the late 1980's, I have a<BR>
"Rep Point" system that pirates accumulated per exploit...  Pirates of Rank<BR>
4+ accumulated RPs, and depending what they did and how it was reported<BR>
influenced how quickly they gained...  it *could* result in situations where<BR>
a Lt was more popular/ notorious than his Captain, allowing him to sieze<BR>
control.<BR>
        Alternately, it allowed a truely famous Captain to form a Wolf<BR>
pack...  Get too famous, and the Empire sent ships looking for you...<BR>
<BR>
>>With PCs, it essentially one group of crazies against another...<BR>
>>The pirates have *much* to loose if the PCs take them alive... <BR>
>>Jail is not a nice place...  If the players are firing and not<BR>
>>open to being bullied, then you can assume that the Pirates will<BR>
>>fight a withdrawl to the best they can to allow the Corsair to<BR>
>>maul the PCs with ship-to-ship weapons.<BR>
><BR>
>	If Pc's hate NPCs that think like PCs, then pirates also<BR>
>	hate merchants that think like pirates.<BR>
<BR>
        <grin>  Oooooh, yeah....<BR>
        <BR>
>>Cargo gets grabbed and sorted later.  Crew's quarters will be where<BR>
>>the crew will have stashed sidearms, so that's a can of worms, and<BR>
>>passengers frighten easily and do stupid things;  another messy can<BR>
>>of worms.<BR>
><snipped><BR>
><BR>
>	Good point, but savy captains may use this to hide loot.<BR>
<BR>
        No...  you have to remember that eletronic cash doesn't work well as<BR>
an idea in a commodities economy like the 3i.  Odds are that the ships's<BR>
safe has the payroll for the month, at least, in it...  if not the next<BR>
vessel payment.  You'd rather expect, as the Pirate opening it, to find at<BR>
least KCr15 in there for a Free Trader's crew salary.  So, if the bale of<BR>
Imperial cash in there wasn't in the right ball-park, it might resort in a<BR>
ship-wide search...  or everyone winding up in survival balls as the pilots<BR>
steal the ship to look it over at thier liesure...<BR>
<BR>
>Peez<BR>
><BR>
        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Michel R. Vaillancourt	misha@atlantic-online.ns.ca<BR>
				ICQ # 31172292<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:02:07 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: re:  Societal variation ramble (long) <BR>
<BR>
>From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
>Subject: Societal variation ramble (long) was Re: XBoat network<BR>
>routing<BR>
>David P. Summers wrote:<BR>
<BR>
[deletions not noted]<BR>
<BR>
>What happens is that most people don't recognize the somewhat<BR>
>schizophrenic nature of Trav society and tech as between what's<BR>
>local and what's distant. We have no experience with Trav time<BR>
>scales: communications moves at the speed of travel, but only<BR>
>on certain scales, whereas at others, (a fairly sharp gradient)<BR>
>it moves at the speed of light. It is interesting to speculate<BR>
>on how this would affect people socially.  <BR>
<BR>
>I suspect that it will make societies separated by parsecs much<BR>
>more different from each other than you get on a world with <BR>
>societies separated by instant communications. <BR>
<BR>
>The X-boat network to some extent, will moderate this somewhat,<BR>
>by providing a constant, albeit timelagged flow of information<BR>
>cross the Imperium...this might just be one reason why it was<BR>
>implemented in the first place...<BR>
<BR>
This is how I see things, too.  A large part of the information<BR>
flow carried around the Imperium consists of moving pictures and<BR>
spoken voices, whether in the form of news programs,<BR>
documentaries, drama, or whatever, so long as some Imperial<BR>
culture and language are constantly being disseminated<BR>
throughout the Imperium.   <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 21:08:04 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: X-Boat Tender<BR>
<BR>
At 09:06 AM 1/13/00 +1100, you wrote:<BR>
>>        It seemed fairly obvious to me that the tender is just that... a<BR>
>>tender...  of *course* it had an "oiler" operating with it.  I'd even be<BR>
>>willing to say there is a couple of fighters loitering around so important<BR>
>a<BR>
>>vessel in some systems.<BR>
>><BR>
>>        --Michel<BR>
><BR>
>    How accurate is the navigation on an x-boat anyway? I always assumed<BR>
>that tenders only went out to retrieve x-boats and brought them back to a<BR>
>base, if there's an x-boat route in a system there will be a base surely. I<BR>
>suspect the scout service would be likely to place bases further out than<BR>
>normal to minimise turn around time. By base I'm not referring to the<BR>
>classic scout base but some variety of hull in the 600 to 1500 ton range<BR>
>that could be evacuated by the navy in times of emergency.<BR>
>    Jim.<BR>
><BR>
        I dunno, Jim...  it depends what TU/ rules-set you use...  in CT,<BR>
its not really stated what happens if the Navigator or Pilot screw up their<BR>
rolls...  I've always house-ruled that it takes 15 minutes per try for the<BR>
Navigator to figure out the course;  he knows wether or not the numbers work<BR>
out, so he can keep trying until they succede...  <BR>
        The Pilot affects accuracy and arrival time...  default arrival is<BR>
120 diameters and 154 + 4D hours time.  If the pilot rolls a success, then<BR>
for every 1pt of success they take 1d diameters off the arrival distance and<BR>
1d hours off the time.  If they foo-foo, its the other way around.  A roll<BR>
of snake-eyes gives a DM1d/3 to mis-jump.<BR>
        So, if you go but my way of doing it, then seasoned XBoat pilots<BR>
will be arriving within line-tossing distance of the tender's expected<BR>
position.  Rookies will be all over the GD place requiring tugs or the<BR>
tender itself to go get them....<BR>
        <BR>
        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
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				ICQ # 31172292<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 12:05:36 +1100<BR>
From: "Hughes, Michael" <Michael.Hughes@cbr.defence.gov.au><BR>
Subject: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED OT - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
I know this is a dated topic, but as for the glue eating . . . <BR>
<BR>
In OZ we have Clag, which I believe is constructed along flour + water<BR>
lines. It's non-toxic.<BR>
<BR>
I ate it. <BR>
<BR>
A whole bottle.<BR>
<BR>
I was in grade ten. <BR>
<BR>
It was a dare. (A peer was also chowing on down, so I went along with it. He<BR>
was pretending the whole time.)<BR>
<BR>
Michael <BR>
<BR>
Ob Trav; The WBH handbook had a bunch of customs at the back which I think<BR>
included the eating of bizaroo foods. Oh the larks a GM can have when PCs<BR>
are presented with a local delicacy that to the uninitiated makes them want<BR>
to hurl. Some of the more exotic french cuisine springs to mind.<BR>
<BR>
On one world write up I had the custom of cannibalism. It was a ritual<BR>
symbolizing how in the early days of a failing colony, they had to<BR>
supplement the diet with human remains. The recently deceased would will a<BR>
small part of their anatomy (a tasteful part - ho ho) and those at the wake<BR>
would consume a sliver. It was considered an honour to be offered a bit.<BR>
<BR>
This in no way of course will detract from the fact I ate glue. <BR>
<BR>
Date:	Tue, 28 Dec 1999 13:54:43 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From:	Kiri Aradia Morgan <tiamat@tsoft.com <mailto:tiamat@tsoft.com> ><BR>
Subject:	disgusting habits<BR>
<BR>
On Tue, 28 Dec 1999, Jory Earl wrote:<BR>
> as to kids who chose that when they had food, all I can say is EWWWWW!  :)<BR>
> <BR>
There have been studies done on kids though and a lot of kids eat strange<BR>
things.  Kids eat dirt, kids eat paint (this is why you're not supposed to<BR>
put lead paint on walls), kids eat clay, kids eat paste (I know a LOT of<BR>
people who loved that white paste we used in Kindergarten),<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1736<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1737</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest    Wednesday, January 12 2000    Volume 1999 : Number 1737<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: Advice on worldmapping<BR>
Re: Pirates<BR>
CT/MT Chargen<BR>
Electronic Cash (was Re: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
Re: Pirates<BR>
Re: Ideas to ponder...<BR>
Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re: Fashion & Red Ties<BR>
Pirate Operations (was Re: Q-Ships)<BR>
Re: CT/MT Chargen<BR>
Re: Fashion & Red Ties<BR>
Re: CT/MT Chargen <BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1736<BR>
Re: Electronic Cash (was Re: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
Externalty Zones (Re: Ideas to ponder...)<BR>
Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 19:11:09 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Advice on worldmapping<BR>
<BR>
On 01/12/00 at 07:09 PM,  Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>John Osborne wrote:<BR>
>> Any advice the wise sages of TML could throw my way on worldmapping?<BR>
<BR>
>Stuart Ferris's _World Builder Deluxe_ program generates rough  world<BR>
>maps from UWPs and might be a useful starting point. I'll be using those<BR>
>maps for minor worlds (i.e. those I hadn't <BR>
>already mapped with pencil and paper) in my campaign.<BR>
<BR>
>If you'd rather do it from scratch, the guidelines in DGP's  _World<BR>
>Builder's Handbook_ (out of print, IIRC) or SJG's  _GT:First In_ are<BR>
>pretty good. Either one would be a good  investment for budding world<BR>
>builders -- in Traveller or  otherwise.<BR>
<BR>
Terralogicus, not sure of the website, generates very good world<BR>
maps, too.  Costs some money and isn't Traveller specific, but it is<BR>
good.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 21:13:23 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirates<BR>
<BR>
At 05:03 PM 1/12/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>Greetings,<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Not true.  Most small warships can do a fine job of killing pirates, but<BR>
would<BR>
>> make quite poor pirates because they have fairly high maintenance costs and<BR>
>> negligible cargo space.<BR>
><BR>
>A small warship would make for a good lead vessel in a pirate fleet. <BR>
>But, if I were a pirate, I'd see this as asking for trouble.  The wise<BR>
>pirate wants to keep a low profile.  You go on the account with any navy<BR>
>warship, the IN is goin' to be hot on your butt.  They won't rest until<BR>
>they've hunted you down.<BR>
><BR>
>Regards,<BR>
>John<BR>
><BR>
>*******************************************************<BR>
>"Them that die'll be the lucky ones."  Long John Silver<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
        I had *one* pirate "fleet" in my original TU...  the problem with it<BR>
as an idea was that its *too* big a strategic target.  A couple of pirates<BR>
in a system who hit a Type-A a month and really don't do alot of damage<BR>
except raise the commodities prices a bit before a well equipped<BR>
blockade-runner incinerates one of them isn't worth the hassle to the IN.<BR>
<BR>
        A 10 - 40 ship task group choking a trade route is a different<BR>
kettle of squill-fish.  I only ever allowed for 2 - 7 ship "Wolf Packs"<BR>
before a squadron of Type-T's was dispatched to deal with them. <BR>
<BR>
        I figure you're pretty much right on with your assessment.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
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	Michel R. Vaillancourt	misha@atlantic-online.ns.ca<BR>
				ICQ # 31172292<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 12:17:38 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: CT/MT Chargen<BR>
<BR>
    I'm generating a PC for MT and I have noted that it assumes that PCs<BR>
will only have one career in their lives, a very pre-'80s idea. Has anyone<BR>
developed rules for career changes during chargen in CT/MT?<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:17:16 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Electronic Cash (was Re: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
<BR>
Michel R. Vaillancourt previously wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>         No...  you have to remember that eletronic cash doesn't work well<BR>
as<BR>
> an idea in a commodities economy like the 3i.<BR>
<BR>
Why does electronic cash work well in economies like the 3I? We have the<BR>
technology today for a workable electronic cash system (Mondex -<BR>
www.mondex.com - most notably). As long as such a system has a common<BR>
currency, like Imperial Credits, why should it fail? I have always assumed<BR>
that after TL9 or TL10, virtually all cash is electronic, and that the<BR>
electronic cash extended to interplanetery commerce as well.<BR>
<BR>
The Mondex system is fairly sophisticated. You have low-value devices (smart<BR>
cards) to be used by consumers in day-to-day transactions, as well as<BR>
higher-value forms. For example, they have a buillion (spelling??) device<BR>
designed to be used only for large transfers between banks, say the Fed in<BR>
the US.<BR>
<BR>
I've used Mondex in Hong Kong. It's an interesting technology. They plan to<BR>
be fielding Mondex phones in the future. You plug your smart card into your<BR>
phone, dial up your bank, and transfer value from your bank account to your<BR>
card.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:18:51 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirates<BR>
<BR>
Greetings,<BR>
<BR>
 Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 14:17:53 -0800 (PST)<BR>
 From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
 Subject: Re: Pirates<BR>
> <BR>
> John Macek writes:<BR>
> <BR>
> > A small warship would make for a good lead vessel in a pirate fleet. <BR>
> <BR>
> Whoa...now we have a pirate fleet?  By 'small warship' I really mean any small<BR>
> dedicated military craft, not necessarily naval scale.<BR>
<BR>
That's cool with me.  IMTU, I doubt the IN would go out of their way to<BR>
track down smaller warships unless they had nothing better to do.<BR>
<BR>
Of course, we could have a pirate fleet if that's the sort of game we<BR>
wanted to play.<BR>
8^)<BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
*******************************************************<BR>
"Them that die'll be the lucky ones."  Long John Silver<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 19:17:54 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Ideas to ponder...<BR>
<BR>
On 01/12/00 at 07:12 PM,  shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) said:<BR>
<BR>
>> I've used the concept before in my Traveller games. When I did my origin<BR>
>> of the pirate band 'Webrunners' (originally created by Paranoid Press<BR>
>> for their Beyond sector) for my campaign, I made them a group of Free<BR>
>> Traders that got afoul of an interplanetary grouping due to 'changes' in<BR>
>> cargo legality and had to turn pirate to survive.<BR>
<BR>
>> In a campaign in the early 80's the Free Trader I was specialist<BR>
>> steward/gunner on captured a corsair that attempted to capture us. Upon<BR>
>> landing with our prize we were feted as heroes until port authority<BR>
>> descovered 'illegal' drugs in our cargo.  In the course of evading<BR>
>> capture with the help of friendly locals we discovered that the drugs<BR>
>> were made illegal the same day we landed.  And the pirate ship we<BR>
>> captured had been repaired and its crew released.  Further investigation<BR>
>> revealed that the pirates were allied with the planetary government.  We<BR>
>> barely escaped by having to steal a ship.<BR>
<BR>
Ah, so your "friendly locals" rigged it on you. <g> <BR>
<BR>
>Actually, you've just explained *why* all but the smallest ports are<BR>
>inside an "extrality" line, and thus *not* subject to planetary law. <BR>
<BR>
>Under "normal" Traveller rules, *with* extrality, you'd be informed that<BR>
>the drugs were illegal *by the port authorities* when you went to post<BR>
>them for sale or arrange for transporting them out of the port. <BR>
<BR>
Shadow, in this case I don't think it would have helped in this<BR>
case.  From the original explanation, the locals changed the law<BR>
post-facto for the sole reason of entrapping the merchants, thus<BR>
making them the criminals and the pirates they captured could claim<BR>
to have be "legally attempting to capture dangerous drug runners." <BR>
<BR>
I think the point here is to watch out for the hidden agendas of the<BR>
locals. <g><BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 12:23:37 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
>Michael<BR>
>Ob Trav; >On one world write up I had the custom of cannibalism. It was a<BR>
ritual<BR>
>symbolizing how in the early days of a failing colony, they had to<BR>
>supplement the diet with human remains. The recently deceased would will a<BR>
>small part of their anatomy (a tasteful part - ho ho) and those at the wake<BR>
>would consume a sliver. It was considered an honour to be offered a bit.<BR>
<BR>
    Can you imagine how high TL people who have carniculture, feel when<BR>
confronted by lower TL people harvesting meat "The Traditional Way." A new<BR>
crop of vegitarians are made every time I expect.<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:28:12 -0800<BR>
From: "Kelly St.Clair" <kellys@efn.org><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashion & Red Ties<BR>
<BR>
On Wed, 12 Jan 2000 09:29:01 +1000, david.d.jaques-watson@centrelink.gov.au<BR>
wrote:<BR>
>>As a single non-suit-wearing young liberal, who finds sales difficult or<BR>
>>even dishonest, I quickly decided it was not for me.<BR>
><BR>
>Ah, so you play a Scout, right?<BR>
<BR>
As a matter of fact, YES I DO. :)<BR>
<BR>
(Well, that or Navy.  I blame Star Trek.)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- --------------<BR>
Kelly St.Clair   "The Jigglypuff's trilling seems to have a <BR>
kellys@efn.org    tranquilizing effect on the human nervous system.<BR>
                  Fortunately, I am... immune..."<BR>
                            -- Mr. Spock, THE TROUBLE WITH POKEMON<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 21:31:06 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Pirate Operations (was Re: Q-Ships)<BR>
<BR>
At 10:11 AM 1/13/00 +1100, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>    I'm not too sure about taking prizes if your a pirate. I usually have<BR>
>NPC pirates immediatly jump outsystem after a raid or return to a local<BR>
>feature which would discourage pursuit.<BR>
<BR>
        That makes sense... stay ahead of the news.<BR>
<BR>
>    Siezing a ship seems like a way of letting the navy catch you, they are<BR>
>a bit hard to hide. <BR>
<BR>
        Not at all...  pick a moon, any moon...  Or in the outter system...<BR>
<BR>
>That said, a pirate with a few bad cruises under his<BR>
>belt might start getting desperate. A free trader sold at 1/10th of its<BR>
>worth will keep his ship above water for a while, <BR>
<BR>
        Chop shops.<BR>
        Board it, throw the crew and passengers "over board" and put a prize<BR>
crew on it.  Jump it and you out to a place where you have time to strip it<BR>
and sell the major components...  salvaging a computer and a jump-drive out<BR>
of a Type-A and selling them to a off-the-mains shipyard for a "steal of a<BR>
deal" price can be a good way to make money...  not to mention supplying<BR>
yourself and your mates with a source of repair parts.<BR>
<BR>
>maybe the PCs are hired to<BR>
>track the ship down? That innocous free treader could have been hauling<BR>
>(smuggling) something else that the pirates missed, illegal biowarfare<BR>
>organisms? Dangerous Ancient artifacts? Ancient and evil terran elevator<BR>
>music compilations?<BR>
<BR>
        Hmmm...  that would be an interesting twist.<BR>
<BR>
        [snip]<BR>
<BR>
>    Does anyones campaign have the close escorts run convoys into<BR>
>"questionable" systems? It may cost a bit but you can forget any pirate<BR>
>encounters.<BR>
>    Jim<BR>
><BR>
        IMTU, I have the destination system pay for the escorts...  they<BR>
know roughly where a group of ships will come out of jump and can put a<BR>
gunboat or two there for the trip into the main world.<BR>
<BR>
        The issue is wether or not the system can afford to permanently crew<BR>
a half-dozen escort ships...  in most  cases, the answer is no.  And the<BR>
Navy can't be everywhere...<BR>
        Normally a system that is having problems will hire a mercenary<BR>
squadron to handle the problem for a couple of months until the offenders<BR>
move on to easier grounds or are destroyed.  Its more cost effective that<BR>
way, particularly in the Frontier area.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Michel R. Vaillancourt	misha@atlantic-online.ns.ca<BR>
				ICQ # 31172292<BR>
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	    NET-City Communications....<BR>
	         Providing "Solutions for the Common Company"<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 21:38:05 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: CT/MT Chargen<BR>
<BR>
At 12:17 PM 1/13/00 +1100, you wrote:<BR>
>    I'm generating a PC for MT and I have noted that it assumes that PCs<BR>
>will only have one career in their lives, a very pre-'80s idea. Has anyone<BR>
>developed rules for career changes during chargen in CT/MT?<BR>
>    Jim.<BR>
><BR>
        I abducted someone else's idea for CT...  each career after your<BR>
first gains you a cumulative DM -1 on the enlistment roll...  you can only<BR>
apply to a given service once, one enlistment attempt takes six months.<BR>
<BR>
        It seems to work ok.  I neglected to note whose idea it was,<BR>
unfortunately.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Michel R. Vaillancourt	misha@atlantic-online.ns.ca<BR>
				ICQ # 31172292<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	    NET-City Communications....<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 12:45:27 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Fashion & Red Ties<BR>
<BR>
>>>As a single non-suit-wearing young liberal, who finds sales difficult or<BR>
>>>even dishonest, I quickly decided it was not for me.<BR>
>><BR>
>>Ah, so you play a Scout, right?<BR>
><BR>
>As a matter of fact, YES I DO. :)<BR>
>Kelly St.Clair<BR>
<BR>
    Hah! I'm a blue collar liberal who hates playing merchants too!<BR>
Money-grubbing penny-pinching slime-o's is my take on the merchant class,<BR>
one and all. The Scout service is an egalitarian outfit, no saluting for us.<BR>
The only time you see an IISS field guy showing respect is when someone has<BR>
decided to buy drinks.<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:45:39 -0700<BR>
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@ctaz.com><BR>
Subject: Re: CT/MT Chargen <BR>
<BR>
>     I'm generating a PC for MT and I have noted that it assumes that PCs<BR>
> will only have one career in their lives, a very pre-'80s idea. Has anyone<BR>
> developed rules for career changes during chargen in CT/MT?<BR>
<BR>
Try a regular enlistment roll with a negative DM for each term served in <BR>
another career.<BR>
<BR>
Worked for me...<BR>
<BR>
Keven<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
tc++ tm+ tn+ t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure<BR>
                                                     In Reavers' Deep<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 19:48:04 -0600<BR>
From: William Barnett-Lewis <wlewis@mailbag.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1736<BR>
<BR>
> And I understand you thoughts about writing and OT stuff. I<BR>
> occasionally wander OT when I need to blow a little steam.<BR>
<BR>
I think so. And I know that I, and yes YMMV, like a big bit of the OT jabber<BR>
after a long day at the real job...<BR>
 <BR>
> BITS related thoughts...<BR>
> <BR>
> 1) Would people prefer to see ACQ released before 101 Patrons, or<BR>
> both at the same time (later if this is so)?<BR>
<BR>
As soon as possible? I have not felt the _need_ to buy any bits items yet.<BR>
But that one I want _badly_.<BR>
 <BR>
> 2) Has anyone any feelings on whether they'd like to see more<BR>
> adventures like SpaceDogs and The Khiidkar Incident?<BR>
<BR>
Can't say about those two since I haven't read them. OTOH, I'd become "an<BR>
ethically challenged merchant" if that was what it took to get more like<BR>
"White Dwarf"... preferably distributed the same way...<BR>
 <BR>
> Dom<BR>
> <BR>
> - ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
> "We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
> can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
> http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/<BR>
<BR>
Thanks for all you've done, Dom.<BR>
<BR>
William<BR>
- -- <BR>
Live without fear; your Creator loves you     | William Barnett-Lewis<BR>
as a mother. Go in peace to follow the good   | mailto://wlewis@mailbag.com<BR>
road and may God's blessing be with           |<BR>
you always.                                   |<BR>
St. Claire                                    |<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 21:46:00 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash (was Re: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
<BR>
At 05:17 PM 1/12/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>Michel R. Vaillancourt previously wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>>         No...  you have to remember that eletronic cash doesn't work well<BR>
>as<BR>
>> an idea in a commodities economy like the 3i.<BR>
><BR>
>Why does electronic cash work well in economies like the 3I? We have the<BR>
>technology today for a workable electronic cash system (Mondex -<BR>
>www.mondex.com - most notably). As long as such a system has a common<BR>
>currency, like Imperial Credits, why should it fail? I have always assumed<BR>
>that after TL9 or TL10, virtually all cash is electronic, and that the<BR>
>electronic cash extended to interplanetery commerce as well.<BR>
>            <BR>
        [cool stuff about Mondex snipped]<BR>
<BR>
        One reason...  its *electronic*.  Which means, given sufficient<BR>
boredom time in Jumpspace, some Computer -8 yutz is going to *hack* the<BR>
authentication routine and figure out how to "counterfiet" the E-Cash card.<BR>
        <BR>
        With a commodities based economy, you have to have *something*...<BR>
be it gold bullion or a tank full of live Antarian Squill-fish.  You can't<BR>
counterfiet that...  it had to be made somewhere, and that is *good* for<BR>
the economy.  Which also, incidentally, makes piracy *possible*.  Pirates<BR>
don't work as a concept unless it is in someone's best economic interest to<BR>
purchase thier stolen commodities at a 50% mark-down, because then they can<BR>
put those commodities back into the economy for a profit.<BR>
<BR>
        E-Cash systems in something the size of even the TNEC millieu is<BR>
just asking for someone to quietly start adding an MCr here or there, which<BR>
is white-collar crime.  Which makes for lousy role-playing, too.<BR>
<BR>
        IMO, anyway.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
        (PS:  In Canada, Mondex is almost a dead technology...  debit cards<BR>
allow full demographic profiles of consumer activity to be established...<BR>
Mondex is like cash, and does not...)<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>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 19:55:40 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Externalty Zones (Re: Ideas to ponder...)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/12/00 at 07:19 PM,  shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) said:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>Actually, you've just explained *why* all but the smallest ports are<BR>
>inside an "extrality" line, and thus *not* subject to planetary law. <BR>
<BR>
Yes, I think you're right.  Ports without externalty (or Free Zones)<BR>
aren't going to be popular with shippers.<BR>
<BR>
>Under "normal" Traveller rules, *with* extrality, you'd be informed that<BR>
>the drugs were illegal *by the port authorities* when you went to post<BR>
>them for sale or arrange for transporting them out of the port. <BR>
<BR>
>If you *didn't* do either, then if the world had a customs check upon<BR>
>leaving the port, you'd get nailed for smuggling (which is why the port<BR>
>tries to "catch" such cargoes before that point. Less hassles). Or you<BR>
>might get away with delivering the goods and find out later. Like after<BR>
>the local police raid the guy you sold to and he tells them where he got<BR>
>the stuff. <BR>
<BR>
>So as long as you don't take the stuff from the port into the areas the<BR>
>planetary government has jurisdiction over, you are safe. <BR>
<BR>
Right.  The same applies to transshipment where a cargo is brought<BR>
in and dropped off to be picked up later by another ship which takes<BR>
it to another system.<BR>
<BR>
>This *is* different from current practice but given some incidents I've<BR>
>heard of in the last 10 years or so, I *could* see things changing. We've<BR>
>had folks who where travelling between two points where something was<BR>
>legal get arrested while making a plane change, because the "hub" that<BR>
>the airline *insisted* on routing them through was someplace where the<BR>
>item *wasn't* legal. <BR>
<BR>
>Sooner or later there's going to be a controversial, high profile case...<BR>
<BR>
>Anyway, if we had "extrality areas" at airports and seaports, it'd be<BR>
>possible for a plane carrying a load of, say, marijuana to land in the<BR>
>extrality area, refuel, and continue on to its destination, and the<BR>
>"local" authorities wouldn't be able to touch it. Of course, it'd better<BR>
>have left someplace whewre pot was legal and have a final destination<BR>
>where the same was true. <BR>
<BR>
Exactly, and I'm sure there *are* some free ports on Earth that work<BR>
like that.  I rather suspect that the US government would frown on<BR>
their existence, though. <g><BR>
<BR>
>I think "bonded warehouses" may be another development along these lines.<BR>
>As I understand it, if you place a cargo "under bond", you don't have to<BR>
>pay import duties on it. If someone in the country wants to buy it,<BR>
>*they* pay the bond. Or, it can be transferred to a later ship going<BR>
>somewhere else, and the duty is never paid because it was never<BR>
>"imported".<BR>
<BR>
>Obviously, this sort of arrangement doesn't net the host government a lot<BR>
>(the bonding fees aren't that big, though the amount you lose if violate<BR>
>the bond may be). But it makes shipping concerns a *lot* more interested<BR>
>in routing their shiups through your ports! Which *does* net the local<BR>
>government a lot of money.<BR>
<BR>
I think you can also have "sealed cargo" where the bond is forfeit if<BR>
the seal is broken before it arrives at the agreed to destination.<BR>
Something like that...<BR>
<BR>
A woman in an expensive suit approaches the PC's with cargo.  She<BR>
will pay 20,000 cr up front with another 30,000 guaranteed on<BR>
delivery if, and only if, the seal on the cargo container isn't<BR>
broken.  Sounds fine, right?  But are our PC's the paranoid sort<BR>
that simply *won't* be able to transport that cargo container<BR>
without taking a look? <g><BR>
<BR>
>I suspect that the old practice of "free ports" and "free cities" was<BR>
>similar. So I can see extrality happening. <BR>
<BR>
IMTU, there are Free Ports where any ship or cargo is perfectly<BR>
acceptable as long as the ship and/or its crew doesn't break any<BR>
local laws.  Yes, Cap'n Jack is branded a pirate by half a dozen<BR>
systems, but as long as he keeps the laws of Cathey he's welcome<BR>
there. <BR>
<BR>
>And it even make for some "interesting" scenarios. "Startown", or at<BR>
>least a good chunk of it, will be inside the line. And the port will not<BR>
>only make money from spacers wanting entertainment and other "services",<BR>
>but also from *locals* who may have interests that are illegal under<BR>
>local laws, but allowed in the "free zone". The local cops won't mind, as<BR>
>it makes keeping the places in *their* jurisdiction "clean" easy. And<BR>
>they can just keep an eye out for folks smuggling stuff out of the port.<BR>
<BR>
>Less chance of folks trying to *make* booze or drugs, or run hookers,<BR>
>illegal betting parlors, whatever if such are freely available in the<BR>
>port. <BR>
<BR>
>So the port provides someplace to push the "bad elements" into, as well<BR>
>as a safety valve letting locals "blow off steam". <BR>
<BR>
Ah, yes!  The old "Red Light" Districts.  They were a long standing<BR>
tradition, that worked, until the "reformers" cleaned up our morals.<BR>
<BR>
>I'm sure folks can come up with a lot of scenarios just from the above.<BR>
<BR>
>Now consider some other possibilities. Since everybody will be watching<BR>
>for stuff smuggled *through* the port, inventive types may approach PCs<BR>
>with schemes to try to sneak goods down to the planet (or up from the<BR>
>surface) *without* going thru the port. <BR>
<BR>
>Unless the PCs have a *big* tech advantage (over the *port*<BR>
>authorities, as well as the local governments) attempts to sneak a ship,<BR>
>or even a ship's boat past sensors aren't likely to work. <BR>
<BR>
>But something *smaller* might. Fake "meteors" released from the ship<BR>
>shortly after jump are one possibility. Dumping a well-stealthed package<BR>
>during atmospheric entry is another. <BR>
<BR>
In some systems, another technique that might work is using sun spot<BR>
activities and solar flares to mask drops of small packages (or<BR>
vehicles) from orbit.  I think the areas around magnetic poles would<BR>
be the best places for that.<BR>
<BR>
>Getting stuff *off*-planet seems a lot harder. Only thing I can think of<BR>
>would managing to get a sensor-invisible balloon into the outgoing path<BR>
>of a ship. Then, *maybe* with some luck, the ship could grab it on the<BR>
>way up. The big problem is making it invisible to the port and local<BR>
>authorities, but *visible* to the pickup ship. As well as getting it in<BR>
>the right place at the right time.<BR>
<BR>
Well, planets tend to be *big* places.  <g> IMTU, all but the<BR>
highest tech, most tightly controlled planets, are going to have<BR>
holes that can be exploited.  Ships and ship's boats can get down<BR>
and with good planning and luck can get back up without getting<BR>
caught.<BR>
<BR>
Take a high-flying air/raft crossing a remote desert (or ocean).  It<BR>
ejects a small buoyant cargo pod (CG) that floats up waiting for our<BR>
pickup ship to come flying by a few minutes later.  "Ping" goes the<BR>
ship, "Pong" goes the pod, and as fast as you can say "ping pong"<BR>
the pod is in the ship's hold.  Could the authorities twig the scam?<BR>
Sure, but if they aren't specifically looking for it, they aren't<BR>
going to see anything.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- --                          <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:01:31 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
Actually of the almost 200 Q-Ships used by the British & US in WW1, only<BR>
5 U-Boats were destroyed.  The Brits used Q-Ships again in WWII, but<BR>
abandoned as futile the effort by 1941.  America abandoned the effort<BR>
after 1942 having engaged 3 U-Boats no no damage, with 2 Q-Ships sunk.<BR>
<BR>
To expand on my idea of noticing anything out of the ordinary, there is<BR>
several ways.  One is energy output, with energy weapons, which is<BR>
pretty well negated if the Q-Ship operator is experienced and uses<BR>
missiles instead of lasers, fusion guns, or PAW's.  2 is experience of<BR>
the captain or combat officers aboard the corsair, and the level of<BR>
tactical skill they possess to make a good surmise (target level<BR>
formidable ) that they've being foxed.  3 being if the captain survived<BR>
a prior Q-Ship ambush in which case they'll shoot first away.<BR>
<BR>
A interesting use of Q-Ships I've used against my wife in Traveller was<BR>
having the Q-Ship arrive while her corsair was engaged with a<BR>
well-manned trader.  The Q-Ship sent a greetings over to the corsair,<BR>
started to fire on the trader, and when the pirates weren't paying<BR>
attention, the Q-Ship hit them with everything they could aim before the<BR>
pirate's sensor ops caught on. She and her crew escaped only by an<BR>
emergency jump.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> At 06:30 AM 1/11/00 -0600, you wrote:<BR>
> >The problem is that, the most logical target for corsairs are free<BR>
> >traders or small shipping concerns which can't afford Q-ships.<BR>
> <BR>
>         That's always been my take on it...  Pirates don't hang out in TL15<BR>
> Hi-Pop cross-roads that have a Naval Base and Scout Waystation....  <g><BR>
> <BR>
> >Also I<BR>
> >postulated in my CT campaign that many big shipping concerns will hire<BR>
> >corsairs against rivals, or at least pay them to leave their ships alone<BR>
> >and hit rival concerns.<BR>
> <BR>
>         In fact, in the AM:Vargr, the narrative in the back mentions Vargr<BR>
> Corsairs taking protection money to escort mega-corp convoys through Vargr<BR>
> space...  A rose, by any other name...<BR>
> <BR>
> >Q-ships, historically, haven't had much success, since they depend upon<BR>
> >surprise and getting the first shot in.<BR>
> <BR>
>         It depends on what you mean by "historically"...  they did sink<BR>
> U-Boats in WW2...  they depended on taking the first hit and then acting<BR>
> like they were abandoning ship...  when the U-Boat would close for the<BR>
> closer-range kill, the hidden cannon would come out and the brawl would<BR>
> start.  They were ususally loaded with timber in the cargo holds to allow<BR>
> them to take multiple water-line hits and still float....<BR>
> <BR>
>         The Q-Ship in Traveller, then, must mimic the behavior of a<BR>
> terrified merchant until such time as the pirate is commited to the<BR>
> engagement.  She must also be able to absorb damage capable of trashing a<BR>
> ship of her supposed class.  She must also be able to appear "greiveously<BR>
> wounded" regardless of her actual status.<BR>
>         A jump-marine detactment and pop-up fusion-gun turrets are a<BR>
> minimum.  Heavy armor belt and high EP and G ratings are a must.<BR>
> Exterior-mounted "damage" boxes which can be exploded to release hunks of<BR>
> metal, atmosphere, and "fuel" to fake engineering hits would be good, too.<BR>
> A 20-ton, 6-G missile armed fighter in the "cargo bay" would also be a nice<BR>
> ace up the sleeve.<BR>
> <BR>
> >If the pirate or raiders notices<BR>
> >anything out of the ordinary that may not be possible.<BR>
> <BR>
>         If you have "Star Trek" sensors yes.  IMTU, at TL11, no...  you know<BR>
> what shape it is, what tonnage it it, what color it is, what its ELINT<BR>
> profile is, and *maybe* what it is armed with.<BR>
> <BR>
> >Also in my mileu<BR>
> >pirates depend to use surprise and usually fire first, knocking out the<BR>
> >powerplant or jump drives preferrably.<BR>
> <BR>
>         See my comments above.<BR>
> <BR>
> >Also it's a modus operandi to<BR>
> >find out all the secrets of potential targets. Even if a Q-ship is<BR>
> >successul, it WILL itself the target of corsair countermeasures, most<BR>
> >probably when in dock.<BR>
> <BR>
>         Q-Ships, by definition, will only operate in systems with a known<BR>
> piracy problem.  You may well assume that Intel Ops performed by whoever is<BR>
> sending the Q-Ship in will have identified wether or not the port is "Safe"<BR>
> for the Q-Ship or wether she will have to function autonomously.<BR>
> <BR>
> >darkhstarr<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 #1737<BR>
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Traveller-digest    Wednesday, January 12 2000    Volume 1999 : Number 1738<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: Boarding Actions (longish)<BR>
Re: Externalty Zones (Re: Ideas to ponder...)<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1737<BR>
Re: Electronic Cash <BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
On Line MT<BR>
Re: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
RE: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
Re: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
Re: CT/MT Chargen<BR>
Ranges (was RE: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
Re: Boarding Actions<BR>
Re: Ranges (was RE: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
Carnoculture (was Re: KFC)<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:08:23 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding Actions (longish)<BR>
<BR>
I posted a small, probably incomplete primer on my Traveller website,<BR>
High Tortuga Piracy in the Far Future at<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/darkhstarr/index.html<BR>
Also is my development of Webrunners and Dark Goddesses, from Paranoid<BR>
Press' excellent Beyond supplement.  Excuse the clutter, it's still a<BR>
work in progress, I'm a card-carrying chaotic.<BR>
<BR>
darkhstarr<BR>
<BR>
Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Phil Kitching writes:<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
> >Also, if the merchant is loaded and the corsair is transporting<BR>
> >vacuum, the corsair will have a speed advantage, even though<BR>
> >both are nominally 1G.<BR>
> <BR>
>         Do we really want to go there?<BR>
> <BR>
> >Ha! I finally found the CT corsair "design" It's a hijacked<BR>
> >X-boat tender (1,000dT, 600dT bay for ships).<BR>
> <BR>
>         This is one vessel that is mentioned, along with the 400-ton<BR>
>         type P corsair (apparently design specifically for the job),<BR>
>         the 100-ton type S scout (presumably because it is common,<BR>
>         rather than because it is well-suited to the task), and the<BR>
>         happy fun ball)<BR>
> <BR>
> >The merchants might think it is coming to *their* aid or it might<BR>
> >be requesting that the merchants take a cargo down to the planet.<BR>
> <BR>
>         Under the right circumstances, this might be a good approach.<BR>
>         One pirate attacks the merchant using a type S, the other<BR>
>         comes to the rescue in a Fast Trader and "drives off" the<BR>
>         type S, then stops to aid the damaged merchant...<BR>
> <BR>
> <snipped><BR>
> >However, an X-boat tender with 8 x 50dT heavy fighters should<BR>
> >surprise a few people.<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
> <BR>
>         Even a type Y yacht can be useful, with a triple turret and<BR>
>         pinnace.<BR>
> <BR>
>         So, what other pirate tactics are there?  I would love to have<BR>
>         a Piracy 101 handbook.  When I first ran Traveller, my pirates<BR>
>         got squashed by PCs that spotted some obvious weaknesses in<BR>
>         my pirates' tactics.  Approaches have to vary with the<BR>
>         situation, and should be varied to keep merchants guessing.<BR>
>         Here are a couple of mine:<BR>
> <BR>
> Situation: No patrol nearby, merchant is outgunned and unable to<BR>
> escape.<BR>
> Step 1: accelerate towards merchant, contact merchant and demand surrender<BR>
> (explain that the ship and crew, as well as passengers, will not be harmed<BR>
> if they do not resist)<BR>
> IF THE MERCHANT SURRENDERS<BR>
>         Step 2: instruct the crew to stabilize the ship (no spin)<BR>
>         and have all passengers and crew don vacc suits and step<BR>
>         outside without weapons<BR>
>         Step 3: approach slowly, counting vacc suits (try to make<BR>
>         sure that they are all occupied), keep an eye on them as<BR>
>         the ship docks<BR>
>         Step 4: secure the merchant, watch the vacc suits, keep a<BR>
>         guard at the docking, loot the merchant<BR>
>         Step 5: bring the vacc suits back on board, one by one<BR>
>         (passengers first), and search them for valuables<BR>
>         Step 6: leave<BR>
> IF THE MERCHANT RESISTS<BR>
>         Step 2: open fire, continue closing but concentrate fire on<BR>
>         incoming missiles when necessary, until merchant's power<BR>
>         plant is down<BR>
>         Step 3: cease fire and approach quickly, but open fire<BR>
>         again if power plant comes on again, stop 50 m away (in<BR>
>         a possession to shoot power plant out, but not in range of<BR>
>         merchant's weapons)<BR>
>         Step 4: send pirates EVA to secure an airlock (possibly<BR>
>         banging on several airlocks to spread defenses thin),<BR>
>         dock at the secured airlock<BR>
>         Step 5: secure the merchant, keep a guard at the docking,<BR>
>         loot the merchant (including the crew and passengers)<BR>
>         Step 6: leave<BR>
> Vindictive pirates may wish to punish merchants that resist.<BR>
> <BR>
> Comments?  Suggestions?  Alternate tactics?<BR>
> <BR>
> Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:15:36 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Externalty Zones (Re: Ideas to ponder...)<BR>
<BR>
<SNIP><BR>
>I think you can also have "sealed cargo" where the bond is forfeit if<BR>
>the seal is broken before it arrives at the agreed to destination.<BR>
>Something like that...<BR>
><BR>
>A woman in an expensive suit approaches the PC's with cargo.  She<BR>
>will pay 20,000 cr up front with another 30,000 guaranteed on<BR>
>delivery if, and only if, the seal on the cargo container isn't<BR>
>broken.  Sounds fine, right?  But are our PC's the paranoid sort<BR>
>that simply *won't* be able to transport that cargo container<BR>
>without taking a look? <g><BR>
<SNIP<BR>
>Eris<BR>
<BR>
    Actually, all containers are shipped sealed. The consignment note has<BR>
the seal number noted on it., customs reseals and notes the change of seal<BR>
on the consignment note. There is a copy of the consignment note stuck to<BR>
the inside of the right door of the container and the reciever checks the<BR>
goods against his copy of the con note and then checks the shipping con note<BR>
against his own as well. Many containers have the air evacuated from them<BR>
prior to shipping as well.<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:23:13 -0600<BR>
From: William Barnett-Lewis <wlewis@mailbag.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1737<BR>
<BR>
on 1/12/00 8:07 PM, Traveller-digest at<BR>
owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> ------------------------------<BR>
> <BR>
> Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:28:12 -0800<BR>
> From: "Kelly St.Clair" <kellys@efn.org><BR>
> Subject: Re: Fashion & Red Ties<BR>
> <BR>
> On Wed, 12 Jan 2000 09:29:01 +1000, david.d.jaques-watson@centrelink.gov.au<BR>
> wrote:<BR>
>>> As a single non-suit-wearing young liberal, who finds sales difficult or<BR>
>>> even dishonest, I quickly decided it was not for me.<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Ah, so you play a Scout, right?<BR>
> <BR>
> As a matter of fact, YES I DO. :)<BR>
> <BR>
> (Well, that or Navy.<BR>
<BR>
< I blame Star Trek.) ><BR>
<BR>
Arghhh!<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> - --------------<BR>
> Kelly St.Clair   "The Jigglypuff's trilling seems to have a<BR>
> kellys@efn.org    tranquilizing effect on the human nervous system.<BR>
> Fortunately, I am... immune..."<BR>
> -- Mr. Spock, THE TROUBLE WITH POKEMON<BR>
> <BR>
> ------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Damn. A scout in RL and in T(1 - 6)... I just granted you 4.0 keyboard<BR>
points... Now where did I put that rag...<BR>
<BR>
William<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
PS. Been there, done that, member of the DSA...<BR>
- -- <BR>
Live without fear; your Creator loves you     | William Barnett-Lewis<BR>
as a mother. Go in peace to follow the good   | mailto://wlewis@mailbag.com<BR>
road and may God's blessing be with           |<BR>
you always.                                   |<BR>
St. Claire                                    |<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:23:27 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash <BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Why does electronic cash work well in economies like the 3I? We have the<BR>
>         One reason...  its *electronic*.  Which means, given sufficient<BR>
> boredom time in Jumpspace, some Computer -8 yutz is going to *hack* the<BR>
> authentication routine and figure out how to "counterfiet" the E-Cash<BR>
card.<BR>
><BR>
>         With a commodities based economy, you have to have *something*...<BR>
> be it gold bullion or a tank full of live Antarian Squill-fish.  You can't<BR>
> counterfiet that...  it had to be made somewhere, and that is *good* for<BR>
> the economy.  Which also, incidentally, makes piracy *possible*.  Pirates<BR>
> don't work as a concept unless it is in someone's best economic interest<BR>
to<BR>
> purchase thier stolen commodities at a 50% mark-down, because then they<BR>
can<BR>
> put those commodities back into the economy for a profit.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
I'm sure that someone with deep pockets can hack any piece of hardware. But<BR>
perhaps not economically. If you can forge a few hundred Credits by hacking<BR>
a smart card, but it costs a few million in Credits in fancy electronics to<BR>
pull it off, most people will not be doing it. I always assumed that the<BR>
tamper-resistant hardware (hardware is much harder to hack than software,<BR>
which is why all cryptographic keys used in banking today must be stored in<BR>
hardware) which protected the electronic cash in the 3I was the maximum TL<BR>
the banks could get ahold of, probably cutting-edge TL15 stuff. Thus, unless<BR>
you are at a comparable TL, it's probably not feasible to hack it. In<BR>
addition, all of the electronic cash schemes in use today have mechanisms in<BR>
place to roll over from Version N to Version N+1 periodically so that any<BR>
exploitation which may have been done against the previous version will no<BR>
longer work.<BR>
<BR>
I'm sure that some hacking of the electronic cash system will occur. Much<BR>
like our credit card system today experiences some degree of fraud. The<BR>
parties involved (banks, merchants, etc) will just write it off as a cost of<BR>
doing business.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:27:23 -0800<BR>
From: "Kelly St.Clair" <kellys@efn.org><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
On Wed, 12 Jan 2000 08:45:47, "Douglas E. Berry"<BR>
<gridlore@pop.mindspring.com> wrote:<BR>
>Also, you have the infamous TML Black Hole of Quality, in which anything<BR>
>really good is sucked onto the hard drives of the readers, vanishing from<BR>
>the list forever.  I've dropped some of my best work ever on this list, and<BR>
>never gotten a response.  No biggie, I'm not here for the ego boost, I'm<BR>
>hear to discuss Traveller and any related topic with interesting people<BR>
>from across the planet.<BR>
<BR>
Exactly.  I'm a lurker, here and elsewhere, simply because I rarely feel I<BR>
have much to say.  Mostly I just sit back and scroll through, letting it<BR>
all wash over me; saving the good stuff in my mailbox or to a text file,<BR>
deleting the bad.  If something really grabs me, I might toss off a quick<BR>
letter to the poster or the list, like this one.  Otherwise I remain<BR>
submerged, with only my periscope showing...<BR>
<BR>
I believe that I *am* the Silent Majority.  <BR>
<BR>
Now, I also know that as a sometimes-writer, I want -- nay, CRAVE --<BR>
feedback and approval.  As Doug says, I'm afraid you can't count on getting<BR>
that here.  Most quality posts are met with little more than an invisible<BR>
smile and nod, or sometimes a *splort* (something I've never awarded, as I<BR>
haven't gone past about 2 or 3 on the newly adopted scale.  I guess my<BR>
nostrils are made of sterner stuff), or saved for later reading/use.<BR>
<BR>
Also -- while I'm not sure this will persuade you to stay, consider that we<BR>
are fortunate in that most members of THIS online community seem to be of<BR>
mature age, both chronologically and mentally.  Perhaps it's a sign of my<BR>
own prejudices, but I can't stand those forums which seem to be dominated<BR>
by arrogant, demanding teenagers.  The TML may be high-volume, but at least<BR>
it's civil.<BR>
<BR>
If it's the high-volume part that you find dismaying, all I can say is:<BR>
welcome to the modern Net.  Long ago, I gave up on being able to read all<BR>
of the newsgroups I was interested in in the free time I had (and this was<BR>
back in 1991 or so, when Canter and Siegel's lone green-card-lottery spam<BR>
was an unprecedented thing that produced SHOCK and OUTRAGE!).  The Net has<BR>
made it possible for one person to access more information than is POSSIBLE<BR>
for them to process, even if they were online 24-7.<BR>
<BR>
I remember when there was one TML digest a day.  Sometimes two.  Now it's<BR>
routine for me to get at least four.  You can try to drink from that<BR>
firehose... or you can relax and let the stream carry you along.<BR>
<BR>
I do hope you decide to stay.  (If nothing else, it was important enough to<BR>
rouse me from my hippo-slumber just below the surface and post this.)  I'm<BR>
of two minds on the issue:  I've gone to virtual places looking for<BR>
on-topic discussion and found community, one I was not part of, and been<BR>
discouraged.  But I also feel that because we are social animals, the<BR>
formation of communities that talk about more than just one on-charter<BR>
subject is inevitable.<BR>
<BR>
Whatever your choice, I wish you luck on finding a community that suits you.<BR>
<BR>
"But trust me on the sunscreen."<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- --------------<BR>
Kelly St.Clair   "The Jigglypuff's trilling seems to have a <BR>
kellys@efn.org    tranquilizing effect on the human nervous system.<BR>
                  Fortunately, I am... immune..."<BR>
                            -- Mr. Spock, THE TROUBLE WITH POKEMON<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:32:33 -0600<BR>
From: William Barnett-Lewis <wlewis@mailbag.com><BR>
Subject: On Line MT<BR>
<BR>
Hello all,<BR>
If the gentle being who has the electronic copy of MT would contact me, at<BR>
my email of wlewis@mailbag.com I would greatly appreciate it.<BR>
- -- <BR>
Thank you very much,<BR>
<BR>
William<BR>
<BR>
Live without fear; your Creator loves you     | William Barnett-Lewis<BR>
as a mother. Go in peace to follow the good   | mailto://wlewis@mailbag.com<BR>
road and may God's blessing be with           |<BR>
you always.                                   |<BR>
St. Claire                                    |<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:42:05 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
<BR>
On 01/12/00 at 08:28 PM,  "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net> said:<BR>
<BR>
>The thing that continues to kill these is the fact that they are web<BR>
>based and load too slowly.  A news group is a very efficient way to look<BR>
>at the messages.  Folks can quickly gather the messages and read them<BR>
>off-line. <BR>
<BR>
That's not my experience, Swordy.  I find mailing lists to be much<BR>
more efficient than newsgroups.  I go online, my mail is waiting, I<BR>
download it while sending messages, and then go offline for reading<BR>
and replying to messages I've gathered.  With newsgroups, I have to<BR>
stay online to read the darn things.  Okay, I'm sure I could find a<BR>
way to dl the newsgroups for reading offline, but with my client<BR>
software it's not an easy thing to do.<BR>
<BR>
>Also, since several different groups can be started, more than<BR>
>one group of Traveller folks will be nosing around through the<BR>
>threads.   <BR>
<BR>
So, why not run listserv or majordomo and host several mailing<BR>
lists, each focused on some specified topic?<BR>
<BR>
>BTW, have you ever seen the Pyramid news groups?  The traffic there is<BR>
>quite high even though they have a $15 per year subscription fee.  The<BR>
>number of posts jumped significantly when they went from strictly a web<BR>
>board to the news server format.<BR>
<BR>
Oh, sure the newsgroup model is *much* better than the web board,<BR>
but IMO, neither is as good as a mailing list.  Am I a lonely voice<BR>
crying in the wilderness on this too? <g><BR>
<BR>
>all of the various Onelist and eGroups lists.  With the ability to<BR>
>archive by threads rather than digests, I think the long-term usefulness<BR>
>of the setup could eventually make the mailing list version obsolete<BR>
>(sacrilege!). YMMV.<BR>
<BR>
Man!  YM *really* does V, in this case.  AFAIC, newsgroups are the<BR>
PITA that I'd rather avoid.  I don't entirely avoid them, but I<BR>
would prefer to do so. <BR>
<BR>
>The best thing about it, though, may be having a bunch of different lists<BR>
>all in one place.  There could be a general TML-style, combined<BR>
>discussion group.  Then there could be groups for each set of rules,<BR>
>groups for culture or off-color threads and a marketplace group for<BR>
>auctions and trades.  We could have a group for play test of T5 and one<BR>
>for postings of local games and IRC / PBeM games looking for players (and<BR>
>vice versa).  Like I said, the SJGames news server is my model.  It has<BR>
>been very successful.  With so many flavors of Traveller in one place<BR>
>there can be good cross-pollination, too.<BR>
<BR>
You could do the same thing with your own private mailing lists.  It<BR>
appears that you don't like them.  Why?  <BR>
<BR>
Please understand, I like the concept, but I don't like your<BR>
proposed implementation.  <shrug><BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 21:00:07 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: RE: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
On 01/12/00 at 08:54 PM,  "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>> No.  For the sole reason that Terry Austin would cross post <BR>
>> into it and spread his interminable "look at me, I'm an asshole"<BR>
>> flame wars into it.<BR>
<BR>
If nobody played Terry's reindeer games, he'd stop.  Of course,<BR>
somebody always rises to the bait.  <sigh> I have to wade through<BR>
90% garbage in any of the rec.frp newsgroups to find the 1% of<BR>
interesting things out of the 10% on-topic articles.  <double sigh><BR>
And I have to do my weeding on-line. <triple sigh><BR>
<BR>
>And not forgetting Leroy and Clif!<BR>
<BR>
No, they aren't the same sort of thing.  They tended to be mostly<BR>
on-topic, just objectionable in one way or another.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 21:03:25 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
On 01/12/00 at 09:00 PM,  "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net> said:<BR>
<BR>
>C'mon Doug, THREE new BITS products came out last week.  I have reviewed<BR>
>two of them here and it generated a grand total of seven posts between<BR>
>them.  I was going to write a post about the Khiidkar Incident, but I was<BR>
>too discouraged to bother.<BR>
<BR>
I appreciated them Swordy.  Look, I did a mini-review of "The Lost<BR>
Keith Supplements" a few weeks ago and it dropped into the<BR>
well-known TML blackhole.  Heck, I've come to think that if no one<BR>
says *anything* that's the highest praise possible from us.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 22:18:34 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
<BR>
> That's not my experience, Swordy.  I find mailing lists to be much<BR>
> more efficient than newsgroups.  I go online, my mail is waiting, I<BR>
> download it while sending messages, and then go offline for reading<BR>
> and replying to messages I've gathered.<BR>
<BR>
I was comparing them to web based forums in that example.<BR>
<BR>
> So, why not run listserv or majordomo and host several mailing<BR>
> lists, each focused on some specified topic?<BR>
<BR>
They die horrible deaths.  People delete their mail and lose the threads.<BR>
There are plenty already.<BR>
<BR>
> Oh, sure the newsgroup model is *much* better than the web board,<BR>
> but IMO, neither is as good as a mailing list.  Am I a lonely voice<BR>
> crying in the wilderness on this too? <g><BR>
<BR>
It was the "Mail Box Full" syndrome I was trying to address.<BR>
<BR>
> You could do the same thing with your own private mailing lists.  It<BR>
> appears that you don't like them.  Why?<BR>
<BR>
I belong to five Traveller mailing lists and a dozen others.  I discard<BR>
200-400 email messages each day.  I see good, thoughtful threads die while<BR>
knee-jerk flame fests and sex joke *splort* threads drone on.  Threading in<BR>
news groups better allows busy, fade in and out folks to keep up on good<BR>
threads and ignore everything else.<BR>
<BR>
> Please understand, I like the concept, but I don't like your<BR>
> proposed implementation.  <shrug><BR>
<BR>
What can I say, most of my ideas are half-baked, the rest aren't even worth<BR>
putting on a cookie sheet.<BR>
<BR>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>
Colin Michael, WebDev<BR>
www.downport.com<BR>
The Traveller Domain<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 19:21:23 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Re: CT/MT Chargen<BR>
<BR>
Jim &/or Peta Lawrie:<BR>
> <BR>
>     I'm generating a PC for MT and I have noted that it assumes that PCs<BR>
> will only have one career in their lives, a very pre-'80s idea. Has anyone<BR>
> developed rules for career changes during chargen in CT/MT?<BR>
<BR>
After a character leaves a service/career for any reason, I allow <BR>
them to attempt enlistment in any other service/career. I apply a <BR>
- -1 DM to the Enlistment roll per 4 years of age after 18. <BR>
<BR>
CT Supplement 4: Citizens of the Imperium makes this work a lot <BR>
better (more options); changes across military services are kinda <BR>
rare in the real world, though I do allow them IMTU.<BR>
<BR>
One thing I was thinking about this morning was the possibility of<BR>
changing from, say, Navy to Noble. Some members of the English <BR>
Royal family have done this, of course, but someone who didn't <BR>
have a high enough Social Standing at age 18 could get a +1 Soc<BR>
in the service, come out and join the nobility. <BR>
<BR>
If a failed survival roll yields an injury and discharge rather<BR>
than death in YTU, that's a good time to change careers; both<BR>
R.A.H. and my housemate James injured out of the Navy and chose<BR>
nonmilitary careers as followups. A well-rounded individual who<BR>
has had both military and civilian experience makes for a very<BR>
good Traveller IMO.<BR>
<BR>
- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 21:31:50 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Ranges (was RE: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/12/00 at 09:23 PM,  Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca> said:<BR>
<BR>
>>First, get to weapons range...  I use CT, so I go with 25Mm - 50Mm<BR>
>>for long, 5Mm - 25Mm for short and <5Mm for point blank.  Usually<BR>
>>deception is the prefered way of achieving this step.<BR>
<BR>
>	Isn't 50 Mm pretty close range?  I'm assuming 1 Mm = 10^6 m,<BR>
>	so 50 Mm = 31.25" (1" = 1,000 miles as per LBB 2).  Isn't<BR>
>	0-50" the closest range category for missile fire?<BR>
<BR>
Hum, correct me if I have this wrong.<BR>
<BR>
50 million meters = 50,000 km, or in TNE terms less than 2 hexes, so<BR>
IYTU...<BR>
<BR>
Long Range is  50 Kkm to 25 Kkm, or about 1 to 2 BL hexes,<BR>
Short Range is 25 Kkm to 5 Kkm,  or basically 0 BL hexes,<BR>
and Point Blank Range is sitting in the other ship's lap.<BR>
<BR>
That's awfully short ranged, isn't it?<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 21:45:47 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
Most trader captains would heave to, but one has to think of the company<BR>
or home government policy.  A good example is WWI, where the British<BR>
made a big issue of the enemy obeying the 'cruiser rules', where the<BR>
raider (in the case of subs) surfaces and orders the victim to heave to.<BR>
Uarmed merchantmen according to the cruiser rules, were to heave to and<BR>
surrender to said raider.  In reality, the Admiralty issued orders that<BR>
unarmed merchantmen were to use their vessels to ram said raider and<BR>
sink them.  I assume that some hard-nosed governments in the Traveller<BR>
universe would issue similar orders.<BR>
<BR>
Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Wayne Ewart writes:<BR>
> >1. Pirate have insider at starport (if pirate clan large enough,<BR>
> >insiders at a number of starports) to pass intel on ship cargo/<BR>
> >number of people(crew/passengers/low berth)/number and types of<BR>
> >weapons.<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
> <BR>
>         This would be crucial to large-scale piracy organizations,<BR>
>         and would also include spotting valuable cargo, rich<BR>
>         passengers, etc., but independant corsairs might have to<BR>
>         do without.<BR>
> <BR>
> >2. Pirates intercept ship and start haling ship (telling ship to<BR>
> >stop and prepare for boarding or be fired on)<BR>
> >3. If ship stops see below. If ship doesn't stop, fire a shot<BR>
> >across the bow to make it stop. If ship stops see below. If ship<BR>
> >doesn't stop keep firing at know Eng.. spaces to disable the ship.<BR>
> <BR>
>         Us CT types have to just shoot and hope that engineering<BR>
>         gets hit.  Which brings up another point: what is the<BR>
>         prefered weaponry for a corsair?  Any canon pirates that I<BR>
>         have seen were equiped with lasers, but missiles (at least,<BR>
>         according to LBB2) are better at hitting engineering.<BR>
> <BR>
> >4. Once the ship is stopped (willingly or by being disabled) send<BR>
> >over boarding party (min. 10 pers with skills to operate ship) all<BR>
> >in vacc suits with grav belts/power armor.<BR>
> <BR>
>         The typical pirate IMTU cannot afford a grav belt, but it<BR>
>         would be nice.  YMMV.<BR>
> <BR>
> <snipped><BR>
> >6. If ship is not to be claimed. Pirates destroy all weapons<BR>
> >control/communications systems are fall back in groups of two to air<BR>
> >lock and leave ship<BR>
> <BR>
>         I could see taking measures to eliminate any danger of being<BR>
>         shot on the way out, but why would they shoot then if they<BR>
>         didn't on the way in?  Causing MCr of damage as you leave is<BR>
>         a good way to encourage merchants to fight back in future.<BR>
> <BR>
> <snipped><BR>
> >a. it is my believe that most ships would stop after the first<BR>
> >shot across the bow, comply with the demands of the pirates,<BR>
> >and write off the loss of cargo (insured for pirates). A PCs ship<BR>
> >would behave as per the plays role-playing<BR>
> <BR>
>         I agree that most merchants would heave to, depending on<BR>
>         the situation (value of the cargo, financial situation of<BR>
>         the master, aggressiveness of the captain, apparent or<BR>
>         reputed capability of the pirate, insurance, etc.  Is<BR>
>         piracy insurance likely to be feasable for freetraders<BR>
>         visiting backwaters?<BR>
> <BR>
> Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 23:51:46 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Ranges (was RE: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
<BR>
At 09:31 PM 1/12/00 -0600, you wrote:<BR>
>Hum, correct me if I have this wrong.<BR>
><BR>
>50 million meters = 50,000 km, or in TNE terms less than 2 hexes, so<BR>
>IYTU...<BR>
><BR>
>Long Range is  50 Kkm to 25 Kkm, or about 1 to 2 BL hexes,<BR>
>Short Range is 25 Kkm to 5 Kkm,  or basically 0 BL hexes,<BR>
>and Point Blank Range is sitting in the other ship's lap.<BR>
><BR>
>That's awfully short ranged, isn't it?<BR>
><BR>
>Eris<BR>
<BR>
        Hi, Eris, yeah, it is...<BR>
        <BR>
        I realized that when I was yacking with Ian...  the issue was my<BR>
first CT ref dropping a zero when calculating scales...  we all thought<BR>
thats what the CT range mods were...  turns out the right numbers are 500kkm<BR>
and 250kkm...  I've been doing it "wrong" now for about 15 years.  <grin><BR>
<BR>
        At 20kps, which seems to be a "typical" celestial speed I keep<BR>
seeing bandied about here on the TML, that works out to a much more<BR>
reasonable 3-and-change hour transit time from the close edge of long range<BR>
to docked.  <BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
        (space just got bigger!)<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>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 22:09:28 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Carnoculture (was Re: KFC)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/12/00 at 09:38 PM,  "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>>Well there are ample references in SF to 'carniculture tanks'. To my 20th<BR>
>century e-x biochemist's way of thinking, this implies some sort of<BR>
>tissue culturing, so all you get is the good bits without all the rest.<BR>
>Whether you get something like hamburger or steaks, I think, would be up<BR>
>to the TL, and how you (in YTU) have them work.<BR>
<BR>
>I would think you'd get muscle tissue.  Whether it ends up being steak,<BR>
>roast or hamburger depends upon how you prepare it after harvesting.  (I<BR>
>can tell someone out there doesn't cook a lot.)  <BR>
<BR>
Well, there is muscle tissue and then there is *muscle* tissue.<BR>
Would what you harvested be muscle tissue like you get from a cow, a<BR>
chicken, a fish, an earthworm, or would something else entirely?<BR>
The look, feel, texture could range anywhere from soft pasty patte,<BR>
to rubbery grey mystery meat.  <g><BR>
<BR>
IMTU, the simplest carnoculture (lowest TL, cheapest systems)<BR>
produce output with the consistance of well ground meat.  It's good<BR>
for sausages, fillings, and cooking in dishes, but can't minic a<BR>
steak or a leg of lamb.  <BR>
<BR>
At slightly higher TL's more expensive systems can post process the<BR>
"raw protein" into passable imitations of ground beef, chicken,<BR>
lamb, fish or whatever.  <BR>
<BR>
At still higher TL's the protein is made to grow in long strands, ie<BR>
like real muscle tissue, and the imitations to various types of meat<BR>
are close enough to fool most people.  What it lacks is the proper<BR>
fatty marbling, bones, oils and cartlege of the real thing.  It's<BR>
good, but it takes a slightly different type of cooking to get the<BR>
best results.<BR>
<BR>
Finally, you reach the level where you actually grow legs of lamb,<BR>
hunches of beef, or pork complete with bone, cartlege and even skin.<BR>
This is less effecient, but produces the best result when harvested<BR>
and cooked.<BR>
<BR>
>I would think that since<BR>
>it would not be muscle that had been exercised much, it would be tender,<BR>
>so you wouldn't get a lot of the types of meat that require slow cooking.<BR>
>Fortunately, since tender meats are best eaten rare to medium-rare, there<BR>
>would be little biological contamination of the E.coli variety.<BR>
<BR>
Well, once you get to long strand tissue I think part of the process<BR>
would be electrical stimulation to exercise the muscle.  You would<BR>
want to firm up the product at least a little.<BR>
<BR>
>(Kiri, who hates well-done meat, is now thinking longingly about<BR>
>lunch...)<BR>
<BR>
Personally, I like my meat burnt.  What most people call well-done,<BR>
I call a good start. <g><BR>
<BR>
>>FWIW, we're close, here and now, to being able to grow muscles, and other<BR>
>recognizable body parts, so I'd suspect in a TL or three we'll be able to<BR>
>dial in whether you want rump roast, prime rib or filet.<BR>
<BR>
With the proper programming, of course, but you could have a<BR>
situation where variety isn't as easy to come by.  Just wait until<BR>
you are on a 6 week trip with nothing to eat 3 meals at day but<BR>
chicken...no matter how good the chicken is you're going to get<BR>
awfully tired of it.  <g> A very good reason for Travellers arriving<BR>
in Startown to seek out a cafe...okay a bar, but it does serve<BR>
*real* food. <g><BR>
<BR>
>Probably.  And hopefully no protestors, as cultured tissues don't feel<BR>
>resentments or pain at not being able to leave their tanks.<BR>
<BR>
Don't count on it.  There are nuts that object to Man on the Moon or<BR>
Mars because we will leave our corrupting tracks on their pristine<BR>
environments.<BR>
<BR>
>>In Eris' highly heretical Akus Moby TU (EHHAMTU, see we _can_ speak Finnish<BR>
>;-P carniculture tanks are part of the total LS picture. They're<BR>
>optional, as one can subsist entirely on instaheats, which almost, but<BR>
>not quite resemble food. You can put in big freezers and buy supplies as<BR>
>you go along, or put aside the the room for a Carni tank, and garden<BR>
>(both hydroponic and dirt)<BR>
<BR>
>That would seem to be more efficient for larger crews, on which you could<BR>
>have one or more persons engaged to plan and prepare meals.  Dialing up<BR>
>perfectly prepared foods that are completely machine-assembled and taste<BR>
>like what they are supposed to taste like is a higher TL than just<BR>
>growing tissue.  I've always assumed that it was a variant of the Star<BR>
>Trek transporter technology.  They have "patterns" of various well-liked<BR>
>foods from various cultures stored and they have a large supply of matter<BR>
>that they use a variation on transporter tech to rearrange into prepared<BR>
>food (and the plates, etc, it is served on)!  I can see that working, but<BR>
>I really don't trust a computer and robots to actually take a hunk of<BR>
>steer muscle and turn it into a perfect meal unless it is something as<BR>
>simple as a steak and potatoes, or teppan-yaki.<BR>
<BR>
Heavens!  The /Mae Lee's/ setup isn't going to be *that* good, so<BR>
don't go giving the players ideas.  <g> They are going to have to<BR>
make do with flavored loose meat from the carnoculture tanks,<BR>
nutri-goop made from reprocessed wastes, small quantities of fish<BR>
and fresh vegetables/fruits from "the garden" and whatever supplies<BR>
they can lay in from stop to stop. Yum!<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1738<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Thursday, January 13 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1739<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: Ranges (was RE: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Q Ships<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
[none]<BR>
Re: Electronic Cash <BR>
Re: Electronic Cash (was Re: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
Re: How to use frames<BR>
Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
RE: How to use frames<BR>
Re MT Ship Combat<BR>
Re: Ranges (was RE: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
Re Storyteller Trav<BR>
Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
[none]<BR>
Re: Electronic Cash <BR>
Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
Multiple Careers in MT<BR>
[none]<BR>
Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 22:19:01 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Ranges (was RE: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> ><BR>
> >50 million meters = 50,000 km, or in TNE terms less than 2 hexes, so<BR>
> >IYTU...<BR>
<BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> ><BR>
> >That's awfully short ranged, isn't it?<BR>
> ><BR>
> >Eris<BR>
> <BR>
>         Hi, Eris, yeah, it is...<BR>
> <BR>
>         I realized that when I was yacking with Ian...  the issue was my<BR>
> first CT ref dropping a zero when calculating scales...  we all thought<BR>
> thats what the CT range mods were...  turns out the right numbers are 500kkm<BR>
> and 250kkm...  I've been doing it "wrong" now for about 15 years.  <grin><BR>
<BR>
Of course, if any of your players bring it up, you can always point out<BR>
that your TNEC campaign is set before grav-focused lasers are feasible. <BR>
(Also known as the "I _meant_ to do that" maneuver.)<BR>
<BR>
"Born to hand-wave, baby...."<BR>
<BR>
<<snip>><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 15:20:41 +1100<BR>
From: "Hughes, Michael" <Michael.Hughes@cbr.defence.gov.au><BR>
Subject: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Q Ships<BR>
<BR>
Date:	Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:01:31 -0600<BR>
From:	Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com <mailto:mmaley@home.com> ><BR>
Subject:	Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
<BR>
Actually of the almost 200 Q-Ships used by the British & US in WW1, only 5<BR>
U-Boats were destroyed.  The Brits used Q-Ships again in WWII, but abandoned<BR>
as futile the effort by 1941.  America abandoned the effort after 1942<BR>
having engaged 3 U-Boats no no damage, with 2 Q-Ships sunk.<BR>
To expand on my idea of noticing anything out of the ordinary, there is<BR>
several ways.  One is energy output, with energy weapons, which is pretty<BR>
well negated if the Q-Ship operator is experienced and uses missiles instead<BR>
of lasers, fusion guns, or PAW's.  2 is experience of the captain or combat<BR>
officers aboard the corsair, and the level of tactical skill they possess to<BR>
make a good surmise (target level formidable ) that they've being foxed.  3<BR>
being if the captain survived a prior Q-Ship ambush in which case they'll<BR>
shoot first away.<BR>
A interesting use of Q-Ships I've used against my wife in Traveller was<BR>
having the Q-Ship arrive while her corsair was engaged with a well-manned<BR>
trader.  The Q-Ship sent a greetings over to the corsair, started to fire on<BR>
the trader, and when the pirates weren't paying attention, the Q-Ship hit<BR>
them with everything they could aim before the pirate's sensor ops caught<BR>
on. She and her crew escaped only by an emergency jump.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Did you sleep in the spare room that night?<BR>
<BR>
OT RE Q ships, I read somewhere that in WWI Churchill's (then Lord of the<BR>
Admiralty) insistence that certain sized liners have turret rings installed<BR>
meant that UK's boosting the size of the fleet was much more rapid than<BR>
Germany's. That and having an excellent Naval Reserve (in the 1910's no<BR>
less) made up of crusty fishing fleet types meant an experiencef sailing<BR>
talent pool to draw on. <BR>
<BR>
Ob Traveller; I could see Subsidized merchant vessels (not the 400 ton)<BR>
having turrets installed for such an eventuality, with the merchant sparine<BR>
(marine for space ?) also likewise rendering service. <BR>
<BR>
Arrggghhh, there be an adventure hook matey <swish, swish, jab, jab><BR>
<BR>
Of course they would also have to have military grade sensor suites and<BR>
stuff too . . . .<BR>
<BR>
Michael <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 22:40:54 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
On 01/12/00 at 10:39 PM,  SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com> said:<BR>
>BITS related thoughts...<BR>
<BR>
>1) Would people prefer to see ACQ released before 101 Patrons, or  both<BR>
>at the same time (later if this is so)?<BR>
<BR>
Depends on how much later. If it's not a *long* time later, then okay.<BR>
<BR>
>2) Has anyone any feelings on whether they'd like to see more  adventures<BR>
>like SpaceDogs and The Khiidkar Incident?<BR>
<BR>
I don't have my copies yet, but I'm sure I'd like to see more adventures. <g><BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:02:31 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: [none]<BR>
<BR>
>William F. Hostman writes:<BR>
>> >Comments?  Suggestions?  Alternate tactics?<BR>
>><BR>
>> just one comment:<BR>
>>      Any ship which makes a good anti-pirate ship makes just as good a<BR>
>> pirate ship...<BR>
><BR>
>Not true.  Most small warships can do a fine job of killing pirates, but would<BR>
>make quite poor pirates because they have fairly high maintenance costs and<BR>
>negligible cargo space.<BR>
<BR>
Wrong, how wrong... if the pirate seeks a prize, rather than just cargo, a<BR>
warship is THE way to go. Not to mention that most space travellers will be<BR>
ransomable.<BR>
<BR>
It is entirely dependant upon target and threat levels. And available crew.<BR>
<BR>
For example, an 800Td gazelle, turned pirate, outguns ANY of the "tramp"<BR>
freighters from canon. (which, BTW, are 200Td, or 400Td; the larger ones in<BR>
_TTA_ are only 600 Td.) She can skim for fuel. She needs to grab LS and<BR>
loot. So, let us assume she grabs 2 weeks worth from any ship she grabs..<BR>
she carries about the same maximum sophonts as either the Type R or Type<BR>
A/A2. So, she's able to grab 1/2 their LS (making it tight for them), and<BR>
get two weeks herself, plus any valuables and cash (remember, the OTU is a<BR>
CASH driven society!) aboard. She needs to grab only 2 a month to keep fed,<BR>
fuel is effectively free, so she nees to grab enough for maintenance. If<BR>
she's Really tight, she takes the ship as a prize. Simply lock down the<BR>
crew in the Gazelle's Gig, with external LS, and no fuel. Inform the<BR>
passengers they will be let off at the next stop, with return of any<BR>
vouchers used (Cash tickets are SOL).The Gazelle goes directio A with the<BR>
crew, and the prize in Direction B. Meet back at base two weeks later,<BR>
tinker with the transponder, file the serials, and sell it at 1/10 current<BR>
value. Works best near a border, but then again, almost all piracy does.<BR>
And, In the OTU, some worlds go to war against each other, even tho' they<BR>
both are imperial members.<BR>
<BR>
Oh, BTW, you can assume about 1-5 KCr per passenger would be typical cash<BR>
levels for most spacefaring passengers, as that's enough for a room for a<BR>
month or two, plus some spending cash. And you MUST have cash, or a<BR>
pre-arranged account at the destination, or you will be risking going<BR>
hungry, cold, and airless at you destination, or some intermediate point.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 22:58:44 -0600<BR>
From: Richard Wilson <rtwilson@rollanet.org><BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash <BR>
<BR>
At 06:23 PM 1/12/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>I'm sure that someone with deep pockets can hack any piece of hardware. But<BR>
>perhaps not economically. If you can forge a few hundred Credits by hacking<BR>
>a smart card, but it costs a few million in Credits in fancy electronics to<BR>
>pull it off, most people will not be doing it. <BR>
<BR>
You don't forge more credits onto the smart card, you forge the card<BR>
itself. Make up a thousand cards, each with 1000 credits on it. Face value<BR>
is 1,000,000 Imp. credits. you sell these cards to an underworld contact<BR>
for 100,000 credits or so. Your contact's organization then spends the<BR>
credits on the fake cards for real goods that can be resold for real<BR>
credits. Instant verification of the cards may make this difficult on a<BR>
planetary scale, but how do you verifiy a card issued 3 jumps away?<BR>
<BR>
 <BR>
<BR>
Richard Wilson<BR>
<BR>
rtwilson@rollanet.org<BR>
<BR>
========================================================================<BR>
Humanity is not something we should aspire to. It is something we should<BR>
strive to overcome.<BR>
========================================================================<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 22:46:12 -0600<BR>
From: Richard Wilson <rtwilson@rollanet.org><BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash (was Re: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
<BR>
At 05:17 PM 1/12/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>Michel R. Vaillancourt previously wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>>         No...  you have to remember that eletronic cash doesn't work well<BR>
>as<BR>
>> an idea in a commodities economy like the 3i.<BR>
><BR>
>As long as such a system has a common<BR>
>currency, like Imperial Credits, why should it fail? I have always assumed<BR>
>that after TL9 or TL10, virtually all cash is electronic, and that the<BR>
>electronic cash extended to interplanetery commerce as well.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
On a planetary scale you can have instant or near instant verification of<BR>
the card. That won't work when your time lag to verify funds will be<BR>
measured in weeks. This same time lag also means (IMHO) that while Imperial<BR>
Credits might be used as a trade currency, each planet will have its own<BR>
local currency so that the local government won't be left at the whim of<BR>
Imperial monitary policy when trying to manage the local economy.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Richard Wilson<BR>
<BR>
rtwilson@rollanet.org<BR>
<BR>
========================================================================<BR>
Humanity is not something we should aspire to. It is something we should<BR>
strive to overcome.<BR>
========================================================================<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:56:51 -0500<BR>
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net><BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
At 01:32 pm 1/11/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>Well it doesn't look like I'll be doing frames.  I've looked at a<BR>
bunch of<BR>
>sites and tried their code and nothing works.  not even altering<BR>
things.  In<BR>
>both Netscape 4.7 and Eplorer 5.01, I get a black screen with<BR>
nothing on it.<BR>
><BR>
>In Explorer all you have to do is write this :<BR>
><BR>
><IFRAME NAME="content_frame" width="640" height="200"<BR>
>SRC="pistols.html"></IFRAME><BR>
><BR>
>That's it.  Looks awesome.  Of course, damn nearly useless Netscrape<BR>
sees<BR>
>nothing on a page with that code.  I have tried every single idea I<BR>
can<BR>
<BR>
	That's because IFRAME is bleeding edge HTML4.0 standard. Many<BR>
browsers won't be able to display it for a while ... which is why I<BR>
dislike sites that think they have to use the latest greatest blinky<BR>
doo-dat custom MegaBrowse 8.01aaxxy browser extensions ...<BR>
<BR>
	Not very helpful, sorry. You punched a button of mine. To make up<BR>
for being snarky, I'll pull down my copy of "HTML: The Definitive<BR>
Guide" ...<BR>
<BR>
	Basic explanation: you need multiple files. One is the "main file"<BR>
that describes the layout of the frames, and a separate file<BR>
containing the content of each frame.<BR>
<BR>
	Detailed explanation<BR>
<BR>
"main file" defines the frame layout<BR>
<BR>
<frameset rows="x,y,x" cols="a,b,c"><BR>
   <frame src="frame1.html"><BR>
   <frame src="frame2.html"><BR>
   <frame src="frame3.html"><BR>
   <frame src="frame4.html"><BR>
   <frame src="frame5.html"><BR>
   <frame src="frame6.html"><BR>
   <noframes>Sorry, this document can only be viewed with a<BR>
frames-capable browser. Try <A HREF="noframe.html">this page</A><BR>
instead<BR>
   </noframes><BR>
</frameset><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
	rows="x,y,z" creates three rows, with the heights specified. If<BR>
'bare' numbers are used, the height is taken in pixels; if percent is<BR>
used, the height is taken as a percentage of total window height.<BR>
Hint: Use percent. Telling people they have to have their display set<BR>
to the exact resolution YOU chose is quite annoying, and defeats the<BR>
whole original purpose of HTML.<BR>
<BR>
	cols="a,b,c" creates three columns, with the widths specified,<BR>
either in pixels or percent again.<BR>
<BR>
	For both rows and cols you can specify the last number as "*" which<BR>
means take up whatever space is left.<BR>
<BR>
	Each frame src tag specifies the contents of one pane.<BR>
<BR>
	If you want more complex layouts, nest framesets. For example, if<BR>
you want two panes on the left, and three on the right, think of that<BR>
as a frameset with two columns, each of which containing another<BR>
frameset.<BR>
<BR>
   <frameset cols="50%, *"><BR>
      <frameset rows="33%,*"><BR>
         <frame src="Left1.html"><BR>
         <frame src="Left2.html"><BR>
      </frameset><BR>
      <frameset rows="33%,33%, *"><BR>
         <frame src="Right1.html"><BR>
         <frame src="Right2.html"><BR>
         <frame src="Right3.html"><BR>
      </frameset><BR>
   </frameset><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
   If you want a link in one frame to put a document in an other<BR>
frame, you have to use names. Give the target frame a name:<BR>
<BR>
    <frame name="Target" src="Something.html"><BR>
<BR>
   Specify the target in the link<BR>
<BR>
    <A HREF="SomeDocument.html">

   No matter which frame the link appears in, the document will be
displayed in the frame named "Target"







- -- Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with your Microsoft
product.

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

Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:36:42 -0500
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net>
Subject: Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?

At 07:02 pm 1/11/00 +0100, you wrote:
>Hi!
>
>I was asking myself if there is any interest for creating a
traveller
>newsgroup on the usenet. Would you support such a proposal?

	Nope. As others have pointed out, Uselessnet has a much lower S/N
ratio (near zero), is much more susceptible to trolling, morons, and
SPAM, and for me at least is quite inconvenient compared to a mailing
list which delivers my daily dose of flamewar without my having to do
anything ...

	

- -- Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with your Microsoft
product.

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

Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:59:21 -0500
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net>
Subject: RE: How to use frames

At 09:20 pm 1/11/00 -0000, you wrote:
>>         "Damn near useless" also conforms to HTML specs... the
"iframe"
>> thing is another MS-ism...  sorta like them calling it DNS like
everyone
>> else, they say its  "WINS".
>
>Point of pedantry - MS does actually have DNS; WINS is their own
naming
>service to retrofit the old-style LAN naming to networks that have
to talk
>Internet protocols as well. It's sort of like DNS made dynamic and
>reimplemented by someone who had the DNS protocols described to him
by
>someone in the middle of some particularly *bad* acid.

	And "iframe" *is* HTML standard ... 4.0, so most many browsers
haven't gotten around to supporting it yet (and let's not go into the
features IE doesn't support, please ... no browser wars).

- -- Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with your Microsoft
product.

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

Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:07:43 -0900
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net>
Subject: Re MT Ship Combat

>As for MT's penetration
>rules, Im' not too sure how they work myself (never having done a
>ship to ship combat in MT). If you have a copy of High Guard you
>could try that, as it's not very different.
>
Effectively, Rupert, MT's Ship Combat tables ARE high guard. The mechanics
of ship combat are the same set of rules, except for the inclusions of the
tactics pools and the movement system. Close enough, in fact, that one can
use HG vessels and MT Vessels in the same combat...

William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click
interface!"
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-
533
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+

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

Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:20:41 -0600
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net
Subject: Re: Ranges (was RE: Pirate Tactics)

On 01/12/00 at 11:17 PM,  Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca> said:

>        At 20kps, which seems to be a "typical" celestial speed I keep
>seeing bandied about here on the TML, that works out to a much more
>reasonable 3-and-change hour transit time from the close edge of long
>range to docked.  

I usually have ships doing a 14 to 24 hour transit for ships getting
to and from the jump point.  Longer in-system flights gives more
opportunities for the ethically challenged to ply their trade.

Eris
- -- 
- -----------------------------------------------------------
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245
- -----------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:21:09 -0900
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net>
Subject: Re Storyteller Trav

>I have never seen the Storyteller or AD&D Traveller versions.  Can you
>point me to the URL for them, or any other Trav conversions?

http://home.gci.net/~aramis/

click on the traveller link in the upper right pane.

William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click
interface!"
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-
533
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+

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

Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:26:59 -0600
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash

On 01/12/00 at 11:22 PM,  Richard Wilson <rtwilson@rollanet.org> said:

>>I'm sure that someone with deep pockets can hack any piece of hardware. But
>>perhaps not economically. If you can forge a few hundred Credits by hacking
>>a smart card, but it costs a few million in Credits in fancy electronics to
>>pull it off, most people will not be doing it. 

>You don't forge more credits onto the smart card, you forge the card
>itself. Make up a thousand cards, each with 1000 credits on it. Face
>value is 1,000,000 Imp. credits. you sell these cards to an underworld
>contact for 100,000 credits or so. Your contact's organization then
>spends the credits on the fake cards for real goods that can be resold
>for real credits. Instant verification of the cards may make this
>difficult on a planetary scale, but how do you verifiy a card issued 3
>jumps away?

Which is why, IMTU, banks don't honor cards from out-system banks.
If you want to transfer funds you do it with a Letter of Credit from
a bank to a corresponding bank which may (but probably won't) give
you access to funds before the letter is confirmed and that's a
several week process. 

Eris
- -- 
- -----------------------------------------------------------
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245
- -----------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:31:52 -0900
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net>
Subject: [none]

>>    How accurate is the navigation on an x-boat anyway? I always assumed
>>that tenders only went out to retrieve x-boats and brought them back to a
>>base, if there's an x-boat route in a system there will be a base surely. I
>>suspect the scout service would be likely to place bases further out than
>>normal to minimise turn around time. By base I'm not referring to the
>>classic scout base but some variety of hull in the 600 to 1500 ton range
>>that could be evacuated by the navy in times of emergency.
>>    Jim.

Well, IMTU, jump exit accuracy is within 1d6 Gm on a success.1d6 Mm on a
crit success. Then again, I use MT.

TNE has a great table for jump exit distance.

William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click
interface!"
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-
533
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+

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

Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 21:40:38 -0800
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash 

> You don't forge more credits onto the smart card, you forge the card
> itself. Make up a thousand cards, each with 1000 credits on it. Face value
> is 1,000,000 Imp. credits. you sell these cards to an underworld contact
> for 100,000 credits or so. Your contact's organization then spends the
> credits on the fake cards for real goods that can be resold for real
> credits. Instant verification of the cards may make this difficult on a
> planetary scale, but how do you verifiy a card issued 3 jumps away?
>

The existing systems in place today already have safeguards in place to
prevent such cloning. For example, the American Express Blue Card contains a
unique digital certificate which is used to digitally sign each transaction.
The verification of each transaction probably goes through a central point.
I'm guessing a bit here. I know the underlying technology of Amex Blue (GTE
Cybertrust) has certificate verification capability using Online Certificate
Status Protocol (RFC 2560), so each transaction is probably validated using
an OCSP responder which Amex runs. In any event, an audit trail of each
transaction is kept, so if the same card using the same certificate is used
in a suspicious way, you can revoke the card's certificate, rendering not
just it, but all copies of it, invalid.

As usual, I expect that the advanced technology of TL15 will be even better.

I have read that some banks use pattern recognition technology like neural
networks and such to look for suspicious patterns in purchases to indicate
potential fraud. I even saw this in action a few years ago. I was visiting
Chicago with one of my engineers. Apparently a waiter in a restaurant or
someone at the hotel snagged his card number and tried to make a large
purchase at Home Depot. Apparently the type or transaction, in addition to
being out of state, and maybe other factors, caused the transaction to be
flagged as suspicious.

In any event, I have full faith that the technology which advanced TLs will
bring will make electronic cash possible, and perhaps even universal.

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

Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 21:51:35 -0800
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash

>
> Which is why, IMTU, banks don't honor cards from out-system banks.
> If you want to transfer funds you do it with a Letter of Credit from
> a bank to a corresponding bank which may (but probably won't) give
> you access to funds before the letter is confirmed and that's a
> several week process.
>

Does anyone know how this was accomplished in the days of Jack Aubrey (c.
1812)? When people routinely went on long voyages to distant places, they
must have dealt with this problem. Even better, they must have come up with
a particularly clever and elegant solution. But what was it? It must have
been worse when verification of a letter of credit could take many months.

I am reminded of a line from Max Headroom, something along the lines of
"Credit fraud? That's more serious than murder!"

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

Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:49:00 -0900
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net>
Subject: Multiple Careers in MT

>    I'm generating a PC for MT and I have noted that it assumes that PCs
>will only have one career in their lives, a very pre-'80s idea. Has anyone
>developed rules for career changes during chargen in CT/MT?
>    Jim.
IMTU, a character is allowed 2 enlistment attepts, plus one draft roll,
during CGen. The draft roll, if taken, must be taken before the 19th
birthday or upon completion of college. Most people simply make their two
enlistment attempts, then submit. Only one has gone differently: he took
his draft right off, then after 1 term as a marine, opted for the IISS...
and failed; he then tried for Navy, and failed; proceed to Mustering Out.
Oh, and I allow even basic generated characters to take the college options.

I'm thinking of making it a little bit more realistic:
1) You only make mustering out rolls one time; 2 per term in most recent
career, 1 per term in prior career(s) on the appropriate tables; maximum 3
cash rolls total amongst all careers.
2) You may only switch between military careers if you succeeded on the
re-enlistment roll and didn't roll a 12. (Remember that a 12 is manditory
retention) If you fail a military re-enlistment, you may not enlist in
another military career.
3) Rank does not transfer except between military careers with rank, and
then only the commission is retained.
4) You may not enlist in a prior career you left by failing re-enlistment.
5) you may return to the same career only after an intervening career...
which means you were drafted, left, and returned, if you use the limits
above. Also, rank, if any, is retained, but DM-1 on each of promotion and
commission/position (if appropriate).

Comments?

William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click
interface!"
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-
533
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+

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

Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:37:31 -0900
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net>
Subject: [none]

>On one world write up I had the custom of cannibalism. It was a ritual
>symbolizing how in the early days of a failing colony, they had to
>supplement the diet with human remains. The recently deceased would will a
>small part of their anatomy (a tasteful part - ho ho) and those at the wake
>would consume a sliver. It was considered an honour to be offered a bit.
>
Had a player roll up his homeworld's customs (Said player was one Peter
Newman)... The character was a cannibal form a TL 7 world... with no
atmosphere, IIRC. Made the slaughter of some local thugs an interesting
issue for him, as they were simply dumping the bodies... so he got
permission, and dressed out one or two in the airlock. That was an
interesting session... Fred Grande explaining  to local bureaucrats that he
WANTED the bodies of a dead guy. That, and one of the other characters
simply grabbing some wrapped meat from the fridge... BTW, the character not
only was named after the actor, but was described as looking like him
too... (Fred Grande played IIRC the Purser on "The Love Boat"...)

William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click
interface!"
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-
533
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+

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

Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 21:09:38 -0900
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net>
Subject: Elmonits

>Why does electronic cash work well in economies like the 3I? We have the
>technology today for a workable electronic cash system (Mondex -
>www.mondex.com - most notably). As long as such a system has a common
>currency, like Imperial Credits, why should it fail? I have always assumed
>that after TL9 or TL10, virtually all cash is electronic, and that the
>electronic cash extended to interplanetery commerce as well.

Within the 3I, it doesn't work. On individual worlds with good (and
sufficiently  integrated) comm grids, it would. Why? Verification.

RWE: I fly to detroit. I try to access my ATM card. It won't give me cash
for a few hours... long enough to allow verification of the card itself,
based upon my access attempt. Once the computers have talked, and the local
bank's main computer has my PIN verified, I can access it all I want. Even
make deposits, at properly equipped ATMs. My credit union is local to
Alaska. (Note also, I had accessed it at the airport, too, but the system
didn't D/L, but merely patched through realtime. Once I went to an ATM not
aimed at travelling persons, it wanted a local "copy" of my records. Then,
as each transaction is submitted to my bank for payment or deposit, they
electronically pass funds back and forth.

In the OTU, a 1 jump lag is two weeks to verify the account ballance. Or to
wire monies (IMTU, that is part of the IISS' Commo Branch's duties). So a
cash standard or a VERY VERY fraud resistant encoding is needed for those
travelling between worlds. Yeah, you may be able to go to "First Bank of
Regina" at Regni, drop Cr20000 at them, and have a local Elmonit card in 10
minutes... but when you hop to wypoc, you have to wait for them to get
access stopped on Regina and allowed on wypoc before said card is useful.
And, when you return, it's going to be another two weeks before they allow
you to access whatever is left when you return to Regina.

Those who travel a lot, they will need an immediately negotiable
instrument. Specie or some powerful currency. Imperial Credits are great.
Majorworlds (HiPop, or midPop & Rich, or midPop and In) currencies also
will be negotiable nearby. Heck, for at least 2 jumps of prevailing
maximum, most worlds currencies with decent trade numbers will do for the
neighbors, at least at the ports.

I suspect, however, that the Imperial Credit will be the defacto acceptable
currency where specie isn't for lower TL worlds or ones with small
populations... simply due to the difficulty in forging it, and the ease of
lower TL forgeries other than Specie, which, by being of value for it's
content anyway, is not so easy to forge, due to buying the metals.

Heck, CURRENT US currencies aren't THAT hard to forge for passable bills...
A good photocopier, with the correct paper, is all that is needed. (Oh,
wait, they just added watermarking to the new bills... as I said, the right
paper.) 1200 DPI laser-copiers can do wonders... but you need green toner
(also available).

William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click
interface!"
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-
533
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+

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

End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1739
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1740</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
Date:	1/13/00 3:05:58 AM Pacific Standard Time<BR>
From:	owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com (Traveller-digest)<BR>
Sender:	owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Thursday, January 13 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1740<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>
Letters of credit & piracy (was [none])<BR>
Re: Elmonits<BR>
Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
RE: Electronic Cash<BR>
Re: Player Character Life Cycle<BR>
RE: Externalty Zones (Re: Ideas to ponder...)<BR>
Re: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
Re: Player Character Life Cycle<BR>
Virtual Kirk<BR>
Re: Player character life cycle<BR>
Re: How to use frames<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re: KFC<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Re X-mail Routing Codes<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: Nobles and XBoat network routing<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:11:19 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Letters of credit & piracy (was [none])<BR>
<BR>
>From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
>Subject: [none]<BR>
...<BR>
>For example, an 800Td gazelle, turned pirate, outguns ANY of the "tramp"<BR>
>freighters from canon. (which, BTW, are 200Td, or 400Td; the larger ones in<BR>
...<BR>
>get two weeks herself, plus any valuables and cash (remember, the OTU is a<BR>
>CASH driven society!) aboard. She needs to grab only 2 a month to keep fed,<BR>
<BR>
  Not. There will be cash and valuable luggage aboard, but in insignificant <BR>
quantities compared to the overall costs of ship operation; capital transfers<BR>
will be by financial instrument, meaning that the OTU is not cash-driven -<BR>
although PC's may very well be :><BR>
<BR>
>fuel is effectively free, so she nees to grab enough for maintenance. If<BR>
>she's Really tight, she takes the ship as a prize. Simply lock down the<BR>
<BR>
  Are you stealing their cargo or the ship? You can't really have it both<BR>
ways and remain very efficient, as cargo requires capacity, and a prize crew<BR>
necessitates a larger crew complement, which can't help but increase the <BR>
difficulties of staying in operation safely and profitably.<BR>
<BR>
  Bases, large crews, small fleets including multi-hundred MCr warships*,<BR>
spies at every port, contacts and personnel transfers for ransoms, etc;<BR>
isn't all of this just a bit too complicated to last terribly long, or<BR>
even be much more common than "unique", at least in most TU's?<BR>
<BR>
  *let me guess that the 10% maintenance rule isn't applied here? :|<BR>
<BR>
...<BR>
>crew, and the prize in Direction B. Meet back at base two weeks later,<BR>
>tinker with the transponder, file the serials, and sell it at 1/10 current<BR>
>value. Works best near a border, but then again, almost all piracy does.<BR>
...<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:04:04 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
My last thought on moving money between systems (with any luck).<BR>
<BR>
You first need a good biometric identifier for a person. Fingerprints and<BR>
retinal scans probably aren't good enough at high TLs. Let's assume that<BR>
it's some sort of DNA pattern. Whatever it is, its very secure, and<BR>
extremely hard to fake.<BR>
<BR>
The Imperial branch of whatever passes for a central bank in the 3I<BR>
digitally signs a collection of data which includes a hash of the biometric<BR>
data, your identity information (name, etc), as well as a cryptographic key<BR>
which you will use in digital transactions. I will call this a digital<BR>
certificate. It's very much like the X.509v3 digital certificates which we<BR>
use today. You can get one for free from VeriSign (www.verisign.com) or<BR>
Thawte (www.thawte.com), and then use it to sign and encrypt e-mail. The<BR>
bank is electronically acting as a trusted third party, and is vouching for<BR>
the fact that the biometric data actually belong to you.<BR>
<BR>
To use this certificate to authenticate electronic cash transactions, you<BR>
will need to unlock the hardware token (smart card or whatever) with a<BR>
password and presentation of the biometric stuff. The password may even be<BR>
unnecessary. Once you have done this, you have verified that you are the<BR>
person you claim to be (since your biometric stuff matches the hash on the<BR>
certificate), and the bank has vouched for the fact that you are indeed who<BR>
you say you are, so everyone is happy.<BR>
<BR>
I'm sure that there are details to work out, but I'm pretty sure that this<BR>
scheme or some variation will allow fairly secure electronic cash in the<BR>
Traveller universe.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 00:11:35 -0800<BR>
From: Evyn MacDude <wmacdude@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
rec.games.frp.gurps is must be the heaven of civility then.... And has been<BR>
pretty usesful at times.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
The theme of the whole thing is clear. We have to be careful with wisdom. We<BR>
have to make certain we're ready for it when it comes knocking on our door.<BR>
Knowledge isn't always a blessing;<BR>
    sometimes, it's damnation.<BR>
Play Dirty: Let's All Go to the Movies!, by John Wick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:22:35 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Electronic Cash<BR>
<BR>
> -----Original Message-----<BR>
> From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> [mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Luther<BR>
> Martin<BR>
> Sent: Thursday, 13 January 2000 18:52<BR>
> To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> Subject: Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> ><BR>
> > Which is why, IMTU, banks don't honor cards from out-system banks.<BR>
> > If you want to transfer funds you do it with a Letter of Credit from<BR>
> > a bank to a corresponding bank which may (but probably won't) give<BR>
> > you access to funds before the letter is confirmed and that's a<BR>
> > several week process.<BR>
> ><BR>
><BR>
> Does anyone know how this was accomplished in the days of Jack Aubrey (c.<BR>
> 1812)?<BR>
<BR>
Sure, you carried gold with you.<BR>
See the Hornblower story when he was on the Caroline (the plague ship).<BR>
<BR>
If you didn't have gold, you traded what you did have or just took it, if<BR>
you thought you could get away with it.<BR>
<BR>
> When people routinely went on long voyages to distant places, they<BR>
> must have dealt with this problem. Even better, they must have<BR>
> come up with<BR>
> a particularly clever and elegant solution. But what was it? It must have<BR>
> been worse when verification of a letter of credit could take many months.<BR>
><BR>
> I am reminded of a line from Max Headroom, something along the lines of<BR>
> "Credit fraud? That's more serious than murder!"<BR>
<BR>
There were "letters of credit" but no real means of verifying them, so they<BR>
only worked between banks that trusted themselves enough to identify fraud.<BR>
Of course, a gentleman wouldn't defraud someone, would he ?<BR>
<BR>
Of course, the bank was also able to have you and your family sold into<BR>
'slavery' if you didn't repay anything you owed, or they could just hire<BR>
thugs who'd torture you to death, so they had more recourse than they do<BR>
now. Or ask a miitary officer very nicely to uphold the rule of law and have<BR>
you shot Remember, the idea of an 'impartial' legal system and police<BR>
enforcing the law, is a relatively recent invention<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 03:31:50 EST<BR>
From: GypsyComet@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Player Character Life Cycle<BR>
<BR>
>Doesn't anyone understand the true life cycle of a player character?<BR>
>Just like on TV series, they eat only when the plot calls for them to have <BR>
>an encounter in a restaurant, most of them are alcoholics due to the massive <BR>
>amount of time spent in pubs looking for information, and they never once to <BR>
>go the little spacer's room, (a.k.a. fresher).<BR>
<BR>
 Saint Tarantino (Old Terran Saint of The Unexpected Complication) teaches us <BR>
that you Never, NEVER visit the restroom while on camera...<BR>
<BR>
GC<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:49:24 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Externalty Zones (Re: Ideas to ponder...)<BR>
<BR>
> -----Original Message-----<BR>
> From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> [mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of<BR>
> eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
> Sent: Thursday, 13 January 2000 14:56<BR>
> To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> Subject: Externalty Zones (Re: Ideas to ponder...)<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> On 01/12/00 at 07:19 PM,  shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) said:<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> >Actually, you've just explained *why* all but the smallest ports are<BR>
> >inside an "extrality" line, and thus *not* subject to planetary law.<BR>
><BR>
> Yes, I think you're right.  Ports without externalty (or Free Zones)<BR>
> aren't going to be popular with shippers.<BR>
><BR>
> >Under "normal" Traveller rules, *with* extrality, you'd be informed that<BR>
> >the drugs were illegal *by the port authorities* when you went to post<BR>
> >them for sale or arrange for transporting them out of the port.<BR>
><BR>
> >If you *didn't* do either, then if the world had a customs check upon<BR>
> >leaving the port, you'd get nailed for smuggling (which is why the port<BR>
> >tries to "catch" such cargoes before that point. Less hassles). Or you<BR>
> >might get away with delivering the goods and find out later. Like after<BR>
> >the local police raid the guy you sold to and he tells them where he got<BR>
> >the stuff.<BR>
><BR>
> >So as long as you don't take the stuff from the port into the areas the<BR>
> >planetary government has jurisdiction over, you are safe.<BR>
><BR>
> Right.  The same applies to transshipment where a cargo is brought<BR>
> in and dropped off to be picked up later by another ship which takes<BR>
> it to another system.<BR>
><BR>
> >This *is* different from current practice but given some incidents I've<BR>
> >heard of in the last 10 years or so, I *could* see things changing. We've<BR>
> >had folks who where travelling between two points where something was<BR>
> >legal get arrested while making a plane change, because the "hub" that<BR>
> >the airline *insisted* on routing them through was someplace where the<BR>
> >item *wasn't* legal.<BR>
><BR>
> >Sooner or later there's going to be a controversial, high profile case...<BR>
><BR>
> >Anyway, if we had "extrality areas" at airports and seaports, it'd be<BR>
> >possible for a plane carrying a load of, say, marijuana to land in the<BR>
> >extrality area, refuel, and continue on to its destination, and the<BR>
> >"local" authorities wouldn't be able to touch it. Of course, it'd better<BR>
> >have left someplace whewre pot was legal and have a final destination<BR>
> >where the same was true.<BR>
><BR>
> Exactly, and I'm sure there *are* some free ports on Earth that work<BR>
> like that.  I rather suspect that the US government would frown on<BR>
> their existence, though. <g><BR>
<BR>
US government has no choice, and in fact has such areas in it's<BR>
international airports, as do all countries tha have international airports.<BR>
<BR>
It's required because people may have to change planes at an airport, but do<BR>
not have the visas to enter the country, so the part of the airport between<BR>
the customs check point and the plane is effectively "not US soil". LAX has<BR>
a big area like this, as does Frankfurt.<BR>
<BR>
Of course the US government has on occasion ignored this for certain law<BR>
enforcement reasons, such as when a known terrorist or drug smuggler is<BR>
passing thruogh, but generally they put up with it, as otherwise they'd have<BR>
a huge international incident on their hands.<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> Take a high-flying air/raft crossing a remote desert (or ocean).  It<BR>
> ejects a small buoyant cargo pod (CG) that floats up waiting for our<BR>
> pickup ship to come flying by a few minutes later.  "Ping" goes the<BR>
> ship, "Pong" goes the pod, and as fast as you can say "ping pong"<BR>
> the pod is in the ship's hold.  Could the authorities twig the scam?<BR>
> Sure, but if they aren't specifically looking for it, they aren't<BR>
> going to see anything.<BR>
<BR>
On any high tech planet with a military presence it would be detected as a<BR>
possible anti-ship missile/mine and be knocked out of the sky by orbital<BR>
platforms, and a fighter would be on the tail of the air/raft before it<BR>
could get to ground. That is if they haven't switched off the air-raft's<BR>
system by remote or told it (and not the passengers) to report to the<BR>
nearest police facility for questioning.<BR>
<BR>
There are still ways around it, but unless the skies are hugely crowded<BR>
 like Metropolis or Coruscant, and maybe not even then) anything moving in<BR>
aerospace on starport approach paths will be seen and dealt with, and any<BR>
starship deviating from those approach paths will also be dealt with.<BR>
<BR>
We did manage something like this once, but it took a lot of work, we faked<BR>
(to a _high_ degree of detail) a major drive failure on approach, and<BR>
dropped to NOE before dropping a pod along with bits of damaged engine.  It<BR>
took a lot of work, and was very expensive, as the drive unit _had_ to be<BR>
damaged enough to convince port engineers that it had failed, and the ship<BR>
had to be overhauled at the port to satisfy COACC enough to let it take off<BR>
again, but it got the team in.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 00:46:58 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Terry Mixon <tlmixon@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
<BR>
- --- "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> I belong to five Traveller mailing lists and a dozen others.  I<BR>
> discard<BR>
> 200-400 email messages each day.  I see good, thoughtful threads die<BR>
> while<BR>
> knee-jerk flame fests and sex joke *splort* threads drone on. <BR>
> Threading in<BR>
> news groups better allows busy, fade in and out folks to keep up on<BR>
> good<BR>
> threads and ignore everything else.<BR>
<BR>
I find the more advanced threading option to be very attractive. <BR>
I cannot spend hours going through the email on the TML and end <BR>
up sorting by subject and deleting those I have no interest in. <BR>
With a private newsgroup, it would be much easier and allow <BR>
me to search threads better.<BR>
<BR>
Terry<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 19:47:38 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Player Character Life Cycle<BR>
<BR>
> Saint Tarantino (Old Terran Saint of The Unexpected Complication) teaches<BR>
us<BR>
>that you Never, NEVER visit the restroom while on camera...<BR>
>GC<BR>
<BR>
    Just take your Ingram with you.<BR>
    Viking were viewed with some humour by Franks because they were so<BR>
paranoid the went to the privy in armed groups. My players never saw<BR>
anything funny in it.<BR>
<BR>
    Most PCs live very dysfunctional lives, they tend to have huge arguments<BR>
about taking weapons into restaurants and similar places. Try having<BR>
everyone on a low-law world act like a parody of the PCs, ie. going through<BR>
the toilet door like SWAT troopers or when their food turns up at a take<BR>
away they run all sorts of sensors over it to see if its poisoned.<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 03:49:30 EST<BR>
From: GypsyComet@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Virtual Kirk<BR>
<BR>
Those of you with documented susceptibility to soggy keyboards should take <BR>
note, then proceed to:<BR>
<BR>
http://hecklersonline.com/simshatner/simshatner.html<BR>
<BR>
No ship's Captain and/or Referee should be with/without it!<BR>
<BR>
GC<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 12:02:20 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: Player character life cycle<BR>
<BR>
Roger Barr wrote:<BR>
> When the character hits his retirement day, he simply explodes from<BR>
> all of the years of stored up waste.<BR>
> "Well, this character is done."<BR>
> BOOM!!!<BR>
> Smelly stuff everywhere...<BR>
<BR>
"It's wafer thin"<BR>
<BR>
;-)<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:48:52 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Yeah I know.  But this bit of code actually makes sense.  Everyone who has<BR>
> had to struggle with FRAMESET commands should agree this is a FAR simpler<BR>
> way to do it. <BR>
<BR>
Actually, no. It makes a *lot* of assumptions. Things like screen size<BR>
and aspect ratio. You *shouldn't* be specifying stuff like size in<BR>
terms of absolute numbers of pixels. They should be *relative* to the<BR>
screen or window size. <BR>
<BR>
600x200 sounds great. Until you run into a screen that's 600x200, but<BR>
with an aspect ratio of 4x2 or some such. And consider folks with<BR>
2048x1536 screens...<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: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:54:56 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 04:09 PM 1/12/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>         [snip]<BR>
><BR>
>>>Pirates, therefore, will not be stupid...  adventuresome, yes;<BR>
>>>criminally inclined, yes; desperate, perhaps; stupid, no.<BR>
>><BR>
>>       There are old Pirates, and stupid Pirates, but no stupid<BR>
>>       old pirates.<BR>
><BR>
>         <grin>  Its getting player characters to get thier heads around this<BR>
> that's the challenge....<BR>
><BR>
>         "Sunbeard?  Scourge of the sector for over a decade?  The man that<BR>
> the IN has had a CruRon chasing from apogee to perigee for as long as anyone<BR>
> can remember?<BR>
>         "Yeah, that's who's hailing us and telling us we're about to be<BR>
> boarded...."<BR>
>         "No problem.  Get the boys into the party gear and we'll hit 'em<BR>
> with the 'Boarding Team in the Cargo Container trick'"<BR>
<BR>
"What kind of cargo is in the container?"<BR>
"Why?"<BR>
"If it's not radiation sensitive, we're going to zap it with 6000 Rems<BR>
of gamma rays before we take it aboard.  If it is, we've got other ways<BR>
of killing any 'vermin'... And we'll be *really* unhappy if you lie and<BR>
we ruin the cargo. Almost as unhappy as if we find a dead boarding<BR>
party in it."<BR>
<BR>
Pirates *aren't* stupid, and for just about any cargo you can name, I<BR>
can describe a "treatment" method that'll eliminate boarding parties<BR>
and the like, without damaging valuables.<BR>
<BR>
>         I still want a "Point Blank" range band, but that might be a whole<BR>
> different issue.<BR>
<BR>
"Point Blank" for most Starship weapons is when you can see the other<BR>
ship as anything more than a point of light. A concept that TV and<BR>
movie SF just *can't* accept.<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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 00:04:47 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>Here's how its done:<BR>
>>First, get to weapons range...  I use CT, so I go with 25Mm - 50Mm<BR>
>>for long, 5Mm - 25Mm for short and <5Mm for point blank.  Usually<BR>
>>deception is the prefered way of achieving this step.<BR>
><BR>
>         Isn't 50 Mm pretty close range?  I'm assuming 1 Mm = 10^6 m,<BR>
>         so 50 Mm = 31.25" (1" = 1,000 miles as per LBB 2).  Isn't<BR>
>         0-50" the closest range category for missile fire?<BR>
><BR>
>>Second, fire a warning shot and tell the merchantman that if he<BR>
>>shuts his engines down and cooperates, no one will get hurt...<BR>
>>resist, and the shooting starts.<BR>
><BR>
>         This is certainly a tactic that pirates IMTU have used, but<BR>
>         it helps if the pirate can tell that the power plant is<BR>
>         shut down.<BR>
<BR>
>>Third, once the Merchant is no longer avoiding you, pull in to<BR>
>>about 2Mm.<BR>
><BR>
>         This could be risky, but that's part of a pirates life :)<BR>
>         If the merchant is feeling plucky (and is not hopelessly<BR>
>         outgunned), he might be tempted to engage the pirate at<BR>
>         this stage.  Again, it depends on how much information<BR>
>         the pirate has access to, but if the merchant can fire<BR>
>         without warning at that range, the pirate ship might be<BR>
>         incapacitated before being able to respond.  With all<BR>
>         those pirates out in the cold vacuum of space, the tables<BR>
>         might be turned quickly.<BR>
<BR>
At this point, you send an RPV (remotely Piloted Vehicle) over. It<BR>
clamps to the hull in a not easily accessible spot (say a nice<BR>
*exposed* bit of hull far from airlocks and over main fuel tankage).<BR>
<BR>
It's got a several kiloton nuke on it, damper shielded. The pirates can<BR>
now "request" co-operation without being *nearly* as exposed to danger.<BR>
If the ship starts to boost, the bomb destroys it. Ditto if it doesn't<BR>
get regular coded messages from the pirates. <BR>
<BR>
At this point, the merchie *really* doesn't have any choice. And he can<BR>
send a *small* boarding team with few worries. <BR>
<BR>
And before anyone mentions Imperial laws about using nukes, please<BR>
remember that det-laser missiles are common, nukes are going to be<BR>
*childisj\hly* simple to build be this TL, and Piracy carries the death<BR>
penalty anyway. <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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 00:22:26 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>         Simple...  the pirate captain has the ace...  the Pirate Lt simply<BR>
> says "my captain has no qualms about shooting your ship to wreckage with me<BR>
> on it...  if you surrender now, we push you out the airlock with vacc suits<BR>
> *on*...  otherwise, we've got nothing to loose in mowing every last one of<BR>
> you bastards down, cause he'll kill us if we don't..."<BR>
><BR>
>         The Merchant now has to decide wether he wants to test the threat or<BR>
> not...  after all, while the Pirate crew might be crazy enough to "go down<BR>
> swinging", the *Merchant* probably *isn't*.<BR>
><BR>
>         With PCs, it essentially one group of crazies against another...<BR>
> The pirates have *much* to loose if the PCs take them alive...  Jail is not<BR>
> a nice place...  If the players are firing and not open to being bullied,<BR>
> then you can assume that the Pirates will fight a withdrawl to the best they<BR>
> can to allow the Corsair to maul the PCs with ship-to-ship weapons.<BR>
<BR>
As I noted elsewhere the pirates can be *counted on* as risking<BR>
anything to prevent capture. Pirates *don't* get jail terms. It's a<BR>
*capital* crime. Automatic death penalty. <BR>
<BR>
Given that, *I* wouldn't want to call their bluff.<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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 00:52:10 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: KFC<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>Well there are ample references in SF to 'carniculture tanks'. To my 20th<BR>
> century e-x biochemist's way of thinking, this implies some sort of tissue<BR>
> culturing, so all you get is the good bits without all the rest. Whether you<BR>
> get something like hamburger or steaks, I think, would be up to the TL, and<BR>
> how you (in YTU) have them work.<BR>
>><BR>
> I would think you'd get muscle tissue.  Whether it ends up being steak,<BR>
> roast or hamburger depends upon how you prepare it after harvesting.<BR>
<BR>
Not quite. Even *muscle* is a mix of several *types* of<BR>
well-differentiated cells. At the current stage of tissue culture you<BR>
get an *un*-differentiated mass of one type of cell. *Hamburger* has<BR>
more texture. This stuff will have no "muscle fibers" (which are<BR>
actually muscle cells and connective tissue bound together in certain<BR>
patterns. Patterns which are lacking in current "cultures")<BR>
<BR>
For "real meat", a lower tech (and more likely) approach is using<BR>
critters like rabbits and guinea pigs, both of which are fairly<BR>
efficient food animals *grown* as food in many places.<BR>
<BR>
I wish I had that Guinea pig recipe from the Peruvian exchange student...<BR>
Just think of the fun of telling the Players what their characters were<BR>
having for dinner. :-)<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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 00:59:51 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>> You can protect that small aiming mirror. You can't protect the hull.<BR>
>> Not even the hull of a missile.<BR>
><BR>
> Well, you can, just not with mirrors ;).  Various sorts of white paints <BR>
> would make perfectly fine armor against visible-light lasers, for example.<BR>
<BR>
Not really. They aren't even 99.9% reflective. And 0.1% of a 1 MW beam<BR>
is 1 kW, which is ample to degrade the paint. <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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 01:01:48 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> My look on grav pong is that it can't happen. Changes to the grav plates<BR>
> pull (from 1G to 6G or 1 G to 0G) take time to build up/decress, like using<BR>
> a range top stove when you turn it on it doesn't go to max right away, it<BR>
> needs time to heat up, just as when you turn if off it needs time to cool<BR>
> down.<BR>
<BR>
You obviously use an electric stove. :-)<BR>
<BR>
Seriously, the plates have to adjust as fast as the drive can. Which is<BR>
going to be fairly fast.<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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 01:12:27 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re X-mail Routing Codes<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> IMTU, routing codes work by the following:<BR>
> account@device!world!system!subsector!sector<BR>
> and an address without the account@device would default to<BR>
> XmailDaemon@iiss.imp. Parsing of multiple recipients would be separated by<BR>
> parenthesizing, using a delimite (I use commas), and routing hops parsed by<BR>
> the Pound Hash #...<BR>
<BR>
I rather expect that routing is likely to be multi-level, and *not*<BR>
specify exact routing. <BR>
<BR>
<normal address>.<star/world/system>.<sector><BR>
<BR>
So for example:<BR>
<BR>
shadow@krypton.rain.com.terra.solomani_rim<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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 01:24:03 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> 3) Psionics is real, and is more like magic than is portrayed in the OTU.<BR>
> The Psionic Institutes are more like religious organizations than<BR>
> scientific organizations.<BR>
<BR>
Here's an idea swiped from a home-grown FRPG a friend was working on<BR>
*years* back.<BR>
<BR>
He had a sort of PSI (a seperate race actually) whose talents<BR>
essentialy amounted to energy manipulation. They could use the heat<BR>
energy from a big fire to move things, or the energy from a waterfall,<BR>
etc. Long ago people had learned *not* to try dropping rocks on them!<BR>
<BR>
But what they *really* prized were these bright yellow crystalline<BR>
rocks. They can extract *hideous* amounts of energy from them, though<BR>
no one knows why. Eventually, the rock changes color and becomes<BR>
useless. <BR>
<BR>
The rocks are crystals of *uranium* salts. And they are tapping the<BR>
*nuclear* energy. The rocks change color because the uranium is being<BR>
turned to lead.<BR>
<BR>
Psis with a similar talent could be loads of fun in a campaign. And<BR>
they'd have lots of power sources. "Dead" fission warheads, nuclear<BR>
waste, the whole bit. <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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 01:42:39 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Nobles and XBoat network routing<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> (Meanwhile, if *I* were designing the Imperial x-boat network, I would<BR>
> almost certainly come up with Internet-like routing procedures.  With<BR>
> differences, of course -- the time and expense involved implies that<BR>
> you wouldn't want an unreliable protocol like IP at the heart of it.  And<BR>
> the concept of a "connection" would be right out. :-)<BR>
<BR>
As I suggested a few months back, the most likely thing is to have each<BR>
system retain copies of trafiic it orginiates or passes on until it<BR>
gets a "received ok" message from each place the item was sent to. <BR>
<BR>
For "mail", this means that upon receiving a datadump from an X-boat, a<BR>
system "data center" will check for integrity (advanced CRC and<BR>
"message digest" type protocols). Upon confirming integrity, it'll add<BR>
the "message-ID" to the "received OK" file to be sent back to the<BR>
sending node on the next X-boat. traffic that fails integrity checks<BR>
gets its ID placed in the "please resend" file. As soon as these checks<BR>
are done, the rest of the outgoing data, as well as a list of IDs for<BR>
the messages contained in the outgoing bundle get added and the x-boat<BR>
leaves. <BR>
<BR>
Back at the sending node, the received ok mail is checked of and<BR>
deleted. Receieved "news" (and multi-destination mail messages) only<BR>
gets deleted when all destinations have receieved it out, or it becomes<BR>
"too old". "Please resend" stuff gets bundled up to be resent. <BR>
<BR>
Note that with proper protocols, a message that has failed to arrive<BR>
intact 3 or more times *may* be reconstructed as long as the garbles<BR>
are in different blocks. Also, loss of a message is unlikely unless you<BR>
can nuke a data center *after* the x-boat with the "received ok"<BR>
message has gone out and before the one sending it on has left.<BR>
<BR>
In wartime, or if this starts being a problem on some links, the<BR>
ACK/NAK protocol for message IDs could merely be extended to cover<BR>
*two* hops. That way you only delete the message after it has gotten<BR>
successfully received *two* hops away (or at it's final destination, if<BR>
that is only one hop away). <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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 01:59:58 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>Michael<BR>
>>Ob Trav; >On one world write up I had the custom of cannibalism. It was a<BR>
> ritual<BR>
>>symbolizing how in the early days of a failing colony, they had to<BR>
>>supplement the diet with human remains. The recently deceased would will a<BR>
>>small part of their anatomy (a tasteful part - ho ho) and those at the wake<BR>
>>would consume a sliver. It was considered an honour to be offered a bit.<BR>
><BR>
>     Can you imagine how high TL people who have carniculture, feel when<BR>
> confronted by lower TL people harvesting meat "The Traditional Way." A new<BR>
> crop of vegitarians are made every time I expect.<BR>
<BR>
Heck, you'd be surprised how many people in *this* culture (especially<BR>
dwellers in large cities) have this built-in assumption "meat comes<BR>
from supermarkets". And they don't really *connect* the meat in the<BR>
store with actual animals.<BR>
<BR>
Me, I spent some time on a farm and assisted in slaughtering a few<BR>
animals. I *know* right down where it counts that every piece of meat I<BR>
eat means something *died* so I could have it. <BR>
<BR>
This is but one of *many* "blind spots" our culture has. Other cultures<BR>
have other areas where they don't really *think* about things. And<BR>
players had better hoper they don't accidentally *make* people think<BR>
about one of these things they'd rather *not* think about.<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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1740<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Thursday, January 13 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1741<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: How to use frames<BR>
Re: Potty<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re: Potty<BR>
Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
Re: Electronic Cash <BR>
"The referee will determine the flow of subsequent events." (Was Re: Third Imperium Email) [longish]<BR>
Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
Re: 3I or I?<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
Re MT Ship Combat<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:07:56 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>Not necessarily. Back in the old days, before IP, delays of similar<BR>
>>magnitude to jump delays were quite normal between sites, thanks to UUCP -<BR>
>>e-mail messages travelled at the rate of one site per day, based on each<BR>
>>site calling its immediate neighbours overnight (when call charges were<BR>
>>less) and exchanging messages for it and its other neighbours. Addressing<BR>
>>had to list each site a message would pass through on its way to the<BR>
>>destination, and the routing software would follow the list along until it<BR>
>>got to its recipient or a site rejected it.<BR>
><BR>
> Sounds like FIDOnet.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, no. *NO* type of fidonet mail is distributed that way. We<BR>
have three "official" routing methods for "in zone" netmail.<BR>
<BR>
1. Direct. The sending system call s the destination system, and<BR>
   delivers the message. This is possible because the fidonet nodelist<BR>
   lists *all* systems, with phone number (or these days internet<BR>
   contact info)<BR>
<BR>
2. "Host"-routed. All "nets" (think "metropolitan area") have a "net<BR>
    host". They have an "aka" address of <Zone#>:<net#>/0. So, for<BR>
    example, since my address is 1:105/51, the address of my Host is<BR>
    1:105/0. Hosts are required to forward mail to the nodes in their<BR>
    net, or to have made other arrangements (such as nodes polling<BR>
    *them* frequently) to ensure delivery of mail routed via them.<BR>
    This is useful when you've got several messages addressed to nodes<BR>
    in the same net. You can deliver all of them with one call.<BR>
<BR>
3. "Hub"-routed. Larger nets have "hubs". these are systems that have<BR>
   agreed to receive and "deliver" (similar to host nodes) mail to a<BR>
   segment of the local net. Basicly, they are responsible for all<BR>
   nodes in the nodelist between their "hub" entry and the next Hub or<BR>
   Host entry. The "host" is still *solely* responsible for nodes<BR>
   between the Host entry and the first hub entry (if any) and has<BR>
   shared responsibility for the rest of the nodes in its net.<BR>
   As 1:105/2000, I'm responsible for nodes 50 thru 99 in our net.<BR>
<BR>
There's an official method for "out of zone" netmail (the zones are<BR>
roughly continents). Each zone has a "zonegate" address for each of the<BR>
other zones. <Zone>:<zone>/<dest zone>. So in Zone 1 (North America),<BR>
you can send mail for Zone 2 (Europe) via 1:1/2. The system with that<BR>
address has special arrangements (usually Internet tunnelling) to get<BR>
mail to Europe cheaply.<BR>
<BR>
The *unofficial* methods are mostly what we call "echo-routed netmail".<BR>
Where a node sends out-of-(local)-net mail via whoever he gets echomail<BR>
from. If that node connects to the net in question, he delivers the<BR>
mail to his feed in the destination net, if not, he passes it up to the<BR>
next level of "hub", who eith has the destination in *his "downlink"<BR>
"tree" or passes it up yet another level. To the best of my knowledge,<BR>
there are only 5 or 6 "levels". So this works fairly well, though not<BR>
as well as it used to since there are now *multiple* distribution<BR>
"trees" and few interlinks between them.<BR>
<BR>
In any case, at no pointin *any* of these are "intermediate" routing<BR>
steps specified by the sender (or anyone else).<BR>
<BR>
>>Would spamming be an Imperial crime?<BR>
><BR>
> Not IMTU, because the _sender_ has to pay for the message. So if you really<BR>
> want to send several million messages you can, but you have to pay for each<BR>
> copy.  Also, the Scout Service does not give a volume discount, so your<BR>
> letter to Aunt Maisie and the LSP sales brochure sent to 3000 engineers<BR>
> each cost a Message Unit Charge -- LSP gets no discount for sending 3000 at<BR>
> the same time.<BR>
<BR>
On the contrary. They'll get *quite* a discount. At least if they are<BR>
using anything like Internet mail protocols and structures. You can<BR>
have a *single* message with a ton of CC or BCC entries, or you can<BR>
play similat games with the "envelope" (a seperate file that goes with<BR>
the actual mail message). <BR>
<BR>
I'm sure that they'll have the capacity for sending a message with<BR>
multiple destinations such that it gets sent as "a" message over many<BR>
of the hops. Working out charges is a bit tricky, but it can be done. <BR>
<BR>
I expect that "expanding" such messages on the planetary nets at the<BR>
various destinations is probably free as long as you aren't abusing the<BR>
system. Legit mailing list on the current Internet do this, because it<BR>
cuts down on congestion on the backbone. <BR>
<BR>
The "extra" charges would probably be based on the *total* number of<BR>
x-boat hops required for delivery. On none of the hops would the<BR>
message take more than one "slot" (unless it was really big, or had<BR>
*lots* of addresses). I expect that there'd be a deliberate limit where<BR>
they charge per "block" of addresses, with a block being units of 1024,<BR>
or so. Just to save "header" space.<BR>
<BR>
So you'd trace out the paths taken by *all* the "copies" the message<BR>
expands to (only down to the "one per system" level. Then for each<BR>
"link" in the network thgus laid out (or segment in the "tree") there's<BR>
be a charge based on message size, and one based on number of "blocks"<BR>
of addresses that had to be carried over that link. <BR>
<BR>
> IMTU, you also only specify the person's address on the destination world,<BR>
> not the route the message takes to get there. The Scout Service handles<BR>
> routing based on the xboat routes (which are fixed) with some variation for<BR>
> transient conditions. An undeliverable message will be stored for a while<BR>
> (for personal pickup/query), then deleted.<BR>
<BR>
And you can pay extra for "return/delivery receipt requested". At the<BR>
cheapest level, you get back a "picked up"<BR>
notice *or* a "deleted unread due to lack of space". The "receipt" at<BR>
this level merely give a date/time stamp and the host/login info as<BR>
read from the network (easily fooled by clever routing of the pickup<BR>
request). <BR>
<BR>
For the "certified" mail equivalent, the message can be "password<BR>
protected" and require the right key or ID info before it can be<BR>
released. If you choose this, you'll get notification of *failed*<BR>
access attempts, as well as info on the successful attempt. (at the<BR>
lower level it's login with the ID the message is addressed to, and you<BR>
get the message, so "failed attempts" aren't *possible*)<BR>
<BR>
For *lots* more money you can require that messages be picked up in<BR>
person with *physical* ID checks.<BR>
<BR>
As for spamming, it wouldn't be nearly as prevalent, because the sender<BR>
would have to pay (even if only a little) *per address* (the block<BR>
charges above). This would tend to encourage better targetting of ads. <BR>
<BR>
Also, using fake return addresses problably *would* be illegal. Heck,<BR>
it's *technically* illegal now, just not easy to get prosecuted. So you<BR>
could complain about poorly targeted email ads. And as per the above,<BR>
it'd actually be in their interest to take you *off* the list!<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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 11:03:58 +0000<BR>
From: Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk<BR>
Subject: Re: Potty<BR>
<BR>
Jason wrote:<BR>
>Later that evening during the assembly he tells the<BR>
>congregation that he was pleased to be in town and that he<BR>
>had seen the Bloody King's Cross.  You can imagine the<BR>
>reaction that got in church.<BR>
<BR>
!!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
(Though my suspicion is that like the Germans listening to JFK, they'd have<BR>
raised their eyebrows somewhat and let it pass, all the time thinking<BR>
"bloody foreigner".)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>In America if a nose starts to leak vital fluid, we refer to that<BR>
>as a "bloody nose."  How would you reference such?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Exactly the same.  (See various Shakespeare texts)<BR>
<BR>
>Would it make a difference if you were in polite company?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Nope.  Used in that context no one would have a problem with it. [1]<BR>
<BR>
(Indeed it's pretty 'mild' used as a swear word.  Although one of my<BR>
colleagues raised a few eyebrows using it in a presentation once.  As I<BR>
work in a library you can imagaine though the environment is hardly at the<BR>
cutting edge of slang and swear words.)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
If I understand correctly, however, it is a corruption of 'by our lady' and<BR>
is swearing on Mary the Mother of Jesus which I would guess some might find<BR>
blasphemous.<BR>
<BR>
tc<BR>
<BR>
[1] Though I vividly recall one newcomer at boarding school (aged 11)<BR>
having trouble reading the word when asked to read some Shakespeare aloud<BR>
in an English class.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 22:14:48 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
<SNIP><BR>
>And before anyone mentions Imperial laws about using nukes, please<BR>
>remember that det-laser missiles are common, nukes are going to be<BR>
>*childisj\hly* simple to build be this TL, and Piracy carries the death<BR>
>penalty anyway.<BR>
>Leonard Erickson<BR>
<BR>
    I assume thats only TNE onwards. The thing about being a pirate is you<BR>
don't want to look like a pirate unless your out doing your stuff. Having a<BR>
"hot" drone in the hold is a givaway. You don't need it anyway, 95% of<BR>
merchants are told by their companies to cooperate with pirates demands.<BR>
Would you sign on if the company told you to fight it out? Would your wife<BR>
let you?<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 22:20:46 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Potty<BR>
<BR>
>Jason wrote:<BR>
>>Later that evening during the assembly he tells the<BR>
>>congregation that he was pleased to be in town and that he<BR>
>>had seen the Bloody King's Cross.  You can imagine the<BR>
>>reaction that got in church.<BR>
<BR>
    It is of course Australia, Sydney's red light district. (Although it<BR>
wasn't as bad when the story originated.)<BR>
    "Bloody" is Australia's Great Adjective.<BR>
    To your mate:<BR>
    "Bloody fantastic! How are ya' mate?"<BR>
    To an enemy:<BR>
    "Bloody Ref(eree)! Open your bloody eyes!"<BR>
    My favourite:<BR>
    "Where've ya been mate?"<BR>
    "Broken bloody Hill, shootin' Kanga-bloody-roos!"<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 07:21:43 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
<BR>
At 11:26 PM 1/12/00 -0600, you wrote:<BR>
>>You don't forge more credits onto the smart card, you forge the card<BR>
>>itself. Make up a thousand cards, each with 1000 credits on it. Face<BR>
>>value is 1,000,000 Imp. credits. you sell these cards to an underworld<BR>
>>contact for 100,000 credits or so. Your contact's organization then<BR>
>>spends the credits on the fake cards for real goods that can be resold<BR>
>>for real credits. Instant verification of the cards may make this<BR>
>>difficult on a planetary scale, but how do you verifiy a card issued 3<BR>
>>jumps away?<BR>
><BR>
>Which is why, IMTU, banks don't honor cards from out-system banks.<BR>
>If you want to transfer funds you do it with a Letter of Credit from<BR>
>a bank to a corresponding bank which may (but probably won't) give<BR>
>you access to funds before the letter is confirmed and that's a<BR>
>several week process. <BR>
><BR>
>Eris<BR>
>-- <BR>
>-----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
        Or you can just carry commodities like bullion in the ship's safe.<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>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 07:26:30 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash <BR>
<BR>
At 09:40 PM 1/12/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
        [current RW info snipped]<BR>
><BR>
>In any event, I have full faith that the technology which advanced TLs will<BR>
>bring will make electronic cash possible, and perhaps even universal.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
        "Yessir, we'll happily take your Universal Express card.  You can<BR>
come back in three weeks for your goods..."<BR>
        "WHAT?  THREE WEEKS?"<BR>
        "Well, yes, of course.  We have to wait for verification from the<BR>
main branch on Regina.  I am sure you understand."<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>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 22:17:04 +1100<BR>
From: "AB" <ab@rossmack.com><BR>
Subject: "The referee will determine the flow of subsequent events." (Was Re: Third Imperium Email) [longish]<BR>
<BR>
>  I want to hear what happens next!<BR>
<BR>
Unfortunately I don't think the real story is as interesting as Doug's<BR>
possibilities.  However, gather round the thermal unit my children and I<BR>
will tell you a tale...<BR>
<BR>
Following his fatal wounding (he is revived on the table) at the Seige of<BR>
Efate and promotion, eventually to the rank of Leiutenant (his superiors<BR>
prove to be not so lucky) he is finally discharged from the Imperial Navy<BR>
after the fifth frontier war and is repatriated home to Mongo.<BR>
<BR>
He becomes re-acquainted with his homeworld:<BR>
<BR>
Lots of empty housing now - his parent's old apartment is dusty but intact.<BR>
Much of Mongo's capital, Ming, is unmarred.  The massive nuclear damper<BR>
fields erected around the black scar of the university and the adjacent<BR>
government offices indicate the only major damage.<BR>
<BR>
He asks questions of surviving members of the Directorate of Public Safety.<BR>
Eventually he tracks down someone who was serving at the Eastern Ranges<BR>
station during the evacuation and knew Clajdia.  Seems he and Clajdia were<BR>
part of a group that were escaping east in an ATV when they were hit by a<BR>
Zhodani patrol.  They were heavily outgunned and most surrendered after a<BR>
few shots were exchanged.  He was captured but Clajdia disappeared in the<BR>
darkness.<BR>
<BR>
Jean collects some survival gear together and heads for the Eastern Ranges<BR>
station.<BR>
<BR>
The Eastern Ranges station is now little more than the local Public Safety<BR>
Officer's house.  The original impressive complex was torn apart with<BR>
ortillery.  This part of the planet was only just being settled before the<BR>
war and this is now the frontier of civilisation here.  Anything could be<BR>
deeper in the range, or in the grasslands beyond...<BR>
<BR>
Jean speaks with the local officer, but he's of little help other than to<BR>
give Jean copies of some old pre-war maps.<BR>
<BR>
Jean heads into the wilds on his All Terrain Motorbike.<BR>
<BR>
After about a day's travel along a badly overgrown track he comes across a<BR>
badly shot up Public Safety Directorate ATV.  There are some graves nearby.<BR>
He exhumes three male bodies and re-buries the two Imperial ones.<BR>
<BR>
He considers his options and notes that there is a meteorological station<BR>
marked on the map about 80km North East.<BR>
<BR>
His journey punctuated by an amusing (in hind sight) encounter with a local<BR>
critter intent on stealing his supplies, he eventually arrives at the<BR>
meteorological station.  It is a sturdy, two level structure with its own<BR>
fusion reactor and plenty of preserved supplies laid on.  Obviously intended<BR>
to be an important research and monitoring station it hasn't been used for<BR>
years.  Maybe all record of it was vapourised with the rest of the<BR>
government offices.<BR>
<BR>
He fires up the reactor and takes a look around.  In one of the upstairs<BR>
quarters he finds the torn and slightly bloodied remains of a female PSO's<BR>
uniform shirt.  Clajdia's name is on the collar tag.  There are no other<BR>
signs of habitation.<BR>
<BR>
He checks the station's computer logs.  The power plant was last started and<BR>
shut down two weeks after Clajdia's last letter.<BR>
<BR>
The comms logs show something intriguing though:<BR>
<BR>
firstly a low power semi-directional transmission was broadcast to the east<BR>
five times at fifteen minute intervals;<BR>
then a signal was received on tight beam and a conversation continued for<BR>
two minutes;<BR>
two days later an encrypted signal was broadcast on a different frequency.<BR>
<BR>
Ten minutes after that the power plant was shut down using the normal<BR>
procedure.<BR>
<BR>
The content of the signals themselves has been erased from the computer...<BR>
<BR>
With nothing else to do Jean tries some broadcasts on the frequencies.  The<BR>
first frequency gives no reponse at all, but the second has an Imperial Navy<BR>
Pinnace grounding at the station inside fifteen minutes wanting to know why<BR>
Jean is broadcasting on a known Zhodani tactical frequency...<BR>
<BR>
Jean explains his story and after some background checks the Navy even helps<BR>
search the grasslands east of the station.<BR>
<BR>
They find evidence of a Zhodani encampment dating back to the time of the<BR>
invasion, but nothing else...<BR>
<BR>
      *      *      *<BR>
<BR>
The referee is in the process of determinging the flow of subsequent<BR>
events...<BR>
<BR>
As you may have guessed I ran this as a one-on-one with Jean as the PC.<BR>
Jean's search for his sister has become a recurring plot thread.<BR>
<BR>
- -AB<BR>
<BR>
PS: I particularly like #3 - wish I'd thought of that!<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 12:54:52 +0000<BR>
From: "Carlos Alos-Ferrer" <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at><BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
> > Government code 4 is described as "Representative Democracy." It<BR>
> > occurs to me that there is an awful lot of variety there, as is in<BR>
> > most gov codes, but it seems that it could be classified somehow, and<BR>
> > maybe refined so that some weird effects of UWP generation can be<BR>
> > dealt with (e.g.: "democracy implies weapons freedom," which is an<BR>
> > americanism).<BR>
 <BR>
> smile when you say that Carlos ;-><BR>
<BR>
Of course, I am sorry. No flamewar intended, just remembered some <BR>
past observations in this list, that the number of Gov 4, Low Law <BR>
Level planets produced by the worldgen seemed to reflect the american <BR>
democracy and not, say, the British one. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
> > For example, one easy way to characterize democratic worlds out there<BR>
> > would be by the number of significant political parties...<BR>
  <BR>
> > Bipartidism is clearly an extreme, but it the UK and the US might be<BR>
> > examples, with a lot of important differences, so maybe other<BR>
> > characteristics should be considered.<BR>
 <BR>
> You *could* have a real Representative Democracy with a single party,<BR>
> although the examples of single party states that spring to mind<BR>
> aren't especially good examples of democracies. You could easily have<BR>
> a no party democracy, an American President warned against the<BR>
> factionalism of parties...not that he was listened to.<BR>
<BR>
"Single party" tend to be or evolve into dictatorships in Earth... <BR>
maybe it is easier than that: as a working definition, a "party" has <BR>
to represent a "part," so a single party democracy would be rather <BR>
classified as a "no-parties" one...  <BR>
<BR>
> > 3-10 parties would be the next logical category, with nowadays<BR>
> > example include most of western europe.<BR>
<BR>
Except Italy, as has been noted.<BR>
  <BR>
> > More than 10 parties would probably be political hubs. I envision<BR>
> > most Vargr representative democracies with parties being of this<BR>
> > type.<BR>
  <BR>
> > A further category would have no parties, with elections being<BR>
> > based on individual candidates. <BR>
 <BR>
> As I mentioned above. <g> This is how I see Vargr politics, entirely<BR>
> "cults of the individual", where there are as many "parties" as their<BR>
> are candidates. And they only last as long as does the charisma of<BR>
> their leader.<BR>
<BR>
Right. If you have a dozen of them, you can still say it's <BR>
multipartidist, just a bit hectic. But probably almost all Vargr Gov <BR>
4, High Pop worlds should rather be classified as "many many <BR>
parties..."<BR>
 <BR>
> >Actually, I am not<BR>
> > knowledgeable here, but I was thinking that maybe a TAS-sponsored<BR>
> > classification of the US would rather include it in this category as<BR>
> > opposed to bipartidism (UK), given the practical implementation of<BR>
> > the american system of primaries. Certainly, Vargr representative<BR>
> > democracies could also easily fit here.<BR>
  <BR>
> > So, a first attempt to refine a classification of worlds with Gov<BR>
> > Code 4 could be....<BR>
<BR>
(mistake corrected) <BR>
4.1... Bipartidism, e.g. UK.<BR>
        Law Level Roll = 2D<BR>
4.2... Multipartidism (3-10 parties), e.g. Spain, Austria.<BR>
        Law Level Roll = 2D-1<BR>
4.3... Extreme Multipartidism (11+ parties), e.g. <BR>
e.g. Israel, Italy, as has been pointed.<BR>
        Law Level Roll = 2D-2<BR>
4.4... Personal elections, e.g. US (?)<BR>
        Law Level Roll = 2D-3 (the "official" roll, if I got it <BR>
right this time)<BR>
 <BR>
> No, I don't think you have that right, but that's not the Traveller<BR>
> point. The point is the specification of more detailed levels of<BR>
> government. Adding a decimal is what I have done with Tech Levels.<BR>
<BR>
It was not meant as a decimal. Call them A,B,C,D if you like.<BR>
 <BR>
> > I handwave the progression in law level rolls by the rough and<BR>
> > probably incorrect assumption that the number of parties is inversely<BR>
> > related to the political power, so that with less parties you can<BR>
> > actually manage to implement restrictive legislations - for the<BR>
> > economists / mathematicians out there, I like it because it would be<BR>
> > an exact parallel to the well-known relationship between firm power<BR>
> > and number of firms in a market: Monopoly (Dictatorship), Duopoly<BR>
> > (Bipartidism), Oligopoly (Multipartidism), Perfect Competition<BR>
> > (Personal Elections).<BR>
> <BR>
> Wait! Don't you have the Law Levels in your examples backwards then? <BR>
<BR>
Right, mistake. Meant 2D+(Number-7), not 2D-number.<BR>
<BR>
High party power implies then (handwave, handwave, not really <BR>
serious, it's a game... ;-) ) higher probability of enacting <BR>
restrictive law. In general, (under certain assumptions) monopoly is <BR>
"bad" for the consumer whereas perfect competition (think of it as <BR>
"many many firms" is "good", oligopoly being in the middle. I am just <BR>
taking this economic bias to argue that dictatorship (=monopoly) is <BR>
very bad for personal freedom (high Law Level), bipartidism <BR>
(=duopoly) is somewhat restrictive (not low Law Level), <BR>
multipartidism (=oligopoly) is in the middle, and "many many parties" <BR>
should imply low law level.<BR>
<BR>
> As a more general subject, I'd like us to consider expanding<BR>
> Tech/Gov/Law in ways similar to how WBH did it.<BR>
<BR>
The problem with that approach for Gov is that the factors you need <BR>
to consider for Gov 4 are totally different from the factors you need <BR>
for Gov A. For Gov 4, you would need something like "Number of <BR>
Parties / Type of Representation /...", whereas for Gov A you would <BR>
need something like "Hereditary or not / Military support / ...". <BR>
Universal Democracy Profile, Universal Bureaucracy Profile, Universal <BR>
Dictatorship Profile? Still could be workable, but what I would like <BR>
to do is to use the extended system to replace some quick <BR>
but simplistic rolls Law Level = 2D + (Gov-7) when one wants more <BR>
detail in worldgen.<BR>
<BR>
Carlos Alos-Ferrer<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:06:22 +0000<BR>
From: "Carlos Alos-Ferrer" <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at><BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
> > > 4.3... Extreme Multipartidism (11+ parties), e.g. ???<BR>
> > <BR>
> > Israel?<BR>
<BR>
Bruce Johnson wrote: <BR>
> Italy jumped to my mind immediately. Russia, too. the official list of<BR>
> candidates in the recent elections there was huge.<BR>
<BR>
Right. Although the working definition of "significant" could be, <BR>
e.g., "holding parliament seats." Spain and Austria, the two cases I <BR>
(sort of) know have over 10 parties, but less than 10 in parliament.<BR>
 <BR>
> Non-partisan (what Carlos is calling 'individual') elections are widely<BR>
<BR>
Thanks for the term. We non-natives have to improvise sometimes <BR>
<grin>.<BR>
<BR>
> held in the US, though at lower levels of government; school board<BR>
> elections and the like are typically non-partisan, as are many city<BR>
> councils and such like. Carlos' description of primaries are actually<BR>
> not really relevant, as they arent' designed to produce a<BR>
> representative, but a single candidate for election. Only party members<BR>
> (in most cases, Arizona is a recent change) are allowed to vote in<BR>
> primaries.<BR>
<BR>
Yes, but still it is very different from having the party <BR>
leaders designate the candidates, at least in practice.<BR>
 <BR>
> There's also a variant of the Individual Representatives, such as<BR>
> described in The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, and to my knowledge, not<BR>
> practiced anywhere, is simply getting enough people to cast a vote for<BR>
> you. There were no primaries, no parties (per se, IIRC, although there<BR>
> were factions quite soon...guess it's time for a reread of the novel);<BR>
> all you had to do was get 1000 people to agree to cast a vote for you.<BR>
<BR>
The important poinbt would be that, once you cast your vote, it is <BR>
"spent" for a given period of time. Interesting "overlapping time <BR>
periods" considerations.<BR>
 <BR>
> This leads to 'Bob is my representative' rather than 'Bob is the<BR>
> representative of ward 7, where I happen to live, even though I despise<BR>
> the man.' It also leads to large, unwieldy governments, good for the<BR>
> basic concept of 'those that govern least, govern best' concept pf<BR>
> deomocracy.<BR>
<BR>
> (although, IMHO, this is merely a cop-out. If gummint is hobbled in<BR>
> favor of, say, market forces, the people actually get less say, and<BR>
> more interference on their lives...it just doesn't come from the<BR>
> gummint...) <BR>
<BR>
He he he... that's right. But still the different types of <BR>
representation raise an interesting point, which leads to what <BR>
Eris pointed about doing a WBH-style detailing of Gov codes. This <BR>
detail falls more into the "Type of Representation" story than into <BR>
a "Number of Parties" one which I was using as a rule of thumb.<BR>
<BR>
Which kind of representation types do we know/can imagine? Off the <BR>
Top of my Head,<BR>
<BR>
1- Territorial... per county/district / you name it. Spain is like <BR>
that.<BR>
<BR>
2- National (planetary) - single list for the whole country. Austria <BR>
is more like that, I think, but they are a small country.<BR>
<BR>
3- Personal, as Bruce describes above (a better name for that?)<BR>
<BR>
Another point wpould be whether the president/head of government is <BR>
directly elected or not. In some cases, he is elected by the elected <BR>
representatives once the parliament is formed. In other cases, the <BR>
same vote determines (or should determine) directly the head of <BR>
government and the number of seats of each party on parliament.<BR>
 <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 12:16:45 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I or I?<BR>
<BR>
Carlos Alos-Ferrer wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Notice the "3i" last code? This got me thinking....<BR>
><BR>
>Do people in the 3I routinely refer to the 3I as "the Third Imperium" <BR>
>or as "the Imperium"? I would say the last, with most Vilani refusing <BR>
>to acknowledge the existence of the Second Imperium and many <BR>
>planetbound types not even knowing there was a first and a second....<BR>
<BR>
In the UK we usually refer to our current Queen as "Queen Elizabeth"<BR>
but the bridge, ship and building were all "The QE2 ..."<BR>
<BR>
According to T4, Cleon I wanted the 3I to be the successor to the first<BR>
two. Indeed, it could be argued that the 3I created the concept of the<BR>
Second Imperium in order to make the link whilst justifying moving the<BR>
capital from Vland.<BR>
<BR>
Thus, at least in the beginning, the 3I was very aware of that "Third".<BR>
<BR>
Move on 1100 years and the average citizen probably uses the phrase<BR>
"Imperium" and considers the 1st, 2nd, 3rd a matter for historians.<BR>
<BR>
The only references in common use might be something like "first style"<BR>
and "second style" with much the same meanings as "classical style"<BR>
and "american style" would have today.<BR>
<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 01:20:01 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
On 13 Jan 00, at 1:59, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Heck, you'd be surprised how many people in *this* culture (especially<BR>
> dwellers in large cities) have this built-in assumption "meat comes from<BR>
> supermarkets". And they don't really *connect* the meat in the store with<BR>
> actual animals.<BR>
<BR>
It was quite normal here in NZ (where there are lots of cows, along <BR>
with all those sheep) when I was a kid for "townie" kids to reply "from <BR>
the bottle" when asked where milk came from, much to us country <BR>
kid's amusement. Nowadays with the near total replacement of <BR>
bottles with cartons and plastic containers I don't know what they <BR>
say, but I doubt that it's "from a cow".<BR>
<BR>
> Me, I spent some time on a farm and assisted in slaughtering a few<BR>
> animals. I *know* right down where it counts that every piece of meat I<BR>
> eat means something *died* so I could have it. <BR>
<BR>
I grew up in a froming community, and for years one of my sisters <BR>
used to bring her boy-friends out when a beast was being <BR>
slaughtered to test their mettle by seeing whether they went green <BR>
when she started gutting the animal. We only ever had one faint on <BR>
us.<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: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 01:20:01 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
On 13 Jan 00, at 0:11, Evyn MacDude wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> rec.games.frp.gurps is must be the heaven of civility then.... And has<BR>
> been pretty usesful at times.<BR>
<BR>
It is. Hop onto r.g.f.dnd or r.g.f.misc for infantile bad mouthing, <BR>
flaming, etc, etc.<BR>
<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: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 01:20:01 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re MT Ship Combat<BR>
<BR>
On 12 Jan 00, at 20:07, William F. Hostman wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> >As for MT's penetration<BR>
> >rules, Im' not too sure how they work myself (never having done a<BR>
> >ship to ship combat in MT). If you have a copy of High Guard you<BR>
> >could try that, as it's not very different.<BR>
> ><BR>
> Effectively, Rupert, MT's Ship Combat tables ARE high guard. The mechanics<BR>
> of ship combat are the same set of rules, except for the inclusions of the<BR>
> tactics pools and the movement system. Close enough, in fact, that one can<BR>
> use HG vessels and MT Vessels in the same combat...<BR>
<BR>
Yeah, but I found it better explained in HG, and I notice that the <BR>
damage tables are different. Besides, IIRC some of MegaErrata's <BR>
tables were the wrong way around (or the DMs), which may explain <BR>
some of the confusion.<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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1741<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Thursday, January 13 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1742<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: Electronic Cash<BR>
Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re: CT/MT Chargen <BR>
Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re: Q-Ships<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Pirate Economics<BR>
Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
Re: Boarding actions<BR>
Re: How to use frames<BR>
Re: Carnoculture (was Re: KFC)<BR>
Re: Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 01:20:01 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
<BR>
On 12 Jan 00, at 21:51, Luther Martin wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Which is why, IMTU, banks don't honor cards from out-system banks.<BR>
> > If you want to transfer funds you do it with a Letter of Credit from a<BR>
> > bank to a corresponding bank which may (but probably won't) give you<BR>
> > access to funds before the letter is confirmed and that's a several week<BR>
> > process.<BR>
> ><BR>
> <BR>
> Does anyone know how this was accomplished in the days of Jack Aubrey (c.<BR>
> 1812)? When people routinely went on long voyages to distant places, they<BR>
> must have dealt with this problem. Even better, they must have come up<BR>
> with a particularly clever and elegant solution. But what was it? It must<BR>
> have been worse when verification of a letter of credit could take many<BR>
> months.<BR>
<BR>
For one you could simply take a whole lot of cash (gold). Why do <BR>
you think highway robbery was such a popular pasttime?<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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:27:13 +0000<BR>
From: "Carlos Alos-Ferrer" <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at><BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
> At 15:37 -0500 12/1/00, Eris reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net> wrote:<BR>
> > > Bipartidism is clearly an extreme, but it the UK and the US might be<BR>
> > > examples, with a lot of important differences, so maybe other<BR>
> > > characteristics should be considered.<BR>
> > > 4.1... Bipartidism, e.g. UK.<BR>
> > >        Law Level Roll = 2D-7<BR>
<BR>
SD Mooney wrote:<BR>
> The UK is a weird mix.<BR>
 <BR>
> We have a number of levels of government elected by different <BR>
> methods. The Euro and Scottish Elections (IIRC) use Proportional <BR>
> Representation from lists, and the Westminster Government is elected <BR>
> on a first past the post principle (ie highest wins).<BR>
<BR>
Winner takes all?<BR>
<BR>
I am getting my mind changed thanks to the insights I am reading <BR>
in the list ;-)... maybe it is much better to aim for a Universal <BR>
Democracy Profile than for a subcode. The number of important <BR>
characteristics seems manageable, and some relationships between them <BR>
seem intuitive.<BR>
<BR>
Your observation brings into play two things worth <BR>
including in such a profile... one is regional/autonomic parliaments, <BR>
or degree of autonomy of regions, etc. I.e. the centralism vs. <BR>
federalism question, whihc should be related to population (not much <BR>
sense for autonomies if you have pop 4, I guess). And another one, <BR>
the Rule used for translating votes into seats (arg! what was <BR>
the name in English for these rules? Representation Rules?). <BR>
D'Hondt-style rules work against minorities, preventing large numbers <BR>
of parties in Parliament. Germany and Austria have "minimal <BR>
percentage" laws, i.e. you need a 5% or your votes are not even <BR>
considered... this means the maximum number of parties ever in <BR>
parliament is 20! <BR>
 <BR>
> Effectively we have a two party system for the UK but:<BR>
 <BR>
> The present government has an absolute majority.<BR>
> The third biggest party has 45+ seats in the parliament.<BR>
> The percentage of vote does not relate to the percentage of seats.<BR>
<BR>
You mean you have a rule which works against minorities? IIRC, the <BR>
original idea of those rules was to ensure stability... it's easier <BR>
to get a majority. More representative systems tend to create <BR>
short-lived governments, *as a rough rule of thumb.* <BR>
<BR>
> Coalitions are not unknown if parties have not absolute or small <BR>
> majorities. For example, the last Tory Government lost its overall <BR>
> majority and was kept in power by the Ulster Unionists, who used this <BR>
> as a lever for the negotiations in Northern Ireland.<BR>
<BR>
He he he. The last socialist government in Spain was kept in power by <BR>
the Catalan Conservatives, in exchange for more autonomy... then, in <BR>
the next elections the Spanish conservatvies fared better but had no <BR>
majority... so the Catalan Conservatives supported them, in exchange <BR>
for more autonomy... I am hoping for this scheme to repeat itself a <BR>
few more times, and we'll get independence! ;-> <grin, duck, and run><BR>
<BR>
In a UDP (Universal Democracy Profile), these examples point that <BR>
federalism has more probabilities of being stable in the <BR>
long-run if there are enough parties. I mean, if Federalism is High <BR>
but you have two parties, party discipline *should* prevent the above <BR>
examples. If Federalism is high and you have many parties, this <BR>
probably reflects that you have regional indepepndent parties.<BR>
 <BR>
> Also, we may be seeing a shift in power at the moment (at the start <BR>
> of the century government/opposition was Liberal/Tory, which moved to <BR>
> Labour/Tory and may be shifting to LibDem/Labour. It'll be <BR>
> interesting to watch.<BR>
<BR>
But still basically bipartidist. Seems to me that when the number of <BR>
parties is two, the situation tends to be more stable. Of course, a <BR>
mono-party dictatorship is even more stable... lasted 40 years in <BR>
Spain ;->.... hmmm.... should "stability" be part of the UDP? Vargr <BR>
worlds get a large DM by definition! ;-) <BR>
<BR>
Carlos Alos-Ferrer<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:32:44 +0000<BR>
From: "Carlos Alos-Ferrer" <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at><BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
> From:          "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
>     Can you imagine how high TL people who have carniculture, feel when<BR>
> confronted by lower TL people harvesting meat "The Traditional Way." A new<BR>
> crop of vegitarians are made every time I expect.<BR>
<BR>
I can't remember the title and author, but there was an old SF story <BR>
about a culture of "food designers," I think living on orbital <BR>
stations, who designed the most exquisite foods to be ellaborated in <BR>
tanks, down to the mollecular structure. The highest point of their <BR>
lives was some sort of competition, which determined their "cook <BR>
rank." The protagonist won with a dish which all referees considered <BR>
absolutely exquisite. Then he had to reveal the recipe, and revealed <BR>
that he had used a *natural* spice brought from the planet, something <BR>
that had grown naturally... all referees immediately went to throw <BR>
up, and the guy was disqualified and immediately banished from the <BR>
colony. Makes for an interesting twist in any Traveller space <BR>
habitat / asteroid belt colony.<BR>
<BR>
Carlos Alos-Ferrer<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:34:12 +0000<BR>
From: "Carlos Alos-Ferrer" <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at><BR>
Subject: Re: CT/MT Chargen <BR>
<BR>
Jim wrote:<BR>
> >     I'm generating a PC for MT and I have noted that it assumes that PCs<BR>
> > will only have one career in their lives, a very pre-'80s idea. Has anyone<BR>
> > developed rules for career changes during chargen in CT/MT?<BR>
 <BR>
> Try a regular enlistment roll with a negative DM for each term served in <BR>
> another career.<BR>
> Worked for me...<BR>
> Keven<BR>
<BR>
Jim, if that's the character you are doing for my game, Keven's rule <BR>
of thumb also works for me...<BR>
Carlos<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 23:50:41 +1100<BR>
From: "AB" <ab@rossmack.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
My 0.02Cr on Individual Representatives, off track a little, but what the<BR>
hell?<BR>
<BR>
What if each representative's vote in the parliament was weighted by the<BR>
number of votes received?<BR>
<BR>
*Extract from Hansard*<BR>
<BR>
The Speaker:  Will the Nomenclator read the result of the vote please?<BR>
Nomenclator:  83 members abstained.  2 members voted 8,631 against.  1<BR>
member voted 38,142 in favour.  The Bill is passed into law.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Wouldn't that make for some fascinating power games?<BR>
<BR>
- -AB<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 09:26:48 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
At 11:54 PM 1/12/00 PST, you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>Pirates *aren't* stupid, and for just about any cargo you can name, I<BR>
>can describe a "treatment" method that'll eliminate boarding parties<BR>
>and the like, without damaging valuables.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
        Hi, Leonard....<BR>
        I obviously wasn't clear, because that was essentially what I was<BR>
trying to get at...  Generally, PC's have a problem accepting that they are<BR>
the only bright ones in the TU, though....<BR>
<BR>
>>         I still want a "Point Blank" range band, but that might be a whole<BR>
>> different issue.<BR>
><BR>
>"Point Blank" for most Starship weapons is when you can see the other<BR>
>ship as anything more than a point of light. A concept that TV and<BR>
>movie SF just *can't* accept.<BR>
><BR>
>-- <BR>
>Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
<BR>
        Yeah, for quibbling purposes I call "point-blank" anything in<BR>
single-digit Mm ranges.  The problem is that "push button warfare", which is<BR>
what ship-to-ship combat with weapons that can be aimed to 250Mm will be,<BR>
isn't very thrilling or romantic....  <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>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 14:31:14 +0000<BR>
From: "Carlos Alos-Ferrer" <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at><BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
> What if each representative's vote in the parliament was weighted by the<BR>
> number of votes received?<BR>
<BR>
He, he, he. I think I have heard it before, but very good idea. Don't <BR>
think it has ever been implemented. It makes for a large parliament, <BR>
but very different types of members. You have 10 members with <BR>
milliones of votes, 100 with thousands, 1000 with hundreds... maybe a <BR>
lower bound would be necessary anyway. If not, you will have a <BR>
thousand weirdos who found their own party and just cast their vote <BR>
for the sole purpose of being in parliament, with one vote....<BR>
 <BR>
> *Extract from Hansard*<BR>
 <BR>
> The Speaker:  Will the Nomenclator read the result of the vote please?<BR>
> Nomenclator:  83 members abstained.  2 members voted 8,631 against.  1<BR>
> member voted 38,142 in favour.  The Bill is passed into law.<BR>
<BR>
LOL!<BR>
 <BR>
> Wouldn't that make for some fascinating power games?<BR>
<BR>
Cooperative Game Theory, voting specialty. Fascinating how some <BR>
historical parliaments where equivalent to dictatorship in <BR>
mathematical terms, and how some nowadays parties fit into the <BR>
definition of "dummies." (in the statistic sense, i.e. irrelevant, <BR>
*not* stupid) <grin><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 09:30:17 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
At 12:04 AM 1/13/00 PST, you wrote:<BR>
        [quote snipped]<BR>
>At this point, you send an RPV (remotely Piloted Vehicle) over. It<BR>
>clamps to the hull in a not easily accessible spot (say a nice<BR>
>*exposed* bit of hull far from airlocks and over main fuel tankage).<BR>
><BR>
>It's got a several kiloton nuke on it, damper shielded. The pirates can<BR>
>now "request" co-operation without being *nearly* as exposed to danger.<BR>
>If the ship starts to boost, the bomb destroys it. Ditto if it doesn't<BR>
>get regular coded messages from the pirates. <BR>
><BR>
>At this point, the merchie *really* doesn't have any choice. And he can<BR>
>send a *small* boarding team with few worries. <BR>
><BR>
>And before anyone mentions Imperial laws about using nukes, please<BR>
>remember that det-laser missiles are common, nukes are going to be<BR>
>*childisj\hly* simple to build be this TL, and Piracy carries the death<BR>
>penalty anyway. <BR>
><BR>
>-- <BR>
>Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
<BR>
        Hi, Leonard!<BR>
        Yeah, it makes sense, but its miserable roleplaying.  I want<BR>
something that is tight enough that your average merchant won't bother<BR>
trying to resist and PCs *might* be able to find a way out of...<BR>
limpet-nukes don't work in that criteria.  Its the same reason that I<BR>
usually have snipers whack an NPC with the first shot as opposed to a<BR>
player-character...  PCs feel threatened, but they have the opportunity to<BR>
weasel out.<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>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:34:17 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Q-Ships<BR>
<BR>
Chauncey Smith wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>What about more then one power plant and steeping down the power?<BR>
<BR>
From FF&S onwards you can store one shot in the homopolar generators.<BR>
This shouldn't appear on any sensors.<BR>
<BR>
The latest T4 designs tend to have battery power for 125 laser shots<BR>
to allow them to act as missile point defence at a high rate of fire<BR>
without draining the powerplant.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 09:39:43 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
At 12:22 AM 1/13/00 PST, you wrote:<BR>
        [quote snipped]<BR>
>>         The Merchant now has to decide wether he wants to test the threat or<BR>
>> not...  after all, while the Pirate crew might be crazy enough to "go down<BR>
>> swinging", the *Merchant* probably *isn't*.<BR>
>><BR>
>>         With PCs, it essentially one group of crazies against another...<BR>
>> The pirates have *much* to loose if the PCs take them alive...  Jail is not<BR>
>> a nice place...  If the players are firing and not open to being bullied,<BR>
>> then you can assume that the Pirates will fight a withdrawl to the best they<BR>
>> can to allow the Corsair to maul the PCs with ship-to-ship weapons.<BR>
><BR>
>As I noted elsewhere the pirates can be *counted on* as risking<BR>
>anything to prevent capture. Pirates *don't* get jail terms. It's a<BR>
>*capital* crime. Automatic death penalty. <BR>
><BR>
>Given that, *I* wouldn't want to call their bluff.<BR>
><BR>
>-- <BR>
>Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
<BR>
        Is Piracy being a capital crime canon or is that YTU?  In TNEC,<BR>
piracy is not, as it encourages "gentleman pirates" who do not massacre<BR>
helpless civillians...  the UN-NSN/DSN knows they can't cover the entire<BR>
Frontier, so piracy will happen...  Murder-1 *is* a capital crime in the<BR>
TNEC millieu.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
        (who is rather enjoying this discussion...)<BR>
<BR>
<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>
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	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 08:45:08 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: Pirate Economics<BR>
<BR>
I wrote an essay on operating expenses for ethically-challenged merchants<BR>
a while back that the new people on the list may not have seen yet. It's<BR>
a mix of inspiration from the TML and some cogitating of my own. Have<BR>
a look, see what you think.<BR>
<BR>
http://users.hartwick.edu/smithw/pirate_economics.htm<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 05:43:53 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>> Which is why, IMTU, banks don't honor cards from out-system banks.<BR>
>> If you want to transfer funds you do it with a Letter of Credit from<BR>
>> a bank to a corresponding bank which may (but probably won't) give<BR>
>> you access to funds before the letter is confirmed and that's a<BR>
>> several week process.<BR>
><BR>
> Does anyone know how this was accomplished in the days of Jack Aubrey (c.<BR>
> 1812)? When people routinely went on long voyages to distant places, they<BR>
> must have dealt with this problem. Even better, they must have come up with<BR>
> a particularly clever and elegant solution. But what was it? It must have<BR>
> been worse when verification of a letter of credit could take many months.<BR>
<BR>
I believe the usual process was that they seals and the like on the<BR>
"letters" were hard to counterfeit (you'd need a *real* one to copy<BR>
them from) as was the *handwriting*. And the *large* banks involved<BR>
probably had "code phrases" imserted into the text, to help avoid<BR>
people altering the *value* of the letter.<BR>
<BR>
Also, it would be *very* unusual for most people to have such a letter.<BR>
Making *personal* identification of the person submitting the letter<BR>
much easier. <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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 05:47:49 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 06:23 PM 1/12/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>><BR>
>>I'm sure that someone with deep pockets can hack any piece of hardware. But<BR>
>>perhaps not economically. If you can forge a few hundred Credits by hacking<BR>
>>a smart card, but it costs a few million in Credits in fancy electronics to<BR>
>>pull it off, most people will not be doing it. <BR>
><BR>
> You don't forge more credits onto the smart card, you forge the card<BR>
> itself. Make up a thousand cards, each with 1000 credits on it. Face value<BR>
> is 1,000,000 Imp. credits. you sell these cards to an underworld contact<BR>
> for 100,000 credits or so. <BR>
<BR>
Try more like 10-20k sale value. 1-2% of "face". Counterfeit cash tends<BR>
to net the *producer* that much. *He* doesn't face the risks of<BR>
"passing" it. The 10% figure is more like what the folks *passing* it<BR>
pay the middleman.<BR>
<BR>
> Your contact's organization then spends the<BR>
> credits on the fake cards for real goods that can be resold for real<BR>
> credits. Instant verification of the cards may make this difficult on a<BR>
> planetary scale, but how do you verifiy a card issued 3 jumps away?<BR>
<BR>
Embedded key. Basicly, you submit to it an encrypted "token", which it<BR>
decrypts, processes, and returns an encrypted answer.<BR>
<BR>
Check out how things like the Kerberos authentication protocol works.<BR>
It's *designed* to allow two parties to authenticate themselves to each<BR>
other over a *comprised* network, without providing the eavesdropper<BR>
with *any* info that will help him impersonate either party to the<BR>
other. <BR>
<BR>
"Public key" ciphers allow similar tricks. You just have to jack up the<BR>
number of bits and take other precautions such that the *highest*<BR>
nearby TL can't crack things in a reasonable amount of time.<BR>
<BR>
Around 1100, I'd say that the financial "keys" are high TL 16 maybe<BR>
even TL 17. <BR>
<BR>
The few TL17 and higher worlds can make money hand over fist<BR>
*legitimately. No need to play this sort of game. And since they are<BR>
doing so much business with the lower TL worlds, they've got a vested<BR>
interest in keeping "money" secure. <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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 05:59:37 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On 01/12/00 at 11:22 PM,  Richard Wilson <rtwilson@rollanet.org> said:<BR>
><BR>
>>>I'm sure that someone with deep pockets can hack any piece of hardware. But<BR>
>>>perhaps not economically. If you can forge a few hundred Credits by hacking<BR>
>>>a smart card, but it costs a few million in Credits in fancy electronics to<BR>
>>>pull it off, most people will not be doing it. <BR>
><BR>
>>You don't forge more credits onto the smart card, you forge the card<BR>
>>itself. Make up a thousand cards, each with 1000 credits on it. Face<BR>
>>value is 1,000,000 Imp. credits. you sell these cards to an underworld<BR>
>>contact for 100,000 credits or so. Your contact's organization then<BR>
>>spends the credits on the fake cards for real goods that can be resold<BR>
>>for real credits. Instant verification of the cards may make this<BR>
>>difficult on a planetary scale, but how do you verifiy a card issued 3<BR>
>>jumps away?<BR>
><BR>
> Which is why, IMTU, banks don't honor cards from out-system banks.<BR>
> If you want to transfer funds you do it with a Letter of Credit from<BR>
> a bank to a corresponding bank which may (but probably won't) give<BR>
> you access to funds before the letter is confirmed and that's a<BR>
> several week process. <BR>
<BR>
Nope. That'd bring trade to a standstill. They'll have "sufficiently<BR>
reliable" methods of verifying such letters *without* needing to go<BR>
back to the issuer. <BR>
<BR>
Maybe the paper is microimprinted with codes known only to both banks.<BR>
Forging that would be the sort of inside job that has the investigator<BR>
looking real hard at *the* person who could have done it at either end.<BR>
<BR>
Maybe it's some other gommick. But that sort of thing is *always*<BR>
doable, if it's important enough. <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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 15:25:57 +0100 (MET)<BR>
From: Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk><BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
Wayne Ewart writes:<BR>
<BR>
>1. Pirate have insider at starport (if pirate clan large enough, insiders at<BR>
>a number of starports) to pass intel on ship cargo/number of<BR>
>people(crew/passengers/low berth)/number and types of weapons. As well as<BR>
>having a data base of ships (Jane Merchant Ships of the 3I) give stats on<BR>
>crew numbers/weapon hard points/size of cargo hold (not as reliable as<BR>
>insider but give a ruff picture of what to expect)<BR>
> <BR>
>2. Pirates intercept ship and start haling ship (telling ship to stop and<BR>
>prepare for boarding or be fired on)<BR>
<BR>
Recipice for roast elephant: First you get an elephant...<BR>
<BR>
In other words, people are much too apt to throw about schemes without<BR>
considering the details of execution. In the current case I'll grant you<BR>
the insiders at the starport. Compared to the value of a ship, humint is<BR>
cheap. So, the prospective victim arrives at a starport. It starts looking<BR>
around for passengers and cargo. At that point its next destination is<BR>
obvious to the pirate informer, so he informs the pirate...<BR>
<BR>
Ah... how? The victim is going to jump in 5 days. If the pirate is in<BR>
a third system, he can't get the information in time to intercept the<BR>
victim. If he is in the destination system, the informer will have to<BR>
send the message by a courier ship. You've just increased the cost of<BR>
the pirate's support structure by the value of a starship. Alternatively<BR>
he can send the message by another ship jumping to the destination system<BR>
before the victim does. That means the destination system has a lot of<BR>
traffic, which makes it worth while to guard it against pirates. If the<BR>
pirate is in the origin system, he is either down on the starport,<BR>
conducting legitimate business, in which case he is leaving behind an<BR>
awful lot of information that can be used to identify him. Or he is<BR>
lurking around in the outskirts of the system, in which case he is not<BR>
conducting any legitimate business. Starships are expensive. Armed and<BR>
armored ships suitable for piracy are really expensive. What are the<BR>
chances that he can intercept the victim? What are the changes that the<BR>
victim won't fight him? What are the chances he won't take a hit that<BR>
will costs millions to repair in a fight? After all, we know that Free<BR>
Traders routinely are armed, at least in the Spinward Marches, so how<BR>
long will he have to wait until a suitable victim comes along?<BR>
<BR>
>notes:<BR>
>a. it is my believe that most ships would stop after the first shot across<BR>
>the bow, comply with the demands of the pirates, and write off the loss of<BR>
>cargo (insured for pirates).<BR>
<BR>
If the pirates are not expected to take the ship along, I agree that that<BR>
may be the case. Only problem is, average cargos are not valuable enough<BR>
to pay the running of a pirate ship ubless they capture a lot of cargoes.<BR>
And targetting specifically valuable cargoes has a whole set of problems<BR>
of it's own. Though I'll admit that if you go with the now canonical concept <BR>
of jump masking, the pirate's odds have improved. Maybe even enough to make<BR>
piracy feasible; I haven't tried to revise my estmates recently.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
      Hans Rancke<BR>
University of Copenhagen<BR>
     rancke@diku.dk<BR>
- ------------<BR>
"...all at once I UNDERSTOOD just WHY it is that men FIGHT each other.<BR>
I suddenly saw the ANSWER to all this SENSELESS VIOLENCE that afflicts us!<BR>
<BR>
But, like, I didn't write it down or anything and, like, y'know how it is -<BR>
next morning I had totally forgotten what it WAS, man."<BR>
<BR>
			"DR and Quinch get drafted" from _2000 AD_<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 09:35:54 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
Man..Writing HTML is much harder than I thought..<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: "Leonard Erickson" <shadow@krypton.rain.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2000 2:48 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
><BR>
> > Yeah I know.  But this bit of code actually makes sense.  Everyone who<BR>
has<BR>
> > had to struggle with FRAMESET commands should agree this is a FAR<BR>
simpler<BR>
> > way to do it.<BR>
><BR>
> Actually, no. It makes a *lot* of assumptions. Things like screen size<BR>
> and aspect ratio. You *shouldn't* be specifying stuff like size in<BR>
> terms of absolute numbers of pixels. They should be *relative* to the<BR>
> screen or window size.<BR>
><BR>
> 600x200 sounds great. Until you run into a screen that's 600x200, but<BR>
> with an aspect ratio of 4x2 or some such. And consider folks with<BR>
> 2048x1536 screens...<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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 07:29:35 -0700 (MST)<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
Subject: Re: Carnoculture (was Re: KFC)<BR>
<BR>
On Wed, 12 Jan 2000 eris@pcola.gulf.net wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> On 01/12/00 at 09:38 PM,  "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com> said:<BR>
> <BR>
> >>Well there are ample references in SF to 'carniculture tanks'. To my 20th<BR>
> >century e-x biochemist's way of thinking, this implies some sort of<BR>
> >tissue culturing, so all you get is the good bits without all the rest.<BR>
> >Whether you get something like hamburger or steaks, I think, would be up<BR>
> >to the TL, and how you (in YTU) have them work.<BR>
> <BR>
> >I would think you'd get muscle tissue.  Whether it ends up being steak,<BR>
> >roast or hamburger depends upon how you prepare it after harvesting.  (I<BR>
> >can tell someone out there doesn't cook a lot.)  <BR>
<BR>
Oh, I cook a lot, and am told I'm pretty good, but growing muscle cells,<BR>
and growing muscle tissue are two considerably different things.<BR>
 <BR>
> Well, there is muscle tissue and then there is *muscle* tissue.<BR>
> Would what you harvested be muscle tissue like you get from a cow, a<BR>
> chicken, a fish, an earthworm, or would something else entirely?<BR>
> The look, feel, texture could range anywhere from soft pasty patte,<BR>
> to rubbery grey mystery meat.  <g><BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Let me guess where we are on the Mae Lee...tender earthworm filets,<BR>
anyone? ;-P<BR>
<BR>
> Personally, I like my meat burnt.  What most people call well-done,<BR>
> I call a good start. <g><BR>
<BR>
Well , Eris, you truly _are_ a heretic in everything! Most steak joints<BR>
would ride someone like you out on a rail...there's one place in town that<BR>
practically asks you to sign a waiver of you order something well done ;-)<BR>
<BR>
> With the proper programming, of course, but you could have a<BR>
> situation where variety isn't as easy to come by.  Just wait until<BR>
> you are on a 6 week trip with nothing to eat 3 meals at day but<BR>
> chicken...no matter how good the chicken is you're going to get<BR>
> awfully tired of it.  <g> A very good reason for Travellers arriving<BR>
> in Startown to seek out a cafe...okay a bar, but it does serve<BR>
> *real* food. <g><BR>
<BR>
Not really. You can cook a long time with chicken and keep up the<BR>
variety...you just need a lot of recipes.<BR>
<BR>
> Heavens!  The /Mae Lee's/ setup isn't going to be *that* good, so<BR>
> don't go giving the players ideas.  <g> They are going to have to<BR>
> make do with flavored loose meat from the carnoculture tanks,<BR>
> nutri-goop made from reprocessed wastes, small quantities of fish<BR>
> and fresh vegetables/fruits from "the garden" and whatever supplies<BR>
> they can lay in from stop to stop. Yum!<BR>
<BR>
The garden needs  herbs. And chili peppers. And garlic. Nothing else in<BR>
necessary for life ;-)<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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 06:17:47 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Heck, CURRENT US currencies aren't THAT hard to forge for passable bills...<BR>
> A good photocopier, with the correct paper, is all that is needed. (Oh,<BR>
> wait, they just added watermarking to the new bills... as I said, the right<BR>
> paper.) 1200 DPI laser-copiers can do wonders... but you need green toner<BR>
> (also available).<BR>
<BR>
They also have the polyester "thread" (more of a strip) printed with<BR>
the denomination, the colorchanging ink on some of the numbers,<BR>
micro-engraved printing that *can't* be duplicated at 1200 dpi, etc. <BR>
<BR>
And if you try using a color copier, high-end or lowend, I'm told that<BR>
the results are "interesting". Something about some of the "random"<BR>
variance in the dots being *non-random, and helping ID which machine<BR>
the copy was made on.<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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1742<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Thursday, January 13 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1743<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: customs<BR>
Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
Re: How to use frames<BR>
Re: Traveller Hero...<BR>
re: X-Boat Tender<BR>
Cash cards in the TU official and otherwise<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re: Carnoculture (was Re: KFC)<BR>
Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
re: X-Boat Tender<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
re:  Potty<BR>
Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
RE: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 06:04:53 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: customs<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>On one world write up I had the custom of cannibalism. It was a ritual<BR>
>>symbolizing how in the early days of a failing colony, they had to<BR>
>>supplement the diet with human remains. The recently deceased would will a<BR>
>>small part of their anatomy (a tasteful part - ho ho) and those at the wake<BR>
>>would consume a sliver. It was considered an honour to be offered a bit.<BR>
>><BR>
> Had a player roll up his homeworld's customs (Said player was one Peter<BR>
> Newman)... The character was a cannibal form a TL 7 world... with no<BR>
> atmosphere, IIRC. Made the slaughter of some local thugs an interesting<BR>
> issue for him, as they were simply dumping the bodies... so he got<BR>
> permission, and dressed out one or two in the airlock. That was an<BR>
> interesting session... Fred Grande explaining  to local bureaucrats that he<BR>
> WANTED the bodies of a dead guy.<BR>
<BR>
Well, hey, you don't just *waste* food. <BR>
<BR>
But do keep in mind that human flesh needs to be *well* cooked, to make<BR>
sure that you kill any parasites or disease organisms. Note that the<BR>
best known *real* cultures that do this with any frequency used those<BR>
"pit barbeques" which basicly steam the food *thoroughly for several<BR>
*hours* It's one of the few *safe* ways to cook human (or wild pig)<BR>
that doesn't risk serious medical problems or render the meat nearly<BR>
inedible. <BR>
<BR>
I'd say a pressure cooker would be the best modern equivalent. And,<BR>
oddly enough, a reasonable thing to have on board ship. Due to<BR>
differing atmospheric pressures, you'd *need* to have pots and ovens<BR>
that can maintain pressures higher or lower than normal.<BR>
<BR>
And if you have to do that, you might as well include the ability to<BR>
cook at several atmospheres pressure (water boiling at *well* above 100<BR>
C in such setups).<BR>
<BR>
Such setups also help in that they can tenderize food quite a bit,<BR>
allowing you to get by with cheaper cuts too. <BR>
<BR>
> That, and one of the other characters<BR>
> simply grabbing some wrapped meat from the fridge...<BR>
<BR>
Cooked, I hope.<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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 07:32:28 -0700 (MST)<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
Subject: Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
Utterly off topic, but now I'm scared.<BR>
<BR>
I am convinced there are Zho spammers out there.<BR>
<BR>
We are just _TALKING_ about Uselessnet, and I got a 'Join our exclusive<BR>
XXX super hot private club' spam in my mailbox this morning. <BR>
<BR>
<shudder><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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 09:43:17 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
Thanks Dave.  I didn't even know Iframe was kosher.  but I have removed it<BR>
and went with the old standard (which was a royal pain to hash out).<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: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2000 11:56 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: How to use frames<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 08:42:02 -0600 ()<BR>
From: "Joseph R. Dietrich" <yikes@evansville.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Hero...<BR>
<BR>
>I've seen Fudge Traveller, Storyteller Traveller, and AD&D Traveller.<BR>
<BR>
FWIW, I have some files up from my old Star Wars/D6 conversion for<BR>
MegaTraveller at:<BR>
<BR>
http://www.evansville.net/~yikes/travxover.html<BR>
<BR>
Ciao,<BR>
<BR>
Joseph R. Dietrich<BR>
yikes@evansville.net<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 08:42:06 -0600 ()<BR>
From: "Joseph R. Dietrich" <yikes@evansville.net><BR>
Subject: re: X-Boat Tender<BR>
<BR>
>>	That's because the tender is teamed up with a 95-ton skimmer,<BR>
>>	yeah, that's the ticket... ;)<BR>
><BR>
>That probably is the ticket. X-Boats only operate in developed systems,<BR>
>systems that should have at least a minimal infrastructure in place.<BR>
<BR>
Yeah, but what about those xboat pirates?<BR>
<BR>
"Argh, heave to and prepare to pick us up so we can board you!"<BR>
<BR>
Ah, the MT random starship encounter tables. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
ObTrav: Has anyone created alternate Random Starship Encounter tables that<BR>
aren't quite so broken? I used the published MT ones heavily in my space<BR>
opera, Shattered Imperium campaign, and will probably use them again in my<BR>
Dark Imperium campaign (the development of which on hiatus currently).<BR>
<BR>
Just wondering.<BR>
<BR>
Ciao,<BR>
<BR>
Joseph R. Dietrich<BR>
yikes@evansville.net<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 07:57:00 -0700 (MST)<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
Subject: Cash cards in the TU official and otherwise<BR>
<BR>
On Wed, 12 Jan 2000, William F. Hostman wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> >Why does electronic cash work well in economies like the 3I? We have the<BR>
> >technology today for a workable electronic cash system (Mondex -<BR>
> >www.mondex.com - most notably). As long as such a system has a common<BR>
> >currency, like Imperial Credits, why should it fail? I have always assumed<BR>
> >that after TL9 or TL10, virtually all cash is electronic, and that the<BR>
> >electronic cash extended to interplanetery commerce as well.<BR>
> <BR>
> Within the 3I, it doesn't work. On individual worlds with good (and<BR>
> sufficiently  integrated) comm grids, it would. Why? Verification.<BR>
> <BR>
> RWE: I fly to detroit. I try to access my ATM card. It won't give me cash<BR>
> for a few hours... long enough to allow verification of the card itself,<BR>
> based upon my access attempt. Once the computers have talked, and the local<BR>
> bank's main computer has my PIN verified, I can access it all I want. Even<BR>
> make deposits, at properly equipped ATMs. My credit union is local to<BR>
> Alaska.<BR>
<BR>
These are not _debit_ cards, but cash cards. All the information on them<BR>
is stored on them, there's no need to contact a bank for any information.<BR>
<BR>
OTOH, that makes them bearer devices just like cash, unless there some<BR>
biometric authentication built into the system.<BR>
<BR>
Eris, making cash cards work in YTU wouldn't be all that difficult, given<BR>
two assumptions: 1) the banks in different systems get along and 2)<BR>
cryptography works and is hard to break.<BR>
<BR>
The Bank of Mark issues Ricardo a cash card valued at 1,000,000 Mark<BR>
credits. (HA!) <BR>
<BR>
This data is encrypted using the banks private key, and Ricardo's public<BR>
key, generated by some biometric (thumbprint, DNA seq, retinal scan), then<BR>
several copies of the data are generated, one for each bank that the Royal<BR>
Bank Of Mark has an agreement with, and encrypted with those banks public<BR>
keys. (or possibly, other, more devious encryption schemes)<BR>
<BR>
Ricardo goes to the First Bank Of Muan Gwi, and wants 10,000 googles,<BR>
which at the current rates of exchange, is equal to 12, 345 Mark credits.<BR>
<BR>
The FBMG applies their private key to the data, confirming that it was<BR>
encrypted with their public key. Ricardo applies his private key,<BR>
authenticating him to the card, then finally they apply BoM's public key<BR>
to get at the actual data. Thus each needed trust relationship is<BR>
encrypted by the appropriate set of keys, and authenticated.<BR>
<BR>
After the transaction, the entire thing is rewritten, starting with the<BR>
FBMG's private key, minus the transaction.<BR>
<BR>
Ricardo _still_ has to treat the card carefully, as without it he's out<BR>
1Mcr, _but_ it isn't valuable to anyone else, as the FBMG is unlikely to<BR>
release the cash to someone authenticating the card with a bloody eye on a<BR>
stick.<BR>
<BR>
Creating fraudulent cash cards is still possible under this system, but a<BR>
lot harder, particularly if the various crypto systems are based on<BR>
different methods and sufficiently long key lengths.<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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 06:50:17 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On 13 Jan 00, at 1:59, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> Heck, you'd be surprised how many people in *this* culture (especially<BR>
>> dwellers in large cities) have this built-in assumption "meat comes from<BR>
>> supermarkets". And they don't really *connect* the meat in the store with<BR>
>> actual animals.<BR>
><BR>
> It was quite normal here in NZ (where there are lots of cows, along <BR>
> with all those sheep) when I was a kid for "townie" kids to reply "from <BR>
> the bottle" when asked where milk came from, much to us country <BR>
> kid's amusement. Nowadays with the near total replacement of <BR>
> bottles with cartons and plastic containers I don't know what they <BR>
> say, but I doubt that it's "from a cow".<BR>
><BR>
>> Me, I spent some time on a farm and assisted in slaughtering a few<BR>
>> animals. I *know* right down where it counts that every piece of meat I<BR>
>> eat means something *died* so I could have it. <BR>
><BR>
> I grew up in a froming community, and for years one of my sisters <BR>
> used to bring her boy-friends out when a beast was being <BR>
> slaughtered to test their mettle by seeing whether they went green <BR>
> when she started gutting the animal. We only ever had one faint on <BR>
> us.<BR>
<BR>
First time I watched, they handed me a bunch of still quivering fat and<BR>
stuff to throw to the chickens... <BR>
<BR>
I wonder what sorts of "rights of passage" Free traders might have for<BR>
groundling new hires in the crew? <BR>
<BR>
One possibility is assigning them life support maintenance such they<BR>
wind up following the whole cycle. Then waiting to see when it dawns on<BR>
them that they are (effectively) eating last weeks $#!+. :-)<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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 06:22:17 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Carnoculture (was Re: KFC)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On 01/12/00 at 09:38 PM,  "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com> said:<BR>
><BR>
>>>Well there are ample references in SF to 'carniculture tanks'. To my 20th<BR>
>>century e-x biochemist's way of thinking, this implies some sort of<BR>
>>tissue culturing, so all you get is the good bits without all the rest.<BR>
>>Whether you get something like hamburger or steaks, I think, would be up<BR>
>>to the TL, and how you (in YTU) have them work.<BR>
><BR>
>>I would think you'd get muscle tissue.  Whether it ends up being steak,<BR>
>>roast or hamburger depends upon how you prepare it after harvesting.  (I<BR>
>>can tell someone out there doesn't cook a lot.)  <BR>
><BR>
> Well, there is muscle tissue and then there is *muscle* tissue.<BR>
> Would what you harvested be muscle tissue like you get from a cow, a<BR>
> chicken, a fish, an earthworm, or would something else entirely?<BR>
> The look, feel, texture could range anywhere from soft pasty patte,<BR>
> to rubbery grey mystery meat.  <g><BR>
><BR>
> IMTU, the simplest carnoculture (lowest TL, cheapest systems)<BR>
> produce output with the consistance of well ground meat.  It's good<BR>
> for sausages, fillings, and cooking in dishes, but can't minic a<BR>
> steak or a leg of lamb.  <BR>
<BR>
Actually, this is harder than you think. Ground meat is *not* uniform. <BR>
<BR>
> At slightly higher TL's more expensive systems can post process the<BR>
> "raw protein" into passable imitations of ground beef, chicken,<BR>
> lamb, fish or whatever.  <BR>
<BR>
> At still higher TL's the protein is made to grow in long strands, ie<BR>
> like real muscle tissue, and the imitations to various types of meat<BR>
> are close enough to fool most people.  What it lacks is the proper<BR>
> fatty marbling, bones, oils and cartlege of the real thing.  It's<BR>
> good, but it takes a slightly different type of cooking to get the<BR>
> best results.<BR>
<BR>
If you can get the muscle fibers to form properly, getting the fatty<BR>
marbling isn't likely to be a problem.<BR>
<BR>
> Finally, you reach the level where you actually grow legs of lamb,<BR>
> hunches of beef, or pork complete with bone, cartlege and even skin.<BR>
> This is less effecient, but produces the best result when harvested<BR>
> and cooked.<BR>
<BR>
Skin would likely be omitted in most cases. But growing a muscle between<BR>
artifical "attachment points" that substitute for bone is likely going<BR>
to be *easier* than growing endless hunks of properly differentiated<BR>
muscle tissue.<BR>
<BR>
The cells *have* a genetic template for any given muscle, but not for<BR>
huge lumps of meat. You'd get something more like a tumor than anything<BR>
folks would want to eat. <BR>
<BR>
So, given the way things seem to be going, I'd go:<BR>
<BR>
1. undifferentiated cells. Maybe useful for *fine* ground "sausage"<BR>
   such as baloney, but nothing with more texture. We can do this now.<BR>
2. "cloned" "organs" we are approaching this level. You'd pick some<BR>
   muscles (and a few organs, such as liver or even kidneys) and grow<BR>
   them in special setups. They'd grow somewhat faster than normal, due<BR>
   to ideal conditions. But you'd mostly harvest an entire organ, and<BR>
   start a new "bud".<BR>
3. being able to grow endless "slabs" of various types of meat. This is<BR>
   hardests, as you *want* things like fat marbling, but not things<BR>
   like bone, cartilage, tendon, or large blood vessels. Which means<BR>
   getting the cells to ignore genetic templates, or "building" custom<BR>
   genes for them.<BR>
<BR>
> Well, once you get to long strand tissue I think part of the process<BR>
> would be electrical stimulation to exercise the muscle.  You would<BR>
> want to firm up the product at least a little.<BR>
<BR>
I suspect that at least at stage 2, you'd be substituting artifical<BR>
"anchor points for the natural bones that the ends of the muscle want<BR>
to bind to. So you can easily *mechanically excercise the muscle, by a<BR>
combo of moving the anchor points and possibly electrical stimulation. <BR>
<BR>
>>>FWIW, we're close, here and now, to being able to grow muscles, and other<BR>
>>recognizable body parts, so I'd suspect in a TL or three we'll be able to<BR>
>>dial in whether you want rump roast, prime rib or filet.<BR>
><BR>
> With the proper programming, of course, but you could have a<BR>
> situation where variety isn't as easy to come by.  Just wait until<BR>
> you are on a 6 week trip with nothing to eat 3 meals at day but<BR>
> chicken...no matter how good the chicken is you're going to get<BR>
> awfully tired of it.  <g> A very good reason for Travellers arriving<BR>
> in Startown to seek out a cafe...okay a bar, but it does serve<BR>
> *real* food. <g><BR>
<BR>
Actually, once we crack the secret, I expect several types of shellfish<BR>
to be the easiest stuff to grow. Heck, use algae and a few "plankton"<BR>
type organisms in the air purifier stage, then pump the result thru<BR>
what amounts to beds of shell-less clams, oysters, scallops, etc. All<BR>
of those live by filtering algae and other "food" out of seawater.<BR>
Harvest some damn nice meat just by reaching into the tank. <BR>
<BR>
Rather than edit the organism down to a single organ, we'd be able to<BR>
edit out *just* the shell, and maybe a bit of the tougher "foot"<BR>
muscle. <BR>
<BR>
> Heavens!  The /Mae Lee's/ setup isn't going to be *that* good, so<BR>
> don't go giving the players ideas.  <g> They are going to have to<BR>
> make do with flavored loose meat from the carnoculture tanks,<BR>
> nutri-goop made from reprocessed wastes, small quantities of fish<BR>
> and fresh vegetables/fruits from "the garden" and whatever supplies<BR>
> they can lay in from stop to stop. Yum!<BR>
<BR>
Surely they can afford a few rabbits and guinea pigs for "fresh meat"?<BR>
Guinea pig fritters are supposed to be pretty good. And they are fairly<BR>
simple to care for. Heck, an automated "hutch" we could build *now*<BR>
would collect scat, encourage a bit of excercise, and feed them lots of<BR>
vegetation. <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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 11:16:47 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
<BR>
At 08:45 AM 1/13/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>I wrote an essay on operating expenses for ethically-challenged merchants<BR>
>a while back that the new people on the list may not have seen yet. It's<BR>
>a mix of inspiration from the TML and some cogitating of my own. Have<BR>
>a look, see what you think.<BR>
><BR>
>http://users.hartwick.edu/smithw/pirate_economics.htm<BR>
><BR>
>Walt Smith<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
        Well thought out, Walt.  So long as the pirate has a place to unload<BR>
the goods, they can live on a  boarding per month...  Interesting.<BR>
<BR>
        Of course, what I looked at was the issue about "can't prize the<BR>
ship".  At the risk of being a munchin on your guidelines, I present to you<BR>
the Lamprey-class Corsair (CT/HG)....<BR>
<BR>
        TL 13<BR>
        800ton conical hull, Jump 2, 3gs, PP4 (25ep).<BR>
        192 tons of fuel, allowing 1jp2 + 1 month.<BR>
        20 ton bridge (no backup) with a co-located Mod/3 (5/9) computer (no<BR>
backup)<BR>
<BR>
        6 sand casters in 2 turrets organized in 2 batteries, USP 2<BR>
        6 beam lasers in 2 turrets organized in 2 batteries, USP 3<BR>
        6 missle racks in 2 turrets organized in 1 batteries, USP 4<BR>
        2 point armor belt, no screens<BR>
<BR>
        Hangars for 20 tons of small craft, 200 tons of large craft and 4<BR>
tons of vehicles<BR>
        Usually carries either 1 launch or two fighter and an Air/Raft<BR>
<BR>
        6 single occupancy staterooms, 8 double occupany staterooms.  20 low<BR>
berths<BR>
        Crew of 20, including 8-man marine squad.<BR>
        50 tons of cargo space, no mail vault, 5 ton magazine.<BR>
        One third of a ton waste space.<BR>
<BR>
        Base cost of MCr474.64, Architect fees of MCr4.75, Discount of<BR>
MCr-95.88 <BR>
        Total approx cost of MCr383.51<BR>
<BR>
        Economics:<BR>
                                Down Payment:            76.70<BR>
                       Balance Owing:           306.81<BR>
<BR>
                     Monthly Payment:             1.278MCr for 480 Months<BR>
<BR>
        Operating<BR>
                         Refined Fuel       192,000.00 Cr per month<BR>
                             Salaries        44,000.00 Cr per month<BR>
                    Life Support Costs      160,000.00 Cr per month<BR>
                     Anunual Overhaul        31,959.41 Cr per month<BR>
                               Total:       396,000.00 Cr per month<BR>
<BR>
        Revenue               Monthly     1,850,000.00 Cr<BR>
                               Yearly    22,200,000.00  Cr<BR>
<BR>
        Return on Investment<BR>
                               Annual               6%<BR>
<BR>
        The modus operandi is the whole-sale theft of Type-A merchants and<BR>
smaller vessels.  Economics are based on one "kill" every two months of a<BR>
Type-A vessel.  Her facilities allow her to disable the target vessel, send<BR>
the boarding team to secure it and then "swallow" it whole prior to jumping<BR>
out of system.  20 low berths allow the victim crew to be held without risk.<BR>
The 50 ton cargo bay allows spoils of larger vessels to be taken if the<BR>
opportunity presents itself.<BR>
        <BR>
        Notes from Michel:<BR>
<BR>
        The kick here, of course, is that there is no battle-damage figures<BR>
included in monthly operating costs.  Of course, if you push the envelope<BR>
for *one* kill per month, you can afford to take a missle hit every time.<BR>
        The design was done without the benefit of my copy of HG in front of<BR>
me and using my spreadsheet...  while I am fairly sure the engineering and<BR>
crew numbers work out, the weapon USPs might be inaccurate.  The small craft<BR>
and vehicle bays might be wrong, too...  those number would just play with<BR>
the cargo tonnage by +/- 5dtons.<BR>
        Statement of the obvious is that the owners of Lamprey-class ships<BR>
would be marked men and women...  one of these monsters "picking on" a<BR>
cluster of a dozen or so worlds could seriously disrupt trade.  Not only are<BR>
the goods gone, so is the *ship*.<BR>
<BR>
        Regards,<BR>
        Michel<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>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 11:24:00 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: re: X-Boat Tender<BR>
<BR>
At 08:42 AM 1/13/00 -0600, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
        [snip]<BR>
<BR>
>ObTrav: Has anyone created alternate Random Starship Encounter tables that<BR>
>aren't quite so broken? I used the published MT ones heavily in my space<BR>
>opera, Shattered Imperium campaign, and will probably use them again in my<BR>
>Dark Imperium campaign (the development of which on hiatus currently).<BR>
>Joseph R. Dietrich<BR>
>yikes@evansville.net<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
        Hi, Joseph!<BR>
        My answer was to start hacking out a percentage-based system...  I<BR>
figured out in rough numbers how many given types of ship there were and<BR>
then worked from there...  it seems to produce more reasonable results, but<BR>
involves a fair amount of work...<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>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 07:33:06 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 11:54 PM 1/12/00 PST, you wrote:<BR>
>><BR>
>>Pirates *aren't* stupid, and for just about any cargo you can name, I<BR>
>>can describe a "treatment" method that'll eliminate boarding parties<BR>
>>and the like, without damaging valuables.<BR>
><BR>
>         I obviously wasn't clear, because that was essentially what I was<BR>
> trying to get at...<BR>
<BR>
Oh, *I* understood. I just couldn't resist pointing out one of the ways<BR>
that the PCs could be taken down a peg or two.<BR>
<BR>
> Generally, PC's have a problem accepting that they are the only<BR>
> bright ones in the TU, though....<BR>
<BR>
It's a common trait among gamers. And makes for *real* short lifespans<BR>
for their characters until they learn it, at least if they are playing<BR>
with a GM who is smart enough to have smart NPCs on the *other* side.<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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 07:36:12 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 12:22 AM 1/13/00 PST, you wrote:<BR>
>         [quote snipped]<BR>
>>>         The Merchant now has to decide wether he wants to test the threat <BR>
> or<BR>
>>> not...  after all, while the Pirate crew might be crazy enough to "go down<BR>
>>> swinging", the *Merchant* probably *isn't*.<BR>
>>><BR>
>>>         With PCs, it essentially one group of crazies against another...<BR>
>>> The pirates have *much* to loose if the PCs take them alive...  Jail is <BR>
> not<BR>
>>> a nice place...  If the players are firing and not open to being bullied,<BR>
>>> then you can assume that the Pirates will fight a withdrawl to the best <BR>
> they<BR>
>>> can to allow the Corsair to maul the PCs with ship-to-ship weapons.<BR>
>><BR>
>>As I noted elsewhere the pirates can be *counted on* as risking<BR>
>>anything to prevent capture. Pirates *don't* get jail terms. It's a<BR>
>>*capital* crime. Automatic death penalty. <BR>
>><BR>
>>Given that, *I* wouldn't want to call their bluff.<BR>
<BR>
>         Is Piracy being a capital crime canon or is that YTU?  In TNEC,<BR>
> piracy is not, as it encourages "gentleman pirates" who do not massacre<BR>
> helpless civillians...  the UN-NSN/DSN knows they can't cover the entire<BR>
> Frontier, so piracy will happen...  Murder-1 *is* a capital crime in the<BR>
> TNEC millieu.<BR>
<BR>
I'm not sure if it's canon or not. It seems to be the case<BR>
*historically* though. <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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 07:31:20 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 12:04 AM 1/13/00 PST, you wrote:<BR>
>         [quote snipped]<BR>
>>At this point, you send an RPV (remotely Piloted Vehicle) over. It<BR>
>>clamps to the hull in a not easily accessible spot (say a nice<BR>
>>*exposed* bit of hull far from airlocks and over main fuel tankage).<BR>
>><BR>
>>It's got a several kiloton nuke on it, damper shielded. The pirates can<BR>
>>now "request" co-operation without being *nearly* as exposed to danger.<BR>
>>If the ship starts to boost, the bomb destroys it. Ditto if it doesn't<BR>
>>get regular coded messages from the pirates. <BR>
>><BR>
>>At this point, the merchie *really* doesn't have any choice. And he can<BR>
>>send a *small* boarding team with few worries. <BR>
>><BR>
>>And before anyone mentions Imperial laws about using nukes, please<BR>
>>remember that det-laser missiles are common, nukes are going to be<BR>
>>*childisj\hly* simple to build be this TL, and Piracy carries the death<BR>
>>penalty anyway. <BR>
<BR>
>         Yeah, it makes sense, but its miserable roleplaying.  I want<BR>
> something that is tight enough that your average merchant won't bother<BR>
> trying to resist and PCs *might* be able to find a way out of...<BR>
> limpet-nukes don't work in that criteria.  Its the same reason that I<BR>
> usually have snipers whack an NPC with the first shot as opposed to a<BR>
> player-character...  PCs feel threatened, but they have the opportunity to<BR>
> weasel out.<BR>
<BR>
Well, have the PCs *hear* about that being done to a ship. I bet<BR>
they'll get *real* paranoid, and maybe reconsider that visit to the<BR>
system with no local space presence but lots of valuable cargo<BR>
potential. <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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 12:14:03 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
At 07:36 AM 1/13/00 PST, you wrote:<BR>
>>         Is Piracy being a capital crime canon or is that YTU?  In TNEC,<BR>
>> piracy is not, as it encourages "gentleman pirates" who do not massacre<BR>
>> helpless civillians...  the UN-NSN/DSN knows they can't cover the entire<BR>
>> Frontier, so piracy will happen...  Murder-1 *is* a capital crime in the<BR>
>> TNEC millieu.<BR>
><BR>
>I'm not sure if it's canon or not. It seems to be the case<BR>
>*historically* though. <BR>
>-- <BR>
>Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
<BR>
        Hi, Leonard!<BR>
        I know that one of the biggest reasons that Piracy was a death<BR>
sentance in the RN was that *striking* a superior officer was a death<BR>
sentance...  If you killed the whole command team when you took over the<BR>
ship....<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>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 16:30:32 +0000<BR>
From: Andy Coombes <coombes@bcs.org.uk><BR>
Subject: re:  Potty<BR>
<BR>
>I understand that the English always use "nosebleed," but in<BR>
>American English we usually distinguish between "nosebleed" and<BR>
>"bloody nose".  Bloody nose is used in the case of someone who<BR>
>has just experienced facial trauma causing the nose to bleed.  A<BR>
>nosebleed refers to any other reason for blood coming out of the<BR>
>nose.  <BR>
<BR>
Nope. We use nosebleed and bloody nose like that too.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:40:55 -0600<BR>
From: Eris reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> >Which is why, IMTU, banks don't honor cards from out-system banks.<BR>
> >If you want to transfer funds you do it with a Letter of Credit from<BR>
> >a bank to a corresponding bank which may (but probably won't) give<BR>
> >you access to funds before the letter is confirmed and that's a<BR>
> >several week process.<BR>
<BR>
>         Or you can just carry commodities like bullion in the ship's safe.<BR>
<BR>
And other valuables...like gems. <g>  Of course, many things are<BR>
valuable mostly because everyone agrees that they are valuable. Moving<BR>
from culture to culture still could be a problem.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 11:48:39 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt writes:<BR>
>"Sunbeard?  Scourge of the sector for over a decade?  The man<BR>
>that the IN has had a CruRon chasing from apogee to perigee for<BR>
>as long as anyone can remember?<BR>
>"Yeah, that's who's hailing us and telling us we're about to be<BR>
>boarded...."<BR>
>"No problem.  Get the boys into the party gear and we'll hit 'em<BR>
>with the 'Boarding Team in the Cargo Container trick'"<BR>
<BR>
	"We've been in zero-G for quite a while, maybe we should<BR>
	open the door."<BR>
	<fumbles with handle><BR>
	"Hey, where did the ships go?"<BR>
<BR>
>>	FWIW, IMTU laser fire gets the following range DMs:<BR>
>>		0"		+2	(less than 1,000 km)<BR>
>>		1-50"		+1<BR>
>>		51-100"	-0<BR>
>>		101-150"	-1<BR>
>>		151-200"	-2<BR>
>>		etc.<BR>
>>	IIRC, laser damage starts to degrade around 500"<BR>
>I can't find the bit about 50Mm being maximum engagement range, so<BR>
>that must have been an MTU-ism.  However, under the CT ship combat<BR>
>defender DMs table, it remarks that a range greater than 250,000km<BR>
>is DM -2 to hit and greater than 500,000km is -5.<BR>
<BR>
	My range DMs are loosely based on those.<BR>
<BR>
>I think I know what happened...  when I first learned how to play<BR>
>CT, the ref dropped a zero when he did his math.  There would be<BR>
>the 25Mm and 50Mm numbers...<BR>
>Hmmm.  I'm going to have to FTC (fine tooth comb) the ramifications<BR>
>of that.<BR>
<BR>
	Just explain to your players that Mm really = 10,000,000 m :)<BR>
<BR>
>I still want a "Point Blank" range band, but that might be a whole<BR>
>different issue.<BR>
<BR>
	I figure that "point blank" depends to some extent on the<BR>
	weapon system being fired, except that starship combat turns<BR>
	IMTU drop from 10 minutes to 1 minute within 10 km, and to<BR>
	6 seconds within 1 km, so that might be considered "point<BR>
	blank."<BR>
<BR>
>Pirates can get Zero-G Cbt as a service skill and Vacc Suit as a<BR>
>Service skill...  Pilot, which can be used as Ship's Boat (-1)<BR>
>is and Adv Edu 2 skill and *automatic* for Pirate Lieutenants.<BR>
>So now we know who is driving the boarding craft...  the Trusted<BR>
>Lieutenant.<BR>
<BR>
	Trusted Lieutenants are hard to come by.  If the merchants<BR>
	realize this, it may influence negotiations if the boarding<BR>
	party is trapped on the freetrader.  Perhaps the Lt stays<BR>
	in the pinnace.<BR>
<BR>
>Incidentally, Pirates *do not* have access to Jack-O-T as a skill,<BR>
>but can become *mean* fighters.<BR>
<BR>
	This suggested to me that they brawl a lot among themselves,<BR>
	and/or they tend to use HTH combat during boarding actions.<BR>
	Kind of goes with the Marine cutlass thing.<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>>>Cargo gets grabbed and sorted later.  Crew's quarters will be where<BR>
>>>the crew will have stashed sidearms, so that's a can of worms, and<BR>
>>>passengers frighten easily and do stupid things;  another messy can<BR>
>>>of worms.<BR>
>><snipped><BR>
>>	Good point, but savy captains may use this to hide loot.<BR>
>No...  you have to remember that eletronic cash doesn't work well<BR>
>as an idea in a commodities economy like the 3i.  Odds are that the<BR>
>ships's safe has the payroll for the month, at least, in it...  if<BR>
>not the next vessel payment.  You'd rather expect, as the Pirate<BR>
>opening it, to find at least KCr15 in there for a Free Trader's<BR>
>crew salary.  So, if the bale of Imperial cash in there wasn't in<BR>
>the right ball-park, it might resort in a ship-wide search...  or<BR>
>everyone winding up in survival balls as the pilots steal the ship<BR>
>to look it over at thier liesure...<BR>
<BR>
	This reminds me of an old Mad magazine bad news-good news-<BR>
	bad news cartoon:<BR>
		The bad news is that you're stopped by a mugger in<BR>
			New York<BR>
		The good news is that you have only $10 in your wallet<BR>
		The bad news is that $10 is an insult to a mugger<BR>
	Still, the wise merchant captain might keep the minimum<BR>
	believable cash in the safe and hide the rest (less wise<BR>
	ones might push their luck a bit, and trust to their ability<BR>
	to convince the pirates that "things are a bit tight this<BR>
	month").<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1743<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Thursday, January 13 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1744<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: Electronic Cash<BR>
RE: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: KFC<BR>
RE: X-Boat Tender<BR>
MT Ship Combat<BR>
RE: Pirate Fleets<BR>
RE: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Q Ships<BR>
Zho Spammers<BR>
re: X-Boat Tenders<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
RE: Pirate Economics<BR>
re: X-Boat Tenders<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re:MT Ship Combat<BR>
Pirate Vessel - Lamprey (was RE: Pirate Economics)<BR>
Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
BITS e: Traveller-digest V1999 #1736<BR>
Re: Elmonits<BR>
Re: Potty<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:49:29 -0600<BR>
From: Eris reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> > Which is why, IMTU, banks don't honor cards from out-system banks.<BR>
> > If you want to transfer funds you do it with a Letter of Credit from<BR>
> > a bank to a corresponding bank which may (but probably won't) give<BR>
> > you access to funds before the letter is confirmed and that's a<BR>
> > several week process.<BR>
 <BR>
> Nope. That'd bring trade to a standstill. They'll have "sufficiently<BR>
> reliable" methods of verifying such letters *without* needing to go<BR>
> back to the issuer.<BR>
 <BR>
> Maybe the paper is microimprinted with codes known only to both banks.<BR>
> Forging that would be the sort of inside job that has the investigator<BR>
> looking real hard at *the* person who could have done it at either end.<BR>
 <BR>
Up to a point, I agree, but when you move from system to system you<BR>
are going to hit places where there aren't "corresponding banks", and<BR>
they have no good reason to trust your paper because they don't have<BR>
"arrangements" with the bank that issued it. They *might*, probably<BR>
for a fee knowing banks, try to confirm your letter of credit, but<BR>
don't expect them to front you much, if any, cash until the document<BR>
is confirmed.<BR>
<BR>
Now, think on this one. What organization seems to have a point of<BR>
presence in every "civilized system" in known space? Why, it's the<BR>
Traveller's Aid Society, of course!  "TAS Traveller's Checks, don't<BR>
leave home without them."<BR>
<BR>
As far as *trade* is concerned, I don't think Letters of Credit are<BR>
the best way to go. For that you want currency, trade goods and<BR>
commodities. IMO, of course.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 11:53:16 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
Jason T. Barnabas writes:<BR>
>From: Wayne Ewart <wewart@home.com><BR>
>>My look on grav pong is that it can't happen. Changes to the grav<BR>
>>plates pull (from 1G to 6G or 1 G to 0G) take time to build up/<BR>
>>decress, like using a range top stove when you turn it on it<BR>
>>doesn't go to max right away, it needs time to heat up, just as<BR>
>>when you turn if off it needs time to cool down.<BR>
>So, IYTU, AG isn't an inertial dampening system?  The<BR>
>owner/pilot/etc. of a high G ship/boat/plane is still subject<BR>
>to the nasty effects of high G?<BR>
<BR>
	Not automatically.  The pilot feels the acceleration initially,<BR>
	then as the grav plates adjust (and exert gravity on an angle<BR>
	to compensate) the pilots environment returns to normal (or<BR>
	near normal, a 6G vessel might not be completely comfortable).<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 09:58:50 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: KFC<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
> For "real meat", a lower tech (and more likely) approach is using<BR>
> critters like rabbits and guinea pigs, both of which are fairly<BR>
> efficient food animals *grown* as food in many places.<BR>
> <BR>
> I wish I had that Guinea pig recipe from the Peruvian exchange student...<BR>
> Just think of the fun of telling the Players what their characters were<BR>
> having for dinner. :-)<BR>
<BR>
This is edging dagerously into the "Freefall" segment where Florence<BR>
brings the rabbit home for dinner and Helix discovers exactly what she<BR>
means...<BR>
<BR>
start here:<BR>
<BR>
http://www.purrsia.com/freefall/ff200/fv00183.htm<BR>
<BR>
;-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 12:03:28 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: X-Boat Tender<BR>
<BR>
Jim Lawrie writes:<BR>
>How accurate is the navigation on an x-boat anyway?<BR>
<BR>
	IMTU, the jump exit point must always be rolled for.  I use<BR>
	a 2D system in which a natural 7 puts you right where you<BR>
	aimed, lower puts you closer to the nearest mass, higher<BR>
	puts you farther from the nearest mass.  Depending on skills<BR>
	and other factors, a roll of 12 can put you days away at 1G.<BR>
<BR>
>I always assumed that tenders only went out to retrieve x-boats<BR>
>and brought them back to a base, if there's an x-boat route in a<BR>
>system there will be a base surely.<BR>
<BR>
	IIRC, if a x-boat route goes through a system without a<BR>
	Scout base, there is a "rudimentary" base to support<BR>
	operations.<BR>
<BR>
>I suspect the scout service would be likely to place bases further<BR>
>out than normal to minimise turn around time. By base I'm not<BR>
>referring to the classic scout base but some variety of hull in the<BR>
>600 to 1500 ton range that could be evacuated by the navy in times<BR>
>of emergency.<BR>
<BR>
	That is what the x-boat tender is, I believe.  IMTU, it would<BR>
	be supported by a type S Scout or two, and refueled by locally<BR>
	contracted fuel shuttles (Scouts don't get Ship's Boat as a<BR>
	skill).<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 09:07:19 -0800<BR>
From: "Brian Jenkins" <Brian.Jenkins@grpwise1.westek.com><BR>
Subject: MT Ship Combat<BR>
<BR>
First of all I want to thank everyone  who has helped me with the problem of ship combat and I have enough info now I think to do ship to ship the way I want to do it.  I am now pursueing something just out of sheer determination, since I hate to not understand something.  I have looked at the MT hit and penetration tables over and over.  Since the explanation is rather vague in the rules I have had trouble with them.  For instance is the number listed under "to hit" on the weapon tables the target roll or is it a die modifier for a difficult task.  And the penetration tables make no sense to me at all.  At first glance it would seem that you have a better chance of hitting penetrating with a beam laser against a low level of Sand than if they were not using sand at all.  If anyone out there is a MT expert and could explaing this to me it would be greatly appreciated.  I can do combat with another system but hey, I payed for this one and would at least like to know how it wo!<BR>
 rks before I discard it <g>.  BTW I have looked all through the errata that I have and it explains nothing about these tables.  HELP!<BR>
<BR>
Brian Jenkins<BR>
<BR>
Bjenk@sprintmail.com<BR>
<BR>
"It pays to obvious.  Especially if you have a reputation for subtlety."<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 12:10:14 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Pirate Fleets<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt writes:<BR>
>I had *one* pirate "fleet" in my original TU...  the problem with<BR>
>it as an idea was that its *too* big a strategic target.  A couple<BR>
>of pirates in a system who hit a Type-A a month and really don't<BR>
>do alot of damage except raise the commodities prices a bit before<BR>
>a well equipped blockade-runner incinerates one of them isn't<BR>
>worth the hassle to the IN.<BR>
<BR>
	The only likely situation that might generate a pirate<BR>
	fleet (that I can think of, IMTU) would be something like<BR>
	a Vargr raiding group that moves in for just long enough<BR>
	raid and loot a bunch of merchants and small worlds, maybe<BR>
	even chase off a small naval vessel, then run for the<BR>
	Extents.<BR>
<BR>
>A 10 - 40 ship task group choking a trade route is a different<BR>
>kettle of squill-fish.  I only ever allowed for 2 - 7 ship "Wolf<BR>
>Packs" before a squadron of Type-T's was dispatched to deal with<BR>
>them. <BR>
<BR>
	I would also expect that larger groups would be difficult<BR>
	to hold together (after all, pirates are not widely noted<BR>
	for their respect for authority).  I could see Wolf Packs<BR>
	forming for a while, then scattering when things got hot.<BR>
<BR>
>I figure you're pretty much right on with your assessment.<BR>
<BR>
	Ditto.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:12:43 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
At 11:48 AM 1/13/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>Michel Vaillancourt writes:<BR>
>>"Sunbeard?  Scourge of the sector for over a decade?  The man<BR>
>>that the IN has had a CruRon chasing from apogee to perigee for<BR>
>>as long as anyone can remember?<BR>
>>"Yeah, that's who's hailing us and telling us we're about to be<BR>
>>boarded...."<BR>
>>"No problem.  Get the boys into the party gear and we'll hit 'em<BR>
>>with the 'Boarding Team in the Cargo Container trick'"<BR>
><BR>
>	"We've been in zero-G for quite a while, maybe we should<BR>
>	open the door."<BR>
>	<fumbles with handle><BR>
>	"Hey, where did the ships go?"<BR>
<BR>
        LOL!<BR>
<BR>
>>I think I know what happened...  when I first learned how to play<BR>
>>CT, the ref dropped a zero when he did his math.  There would be<BR>
>>the 25Mm and 50Mm numbers...<BR>
>>Hmmm.  I'm going to have to FTC (fine tooth comb) the ramifications<BR>
>>of that.<BR>
><BR>
>	Just explain to your players that Mm really = 10,000,000 m :)<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
        "Born to hand-wave", to quote someone else, neh?<BR>
<BR>
>>I still want a "Point Blank" range band, but that might be a whole<BR>
>>different issue.<BR>
><BR>
>	I figure that "point blank" depends to some extent on the<BR>
>	weapon system being fired, except that starship combat turns<BR>
>	IMTU drop from 10 minutes to 1 minute within 10 km, and to<BR>
>	6 seconds within 1 km, so that might be considered "point<BR>
>	blank."<BR>
<BR>
        That was pretty much the idea I was into...  missiles have a 100km<BR>
"safety" zone where they do not home or arm, so that makes 'em useless in PB<BR>
fighting....<BR>
<BR>
>>Pirates can get Zero-G Cbt as a service skill and Vacc Suit as a<BR>
>>Service skill...  Pilot, which can be used as Ship's Boat (-1)<BR>
>>is and Adv Edu 2 skill and *automatic* for Pirate Lieutenants.<BR>
>>So now we know who is driving the boarding craft...  the Trusted<BR>
>>Lieutenant.<BR>
><BR>
>	Trusted Lieutenants are hard to come by.  If the merchants<BR>
>	realize this, it may influence negotiations if the boarding<BR>
>	party is trapped on the freetrader.  Perhaps the Lt stays<BR>
>	in the pinnace.<BR>
<BR>
        Ah, but that is a sure-fire way to wind up considered a coward...<BR>
and in a crowd like that...<BR>
<BR>
>>Incidentally, Pirates *do not* have access to Jack-O-T as a skill,<BR>
>>but can become *mean* fighters.<BR>
><BR>
>	This suggested to me that they brawl a lot among themselves,<BR>
>	and/or they tend to use HTH combat during boarding actions.<BR>
>	Kind of goes with the Marine cutlass thing.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
        In boarding actions where you want survivors instead of murder<BR>
victims, the ability to work with melee and brawling is useful.<BR>
<BR>
        [snip]<BR>
<BR>
>	Still, the wise merchant captain might keep the minimum<BR>
>	believable cash in the safe and hide the rest (less wise<BR>
>	ones might push their luck a bit, and trust to their ability<BR>
>	to convince the pirates that "things are a bit tight this<BR>
>	month").<BR>
><BR>
>Peez<BR>
><BR>
        ...and hope the next thing that get tight isn't his air supply....<BR>
<grin><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>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:15:39 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Q Ships<BR>
<BR>
Hughes, Michael wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Date:   Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:01:31 -0600<BR>
> From:   Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com <mailto:mmaley@home.com> ><BR>
> Subject:        Re: Marine Boarding Actions<BR>
> <BR>
> Actually of the almost 200 Q-Ships used by the British & US in WW1, only 5<BR>
> U-Boats were destroyed.  <BR>
<BR>
Perhaps, but what did their presence do to the tactics of the U-boats?<BR>
If it made them more cautious about approaching ships, then whether or<BR>
not they sank U-boats, they did an effective job. Were there differences<BR>
in ship losses to U-boats before and after?<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 09:26:56 -0800<BR>
From: "Brian Jenkins" <Brian.Jenkins@grpwise1.westek.com><BR>
Subject: Zho Spammers<BR>
<BR>
>I am convinced there are Zho spammers out there.<BR>
>We are just _TALKING_ about Uselessnet, and I got a 'Join our exclusive<BR>
>XXX super hot private club' spam in my mailbox this morning. <BR>
><shudder><BR>
<BR>
I have found that if you keep tinfoil on the inside of your hat that they can't get to you like that.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Brian Jenkins<BR>
<BR>
bjenk@sprintmail.com<BR>
<BR>
"It pays to be obvious.  Especially if you have a reputation for subtlety."<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 12:30:42 -0500<BR>
From: "Smith, Walter" <SmithW@hartwick.edu><BR>
Subject: re: X-Boat Tenders<BR>
<BR>
Who says Scouts don't get Ship's Boat as a career skill?<BR>
<BR>
All of 'em get it at level 0 when they sign up, they just<BR>
call it Pilot-1.   ;-)<BR>
<BR>
Seriously, if everyone gets Pilot-1, and many get Pilot-2+,<BR>
the lack of Ship's Boat skill amongst Scouts shouldn't keep<BR>
in-service Scouts from getting pressed into service running<BR>
Shuttles, Cutters (like on the Donosev) and what-have-you.<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 09:34:53 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
<BR>
> Not really. They aren't even 99.9% reflective. And 0.1% of a 1 MW beam<BR>
> is 1 kW, which is ample to degrade the paint. <BR>
<BR>
Actually, I think some superwhites are pretty close to 99.9% reflective, and<BR>
are basically made of powdered transparent crystals of refractory material.<BR>
Choose your materials properly and it isn't exactly easy to degrade.<BR>
<BR>
Hmmm...ponder tiny beads of synthetic diamond as armor.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 12:35:51 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Pirate Economics<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt writes:<BR>
>Well thought out, Walt.  So long as the pirate has a place to<BR>
>unload the goods, they can live on a  boarding per month...<BR>
>Interesting.<BR>
<BR>
	Walt's pirate stuff is already squirreled away in my files<BR>
	:)<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>20 ton bridge (no backup) with a co-located Mod/3 (5/9) computer<BR>
>(no backup)<BR>
<BR>
	Is a backup computer allowed under HG2?<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>Base cost of MCr474.64, Architect fees of MCr4.75, Discount of<BR>
>MCr-95.88 <BR>
<BR>
	Not for the first one, but a bunch might be ordered by<BR>
	some adventurous Vargr.<BR>
<BR>
>Total approx cost of MCr383.51<BR>
>Economics:<BR>
>	Down Payment:		76.70<BR>
>	Balance Owing:	306.81<BR>
>	Monthly Payment:	1.278MCr for 480 Months<BR>
<BR>
		Whoops, I think that the payments are meant to be<BR>
		1/240 of the total value of the ship, ie. MCr 383.51,<BR>
		which would make the monthly payments MCr 1.598.<BR>
		(I believe that LBB2 puts it that way, and specifies<BR>
		that financing ends up costing 120% of the ship's<BR>
		value)<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>The modus operandi is the whole-sale theft of Type-A merchants<BR>
>and smaller vessels.  Economics are based on one "kill" every two<BR>
>months of a Type-A vessel.  Her facilities allow her to disable<BR>
>the target vessel, send the boarding team to secure it and then<BR>
>"swallow" it whole prior to jumping out of system.<BR>
<BR>
	I like this, but I have always had a problem with fitting<BR>
	a 200 ton ship in even a 300 ton hanger, unless that hold<BR>
	has been fitted for that particular shape of ship.  Of<BR>
	course, the hold could be fitted to the ubiquitous type A.<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>The kick here, of course, is that there is no battle-damage<BR>
>figures included in monthly operating costs.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	On the other hand, how many merchants are going to shoot at<BR>
	*that*.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:36:25 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: re: X-Boat Tenders<BR>
<BR>
At 12:30 PM 1/13/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>Who says Scouts don't get Ship's Boat as a career skill?<BR>
><BR>
>All of 'em get it at level 0 when they sign up, they just<BR>
>call it Pilot-1.   ;-)<BR>
><BR>
>Seriously, if everyone gets Pilot-1, and many get Pilot-2+,<BR>
>the lack of Ship's Boat skill amongst Scouts shouldn't keep<BR>
>in-service Scouts from getting pressed into service running<BR>
>Shuttles, Cutters (like on the Donosev) and what-have-you.<BR>
><BR>
>Walt Smith<BR>
><BR>
        I'd almost suggest that the reason they all get Pilot -1 or -2 is<BR>
for that reason...  No point in teaching 'em both when they can learn<BR>
something like Nav-1 or Eng-1 instead...<BR>
<BR>
        ...or Carousing-4.<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>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 09:42:38 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
<BR>
> Pirates *aren't* stupid, and for just about any cargo you can name, I<BR>
> can describe a "treatment" method that'll eliminate boarding parties<BR>
> and the like, without damaging valuables.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, many pirates probably are stupid (true for most types of criminals).<BR>
Of course, the result of this is that they don't last very long.  Any <BR>
experienced and successful raider will be fairly competent, though they may<BR>
still not be expecting a boarding party in a cargo container (they're far more<BR>
likely to expect a bomb, and scan the cargo container for such things.  <BR>
Of course, anything which will detect a bomb will probably detect a boarding<BR>
party as well).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 09:49:49 -0800<BR>
From: "Brian Jenkins" <Brian.Jenkins@grpwise1.westek.com><BR>
Subject: Re:MT Ship Combat<BR>
<BR>
>Yeah, but I found it better explained in HG, and I notice that the <BR>
>damage tables are different. Besides, IIRC some of MegaErrata's <BR>
>tables were the wrong way around (or the DMs), which may explain <BR>
>some of the confusion.<BR>
<BR>
You know I have tried to look at these tables backwards and sideways and they still don't make sense and that bugs me.  I can use the HG tables (and probably will) but NOW I am on a mission to understand these tables.  (Unfortunately the Sicilian/Cajun mix in me can make me rather stubborn).<BR>
<BR>
Brian Jenkins<BR>
<BR>
bjenk@sprintmail.com<BR>
<BR>
"It pays to be obvious.  Especially if you have a reputation for subtlety."<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:55:19 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Pirate Vessel - Lamprey (was RE: Pirate Economics)<BR>
<BR>
At 12:35 PM 1/13/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>	Walt's pirate stuff is already squirreled away in my files<BR>
>	:)<BR>
<BR>
        <grin>  All bow to the master...<BR>
<BR>
><snipped><BR>
>>20 ton bridge (no backup) with a co-located Mod/3 (5/9) computer<BR>
>>(no backup)<BR>
><BR>
>	Is a backup computer allowed under HG2?<BR>
<BR>
        Yep...  as many backup bridges and computers as you can stand...<BR>
the one that works best is the one used.<BR>
<BR>
><snipped><BR>
>>Base cost of MCr474.64, Architect fees of MCr4.75, Discount of<BR>
>>MCr-95.88 <BR>
><BR>
>	Not for the first one, but a bunch might be ordered by<BR>
>	some adventurous Vargr.<BR>
<BR>
        Yeah, I know...  my spreadsheet figures out the "in quantity" values<BR>
wether its a sane presumption or not =)<BR>
<BR>
>>Total approx cost of MCr383.51<BR>
>>Economics:<BR>
>>	Down Payment:		76.70<BR>
>>	Balance Owing:	306.81<BR>
>>	Monthly Payment:	1.278MCr for 480 Months<BR>
><BR>
>		Whoops, I think that the payments are meant to be<BR>
>		1/240 of the total value of the ship, ie. MCr 383.51,<BR>
>		which would make the monthly payments MCr 1.598.<BR>
>		(I believe that LBB2 puts it that way, and specifies<BR>
>		that financing ends up costing 120% of the ship's<BR>
>		value)<BR>
<BR>
        The payments are MCr306.81 / 240 = MCr1.278 ... You don't pay on the<BR>
total cost of the vessel, only the part you borrowed for...  And it winds up<BR>
being 220% of the original cost.<BR>
<BR>
><snipped><BR>
>>The modus operandi is the whole-sale theft of Type-A merchants<BR>
>>and smaller vessels.  Economics are based on one "kill" every two<BR>
>>months of a Type-A vessel.  Her facilities allow her to disable<BR>
>>the target vessel, send the boarding team to secure it and then<BR>
>>"swallow" it whole prior to jumping out of system.<BR>
><BR>
>	I like this, but I have always had a problem with fitting<BR>
>	a 200 ton ship in even a 300 ton hanger, unless that hold<BR>
>	has been fitted for that particular shape of ship.  Of<BR>
>	course, the hold could be fitted to the ubiquitous type A.<BR>
<BR>
        To be frank, that's what I envisioned....  the bay is tailor sized<BR>
for the length, breadth and depth of a Type-A.<BR>
<BR>
><snipped><BR>
>>The kick here, of course, is that there is no battle-damage<BR>
>>figures included in monthly operating costs.<BR>
><snipped><BR>
><BR>
>	On the other hand, how many merchants are going to shoot at<BR>
>	*that*.<BR>
><BR>
>Peez<BR>
><BR>
        Pick a PC, any PC...  <g><BR>
<BR>
        Part of the reason the small-craft bay is big enough to carry two<BR>
fighters or a launch is the simple psychological effect of having this thing<BR>
over-taking you and launching fighters that can run rings around you...<BR>
<BR>
        "Stop the ship, dammint, I said STOP THE SHIP!"<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>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:02:14 -0800<BR>
From: "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> Up to a point, I agree, but when you move from system to system you<BR>
> are going to hit places where there aren't "corresponding banks", and<BR>
> they have no good reason to trust your paper because they don't have<BR>
> "arrangements" with the bank that issued it. They *might*, probably<BR>
> for a fee knowing banks, try to confirm your letter of credit, but<BR>
> don't expect them to front you much, if any, cash until the document<BR>
> is confirmed.<BR>
><BR>
> Now, think on this one. What organization seems to have a point of<BR>
> presence in every "civilized system" in known space? Why, it's the<BR>
> Traveller's Aid Society, of course!  "TAS Traveller's Checks, don't<BR>
> leave home without them."<BR>
><BR>
> As far as *trade* is concerned, I don't think Letters of Credit are<BR>
> the best way to go. For that you want currency, trade goods and<BR>
> commodities. IMO, of course.<BR>
><BR>
> Eris<BR>
><BR>
I like this idea, but how about going one step farther. Have two banks<BR>
(Imperium Bank and TAS Savings and Loans) in the startowns of all type A, B,<BR>
& C ports. And both groups sell Traveller's checks that are good in any<BR>
Green Zone World (maybe some Amber zones as well). Red zones (or the wilds<BR>
if you use T:NE) are hard cash (gold, trade goods, ect..) only<BR>
<BR>
Wayne<BR>
wewart@home.com<BR>
icq22113294<BR>
http://www.members.home.net/wewart/wewart/traveller/<BR>
<BR>
Give a man fire and he is warm for the night.<BR>
Set a man on fire and he is warm all his life.<BR>
- - Terry Pratchett<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:04:50 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: BITS e: Traveller-digest V1999 #1736<BR>
<BR>
At 21:07 -0500 12/1/00, William Barnett-Lewis <wlewis@mailbag.com> wrote:<BR>
> > 1) Would people prefer to see ACQ released before 101 Patrons, or<BR>
> > both at the same time (later if this is so)?<BR>
><BR>
>As soon as possible? I have not felt the _need_ to buy any bits <BR>
>items yet. But that one I want _badly_.<BR>
<BR>
  Me too. I was editing it first in the August of 98 and it is really <BR>
good. Andy is laying it out at the moment which is quite hard because <BR>
there is a *lot* of information in it.<BR>
<BR>
> > 2) Has anyone any feelings on whether they'd like to see more<BR>
> > adventures like SpaceDogs and The Khiidkar Incident?<BR>
><BR>
>Can't say about those two since I haven't read them. OTOH, I'd become "an<BR>
>ethically challenged merchant" if that was what it took to get more like<BR>
>"White Dwarf"... preferably distributed the same way...<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
We have two more funnies... 'Star Worn' and 'Starship Marines in Battledress'<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>Thanks for all you've done, Dom.<BR>
<BR>
Thank you, but the real thanks should go to Andy Lilly, and Sarah his <BR>
wife, who have taken the financial risks themselves, and dedicate a <BR>
lot of their time to BITS. Time which is increasingly precious after <BR>
the birth of their first child, Anne.<BR>
<BR>
I just scan the TML, and run the website, plus a bit of writing and <BR>
organising convention support. I'd do it full time if I could, and it <BR>
paid anything near my real job as an engineer.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:18:47 -0800<BR>
From: "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
> > Heck, CURRENT US currencies aren't THAT hard to forge for passable<BR>
bills...<BR>
> > A good photocopier, with the correct paper, is all that is needed. (Oh,<BR>
> > wait, they just added watermarking to the new bills... as I said, the<BR>
right<BR>
> > paper.) 1200 DPI laser-copiers can do wonders... but you need green<BR>
toner<BR>
> > (also available).<BR>
><BR>
> They also have the polyester "thread" (more of a strip) printed with<BR>
> the denomination, the colorchanging ink on some of the numbers,<BR>
> micro-engraved printing that *can't* be duplicated at 1200 dpi, etc.<BR>
><BR>
> And if you try using a color copier, high-end or lowend, I'm told that<BR>
> the results are "interesting". Something about some of the "random"<BR>
> variance in the dots being *non-random, and helping ID which machine<BR>
> the copy was made on.<BR>
><BR>
All thing that really don't mean much other than public confidence. I<BR>
believe that the Can $20 $50 and $100 have the above in them plus a small<BR>
holographic icon on the bill. Yet here in area Victoria/Vancouver area a<BR>
wave counterfeit $20s was just dumped in the market. It all depends on where<BR>
you enter the money into the system. I have seen the new Black Light<BR>
readers for spotting counterfeit money being used, but that only spots the<BR>
money at the end of the line. The counterfeiter is already long gone, of to<BR>
new markets to push his "money".<BR>
<BR>
Wayne<BR>
wewart@home.com<BR>
icq22113294<BR>
http://www.members.home.net/wewart/wewart/traveller/<BR>
<BR>
Give a man fire and he is warm for the night.<BR>
Set a man on fire and he is warm all his life.<BR>
- - Terry Pratchett<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:10:42<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Potty<BR>
<BR>
At 05:59 PM 1/12/2000 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Of course, there's always this interpretation:<BR>
><BR>
>"Yeah, I got nosebleed seats at the Silverdome for twenty bucks and they<BR>
>STILL didn't sell out!" The Silverdome, BTW, is where the NFL's Detroit<BR>
>Lions play...but Not For Long!<BR>
<BR>
Feh.  You should try climbing Mt. Al Davis to see watch little black specks<BR>
that may be the Raiders.  After a while, admiring the tops of passing<BR>
airlines becomes more interesting as you wait for your Sherpa guide to<BR>
return with your beer.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1744<BR>
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Subject: Traveller-digest V1999 #1744<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Thursday, January 13 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1745<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: Potty<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
Rep.Democracy Extension Profile (preliminary, long)<BR>
Re: Potty<BR>
RE: X-Boat Tenders<BR>
RE: Pirate Vessel - Lamprey (was RE: Pirate Economics)<BR>
x-boat traffic<BR>
re: Pirate Vessel - Lamprey<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
RE: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Boarding actions<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Miniatures<BR>
Re: Cannibalism<BR>
Re: Advice on worldmapping<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1744<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1744<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1729<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:13:01<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Potty<BR>
<BR>
At 10:20 PM 1/13/2000 +1100, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>    To an enemy:<BR>
>    "Bloody Ref(eree)! Open your bloody eyes!"<BR>
<BR>
"Yo!, Ump!  There's a great baseball game going on here, maybe you should<BR>
watch it!"<BR>
<BR>
Got to practice, Spring training opens soon.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:19:20<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
At 11:53 PM 1/12/2000 +0000, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>>I shall pound upon Gamescape's head with vigor to instill this knowledge in<BR>
>>them.<BR>
><BR>
>Why not ask them nicely instead? SJG is our US distributor.<BR>
><BR>
>And I understand you thoughts about writing and OT stuff. I <BR>
>occasionally wander OT when I need to blow a little steam.<BR>
<BR>
Because they enjoy being vigorously pounded upon the head.<BR>
<BR>
>BITS related thoughts...<BR>
><BR>
>1) Would people prefer to see ACQ released before 101 Patrons, or <BR>
>both at the same time (later if this is so)?<BR>
<BR>
ACQ!  (What did you expect me to say?)<BR>
<BR>
>2) Has anyone any feelings on whether they'd like to see more <BR>
>adventures like SpaceDogs and The Khiidkar Incident?<BR>
<BR>
There's a product called Dinky Dungeons.. little cliched dungeons for<BR>
FRPGs.  Some thing like that for Traveller.  The patron in a bar, the<BR>
3475th jail break.. things like that.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 19:48:36 +0000<BR>
From: "Carlos Alos-Ferrer" <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at><BR>
Subject: Rep.Democracy Extension Profile (preliminary, long)<BR>
<BR>
Following the feedback I got from my post on Gov.Code 4, I put <BR>
together a clumsy first attempt at an "Extension Profile" for <BR>
Representative Democracy. Comments welcome.<BR>
<BR>
Warning: If you find this interesting, you might get me started with <BR>
the Bureaucracy Extension Profile and the Dictatorship Extension <BR>
Profile... <grin><BR>
<BR>
Carlos<BR>
<BR>
The Profile: FRCP<BR>
<BR>
F=Federalism, R=Type of Representation, <BR>
C=Repr.Rule for Chambers, P= numebr of Parties.<BR>
<BR>
"Chamber" = Parliament / Senate / whatever.<BR>
<BR>
F=Federalism<BR>
- ------------<BR>
<BR>
Roll(2D6) F <BR>
2-3       1<BR>
4-5       2<BR>
6         3<BR>
7         Flip a coin for 3/4<BR>
8         4<BR>
9-10      5<BR>
11-12     6<BR>
High Pop Worlds: DM +2<BR>
Pop 5-: DM -4<BR>
<BR>
1- Strictly Centralist. Only one government, only national <BR>
(planetary)- level chambers (regardless of election method). The only<BR>
chamber(s) are the national ones.<BR>
<BR>
2- Centralist. Regions and local communities have a certain <BR>
degree of autonomy. There might be regional chambers, but the main<BR>
chambers are the planetary/national ones.<BR>
<BR>
3- Moderate Centralist. Regions have an important degree of <BR>
autonomy for local matters, but all planetary (national) level <BR>
decisions are taken at the planetary (national) level. The main <BR>
chambers are the planetary/national ones.<BR>
<BR>
4- Moderate Federalist. Regions have an important degree of <BR>
autonomy for local matters. Although planetary (national) level <BR>
decisions are taken at the planetary (national) level, the regional<BR>
chambers have an important input in them. The main chambers are the<BR>
regional ones.<BR>
<BR>
5- Federalist. Regions and local communities have a great degree of<BR>
autonomy. The main chamber(s) are at the regional level, with the<BR>
planetary (national) chambers fulfilling mere coordination tasks.<BR>
<BR>
6- Strictly Federalist. As 4, but there isn't even a planetary <BR>
(national) chamber. The planetary government, elected through the<BR>
regional chambers, is the one fulfilling all necessary coordination<BR>
tasks.<BR>
<BR>
R=Type of Representation<BR>
- -------------------------<BR>
Roll(2D6) R <BR>
2         1<BR>
3-5       2<BR>
6         3<BR>
7-8       4<BR>
9-10      5<BR>
11-12     6<BR>
High Pop Worlds: DM +2<BR>
DM -1 if F=4+<BR>
<BR>
1- Personal. In order to become a representative, a person has to <BR>
gather a certain number of votes (either fixed or varying with the <BR>
election). Votes have a limited validity (in time), and <BR>
representatives must renew their supporter's list periodically.<BR>
<BR>
2- National (Planetary). The main chamber(s) are directly elected by <BR>
all voters, i.e. there are single lists for the whole nation/planet.<BR>
Note: If main chambers are regional, this means all voters within the <BR>
region.<BR>
<BR>
3- Group. People elect representatives according to a <BR>
non-geographical division, e.g. social classes, professional groups, <BR>
etc. The main chamber(s) are formed by these group representatives.<BR>
<BR>
4- Regional. The lists are restricted to relatively large regions <BR>
(within the area corresponding to the chamber), and the <BR>
main chamber(s) are formed by regional representatives.<BR>
<BR>
5- Local. The lists are restricted to relatively small districts, <BR>
and the main chamber(s) are formed by local representatives.<BR>
<BR>
6- Mixed. There are several main chambers, whose <BR>
representatives are selected according to at least two <BR>
different criteria among the previous ones.<BR>
<BR>
C= Representation Rule for the Chambers<BR>
- ---------------------------------------<BR>
Roll(2D6) C <BR>
2-3       1<BR>
4-5       2<BR>
6-7       3<BR>
8         4<BR>
9-10      5<BR>
11-12     6<BR>
DM -2 if R=2<BR>
<BR>
1- Strictly Proportional. Each seat is worth a fixed percentage of <BR>
votes. Remaining seats are allocated by pure rounding if no conflict <BR>
exists, or simply dropped.<BR>
<BR>
2- Proportional. Each seat is worth a fixed percentage of votes. <BR>
Certain rules are followed to allocate the remaining seats.<BR>
<BR>
3- Proportional with lower bound. Candidates not attaining a minimum <BR>
percentage of votes are ignored. The rule is then proportional among <BR>
the rest of the votes.<BR>
<BR>
4- Weakly Proportional. The percentage of votes is translated into a <BR>
number of seats following an arithmetic rule which enforces the <BR>
formation of stable majorities.<BR>
<BR>
5- Weakly Proportional with lower bound. Candidates not attaining a <BR>
minimum percentage of votes are ignored. The rule is then weakly <BR>
proportional among the rest of the votes.<BR>
<BR>
6- Majority. Each single seat or group of seats in the chamber is <BR>
tied to a certain circumscription. The candidate / list in the <BR>
circumscription which obtains the larger number of votes obtains the <BR>
seat(s).<BR>
<BR>
P= Number of Significant Parties<BR>
- -----------------------------------------<BR>
Roll(2D6) P <BR>
2         1<BR>
3-5       2<BR>
6-7       3<BR>
8         4<BR>
9         5<BR>
10-12     6<BR>
Vargr Worlds: DM +4<BR>
Pop 5-: DM -2<BR>
DM -2 if C=3,5<BR>
<BR>
Effects on UWP: Law Level= 2D+3-P<BR>
<BR>
1- One Party. Only a certain political doctrine exists, <BR>
but still elections are democratic and the vote decides among several<BR>
candidates. Although many dictatorships claim to fall under this<BR>
classification, actual governments of this type are rare.<BR>
<BR>
2- Bipartidism. There are only two parties.<BR>
<BR>
3- Multipartidism (low): There are 3-9 significant parties.<BR>
<BR>
4- Multipartidism (high): There are 10-19 parties.<BR>
<BR>
5- Multipartidism (extreme): There are 20+ parties.<BR>
<BR>
6- Non-Partisan: Elections are personal, based on the individual<BR>
candidate. Formally, there may be any number of political parties, but<BR>
either their only purpose is to serve an individual candidate, or they<BR>
are formal vehicles for individual political careers.<BR>
<BR>
EXAMPLES:<BR>
<BR>
Freedonia - Pop=9, all rolls=7: FRCP=5432, Law Level = 8<BR>
<BR>
The main chambers in Freedonia are the Autonomic Parliaments of a <BR>
handful of regions, which are actually former nations. In each of <BR>
these Autonomic Parliaments, representatives are elected in different <BR>
regions within the Autonomic Area. There are only two parties <BR>
throughout the planet, the Pan-Imperialist and the Reformist. <BR>
Elections for the Autonomic Parliaments follow a <BR>
proportional rule with a lower bound of 10%: if one of the two <BR>
parties gets less than 10% within a region, the other party gets all <BR>
the seats of the region.<BR>
<BR>
Boring World - Pop= 7, all rolls=6: FRCP= 3433, Law Level=6<BR>
<BR>
Although the regions do have their own parliaments, the main chamber <BR>
is the Planetary Parliament, whose members are elected at the <BR>
regional level through a proportional rule with a lower bound of 5%. <BR>
There are a handful of siginificant parties.<BR>
<BR>
Hectic World - Pop 9, all rolls=9, Vargr World: FRCP=6556, Law <BR>
Level=6<BR>
<BR>
Hectic World is strictly federalist. There is no planetary chamber, <BR>
but merely a cofnederation of regions governed by their own <BR>
parliaments and coordinated by a Planetary Government which is <BR>
usually formed by the most charismatic among the regional leaders.<BR>
The seats in each regional chamber correspond to relatively small <BR>
districts. In each district, elections are non-partisan, based on <BR>
individual candidatures made under a charismatic leader. Seats are <BR>
allocated through a weakly proportional rule such that first all <BR>
lists obtaining less than 10% of the votes are ignored, and then an <BR>
aritmetic rule which primes the majority is applied. Commonly, the <BR>
most charismatic leader within a district gets almost all the seats <BR>
for himself and his followers.<BR>
<BR>
New Colony World - Pop 5, all rolls=6, FRCP=1332, Law Level=7<BR>
<BR>
There is a single community in this world, with a single government <BR>
and a single Parliament. Representatives are elected among the <BR>
different professional groups (Food Providers, <BR>
Maintenance Technicians, Administration, etc). There are only <BR>
two parties, the Trade Party and the Autarchy Party. Seats are <BR>
allocated according to a proportional rule, with a lower bound of <BR>
25%.<BR>
<BR>
Regards,<BR>
<BR>
Carlos Alos-Ferrer<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:54:31 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Potty<BR>
<BR>
Jim Lawrie wrote:<BR>
> >Jason wrote:<BR>
> >>Later that evening during the assembly he tells the<BR>
> >>congregation that he was pleased to be in town and that he<BR>
> >>had seen the Bloody King's Cross.  You can imagine the<BR>
> >>reaction that got in church.<BR>
> <BR>
>     It is of course Australia, Sydney's red light district. (Although it<BR>
> wasn't as bad when the story originated.)<BR>
>     "Bloody" is Australia's Great Adjective.<BR>
>     To your mate:<BR>
>     "Bloody fantastic! How are ya' mate?"<BR>
>     To an enemy:<BR>
>     "Bloody Ref(eree)! Open your bloody eyes!"<BR>
>     My favourite:<BR>
>     "Where've ya been mate?"<BR>
>     "Broken bloody Hill, shootin' Kanga-bloody-roos!"<BR>
<BR>
Oh, so it's like "f**king" in many parts of the US, including the <BR>
armed services.<BR>
<BR>
Gulf-War era Doonesbury, quoted from memory:<BR>
<BR>
"You were in the Nam?"<BR>
<BR>
"Yeah, but it's been so long, I can't even remember how to use the<BR>
f-word."<BR>
<BR>
"Easy, use it just like a comma."<BR>
<BR>
- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 14:08:43 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: X-Boat Tenders<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith writes:<BR>
>Who says Scouts don't get Ship's Boat as a career skill?<BR>
>All of 'em get it at level 0 when they sign up, they just<BR>
>call it Pilot-1.   ;-)<BR>
>Seriously, if everyone gets Pilot-1, and many get Pilot-2+,<BR>
>the lack of Ship's Boat skill amongst Scouts shouldn't keep<BR>
>in-service Scouts from getting pressed into service running<BR>
>Shuttles, Cutters (like on the Donosev) and what-have-you.<BR>
<BR>
	True, but if you have Scouts spending their days ferrying<BR>
	fuel in small craft all the time, I would have expected<BR>
	Ship's Boat to come up.  My own hand-wave is that it is<BR>
	cheeper to contract locally (and there may be some local<BR>
	politics involved).<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 14:42:49 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Pirate Vessel - Lamprey (was RE: Pirate Economics)<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt writes:<BR>
>>>Total approx cost of MCr383.51<BR>
>>>Economics:<BR>
>>>	Down Payment:		76.70<BR>
>>>	Balance Owing:	306.81<BR>
>>>	Monthly Payment:	1.278MCr for 480 Months<BR>
>>		Whoops, I think that the payments are meant to be<BR>
>>		1/240 of the total value of the ship, ie. MCr 383.51,<BR>
>>		which would make the monthly payments MCr 1.598.<BR>
>>		(I believe that LBB2 puts it that way, and specifies<BR>
>>		that financing ends up costing 120% of the ship's<BR>
>>		value)<BR>
>The payments are MCr306.81 / 240 = MCr1.278 ... You don't pay on<BR>
>the total cost of the vessel, only the part you borrowed for...<BR>
>And it winds up being 220% of the original cost.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	You are only paying on the part you borrowed, but the<BR>
	payments work out to 1/240 of the total cost.  You could<BR>
	think of it as being 1/192 of the 80% that you still<BR>
	owe.  Simply put, 1/240 of the total cost for 480 months<BR>
	is 200%, plus the 20% that you put down makes 220%.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 14:52:49 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
With all this talk about x-boat tenders and fuel requirements, an old<BR>
question came back to me: how often do x-boats arrive?  IMTU, I have been<BR>
assuming that x-boats jump out (and arrive) daily on the main links.  This<BR>
means that each link implies 14+ x-boats.  Does this make sense?<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 14:43:23 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: re: Pirate Vessel - Lamprey<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillencourt wrote:<BR>
>	Walt's pirate stuff is already squirreled away in my files<BR>
>	:)<BR>
><BR>
>        <grin>  All bow to the master...<BR>
<BR>
Grasshopper, when you can snatch this Free Trader from my outstretched <BR>
hand...<BR>
<BR>
<G><BR>
<BR>
Now if I could just find that *&^% post of mine in the TML archives about<BR>
the rebel ship turned pirate!<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
Piracy+<BR>
Signatory to the Sunbeard Accords<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:05:56 -0700<BR>
From: Erwin Fritz <efritz@glja.com><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> With all this talk about x-boat tenders and fuel requirements, an old<BR>
> question came back to me: how often do x-boats arrive?  IMTU, I have been<BR>
> assuming that x-boats jump out (and arrive) daily on the main links.  This<BR>
> means that each link implies 14+ x-boats.  Does this make sense?<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, the number of xboats assigned to a travel between any two systems<BR>
depends upon those systems. For example, Glisten/Glisten (A starport,<BR>
TL15, pop in billions) has xboats arriving *at least* hourly.<BR>
<BR>
Aramis/Aramis, on the other hand, (A starport, average TL, low<BR>
population) may have one per week.<BR>
<BR>
I haven't worked out any formulas for calculating this value (because it<BR>
just doesn't come up very often in play). When my players ask if there<BR>
happens to be an xboat available to take delivery of a message, I just<BR>
roll 2D, and if Pop- comes up, the answer is yes. I'd tweak that for<BR>
weird situations (like C starports, low TL, etc).<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Erwin Fritz<BR>
Gilbert Laustsen Jung Associates Ltd.<BR>
http://www.glja.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 19:22:46 -0000<BR>
From: "Alistair J. R. Young" <avatar@arkane.demon.co.uk><BR>
Subject: RE: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
> So, IYTU, AG isn't an inertial dampening system?  The<BR>
> owner/pilot/etc. of a high G ship/boat/plane is still subject<BR>
> to the nasty effects of high G?<BR>
<BR>
I rather like inertial dampening and antigravity to be two completely<BR>
different things. Not so much for that effect, but (per "Consider Phlebas",<BR>
I think) for the potentially messy death awaiting someone who tries to use<BR>
antigrav equipment on anything that generates gravity by spinning.<BR>
<BR>
Rather rips RL physics apart, but I think I can live with that.<BR>
<BR>
Alistair<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 12:09:15 -0800<BR>
From: "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
> With all this talk about x-boat tenders and fuel requirements, an old<BR>
> question came back to me: how often do x-boats arrive?  IMTU, I have been<BR>
> assuming that x-boats jump out (and arrive) daily on the main links.  This<BR>
> means that each link implies 14+ x-boats.  Does this make sense?<BR>
><BR>
> Peez<BR>
><BR>
That is how I run the x-boats. Some areas can get a large number of x-boats<BR>
though. Looking at my copy os the Spinward Marches (MT map) Jewell has<BR>
X-boat routes to Mongo, Esalin, Ruby, Emerald, and Lysen putting in a min of<BR>
70+ x-boats (10 enter/leave each day) add to that the number of tenders,<BR>
spare x-boats (down time for maint., crew R&R, et.). The real trick is to<BR>
time each departure so that all mail passing through is in system for the<BR>
shortest amout of time. I try to run this by not letting any x-boat leave<BR>
till all incoming x-boats for the day have checked in and uploaded their<BR>
mail.<BR>
<BR>
Wayne<BR>
wewart@home.com<BR>
icq22113294<BR>
http://www.members.home.net/wewart/wewart/traveller/<BR>
<BR>
Give a man fire and he is warm for the night.<BR>
Set a man on fire and he is warm all his life.<BR>
- - Terry Pratchett<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 07:20:25 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
>Recipice for roast elephant: First you get an elephant...<BR>
><BR>
>In other words, people are much too apt to throw about schemes without<BR>
>considering the details of execution. In the current case I'll grant you<BR>
>the insiders at the starport. Compared to the value of a ship, humint is<BR>
>cheap. So, the prospective victim arrives at a starport. It starts looking<BR>
>around for passengers and cargo. At that point its next destination is<BR>
>obvious to the pirate informer, so he informs the pirate...<BR>
><BR>
>Ah... how? The victim is going to jump in 5 days. If the pirate is in<BR>
>a third system, he can't get the information in time to intercept the<BR>
>victim. If he is in the destination system, the informer will have to<BR>
>send the message by a courier ship. You've just increased the cost of<BR>
>the pirate's support structure by the value of a starship. Alternatively<BR>
>he can send the message by another ship jumping to the destination system<BR>
>before the victim does. That means the destination system has a lot of<BR>
>traffic, which makes it worth while to guard it against pirates. If the<BR>
>pirate is in the origin system, he is either down on the starport,<BR>
>conducting legitimate business, in which case he is leaving behind an<BR>
>awful lot of information that can be used to identify him. Or he is<BR>
>lurking around in the outskirts of the system, in which case he is not<BR>
>conducting any legitimate business. Starships are expensive. Armed and<BR>
>armored ships suitable for piracy are really expensive. What are the<BR>
>chances that he can intercept the victim? What are the changes that the<BR>
>victim won't fight him? What are the chances he won't take a hit that<BR>
>will costs millions to repair in a fight? After all, we know that Free<BR>
>Traders routinely are armed, at least in the Spinward Marches, so how<BR>
>long will he have to wait until a suitable victim comes along?<BR>
>      Hans Rancke<BR>
<BR>
    The Pirate usually IS in-system and he has every right to be there,<BR>
because pirates don't come from disaffected merchant crews anymore. Pirates<BR>
come from spacefaring cultures like Belters who live in a boom-or-bust<BR>
cycle. The informant is a customs officer and he gets a copy of the manifest<BR>
via the x-boat system weeks before the merchant turns up, plenty of time for<BR>
a laser message to be sent via normal channels out into the belt. If the<BR>
customs weasel is very lucky he may be able to get a hold of the merchants<BR>
flight plans and the corsair can approach under the guise of a customs ship.<BR>
The merchant ship is going to have a hard time passing off a<BR>
boarding-container because its not on the manifest (Although the manifest<BR>
would not show speculative cargo, there's no one on the destination world<BR>
expecting it.)<BR>
    So near the required time the belters go over to their "Pirates Hold<BR>
Asteroid" and transfer into the outer system in their Type P and they only<BR>
have to wait around for three days on "Silent Running" (Is EmCon the term<BR>
for that?)<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 07:24:28 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
>>         Is Piracy being a capital crime canon or is that YTU?  In TNEC,<BR>
>> piracy is not, as it encourages "gentleman pirates" who do not massacre<BR>
>> helpless civillians...  the UN-NSN/DSN knows they can't cover the entire<BR>
>> Frontier, so piracy will happen...  Murder-1 *is* a capital crime in the<BR>
>> TNEC millieu.<BR>
><BR>
>I'm not sure if it's canon or not. It seems to be the case<BR>
>*historically* though.<BR>
>Leonard Erickson<BR>
<BR>
    The Indonesians only consider it Assault and Robbery, because it occurs<BR>
within their territorial waters but I'm sure the IN would view it in a dim<BR>
light, especially during the rebellion. It's likely that many pirates never<BR>
see trial at all, they're just not given a chance to surrender. If a Kinunir<BR>
opens up with its spinal mount its all academic anyway.<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 14:03:24 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
Some systems have xboats arriving constantly, minutes apart in some<BR>
cases: Core, Vland, other big, central systems probably have an ungodly<BR>
amount of insystem traffic to-ing and fro-ing. (Bet their X-Boats arent<BR>
the dinky 100t things that are fobbed off on the boonies like the<BR>
Marches, either. 1000, 10,000, 100KT mailboats are probably the rule.<BR>
<BR>
14+ x-boats per link is probably low, used only for outlying or low pop<BR>
areas. I use the Post Office as an analogy: NYC has a LOT more carriers<BR>
per zip code than Podunksville. Each one still carries the standard<BR>
postmans bag, but Podunksville probably gets one a day, maybe, whereas<BR>
NYC probably gets tens to hundreds of thousands.<BR>
<BR>
Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> With all this talk about x-boat tenders and fuel requirements, an old<BR>
> question came back to me: how often do x-boats arrive?  IMTU, I have been<BR>
> assuming that x-boats jump out (and arrive) daily on the main links.  This<BR>
> means that each link implies 14+ x-boats.  Does this make sense?<BR>
> <BR>
> Peez<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 17:16:35 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
Greetings,<BR>
<BR>
I'm curious, what sort of miniatures (PCs and/or ships) are you good<BR>
folks using?  Or are you doing without, or using the cardboard sort, or<BR>
micromachines, Legos, etc.<BR>
<BR>
Regards,<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:25:36 -0900<BR>
From: Peter Newman <pnewman@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Cannibalism<BR>
<BR>
 William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net> wrote<BR>
<BR>
> Had a player roll up his homeworld's customs (Said player was one Peter<BR>
> Newman)... The character was a cannibal from a TL 7 world... with no<BR>
> atmosphere, IIRC. <BR>
<BR>
Dojodo  C 512311-7 S Lo Ni IC C:1 710 Im M5V<BR>
[Spinward Marches 3233, right next to Mora]<BR>
<BR>
local customs: cannibalism, sleep during the day,<BR>
don't show their skin to others [or as one of the<BR>
other PC's put it "Fred's nothing but a Vampire",<BR>
funny I never got to try my blood pudding recipe]<BR>
<BR>
Note the presence of the Chirper population, I always <BR>
assumed the sophontophagism started with the Chirpers<BR>
& got extended to the people.<BR>
<BR>
> Made the slaughter of some local thugs an interesting<BR>
> issue for him, as they were simply dumping the bodies... so he got<BR>
> permission, and dressed out one or two in the airlock. That was an<BR>
> interesting session... Fred Grandy explaining  to local bureaucrats that he<BR>
> WANTED the bodies of a dead guy. That, and one of the other characters<BR>
> simply grabbing some wrapped meat from the fridge... BTW, the character not<BR>
> only was named after the actor, but was described as looking like him<BR>
> too... (Fred Grandy played IIRC the Purser on "The Love Boat"...)<BR>
<BR>
Fred Grandy<BR>
<BR>
8A8ED6	 Ex Agent Major [1 term] , Ex Rogue [ 1 term],<BR>
Ex Merchant 1st Officer [3 terms],  Al Morai Merchant Academy <BR>
(Honors)<BR>
<BR>
Male human, age 42, fair skin, black hair, blue eyes<BR>
[looks exactly like COngressmen Grandy/Gopher on Love Boat]<BR>
<BR>
Pilot-4<BR>
Fast Talk-3, Streetwise-3<BR>
Computer-2, JOT-2, Perception-2<BR>
Admin-1, Astrogation-1, Athletics-1, Brawling-1, Broker-1, <BR>
Camoflage-1, Carousing-1, Communications-1, Dance-1, <BR>
Disguise-1, Equestrian-1, Forensics-1, Grav Craft-1, <BR>
Ground Craft-1, Gun Combat/Pistol-1, Investigation-1, <BR>
Language/Gvegh-1, Law-1, Psychology-1, Research-1,<BR>
Sensors-1, Short Blade-1, Stealth-1, Trader-1, VacSuit-1<BR>
[T4 gives out too many skills]<BR>
<BR>
Cr. 26,000, Forensics Kit, Auto Pistol<BR>
<BR>
[T4 Skill Advancement, as written is _much_ too easy, by the <BR>
time the character retired (due to a bad case of dead) he <BR>
had a total of 70 skill levels.]<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 17:49:22 -0500<BR>
From: Jeff Zeitlin <jzeitlin@cyburban.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Advice on worldmapping<BR>
<BR>
On Wed, 12 Jan 2000 21:07:07 -0500 (EST), eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
<BR>
>Terralogicus, not sure of the website, generates very good world<BR>
>maps, too.  Costs some money and isn't Traveller specific, but it is<BR>
>good.<BR>
<BR>
The company that makes Terralogicus and Astrologicus (which<BR>
generates decent star systems, and integrates well with<BR>
Terralogicus) is Logicrucible, and can be found at<BR>
http://www.logicrucible.com.  Freelance Traveller has a link to<BR>
their free name generation program on the Dos/Windows Traveller<BR>
Programs page in the Information Center's Computer Connection.<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
Jeff Zeitlin<BR>
jzeitlin@cyburban.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 14:52:23 PST<BR>
From: "S D" <terran_2@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1744<BR>
<BR>
not to sound like i don't belong with you guys, but i don't really know much <BR>
about Traveler.  I heard about it on another traveler site which i <BR>
subscribed to because i wanted to find more gamer aid programs.  I got <BR>
interested in the game so another person told me about this.  If you guys <BR>
could possible tell me where i can find a mass archive of traveler stuff on <BR>
the net or could tell me things that could interest me that would be really <BR>
cool...thanks.<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 17:02:36 -0600<BR>
From: ehenry@newberlin.org (Eric Henry)<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1744<BR>
<BR>
"Release the hounds!"<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: S D <terran_2@hotmail.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>not to sound like i don't belong with you guys, but i don't really know<BR>
much<BR>
>about Traveler.  I heard about it on another traveler site which i<BR>
>subscribed to because i wanted to find more gamer aid programs.  I got<BR>
>interested in the game so another person told me about this.  If you guys<BR>
>could possible tell me where i can find a mass archive of traveler stuff on<BR>
>the net or could tell me things that could interest me that would be really<BR>
>cool...thanks.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 17:14:01 -0500<BR>
From: Thom Jones-Low <tjoneslo@together.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1729<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 02:47:58 -0500<BR>
> From: "Swordy (Colin Michael)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
> Subject: Re: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
> <BR>
> - ----- Original Message -----<BR>
> From: (anon)<BR>
> > Your idea certainly has merit, but I doubt whether it would gain a<BR>
> > significant following. Note what has happened, for example, to the<BR>
> > recently-formed mailing lists which hoped to host more relevent<BR>
> discussions<BR>
> > of Traveller. No real interest has been generated.<BR>
> <BR>
> The thing that continues to kill these is the fact that they are web based<BR>
> and load too slowly.  A news group is a very efficient way to look at the<BR>
> messages.  Folks can quickly gather the messages and read them off-line.<BR>
> Also, since several different groups can be started, more than one group of<BR>
> Traveller folks will be nosing around through the threads.  BTW, have you<BR>
> ever seen the Pyramid news groups?  The traffic there is quite high even<BR>
> though they have a $15 per year subscription fee.  The number of posts<BR>
> jumped significantly when they went from strictly a web board to the news<BR>
> server format.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
	Now I understand. If you are setting up a NNTP style news service along<BR>
these lines, Sign me up. I love the NewsGroup style of reading messages<BR>
(I hate usenet for the same reason others have posted), and read through<BR>
the SJGames lists every day. <BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> How was that for a rant :-)<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
	Good rant, count me in.<BR>
- --<BR>
	Thomas Jones-Low<BR>
	tjoneslo@together.net<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1745<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1746</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest     Thursday, January 13 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1746<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>
hiwg CD<BR>
trav cd project<BR>
Re: New Player Looking for Traveller Archive Site<BR>
Re: Re Small Things<BR>
Re: Languages  <BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
X-Boat Routing Info<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Traveller info on the Net<BR>
Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Scouts vs. merchants (was Re: Fashion & Red Ties)<BR>
Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
Re: Potty<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1744<BR>
Re: Potty<BR>
Imperial Navy & pirates<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:16:45 EST<BR>
From: Kagehira@aol.com<BR>
Subject: hiwg CD<BR>
<BR>
    After some digging I found that there are two copies left.<BR>
    So if anybody else wants them they better get them now as it'll be a long <BR>
time till the next edition if any (depending on demand I get and time to do <BR>
it).<BR>
    For a partial list of what's on them, go to:<BR>
members.aol.com\kagekiha\traveller<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Bryan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:20:32 EST<BR>
From: Kagehira@aol.com<BR>
Subject: trav cd project<BR>
<BR>
    Status (since Volger asked IIRC):<BR>
<BR>
Pretty much the same as last year, only a few things got accomplished over <BR>
1999. So don't expect to see anything for a long time in that area.<BR>
<BR>
Bryan<BR>
(btw, I'm not reading the TML too much lately either, lots of bandwidth with <BR>
little utility. So I'm better contacted by private email).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 17:26:44 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: New Player Looking for Traveller Archive Site<BR>
<BR>
S D wrote:<BR>
 <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
<BR>
>  If you guys<BR>
> could possible tell me where i can find a mass archive of traveler stuff on<BR>
> the net or could tell me things that could interest me that would be really<BR>
> cool...thanks.<BR>
<BR>
Try:<BR>
<BR>
http://web.missouri.edu/~ccjoe/traveller/<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:40:26 -0500<BR>
From: "Eric Freitas" <ericfrei@gte.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Small Things<BR>
<BR>
There are now technologies that allow you to store 2300 gigabytes on a<BR>
credit card sized device.  The creator of this type of storag media is<BR>
working<BR>
on delivering 100Mb storage for wristwatch sized devices.  Pretty cool.<BR>
<BR>
Eric<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: William F. Hostman <aramis@gci.net><BR>
To: traveller@mpgn.com <traveller@mpgn.com><BR>
Date: Tuesday, January 04, 2000 11:19 PM<BR>
Subject: Re Small Things<BR>
<BR>
>Last tech article on the holographic crystal memory system said 1 gigabyte<BR>
>per 1cm^3, with the crystals being offered in 1x1x2cm lengths. This is real<BR>
>world stuff... just too bloody expensive to implement widely (US$10,000.00<BR>
>for a writer/reader, and $500 for a crystal, according to the last article<BR>
>I read.... before japanese export tarifs and US import tarifs). About where<BR>
>CD Rom was 10 years ago.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:05:41 -0500<BR>
From: "Daniel Phelps" <phelpsd@gate.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Languages  <BR>
<BR>
Was written:<BR>
<BR>
>Yes, the Quebecois actually speak French -- but it's not the same<BR>
>French they speak in France. Then again, the English we speak here<BR>
>in North America is not the same English that they speak in England.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
While I do not speak French those of my acquaintance say that for a really<BR>
odd French dialect try any of the old small settlements in the back waters<BR>
parishes of the Mississippi Delta.  Cajun in its many splendored glory.<BR>
<BR>
Dan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 15:52:09 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> Some systems have xboats arriving constantly, minutes apart in some<BR>
> cases: Core, Vland, other big, central systems probably have an ungodly<BR>
> amount of insystem traffic to-ing and fro-ing. (Bet their X-Boats arent<BR>
> the dinky 100t things that are fobbed off on the boonies like the<BR>
> Marches, either. 1000, 10,000, 100KT mailboats are probably the rule.<BR>
<BR>
Huh? We're not talking about physical letters here. Most of the mass <BR>
of the Xboat is not in the databanks. Depending on ruleset in use, <BR>
local handwaves regarding computer sizes, etc., I'd expect a 200t <BR>
version of an Xboat to carry more than 10 times the data than the <BR>
standard 100t type-X. <BR>
<BR>
While that does make larger express boats sound more efficient, from <BR>
a "networking latency" standpoint, it's much better to have many <BR>
small packets moving through the system than fewer large packets, <BR>
particularly for time-critical data.<BR>
<BR>
(Restraining myself from launching into a detailed analogy between<BR>
TCP/IP networking and the express boat network network, with Xboats<BR>
as packets, non-databank-equipment on the xboat as packet headers, <BR>
discussion of MTUs and the Nagle algorithm, etc.)<BR>
<BR>
- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:52:23 -0500<BR>
From: "Eric Freitas" <ericfrei@gte.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
<BR>
Count me in, I like the idea.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: Chris Seamans <semo@pil.net><BR>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Date: Wednesday, January 12, 2000 3:03 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller News Server idea<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>From: Swordy (Colin Michael) <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
><BR>
><BR>
>> The best thing about it, though, may be having a bunch of different<BR>
>> lists all in one place.  There could be a general TML-style, combined<BR>
>><BR>
>> How was that for a rant :-)<BR>
><BR>
>Colin, not only was that an excellent rant, but I'm twitching with<BR>
>anticipation for this new-fangled application. For what it's worth, that's<BR>
a<BR>
>huge, *insanely* enthusiastic "thumbs up" vote. Did I mention that I really<BR>
>like the idea?<BR>
><BR>
>Hell, I'd be there.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:01:01 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
Anthony Jackson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
> <BR>
> > Not really. They aren't even 99.9% reflective. And 0.1% of a 1 MW beam<BR>
> > is 1 kW, which is ample to degrade the paint.<BR>
> <BR>
> Actually, I think some superwhites are pretty close to 99.9% reflective, and<BR>
> are basically made of powdered transparent crystals of refractory material.<BR>
> Choose your materials properly and it isn't exactly easy to degrade.<BR>
> <BR>
> Hmmm...ponder tiny beads of synthetic diamond as armor.<BR>
<BR>
Hmmm.  AuricTech will have to look into this.<BR>
<BR>
"Always Gold-Plated [tm], and now Diamond Encrusted!"<BR>
<BR>
I _like_!<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 10:54:47 +1000<BR>
From: dadams@parracity.nsw.gov.au<BR>
Subject: X-Boat Routing Info<BR>
<BR>
Leonard wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>>><BR>
I rather expect that routing is likely to be multi-level, and *not*<BR>
specify exact routing.<BR>
<BR>
<normal address>.<star/world/system>.<sector><BR>
<BR>
So for example:<BR>
<BR>
shadow@krypton.rain.com.terra.solomani_rim<BR>
<<<<BR>
<BR>
Actually, I would agree, but add this.<BR>
<BR>
An actual unique address could be created as an IP like enviroment. Since it is<BR>
computers, not humans, that do the routing, numerical representation would be<BR>
faster and more efficiant.<BR>
<BR>
Given that the Scouts control both the Grand Survey and X-Boat, would it not<BR>
make sense to combine both?<BR>
<BR>
A format example : Sector.Subsector.hex.orbit.<BR>
<BR>
So , a sector could number:<BR>
<BR>
1: Core<BR>
8: Solomani Rim<BR>
10: Spinward Marches<BR>
<BR>
A subsector would number 1 - 12<BR>
The hex would be a refernce number of the location inside the subsector, we use<BR>
hex number, but the 3I could use some other refence.<BR>
<BR>
The Orbit number is its orbot around its primary. If it orbits a secondary (or<BR>
tertiary or whatever) a second digit could be used. Moons and orbital<BR>
instalations can use a third digit. (ie 090 would be 9th planet of primary, 130<BR>
third orbit around secondary, and 031 would be equivelnt to Luna in the Sol<BR>
system).<BR>
<BR>
An example would be 8.7.2016.031<BR>
<BR>
Remember, computer route IP really fast, so given the computing power of an<BR>
X-Boat network, the routing would be routine and efficiant. Once it gets to the<BR>
world in question, local addressing would apply.<BR>
<BR>
Darryl<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- - --<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 17:12:00 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
Russell Bornschlegel wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu> wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> ><BR>
> > Some systems have xboats arriving constantly, minutes apart in some<BR>
> > cases: Core, Vland, other big, central systems probably have an ungodly<BR>
> > amount of insystem traffic to-ing and fro-ing. (Bet their X-Boats arent<BR>
> > the dinky 100t things that are fobbed off on the boonies like the<BR>
> > Marches, either. 1000, 10,000, 100KT mailboats are probably the rule.<BR>
> <BR>
> Huh? We're not talking about physical letters here. Most of the mass<BR>
> of the Xboat is not in the databanks. Depending on ruleset in use,<BR>
> local handwaves regarding computer sizes, etc., I'd expect a 200t<BR>
> version of an Xboat to carry more than 10 times the data than the<BR>
> standard 100t type-X.<BR>
<BR>
Only if it can contain 10x the datastore, whihc it might at that. ONe<BR>
thing that has been left very vague over the years is exactly how dense<BR>
the datastore in x-boats is, which is the key value keeping us from<BR>
estimating the bandwidth available or necessary for the x-boat network. <BR>
<BR>
I was aware of this when I mentioned those larger ships. Ok 100KT mail<BR>
boats may be overkill. But, remember this: at least three of the largest<BR>
Imperium-wide Megacorps in existence are based on Vland, along with some<BR>
moderately sized cultural archives, like AAB....<BR>
<BR>
I think you may be underestimating the staggering volume of information<BR>
that passes along mains connecting the core pop 9 and A TL 16 worlds, so<BR>
100kt mail boats may not necessarily be overkill.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> While that does make larger express boats sound more efficient, from<BR>
> a "networking latency" standpoint, it's much better to have many<BR>
> small packets moving through the system than fewer large packets,<BR>
> particularly for time-critical data.<BR>
<BR>
The only networking latency (aside from the forced jump time one) is<BR>
transferring the data from the shios to their final destinations...Vland<BR>
has some mighty big pipes (Petabit Ethernet, anyone? ;-)<BR>
 <BR>
> (Restraining myself from launching into a detailed analogy between<BR>
> TCP/IP networking and the express boat network network, with Xboats<BR>
> as packets, non-databank-equipment on the xboat as packet headers,<BR>
> discussion of MTUs and the Nagle algorithm, etc.)<BR>
<BR>
Oh, please, please do! I like this kind of discussion much better than<BR>
'How many pyrates can dance on the head of a RAM grenade' or some such<BR>
;-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:31:24 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> ><BR>
> >> Me, I spent some time on a farm and assisted in slaughtering a few<BR>
> >> animals. I *know* right down where it counts that every piece of meat I<BR>
> >> eat means something *died* so I could have it.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > I grew up in a froming community, and for years one of my sisters<BR>
> > used to bring her boy-friends out when a beast was being<BR>
> > slaughtered to test their mettle by seeing whether they went green<BR>
> > when she started gutting the animal. We only ever had one faint on<BR>
> > us.<BR>
> <BR>
> First time I watched, they handed me a bunch of still quivering fat and<BR>
> stuff to throw to the chickens...<BR>
<BR>
Oh, that must have been offal!<BR>
> <BR>
> I wonder what sorts of "rights of passage" Free traders might have for<BR>
> groundling new hires in the crew?<BR>
<BR>
I dunno about free traders.  In my character's jump troop regiment,<BR>
though, one of your required drops upon assignment is a<BR>
"Hell-on-the-halfshell."  That tends to weed out the jump refusals right<BR>
quick.<BR>
<BR>
Anyone who refuses gets a little "counseling" from Sergeant-Major....<BR>
> <BR>
> One possibility is assigning them life support maintenance such they<BR>
> wind up following the whole cycle. Then waiting to see when it dawns on<BR>
> them that they are (effectively) eating last weeks $#!+. :-)<BR>
<BR>
Of course <plug> AuricTech passenger ships carry 12 weeks worth of food,<BR>
so the passengers (at least) can eat "fresh".  (Most AuricTech warships<BR>
carry 26 weeks worth of food, to allow for lengthy patrols.) </plug><BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 16:26:25 -0800<BR>
From: "Brian Jenkins" <Brian.Jenkins@grpwise1.westek.com><BR>
Subject: Traveller info on the Net<BR>
<BR>
>not to sound like i don't belong with you guys, but i don't really know<BR>
much<BR>
>about Traveler.  I heard about it on another traveler site which i<BR>
>subscribed to because i wanted to find more gamer aid programs.  I got<BR>
>interested in the game so another person told me about this.  If you guys<BR>
>could possible tell me where i can find a mass archive of traveler stuff on<BR>
>the net or could tell me things that could interest me that would be really<BR>
>cool...thanks.<BR>
<BR>
I would reccomend http://dmoz.org/Games/Roleplaying/Systems/Traveller/ to start with.  That will lead you to some good sites with solid information.<BR>
<BR>
Brian Jenkins<BR>
<BR>
Bjenk@sprintmail.com<BR>
<BR>
"It pays to be obvious.  Especially if you have a reputation for subltety."<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 19:34:31 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Michael Houghton <herveus@Radix.Net><BR>
Subject: Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup?<BR>
<BR>
Howdy!<BR>
<BR>
> > <BR>
> > rec.games.frp.gurps is must be the heaven of civility then.... And has<BR>
> > been pretty usesful at times.<BR>
> <BR>
> It is. Hop onto r.g.f.dnd or r.g.f.misc for infantile bad mouthing, <BR>
> flaming, etc, etc.<BR>
> <BR>
Hmmm...it took me almost no time to realize that Terry Austin and threads<BR>
about him were simply to be ignored. In fact, it is so easy to ignore them<BR>
that it isn't worth the effort to killfile them! :) YMMV<BR>
<BR>
yours,<BR>
Michael<BR>
- -- <BR>
Michael and MJ Houghton   | Herveus d'Ormonde and Megan O'Donnelly<BR>
herveus@radix.net         | White Wolf and the Phoenix<BR>
Bowie, MD, USA            | Tablet and Inkle bands, and other stuff<BR>
                          | http://www.radix.net/~herveus/<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 16:41:57 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
Black ICE writes:<BR>
<BR>
> > Hmmm...ponder tiny beads of synthetic diamond as armor.<BR>
> <BR>
> Hmmm.  AuricTech will have to look into this.<BR>
<BR>
Not that this is likely to be all that relevant against x-ray lasers.  Still,<BR>
Traveller makes a somewhat fishy assumption that the same armor which is good<BR>
against bullets is good against energy weapons, and this is simply not true.<BR>
If I wanted to protect against energy weapons and didn't need to worry about<BR>
atmospheric interactions, I'd use graphite armor; per unit weight it has<BR>
9.6x the heat of vaporization of steel (bonded SD is 7.5x as tough per unit<BR>
weight) and it has a nifty property that its an excellent thermal conductor<BR>
along its crystal planes while being a fairly poor conductor through the<BR>
planes.<BR>
<BR>
Note that when dealing with ionizing radiation effects rather than thermal<BR>
effects, high density metals are better; bonded SD is presumably quite good<BR>
there.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 16:40:15 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Scouts vs. merchants (was Re: Fashion & Red Ties)<BR>
<BR>
Try not to lose sight of the fact that Imperium is based on the success of<BR>
interstellar trade, and that the Scouts exist to do the dangerous dirty<BR>
tasks which are not worth risking the life of a Merchant over (why are the<BR>
survival rolls so different?).<BR>
<BR>
The economic future of the Imperium relies upon corporations doing two<BR>
things: producing things and selling things. Everything else is overhead<BR>
which we need to accept as a cost of doing business. Which category do the<BR>
Scouts fall into? I think that the term economists use is "deadweight loss."<BR>
<BR>
What I have never understood is why these guys agree to live so many years<BR>
of their lives in these tiny ships which *don't even have working air<BR>
filters* You would never see a Merchant living in such conditions.<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Jim & Peta Lawrie <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2000 5:45 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: Fashion & Red Ties<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> >>>As a single non-suit-wearing young liberal, who finds sales difficult<BR>
or<BR>
> >>>even dishonest, I quickly decided it was not for me.<BR>
> >><BR>
> >>Ah, so you play a Scout, right?<BR>
> ><BR>
> >As a matter of fact, YES I DO. :)<BR>
> >Kelly St.Clair<BR>
><BR>
>     Hah! I'm a blue collar liberal who hates playing merchants too!<BR>
> Money-grubbing penny-pinching slime-o's is my take on the merchant class,<BR>
> one and all. The Scout service is an egalitarian outfit, no saluting for<BR>
us.<BR>
> The only time you see an IISS field guy showing respect is when someone<BR>
has<BR>
> decided to buy drinks.<BR>
>     Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:28:46 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
At 9:31 -0500 13/1/00, "Carlos Alos-Ferrer" <BR>
<carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at> wrote:<BR>
>the Westminster Government is elected<BR>
> > on a first past the post principle (ie highest wins).<BR>
><BR>
>Winner takes all?<BR>
<BR>
Yes. FPTP is the UK media terminology...<BR>
<BR>
>I am getting my mind changed thanks to the insights I am reading<BR>
>in the list ;-)... maybe it is much better to aim for a Universal<BR>
>Democracy Profile than for a subcode. The number of important<BR>
>characteristics seems manageable, and some relationships between them<BR>
>seem intuitive.<BR>
<BR>
It would be interesting - we had talks on a 101 Cultures book at one point.<BR>
<BR>
>the Rule used for translating votes into seats (arg! what was<BR>
>the name in English for these rules? Representation Rules?).<BR>
<BR>
Proportional Representation?<BR>
<BR>
> > The percentage of vote does not relate to the percentage of seats.<BR>
><BR>
>You mean you have a rule which works against minorities? IIRC, the<BR>
>original idea of those rules was to ensure stability... it's easier<BR>
>to get a majority. More representative systems tend to create<BR>
>short-lived governments, *as a rough rule of thumb.*<BR>
<BR>
But our current system can lead to a party with 37% of the vote <BR>
overall gaining a landslide majority (>450 seats) and a party with <BR>
25% getting 20 seats...<BR>
<BR>
There has been talk of doubling constituency sizes and merging the <BR>
two systems. However, the recent report on election methods suggested <BR>
a Single Transferable Vote proportional system.<BR>
<BR>
> > Also, we may be seeing a shift in power at the moment (at the start<BR>
> > of the century government/opposition was Liberal/Tory, which moved to<BR>
> > Labour/Tory and may be shifting to LibDem/Labour. It'll be<BR>
> > interesting to watch.<BR>
><BR>
>But still basically bipartidist. Seems to me that when the number of<BR>
>parties is two, the situation tends to be more stable. Of course, a<BR>
>mono-party dictatorship is even more stable... lasted 40 years in<BR>
>Spain ;->.... hmmm.... should "stability" be part of the UDP? Vargr<BR>
>worlds get a large DM by definition! ;-)<BR>
<BR>
;-)<BR>
<BR>
If you did a UDP we'd happily pdf and host it...<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 16:58:37 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
<BR>
>>         Is Piracy being a capital crime canon or is that <BR>
<BR>
>It's likely that many pirates never see trial at all, they're <BR>
>just not given a chance to surrender. If a Kinunir opens up <BR>
>with its spinal mount its all academic anyway.<BR>
<BR>
The Kinunir does not have spinal mount; it's only some 1200<BR>
dtons.  <BR>
<BR>
Your general point is, however, well taken.  In my Traveller<BR>
universe, if the situation is unambiguous to an Imperial Navy<BR>
commanding officer, he or she is acting within authority to kill<BR>
any pirates and seize their ship as a prize (even if stolen from<BR>
someone else).  "Unambiguous" generally means that the pirates<BR>
are in the act when the Navy arrives, but there could be other<BR>
situations.  <BR>
<BR>
There may be reasons to take pirates prisoner, such as the<BR>
potential for information about other pirates, location of<BR>
booty, corrupt officials in local governments, etc., and a<BR>
captured pirate with real knowledge may be able to cut a deal.  <BR>
<BR>
The deal will be honored.  Imperial officers are bound by their<BR>
word of honor, whether they are nobles or not.  (That is, they<BR>
are all gentlesophonts.)  It's a good idea to get it in writing<BR>
and have witnesses to the deal who are nobles and/or Imperial<BR>
officers, preferably of another service branch.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 00:53:58 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
At 18:05 -0500 13/1/00, "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com> wrote:<BR>
> >BITS related thoughts...<BR>
> >1) Would people prefer to see ACQ released before 101 Patrons, or<BR>
> >both at the same time (later if this is so)?<BR>
>ACQ!  (What did you expect me to say?)<BR>
<BR>
"Gimme de Penguins?"<BR>
><BR>
> >2) Has anyone any feelings on whether they'd like to see more<BR>
> >adventures like SpaceDogs and The Khiidkar Incident?<BR>
><BR>
>There's a product called Dinky Dungeons.. little cliched dungeons for<BR>
>FRPGs.  Some thing like that for Traveller.  The patron in a bar, the<BR>
>3475th jail break.. things like that.<BR>
<BR>
Sort of a 101 Cliches?<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 00:57:15 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Potty<BR>
<BR>
At 18:05 -0500 13/1/00, Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com> wrote:<BR>
>Oh, so it's like "f**king" in many parts of the US, including the<BR>
>armed services.<BR>
<BR>
When I used to work on site engineering construction, there was an <BR>
interesting development in slang - if something was 'b*ggered' it was <BR>
broken but repairable; if it was 'f*cked' you needed to order a new <BR>
one because it was iirepairable. This was used consistently, which <BR>
was scary...<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 01:02:11 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1744<BR>
<BR>
At 18:05 -0500 13/1/00, "S D" <terran_2@hotmail.com> wrote:<BR>
>interested in the game so another person told me about this.  If you guys<BR>
>could possible tell me where i can find a mass archive of traveler stuff on<BR>
>the net or could tell me things that could interest me that would be really<BR>
>cool...thanks.<BR>
<BR>
Visit BITS http://www.bits.org.uk/ and the archive and link pages.<BR>
<BR>
Try the links from BITS to:<BR>
<BR>
1) The Missouri Archive<BR>
2) Freelance Traveller<BR>
3) www.downport.com<BR>
4) Vision-forge graphics (Jesse DeGraff)<BR>
5) Marc Miller's website<BR>
6) Steve Jackson Games<BR>
7) Halfway Station (Andy Slack)<BR>
<BR>
Also look out for Doug Berry's pages, and Dave Golden's. (Can't <BR>
remember the URLs)<BR>
<BR>
That should get you started from the top of my head.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 17:03:36<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Potty<BR>
<BR>
At 10:54 AM 1/13/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Oh, so it's like "f**king" in many parts of the US, including the <BR>
>armed services.<BR>
<BR>
FTA! IHTFP!<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 17:11:57 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Imperial Navy & pirates<BR>
<BR>
Further to my last post on this subject area, in my Traveller<BR>
universe, commanding officers of Imperial ships and multi-ship<BR>
units have broad law enforcement and judicial powers not just<BR>
over their crews but over anyone in space.  They can board any<BR>
ship for safety inspections, to search for contraband, to arrest<BR>
persons on board, etc.  They can hold military trials (courts<BR>
martial).  They can impose punishment.  They can order summary<BR>
punishment, i.e., punishment without trial.  (Thus the scene in<BR>
the beginning of A Clear and Present Danger could happen.)  <BR>
<BR>
For various reasons, they may not do those things.  The most<BR>
important reason is that they have to log their actions and be<BR>
able to justify them to their superiors.  Custom and agreement<BR>
play roles.  E.g., the Navy ordinarily defers to a member<BR>
state's ship inspection regime, and no one is summarily executed<BR>
unless committing mutiny while under fire.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 17:18:00 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
Glenn Goffin writes:<BR>
<BR>
> Your general point is, however, well taken.  In my Traveller<BR>
> universe, if the situation is unambiguous to an Imperial Navy<BR>
> commanding officer, he or she is acting within authority to kill<BR>
> any pirates and seize their ship as a prize (even if stolen from<BR>
> someone else).  "Unambiguous" generally means that the pirates<BR>
> are in the act when the Navy arrives, but there could be other<BR>
> situations.  <BR>
<BR>
It might actually be rare to shoot pirates out of hand; if people know that<BR>
getting caught is automatic death, they're less likely to surrender, and more<BR>
likely to do things like take hostages, commit atrocities, etc.  As for <BR>
siezing ships, I suspect the Navy makes a policy of returning them to the<BR>
proper owners where possible.<BR>
<BR>
It isn't obvious who, if anyone, actually has responsibility to patrol the<BR>
Imperium looking for problems, though.  I suspect its the scout service.<BR>
<BR>
> The deal will be honored.  Imperial officers are bound by their<BR>
> word of honor, whether they are nobles or not.  (That is, they<BR>
> are all gentlesophonts.)  It's a good idea to get it in writing<BR>
> and have witnesses to the deal who are nobles and/or Imperial<BR>
> officers, preferably of another service branch.  <BR>
<BR>
*snicker*.  Actually, even without witnesses its usually in the interests of<BR>
a governing body to keep its agreements.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1746<BR>
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Subject: Traveller-digest V1999 #1746<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Thursday, January 13 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1747<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: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup? <BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1744<BR>
Pirate Ships<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
Re: Potty<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1746<BR>
Re: Cannibalism<BR>
re:  Scouts vs. merchants <BR>
Re: Pirate Ships<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re: Scouts vs. merchants <BR>
Re: Scouts vs. merchants<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
Re Gov 4<BR>
Re: Potty<BR>
Re Scouts<BR>
[none]<BR>
Re Scouts (Was X-Boats)<BR>
Re: Some new Xboats (was: Xboat traffic)<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:26:47 -0700<BR>
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@ctaz.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Creation of a Traveller Newsgroup? <BR>
<BR>
> Utterly off topic, but now I'm scared.<BR>
> <BR>
> I am convinced there are Zho spammers out there.<BR>
> <BR>
> We are just _TALKING_ about Uselessnet, and I got a 'Join our exclusive<BR>
> XXX super hot private club' spam in my mailbox this morning. <BR>
<BR>
I screwed up & posted to a Linux newsgroup a week ago.  I've had 10 new spams hit me so far.<BR>
<BR>
Someday I'll learn...<BR>
<BR>
Keven<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
tc++ tm+ tn+ t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure<BR>
                                                     In Reavers' Deep<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 21:34:07 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1744<BR>
<BR>
At 02:52 PM 1/13/00 PST, you wrote:<BR>
>not to sound like i don't belong with you guys, but i don't really know much <BR>
>about Traveler.  I heard about it on another traveler site which i <BR>
>subscribed to because i wanted to find more gamer aid programs.  I got <BR>
>interested in the game so another person told me about this.  If you guys <BR>
>could possible tell me where i can find a mass archive of traveler stuff on <BR>
>the net or could tell me things that could interest me that would be really <BR>
>cool...thanks.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
        Sure you belong...  you're interested in Traveller, like the rest of<BR>
us...  don't mind the Zealots and PHD's on the list...  they usually only<BR>
maul each other.<BR>
<BR>
        Sites you want to check out:  <BR>
        http://come.to/FreelanceTraveller       --       Jeff Zeitlin's<BR>
Freelance Traveller Site<BR>
        http://www.Downport.com                 --       Downport.com hopes<BR>
to make this site an all-encompassing home for Traveller<BR>
        http://www.tip.net.au/~davidjw/         --       *The* Definitive<BR>
Traveller Websites Listing<BR>
        http://www.vision-forge-graphics.com/jesse/traveller/trav_welcome.ht<BR>
m           -       Vision Forge / Jesse DeGraff (The Most Amazing set of<BR>
Traveller-related artwork on the Web...)<BR>
<BR>
        You can also find several Webrings on Traveller...  see my TNEC site<BR>
(URL in sig) for start points for surfing the rings...<BR>
<BR>
        When you stop by "Hyphen's" website directory, make sure you take<BR>
the link to Joe Heck's "Missouri Archive" which has an amazing amount of stuff.<BR>
<BR>
        Welcome aboard!<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Michel R. Vaillancourt	misha@atlantic-online.ns.ca<BR>
				ICQ # 31172292<BR>
	"Reality Error in Progress....<BR>
			       ....Do Not Adjust Your Penguin"	<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Cyberpunk:  	"http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/cp2020"<BR>
	Traveller:		"http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/traveller"<BR>
	AD&D:		"http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/adnd_eurania"<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	    ***REMEMBER - Always virus-check your emails ***<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 17:59:40 -0800<BR>
From: "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com><BR>
Subject: Pirate Ships<BR>
<BR>
Time to open another can of worms.<BR>
<BR>
Class of ships used by pirates. What do you use?<BR>
<BR>
In MTU the built to spec. corsairs can mostly be found in Vargr space (them<BR>
Dogs live for piracy)where as most Pirates that my PC's will find (MTU is<BR>
over in the Daibei sector) would be more like the custom job done to a<BR>
600-ton Subsidized Liner (MSS Vigilante) in Assignment: Vigilante. I like<BR>
the idea that pirates gutting common trader/liner hulls, refitting the hull<BR>
for there needs.<BR>
<BR>
Ideas, comments.<BR>
<BR>
Wayne<BR>
wewart@home.com<BR>
icq22113294<BR>
http://www.members.home.net/wewart/wewart/traveller/<BR>
<BR>
Give a man fire and he is warm for the night.<BR>
Set a man on fire and he is warm all his life.<BR>
- - Terry Pratchett<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 17:55:57<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
At 12:53 AM 1/14/2000 +0000, you wrote:<BR>
>At 18:05 -0500 13/1/00, "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>>ACQ!  (What did you expect me to say?)<BR>
><BR>
>"Gimme de Penguins?"<BR>
<BR>
I am currently investigating an opportunity that may get me into the<BR>
penguin house at the Oakland Zoo.  I may soon have the penguins.<BR>
<BR>
>>There's a product called Dinky Dungeons.. little cliched dungeons for<BR>
>>FRPGs.  Some thing like that for Traveller.  The patron in a bar, the<BR>
>>3475th jail break.. things like that.<BR>
><BR>
>Sort of a 101 Cliches?<BR>
<BR>
Exactly.  I like to call them kick starters.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 17:57:55<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Potty<BR>
<BR>
At 12:57 AM 1/14/2000 +0000, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>When I used to work on site engineering construction, there was an <BR>
>interesting development in slang - if something was 'b*ggered' it was <BR>
>broken but repairable; if it was 'f*cked' you needed to order a new <BR>
>one because it was iirepairable. This was used consistently, which <BR>
>was scary...<BR>
<BR>
In the Army, "we're screwed" means "boy, are we in trouble", whereas "we're<BR>
f**ked" means "I wonder if my remains will ever be recovered."<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
We all enter the world in the same way: naked, screaming, soaked in blood.<BR>
But if you live your life right, that kind of thing doesn't have to stop<BR>
there.  <BR>
- -- Dana Gould <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:01:42 PST<BR>
From: "S D" <terran_2@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1746<BR>
<BR>
Thanks everyone for helping me with the traveller thing.  Hopefully i will <BR>
get some of the books and will start playing in my home town.  Thank you all <BR>
for your help.<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:05:19 EST<BR>
From: KenRoney@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Cannibalism<BR>
<BR>
I remember a related incident from my old campaign, circa 1984.  The group, <BR>
four humans, an Aslan, and a Spirellan (a lizardoid race stolen from Piper's <BR>
Uller Uprising) had spent the past several months travelling from Five <BR>
Sisters to Glisten subsectors at the outbreak of the FFW.  For one reason or <BR>
another, they never succeeded in hanging around anyplace long enough to <BR>
reload on supplies.  After using up their basic load and raiding the survival <BR>
rations, they wound up misjumping into Lanth and were taking hits to their <BR>
stats due to actual starvation.  The two aliens then went down to the low <BR>
berths and made a nice stew out of the body of a former crewmember ( a PC who <BR>
had left town), a wirehead who had burned out his brains and was placed in <BR>
low berth in hopes of getting him to a high tech hospital.  One human PC was <BR>
outraged by this act of cannibalism, but the two aliens showed him a <BR>
definition of cannibalism, then pointed out that it constituted eating a <BR>
member of your own race.  They protested their innocence, since they were not <BR>
eating a fellow Aslan or Spirellan.  It was an interesting view, but I was <BR>
still amazed that the PCs refused to join in (It smelled delicious) and <BR>
instead continued to take hits to their physical stats for a couple of weeks. <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:16:13 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: re:  Scouts vs. merchants <BR>
<BR>
>From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
>Subject: Scouts vs. merchants (was Re: Fashion & Red Ties)<BR>
<BR>
>The economic future of the Imperium relies upon corporations <BR>
>doing two things: producing things and selling things. <BR>
>Everything else is overhead which we need to accept as a cost <BR>
>of doing business. Which category do the Scouts fall into? I <BR>
>think that the term economists use is "dead weight loss."<BR>
<BR>
Marxists use "superstructure", which sounds a little better. <BR>
Scouts are part of the governmental superstructure that supports<BR>
and protects the corporations.  <BR>
<BR>
>What I have never understood is why these guys agree to live so<BR>
<BR>
>many years of their lives in these tiny ships which *don't even<BR>
<BR>
>have working air filters* <BR>
<BR>
The Scouts use two small ships, the Type S scout/courier and the<BR>
Type X X-Boat.  Only the Type S has problems with its air<BR>
filters.  <BR>
<BR>
Scouts don't spend "years of their lives" in Type S ships. <BR>
While most Scout branches have Type S ships, the roles of the<BR>
Type S do not require Scouts to live in them for years at a<BR>
time.<BR>
<BR>
Scouts in the X-Boat branch, however, do spend long periods<BR>
alone in their X-Boats.  They must be very unusual people. <BR>
Their air filters are good, though.<BR>
<BR>
The Scouts have a lot of other ships, too, including tenders and<BR>
Donosevs and at least one Lightning class cruiser (which<BR>
suggests to me that they have other large ships, too).<BR>
<BR>
Finally, most Scouts are in the Bureaucracy, and don't spend<BR>
much time aboard ship.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:16:04 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Ships<BR>
<BR>
Wayne Ewart wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Time to open another can of worms.<BR>
> <BR>
> Class of ships used by pirates. What do you use?<BR>
> <BR>
> In MTU the built to spec. corsairs can mostly be found in Vargr space (them<BR>
> Dogs live for piracy)where as most Pirates that my PC's will find (MTU is<BR>
> over in the Daibei sector) would be more like the custom job done to a<BR>
> 600-ton Subsidized Liner (MSS Vigilante) in Assignment: Vigilante. I like<BR>
> the idea that pirates gutting common trader/liner hulls, refitting the hull<BR>
> for there needs.<BR>
> <BR>
> Ideas, comments.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
I like the 800 ton Broadsword class.  Being a common design, it's not<BR>
going to look too suspicious in out of the way places.  Plus, you get<BR>
two gun platforms in the 50 ton cutters.  In GT they've got accel of<BR>
3.4g unloaded.  Not too shabby.  As an added bonus, there's plenty of<BR>
room onboard the ship and the boats for a decent sized pirate crew. <BR>
With that jump 3, and you've got the ability to make tracks to a<BR>
bewildering number of destinations.<BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:23:11 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
>From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
>Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
>It might actually be rare to shoot pirates out of hand; if <BR>
<BR>
True.  That plays into the officer justifying the action.<BR>
<BR>
>As for siezing ships, I suspect the Navy makes a policy of <BR>
>returning them to the proper owners where possible.<BR>
<BR>
That's more or less how I see it.  If the Navy suspects that the<BR>
ship got into pirate control with complicity of the owner, or<BR>
finds some similar problem, it won't return it, or it might<BR>
return it instead to a lender or a holder of a security<BR>
interest.  <BR>
<BR>
Naval officers and crew have sufficient salaries in most of<BR>
Imperial times that they don't need to rely on taking prizes. <BR>
Nevertheless, in an appropriate case, it is permitted.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:45:03 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Scouts vs. merchants <BR>
<BR>
Actually, this is one of the few pieces of CT Canon which I have a hard time<BR>
accepting. I can accept almost everything else, but this goes just a bit too<BR>
far.<BR>
<BR>
> >What I have never understood is why these guys agree to live so<BR>
><BR>
> >many years of their lives in these tiny ships which *don't even<BR>
><BR>
> >have working air filters*<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:05:47 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Scouts vs. merchants<BR>
<BR>
Luther Martin wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Actually, this is one of the few pieces of CT Canon which I have a hard time<BR>
> accepting. I can accept almost everything else, but this goes just a bit too<BR>
> far.<BR>
<BR>
I always figured that the filter problems on the Type S were not<BR>
universal; instead, they applied to a fairly large single purchase from<BR>
some low-quality, low-bidding shipyard.  The entire class got a bad<BR>
reputation from this purchase.  Of course, had they purchased the<BR>
AuricTech variant (I really need to get around to posting it), they<BR>
would not have had such a problem (at MCr 400+, after quantity discount,<BR>
there had _better_ not be any problems with the air filters!).<BR>
> <BR>
> > >What I have never understood is why these guys agree to live so<BR>
> ><BR>
> > >many years of their lives in these tiny ships which *don't even<BR>
> ><BR>
> > >have working air filters*<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:57:22 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
Bruce Johnson wrote:<BR>
> Russell Bornschlegel wrote:<BR>
> > [snip]  I'd expect a 200t<BR>
> > version of an Xboat to carry more than 10 times the data than the<BR>
> > standard 100t type-X.<BR>
> <BR>
> Only if it can contain 10x the datastore, whihc it might at that.<BR>
<BR>
Heavily dependent on ship design system in use and how closely its <BR>
rules are followed: the Book 2 Xboat has no power plant (hahahaha! <BR>
NO POWER PLANT I TELL YOU!), for example. <BR>
<BR>
> ONe<BR>
> thing that has been left very vague over the years is exactly how dense<BR>
> the datastore in x-boats is, which is the key value keeping us from<BR>
> estimating the bandwidth available or necessary for the x-boat network.<BR>
<BR>
Jeezus, Bruce, be careful with those matches! I don't want to start <BR>
the Traveller Computers thread/flamewar again. We had best leave <BR>
the data capacity of an xboat to people's own TUs.<BR>
<BR>
> I think you may be underestimating the staggering volume of information<BR>
> that passes along mains connecting the core pop 9 and A TL 16 worlds, so<BR>
> 100kt mail boats may not necessarily be overkill.<BR>
<BR>
I freely grant that I don't know how much data such worlds <BR>
will toss around. It's very hard to take a 50-year-old science/<BR>
industry and extrapolate out another 37 centuries. We can make <BR>
some assumptions and toss around some very very very rough numbers:<BR>
<BR>
A 10-to-30 GB hard disk at our TL, plus its share of the power <BR>
adapters, cooling system, electronics and so on, runs maybe 2-4 liters. <BR>
That's in the realm of 100 trillion bytes per dton. Actually, now that <BR>
I think about it, the cooling system would probably be the killer with <BR>
today's technology, and so the volume might have to be higher - coolant <BR>
reserviors, pumps, radiators, etc. Call it 10 dtons per 100 trillion <BR>
bytes.<BR>
<BR>
There are something on the order of 100 million web pages on the <BR>
global internet. If their average size is 1 megabyte (images and <BR>
all), we're looking at... (drum roll)<BR>
<BR>
...100 trillion bytes to hold the WWW.<BR>
<BR>
This is all back-of-the-envelope order-of-magnitude stuff, but<BR>
you get the idea - at our tech level, no more than 10 ship tons <BR>
of hardware are required to store the web. <BR>
<BR>
Digital data will get far more prevalent at higher tech levels, <BR>
but I think it will only do so as it gets easier to store that data.<BR>
<BR>
There should be a leveling-off of informational need as we <BR>
reach the limit of people to assimilate that information (some <BR>
say we've passed that limit already). Hopefully this leveling comes <BR>
before, or coincident with, the physical limits to increasing data <BR>
storage density. <BR>
<BR>
Implicit assumption: AIs don't become very numerous, or AIs <BR>
don't need to *exchange* orders of magnitude more information than <BR>
humans do. <BR>
<BR>
If you accept those assumptions, consider an Xboat with 10 dtons <BR>
of data banks built at the local tech level (i.e. you upgrade the <BR>
computers to TL15 if you service a TL15 world); that Xboat could <BR>
conceivably carry a pop-9 planet's "world wide web" with it on every <BR>
jump. <BR>
<BR>
> > While that does make larger express boats sound more efficient, from<BR>
> > a "networking latency" standpoint, it's much better to have many<BR>
> > small packets moving through the system than fewer large packets,<BR>
> > particularly for time-critical data.<BR>
> <BR>
> The only networking latency (aside from the forced jump time one) is<BR>
> transferring the data from the shios to their final destinations...Vland<BR>
> has some mighty big pipes (Petabit Ethernet, anyone? ;-)<BR>
<BR>
Urr, I guess I'm talking about latency "quantization" rather than <BR>
transit time. <BR>
<BR>
Say that you and a competitor both learn about something which is <BR>
important to your respective branches on the next world over. Say <BR>
that your competitor sends the instructions for what to do about <BR>
it one minute before you do - but that's the minute that makes the <BR>
difference between getting the message on Xboat #n instead of <BR>
Xboat #n+1 an hour or a day later. One day of lead time on a <BR>
one-week latency might be critical; an hour could be, but rarely.<BR>
<BR>
You'd much rather have several small xboats leaving minutes apart <BR>
than megaships moving daily. Of course, if you postulate that the <BR>
core worlds need a megaship every five minutes to keep up, then my <BR>
example becomes moot. Five minutes of lead time over a one-week <BR>
latency won't matter.<BR>
<BR>
> > (Restraining myself from launching into a detailed analogy between<BR>
> > TCP/IP networking and the express boat network ... [snip]<BR>
> <BR>
> Oh, please, please do! <BR>
<BR>
Actually, I think I already did it while claiming I was <BR>
restraining myself!<BR>
<BR>
- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 17:57:25 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
Piracy is defined as an imperial crime in CT, along with Imperial High<BR>
Treason, Murder, and violations of the Rules of Warfare. Funny, tho, that<BR>
almost all imperial crimes have either life sentences or death<BR>
sentences.... I can see Imperial Currency Forgery also being an Imperial<BR>
High Crime. After All, in cannon, the Imperium uses a strictly CASH<BR>
payroll. (Specified in several adventures.) Imperial Currency, not<BR>
electronic transfer, is the explicit means in _The Traveller Adventure_.<BR>
Ships lockers in all the CT adventures have CASH, and loads of it. Several<BR>
articles from JTAS specify the all imperial payments are made in Imperial<BR>
Currency...<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, there is limited commercial funds transfer via X-mail. But, when you<BR>
look at the cargo tables in Bk7, or in MT/TNE/T4, currency shipments are a<BR>
big factor. Think of this: 1L of imperial Cr1 bills is roughly Cr1000. That<BR>
means a lot sized at 1m3 (exclusive of packaging) is MCr=Bill Denomination.<BR>
Lots will range, by canon, up to 16 tons. At 16 tons of, say, Cr100 bills,<BR>
that's a major load... we'll assume only 10m3 of cash after packaging, per<BR>
ton. That's up to MCr16,000! (GCr16). (Cr16E12). One score on a load of<BR>
even ones is enough to fund a ship for YEARS. And, by canon, it happens.<BR>
<BR>
Also, to refute further the Elmonit thing: As in the victorian era, a bank<BR>
is only going to trust the signatures it knows, and those will only be from<BR>
local bank offices, and neighboring systems branches of themselves. Major<BR>
concerns like Hortalez et Cie canonically do send shipments of cash. Along<BR>
with guards, warships, etc. Electronic monetary transfers, unless in a fiat<BR>
system, WILL require capital flows to ballance them. Either in some backing<BR>
hard-currency, or in specie, or in goods. (Hard currency, in this context,<BR>
is coinage with some intrinsic value of its own, typically containing<BR>
Specie. Specie is a backing commodity, such as gold, irridium, or silver,<BR>
maybe even copper, steel, or radioactives.) Due to the size and span of the<BR>
imperium, the can be NO central bank in practice, due to communications<BR>
lags. The will, at best, be multiple banks in an alliance; even so,<BR>
electronic transfers will require at least 3x the travel time from bank to<BR>
bank: Send check (one way), verify check (two way), and then the funds will<BR>
be useable. Since, unless the bank uses their own network, they will not be<BR>
in control of the instrument, any methods of verification will be suspect.<BR>
The only means of holding a single currency to bear will be the weight of<BR>
the enforcing government's penalties for forgery; be it electronic or paper<BR>
forgery. The only government in the imperium whose currency is unlawful to<BR>
forge throughout the imperium will be the IMPERIAL government, they will<BR>
set the standards.<BR>
<BR>
Let us take a situation and look at it.<BR>
World Ay has a ship yard. Ay gets paid GCr1 for a ship, in KCr1 bills.<BR>
World Ay trades with world Bee. Both get hit with a tax levy of GCr0.1. Ay<BR>
can pay, but Bee needs to trade with Ay in order to get the Imperial<BR>
credits for paying the taxes, under penalty of imperial "Economic<BR>
Intervention".<BR>
<BR>
With an elmonit sytem on the imperial scale, assuming Bee has any trade at<BR>
all, there is no disincentive to forge the electronic currencies, and use<BR>
the forgeries for buying goods. Even if poor, if ALL local readers are set<BR>
to accept them, such forgeries will be nearly forced upon the incoming<BR>
persons at full value. Likewise, the manpower to enforce electronic crimes<BR>
is far more demanding than to enforce physical crimes...<BR>
<BR>
Meanwhile, if the Imperium only accepts cold, hard, imperial currencies,<BR>
all they have to do is send the Batron by, and demand the currency. Since a<BR>
physical forgery is more detectable, and has higher infrastructural<BR>
requirements, it is more of a disincentive, plus ALL the persons in the<BR>
Imperium will be aware of what said currency is like, so will be more<BR>
likely to be able to spot forgeries. By using a verifyer, one can scan the<BR>
currency (even huge volumes) fairly quickly; 1000 bills per minute should<BR>
be doable with a 1m^3 machine by TL13. So you count, and rebundle,<BR>
simultaneously. And most battleships will have enough space for the<BR>
equipment. Heck, most cruisers will, as will destroyers. And, should<BR>
someone be forging credit notes, the punishment will probably be DEATH...<BR>
as it could be considered High Treason. So, forgeries will need to be<BR>
exquisite,  and thus will be expensive. The disincentive for a world is<BR>
that, if they create a major forgery, they will become a "Ward of the<BR>
Imperium" until the responsible parties are found (IE, the man who ordered<BR>
it, and everyone below him towards the guys who acutally made the stuff),<BR>
and those who cooperate MIGHT just get life, and those who don't get<BR>
hot-lead injections (AKA, bullet through brainmass). And uninvolved<BR>
informants might just get a knighthood....<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:03:34 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Gov 4<BR>
<BR>
>My 0.02Cr on Individual Representatives, off track a little, but what the<BR>
>hell?<BR>
><BR>
>What if each representative's vote in the parliament was weighted by the<BR>
>number of votes received?<BR>
><BR>
>*Extract from Hansard*<BR>
><BR>
>The Speaker:  Will the Nomenclator read the result of the vote please?<BR>
>Nomenclator:  83 members abstained.  2 members voted 8,631 against.  1<BR>
>member voted 38,142 in favour.  The Bill is passed into law.<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
>Wouldn't that make for some fascinating power games?<BR>
<BR>
Even more so if it neede not only a majority of shares but also a majority<BR>
of representatives to pass... Hmm... combine both house and senate in one...<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:12:39 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Potty<BR>
<BR>
"Douglas E. Berry" wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> At 12:57 AM 1/14/2000 +0000, you wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >When I used to work on site engineering construction, there was an<BR>
> >interesting development in slang - if something was 'b*ggered' it was<BR>
> >broken but repairable; if it was 'f*cked' you needed to order a new<BR>
> >one because it was iirepairable. This was used consistently, which<BR>
> >was scary...<BR>
> <BR>
> In the Army, "we're screwed" means "boy, are we in trouble", whereas "we're<BR>
> f**ked" means "I wonder if my remains will ever be recovered."<BR>
<BR>
Exactly.  When they tell you something is "good training", the proper<BR>
response is "we're screwed."  When they tell you it's "a chance to<BR>
excel", the proper response is "we're _really_ screwed."<BR>
<BR>
When they add the phrase"...in a target-rich environment", _that's_ when<BR>
you say "we're _f**ked_!"<BR>
<BR>
Personally, though I prefer euphemisms, such as:<BR>
<BR>
We really engaged in canine carnal knowledge on _that_ one!<BR>
His sixth point of contact is up his fourth point of contact.<BR>
<BR>
Any expressions like this in GT: Ground Forces?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:36:24 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Scouts<BR>
<BR>
>	True, but if you have Scouts spending their days ferrying<BR>
>	fuel in small craft all the time, I would have expected<BR>
>	Ship's Boat to come up.  My own hand-wave is that it is<BR>
>	cheeper to contract locally (and there may be some local<BR>
>	politics involved).<BR>
><BR>
>Peez<BR>
Well, lessee... (using MT here)... if you are using Pilot Skill in its<BR>
Serves As Ship's Boat role, you get the AT to Pilot. So Pilot goes up.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:16:30 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: [none]<BR>
<BR>
>> Heck, CURRENT US currencies aren't THAT hard to forge for passable bills...<BR>
>> A good photocopier, with the correct paper, is all that is needed. (Oh,<BR>
>> wait, they just added watermarking to the new bills... as I said, the right<BR>
>> paper.) 1200 DPI laser-copiers can do wonders... but you need green toner<BR>
>> (also available).<BR>
><BR>
>They also have the polyester "thread" (more of a strip) printed with<BR>
>the denomination, the colorchanging ink on some of the numbers,<BR>
>micro-engraved printing that *can't* be duplicated at 1200 dpi, etc.<BR>
<BR>
The trick, it would seem, is merely getting something good enough to fool<BR>
the average cashier. Which is why most forgery is done on small bills...<BR>
there is not enoguh time to check them individually. At the grocer, you<BR>
hand over a 50 or 100, and the cashier typically looks at it closely. Hand<BR>
over 20's, and one doesn;t feel right, it gets a look. Hand over 1's, and<BR>
they just toss them in the drawer.... and most machines accepting bills<BR>
currently aren't able to look for the radio-active polyester strip, nor be<BR>
any more able to read that microprint.<BR>
<BR>
More than likely, a good photocopy in black will pass in poor light. (My<BR>
office photocopies the SN's of all cash deposited... on a black-toner,<BR>
IIRC, 1200DPI laser-copier, with them overlapped so as to make it obvious<BR>
they are NOT real bills. But, if you get the right weight bond, and copy<BR>
them non-overlapped, they'd pass in most bars. A local bar was scammed that<BR>
very way.)<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:28:59 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Scouts (Was X-Boats)<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>	That is what the x-boat tender is, I believe.  IMTU, it would<BR>
>	be supported by a type S Scout or two, and refueled by locally<BR>
>	contracted fuel shuttles (Scouts don't get Ship's Boat as a<BR>
>	skill).<BR>
><BR>
>Peez<BR>
<BR>
They don't get it because they don't NEED it. Under CT, and MT, Pilot<BR>
serves as Ship's Boat at one level less, but Ships Boat doesn't serve as<BR>
pilot. Since all scouts in the field start off with Pilot-1...<BR>
<BR>
So the scouts may just use modular cutters, with Pilot-2 pilots and fuel<BR>
skimming modules.... they do that IMTU.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 19:39:03 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Some new Xboats (was: Xboat traffic)<BR>
<BR>
Bruce Johnson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> ><BR>
> > Some systems have xboats arriving constantly, minutes apart in some<BR>
> > cases: Core, Vland, other big, central systems probably have an ungodly<BR>
> > amount of insystem traffic to-ing and fro-ing. (Bet their X-Boats arent<BR>
> > the dinky 100t things that are fobbed off on the boonies like the<BR>
> > Marches, either. 1000, 10,000, 100KT mailboats are probably the rule.<BR>
<BR>
As I said, I don't believe in these supermailboats, but the 100-ton<BR>
type-X is unquestionably broken and needs replacing. Try these on <BR>
for size:<BR>
<BR>
(High Guard 2nd Edition; Stuart Squibb's spreadsheet; databanks<BR>
are MCr2, 0.1EP per ton (these numbers are completely ex recto))<BR>
<BR>
Turing class XBoat<BR>
   XB-2641441-000000-00000-0   MCr 197.384  200 tons<BR>
                                            crew=5.<BR>
                                            TL=13.<BR>
   EP=8. Agility=0. Databanks=53 tons. Streamlined, scoops.<BR>
   Passengers=0. Fuel=88.<BR>
<BR>
 The Turing class Express boat is designed to rectify the failings <BR>
 of the standard Imperial type-X. It matches the older design's <BR>
 Jump-4 performance, while adding maneuver drive, wilderness <BR>
 refuelling capability, and landing ability. The increased self-<BR>
 sufficiency of the design is a necessity as it is incompatible<BR>
 with the docking bay of the standard Purcell Express-Boat Tender,<BR>
 and the development of the new Bletchly Park-class tender is  <BR>
 behind schedule. The ship is unquestionably more costly to <BR>
 maintain and operate than a type-X, largely due to the much <BR>
 larger crew, and so has not been considered a complete success.<BR>
 However, the 5-man crews of the trial ships have mostly <BR>
 reported enjoyment of the company while on duty.<BR>
 (26% data tonnage; cost MCr3.7/data ton, but crew costs <BR>
 are high)<BR>
<BR>
Von Neumann class XBoat<BR>
   XB-1241441-000000-00000-0   MCr 103.704  100 tons<BR>
                                            crew=1.<BR>
                                            TL=13.<BR>
   EP=4. Agility=0. Databanks=20 tons. Streamlined, scoops.<BR>
   Passengers=2. Fuel=44.<BR>
<BR>
 The Von Neumann class is another candidate for the "Express<BR>
 Boat: The Next Generation" contract. Unlike the Turing class,<BR>
 it is designed to the same hull form as the standard type-X,<BR>
 making it compatible with the Purcell, and can be operated <BR>
 by a single crew member. Like the Turing, it has Jump-4, 1G <BR>
 performance, and is capable of wilderness refuelling. <BR>
 (20% data tonnage; cost MCr5.2/data ton, but cheap crew)<BR>
<BR>
Omitted for brevity:<BR>
 Shannon class Heavy Express. Similar to Turing, but 400t, crew=6, <BR>
 Databanks=131, fuel=176, MCr 409.144. (33% data tonnage; MCr 3.1<BR>
 per data ton)<BR>
<BR>
 Carmack class Express Cruiser. Similar to Turing, but 10000t,<BR>
 armed with 10 triple beam lasers, 10 triple sand, and 2 50-ton<BR>
 missile bays, carrying a pinnace and a ship's boat, crew=74,<BR>
 Databanks=3500, MCr 10061.04. (35% data tonnage; MCr 2.8 per<BR>
 data ton)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1747<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1748</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 14 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1748<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: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re: Scouts vs. merchants <BR>
Re: Scouts vs. merchants<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re:  Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
Re: Scouts vs. merchants<BR>
3I Money<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
overlooked resources<BR>
Punishment for Piracy (Re: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
Forging currency<BR>
Re Traveller "Emulations"<BR>
Re:  Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1744<BR>
Re: Punishment for Piracy (Re: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:51:50 -0600<BR>
From: "Joseph R. Dietrich" <yikes@evansville.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
> Cool. Do they work? Has anyone figured out _how_ they work? Do they<BR>
> work, but do horrible things to ships with jump drives already in<BR>
> them...<BR>
<BR>
Yes, they work. No one has figured out how they work, except to get the<BR>
mechanism to activate. They are psionically triggered. I hadn't thought<BR>
about the horrible things to jump drives ... I like that. <weg><BR>
<BR>
> Idea: The Jump Gates were the Mains of the Ancients...<BR>
<BR>
That could be, although I hadn't seen them as *quite* that common. I was<BR>
thinking of the interesting political dynamics they could create -- you have<BR>
a gate that jumps 30 pc coreward, and you could have a pocket empire shaped<BR>
like a dumbell. Big fights could be fought for control of strategic jump<BR>
gates.<BR>
<BR>
> > 2) The Ancients themselves are somewhat ... darker ... than the image<BR>
> > presented in the OTU. More like Things-Man-Was-Not-To-Know.<BR>
><BR>
> With millenia old secret societies dedicated to Preventing/Allowing Man<BR>
> to know these things.<BR>
<BR>
Yes. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> > 3) Psionics is real, and is more like magic than is portrayed in the<BR>
OTU.<BR>
> > The Psionic Institutes are more like religious organizations than<BR>
> > scientific organizations.<BR>
><BR>
> See above. They could be integral parts of the secret battle being<BR>
> waged.<BR>
<BR>
Yes.<BR>
<BR>
> > 4) There are monsters in the universe. Vampires. Shapechangers. Ghosts.<BR>
I'm<BR>
> > trying to get a feel more like Dark Conspiracy than White Wolf<BR>
gothic-punk,<BR>
> > although the idea of WW vampires and werewolves being vaporized by FGMPs<BR>
> > has a certain appeal. ;-)<BR>
><BR>
>  How about Goauld (or whatever the heck the things are called in<BR>
> Stargate).<BR>
<BR>
I have never seen Stargate. What are the Goauld?<BR>
<BR>
> > In the timeline I have scketched out in my head...<BR>
><BR>
> This could be a time for those secret societies to become bolder, more<BR>
> active, establishing themselves as the PBTT, and so forth.<BR>
<BR>
Yes, that was what I was thinking. It would be a good setting for a<BR>
X-Files/Delta Green sf game too.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks for the comments, and the evil ideas. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:04:45 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
>I can't remember the title and author, but there was an old SF story <BR>
>about a culture of "food designers," I think living on orbital <BR>
>stations, who designed the most exquisite foods to be ellaborated in <BR>
>tanks, down to the mollecular structure. The highest point of their <BR>
>lives was some sort of competition, which determined their "cook <BR>
>rank." The protagonist won with a dish which all referees considered <BR>
>absolutely exquisite. Then he had to reveal the recipe, and revealed <BR>
>that he had used a *natural* spice brought from the planet, something <BR>
>that had grown naturally... all referees immediately went to throw <BR>
>up, and the guy was disqualified and immediately banished from the <BR>
>colony. Makes for an interesting twist in any Traveller space <BR>
>habitat / asteroid belt colony.<BR>
<BR>
The short story was by Isaac Asimov. If I recall correctly, the title<BR>
was "Good Taste".<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, 14 Jan 2000 15:16:15 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Scouts vs. merchants <BR>
<BR>
<SNIP><BR>
>The Scouts use two small ships, the Type S scout/courier and the<BR>
>Type X X-Boat.  Only the Type S has problems with its air<BR>
>filters.<BR>
<SNIP><BR>
>The Scouts have a lot of other ships, too, including tenders and<BR>
>Donosevs and at least one Lightning class cruiser (which<BR>
>suggests to me that they have other large ships, too).<BR>
<SNIP><BR>
>--Glenn<BR>
<BR>
    The MT encounter tables gives these scout vessels :<BR>
X- Boat Tender<BR>
Scout Courier<BR>
Scout Surveyor (Is this an "S" in canon?)<BR>
Scout Cruiser (The above mentioned Lightning Class, is that an Ashanti?)<BR>
Nonstandard<BR>
<BR>
    IM (very Scout Biased) U there are quite a few more vessels, crewing<BR>
vessels for rotating base staff, Anti piracy vessels, Andy Slacks 'triffic<BR>
Explorer class scout (300dtons, jump5. A refs nightmare.) and lots more.<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 22:37:06 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Scouts vs. merchants<BR>
<BR>
Jim & Peta Lawrie wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> <SNIP><BR>
> >The Scouts use two small ships, the Type S scout/courier and the<BR>
> >Type X X-Boat.  Only the Type S has problems with its air<BR>
> >filters.<BR>
> <SNIP><BR>
> >The Scouts have a lot of other ships, too, including tenders and<BR>
> >Donosevs and at least one Lightning class cruiser (which<BR>
> >suggests to me that they have other large ships, too).<BR>
> <SNIP><BR>
> >--Glenn<BR>
> <BR>
>     The MT encounter tables gives these scout vessels :<BR>
> X- Boat Tender<BR>
> Scout Courier<BR>
> Scout Surveyor (Is this an "S" in canon?)<BR>
<BR>
I would expect that to be a DONOSEV-class 400 dton survey ship, J-3,<BR>
2G.  If it's not in any of your MT sources, you can find the CT/HG<BR>
version in Supp 9 (Fighting Ships).<BR>
<BR>
> Scout Cruiser (The above mentioned Lightning Class, is that an Ashanti?)<BR>
<BR>
Yes.  AZHANTI HIGH LIGHTNING-class, of which "several...have been<BR>
transferred to the Scout Service and to friendly client states."  (Supp<BR>
9, page 31)<BR>
<BR>
> Nonstandard<BR>
> <BR>
>     IM (very Scout Biased) U there are quite a few more vessels, crewing<BR>
> vessels for rotating base staff, Anti piracy vessels, Andy Slacks 'triffic<BR>
> Explorer class scout (300dtons, jump5. A refs nightmare.) and lots more.<BR>
<BR>
If you don't mind converting T4/FF&S2 stats to your preferred ruleset,<BR>
you might want to check out the AuricTech GRAN FENWICK-class IISS<BR>
cruiser (see my sig file for the URL to my site).  30,000 dton, J-4,<BR>
4.5-G.  Well suited for Red Zone interdiction and/or mondo piracy<BR>
suppression (massive sensor suite, long endurance, heavily stealthed,<BR>
well armed).<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776/travler.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:16:22 -0800<BR>
From: "James W. Lindsay" <jlindsay@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
On Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:51:50 -0600, Joseph R. Dietrich wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> >  How about Goauld (or whatever the heck the things are called in<BR>
> > Stargate).<BR>
> <BR>
> I have never seen Stargate. What are the Goauld?<BR>
<BR>
A parasitic being that requires a human host to survive.  Check your local<BR>
video store for the original Stargate starring Kurt Russell.  It is a epic<BR>
story-- almost (I think it needed to be about 20-30 minutes longer).<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
James W. Lindsay             Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada<BR>
http://members.home.net/jlindsay                    ICQ:#7521644<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
Press any key to continue or any other key to quit...<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 00:17:55 -0500<BR>
From: Bill Rutherford <worj@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
At 05:16 PM 01/13/2000 -0500, John wrote:<BR>
>I'm curious, what sort of miniatures (PCs and/or ships) are you good<BR>
>folks using?  Or are you doing without, or using the cardboard sort, or<BR>
>micromachines, Legos, etc.<BR>
<BR>
We play using 15mm figs - Citadel, Laserburn, Stan Johansen, and Martian <BR>
Metals, mainly.  Much of the driving force behind this is the fact that we <BR>
have an extensive set of old Fasa, Seeker, and GDW 15mm deck plans for <BR>
various ships. Too, we use Roco modern vehicles and various SF models as <BR>
props; 25mm is much more limited in these respects...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Bill Rutherford<BR>
worj@home.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:16:50 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re:  Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
William Hostman previously wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> High Crime. After All, in cannon, the Imperium uses a strictly CASH<BR>
> payroll. (Specified in several adventures.) Imperial Currency, not<BR>
> electronic transfer, is the explicit means in _The Traveller Adventure_.<BR>
> Ships lockers in all the CT adventures have CASH, and loads of it. Several<BR>
> articles from JTAS specify the all imperial payments are made in Imperial<BR>
> Currency...<BR>
<BR>
I always (at least since technology has advanced) wrote this off as the<BR>
influence on the time of the writing of CT. In the 70's electronic cash<BR>
didn't exist. Certainly the technology to produce secure electronic cash<BR>
didn't. Since this was only 20 years or so ago, I have to assume that at<BR>
some point in the future the technology will be perfected which will allow<BR>
its use. Certainly well before the time of 3I.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<hand wave comment="no extreme technical accuracy intended"><BR>
One quick hand wave which comes to mind to prevent electronic cash being<BR>
used much between worlds is the possibility of data corruption by the<BR>
radiation which will zap you in space. I have heard that the electronics<BR>
used in space can't be the extreme deep submicron CMOS which we all know and<BR>
love, due to the greater rate of single event upsets from cosmic rays<BR>
interacting with the device. Imagine a warning label: "Warning:<BR>
interplanetary or interstellar transportation may cause corruption of data<BR>
with accompanying irrecoverable loss of value. The Bank of Mongo is not<BR>
liable for any loss of value caused in this way." Certainly CMOS is history<BR>
by the time of the 3I, perhaps replaced by quantum well devices or other<BR>
things which we can't even dream about yet. Since very few people will<BR>
travel much into space, it may not be economical to have the technology<BR>
robust (and more expensive) enough to meet the needs of these adventurous<BR>
few, so the technology is optimized for ground use only.<BR>
</hand wave><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:20:11 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Scouts vs. merchants<BR>
<BR>
Glenn Goffin wrote:<BR>
> >From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
> ><BR>
> >What I have never understood is why these guys agree to live so<BR>
> >many years of their lives in these tiny ships which *don't even<BR>
> >have working air filters*<BR>
> <BR>
> The Scouts use two small ships, the Type S scout/courier and the<BR>
> Type X X-Boat.  Only the Type S has problems with its air<BR>
> filters.<BR>
<BR>
Supplement 7 quoth "although of respectable quality for life<BR>
support, it begins to smell after three weeks." A Cr1000 flush<BR>
resets the three-week counter; a Cr200 filter swap rolls it back<BR>
one week. That's pretty cheap; one imagines that sectors which <BR>
got part of the bad batch of type-Ss simply lay in a large <BR>
stock of the Cr200 swappable filters at their bases. It's <BR>
detached duty scouts and other owners of surplus Ss that <BR>
have to worry about where their next air system flush is <BR>
coming from.<BR>
 <BR>
> Scouts don't spend "years of their lives" in Type S ships.<BR>
> While most Scout branches have Type S ships, the roles of the<BR>
> Type S do not require Scouts to live in them for years at a<BR>
> time.<BR>
> <BR>
> Scouts in the X-Boat branch, however, do spend long periods<BR>
> alone in their X-Boats.  They must be very unusual people.<BR>
> Their air filters are good, though.<BR>
<BR>
I see no reason why X-boat pilots would need to spend *much* <BR>
longer aboard ship than S pilots. Again per S:7 (p. 10), <BR>
"Since pilots are rotated between ships frequently..." <BR>
(but also, "on the fringes of the Imperium, express service<BR>
is understandably slower, and some branches of the network <BR>
tend to keep pilots and xboats together.") Pilots can only <BR>
be rotated through xboat tenders, so they get to hang with <BR>
tender crews, and if they don't want to get back on a boat<BR>
right away, they can spend some time on tender or on base.<BR>
<BR>
- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:54:09 -0800<BR>
From: "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com><BR>
Subject: 3I Money<BR>
<BR>
My take on e-money and the 3I goes something like this<BR>
<BR>
Real WorldT History lesson first (if this wrong, blame me, i'm doing this<BR>
from memory)<BR>
Back around 1200 AD the Knights Templer (All templers take note) gave the<BR>
world it's first banks. The knights had so much money, they were able to set<BR>
up banks in all major city. Then with nobles were able to place ther money<BR>
in the bank (say in Paris), get a cedit slip say the noble had plased X<BR>
amount of gold in the bank. He could then go to Rome, show the slip, and get<BR>
his money from the bank in Rome<BR>
<BR>
Ob Trav. TAS takes the role of the knights, has banks in every port in the<BR>
Imperium (and most places out side of it). When a PC places his money in the<BR>
bank on Terra, he is given a debit card stating how much money they have.<BR>
Then when the PC goes to a bank on Jewell, he show the card and can get his<BR>
money.<BR>
<BR>
With the tech of the 3I, I figure that tamper-proof card should be possible.<BR>
<BR>
comments?<BR>
<BR>
I know this is not perfect, but any ideas how the fine tune it to work for<BR>
the 3I.<BR>
<BR>
Wayne<BR>
wewart@home.com<BR>
icq22113294<BR>
http://www.members.home.net/wewart/wewart/traveller/<BR>
<BR>
Give a man fire and he is warm for the night.<BR>
Set a man on fire and he is warm all his life.<BR>
- - Terry Pratchett<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:22:53 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>> I wonder what sorts of "rights of passage" Free traders might have for<BR>
>> groundling new hires in the crew?<BR>
><BR>
> I dunno about free traders.  In my character's jump troop regiment,<BR>
> though, one of your required drops upon assignment is a<BR>
> "Hell-on-the-halfshell."  That tends to weed out the jump refusals right<BR>
> quick.<BR>
><BR>
> Anyone who refuses gets a little "counseling" from Sergeant-Major....<BR>
<BR>
Sometimes that trick backfires. I seem to recall hearing about a<BR>
soldier who got assigned to jump school and acted "properly scared"<BR>
until *after* he'd made the required jumps. *Then* they find out he's<BR>
been sport jumping since he was in his teens...<BR>
<BR>
Sort of like when the "new guy" on a construction site gets told to go<BR>
get a "number 5 pipe stretcher" and without batting an eye asks what<BR>
grade Stretching oil the want to go with it. (ie he *knows* it's a<BR>
snipe hunt and is letting them know that he knows). <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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:29:03 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 07:36 AM 1/13/00 PST, you wrote:<BR>
>>>         Is Piracy being a capital crime canon or is that YTU?  In TNEC,<BR>
>>> piracy is not, as it encourages "gentleman pirates" who do not massacre<BR>
>>> helpless civillians...  the UN-NSN/DSN knows they can't cover the entire<BR>
>>> Frontier, so piracy will happen...  Murder-1 *is* a capital crime in the<BR>
>>> TNEC millieu.<BR>
>><BR>
>>I'm not sure if it's canon or not. It seems to be the case<BR>
>>*historically* though. <BR>
>>-- <BR>
>>Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
><BR>
>         Hi, Leonard!<BR>
>         I know that one of the biggest reasons that Piracy was a death<BR>
> sentance in the RN was that *striking* a superior officer was a death<BR>
> sentance...  If you killed the whole command team when you took over the<BR>
> ship....<BR>
<BR>
That's *mutiny*. Piracy is using force to make a ship hand over cargo. <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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:41:45 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
><BR>
>> Not really. They aren't even 99.9% reflective. And 0.1% of a 1 MW beam<BR>
>> is 1 kW, which is ample to degrade the paint. <BR>
><BR>
> Actually, I think some superwhites are pretty close to 99.9% reflective, and<BR>
> are basically made of powdered transparent crystals of refractory material.<BR>
> Choose your materials properly and it isn't exactly easy to degrade.<BR>
><BR>
> Hmmm...ponder tiny beads of synthetic diamond as armor.<BR>
<BR>
The trick is finding a *binder* that won't degrade. <BR>
<BR>
Also, white and reflective materials are *lousy* at *radiating* heat.<BR>
so they tend to *keep* the energy they don't reflect away. <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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:44:30 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> > Which is why, IMTU, banks don't honor cards from out-system banks.<BR>
>> > If you want to transfer funds you do it with a Letter of Credit from<BR>
>> > a bank to a corresponding bank which may (but probably won't) give<BR>
>> > you access to funds before the letter is confirmed and that's a<BR>
>> > several week process.<BR>
>  <BR>
>> Nope. That'd bring trade to a standstill. They'll have "sufficiently<BR>
>> reliable" methods of verifying such letters *without* needing to go<BR>
>> back to the issuer.<BR>
>  <BR>
>> Maybe the paper is microimprinted with codes known only to both banks.<BR>
>> Forging that would be the sort of inside job that has the investigator<BR>
>> looking real hard at *the* person who could have done it at either end.<BR>
>  <BR>
> Up to a point, I agree, but when you move from system to system you<BR>
> are going to hit places where there aren't "corresponding banks", and<BR>
> they have no good reason to trust your paper because they don't have<BR>
> "arrangements" with the bank that issued it. They *might*, probably<BR>
> for a fee knowing banks, try to confirm your letter of credit, but<BR>
> don't expect them to front you much, if any, cash until the document<BR>
> is confirmed.<BR>
<BR>
Which is why *intelligent* traders and business-sophonts get LOCs that<BR>
are known to be good at their destination. Even if it means paying<BR>
conversion fees at several intermediate stops.<BR>
<BR>
> Now, think on this one. What organization seems to have a point of<BR>
> presence in every "civilized system" in known space? Why, it's the<BR>
> Traveller's Aid Society, of course!  "TAS Traveller's Checks, don't<BR>
> leave home without them."<BR>
<BR>
> As far as *trade* is concerned, I don't think Letters of Credit are<BR>
> the best way to go. For that you want currency, trade goods and<BR>
> commodities. IMO, of course.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, most planetary currencies will be worthless offworld, or only<BR>
of value on worlds they do a lot of *direct* trade with.<BR>
<BR>
For the extreme version of this, check some of the sections of<BR>
Heinlein's "Time Enough For Love" that deal with interstellar trade. <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: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:09:43 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: overlooked resources<BR>
<BR>
It occured to me that I should mention ome potentially useful resources<BR>
for GMs that are often overlooked.<BR>
<BR>
I got an old (1960s) copy of the "BlueJacket Manual" from a friend's<BR>
brother. And a 1950s copy of the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Miltary Justice"<BR>
from a thrift store's pile of old books.<BR>
<BR>
Check around for stuff like this. Then, if you suddenly need to<BR>
"invent" procedures for something onboard ship, you can granb the<BR>
bluejacket manual (or the equivalent for other services) and see how<BR>
the current Navy does it. Maybe you can use it, maybe you'll have to<BR>
change it. But at least you've got a non-arbitrary starting point. <BR>
<BR>
The UCMJ is great for military law type issues. And it's nice just to<BR>
make players nervous. They see this grey book, obviously not a game<BR>
book and ask what it is. You tell them and then they get *ever* so<BR>
paranoid anytime they get *near* someone or something that might<BR>
involve military law or jurisdiction. :-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 02:13:54 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Punishment for Piracy (Re: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
<BR>
At 09:29 PM 1/13/00 PST, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>>         Hi, Leonard!<BR>
>>         I know that one of the biggest reasons that Piracy was a death<BR>
>> sentance in the RN was that *striking* a superior officer was a death<BR>
>> sentance...  If you killed the whole command team when you took over the<BR>
>> ship....<BR>
><BR>
>That's *mutiny*. Piracy is using force to make a ship hand over cargo. <BR>
>-- <BR>
>Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
<BR>
        Yep, and the first step towards becoming a Pirate in the RN was<BR>
mutiny....<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<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>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 19:22:10 +1300<BR>
From: "Andrew Moffatt-Vallance" <a.vallance@netaccess.co.nz><BR>
Subject: Forging currency<BR>
<BR>
Date sent:      	Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:16:30 -0900<BR>
From:           	"William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
<BR>
> >> Heck, CURRENT US currencies aren't THAT hard to forge for passable bills...<BR>
> >> A good photocopier, with the correct paper, is all that is needed. (Oh,<BR>
> >> wait, they just added watermarking to the new bills... as I said, the right<BR>
> >> paper.) 1200 DPI laser-copiers can do wonders... but you need green toner<BR>
> >> (also available).<BR>
<BR>
> More than likely, a good photocopy in black will pass in poor light. (My<BR>
> office photocopies the SN's of all cash deposited... on a black-toner,<BR>
> IIRC, 1200DPI laser-copier, with them overlapped so as to make it obvious<BR>
> they are NOT real bills. But, if you get the right weight bond, and copy<BR>
> them non-overlapped, they'd pass in most bars. A local bar was scammed that<BR>
> very way.)<BR>
<BR>
Well, first off, please remember that US currency is ridicilously <BR>
easy to forge (all the notes the same size, same monocolour, <BR>
design only differenciated by minor features). Most other currencies <BR>
are a lot harder. Also the idea of the anti-forgery features of <BR>
currency is not to make them impossible to forge, just to make it <BR>
sufficently hard that it can't be done 'casually'. The recent <BR>
introduction of colour photocopiers has been a problem by making <BR>
it possible for casual forgers to produce reasonable counterfiets. <BR>
However, here in NZ we have recently seen the introduction of <BR>
notes that can not reproduced on a photocopier (they include a <BR>
transparent panel in the note). Basically currency or ecash will <BR>
exist, it will be forgable, but forging it will not be something for <BR>
casual amatuers. And that's what makes it work, the risk of getting <BR>
a fake bill/card is sufficently low to make it worthwhile. Possibly <BR>
there might be counterfiet insurance for retailers, all built into the <BR>
pricing structure.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Andrew etc<BR>
Homepage http://users.netaccess.co.nz/amv/<BR>
Traveller http://www.downport.com/amv/<BR>
 "What do you expect from a species who's females are<BR>
 always in heat" Ko of the Ilui clan on Humans and honour<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:24:28 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Traveller "Emulations"<BR>
<BR>
Attn: Joseph Detrich and Jason Kemp<BR>
<BR>
Guys: I put links to your emulations on my traveller page... hope you guys<BR>
don't mind....<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 22:47:49 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re:  Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
 William Hostman previously wrote;<BR>
<BR>
> Also, to refute further the Elmonit thing: As in the victorian era, a bank<BR>
> is only going to trust the signatures it knows, and those will only be<BR>
from<BR>
> local bank offices, and neighboring systems branches of themselves. Major<BR>
> concerns like Hortalez et Cie canonically do send shipments of cash. Along<BR>
<BR>
The technology of digital signatures directly addresses the issue of trust<BR>
in electronic commerce. If you are really curious and have a lot of money to<BR>
spend I can even sell you the technology to do this. Today. This would make<BR>
an interesting article. But there we go again, trying to overlay early 21st<BR>
century technology on the Imperium. I'm afraid that I can't stop it. It's<BR>
all that I know.<BR>
<BR>
> maybe even copper, steel, or radioactives.) Due to the size and span of<BR>
the<BR>
> imperium, the can be NO central bank in practice, due to communications<BR>
> lags. The will, at best, be multiple banks in an alliance; even so,<BR>
> electronic transfers will require at least 3x the travel time from bank to<BR>
> bank: Send check (one way), verify check (two way), and then the funds<BR>
will<BR>
<BR>
I doubt that the assertion that there will be NO central bank is going too<BR>
far. The better question is what will be the role of the central bank in an<BR>
economy like the 3I? Imagine the difficulties such an organization will<BR>
face. ("The M2 money supply of the Imperium was 10.2 ZCr, as of *three years<BR>
ago*")<BR>
<BR>
Even if a balance of payments of some sort must be maintained, a much easier<BR>
way to do it is by transferring *information* Even today, information is<BR>
incredibly valuable. It will probably continue to get even more valuable in<BR>
the future.  Combine this with the technologies already developed to use<BR>
cryptography to control access to information (pay per viewing,<BR>
essentially), and you may have a workable solution.<BR>
<BR>
Bottom line: information rules the future, not hard goods.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 23:08:11 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1744<BR>
<BR>
>From: ehenry@newberlin.org (Eric Henry)<BR>
>Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1744<BR>
><BR>
>"Release the hounds!"<BR>
<BR>
  Which editions'? :><BR>
<BR>
...<BR>
>>not to sound like i don't belong with you guys, but i don't really know much<BR>
>>about Traveler.  I heard about it on another traveler site which i<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 18:15:32 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Punishment for Piracy (Re: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
<BR>
>>That's *mutiny*. Piracy is using force to make a ship hand over cargo.<BR>
>>Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
><BR>
>        Yep, and the first step towards becoming a Pirate in the RN was<BR>
>mutiny....<BR>
>        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
    "Pirate" is a lot of things isn't it?<BR>
<BR>
Classic Pirates : A crew mutinies and takes over their ship, then goes on a<BR>
rampage across the sector using the ships weapons to support themselves.<BR>
<BR>
Raider Cultures : A people who supplement their income by raiding other<BR>
systems and have evolved a society that openly acknowledges the legitimacy<BR>
of this action.<BR>
<BR>
Privateer : Private individuals who are licensed by a state to raid an enemy<BR>
states shipping in time of war.<BR>
<BR>
Merchant Pirates : Merchant crews who supplement their income by piracy<BR>
during lean times. They differ from Raider Cultures in that their own people<BR>
do not see this activity as legitimate, they tend to rely on secrecy or are<BR>
exceptionally ruthless.<BR>
<BR>
    And I'm sure there is many more.<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 22:00:31 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> spare x-boats (down time for maint., crew R&R, et.). The real trick is to<BR>
> time each departure so that all mail passing through is in system for the<BR>
> shortest amout of time. I try to run this by not letting any x-boat leave<BR>
> till all incoming x-boats for the day have checked in and uploaded their<BR>
> mail.<BR>
<BR>
Which only works if x-boats use the "extra careful" jump calcs, same as<BR>
fleets do. Otherwise, you get a spread in arrival time of more than 24<BR>
hours (if I recall correctly).<BR>
<BR>
If I remember, one of these days I'll take a look at the various jump<BR>
"spread" rules. It'd be nice if we could come up with a formula for<BR>
accuracy versus time spent "calculating" the jump. One where past the<BR>
point used for "synchronizing" squadron jumps it costs more time in<BR>
"calculation" than you save by increased accuracy in time/place of<BR>
exit. <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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1748<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1749</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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From:	owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com (Traveller-digest)<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 14 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1749<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: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Ethics in the 3I<BR>
Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Q Ships<BR>
Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
Re: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
Nobles<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Third Imperium Email<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
money in the 3I<BR>
Silly military quotes again, also, obscenities<BR>
Better subject line (was:  Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1744)<BR>
Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
Re: Q Ships<BR>
Re: 3I Money<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 23:31:09 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
From: Alistair J. R. Young <avatar@arkane.demon.co.uk><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> > So, IYTU, AG isn't an inertial dampening system?  The<BR>
> > owner/pilot/etc. of a high G ship/boat/plane is still subject<BR>
> > to the nasty effects of high G?<BR>
><BR>
> I rather like inertial dampening and antigravity to be two completely<BR>
> different things. Not so much for that effect, but (per "Consider<BR>
Phlebas",<BR>
> I think) for the potentially messy death awaiting someone who tries to use<BR>
> antigrav equipment on anything that generates gravity by spinning.<BR>
><BR>
> Rather rips RL physics apart, but I think I can live with that.<BR>
<BR>
You can't create gravity by spinning.  I suppose you are<BR>
speaking of centrifugal/centripetal force.  What difference<BR>
does it make if you are spinning something and add AG?<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 23:11:36 -0800<BR>
From: Keith Johnson <keithalanjohnson@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
At 06:05 PM 1/13/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
><BR>
>I'm curious, what sort of miniatures (PCs and/or ships) are you good<BR>
>folks using?  Or are you doing without, or using the cardboard sort, or<BR>
>micromachines, Legos, etc.<BR>
<BR>
When I use miniatures, I use the cardboard type.  I'm pretty happy that <BR>
Microtactix has a cool sci-fi building kit, but I am even happier that <BR>
<blatant plug>Steve Jackson Games is coming out with another set of <BR>
Cardboard Heroes</blatant plug>.<BR>
<BR>
As for Legos, I just picked up the Star Wars "Naboo Swamp" set.  I now have <BR>
the two "Lego people" for the droid soldiers and even one for Jar Jar <BR>
Binks.  Now all I need is a Pikachu Lego and my wife will have the perfect <BR>
defense for a marital homicide trial.<BR>
<BR>
_________________________________________________________<BR>
Rev. Keith Johnson      /\     keith@sjgames.com<BR>
Assistant Webmaster    /()\    keithalanjohnson@home.com<BR>
Steve Jackson Games   /____\   reverendkeith@hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
       "I choose you, Dullinor!" - PokeTrav Master<BR>
<BR>
  IMTU tm+ t4+@ tg++$ ru- ge-@ st+ pi+ he+ dr+ hi-@ zh+<BR>
_________________________________________________________ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 23:46:52 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
Maybe we should start growing cows<BR>
(without legs or heads) so the space-hands can have<BR>
fresh milk and<BR>
hamburgers too.>>I sometimes think we should do this<BR>
anyway.  If it can be made<BR>
profitable,<BR>
wouldn't it eliminate some of the objections based on<BR>
"animal cruelty"to<BR>
meat eating?  <BR>
<BR>
Or, even better, breed an animal that _wants_ to die<BR>
and be eaten! (See, "The Restaurant At The End of the<BR>
Universe", Doug Adams)<BR>
ObTrav: many depictions in sci-fi of the future imply<BR>
or state that as races become more advanced<BR>
technologically, they advance ethically, and stop<BR>
eating meat, etc. IYTU's, is this an "advance"? Or is<BR>
there indifference to this? Does the Emperor like his<BR>
steak well-done, or would he have the same reaction to<BR>
being offered steak one of us affluent westerners<BR>
would have at being offered witchety grubs?<BR>
Is there an ISPCA? Is meat a "controlled substance"?<BR>
Judge to PCs: "Sentenced to twenty years hard labour<BR>
for smuggling a controlled substance!"<BR>
PCs: "Smuggling what?!"<BR>
Judge: "Those cheeseburgers in your galley! And that<BR>
evil pastrami!"<BR>
<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>
"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>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 23:58:05 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Q Ships<BR>
<BR>
>From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
>Subject: Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Q Ships<BR>
...<BR>
>Perhaps, but what did their presence do to the tactics of the U-boats?<BR>
>If it made them more cautious about approaching ships, then whether or<BR>
>not they sank U-boats, they did an effective job. Were there differences<BR>
>in ship losses to U-boats before and after?<BR>
<BR>
  At the least it required more boats to remain submerged for their<BR>
attacks. This meant the use of the much more limited torpedo supply,<BR>
and _fewer attacks_, as the lower speeds underwater meant that even<BR>
getting into position to launch was difficult. This seems to be well<BR>
attested (wrt deck guns in general, actually).<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 23:58:17 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
<BR>
>From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
>Subject: Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
...<BR>
>        2 point armor belt, no screens<BR>
...<BR>
>        The kick here, of course, is that there is no battle-damage figures<BR>
>included in monthly operating costs.  Of course, if you push the envelope<BR>
>for *one* kill per month, you can afford to take a missle hit every time.<BR>
<BR>
  That's a non-nuclear missile, obviously. Do you allow those to civvies<BR>
in your game?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 18:59:01 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
<SNIP><BR>
Does the Emperor like his<BR>
>steak well-done, or would he have the same reaction to<BR>
>being offered steak one of us affluent westerners<BR>
>would have at being offered witchety grubs?<BR>
>KA Schuant<BR>
<SNIP><BR>
<BR>
    Dulinor prefers his meat wearing a crown.<BR>
    I don't see the current western life-is-holy attitude in the Imperium,<BR>
it may only be because I'm after something different in the campaign though.<BR>
I had always assumed that there are nobles running gladiator sports<BR>
somewhere on lo-law planets.<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 00:06:15 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Nobles<BR>
<BR>
People have been discussing how many nobles there are,<BR>
isit proportional to population, what are there<BR>
powers, etc...<BR>
<BR>
IMTU (which if you've seen my other posts will know is<BR>
a rather heretical one), closest probably to TNEC,<BR>
there's no particular proportional representation: the<BR>
Emperor appoints people as Prince of a Sector, Marquis<BR>
of a subsector, Duke of a system, Earl of a world, and<BR>
so on. Generally you have to be born into the royal<BR>
family, but of course if you get made a hereditary<BR>
knight, or marry in, you can move on up. The Ministry<BR>
of Heraldry has a _really_ hard time tracking down all<BR>
the royal relatives, if there was ever a problem with<BR>
unclear succession, it could get really messy. <BR>
<BR>
MTU gets ruled this way because news travels only as<BR>
fast as the fastest ship, so the emperor needs nobles<BR>
to rule his rpovinces, feudal style. Titles variously<BR>
mean nothing and everything: on one world the Earl may<BR>
be the actual ruler, on another she may be a retured<BR>
admiral who gets to swear in presidents, make speeches<BR>
to graduating university students and that's about it.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
It varies a lot, and keeps PCs on their toes in<BR>
dealing with the nobility, which they occasionally<BR>
have to do. On one world, they meet a baron who's got<BR>
his title and nothing else (especially not money),<BR>
they learn not to take him seriously, but on the next<BR>
world they meet a lord who really does rule, by<BR>
decree. And on the third they find that the nobles<BR>
have no real power in thoery, but are so<BR>
well-respected among their people, they'll be listened<BR>
to.<BR>
<BR>
Just some thoughts...<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>
"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>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 00:45:54 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
...<BR>
>various ships. Too, we use Roco modern vehicles and various SF models as <BR>
>props; 25mm is much more limited in these respects...<BR>
<BR>
  Or at least rather expensive (Geo-Hex fronts for the GZG stuff, IIRC?).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 09:13:05 +0000<BR>
From: Andy Coombes <coombes@bcs.org.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Third Imperium Email<BR>
<BR>
At 01:18 PM 12/01/2000 +1100, you wrote:<BR>
>I put together some 'emails to a PC from his sister' as player handouts.<BR>
><BR>
>See this as a sample of what the emails might look like:<BR>
><BR>
>www.rossmack.com/ab/rpg/traveller/xgrams/035-1102.asp<BR>
><BR>
>I got sick of figuring out the delivery routes after a while - but you get<BR>
>the general idea.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Great stuff.<BR>
<BR>
I've written a program (pair of programs actually) that list a route from one<BR>
place to another, forex:<BR>
<BR>
C:\acc\route>route spinward.rt 1106 3032<BR>
1106 Jewell<BR>
1307 Lysen<BR>
1705 Efate<BR>
1806 Whanga<BR>
1808 Forboldn<BR>
1910 Regina<BR>
1912 Dinomn<BR>
1815 Ghandi<BR>
1719 Lanth<BR>
1920 D'Ganzio<BR>
2319 Ivendo<BR>
2321 Quiru<BR>
2322 Gorram<BR>
2324 Capon<BR>
2726 Carey<BR>
2927 Maitz<BR>
3029 Pallique<BR>
3030 Nexine<BR>
3032 Katarulu<BR>
<BR>
I'm planning on extending the programs to include travel times, and to work<BR>
with<BR>
a database of traveller news items (eventually), to allow me to distribute<BR>
news to PCs at the right time (but I'm also willing to listen to other<BR>
suggestions).<BR>
<BR>
If anyone wants a copy, email me direct. It currently runs from a dos box<BR>
under win'95.<BR>
<BR>
AndyC.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 01:26:39 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
>Subject: Miniatures<BR>
...<BR>
>I'm curious, what sort of miniatures (PCs and/or ships) are you good<BR>
>folks using?  Or are you doing without, or using the cardboard sort, or<BR>
>micromachines, Legos, etc.<BR>
<BR>
  The best available in 25mm should be at:<BR>
        http://www.HistoricalMiniatures.com/<BR>
<BR>
  The photo on the "Denizen SF 25mm" page simply doesn't do any justice<BR>
to the quality of the mini's I've got; their civs and (IIRC) Ventaurans<BR>
(SF205 Legionnaires I) are first-rate, and the latter look a lot like<BR>
Zhodani combat-armoured troops should.<BR>
<BR>
  15mm is Stan Johansen (posted last week) in NorAm; Laserburn is still<BR>
available in the UK?<BR>
<BR>
  You should still be able to find some official TNE starships around.<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 01:54:07 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
From: Jim & Peta Lawrie <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
> <SNIP><BR>
> Does the Emperor like his<BR>
> >steak well-done, or would he have the same reaction to<BR>
> >being offered steak one of us affluent westerners<BR>
> >would have at being offered witchety grubs?<BR>
> >KA Schuant<BR>
> <SNIP><BR>
><BR>
>     Dulinor prefers his meat wearing a crown.<BR>
>     I don't see the current western life-is-holy attitude in the Imperium,<BR>
> it may only be because I'm after something different in the campaign<BR>
though.<BR>
> I had always assumed that there are nobles running gladiator sports<BR>
> somewhere on lo-law planets.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, life-is-holy is more of an eastern thing that has<BR>
invaded the west.  Although there is a strong life-is-holy<BR>
aspect to the philosophies of the prehistoric settlers of<BR>
the new world (AKA "native" Americans), it is one of<BR>
honoring the life by savoring the essence (and the flavor of<BR>
the food that life provides) not unlike ancient Europeans.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 02:01:58 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: money in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
My take on money is this:<BR>
Paper money won't be interstellar, it's too easy to<BR>
forge passably. By "passably" I mean enough to get you<BR>
drinks at a bar, tip waiters with, pay for a night or<BR>
two at a not-too-fancy hotel, and so on. Banks and<BR>
real estate agents and so on will of course pick it up<BR>
straight away.<BR>
Electronic credit, to my mind, just doesn't work on an<BR>
interstellar level. Yes, they can send a message to<BR>
the local head office, wait a couple weeks, then get<BR>
out some local currency, but my understanding of the<BR>
traditional approach is that the PCs are rushing<BR>
around trying to make the next mortgage payment; they<BR>
don't have time to wait for this kind of thing. Nor<BR>
will most traders - who, after all, are those most<BR>
likely to need interstellarly-acceptable money. After<BR>
tourists, of course... and come to think of it, what<BR>
would tourists do if they had to wait two weeks?<BR>
<BR>
I see it going back to the barter system, and thus a<BR>
gold standard or equivalent. After all, what was gold<BR>
in the days of Rome and Greece and the Kush, but an<BR>
item of barter that _everyone_ valued? Until the past<BR>
couple of decades, that was what our paper money was<BR>
supposed to be, a representation of actual gold. <BR>
So you have to ask, what would be an item of barter<BR>
that _everyone_ values in the 3I? <BR>
Gold might be a problem, I think, because with all<BR>
these big old asteroids floating around, someone is<BR>
bound to flood the market with several hundred tons of<BR>
the stuff, causing inflation! (I guess that's why<BR>
bullion is forbidden to private hands in Australia by<BR>
law?)<BR>
IMTU, I tend to have little flat cards of metal,<BR>
alloys of rare earth elements (like ytturbium); these<BR>
elements have intrinsic value because they're used in<BR>
high technology power plants, drives, and computers.<BR>
Of course they're worth little on individual worlds,<BR>
but that's what the exchange office in the starport is<BR>
for.<BR>
Thoughts, girls and guys?<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>
"Duct tape is like the Force: it has a light side, a dark side, and it binds the universe together"<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
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Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 02:16:48 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Silly military quotes again, also, obscenities<BR>
<BR>
At 12:57 AM 1/14/2000 +0000, you wrote:<BR>
>When I used to work on site engineering construction,<BR>
there was an <BR>
>interesting development in slang - if something was<BR>
'b*ggered' it was <BR>
>broken but repairable; if it was 'f*cked' you needed<BR>
to order a new <BR>
>one because it was iirepairable. This was used<BR>
consistently, which <BR>
>was scary...<BR>
In the Army, "we're screwed" means "boy, are we in<BR>
trouble", whereas"we're<BR>
f**ked" means "I wonder if my remains will ever be<BR>
recovered."- -- <BR>
Of course, in one of the glorious Commonwalth armies,<BR>
we are more politely spoken. "We're having some<BR>
difficulty" means, "the Chinese are about to overrun<BR>
our position and turn us all into AK-47 bayonet<BR>
kebabs" (said by a british colonel of the Commonwealth<BR>
brigade in Korea, 1952)<BR>
<BR>
What are the obscenities in the 3I? I'm usre we'll<BR>
have gotten beyond our slang for intercourse and<BR>
excreterary (sp?) functions a couple thousand years<BR>
from now... I quite like "smegging" as in Red Dwarf;<BR>
after all, smegma is not a lovely thing.<BR>
Any otehr suggestions for obscenities of the 3I? I<BR>
need some for my players. "Oh, shit," is only getting<BR>
them so far.<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>
"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>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 02:30:10 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Better subject line (was:  Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1744)<BR>
<BR>
From: S D <terran_2@hotmail.com><BR>
> not to sound like i don't belong with you guys, but i don't really know<BR>
much<BR>
> about Traveler.  I heard about it on another traveler site which i<BR>
> subscribed to because i wanted to find more gamer aid programs.  I got<BR>
> interested in the game so another person told me about this.  If you guys<BR>
> could possible tell me where i can find a mass archive of traveler stuff<BR>
on<BR>
> the net or could tell me things that could interest me that would be<BR>
really<BR>
> cool...thanks.<BR>
<BR>
Welcome aboard newbie!  One way you can look more like<BR>
you belong is to use a better subject.  However; even some<BR>
of the old timers get a little sloppy from time to time.  I know,<BR>
I know you are asking yourself why should I change the<BR>
subject?  The best answer is so people will know what I'm<BR>
talking about before they skip right past it because of the<BR>
subject.  (I usually don't read any post that has a subject of<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #####.)<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
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<BR>
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<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
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Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 06:53:51 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
<BR>
At 11:58 PM 1/13/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>>From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
>>Subject: Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
>...<BR>
>>        2 point armor belt, no screens<BR>
>...<BR>
>>        The kick here, of course, is that there is no battle-damage figures<BR>
>>included in monthly operating costs.  Of course, if you push the envelope<BR>
>>for *one* kill per month, you can afford to take a missle hit every time.<BR>
><BR>
>  That's a non-nuclear missile, obviously. Do you allow those to civvies<BR>
>in your game?<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
        Hi, Steve!<BR>
        No.  Flat, excplict, roaring, no.  As part of the TNEC milieu<BR>
history, a 5000-person colony was wiped out by someone with an axe to grind<BR>
and a nuke....  as a result, the UN has made possession of nuclear devices<BR>
by anyone other than UN forces a Capital crime with potential for summary<BR>
trial and punishment.  Civvilian craft can carry all the lasers and HE-HARMs<BR>
they like, but *no* nukes.<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>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 00:55:52 +1300<BR>
From: "Andrew Moffatt-Vallance" <a.vallance@netaccess.co.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: Q Ships<BR>
<BR>
Date sent:      	Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:15:39 -0700<BR>
From:           	Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
<BR>
> Hughes, Michael wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> > Actually of the almost 200 Q-Ships used by the British & US in WW1, only 5<BR>
> > U-Boats were destroyed.<BR>
<BR>
But a pirate (or any other merchant raider in Traveller) is nothing <BR>
like a submarine. There is nothing equivlant to a submarine or <BR>
torpedo in Traveller. Therefore IMHO it is somewhat inaccurate to <BR>
make comparisions with submarine warfare.<BR>
<BR>
> Perhaps, but what did their presence do to the tactics of the U-boats?<BR>
> If it made them more cautious about approaching ships, then whether or<BR>
> not they sank U-boats, they did an effective job. Were there differences<BR>
> in ship losses to U-boats before and after?<BR>
<BR>
The Q-Ships (and the general arming of merchants) forced U-boats <BR>
to abandon surface gunfire attacks and go for torpedoes.<BR>
<BR>
However, in Traveller Q-Ships would be rather more effective. The <BR>
Traveller pirate is much more like a classic surface raider than a <BR>
submarine. Against those a Q-Ship can work.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Andrew etc<BR>
Homepage http://users.netaccess.co.nz/amv/<BR>
Traveller http://www.downport.com/amv/<BR>
 "What do you expect from a species who's females are<BR>
 always in heat" Ko of the Ilui clan on Humans and honour<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 07:17:15 EST<BR>
From: KenRoney@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money<BR>
<BR>
    The system that you propose could work, since it's based on a working <BR>
historical precedent.  However, it's not necessary in the Imperium since the <BR>
central government issues legal tender.  Imperial currency was described in <BR>
detail and even pictured in "The Traveller Adventure" published around 1983.  <BR>
To illustrate, I have to buy a book today.  I could go to the bank, obtain a <BR>
draft (cashiers check), pay the required transaction cost (the fee charged by <BR>
the bank for this service) and then negotiate the draft at the bookstore.  Or <BR>
I can just reach in my pocket and hand over some treasury bills.  I prefer <BR>
the latter.  Imperial currency eliminates the hassles that come with the need <BR>
to utilize financial middlemen and this promotes overall financial efficiency.<BR>
    Imperial currency in the Imperium would eliminate the need for a private <BR>
system that you propose, and in addition, canon never mentioned any such role <BR>
for the TAS.  Promissory Notes, various forms of Drafts, and similar <BR>
negotiable financial instruments certainly have a role in the Imperial <BR>
economy, but financial megacorps exist that have both the resources and <BR>
imperium-wide presence to be the preferred providers.  I see them as the <BR>
primary providers for those people who require such services.<BR>
    As a side note (also working from decaying memory) the Templars were <BR>
influential as bankers in the middle ages, but there were other groups <BR>
operating in the same fashion, and I don't believe that any one of them can <BR>
be fingered as "the" inventors of the early banking system. It just evolved.  <BR>
Another interesting point if memory serves me correctly, I believe that the <BR>
king of France and other medeival rulers purged the Templars from their <BR>
realms as heretics, which as bankers in a society that forbad usery, they <BR>
were, and incidentally allowed the rulers to seize whatever treasures the <BR>
Templars had.  I remember a history prof observing that they would have done <BR>
better if they'd just hunkered down in a few middle eastern fortresses like <BR>
their rivals, the Hospitalers. <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 07:22:54 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
Steven Hudson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>   The best available in 25mm should be at:<BR>
>         http://www.HistoricalMiniatures.com/<BR>
> <BR>
>   The photo on the "Denizen SF 25mm" page simply doesn't do any justice<BR>
> to the quality of the mini's I've got; their civs and (IIRC) Ventaurans<BR>
> (SF205 Legionnaires I) are first-rate, and the latter look a lot like<BR>
> Zhodani combat-armoured troops should.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
Thanks!  They look pretty cool.  I'm glad they have some civilian types<BR>
too.    <BR>
<BR>
Have you seen any of the Stargrunt line? <BR>
http://www.geohex.com/stargr01.htm<BR>
In the photos they look good.  <BR>
<BR>
>   You should still be able to find some official TNE starships around.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
RAFM, right?  I liked their ships, but didn't like their characters. <BR>
<BR>
I've been using a mishmash of lines, some old, some new, some<BR>
modifications.<BR>
My wife's Aslan is a converted Planescape something or other.  The sword<BR>
blade was removed.  The remaining bits of hilt became a handheld<BR>
sensor.  Looks pretty good.<BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 07:23:03 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
Keith Johnson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> When I use miniatures, I use the cardboard type.  I'm pretty happy that<BR>
> Microtactix has a cool sci-fi building kit, but I am even happier that<BR>
> <blatant plug>Steve Jackson Games is coming out with another set of<BR>
> Cardboard Heroes</blatant plug>.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
A reprint of an old set, or a new set?<BR>
IMHO, a wise move would be to reprint the old 15mm Traveller cardboard<BR>
heroes, in both 15 and 25mm.<BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 05:25:26 -0700 (MST)<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
On Thu, 13 Jan 2000, James W. Lindsay wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> On Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:51:50 -0600, Joseph R. Dietrich wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> > >  How about Goauld (or whatever the heck the things are called in<BR>
> > > Stargate).<BR>
> > <BR>
> > I have never seen Stargate. What are the Goauld?<BR>
> <BR>
> A parasitic being that requires a human host to survive.  Check your local<BR>
> video store for the original Stargate starring Kurt Russell.  It is a epic<BR>
> story-- almost (I think it needed to be about 20-30 minutes longer).<BR>
<BR>
The series on Showtime ain't half bad either...there have been some<BR>
interesting episodes, and some decent developing plots. IN my area (maybe<BR>
nationally) they're showing old episodes on the local FOX affiliate<BR>
<BR>
OTOH, all the planets in the universe look like Vancouver, though...;-)<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, 14 Jan 2000 04:33:59 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Russell Bornschlegel wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> > Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu> wrote:<BR>
> ><BR>
> > > Some systems have xboats arriving constantly, minutes apart in some<BR>
> > > cases: Core, Vland, other big, central systems probably have an<BR>
ungodly<BR>
> > > amount of insystem traffic to-ing and fro-ing. (Bet their X-Boats<BR>
arent<BR>
> > > the dinky 100t things that are fobbed off on the boonies like the<BR>
> > > Marches, either. 1000, 10,000, 100KT mailboats are probably the rule.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Huh? We're not talking about physical letters here. Most of the mass<BR>
> > of the Xboat is not in the databanks. Depending on ruleset in use,<BR>
> > local handwaves regarding computer sizes, etc., I'd expect a 200t<BR>
> > version of an Xboat to carry more than 10 times the data than the<BR>
> > standard 100t type-X.<BR>
><BR>
> Only if it can contain 10x the datastore, whihc it might at that. ONe<BR>
> thing that has been left very vague over the years is exactly how dense<BR>
> the datastore in x-boats is, which is the key value keeping us from<BR>
> estimating the bandwidth available or necessary for the x-boat network.<BR>
><BR>
> I was aware of this when I mentioned those larger ships. Ok 100KT mail<BR>
> boats may be overkill. But, remember this: at least three of the largest<BR>
> Imperium-wide Megacorps in existence are based on Vland, along with some<BR>
> moderately sized cultural archives, like AAB....<BR>
><BR>
> I think you may be underestimating the staggering volume of information<BR>
> that passes along mains connecting the core pop 9 and A TL 16 worlds, so<BR>
> 100kt mail boats may not necessarily be overkill.<BR>
<BR>
If pop's were max'ed out (10 ^ 10 - 1) and each person on<BR>
each world wrote a good sized novel (100,000 words = 5 x<BR>
10 ^ 5 bytes) to each person on the other world, there would<BR>
be less than 10 ^ 26 bytes of data exchanged.<BR>
<BR>
10 ^ 26 < 2 ^ 87<BR>
<BR>
Current maximum *data storage densities* are in excess of<BR>
2 ^ 35 bytes/liter (I saw a 40 GB HD advertised in the Fry's<BR>
(a discount electronics super store) sales circular in last<BR>
Sunday's paper).  If each TL sees an increase in<BR>
capabilities comparable to the changes from 75 to 95 (~ 20<BR>
years development) and data densities double every 18<BR>
months (1.5 years), then 1 TL advance will multiply data<BR>
densities by c. 2 ^ (20 / 1.5) = 2 ^ 13.333.  If we are currently<BR>
at TL 8, then by 3I (M:0 TL12) *data densities* would<BR>
probably be > 2 ^ 88 B/l and by M:1100 (TL 15) they would<BR>
be > 2 ^ 128 B/l.<BR>
<BR>
At TL 12, 10 ^ 26 bytes of data could be stored on a PC (or<BR>
3IMac) standard hard drive with room to spare!<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
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Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1749<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1750</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 14 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1750<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: Grav Pong<BR>
gravity pong<BR>
Good info!<BR>
gravity pong<BR>
Re: overlooked resources<BR>
Re: Traveller "Emulations"<BR>
Vs: Traveller-digest V1999 #1722<BR>
Re: money in the 3I<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1748<BR>
Re: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again<BR>
Re: Boarding actions<BR>
Re: Third Imperium Email<BR>
Re: HIWG CD<BR>
Re: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
Re: Traveller "Emulations"<BR>
Re: HIWG CD<BR>
Re: 3I Money<BR>
Distance between two worlds<BR>
Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
Re: <BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 12:50:51 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
Jason T. Barnabas wrote:<BR>
>From: Alistair J. R. Young <avatar@arkane.demon.co.uk><BR>
><BR>
><BR>
>> > So, IYTU, AG isn't an inertial dampening system?  The<BR>
>> > owner/pilot/etc. of a high G ship/boat/plane is still subject<BR>
>> > to the nasty effects of high G?<BR>
>><BR>
>> I rather like inertial dampening and antigravity to be two completely<BR>
>> different things. Not so much for that effect, but (per "Consider<BR>
>Phlebas",<BR>
>> I think) for the potentially messy death awaiting someone who tries to use<BR>
>> antigrav equipment on anything that generates gravity by spinning.<BR>
>><BR>
>> Rather rips RL physics apart, but I think I can live with that.<BR>
><BR>
>You can't create gravity by spinning.  I suppose you are<BR>
>speaking of centrifugal/centripetal force.  What difference<BR>
>does it make if you are spinning something and add AG?<BR>
<BR>
Handwaves at 10 paces?<BR>
<BR>
It is not "creating gravtity", it should be "Simulating gravity by spinning".<BR>
<BR>
Now, if AG just removes the gravity effect instead of providing a gravity<BR>
like counter force, that rips 20th century physics quite badly* -<BR>
it also means that you can't use this field to counter forces other than<BR>
gravity, so the result is that you are wearing an AG belt but still stuck to<BR>
the floor.<BR>
<BR>
*There is an assumption in physics that if you are in an accelerating<BR>
sealed box**<BR>
with as much apparatus as you want, there is no way of knowing if the<BR>
acceleration<BR>
is due to the gravity of a planet in front or a rocket motor*** behind****.<BR>
This assumption is know as "Einstein's General Theory of Relativity".<BR>
<BR>
**You're not allowed to drill holes in the box but the theoretical<BR>
physicists agree<BR>
to open the box before you starve or suffocate in order to find your results.<BR>
In theory.<BR>
<BR>
***Okay, assume a quiet rocket motor that doesn't shake your fillings out.<BR>
<BR>
****So you'll be able to work it out when you hit the planet or the fuel<BR>
runs out?<BR>
In case #1 it's too late and in case #2, you didn't really expect a<BR>
theoretical<BR>
physicist to get in a spaceship to come and rescue you, did you?<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 07:55:55 EST<BR>
From: "Roger Barr" <travelergm@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: gravity pong<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 10:58:08 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong (was re: Turbolifts)<BR>
<BR>
All you need to make the shipboard actions like in AHL possible, is to add<BR>
adaptive controls to the standard-issue grav belts which are worn by all<BR>
boarding parties to counter this very problem. This device will also make<BR>
zero-g-combat a fairly useless skill.<BR>
<BR>
Luther<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
As far as the gravity pong goes, as a referee I simply established safty <BR>
protocols built into the grav plate controls which will require a specific <BR>
period of time in order to shift the gravity effects. Normally two minutes, <BR>
(plenty of time for an assault team to pass the specific area). This is a <BR>
SAFETY protocol and cannot be overridden unless a Gravitics Tech (skill <BR>
level 2+) decides to actively hotwire a grav plate. Then all bets are off...<BR>
:)<BR>
<BR>
Roger Barr<BR>
TravelerGM@aol.com<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 03:35:19 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Good info!<BR>
<BR>
I just spotted where they'd *hidden* the January Scientific American.<BR>
It's got several areticles of interest for Traveller.<BR>
<BR>
"We Were Not Alone" is applicable to the recent discussion of human<BR>
sub-species. It looks like there were *at least* three "human" species<BR>
in existence when Grandfathermade his grab 300 kyears ago. Homo Erectus<BR>
was still around near Java, Homo Neanderthalis was all over the place,<BR>
and so was Homo Heidelbergensis. <BR>
<BR>
That last species *may* actually turn out to be *several* species.<BR>
Also, Homo Sapiens has been pushed back to *at least* 200 kyears back.<BR>
Maybe more. So it's *possible* that H.Sapiens was around for<BR>
Grandfather to pick up. <BR>
<BR>
In any case Grandfather may have had as many 8 species to chose from.<BR>
<BR>
"Snowball Earth" is *very* interesting because it allows for *major*<BR>
climate changes in only a few centuries on an Earth like planet! For<BR>
instance, going from "normal" to "several km of ice on the *equatorial*<BR>
oceans) takes less than a millenium! That's right, a planet could have<BR>
frozen over since the founding of the third imperium!<BR>
<BR>
Planets would stay that way for *millions* of years, until enough CO2<BR>
from vulcanism accumulates. Then, in only a "few centuries" the planet<BR>
will thaw *completely*, and have a *nasty* climate (50C!) for some<BR>
years before all the CO2 is back into equilibrium. Peak CO2 levels<BR>
would be 350 times current levels (say 11% according to the figures in<BR>
my CRC handbook). <BR>
<BR>
Either change could make for a very *different* planet.<BR>
<BR>
Oh yeah, the "frozen over" world has extensive *sand dunes* due to the<BR>
lack of moisture and large amounts of wind erosion. <BR>
<BR>
Read the articles. And have fun designing adventures or background<BR>
based on them.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 08:39:47 EST<BR>
From: "Roger Barr" <travelergm@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: gravity pong<BR>
<BR>
<snip><BR>
<BR>
>Or you just shoot the power connector (or some key spot) the a grav plate<BR>
>before you enter that section of the cooridor.<BR>
<BR>
>Having to thoroughly sabotage the ship as you proceeded through it<BR>
didn't suit my fancy. Besides, why should any of the power connectors<BR>
or "key spots" be on the same side of the bulkheads as the intruders,<BR>
and why should they have "In case of boarding action, shoot this<BR>
spot" marked on them?<BR>
<BR>
>I think the "blast the grav plates" method would require some pretty<BR>
thorough trashing of the ship, and/or some pretty extensive schematics<BR>
of the target ship.<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Yes, it is true. But you have to admit, it makes a good battle cry, likening <BR>
it to:<BR>
"Close the blast doors!"<BR>
<BR>
Roger Barr<BR>
travelerGM@aol.com<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 08:06:17 -0600<BR>
From: ehenry@newberlin.org (Eric Henry)<BR>
Subject: Re: overlooked resources<BR>
<BR>
How about this?  _Naval Customs, Traditions and Usage_, published by then<BR>
United States Naval Institute,  1939.<BR>
<BR>
also _Watch Officer's Guide_.  My copy is the Tenth Edition, published by<BR>
the Naval Institute Press, 1971.<BR>
<BR>
Disclaimer.  I am not and never have been in the service of any armed<BR>
service, foreign or domestic.  Just a civilian admirer.<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: Leonard Erickson <shadow@krypton.rain.com><BR>
Subject: overlooked resources<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>It occured to me that I should mention ome potentially useful resources<BR>
>for GMs that are often overlooked.<BR>
><BR>
>I got an old (1960s) copy of the "BlueJacket Manual" from a friend's<BR>
>brother. And a 1950s copy of the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Miltary Justice"<BR>
>from a thrift store's pile of old books.<BR>
><BR>
>Check around for stuff like this. Then, if you suddenly need to<BR>
>"invent" procedures for something onboard ship, you can granb the<BR>
>bluejacket manual (or the equivalent for other services) and see how<BR>
>the current Navy does it. Maybe you can use it, maybe you'll have to<BR>
>change it. But at least you've got a non-arbitrary starting point.<BR>
><BR>
>The UCMJ is great for military law type issues. And it's nice just to<BR>
>make players nervous. They see this grey book, obviously not a game<BR>
>book and ask what it is. You tell them and then they get *ever* so<BR>
>paranoid anytime they get *near* someone or something that might<BR>
>involve military law or jurisdiction. :-)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 08:32:03 -0600 (CST)<BR>
From: "Jason Kemp" <Jason.Kemp@tdh.state.tx.us><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller "Emulations"<BR>
<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
<BR>
> Attn: Joseph Detrich and Jason Kemp<BR>
> <BR>
> Guys: I put links to your emulations on my traveller page... hope you guys<BR>
> don't mind....<BR>
<BR>
Not at all, my friend. Thanks. I recently discovered that my efforts <BR>
have been added to a few other Hero link sites as well, all without <BR>
me mentioning the site to anyone. It's enough to make a man proud. :)<BR>
<BR>
With Warm Regards,<BR>
Jason<BR>
<BR>
=============================<BR>
Jason Kemp, ADS Programmer IV<BR>
(512)458-7111 ext. 3375<BR>
Internet Address:  jason.kemp@tdh.state.tx.us<BR>
<BR>
Most computer virus and email alerts are hoaxes.  For more info, check out:<BR>
http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/culture/beliefs/urbanlegends/library/blhoax.htm<BR>
==============================<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 13:56:29 +0200<BR>
From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Jussi_Kenkkil=E4?= <Jussi.Kenkkila@helsinki.fi><BR>
Subject: Vs: Traveller-digest V1999 #1722<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message ----- <BR>
From: <Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 10:58 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1722<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> I've yet to meet a Finn who hasn't claimed that Finnish is so difficult<BR>
> even the Finns have trouble with it.  I certainly got a bit boggled at the<BR>
> 16 or 17 cases.  (German has just 4 which was hard enough for me.)  Perhaps<BR>
> our residents from Suomi can tell us how 'literate' they feel in their own<BR>
> language.  (And is something like _Kalevala_ regarded as easy reading or<BR>
> does it have complex grammatical structures?)<BR>
> <BR>
I feel quite literary in finnish. I've never really learned the rules of grammar, but it doesn't matter, because i know my mother's tongue intuitively. Therefoe I can write correct finnish without remembering the rules. IMHO Kalevala has no hard structures, but the words are so archaic, that they are difficult to understand. To me reading Kalevala is like reading Shakespeare in the original form.<BR>
<BR>
- -J2K<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 14:44:53 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: money in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
Kyle Schuant wrote:<BR>
>My take on money is this:<BR>
>Paper money won't be interstellar, it's too easy to<BR>
>forge passably.<BR>
<BR>
High tech copying equipment is likely on the banned list<BR>
of most lower tech worlds. Electronic money is just<BR>
a different version of money.<BR>
<BR>
Whatever the form, I'd assume that at TL15, there is<BR>
something that you can hold which is the equivalent<BR>
of a ten pound note and there is also the technology<BR>
to verify that it is genuine in a manner that the<BR>
resources available to a group of PCs in a starship<BR>
can't beat.<BR>
<BR>
If the money doesn't work interstellar, it's not clear how<BR>
it works on a single planet.<BR>
<BR>
[note - I'm not saying that it would be impossible to<BR>
 break, I'm not saying that the combined resources of<BR>
 research stations Alpha through Gamma can't break it,<BR>
 I'm not saying you need something that Grandfather<BR>
 can't break it, I'm not saying that it contains a TNE<BR>
 transponder, just that a group of PC's can't break it,<BR>
 not even with forgery-8 and computer-8. You might be<BR>
 able to do something that the bar staff will accept<BR>
 but that's true now.]<BR>
<BR>
>Electronic credit, to my mind, just doesn't work on an<BR>
>interstellar level. Yes, they can send a message to<BR>
>the local head office,<BR>
<BR>
You could always send the message first, or at the same<BR>
time as travelling. Or even use an encryption that the PCs<BR>
can't break and give them the message.<BR>
<BR>
>... wait a couple weeks, then get<BR>
>out some local currency, but my understanding of the<BR>
>traditional approach is that the PCs are rushing<BR>
>around trying to make the next mortgage payment; they<BR>
>don't have time to wait for this kind of thing.<BR>
<BR>
Most of the free trader's money will be in the spec cargo<BR>
that is being carried, the rest will be in the freight<BR>
charges and ticket prices that the trader collects<BR>
before departing. Those can be banked when they are received,<BR>
along with paying the staff. Then the bank only needs<BR>
to send a message to the bank you have the mortgage with.<BR>
<BR>
>... and come to think of it, what<BR>
>would tourists do if they had to wait two weeks?<BR>
<BR>
You go to the local branch of the Imperial equivalent to<BR>
American Express (TAS) and show your proof of membership.<BR>
They give you some local money and send a message to the<BR>
nearby branches.<BR>
<BR>
When you travel to a nearby world, they'll already know<BR>
and will give more or refuse depending on your credit<BR>
rating.<BR>
<BR>
When you finally get home, the bills will be waiting.<BR>
<BR>
>I see it going back to the barter system, and thus a<BR>
>gold standard or equivalent. After all, what was gold<BR>
>in the days of Rome and Greece and the Kush, but an<BR>
>item of barter that _everyone_ valued? Until the past<BR>
>couple of decades, that was what our paper money was<BR>
>supposed to be, a representation of actual gold. <BR>
>So you have to ask, what would be an item of barter<BR>
>that _everyone_ values in the 3I?<BR>
<BR>
A high tech bit of iridium, silicon and oxygen (plus<BR>
other trace elements) that announces:<BR>
<BR>
"I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of<BR>
 1,000 credits. Signed <squiggle><BR>
 pp His Imperial Majesty, Strephon"<BR>
<BR>
:-)<BR>
<BR>
>Gold might be a problem, I think, because with all<BR>
>these big old asteroids floating around, someone is<BR>
>bound to flood the market with several hundred tons of<BR>
>the stuff, causing inflation! (I guess that's why<BR>
>bullion is forbidden to private hands in Australia by<BR>
>law?)<BR>
>IMTU, I tend to have little flat cards of metal,<BR>
>alloys of rare earth elements (like ytturbium); these<BR>
>elements have intrinsic value because they're used in<BR>
>high technology power plants, drives, and computers.<BR>
>Of course they're worth little on individual worlds,<BR>
>but that's what the exchange office in the starport is<BR>
>for.<BR>
>Thoughts, girls and guys?<BR>
<BR>
Your little flat cards of metal sound a lot like money to me.<BR>
Unless it is only worth its intrinsic value.<BR>
Even if the alloy is worth 10MCr per tonne on the bulk,<BR>
metals market, that's what - 15kg for a monthly payment?<BR>
<BR>
And now you have problems of currency fluctuations on<BR>
mining colonies and between wholesale and retail cash<BR>
suppliers. And the TL affect is going to be massive.<BR>
<BR>
This doesn't sound a lot like the solid Imperial Credit<BR>
as used in starports across 11,000 worlds.<BR>
<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 07:40:25 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1748<BR>
<BR>
>> Scouts in the X-Boat branch, however, do spend long periods<BR>
>> alone in their X-Boats.  They must be very unusual people.<BR>
>> Their air filters are good, though.<BR>
><BR>
>I see no reason why X-boat pilots would need to spend *much* <BR>
>longer aboard ship than S pilots. Again per S:7 (p. 10), <BR>
>"Since pilots are rotated between ships frequently..." <BR>
<BR>
It's not that they spend any longer aboard ship than their S <BR>
pilot compatriots -- a week in jumpspace is still a week in <BR>
jumpspace. But X-boat pilots do it *alone*. With lots of videos, <BR>
reading materials, etc., but still totally alone. And in a<BR>
small, confined space -- imagine something about the size of your<BR>
bedroom. <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, 14 Jan 2000 07:45:19 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
>ObTrav: many depictions in sci-fi of the future imply<BR>
>or state that as races become more advanced<BR>
>technologically, they advance ethically, and stop<BR>
>eating meat, etc. <BR>
<BR>
A ridiculous assertion, IMHO... but that's just me.<BR>
<BR>
>IYTU's, is this an "advance"? Or is<BR>
>there indifference to this? Does the Emperor like his<BR>
>steak well-done, or would he have the same reaction to<BR>
>being offered steak one of us affluent westerners<BR>
>would have at being offered witchety grubs?<BR>
<BR>
There may well be planets whose cultures eschew eating<BR>
meat... but the Imperium as a whole? Hardly.<BR>
<BR>
(I would imagine that Astroburger franchises on the <BR>
vegetarian planets would be difficult to sustain -- IMTU,<BR>
every starport in the Imperium has an Astroburger franchise.)<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, 14 Jan 2000 07:35:23 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again<BR>
<BR>
>> >  How about Goauld (or whatever the heck the things are called in<BR>
>> > Stargate).<BR>
>> <BR>
>> I have never seen Stargate. What are the Goauld?<BR>
><BR>
>A parasitic being that requires a human host to survive.  Check your local<BR>
>video store for the original Stargate starring Kurt Russell.  It is a epic<BR>
>story-- almost (I think it needed to be about 20-30 minutes longer).<BR>
<BR>
"Hail to the Sun God<BR>
 He is the Fun God<BR>
 Sis-boom-bah,<BR>
 Ra! Ra! Ra!"<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: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 15:51:46 +0100 (MET)<BR>
From: Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk><BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
Jim Lawrie writes:<BR>
<BR>
>>Recipice for roast elephant: First you get an elephant...<BR>
>><BR>
>>In other words, people are much too apt to throw about schemes without<BR>
>>considering the details of execution. <BR>
>><BR>
>>[...]<BR>
>><BR>
>>Starships are expensive. Armed and armored ships suitable for piracy are<BR>
>>really expensive. What are the chances that he can intercept the victim?<BR>
>>What are the changes that the victim won't fight him? What are the chances<BR>
>>he won't take a hit that will costs millions to repair in a fight? After<BR>
>>all, we know that Free Traders routinely are armed, at least in the<BR>
>>Spinward Marches, so how long will he have to wait until a suitable<BR>
>>victim comes along?<BR>
> <BR>
>    The Pirate usually IS in-system and he has every right to be there,<BR>
>because pirates don't come from disaffected merchant crews anymore. Pirates<BR>
>come from spacefaring cultures like Belters who live in a boom-or-bust<BR>
>cycle. <BR>
<BR>
So you are assuming that nowadays Belters fly armed and armored jump-capable<BR>
ships large enough to pose a threat to an armed merchant?<BR>
<BR>
>The informant is a customs officer and he gets a copy of the manifest via<BR>
>the x-boat system weeks before the merchant turns up, <BR>
<BR>
So you are assuming that 1) the prospective victim is a regularily scheduled<BR>
freighter and 2) that the company files cargo manifests on their ships weeks<BR>
in advance instead of when they actually load the cargo?<BR>
<BR>
>...plenty of time for a laser message to be sent via normal channels out<BR>
>into the belt. If the customs weasel is very lucky he may be able to get<BR>
>a hold of the merchants flight plans and the corsair can approach under<BR>
>the guise of a customs ship.<BR>
<BR>
So you are assuming that the real customs service will stand idly by while<BR>
this is going on? Or are you assuming that the world is large enough to<BR>
warrant a regularily sceduled freight service (and an X-boat link) but<BR>
can't afford any planetary defense forces? Oh, and you're also assuming that<BR>
this regularily sheduled freighter doesn't know that the world doesn't have<BR>
any customs ships?<BR>
<BR>
>So near the required time the belters go over to their "Pirates Hold<BR>
>Asteroid" and transfer into the outer system in their Type P and they only<BR>
>have to wait around for three days on "Silent Running" (Is EmCon the term<BR>
>for that?<BR>
<BR>
What is a "Pirates Hold Asteroid"? If it is anything that costs money to set<BR>
up and maintain, it will add to the cost of the operation that the pirates<BR>
will have to steal enough to support.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
      Hans Rancke<BR>
University of Copenhagen<BR>
     rancke@diku.dk<BR>
- ------------<BR>
        "The referee should determine the nature of subsequent<BR>
         events based on the individual situation."<BR>
                                _76 Patrons_, p. 8<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 08:15:19 -0700<BR>
From: Erwin Fritz <efritz@glja.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Third Imperium Email<BR>
<BR>
Andy Coombes wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
> If anyone wants a copy, email me direct. It currently runs from a dos box<BR>
> under win'95.<BR>
<BR>
Yes, please! I currently calculate routes and delay times for TNS<BR>
releases manually, so this would save me some time.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Erwin Fritz<BR>
Gilbert Laustsen Jung Associates Ltd.<BR>
http://www.glja.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 10:26:39 EST<BR>
From: Kagehira@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: HIWG CD<BR>
<BR>
    They are all gone, plus two or three more. I have permission to do a <BR>
total of five more, 2-3 of those are spoken for already, this is the last <BR>
chance to get one for awhile.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Bryan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 15:36:19 +0000<BR>
From: "Greg Aldridge" <Greg.Aldridge@marconicomms.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
>IYTU's, is this an "advance"? Or is<BR>
>there indifference to this? Does the Emperor like his<BR>
>steak well-done, or would he have the same reaction to<BR>
>being offered steak one of us affluent westerners<BR>
>would have at being offered witchety grubs?<BR>
<BR>
We know the Emperor and most of the the sophonts within the 3I (or I)<BR>
like their steak well-done.<BR>
<BR>
What do you think has got the K'Kree so upset ;-><BR>
<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
     Greg Aldridge      | "Since light travels faster than sound, isn't<BR>
   Software Engineer,   | that why some people appear bright until you<BR>
   EASAMS Engineering   |              hear them speak?"<BR>
        Systems         |<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
   Email: Greg.Aldridge@marconicomms.com    Tel: 01245 353221 x4437<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
IMTU tc tm tn t4+ tg ru+ ge(+) 3i+ c+ jt au- ls+ pi ta-- he as vi sy+ so<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 09:47:28 -0600 ()<BR>
From: "Joseph R. Dietrich" <yikes@evansville.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller "Emulations"<BR>
<BR>
>From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
><BR>
>> Attn: Joseph Detrich and Jason Kemp<BR>
>><BR>
>> Guys: I put links to your emulations on my traveller page... hope you guys<BR>
>> don't mind....<BR>
<BR>
I don't mind at all, although I certainly couldn't find a link to my site<BR>
on your page. :-)<BR>
<BR>
Ciao,<BR>
<BR>
Joseph R. Dietrich<BR>
yikes@evansville.net<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 10:59:54 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: HIWG CD<BR>
<BR>
I want one..where do I go?<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: <Kagehira@aol.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2000 10:26 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: HIWG CD<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>     They are all gone, plus two or three more. I have permission to do a<BR>
> total of five more, 2-3 of those are spoken for already, this is the last<BR>
> chance to get one for awhile.<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> Bryan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 09:08:49 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money<BR>
<BR>
KenRoney@aol.com wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Another interesting point if memory serves me correctly, I believe that the<BR>
> king of France and other medeival rulers purged the Templars from their<BR>
> realms as heretics, which as bankers in a society that forbad usery, they<BR>
> were, and incidentally allowed the rulers to seize whatever treasures the<BR>
> Templars had. <BR>
<BR>
Also, not so incidentally, those selfsame rulers didn't have to pay off<BR>
the (by then) large sums they owed the Templars. <BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 03:07:40 +1100<BR>
From: David Healey <dhealey@giant.net.au><BR>
Subject: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
Gentlebeings,<BR>
<BR>
Does anyone have a hard and fast rule for calculating the distance between<BR>
two worlds on a sector map ?<BR>
<BR>
I'm trying to automate Route Mapping (as per Far Trader) using Excel and<BR>
the algorithm I thought I had doesn't spin true.<BR>
<BR>
If anyone knows of one, send a carrier-pigeon my way.<BR>
<BR>
Cheers<BR>
<BR>
Dave<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:13:03 +0000<BR>
From: Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions<BR>
<BR>
Dom wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>2) Has anyone any feelings on whether they'd like to see more<BR>
>adventures like SpaceDogs and The Khiidkar Incident?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Yes, please.  I'd even like to see more adventures *not* like SpaceDogs and<BR>
TKI.  I wouldn't want you to get into a rut!<BR>
<BR>
tc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 11:26:48 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: <BR>
<BR>
U.S. currency paper is made from a mix of papers and wool (from sheep I<BR>
believe).  The mix is made into a pulp then the polyester fiber's are added.<BR>
Bank tellers check currency primarily by it's 'feel'.  If something doesn't<BR>
'feel' right, it bears a closer look.  Also, there are things in the<BR>
currency that if looked for, totally defeat any photocopy system.<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: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
To: <traveller@mpgn.com><BR>
Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2000 10:16 PM<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> >They also have the polyester "thread" (more of a strip) printed with<BR>
> >the denomination, the colorchanging ink on some of the numbers,<BR>
> >micro-engraved printing that *can't* be duplicated at 1200 dpi, etc.<BR>
><BR>
> The trick, it would seem, is merely getting something good enough to fool<BR>
> the average cashier. Which is why most forgery is done on small bills...<BR>
> there is not enoguh time to check them individually. At the grocer, you<BR>
> hand over a 50 or 100, and the cashier typically looks at it closely. Hand<BR>
> over 20's, and one doesn;t feel right, it gets a look. Hand over 1's, and<BR>
> they just toss them in the drawer.... and most machines accepting bills<BR>
> currently aren't able to look for the radio-active polyester strip, nor be<BR>
> any more able to read that microprint.<BR>
><BR>
> More than likely, a good photocopy in black will pass in poor light. (My<BR>
> office photocopies the SN's of all cash deposited... on a black-toner,<BR>
> IIRC, 1200DPI laser-copier, with them overlapped so as to make it obvious<BR>
> they are NOT real bills. But, if you get the right weight bond, and copy<BR>
> them non-overlapped, they'd pass in most bars. A local bar was scammed<BR>
that<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1750<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1751</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 14 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1751<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: Distance between two worlds<BR>
Re: Third Imperium Email<BR>
Re: Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
RE: money in the 3I<BR>
Re: overlooked resources<BR>
Re: Potty<BR>
Re: 3I Currency<BR>
Terraform Shush/Corridor 0221!<BR>
Re: Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
X-boat traffic<BR>
Re: X-boat traffic<BR>
Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
Algorithm: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 08:20:49 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Terry Mixon <tlmixon@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
- --- David Healey <dhealey@giant.net.au> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Gentlebeings,<BR>
> <BR>
> Does anyone have a hard and fast rule for calculating the distance<BR>
> between<BR>
> two worlds on a sector map ?<BR>
> <BR>
> I'm trying to automate Route Mapping (as per Far Trader) using Excel<BR>
> and<BR>
> the algorithm I thought I had doesn't spin true.<BR>
> <BR>
> If anyone knows of one, send a carrier-pigeon my way.<BR>
 <BR>
I suspect that the only way to do it is by hand.<BR>
<BR>
Here is what Jim MacClean had to say when I asked.<BR>
<BR>
- ---------------<BR>
<BR>
- --- jmaclean@ix.netcom.com wrote:<BR>
 From: jmaclean@ix.netcom.com<BR>
 Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 10:06:22 -0500 (CDT)<BR>
 To: traveller@mpgn.com<BR>
 Subject: Re: G:T Far Trader stuff<BR>
 Reply-to: traveller@mpgn.com<BR>
 <BR>
 On 05/10/99 05:48:08 Terry wrote:<BR>
 > Ian wrote:<BR>
 >> The final issue is astrography - for example, Collace to Asteline <BR>
 >> is 8 parsecs in a straight line, but astrography enforces 10. <BR>
 >> This cuts what would be an 8 relationship to a 7.5.<BR>
 ><BR>
 >Hmm. That's a good point. If I have to refigure distance based on <BR>
 >actual travel distance, that will modify this whole project. That <BR>
 >is a good question for those that figured this process out in the <BR>
 >first place. Well guys?<BR>
 <BR>
 	Yes, distance has to be based on actual travel distance along he <BR>
 shortest J-2 route (J-4 along x-boat routes).  Worse than that, if<BR>
 there <BR>
 isn't enough trade to qualify for its own route, it will flow along<BR>
 existing <BR>
 routes, so if you're interested in total trade and not just mapping<BR>
 routes <BR>
 you'll have to have a separate step for this.<BR>
 	I considered automating this task when writing these rules, but it <BR>
 seemed like a big job.  So far it has been easier to do it by hand. <BR>
 If you <BR>
 are willing to automate this so that all anyone has to do is dump in<BR>
 sector <BR>
 data you will have done an enormous service to the Trav community. <BR>
 Who <BR>
 _wouldn't_ want a trade map of the Imperium?<BR>
 <BR>
 <BR>
 ------------------<BR>
 Jim MacLean<BR>
 Economist, Traveller Fan<BR>
 co-author GT: Far Trader<BR>
 <BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 09:25:01 -0700 (MST)<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
Subject: Re: Third Imperium Email<BR>
<BR>
I'd love a copy, thanks!<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, 14 Jan 2000, Andy Coombes wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> At 01:18 PM 12/01/2000 +1100, you wrote:<BR>
> >I put together some 'emails to a PC from his sister' as player handouts.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >See this as a sample of what the emails might look like:<BR>
> ><BR>
> >www.rossmack.com/ab/rpg/traveller/xgrams/035-1102.asp<BR>
> ><BR>
> >I got sick of figuring out the delivery routes after a while - but you get<BR>
> >the general idea.<BR>
> ><BR>
> <BR>
> Great stuff.<BR>
> <BR>
> I've written a program (pair of programs actually) that list a route from one<BR>
> place to another, forex:<BR>
> <BR>
> C:\acc\route>route spinward.rt 1106 3032<BR>
> 1106 Jewell<BR>
> 1307 Lysen<BR>
> 1705 Efate<BR>
> 1806 Whanga<BR>
> 1808 Forboldn<BR>
> 1910 Regina<BR>
> 1912 Dinomn<BR>
> 1815 Ghandi<BR>
> 1719 Lanth<BR>
> 1920 D'Ganzio<BR>
> 2319 Ivendo<BR>
> 2321 Quiru<BR>
> 2322 Gorram<BR>
> 2324 Capon<BR>
> 2726 Carey<BR>
> 2927 Maitz<BR>
> 3029 Pallique<BR>
> 3030 Nexine<BR>
> 3032 Katarulu<BR>
> <BR>
> I'm planning on extending the programs to include travel times, and to work<BR>
> with<BR>
> a database of traveller news items (eventually), to allow me to distribute<BR>
> news to PCs at the right time (but I'm also willing to listen to other<BR>
> suggestions).<BR>
> <BR>
> If anyone wants a copy, email me direct. It currently runs from a dos box<BR>
> under win'95.<BR>
> <BR>
> AndyC.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 11:34:48 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
Another handwave is that it is "traditional and fashionable".  In the face<BR>
of disbelief, I would like to point out any examples of outrageousness in<BR>
our own 'baroque period of history.  The Imperial government may have made<BR>
it a decree that all subjects use only Imperial currency.<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: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2000 12:16 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> William Hostman previously wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> > High Crime. After All, in cannon, the Imperium uses a strictly CASH<BR>
> > payroll. (Specified in several adventures.) Imperial Currency, not<BR>
> > electronic transfer, is the explicit means in _The Traveller Adventure_.<BR>
> > Ships lockers in all the CT adventures have CASH, and loads of it.<BR>
Several<BR>
> > articles from JTAS specify the all imperial payments are made in<BR>
Imperial<BR>
> > Currency...<BR>
><BR>
> I always (at least since technology has advanced) wrote this off as the<BR>
> influence on the time of the writing of CT. In the 70's electronic cash<BR>
> didn't exist. Certainly the technology to produce secure electronic cash<BR>
> didn't. Since this was only 20 years or so ago, I have to assume that at<BR>
> some point in the future the technology will be perfected which will allow<BR>
> its use. Certainly well before the time of 3I.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 11:30:27 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: money in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
Kyle Schuant writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>Electronic credit, to my mind, just doesn't work on an<BR>
>interstellar level.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	It doesn't work well for those in a hurry, but it might be<BR>
	important for certain other purposes.<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>IMTU, I tend to have little flat cards of metal,<BR>
>alloys of rare earth elements (like ytturbium); these<BR>
>elements have intrinsic value because they're used in<BR>
>high technology power plants, drives, and computers.<BR>
>Of course they're worth little on individual worlds,<BR>
>but that's what the exchange office in the starport is<BR>
>for.<BR>
<BR>
	IMTU, hard Imperial Credits are credit card-sized objects<BR>
	made of synthetic materials, containing a TL 15 computer<BR>
	that makes them difficult and expensive to forge.  There<BR>
	are some simple tests that may be performed at low TL to<BR>
	confirm their value (such as entering a code and reading<BR>
	the result), and "readers" at higher TLs that perform<BR>
	more sophisticated tests.  It is still possible to forge,<BR>
	but it is usually easier to fool sophonts in other ways.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 08:25:04<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: overlooked resources<BR>
<BR>
At 09:09 PM 1/13/2000 PST, you wrote:<BR>
>It occured to me that I should mention ome potentially useful resources<BR>
>for GMs that are often overlooked.<BR>
><BR>
>I got an old (1960s) copy of the "BlueJacket Manual" from a friend's<BR>
>brother. And a 1950s copy of the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Miltary Justice"<BR>
>from a thrift store's pile of old books.<BR>
<BR>
You can also find the UCMJ at:<BR>
<BR>
http://www.louisville.edu/library/ekstrom/govpubs/federal/agencies/defense/u<BR>
niformcode.html<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
We all enter the world in the same way: naked, screaming, soaked in blood.<BR>
But if you live your life right, that kind of thing doesn't have to stop<BR>
there.  <BR>
- -- Dana Gould <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 08:27:37<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Potty<BR>
<BR>
At 09:12 PM 1/13/2000 -0600, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Exactly.  When they tell you something is "good training", the proper<BR>
>response is "we're screwed."  When they tell you it's "a chance to<BR>
>excel", the proper response is "we're _really_ screwed."<BR>
<BR>
LOL!  "Good training" is what we'd say to each other whenever we were as<BR>
miserable and wet as was humanly possible.<BR>
<BR>
>Personally, though I prefer euphemisms, such as:<BR>
><BR>
>We really engaged in canine carnal knowledge on _that_ one!<BR>
>His sixth point of contact is up his fourth point of contact.<BR>
><BR>
>Any expressions like this in GT: Ground Forces?<BR>
<BR>
I'm working on some, but if anybody has suggestions...<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 08:32:08 -0800<BR>
From: "Brian Jenkins" <Brian.Jenkins@grpwise1.westek.com><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Currency<BR>
<BR>
>Ob Trav. TAS takes the role of the knights, has banks in every port in the<BR>
>Imperium (and most places out side of it). When a PC places his money in the<BR>
>bank on Terra, he is given a debit card stating how much money they have.<BR>
>Then when the PC goes to a bank on Jewell, he show the card and can get >his money.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU I have been playing with this for a long time and I must admit that I have changed a bit as the years have gone by and I have seen things like ATM cards become commonplace.  This is my take on the whole thing.  I do have Electronics fund transfers but only in system.  I strictly resist the idea of any electronic system that extends beyond the star system since one of the basic ideas of traveller is that communication is limited to the speed of travel.<BR>
I make my PC's deal in cash and commodities for selfish reasons I must admit. It just makes the game so much more interesting.  The only thing that I postulate is not counterfitable (sp?) is the imperial currency and the imperial currency is the only medium that is accepted Imperium Wide.  Since the volume of the Icr is so large when you have to have a lot of it the players come up with different ways to store wealth.  (precious stones and metals for example)  Also on lower tech worlds trade rather than buying and selling is what happens (ye olde barter system).  Now bear in mind that I use this because my players enjoy that sort of thing and have in every campaign that I have done.  IYTU it is up to you and ONLY up to you to provide what you are most comfortable with and what your players like.  BTW the foundation series in the first book talks about traders have some great examples of using commodities and barter.<BR>
<BR>
>comments?<BR>
<BR>
The only other comment that I am going to make is that, yes, I am a capatalist and I work as a salesman!  And I love playing merchants.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Brian Jenkins<BR>
<BR>
bjenk@sprintmail.com<BR>
<BR>
"It pays to be obvious.  Especially if you have a reputaion for subtlety."<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 10:39:12 -0600<BR>
From: "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com><BR>
Subject: Terraform Shush/Corridor 0221!<BR>
<BR>
Shush/Corridor 0221 C662262-7  Lo Ni      623 Na F8 V G3 D<BR>
<BR>
Shush is a non-aligned world right on the Rift in the Corridor<BR>
sector.  It has a diameter of 6,000 miles, an untainted, <BR>
breathable atmosphere, 20% surface water, 600 people at TL7<BR>
beholden to some interstellar authority, and a government<BR>
code of 2 (what is a 2 again??).<BR>
<BR>
Shush has 2 planetoid belts, 3 gas giants, and 2 stars:<BR>
a type V and a dwarf (probably a close binary, but not<BR>
necessarily).<BR>
<BR>
This world has great potential.  It has plentiful system<BR>
resources, and a habitable world.<BR>
<BR>
There is a lot of ice locked in the planetoid belts.  A lot.<BR>
Enough to increase the amount of water on Shush significantly.<BR>
If Shush was 40% water on the surface, it would have the<BR>
potential of becoming a breadbasket world.  It would take<BR>
awhile before it could actually be one -- it would need a<BR>
large established population -- but the planet would be<BR>
ready for colonization.<BR>
<BR>
How would you do it?<BR>
<BR>
Assume: 10% surface water is a volume equal to a shell around<BR>
the planet 1 kilometer deep.  For a size 1 world, this works<BR>
out very roughly to:<BR>
<BR>
	surface of a sphere = 4 * pi * r * r<BR>
<BR>
        4 * pi = 12.5<BR>
	r = 800 km<BR>
<BR>
        surface area = 8,000,000 km^2<BR>
        1 km deep    = 8,000,000 km^3        <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
        1 cubic kilometer = approx 100,000,000 dtons<BR>
        <BR>
        displacement = apx 800,000,000,000,000 dtons<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
For Shush (a size 6 world), this works out to:<BR>
<BR>
	r = 4800 km<BR>
	surface area = 288,000,000 km^2<BR>
	1 km deep    = 288,000,000 km^3<BR>
<BR>
        (1 cubic kilometer = aprx 100,000,000 dtons)<BR>
	displacement = 28,800,000,000,000,000 dtons<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
And that's only to increase Shush from 20% to 30% water.  <BR>
To qualify as a breadbasket it needs *40%*...<BR>
<BR>
How would you do it?<BR>
An expensive and drastic operation, to be sure.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I. The fusion still approach<BR>
<BR>
We'll need a bunch of large, industrial fusion stills -- <BR>
like a large spaceship that's mostly distiller.  And we'd<BR>
need to distill more than a million dtons of water per day.<BR>
<BR>
Transport is no problem.  Just shoot small (1 to 10 dton)<BR>
pellets of distilled ice toward the planet?<BR>
<BR>
If you wanted to do the job in 10 years (10 years!), you'd<BR>
have to process and throw 3 quadrillion dtons of water at the <BR>
planet every year; 1 quadrillion dtons every 100 days; <BR>
10 trillion dtons every day!  That's the same volume as<BR>
20 million Tigresses!  Yow!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
II. The gigantic iceball approach<BR>
<BR>
Hopefully, there are some absolutely HUGE iceball planetoids<BR>
in the belts which we could *tow* into orbit, breaking them <BR>
up as we go -- maybe like the bag of ice you'd buy at a<BR>
grocery: the ice is all melted into one glob, but you break<BR>
it up by whacking it a bit to loosen all the ice chunks from<BR>
each other.  That's the metaphor, anyway.<BR>
<BR>
All we'd need is to move a single 400km radius iceball sphere...<BR>
Eeek!  Maybe enough to effect the tides, eh?  How about ten<BR>
200km raduis spheres?  That sound better?  Or even seventy-two<BR>
100km radius spheres?  Still sound a little voluminous?  Well<BR>
at any of these points we're probably better off processing<BR>
the ice at the source and sending it off...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
What do you all think?  Anyone like the idea?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 11:44:20 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
Luther Martin wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> I always (at least since technology has advanced) wrote this off as the<BR>
> influence on the time of the writing of CT. In the 70's electronic cash<BR>
> didn't exist. Certainly the technology to produce secure electronic cash<BR>
> didn't. Since this was only 20 years or so ago, I have to assume that at<BR>
> some point in the future the technology will be perfected which will allow<BR>
> its use. Certainly well before the time of 3I.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
This is certainly true.<BR>
<BR>
However, in my view the 3I isn't a direct successor state to any Earth<BR>
culture/technology/belief system etc.  Just because we can do X doesn't<BR>
mean they can or will want to do it.<BR>
<BR>
Also, remember then overall tech level of the Imperium isn't 15.  There<BR>
are plenty of backwaters with low tech where cash comes in handy.<BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 08:49:27 -0800<BR>
From: Evyn MacDude <wmacdude@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
Bill Rutherford wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> At 05:16 PM 01/13/2000 -0500, John wrote:<BR>
> >I'm curious, what sort of miniatures (PCs and/or ships) are you good<BR>
> >folks using?  Or are you doing without, or using the cardboard sort, or<BR>
> >micromachines, Legos, etc.<BR>
><BR>
> We play using 15mm figs - Citadel, Laserburn<BR>
<BR>
 Anybody got a web referance for the laserburn line?<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
The theme of the whole thing is clear. We have to be careful with wisdom. We<BR>
have to make certain we're ready for it when it comes knocking on our door.<BR>
Knowledge isn't always a blessing;<BR>
    sometimes, it's damnation.<BR>
Play Dirty: Let's All Go to the Movies!, by John Wick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:52:11 -0000<BR>
From: Brian Caball <boc@raidtec.ie><BR>
Subject: X-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
Jason T. Barnabas wrote:<BR>
If pop's were max'ed out (10 ^ 10 - 1) and each person on each world<BR>
wrote a good sized novel (100,000 words = 5 x 10 ^ 5 bytes) to each<BR>
person on the other world, there would be less than 10 ^ 26 bytes of<BR>
data exchanged.<BR>
<BR>
However, what if a "letter" constituted Mother's 3  hour monologue in<BR>
full 3dholovision with surround sound? With holovids of the kid's school<BR>
play and cousin Martha's wedding thrown in? I have no doubt that at TL<BR>
15 you can have some scary amount of storage density, but data is like a<BR>
gas: It expands to fill all available capacity. <BR>
<BR>
- -Brian Caball<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 09:00:39<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: X-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
At 04:52 PM 1/14/2000 -0000, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>However, what if a "letter" constituted Mother's 3  hour monologue in<BR>
>full 3dholovision with surround sound? With holovids of the kid's school<BR>
>play and cousin Martha's wedding thrown in? I have no doubt that at TL<BR>
>15 you can have some scary amount of storage density, but data is like a<BR>
>gas: It expands to fill all available capacity. <BR>
<BR>
Traveller's Digest had an interesting concept.  An interactive message.<BR>
You record a message on some subject, and the computer starts asking you<BR>
questions based on the message's content and a set of laws searching for<BR>
probable questions on the part of the recipient.<BR>
<BR>
When your message gets to person B, he can ask you questions, and if the<BR>
program has enough information, get an answer.  I'd imagine that the<BR>
computer would store previous messages and reaction data, so that when your<BR>
Mother sent a message the system would be able to do a very credible job of<BR>
imitating her and her responses.<BR>
<BR>
If you stray into an area not covered, the program will simply respond "I<BR>
don't understand that."<BR>
<BR>
In the Imperial Palace, this is used to allow visitors to question former<BR>
Emperors.  I always wondered what kind of answers you'd get from Cleon the<BR>
Mad's simulation...<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry   Templar Agent at Large.<BR>
gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/sylea.html<BR>
<BR>
TravGeekCode: <BR>
tc+ tm+ !tn- t4@ ?tg+ tt@ to(CORPS)++ ru@ $ge++ 3i<BR>
ii+ au st+ ls+ pi kk+ so(++) va++ dr+ zh+ sw++ ?da<BR>
         <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 08:26:40 -0900<BR>
From: Peter Newman <pnewman@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
[resending a message that has not gone through to the Digest]<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net> wrote<BR>
<BR>
> in cannon, the Imperium uses a strictly CASH<BR>
> payroll. (Specified in several adventures.) Imperial Currency, not<BR>
> electronic transfer, is the explicit means in _The Traveller Adventure_.<BR>
> Ships lockers in all the CT adventures have CASH, and loads of it. Several<BR>
> articles from JTAS specify the all imperial payments are made in Imperial<BR>
> Currency...<BR>
<BR>
> IMTU, there is limited commercial funds transfer via X-mail. But, when you<BR>
> look at the cargo tables in Bk7, or in MT/TNE/T4, currency shipments are a<BR>
> big factor. Think of this: 1L of imperial Cr1 bills is roughly Cr1000.<BR>
<BR>
There is no 1 credit bill in the official Traveller universe.<BR>
<BR>
"Credit bills are issued in 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000,<BR>
and 10,000 credit denominations. Plastic coins manufactured <BR>
in a similar manner in various shapes are issued in<BR>
quarter [credit], half [credit], one [credit], and five <BR>
credit denominations"<BR>
<BR>
[IMTU domains & megacorps issue tenth credit, Cr 0.10,<BR>
and twentieth credit, Cr 0.05, coins to make spending<BR>
small change easier but these are not technically legal <BR>
tender. I also note that creating a variety of coins<BR>
makes coin collecting a more interesting hobby. Twenty<BR>
years ago I had a player who was a coin collector and<BR>
that's how I created this detail.]<BR>
<BR>
"Bills measure 75 mm by 125 mm; [3" x 5"] one thousand<BR>
bills stand 50 mm high."<BR>
<BR>
- - [Library Data: Imperial Currency, The Traveller<BR>
Adventure, p. 142.]<BR>
<BR>
By comparing the coins in the accompanying<BR>
illustration to the 41 mm long Cr 10 bill in the<BR>
illustration we know that the illustration is <BR>
about one third of actual size. Therefore we know<BR>
that the coins, which measure 5.5 mm to 9 mm across<BR>
in the illustration are actually about 16.5 mm to<BR>
27 mm across. The one credit coin is 7 mm in the<BR>
illustration so it must be 21 mm in reality.<BR>
<BR>
[I note that a true canon purist might claim the<BR>
illustration is inaccurate since the text says the<BR>
coins come in various shapes while the coins in the<BR>
illustration are all round.]<BR>
<BR>
For comparison:<BR>
a US penny is about 19 mm<BR>
a US nickel is about 21 mm<BR>
a US dime is about 17 mm<BR>
a US quarter is about 24 mm<BR>
a US half dollar is about 30 mm<BR>
a Canadian $1 (loony) coin is about 26 mm.<BR>
<BR>
The denominations of the non Cr 1 coins<BR>
are not clear but semi arbitrarily I <BR>
suggest that the picture shows the front<BR>
& rear of the Cr 1 coin [21 mm] and the<BR>
fronts of the Cr 0.50 & Cr 5 coins. My assumption<BR>
that the larger coins are bigger is also <BR>
arbitrary but it fits typical American patterns<BR>
[not counting dimes] and the library data in <BR>
question was written by Americans.<BR>
<BR>
Cr 0.25       14 mm [0.55"]<BR>
Cr 0.50       17 mm [dime sized]<BR>
Cr 1          21 mm [nickel sized]<BR>
Cr 5          27 mm [a little bigger than a Susan <BR>
                    B Anthony $1 US or a Canadian <BR>
                    loonie]<BR>
<BR>
Since I am not going to make any assumptions <BR>
about the coins thickness I will not attempt<BR>
to determine their volume.<BR>
<BR>
Returning to the bills I note that the<BR>
stack of bills described is<BR>
7.5 cm x 12.5 cm x 5 cm = 468.75 cc's<BR>
<BR>
1L = 1000 cc's<BR>
<BR>
Therefore 1L of bills, with no packaging will be 2,133<BR>
bills. Unless you are assuming that 55% of the space in<BR>
currency shipments is wasted then I'd say that 1L of<BR>
Cr 10 bills  (the smallest denomination) in a bag = Cr 20,000. <BR>
<BR>
I know that lots of things are shipped so that 55%<BR>
or more of the shipping container is wasted but those<BR>
are usually fragile items and money is not fragile. I<BR>
personally have stuffed locking canvas bank bags over<BR>
90% full of US cash. Maybe if you are shipping this<BR>
currency in a safe then you'll get 55% waste space<BR>
but otherwise you'll get a lot more than that in.<BR>
<BR>
[For comparison Current US currency is about 16 cm x 6.7 cm. <BR>
Nine thousand $1 US bills [mostly new], in bank bundles of <BR>
1,000 bills I had to count last year were less than 1 foot <BR>
high, maybe about 1.25" per thousand, call it 30 -35mm per 1,000 <BR>
bills so Imperial currency is apparently about the same <BR>
thickness, or a little thicker than, current US money [I also <BR>
note that since the plastic they are made of is probably more <BR>
wrinkle & stain resistant than the cotton US bills are made of <BR>
Imperial Credits probably don't gain as much volume<BR>
when they are used as US bills do.]<BR>
<BR>
> That<BR>
> means a lot sized at 1m3 (exclusive of packaging) is MCr=Bill Denomination.<BR>
<BR>
I'd call it<BR>
<BR>
MCr = Bill Denomination x 2 with minimal packing<BR>
<BR>
MCr = Bill Denomination x 1.5 with heavy packing<BR>
<BR>
MCr = Bill Denomination if packed in safes. If you are<BR>
going to pack your cash extensively you may as well put<BR>
it in a safe. Of course you can simply cut off the top <BR>
of the container with your starship laser, accept<BR>
a few percent losses and spend the rest. <BR>
<BR>
> Lots will range, by canon, up to 16 tons. At 16 tons of, say, Cr100 bills,<BR>
> that's a major load... we'll assume only 10m3 of cash after packaging, per<BR>
> ton. That's up to MCr16,000! (GCr16). (Cr16E12). One score on a load of<BR>
> even ones is enough to fund a ship for YEARS. And, by canon, it happens.<BR>
<BR>
10 cubic meters of Cr 100 bills should be more like<BR>
MCr 2,100 & 16 tons packed this way would be about MCr<BR>
34,000.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 09:30:12 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
<BR>
> The trick is finding a *binder* that won't degrade. <BR>
Well, at imperial tech levels you just make them cling to the hull with a<BR>
gravitational field ;)<BR>
> <BR>
> Also, white and reflective materials are *lousy* at *radiating* heat.<BR>
> so they tend to *keep* the energy they don't reflect away. <BR>
<BR>
Which does mean you need separate targetable radiators, it's true.  They may<BR>
well only be targetable from limited angles, however.  As an issue for armor,<BR>
the slow reradiation of heat is not a big problem, because:<BR>
a)  Its pretty unlikely that a second laser beam is going to hit that exact<BR>
same spot of hull, and<BR>
b)  While they aren't very good heat radiators, they are probably perfectly<BR>
fine heat conductors.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 11:37:24 -0600<BR>
From: "Bont" <felix@felixcafe.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
> Does anyone have a hard and fast rule for calculating the distance<BR>
> between two worlds on a sector map ?<BR>
> <BR>
> I'm trying to automate Route Mapping (as per Far Trader) using Excel<BR>
> and the algorithm I thought I had doesn't spin true.<BR>
> <BR>
> If anyone knows of one, send a carrier-pigeon my way.<BR>
<BR>
Here's one that was posted a long while back.  I have not checked <BR>
it, but everyone seemed to agree on it so I guess it works.<BR>
<BR>
int<BR>
distance( int world1, int world2 ) {<BR>
    int     x1, x2, y1, y2, dx, dy;<BR>
<BR>
    x1 = map[world1].x; <BR>
	x2 = map[world2].x;<BR>
    y1 = map[world1].y*2 - x1 % 2; <BR>
	y2 = map[world2].y*2 - x2 % 2;<BR>
    <BR>
	dx = x1 - x2; <BR>
	dy = y1 - y2;<BR>
    <BR>
	if( dx < 0 ) dx = -dx; <BR>
	if( dy < 0 ) dy = -dy;<BR>
    <BR>
	if( dx >= dy ) return dx;<BR>
    <BR>
	return (dx + dy)/2;<BR>
}<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- - - -<BR>
FELIX (Thomas L Bont)<BR>
<BR>
- - Encrypt your messages!<BR>
  That way only the government knows what you wrote!<BR>
<BR>
- - It is truly the wise man that knows what he doesn't!<BR>
<BR>
- - With your shield or on it ... (Old Spartan Blessing)<BR>
<BR>
- - Fidelitas super omnia, honore excepto<BR>
<BR>
- - Help Stop Forest Fires.  Outlaw Matches.<BR>
<BR>
Be sure to visit The FELIX Cafe at<BR>
     http://www.felixcafe.com/<BR>
<BR>
- - - -<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 18:32:54 +0000<BR>
From: "Carlos Alos-Ferrer" <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at><BR>
Subject: Algorithm: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
> From:          David Healey <dhealey@giant.net.au><BR>
<BR>
> Does anyone have a hard and fast rule for calculating the distance between<BR>
> two worlds on a sector map ?<BR>
 <BR>
> I'm trying to automate Route Mapping (as per Far Trader) using Excel and<BR>
> the algorithm I thought I had doesn't spin true.<BR>
 <BR>
OK, OK, OK, I tried to do it for you. Off The Top Of My Head Over A <BR>
Cup Of Coffee....<BR>
<BR>
- ----------------------------<BR>
Let x1,y1 be the first point (x1=col, y1=row, standard hex notation), <BR>
and x2,y2 the second. The distance in hexs between the two should be <BR>
given by this:<BR>
<BR>
Let x=abs(x1-x2), y=abs(y1-y2), where abs is the absolute value.<BR>
<BR>
If x is even:<BR>
      if y<x/2, distance  = x<BR>
      if y>=x/2, distance = y+x/2<BR>
<BR>
If x is odd:<BR>
      if y<(x-1)/2, distance = x<BR>
      if y>=(x-1)/2, distance = y + (x+1)/2<BR>
- -------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
I don't have the time to write down a full proof, so I may be <BR>
mistaken, but I think it works. You can check it the hard way <BR>
<grin> by comparing the "by hand" distances between 0101 and all <BR>
worlds in a quarter of a sector and the ones produced by the <BR>
algorithm above.<BR>
<BR>
Carlos Alos-Ferrer<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1751<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 14 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1752<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: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
RE: Pirate Ships<BR>
Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
Re Scouts (Was X-Boats)<BR>
will start playing in my home town<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Nukes (Pirate Economics)<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
RE: HIWG CD<BR>
Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Privateers (Punishment for Piracy)<BR>
Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Scouts vs. merchantsGlenn <BR>
Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
Q-Does anyone have 2d6 probability percentages handy?<BR>
Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
Re: Q-Does anyone have 2d6 probability percentages handy?<BR>
Re: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 11:43:00 -0600<BR>
From: ehenry@newberlin.org (Eric Henry)<BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
Why is that a good thing?  It seems to me you want to dump as much heat<BR>
 energy ) as possible.  If you're conducting heat ( energy ) you're heating<BR>
your own vessel, which is precisely what your opponent was trying to do in<BR>
the first place.<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
>b)  While they aren't very good heat radiators, they are probably perfectly<BR>
>fine heat conductors.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 09:44:19 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
Eric Henry writes:<BR>
> Why is that a good thing?  It seems to me you want to dump as much heat<BR>
>  energy ) as possible.  If you're conducting heat ( energy ) you're heating<BR>
> your own vessel, which is precisely what your opponent was trying to do in<BR>
> the first place.<BR>
<BR>
No, your enemy isn't trying to heat up your vehicle.  Your enemy is trying<BR>
to blow big holes in your vehicle.  There are less efficient ways to kill<BR>
an enemy ship than by heating it up, but not very many.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 12:56:37 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Pirate Ships<BR>
<BR>
Wayne Ewart writes:<BR>
>Time to open another can of worms.<BR>
<BR>
	Squirm, craw, wriggle...<BR>
<BR>
>Class of ships used by pirates. What do you use?<BR>
>In MTU the built to spec. corsairs can mostly be found in Vargr<BR>
>space (them Dogs live for piracy)where as most Pirates that my<BR>
>PC's will find (MTU is over in the Daibei sector) would be more<BR>
>like the custom job done to a 600-ton Subsidized Liner (MSS<BR>
>Vigilante) in Assignment: Vigilante. I like the idea that pirates<BR>
>gutting common trader/liner hulls, refitting the hull for there<BR>
>needs.<BR>
>Ideas, comments.<BR>
<BR>
	I'm with you.  Pirates IMTU rarely have access to vessels<BR>
	specifically designed for piracy.  As per canon, the type S<BR>
	Scout is not uncommon, because it is so widely available and<BR>
	cheap to run (NOT because it is particularly well-suited to<BR>
	the task, though it is good at being innocuous).  Using<BR>
	something like the type A Freetrader has a couple of<BR>
	advantages: you look like a merchant, you have lots of room<BR>
	for loot and a boarding party, the low berths can be handy<BR>
	for prisoners, and you can actually be a merchant when it<BR>
	suits you.  The type C Happy Fun Ball makes an excellent<BR>
	pirate ship, but is more expensive to run and tends to draw<BR>
	attention to itself.  Merchant ships of various types are<BR>
	more commonly used, but the odd type C or Gazelle might be<BR>
	seen.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 12:07:28 -0600<BR>
From: "Bont" <felix@felixcafe.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
> I suspect that the only way to do it is by hand.<BR>
<BR>
If you want one that will plot a course for you (based on your jump <BR>
rating and whether you want to conserve fuel or max out your jump <BR>
drive), check out my Astrogator 4 program.  It will plot a course <BR>
around the rift, through 5 sectors, in less time than it takes to sit <BR>
back in your chair.<BR>
<BR>
http://209.39.36.25/gurps/<BR>
<BR>
I am quite proud of this feature.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- - - -<BR>
FELIX (Thomas L Bont)<BR>
<BR>
- - Encrypt your messages!<BR>
  That way only the government knows what you wrote!<BR>
<BR>
- - It is truly the wise man that knows what he doesn't!<BR>
<BR>
- - With your shield or on it ... (Old Spartan Blessing)<BR>
<BR>
- - Fidelitas super omnia, honore excepto<BR>
<BR>
- - Help Stop Forest Fires.  Outlaw Matches.<BR>
<BR>
Be sure to visit The FELIX Cafe at<BR>
     http://www.felixcafe.com/<BR>
<BR>
- - - -<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 13:02:54 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: Re Scouts (Was X-Boats)<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman writes:<BR>
>>	That is what the x-boat tender is, I believe.  IMTU, it would<BR>
>>	be supported by a type S Scout or two, and refueled by locally<BR>
>>	contracted fuel shuttles (Scouts don't get Ship's Boat as a<BR>
>>	skill).<BR>
>They don't get it because they don't NEED it. Under CT, and MT, <BR>
>Pilot serves as Ship's Boat at one level less, but Ships Boat<BR>
>doesn't serve as pilot. Since all scouts in the field start off<BR>
>with Pilot-1...<BR>
<BR>
	Sure, but if every x-boat tender had a couple of fuel<BR>
	shuttles I would expect Ship's Boat skill to appear on it's<BR>
	own.  If I am trained to Pilot 1 and then fly nothing but<BR>
	small craft for 12 years, I would not expect my Pilot skill<BR>
	to increase.  YMMV.<BR>
<BR>
>So the scouts may just use modular cutters, with Pilot-2 pilots<BR>
>and fuel skimming modules.... they do that IMTU.<BR>
<BR>
	What?  You mean YTU does not conform to MTU?  ;)<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 10:02:54 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: will start playing in my home town<BR>
<BR>
>From: "S D" <terran_2@hotmail.com><BR>
>Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1746<BR>
>Thanks everyone for helping me with the traveller thing.  <BR>
>Hopefully i will get some of the books and will start playing <BR>
>in my home town.  Thank you all  for your help.<BR>
<BR>
where might said home town be?  you may be able to find players<BR>
right here on the TML.  There seems to be a disproportionate<BR>
number of us in the San Francisco megalopolis.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
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Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 10:11:23 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
>Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
...<BR>
>>         http://www.HistoricalMiniatures.com/<BR>
...<BR>
>Thanks!  They look pretty cool.  I'm glad they have some civilian types<BR>
too.    <BR>
<BR>
  The civs are what got me started on them - people without sidearms!!<BR>
<BR>
>Have you seen any of the Stargrunt line? <BR>
>http://www.geohex.com/stargr01.htm<BR>
<BR>
I've got a bunch, but they're rather more expensive, w/o real justification.<BR>
<BR>
>>   You should still be able to find some official TNE starships around.<BR>
><BR>
>RAFM, right?  I liked their ships, but didn't like their characters. <BR>
<BR>
  You're not alone in that, so I hear :><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 10:13:11 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Nukes (Pirate Economics)<BR>
<BR>
>From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
>Subject: Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
...<BR>
>        No.  Flat, excplict, roaring, no.  As part of the TNEC milieu<BR>
>history, a 5000-person colony was wiped out by someone with an axe to grind<BR>
>and a nuke....  as a result, the UN has made possession of nuclear devices<BR>
>by anyone other than UN forces a Capital crime with potential for summary<BR>
>trial and punishment.  Civvilian craft can carry all the lasers and HE-HARMs<BR>
>they like, but *no* nukes.<BR>
<BR>
  So your pirates/raiders/Y3K bugs mostly only have to worry about warships<BR>
(paras/Q's) and each other :)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 12:14:24 -0600<BR>
From: ehenry@newberlin.org (Eric Henry)<BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
The enemy is attempting to catastrophically heat your vessel.  A layperson<BR>
would call it blowing large holes in the side.<BR>
<BR>
Whatever you call it, your goal is to transfer great amounts of energy onto<BR>
a target such that the target is incapacitated.  Since the conduction of<BR>
energy aids in that fashion you would want your ship to radiate energy as<BR>
furiously as possible while at the same time hoping your opponent conducts<BR>
energy as fast as you can supply him ( ie. hit him ) with it.<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>Eric Henry writes:<BR>
>> Why is that a good thing?  It seems to me you want to dump as much heat<BR>
>>  energy ) as possible.  If you're conducting heat ( energy ) you're<BR>
heating<BR>
>> your own vessel, which is precisely what your opponent was trying to do<BR>
in<BR>
>> the first place.<BR>
><BR>
>No, your enemy isn't trying to heat up your vehicle.  Your enemy is trying<BR>
>to blow big holes in your vehicle.  There are less efficient ways to kill<BR>
>an enemy ship than by heating it up, but not very many.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 13:17:04 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: HIWG CD<BR>
<BR>
Bryan writes:<BR>
>They are all gone, plus two or three more. I have permission to do<BR>
>a total of five more, 2-3 of those are spoken for already, this is<BR>
>the last chance to get one for awhile.<BR>
<BR>
	Pardon my ignorance, but what are they?<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 10:17:31 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
>From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
<BR>
>Piracy is defined as an imperial crime in CT, along with <BR>
>Imperial High Treason, Murder, and violations of the Rules of <BR>
>Warfare. <BR>
<BR>
This is not the subject of your excellent post on money, but I<BR>
want to note that the Imperial Rules of War are just policy<BR>
guidelines for member states, mercenaries, and the Imperial<BR>
authorities to consider during war among Imperial members,<BR>
corporations, nobles, and other entities.  <BR>
<BR>
Violating them triggers Imperial intervention, but no criminal<BR>
sanctions per se.  A violation of the RoW may also be a crime. <BR>
Someone who nukes a city in an Imperial member state will likely<BR>
be charged with insurrection, murder, crime against<BR>
civilization, maybe treason, and maybe a few others, depending<BR>
on how creative the prosecutor is.<BR>
<BR>
>Funny, tho, that almost all imperial crimes have either life<BR>
> sentences or death sentences.... <BR>
<BR>
We usually just talk about the big ones, those that constitute<BR>
threats to the security of the realm.  There are other Imperial<BR>
High Crimes with lesser punishments, like assaulting an Imperial<BR>
officer, obstructing an Imperial officer, etc.  Imperial General<BR>
Crimes (I think that's what I'm going to call them) cover all of<BR>
the things that local law ordinarily covers in places where<BR>
there is no local law, like a world adminstered directly by the<BR>
Imperial government.  They are not threats to the security of<BR>
the realm, but still serious (rape, murder, arson) and they<BR>
carry prison sentences of various lengths.  (This paragraph is<BR>
not strictly supported by canon, but it's how I run my<BR>
universe.)<BR>
<BR>
>I can see Imperial Currency Forgery also being anImperial<BR>
>High Crime. <BR>
<BR>
Definitely.  That's a threat to the security of the realm,<BR>
especially in light of the dependence on cash to which you<BR>
refer.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
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Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 08:58:07 -0800<BR>
From: Keith Johnson <keithalanjohnson@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
At 07:36 AM 1/14/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>------------------------------<BR>
>Keith Johnson wrote:<BR>
> > When I use miniatures, I use the cardboard type.  I'm pretty happy that<BR>
> > Microtactix has a cool sci-fi building kit, but I am even happier that<BR>
> > <blatant plug>Steve Jackson Games is coming out with another set of<BR>
> > Cardboard Heroes</blatant plug>.<BR>
> ><BR>
><BR>
>A reprint of an old set, or a new set?<BR>
<BR>
A new set.  It's a set of floorplans and props.  Basically, you can create <BR>
rooms, stairways, corridors, furniture, walls, chests, pillars, ect... to <BR>
go along with the previous CH set.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>IMHO, a wise move would be to reprint the old 15mm Traveller cardboard<BR>
>heroes, in both 15 and 25mm.<BR>
<BR>
The fact that there is a second set of CH makes me believe that there will <BR>
be future CH sets.  If that happens, I don't doubt that Trav/Sci Fi figures <BR>
will materialize.  I am definitely rooting for a Trav CH set, but we'll see <BR>
what happens.<BR>
<BR>
_________________________________________________________<BR>
Rev. Keith Johnson      /\     keith@sjgames.com<BR>
Assistant Webmaster    /()\    keithalanjohnson@home.com<BR>
Steve Jackson Games   /____\   reverendkeith@hotmail.com<BR>
       "I choose you, Dullinor!" - PokeTrav Master<BR>
  IMTU tm++@ t4+@ tg++$ ru- ge-@ st+ pi+ he+ dr+ hi-@ zh+<BR>
_________________________________________________________ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 10:32:26 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Privateers (Punishment for Piracy)<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
>Subject: Re: Punishment for Piracy (Re: Pirate Tactics)<BR>
...<BR>
>Privateer : Private individuals who are licensed by a state to raid an enemy<BR>
>states shipping in time of war.<BR>
<BR>
  It might be pointed out that this largely went out of style once RW states<BR>
developed fiscal organs capable of maintaining naval establishments; they<BR>
were already anachronistic by the time naval tech started to differentiate<BR>
substantially from civilian marine transport. Although the former could be<BR>
hand-waved as being cultural, the latter trend is very clear in all of the<BR>
Traveller ship design systems that I'm aware of.<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 10:32:41 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
<BR>
>From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
>Subject: Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
...<BR>
>        Statement of the obvious is that the owners of Lamprey-class ships<BR>
>would be marked men and women...  one of these monsters "picking on" a<BR>
>cluster of a dozen or so worlds could seriously disrupt trade.  Not only are<BR>
>the goods gone, so is the *ship*.<BR>
<BR>
  Another statement of the obvious is that such an obviously purpose-built<BR>
(/refitted) ship probably can't survive an encounter with any sort of<BR>
authorities - even merc papers aren't going to help too much except in the<BR>
short term.<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 10:32:00 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
Eric Henry writes:<BR>
> The enemy is attempting to catastrophically heat your vessel.  A layperson<BR>
> would call it blowing large holes in the side.<BR>
<BR>
The enemy is attempting to focus enough heat in a small enough area to result<BR>
in internal explosions.  Conduction isn't going to get you that level of heating.<BR>
> <BR>
> Whatever you call it, your goal is to transfer great amounts of energy onto<BR>
> a target such that the target is incapacitated.  Since the conduction of<BR>
> energy aids in that fashion you would want your ship to radiate energy as<BR>
> furiously as possible while at the same time hoping your opponent conducts<BR>
> energy as fast as you can supply him ( ie. hit him ) with it.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, overall heating is almost completely irrelevant (or, if not irrelevant, would mainly incapacitate the firing vehicle).  If you can't get all your heat within a small enough area to cause explosive vaporization of<BR>
material you might as well not have bothered to use the weapon at all.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 10:33:11 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
>From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
<BR>
Here's a morbid subject that we haven't discussed for a while:<BR>
<BR>
>stuff), and those who cooperate MIGHT just get life, and those <BR>
>who don't get hot-lead injections (AKA, bullet through <BR>
>brainmass). And uninvolved informants might just get a <BR>
>knighthood....<BR>
<BR>
In my Traveller universe, it's the Solomani who are most likely<BR>
to list a death that occurred in prison as caused by "acute lead<BR>
poisoning causing a cerebral hemorrhage" (what you called a<BR>
hot-lead injection).<BR>
<BR>
Imperial civilian executions are generally by beheading with a<BR>
very sharp TL13 naval sword or marine cutlass.  The headsman<BR>
traditionally wears black battledress (the powered armor helps<BR>
make sure the cut is clean and all the way through).  This<BR>
method arose during the Psionics Suppressions, when it was<BR>
thought that the brain had to be destroyed to kill some<BR>
psionicists.  The head would roll into a kiln, which would be<BR>
brought to extremely high temperature very rapidly.  The ashes<BR>
would then be crushed and scattered.  <BR>
<BR>
The method of Imperial military executions depends on the<BR>
situation.  A formal execution after conviction by court martial<BR>
for some capital offense might be by firing squad or beheading. <BR>
A summary execution in the field for mutiny will be by whatever<BR>
means is practical and available.  ("Take Major Danby out and<BR>
have him shot! What do you mean I can't do that?  What good is<BR>
being a general if I can't have someone shot?")<BR>
<BR>
The Zhodani don't execute anyone.  They try to help people<BR>
resolve their problems and enjoy life.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 13:37:43 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
Rev. Keith wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> ><BR>
> >A reprint of an old set, or a new set?<BR>
> <BR>
> A new set.  It's a set of floorplans and props.  Basically, you can create<BR>
> rooms, stairways, corridors, furniture, walls, chests, pillars, ect... to<BR>
> go along with the previous CH set.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
Cool.  <BR>
<BR>
> The fact that there is a second set of CH makes me believe that there will<BR>
> be future CH sets.  If that happens, I don't doubt that Trav/Sci Fi figures<BR>
> will materialize.  I am definitely rooting for a Trav CH set, but we'll see<BR>
> what happens.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
That's promising news.  While I'm making out my wish list, how about<BR>
Traveller deckplans in 25mm, with a hex grid overlay?<BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 13:48:14 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
Steven Hudson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
>   The civs are what got me started on them - people without sidearms!!<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
That's what got me to asking.  I was looking at my Wargames Foundry<BR>
"Darkest Africa" figures, which has a great collection of unarmed (and<BR>
armed) civilians, and began thinking about using them in Traveller. <BR>
That's no pith helmet, it's a psi shield!<BR>
<BR>
> >Have you seen any of the Stargrunt line?<BR>
> >http://www.geohex.com/stargr01.htm<BR>
> <BR>
> I've got a bunch, but they're rather more expensive, w/o real justification.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
Thanks for that bit of info.<BR>
<BR>
> >>   You should still be able to find some official TNE starships around.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >RAFM, right?  I liked their ships, but didn't like their characters.<BR>
> <BR>
>   You're not alone in that, so I hear :><BR>
<BR>
That's too bad.  Just my opinion, but I think an inspiring line of<BR>
Traveller minis would generate more interest in the TU.  Stuff like<BR>
"Starship crewman wearing snubpistol holding coffee cup".....<BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 10:49:47 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Scouts vs. merchantsGlenn <BR>
<BR>
>From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
<BR>
>I see no reason why X-boat pilots would need to spend *much* <BR>
>longer aboard ship than S pilots. Again per S:7 (p. 10), <BR>
[quotation deleted]<BR>
>Pilots can only be rotated through xboat tenders, so they get <BR>
>to hang with tender crews, and if they don't want to get back <BR>
>on a boat right away, they can spend some time on tender or on <BR>
>base.<BR>
<BR>
This leads to a Catch-22 kind of problem.  The Scouts are at<BR>
least a quasi-military service, so "I don't want to get back on<BR>
a boat yet" is probably not going to do it.  Regulations would<BR>
prescribe how many days a pilot may or must have between X-Boat<BR>
trips for reasons of mental and physical health (and the regs<BR>
would differ by species of pilot).  <BR>
<BR>
So let's say the regs say that you can't get back on an X-Boat<BR>
within four days after you got off one.  If boats come in on<BR>
days 1, 2, 3, and 4, you can't go back out.  If a boat comes in<BR>
on or after Day 5, you have to take it out.  If you don't want<BR>
to take it out, you have to have to have some recognized reason<BR>
- -- and there's the catch 22.  <BR>
<BR>
If the reason you don't want to go is that you are becoming<BR>
crazy, then the medical officer asks if you want to go out.  If<BR>
you say no, then you are sane, so you have to go.  If you say<BR>
yes, then you want to go, and so they send you.<BR>
<BR>
Now a week on an X-Boat is lot less dangerous physically and<BR>
mentally than a bombing run over occupied Italy in 1943, but<BR>
this kind of dynamic could still operate.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 11:01:14 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
<BR>
>From: Eris reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
>Subject: Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
...<BR>
>As far as *trade* is concerned, I don't think Letters of Credit are<BR>
>the best way to go. For that you want currency, trade goods and<BR>
>commodities. IMO, of course.<BR>
<BR>
  RW merchants in similar conditions _developed_ LOC's, etc.; they<BR>
probably had good reasons to do so :)<BR>
<BR>
  FWIW, effective omnipresence (but omnipotence only in their own dreams)<BR>
is achieved by lots of corps - if MegaFrateCo knows of a tramp, they'll<BR>
likely happily issue a draft on their system in exchange for payment that<BR>
the local office can confirm in time, and they'll likely take a lien on<BR>
my spec freight/ship/transplantable organs*.<BR>
<BR>
 *this _is_ a Corp finance dept., right?<BR>
<BR>
  And there are a number of good reasons for local offices of large lines<BR>
to keep track of the bottom feeders in their AOO.<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 14:12:13 -0500<BR>
From: Glenn Myers <glenn.myers@ansys.com><BR>
Subject: Q-Does anyone have 2d6 probability percentages handy?<BR>
<BR>
Hi all,<BR>
<BR>
I am looking for the probability percentages for 2d6. <BR>
Example:  XX% of the time 7+ will be rolled on 2d6.<BR>
<BR>
I've generated this table from scratch a few time in the past but figured<BR>
someone on this list must have it handy. Just feeling lazy today, I guess.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks,<BR>
<BR>
Glenn<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
<BR>
Glenn E. Myers<BR>
ANSYS Inc.                Email: glenn.myers@ansys.com<BR>
275 Technology Drive      Phone: (724) 514-2913<BR>
Canonsburg, PA 15317      Fax:   (724) 514-3118<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
 <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 13:18:10 -0600<BR>
From: "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com><BR>
Subject: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
<BR>
Assume: We record a 3-hour monologue in full 3d surround holovision.<BR>
<BR>
We're talking movie-length material, here.  Today, we can record<BR>
a movie in full 2d surround sound within 10 gig... and that's a<BR>
2 layer DVD (TL8?), somewhat smaller than a 45 rpm record... which, <BR>
at its most primitive (TL5?), might store <BR>
<BR>
   15 kbit/s * 10 min * 60 s/min = 8 megabytes of data.  <BR>
<BR>
One order of magnitude every TL or so?<BR>
So, naively assuming no breakthroughs and a linear progression:<BR>
<BR>
    TL 9 disc stores 100 gig     (Dinomn)<BR>
    TL A disc stores 1 ter       (Old Regina)<BR>
    TL B disc stores 10 ter      (Inthe)<BR>
    TL C disc stores 100 ter     (Regina)<BR>
    TL D disc stores 1 pet       (Efate)<BR>
    TL E disc stores 10 pet      (Macene)<BR>
    TL F disc stores 100 pet     (Rhylanor)<BR>
<BR>
    TL G disc stores 1 hexabyte  (Darrian) <BR>
<BR>
(We might even want to bump this up a bit, 'cause we might have <BR>
100 gig discs within a decade or so, but no fusion or jump drive).<BR>
<BR>
If holography begins at TL D, then about 4 hours of basic holo data <BR>
can fit on 1 petabyte.  But it will probably still sit on something <BR>
in the size ranges from a thick credit card to a 5" platter.<BR>
<BR>
Assume: Mom's 3-hour monologue fits on something near the size of <BR>
a CD.<BR>
<BR>
One Xboat solution is to 'ship' physical data discs.  Don't ask <BR>
about the horror of trying to organize it, but...<BR>
<BR>
	  50 CDs     ... 1 liter (10cm x 10cm x 10cm)<BR>
        1000 liters  ... 1 cubic meter<BR>
          14 cubic m ... 1 dton<BR>
        ----<BR>
      80,000 CDs per dton<BR>
  x        5 dtons per Xboat<BR>
     -------<BR>
     400,000 CDs (say half a million)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Now, assume this is a disk array rather than individual CDs.<BR>
<BR>
So then, the Imperial Xboat's mail space is a few big I/O machines<BR>
capable of storing the equivalent of 500,000 x 100 petabytes of<BR>
data. 500 hexabytes.  These are TL-F I/O computers, big bucks.<BR>
Assume it takes one day to unload all that data.  Then these boats<BR>
are broadcasting<BR>
<BR>
        max. 500 hexabytes per day<BR>
        max.  20 hexabytes per hour<BR>
        max.   5.5 petabytes per second<BR>
        <BR>
That's your Imperial throughput.  5,500,000,000,000,000 bytes per <BR>
second.  On TL-F, specialized, parallelized I/O data processors.<BR>
For only one Xboat.  On Mora, expect a dozen Xboats arriving per<BR>
day.<BR>
<BR>
Why do the Xboats need the computers aboard?  Because they need<BR>
to broadcast transient mail to the next Xboat in the link, which<BR>
is ready to receive data.  For this reason, I assume Xboats<BR>
transmit transient mail first, then send local mail to the system<BR>
receivers.<BR>
<BR>
- -Rob<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 12:21:06 -0700<BR>
From: Erwin Fritz <efritz@glja.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Q-Does anyone have 2d6 probability percentages handy?<BR>
<BR>
Glenn Myers wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Hi all,<BR>
> <BR>
> I am looking for the probability percentages for 2d6.<BR>
> Example:  XX% of the time 7+ will be rolled on 2d6.<BR>
> <BR>
> I've generated this table from scratch a few time in the past but figured<BR>
> someone on this list must have it handy. Just feeling lazy today, I guess.<BR>
<BR>
This is easy.<BR>
<BR>
Try this, off the top of my head.<BR>
<BR>
Roll  Probability<BR>
- ----  -----------<BR>
2     1/36<BR>
3     2/36<BR>
4     3/36<BR>
5     4/36<BR>
6     5/36<BR>
7     6/36<BR>
8     5/36<BR>
9     4/36<BR>
10    3/36<BR>
11    2/36<BR>
12    1/36<BR>
<BR>
To find the probability of 7+, just add the probabilities for 7 through<BR>
12.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Erwin Fritz<BR>
Gilbert Laustsen Jung Associates Ltd.<BR>
http://www.glja.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 08:27:56 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
On 14 Jan 00, at 7:45, Glenn St-Germain wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> (I would imagine that Astroburger franchises on the <BR>
> vegetarian planets would be difficult to sustain -- IMTU,<BR>
> every starport in the Imperium has an Astroburger franchise.)<BR>
<BR>
Well the starport one should do quite fine on a vegetarian planet, <BR>
because all the non-vegetarians will be queing up for their daily fix of <BR>
meat look-alike burger.<BR>
<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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1752<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 14 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1753<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 great scout debate<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
RE: 2D probabilities<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
RE: 2D probabilities<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions) <BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Article on Mercenaries<BR>
Re: Deckplans (was Miniatures)<BR>
Re: 2D probabilities<BR>
Re: The great scout debate<BR>
Terraform Shush/Corridor 0221!<BR>
Re: The great scout debate<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Apropos the Goa'uld reference<BR>
Re: Rep.Democracy Extension Profile (preliminary, long)<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Traveller Resources (was: Traveller-digest V1999 #1744)<BR>
Re: The great scout debate<BR>
Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
Building MT ships<BR>
Re: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
Re: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
Re: Forging currency<BR>
Re: Forging currency<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 11:36:02 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Re: The great scout debate<BR>
<BR>
Glenn St-Germain wrote<BR>
> >> Scouts in the X-Boat branch, however, do spend long periods<BR>
> >> alone in their X-Boats.  They must be very unusual people.<BR>
> >> Their air filters are good, though.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >I see no reason why X-boat pilots would need to spend *much*<BR>
> >longer aboard ship than S pilots. Again per S:7 (p. 10),<BR>
> >"Since pilots are rotated between ships frequently..."<BR>
> <BR>
> It's not that they spend any longer aboard ship than their S<BR>
> pilot compatriots -- a week in jumpspace is still a week in<BR>
> jumpspace. But X-boat pilots do it *alone*. With lots of videos,<BR>
> reading materials, etc., but still totally alone. And in a<BR>
> small, confined space -- imagine something about the size of your<BR>
> bedroom.<BR>
<BR>
It's not that small, though - more like a studio apartment. Two <BR>
staterooms, control room, and I think there's a small common area<BR>
as well. I'll grant that people who thrive on that are unusual, <BR>
but not *very* unusual. It would be heavenly for many artist-types <BR>
and writers to be in a job that pays well (look at the mustering-<BR>
out tables) and guarantees days-at-a-time stretches of peace, <BR>
quiet, privacy, and non-interruptedness.<BR>
<BR>
Of course, many sorts of obsessive-compulsive people might make <BR>
their neuroses even worse. Taking a RealDoll(tm) and a meter-high <BR>
stack of porn holos as your only baggage on an Xboat trip is a real<BR>
cry for help, if you get what I'm saying. Well, maybe not if you <BR>
only do it once or twice to see if you like it.<BR>
<BR>
So, hey, back to the air filters thing, I overheard this <BR>
conversation in a starport bar the other day:<BR>
<BR>
  "So, Staanlii, what've you been up to? I haven't seen you in here<BR>
in a couple weeks."<BR>
<BR>
  "Oh, the base got the parts for three more of those replacement air <BR>
systems in, so I was putting in some extra hours working on a Sullie. <BR>
Oh, speaking of which, did I ever tell you about the time these jarheads<BR>
came in here and asked me how I could stand to spend most of my life <BR>
riding in a ship that smells like armpits?"<BR>
<BR>
  "Sure, Staan, you told me a million times. 'At least I'm not dumb<BR>
enough to let someone pay me to get shot at.'"<BR>
<BR>
  "Yup. And let me tell you, the look on those guys' faces was worth <BR>
the trip to the E.R."<BR>
<BR>
- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 11:36:33 -0800<BR>
From: Keith Johnson <keithalanjohnson@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
At 02:30 PM 1/14/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> > The fact that there is a second set of CH makes me believe that there will<BR>
> > be future CH sets.  If that happens, I don't doubt that Trav/Sci Fi figures<BR>
> > will materialize.  I am definitely rooting for a Trav CH set, but we'll see<BR>
> > what happens.<BR>
><BR>
>That's promising news.  While I'm making out my wish list, how about<BR>
>Traveller deckplans in 25mm, with a hex grid overlay?<BR>
<BR>
Believe me, I'm whining to-the-powers-that-be in producing that as well. ;)<BR>
_________________________________________________________<BR>
Rev. Keith Johnson      /\     keith@sjgames.com<BR>
Assistant Webmaster    /()\    keithalanjohnson@home.com<BR>
Steve Jackson Games   /____\   reverendkeith@hotmail.com<BR>
       "I choose you, Dullinor!" - PokeTrav Master<BR>
  IMTU tm++@ t4+@ tg++$ ru- ge-@ st+ pi+ he+ dr+ hi-@ zh+<BR>
_________________________________________________________ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 15:14:22 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: 2D probabilities<BR>
<BR>
Glenn Myers writes:<BR>
>I am looking for the probability percentages for 2d6. <BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
2+	100%<BR>
3+	97%<BR>
4+	92%<BR>
5+	83%<BR>
6+	72%<BR>
7+	58%<BR>
8+	42%<BR>
9+	28%<BR>
10+	17%<BR>
11+	8%<BR>
12+	3%<BR>
<BR>
compliments of Excel :)<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 12:34:31 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
>Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
...<BR>
>That's what got me to asking.  I was looking at my Wargames Foundry<BR>
>"Darkest Africa" figures, which has a great collection of unarmed (and<BR>
>armed) civilians, and began thinking about using them in Traveller. <BR>
<BR>
28mm - you run the risk of being mistaken for a Pudding Workshop cultist :)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 12:33:16 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
>From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
<BR>
>Sometimes that trick backfires. I seem to recall hearing about<BR>
a<BR>
>soldier who got assigned to jump school and acted "properly <BR>
>scared" until *after* he'd made the required jumps. *Then* they<BR>
<BR>
>find out he's been sport jumping since he was in his teens...<BR>
<BR>
It reminds me of a story about Ginger Lacy, a British WW2 ace.<BR>
He had been flying for many years before the war, but when he<BR>
was in the RAF he still had to qualify for night flying.  So he<BR>
and the instructor when up in a trainer one night and the<BR>
instructor said, "descend 1000 feet" or however far. Lacy put<BR>
the plane into a side-slip and dropped to the new altitude.  The<BR>
instructor was a bit put out.  "You don't just side-slip to<BR>
descend," he bellowed.  Lacy:  "Oh, yes, I do sir." Instructor: <BR>
"Not at night you don't!"  Lacy:  "Oh, yes sir, at night<BR>
always."  Instructor:  "What do you mean 'at night _always_'?" <BR>
Lacy:  "I have over 400 hours night-flying, sir", which was much<BR>
more than the instructor.<BR>
<BR>
It's in a biography of Ginger Lacy that I read a very long time<BR>
ago.  He flew Hurricanes, then Spitfires, and served in both the<BR>
European and Pacific theaters.  <BR>
<BR>
That book also has a great scene where Lacy and some other<BR>
pilots are flying over Burma in I think Spitfires and they come<BR>
upon some Nakajima Hayabusas (I've forgotten the code name --<BR>
Zeke maybe? small, light, fast fighters).  Lacy fires a very<BR>
short burst and one of the Hayabusas bursts into flames and goes<BR>
down (which tended to happen to them).  Later, at the mess,<BR>
Lacy's mechanic bursts in and asks if he's sure that he got the<BR>
Japanese plane.  Lacy and the other pilots present all confirm<BR>
that they saw it happen.  The mechanic says, "but sir, you only<BR>
used nine rounds from your machine guns," to which Lacy replies,<BR>
"Really?  As many as nine?  You surprise me, really you do."<BR>
<BR>
Ob Traveller:  Situations like these (especially the latter)<BR>
probably arise from time to time.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 15:35:05 -0500<BR>
From: Glenn Myers <glenn.myers@ansys.com><BR>
Subject: RE: 2D probabilities<BR>
<BR>
Thanks,<BR>
<BR>
Strangely enough, in the past I have always calculated it the way Erwin did<BR>
it.<BR>
<BR>
Ian's use of excel got me thinking of setting up a Palm Quicksheet for this.<BR>
How does one make excel do this?<BR>
<BR>
Glenn<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
<BR>
Glenn E. Myers<BR>
ANSYS Inc.                Email: glenn.myers@ansys.com<BR>
275 Technology Drive      Phone: (724) 514-2913<BR>
Canonsburg, PA 15317      Fax:   (724) 514-3118<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
 <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 13:47:46 -0700<BR>
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@ctaz.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions) <BR>
<BR>
> > A parasitic being that requires a human host to survive.  Check your local<BR>
> > video store for the original Stargate starring Kurt Russell.  It is a epic<BR>
> > story-- almost (I think it needed to be about 20-30 minutes longer).<BR>
> <BR>
> The series on Showtime ain't half bad either...there have been some<BR>
> interesting episodes, and some decent developing plots. IN my area (maybe<BR>
> nationally) they're showing old episodes on the local FOX affiliate<BR>
<BR>
You taping them by any chance??<BR>
<BR>
Keven<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
tc++ tm+ tn+ t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure<BR>
                                                     In Reavers' Deep<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:03:26 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
Steven Hudson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> 28mm - you run the risk of being mistaken for a Pudding Workshop cultist :)<BR>
<BR>
8^)<BR>
<BR>
Acutally, even though they are 28s, they look really good.  I did a<BR>
random size comparison and found the range to be from 24ish to 28ish. <BR>
If I have to go to slightly larger figures to get unarmed or lightly<BR>
armed civilians, I'm happy with these minis (plus they get double duty<BR>
as Space 1889 figures).<BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 13:07:35 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Article on Mercenaries<BR>
<BR>
On http://www.gettingit.com, today's article "Mercenary Bastards" <BR>
mentions a few modern Terran mercenary companies, describes some of <BR>
the jobs they've done, and how much they got paid. Might come in<BR>
handy for those who are playing in mercenary campaigns.<BR>
<BR>
- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:09:01 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Deckplans (was Miniatures)<BR>
<BR>
Keith Johnson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> >That's promising news.  While I'm making out my wish list, how about<BR>
> >Traveller deckplans in 25mm, with a hex grid overlay?<BR>
> <BR>
> Believe me, I'm whining to-the-powers-that-be in producing that as well. ;)<BR>
<BR>
Good man!  Whine some for me too!  8^)<BR>
Seriously tho', is there someone we could write to expressing an<BR>
interest in such things?<BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
***************************************<BR>
Tangled grasses lie matted with death,<BR>
but generals keep at it.  And for what?<BR>
Isn't it clear that weapons are the tools of misery?<BR>
The great sages never waited until the need for such things arose. - Li<BR>
Po<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 13:24:58 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: 2D probabilities<BR>
<BR>
I already have a Palm Quicksheet of both 2d6 and 3d6 probabilities. E-mail<BR>
me if you are interested.<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Glenn Myers <glenn.myers@ansys.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2000 12:35 PM<BR>
Subject: RE: 2D probabilities<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Thanks,<BR>
><BR>
> Strangely enough, in the past I have always calculated it the way Erwin<BR>
did<BR>
> it.<BR>
><BR>
> Ian's use of excel got me thinking of setting up a Palm Quicksheet for<BR>
this.<BR>
> How does one make excel do this?<BR>
><BR>
> Glenn<BR>
><BR>
> ______________________________________________________<BR>
><BR>
> Glenn E. Myers<BR>
> ANSYS Inc.                Email: glenn.myers@ansys.com<BR>
> 275 Technology Drive      Phone: (724) 514-2913<BR>
> Canonsburg, PA 15317      Fax:   (724) 514-3118<BR>
> ______________________________________________________<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:32:38 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: The great scout debate<BR>
<BR>
Russell Bornschlegel wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> It's not that small, though - more like a studio apartment. Two<BR>
> staterooms, control room, and I think there's a small common area<BR>
> as well. I'll grant that people who thrive on that are unusual,<BR>
> but not *very* unusual. It would be heavenly for many artist-types<BR>
> and writers to be in a job that pays well (look at the mustering-<BR>
> out tables) and guarantees days-at-a-time stretches of peace,<BR>
> quiet, privacy, and non-interruptedness.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
I envision it as a great job for those who want to meditate and practice<BR>
their martial arts skills....<BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:26:07 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: Terraform Shush/Corridor 0221!<BR>
<BR>
Is refining the ice from the planetoid belt a necessity? Wouldn't you need<BR>
the impurities as raw materials for expanding the planet's biosphere?<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 13:45:22 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: The great scout debate<BR>
<BR>
It was previously written:<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> I envision it as a great job for those who want to meditate and practice<BR>
> their martial arts skills....<BR>
><BR>
> John<BR>
<BR>
I envision it as a job for loners who don't really fit in well into society.<BR>
After all, don't we all (Gross generalization here, I can only vouch for the<BR>
fact that it refers to me.) imagine our Scout characters to be guys who flew<BR>
a Type S on long, interesting, dangerous missions for years? Does anyone<BR>
imagine that their Scout character served on a converted AHL class or flew<BR>
X-boat tenders? I envisioned my character doing the 3I equivalent of<BR>
watching Three Stooges movies while drinking Budweiser on his ship. As well<BR>
as tinkering with things and reading a lot. He had JOT-5, but nothing else<BR>
higher than -1.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:05:52 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
Phil Kitching wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> <BR>
> ****So you'll be able to work it out when you hit the planet or the fuel<BR>
> runs out?<BR>
> In case #1 it's too late and in case #2, you didn't really expect a<BR>
> theoretical<BR>
> physicist to get in a spaceship to come and rescue you, did you?<BR>
<BR>
That's why such things are referred to as "_thought_ experiments." ;-)<BR>
<BR>
ObTrav:  Given access to a ship or boat equipped with a constant-boost<BR>
maneuver engine of approx. 1-G thrust*, a planet of equal gravity**, and<BR>
experimental subjects willing to test this theory***, a physicist in<BR>
Traveller actually _could_ test this out.  (BTW, it would be easier [and<BR>
safer] to have those subjects who will experience planetary gravity in a<BR>
room on the surface of said planet, rather than in a ship falling toward<BR>
the planet.)<BR>
<BR>
*easy to come by in Traveller<BR>
**also readily available<BR>
***depending on local laws, this could be the sticking point, especially<BR>
for the poor sophonts in the ship falling toward a world ;-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 15:01:33 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Apropos the Goa'uld reference<BR>
<BR>
Showtime is running the pilot episode of Stargate SG-1 tonight, it takes<BR>
up a year after the movie left off.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:24:55 -0500<BR>
From: Jeff Zeitlin <jzeitlin@cyburban.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Rep.Democracy Extension Profile (preliminary, long)<BR>
<BR>
On Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:05:44 -0500 (EST), "Carlos Alos-Ferrer"<BR>
<carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Following the feedback I got from my post on Gov.Code 4, I put <BR>
>together a clumsy first attempt at an "Extension Profile" for <BR>
>Representative Democracy. Comments welcome.<BR>
<BR>
>Warning: If you find this interesting, you might get me started with <BR>
>the Bureaucracy Extension Profile and the Dictatorship Extension <BR>
>Profile... <grin><BR>
<BR>
Go for it!  And don't forget the others!<BR>
<BR>
>The Profile: FRCP<BR>
<BR>
[bandwidthectomy]<BR>
<BR>
I'd revise this immediately to FP[R](RC/...), to accommodate<BR>
those governments where Parliament/Congress/Moot/etc. is made up<BR>
of several different councils with differing rules for selecting<BR>
representatives.  The first R, in brackets, is omitted if not "6"<BR>
in your system.  If the first R is 6, enclose the remaining RC<BR>
pairs in parens, separated by slashes, representing each chamber<BR>
in order of generally perceived importance, thus making the<BR>
profile FP6(RC/RC/RC/...).  If the first R is other than 6, omit<BR>
it, and just have the one RC pair, making the profile FPRC.<BR>
<BR>
You also need to have the option for representatives not elected,<BR>
in some chambers in multi-chamber representation (I suggest 0),<BR>
and also for non-representative seating (again, 0 suggested). See<BR>
example following.<BR>
<BR>
Consider, for example, the United Kingdom - it is arguably a<BR>
RepDem (HRM is mostly figurehead at this point in time), and<BR>
Parliament consists of two very dissimilar chambers.  Your system<BR>
as given doesn't really accommodate that, but as modified is<BR>
clearly 226(56/00) with 56 being Commons, and 00 being Lords.<BR>
The reason you would need to include the Lords in the profile is<BR>
because they exercise real and overt influence on the passage of<BR>
laws (unlike lobbyists, whose influence is covert by comparison).<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
Jeff Zeitlin<BR>
jzeitlin@cyburban.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 19:48:46 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>I'm curious, what sort of miniatures (PCs and/or ships) are you good<BR>
>folks using?  Or are you doing without, or using the cardboard sort, or<BR>
>micromachines, Legos, etc.<BR>
<BR>
Lead when I can get it, that white metal pewter stuff otherwise.<BR>
<BR>
I've got 28 Traveller ships painted (with the same in B5 and Full Thrust<BR>
ships), about three times that unpainted. Lots of 25mm Traveller figures,<BR>
with a nice selection of Star Wars and Shadowrun ones that are also useful.<BR>
(About 350 painted 25mm minis, but that includes a lot of Victorian and<BR>
Dream Park figures as well.)<BR>
<BR>
I've also made a dozen asteroids and a world model (for use in space<BR>
battles), and I have a fair selection of buildings and stuff for tabletop<BR>
battles.<BR>
<BR>
All I really need is more time to paint, a nice large magnifier (eyes are<BR>
getting older), and someone near Toronto who wants to play.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 19:52:46 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Traveller Resources (was: Traveller-digest V1999 #1744)<BR>
<BR>
>"Release the hounds!"<BR>
><BR>
>-----Original Message-----<BR>
>From: S D <terran_2@hotmail.com><BR>
><BR>
><BR>
>>not to sound like i don't belong with you guys, but i don't really know<BR>
>much<BR>
>>about Traveler.  I heard about it on another traveler site which i<BR>
>>subscribed to because i wanted to find more gamer aid programs.  I got<BR>
>>interested in the game so another person told me about this.  If you guys<BR>
>>could possible tell me where i can find a mass archive of traveler stuff on<BR>
>>the net or could tell me things that could interest me that would be really<BR>
>>cool...thanks.<BR>
>><BR>
<BR>
Leave the Vargr out of this!!<BR>
<BR>
Seriously, try:<BR>
<BR>
www.bits.org.uk<BR>
www.sjgames.com/gurps/traveller<BR>
cometo.freelancetraveller<BR>
<BR>
(these are from memory. I know the BITS address is accurate, and that site<BR>
has links to the other ones.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 15:32:56 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: The great scout debate<BR>
<BR>
Luther Martin wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
> I envision it as a job for loners who don't really fit in well into society.<BR>
> After all, don't we all (Gross generalization here, I can only vouch for the<BR>
> fact that it refers to me.) imagine our Scout characters to be guys who flew<BR>
> a Type S on long, interesting, dangerous missions for years? Does anyone<BR>
> imagine that their Scout character served on a converted AHL class or flew<BR>
> X-boat tenders? <BR>
<BR>
Of course not. No one _roleplays_ boring, unless they're a Real Role<BR>
Player, or more likely, a closeted Loonie. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
It's like that teevee commercial with all the little kids 'When I grow<BR>
up I want to be underappreciated.' 'I want to be a yes-man.' 'I want to<BR>
be forced into early retirement.'<BR>
<BR>
Can't remember what the heck they're advertising though...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:53:25 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
<BR>
Gentlebeings:<BR>
<BR>
Just how strictly do the K'Kree define carnivory?  Would the following<BR>
be defined as carnivores?<BR>
<BR>
1.  Insectivores or equivalents (e.g., I eat crawfish)<BR>
2.  Organisms that consume sessile animals (e.g., a barnacle-eating<BR>
creature)<BR>
3.  Organisms that feed on zooplankton (e.g., baleen whales)<BR>
4.  Scavengers that feed on already-dead animals ("Honest, Mr. K'Kree,<BR>
it was dead when I _found_ it!")<BR>
5.  Organisms that feed on _any_ heterotroph (e.g., a mushroom eater)<BR>
<BR>
Where do they draw the line?<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 14:51:23 -0800<BR>
From: "Brian Jenkins" <Brian.Jenkins@grpwise1.westek.com><BR>
Subject: Building MT ships<BR>
<BR>
Does anyone have a spreadsheet or a program for building MT ships?  I have Megaship but can't get ahold of the author to register it so I am limited to TL-14 ships (if the author is on herer contact me please).  I have Quattro Pro 7 on my computer at home.  I would appreciate your help.<BR>
<BR>
Brian Jenkins<BR>
bjenk@sprintmail.com<BR>
<BR>
"It pays to be obvious. Especially if you have a reputation for subltety."<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 14:21:33 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Meanwhile, if the Imperium only accepts cold, hard, imperial currencies,<BR>
> all they have to do is send the Batron by, and demand the currency. Since a<BR>
> physical forgery is more detectable, and has higher infrastructural<BR>
> requirements, it is more of a disincentive, plus ALL the persons in the<BR>
> Imperium will be aware of what said currency is like, so will be more<BR>
> likely to be able to spot forgeries. By using a verifyer, one can scan the<BR>
> currency (even huge volumes) fairly quickly; 1000 bills per minute should<BR>
> be doable with a 1m^3 machine by TL13.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, you might want to try talking to someone at your bank or at<BR>
your local branch of the Federal Reserve Bank. I'm pretty sure they've<BR>
got machines that can do that (or *better*) right now. Heck, 16.6 bills<BR>
per second? From the sounds it makes, the ATM I use can count bills<BR>
that fast.<BR>
<BR>
While the bank (obviously) won't tell you *how* the machines test the<BR>
bills, they'll certainly be willing to tell you how fast they are. Just<BR>
tell them you are writing a story and it's a plot element.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 14:27:15 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
<BR>
> The method of Imperial military executions depends on the<BR>
> situation.  A formal execution after conviction by court martial<BR>
> for some capital offense might be by firing squad or beheading. <BR>
> A summary execution in the field for mutiny will be by whatever<BR>
> means is practical and available.  ("Take Major Danby out and<BR>
> have him shot! What do you mean I can't do that?  What good is<BR>
> being a general if I can't have someone shot?")<BR>
<BR>
Actually, in a lot of situations, "spacing" is a good method. From<BR>
research on vacuum exposure, it turns out to *not* be horribly painful<BR>
etc. You tend to lose conciousness quickly (30 sec or less). Unless, of<BR>
course, you try to hold your breath, in which case you rupture your<BR>
lungs and have other unpleasant things happen.<BR>
<BR>
Hmmm. An interesting idea just occured to me...<BR>
<BR>
It also lets you combine the funeral and the execution into one ceremony!<BR>
<BR>
*That* ought to scare the living bejesuz out of a prisoner. Sew him<BR>
into a typical "canvas" shroud (or zip him into a *porous* "body bag").<BR>
Stick him in the airlock, close the door, and over the PA speaker he<BR>
hears them reading the service for the dead. Then they pop the hatch<BR>
and the escaping air caries him out. <BR>
<BR>
Simple, neat, and sends a *very* clear message.<BR>
<BR>
It also requires *nothing* that isn't already a "stock" item. In a<BR>
pinch, you bind the guy with duct tape (and *mean* folks slap a strip<BR>
over the prisoner's mouth so the air escapes more slowly), and stuff<BR>
him in the lock with or without a "bag".<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:54:23 -0600<BR>
From: "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Forging currency<BR>
<BR>
The recent updates in American Currency make it very difficult to forge.<BR>
Most folks have covered the obvious, but there is also some reflective foil<BR>
involved in printing certain areas of the new bill.<BR>
A discovery channel show on the subject did point out that FEEL is the<BR>
number one give away for counterfit money.<BR>
Cashiers and common people know what money feels like here.<BR>
<BR>
TV<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 18:20:51 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Forging currency<BR>
<BR>
Ahh, you watched the same show I did.  Interesting, was it not?<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: "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2000 5:54 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: Forging currency<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> The recent updates in American Currency make it very difficult to forge.<BR>
> Most folks have covered the obvious, but there is also some reflective<BR>
foil<BR>
> involved in printing certain areas of the new bill.<BR>
> A discovery channel show on the subject did point out that FEEL is the<BR>
> number one give away for counterfit money.<BR>
> Cashiers and common people know what money feels like here.<BR>
><BR>
> TV<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1753<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 14 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1754<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: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
Re: Minaitures<BR>
Terraform Shush/Corridor 0221<BR>
Re: Short stuff<BR>
Re: customs<BR>
Re: Counterfeiting and other money matters<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Imperial Currency (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
Subject: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
Re: Terraform Shush/Corridor 0221!<BR>
re:  Silly military quotes again, also, obscenities<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
But X-boat pilots do it *alone*. <BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 18:13:14 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> ObTrav: many depictions in sci-fi of the future imply<BR>
> or state that as races become more advanced<BR>
> technologically, they advance ethically, and stop<BR>
> eating meat, etc. IYTU's, is this an "advance"? Or is<BR>
> there indifference to this?<BR>
<BR>
In the computer game Frontier: Elite II (which is quite Travesque) synthetic<BR>
meat is the standard. However, there is a growing movement, the members of<BR>
which claim that growing meat in vats is icky, and it's much more wholesome<BR>
and natural to eat meat from real animals.<BR>
<BR>
Just an interesting turnaround.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 18:23:14 -0500<BR>
From: "David L. Pulver" <dlpulver@kos.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Minaitures<BR>
<BR>
At 06:12 PM 1/14/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>>Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 19:48:46 -0500<BR>
>From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
>Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
><BR>
>>I'm curious, what sort of miniatures (PCs and/or ships) are you good<BR>
>>folks using?  Or are you doing without, or using the cardboard sort, or<BR>
>>micromachines, Legos, etc.<BR>
><BR>
>Lead when I can get it, that white metal pewter stuff otherwise.<BR>
><BR>
>I've got 28 Traveller ships painted (with the same in B5 and Full Thrust<BR>
>ships), about three times that unpainted. Lots of 25mm Traveller figures,<BR>
>with a nice selection of Star Wars and Shadowrun ones that are also useful.<BR>
>(About 350 painted 25mm minis, but that includes a lot of Victorian and<BR>
>Dream Park figures as well.)<BR>
><BR>
>I've also made a dozen asteroids and a world model (for use in space<BR>
>battles), and I have a fair selection of buildings and stuff for tabletop<BR>
>battles.<BR>
<BR>
Very nice.  I've only got half a dozen ships painted, although I do have some<BR>
25mm Traveller figures (I like the Grenadier Army/Marines in combat armor, and<BR>
their young female pony-tailed adventurer in jump suit shooting pistol is a<BR>
favorite.<BR>
I used to have a whole mess of 15mm, but I gave them away to a friend who<BR>
was more into that.<BR>
<BR>
>All I really need is more time to paint, a nice large magnifier (eyes are<BR>
>getting older), and someone near Toronto who wants to play.<BR>
<BR>
I wish I was closer. I'm in Kingston, but that's about 4 hours away...<BR>
<BR>
 _____________________________________________________________________<BR>
     David L. Pulver -- Senior Staff Writer and Assistant Line Editor,<BR>
		     Guardians Of Order Incorporated<BR>
 Big Eyes, Small Mouth * Sailor Moon * Dominion Tank Police * Tenchi Muyo! RPG<BR>
             dlpulver@kos.net  http://www.guardiansorder.on.ca<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:36:38 -0600<BR>
From: "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com><BR>
Subject: Terraform Shush/Corridor 0221<BR>
<BR>
> Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:26:07 -0500<BR>
> From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
> Subject: Terraform Shush/Corridor 0221!<BR>
> <BR>
> Is refining the ice from the planetoid belt a necessity? Wouldn't you need<BR>
> the impurities as raw materials for expanding the planet's biosphere?<BR>
> <BR>
> Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
Ah, good idea.  So I need a distiller that keeps some<BR>
kinds of raw materials, but rejects harmful ones.<BR>
Perhaps there needs to be an additional set of distilleries<BR>
that look for the necessary and useful additional ingredients.<BR>
<BR>
But ya know, there can be all kinds of yucky stuff in<BR>
those iceballs.<BR>
<BR>
Rob<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 20:20:32 -0500<BR>
From: "Daniel Phelps" <phelpsd@gate.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Short stuff<BR>
<BR>
Was asked:<BR>
<BR>
>Considering the huge variety of humaniti in the 3I it seems reasonable<BR>
>to me that there would be at least one race that tended to be<BR>
>jockey-sized. Has anyone fleshed out such a minor human race? (No pun<BR>
>or insult intended)<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I seem to remember a Traveller article about 15+ years back written in one<BR>
of the gaming magazines regards such a race which was at a prejump TL just<BR>
capable of manned orbiters.  Had fully developed stats  and a rather nice<BR>
looking adventure.  Can anyone fill in the details of the publication?<BR>
<BR>
Dan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:35:07 -0500<BR>
From: "Daniel Phelps" <phelpsd@gate.net><BR>
Subject: Re: customs<BR>
<BR>
Was Written:<BR>
<BR>
>>>On one world write up I had the custom of cannibalism.<BR>
<BR>
Snip<BR>
<BR>
>But do keep in mind that human flesh needs to be *well* cooked, to make<BR>
>sure that you kill any parasites or disease organisms.<BR>
<BR>
Snip<BR>
><BR>
>I'd say a pressure cooker would be the best modern equivalent.<BR>
<BR>
I have a word regards this thread for all your budding Space Cannibals, kuri<BR>
(I hope I spelled it right).  It is a disease related to scrapies and mad<BR>
cow and is the result, if I remember correctly of eating human brains and<BR>
spinal tissue.  This form of prion ( not sure of the spelling) disease  was<BR>
formerly endemic in Papua NG.  I do not think that cooking makes any<BR>
difference.  Can anyone of our medically inclined shed some light on this?<BR>
<BR>
Dan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 14:38:46 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Counterfeiting and other money matters<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> The trick, it would seem, is merely getting something good enough to fool<BR>
> the average cashier. Which is why most forgery is done on small bills...<BR>
> there is not enoguh time to check them individually. At the grocer, you<BR>
> hand over a 50 or 100, and the cashier typically looks at it closely. Hand<BR>
> over 20's, and one doesn;t feel right, it gets a look. Hand over 1's, and<BR>
> they just toss them in the drawer.... and most machines accepting bills<BR>
> currently aren't able to look for the radio-active polyester strip, nor be<BR>
> any more able to read that microprint.<BR>
<BR>
Heck, at a local Dairy Queen a few years back, they had a couple of<BR>
*really* bad "counterfeits" tacked to the wall next to the cashier.<BR>
Someone had torn the corners off a 5 and glued them to a 1!<BR>
<BR>
Another old trick is the reason that cashiers are taught to turn all<BR>
bills face up before putting them in the drawer. It's possible (with<BR>
practice and a steady hand) to use something (I think it's a piece of<BR>
parchment!) to split a bill in half the *thin* way. This gives you a<BR>
front with a blank back and a back with a blank front. <BR>
<BR>
Do this to a 1 and a 5 and glue the front of the 5 to the back of the 1<BR>
and vice versa. Then place the bills in your wallet so the "5" side is<BR>
showing on both and hand them to a busy cashier. If he doesn't follow<BR>
procedure and flip them both face up, you get $10 worth of goods and<BR>
change for $6 worth of bills (and a bit of work). <BR>
<BR>
It was more common with 10s and 20s instead of 5s. <BR>
<BR>
Pull this stunt on some PCs when they are visting dives looking for a<BR>
contact. That is, have one of them get slipped a "split" bill in their<BR>
change. And then either have it caught when he tries to spend the bill,<BR>
or have him notice when he's straightening stuff up the next morning<BR>
while waiting for the anti-hangover pill to kick in. <BR>
<BR>
Another scam is having them convert money to local currency, and using<BR>
a black market exchange dealer. Most of them are just a good deal,<BR>
giving you better than the "official" exchange rate (which governments<BR>
*always* fix so that they make money both ways). But some will sell you<BR>
counterfeit bills...<BR>
<BR>
Coins are another good one. Especially gold ones. Natives will know the<BR>
(simple!) tests to determine gold content. Like the stone you scrape<BR>
the edge across. You compare the color of the streak against the color<BR>
of a streak from a known alloy, and you can tell if the gold has been<BR>
adulterated. That's the original "touchstone". <BR>
<BR>
You see, anything from about 20 carat (20/24ths gold) to around 8 carat<BR>
(8/24ths gold) *looks* the same, but the streaks on a touchstone look<BR>
*very* different. And with only a little experience you can judge gold<BR>
content by the streaks. <BR>
<BR>
Above 20 carat or so. gold alloys get *noticably* soft. That's why the<BR>
guys in those old films alway bite the coin. If it easily takes a<BR>
toothmark, its pure gold. if it's hard, it's an alloy.<BR>
<BR>
Oh yeah, one of the *weirder* cases of counterfeit coins occured in<BR>
Tsarist Russia. At one point some bright boys got around the problem<BR>
that counterfeit coins were *lighter* than real gold coins (gold is a<BR>
*lot* denser than silver, copper or lead). They used *platinum* in<BR>
their coins. At the time platinum wasn't a big item on the metals<BR>
market. The Tsar handled the situation ratrher simply. He just created<BR>
a platinum coin, and set an official price for platinum that was higher<BR>
than the price for gold. And had the counterfeiters (who apparently<BR>
hadn't *known* that the platinum deposit they'd founfd was worth *more*<BR>
than gold) cursing themselves because in the end, they *lost* money.<BR>
<BR>
Players stumbling upon such a situation at the right time could make a<BR>
killing by setting up a money changer booth and keeping the<BR>
"counterfeits" that have the valuable metal in them. <BR>
<BR>
And yes, that's another often overlooked point. In low TL societies,<BR>
*you* have to come up with change much of the time. If you've got a<BR>
large coin and a merchant doesn't have change, you'll have to go to a<BR>
money changer and get change. And he'll keep part of the money as a<BR>
fee. Given that there aren't banks of the sort we are used to, you have<BR>
to live with this, or else put yourself to the expense of keeping all<BR>
those small coins on hand. <BR>
<BR>
Players will *not* be happy the first time they encounter this. :-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 19:01:50 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
Robert Prior wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >I'm curious, what sort of miniatures (PCs and/or ships) are you good<BR>
> >folks using?  Or are you doing without, or using the cardboard sort, or<BR>
> >micromachines, Legos, etc.<BR>
> <BR>
> Lead when I can get it, that white metal pewter stuff otherwise.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
I prefer lead too.  Much easier to trim.<BR>
<BR>
> I've got 28 Traveller ships painted (with the same in B5 and Full Thrust<BR>
> ships), about three times that unpainted. Lots of 25mm Traveller figures,<BR>
> with a nice selection of Star Wars and Shadowrun ones that are also useful.<BR>
> (About 350 painted 25mm minis, but that includes a lot of Victorian and<BR>
> Dream Park figures as well.)<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
Impressive!  I have four Trav ships, unpainted.  In my SFB collection<BR>
there are some ships suitable for Traveller - the freighters and some of<BR>
the Orions.<BR>
<BR>
My character collection includes the Grenadier 25mm Imperial Marines.  I<BR>
think they're a bit short, but they still look so darned cool!  Also, I<BR>
have some really old Grenadier figs from the mid to late 70s.  A dozen<BR>
or so battlesuits in a variety of shapes and sizes, and unarmored<BR>
troopers.<BR>
<BR>
> I've also made a dozen asteroids and a world model (for use in space<BR>
> battles), and I have a fair selection of buildings and stuff for tabletop<BR>
> battles.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
What are you using to make your planets?  Ping-pong balls?  <BR>
<BR>
> All I really need is more time to paint, a nice large magnifier (eyes are<BR>
> getting older), and someone near Toronto who wants to play.<BR>
<BR>
Next time you're in Baltimore, bring your collection and we'll play!<BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 23:30:16 -0900<BR>
From: Peter Newman <pnewman@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Imperial Currency (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net> wrote<BR>
<BR>
> in cannon, the Imperium uses a strictly CASH<BR>
> payroll. (Specified in several adventures.) Imperial Currency, not<BR>
> electronic transfer, is the explicit means in _The Traveller Adventure_.<BR>
> Ships lockers in all the CT adventures have CASH, and loads of it. Several<BR>
> articles from JTAS specify the all imperial payments are made in Imperial<BR>
> Currency...<BR>
> <BR>
> IMTU, there is limited commercial funds transfer via X-mail. But, when you<BR>
> look at the cargo tables in Bk7, or in MT/TNE/T4, currency shipments are a<BR>
> big factor. Think of this: 1L of imperial Cr1 bills is roughly Cr1000.<BR>
<BR>
There is no 1 credit bill in the official Traveller universe.<BR>
<BR>
"Credit bills are issued in 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000,<BR>
and 10,000 credit denominations. Plastic coins manufactured <BR>
in a similar manner in various shapes are issued in<BR>
quarter [credit], half [credit], one, and five credit<BR>
denominations"<BR>
<BR>
"Bills measure 75 mm by 125 mm; [3" x 5"] one thousand<BR>
bills stand 50 mm high."<BR>
<BR>
- - [Library Data: Imperial Currency, The Traveller<BR>
Adventure, p. 142.]<BR>
<BR>
By comparing the coins in the accompanying<BR>
illustration to the 41 mm long Cr. 10 bill in the<BR>
illustration we know that the illustration is <BR>
about one third of actual size. Therefore we know<BR>
that the coins, which measure 5.5 mm to 9 mm across<BR>
in the illustration are actually about 16.5 mm to<BR>
27 mm across. The one credit coin is 7 mm in the<BR>
illustration so it must be 21 mm in reality.<BR>
<BR>
[I note that a true canon Nazi might claim the<BR>
illustration is inaccurate since the text says the<BR>
coins come in various shapes while the coins in the<BR>
illustration are all round.]<BR>
<BR>
For comparison:<BR>
a US penny is about 19 mm<BR>
a US nickel is about 21 mm<BR>
a US dime is about 17 mm<BR>
a US quarter is about 24 mm<BR>
a US half dollar is about 30 mm<BR>
a Canadian $1 (loony) coin is about 26 mm.<BR>
<BR>
The denominations of the non Cr 1 coins<BR>
are not clear but semi aarbitratily I <BR>
suggest that the picture shows the front<BR>
& rear of the Cr 1 coin [21 mm] and the<BR>
fronts of the Cr 0.50 & Cr 5 coins.<BR>
<BR>
Cr 0.25	14mm [0.55"]<BR>
Cr 0.50	17mm [dime sized]<BR>
Cr 1		21mm [nickle sized]<BR>
Cr 5		27mm [a little bigger than a<BR>
			Susan B Anthony $1 US or<BR>
			a Canadian loonie]<BR>
<BR>
Since I am not going to make any assumptions <BR>
about the coins thickness I will not attempt<BR>
to determine their volume.<BR>
<BR>
Returning to the bills I note that the<BR>
stack of bills described is<BR>
7.5cm x 12.5cm x 5 cm = 468.75 cc's<BR>
<BR>
1L = 1000 cc's<BR>
<BR>
Therefore 1L of bills, with no packaging will be 2,133<BR>
bills. Unless you are assuming that 55% of the space in<BR>
currency shipments is wasted then I'd say that 1L of<BR>
Cr 10 bills  (the smallest denomination) in a bag = Cr 20,000. <BR>
<BR>
I know that lots of things are shipped so that 55%<BR>
or more of the shipping container is wasted but those<BR>
are usually fragile items and money is not fragile. I<BR>
personally have stuffed locking canvas bank bags over<BR>
90% full of US cash. Maybe if you are shipping this<BR>
currency in a safe then you'll get 55% waste space<BR>
but otherwise you'll get a lot more than that in.<BR>
<BR>
[For comparison Current US currency is about 16cm x 6.7 cm. <BR>
Nine thousand $1 US bills [mostly new], in bank bundles of <BR>
1,000 bills I had to count last year were less than 1 foot <BR>
high, maybe about 1.25" per thousand, call it 70mm per 1,000 <BR>
bills so Imperial currency is apparently about the same <BR>
thickness, or a little thinner than, current US money [I also <BR>
note that since the plastic they are made of is probably more <BR>
wrinkle & stain resistant than the cotton US bills are made of <BR>
Imperial Credits probably don't gain as much volume<BR>
when they are used as US bills do.]<BR>
<BR>
> That<BR>
> means a lot sized at 1m3 (exclusive of packaging) is MCr=Bill Denomination.<BR>
> Lots will range, by canon, up to 16 tons. At 16 tons of, say, Cr100 bills,<BR>
> that's a major load... we'll assume only 10m3 of cash after packaging, per<BR>
> ton. That's up to MCr16,000! (GCr16). (Cr16E12). One score on a load of<BR>
> even ones is enough to fund a ship for YEARS. And, by canon, it happens.<BR>
<BR>
10 cubic meters of Cr 100 bills should be more like<BR>
MCr 2,100 & 16 tons packed this way would be MCr<BR>
34,128.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:17:14 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Subject: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
I don't this went when I tried to send it a little while ago, so<BR>
I've written it again.  Sorry if I'm wasting bandwidth.<BR>
<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
<BR>
>ObTrav: many depictions in sci-fi of the future imply or state<BR>
>that as races become more advanced technologically, they<BR>
>advance ethically, and stop eating meat, etc. IYTU's, is this<BR>
>an "advance"? <BR>
<BR>
An advance in technology is when a technology is able to perform<BR>
a task better than before, whether that means more efficiently,<BR>
more quickly, more completely, etc.  <BR>
<BR>
What is an "advance" in ethics?  Is it when people's behavior<BR>
conforms to stated ethical standards more than before? or is it<BR>
when the ethical standards themselves change? if the latter, how<BR>
does one decide whether it's an advance or a regression? is<BR>
there an objective measure? is there a meaningul objective<BR>
measure? if you're limited to measuring the change against your<BR>
own subjective standards, then what difference does it make if<BR>
you think the change is an advance or a regression?<BR>
<BR>
If the former, that people's behavior changes to conform to<BR>
prior standards more, I don't see how that is connected to<BR>
changes in technology.  <BR>
<BR>
In my Traveller universe, Imperial culture (itself an<BR>
agglomeration of several major and a great many minor cultures)<BR>
is very largely dominated by moral relativitism.  The nobility<BR>
itself has agreed upon areas of disagreement in ethical<BR>
standards, and these are respected.  Every member state, every<BR>
religion, every demagogue may articulate any ethics.  There are<BR>
a few caveats, however.<BR>
<BR>
(1)  Lese majeste is an Imperial High Justice crime.  Don't call<BR>
the Emperor (or the nobility) unethical because he doesn't<BR>
follow your rules.  Actually, don't call the Emperor unethical<BR>
at all.<BR>
<BR>
(2)  Like the unwritten Imperial Rules of War, unwritten rules<BR>
of expression will trigger Imperial intervention if the security<BR>
of the realm is threatened.  The Imperium is loathe to silence<BR>
criticism on the pretext of security, as it erodes credibility<BR>
and wastes energy.  <BR>
<BR>
(3) Enforcement is your problem.  While a member state may<BR>
enforce its own laws, religions and other organizations not tied<BR>
to a government may not in general use violence legitimately. <BR>
Sanctions for violations of ethics are therefore limited to<BR>
exclusion from the group and remonstration.  <BR>
<BR>
>Or is there indifference to this? Does the Emperor like his<BR>
>steak well-done, or would he have the same reaction to being<BR>
>offered steak one of us affluent westerners would have at being<BR>
>offered witchety grubs?<BR>
<BR>
Ve Naghfuaz has a few words to say about vegetarianism:  "Humans<BR>
may not know that many Vargr keep rather strict vegetarian<BR>
diets.  I myself only eat vegetarians.  I never eat<BR>
carrion-eaters nor carnivores.  I only eat insectoids when I am<BR>
on Cipatwe, where they make an excellent fire-roasted jumper<BR>
dish.  Dip 'em in hot sauce -- take swig of cold beer -- then<BR>
crunch! and yum!  I wish I had some right now!"<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:23:38 -0800<BR>
From: "Kelly St.Clair" <kellys@efn.org><BR>
Subject: Re: Terraform Shush/Corridor 0221!<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 14 Jan 2000 10:39:12 -0600, "Robert Eaglestone"<BR>
<eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Shush/Corridor 0221 C662262-7  Lo Ni      623 Na F8 V G3 D<BR>
><BR>
>Shush is a non-aligned world right on the Rift in the Corridor<BR>
>sector.  It has a diameter of 6,000 miles, an untainted, <BR>
>breathable atmosphere, 20% surface water, 600 people at TL7<BR>
>beholden to some interstellar authority, and a government<BR>
>code of 2 (what is a 2 again??).<BR>
<BR>
Participating Democracy.  (Sometimes called "True" or "Athenian" Democracy,<BR>
though the accuracy of those terms is enough to spark a whole 'nother<BR>
thread/flamewar.)<BR>
<BR>
>There is a lot of ice locked in the planetoid belts.  A lot.<BR>
>Enough to increase the amount of water on Shush significantly.<BR>
>If Shush was 40% water on the surface, it would have the<BR>
>potential of becoming a breadbasket world.  It would take<BR>
>awhile before it could actually be one -- it would need a<BR>
>large established population -- but the planet would be<BR>
>ready for colonization.<BR>
<BR>
Is anyone else having flashbacks to "The Martian Way"?<BR>
<BR>
My solution:<BR>
<BR>
There being only 600 permanent inhabitants, move them into a space colony<BR>
(in orbit) for the interim and start lobbing ice asteroids at the planet<BR>
using your Nifty Keen Reactionless Drives.  Once you have the desired<BR>
hydrographic percentage and the dust clouds have settled, you can<BR>
reintroduce, in the words of Carol Marcus, "whatever life we see fit to<BR>
deposit on it."<BR>
<BR>
It being a democracy, of course, you'll have to get them to vote in favor<BR>
of the idea.  How good is your political machine?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- --------------<BR>
Kelly St.Clair   "The Jigglypuff's trilling seems to have a <BR>
kellys@efn.org    tranquilizing effect on the human nervous system.<BR>
                  Fortunately, I am... immune..."<BR>
                            -- Mr. Spock, THE TROUBLE WITH POKEMON<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:32:18 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: re:  Silly military quotes again, also, obscenities<BR>
<BR>
>From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
<BR>
>What are the obscenities in the 3I? I'm usre we'll have gotten <BR>
>beyond our slang for intercourse and excreterary (sp?) <BR>
>functions a couple thousand years from now... I quite like <BR>
>"smegging" as in Red Dwarf; after all, smegma is not a lovely <BR>
>thing.  Any otehr suggestions for obscenities of the 3I? I<BR>
>need some for my players. "Oh, shit," is only getting them so <BR>
>far.<BR>
<BR>
Maybe we should cross-post this discussion to Trav-Culture.<BR>
<BR>
The function of the expletive is to shock the sayer and the<BR>
hearer.  English has historically used short words in the<BR>
consonant-short vowel-consonant model, to achieve that goal. <BR>
Sometimes when I'm upset, I'll let go of a stream of three and<BR>
four letter words, none of which are actually bad words, but<BR>
they sound very bad:  rat scum rock blood dirt sack dog book. <BR>
"Smeg" fits this model well; so does "sod."<BR>
<BR>
Finnish, by contrast, uses religious terms; Saataana (Satan) or<BR>
"perkele" (the devil) are as bad as the worst English word. <BR>
French uses quasi-scientific terms:  espece d'un animal, espece<BR>
de con.   <BR>
<BR>
So what would shock just about anybody?  Those a`re the words<BR>
that Imperial drill sergeants will have to know, because their<BR>
charges could come from anywhere.  I think tone of voice -- even<BR>
to the level of kiaijitsu -- will be much more important in this<BR>
regard than specific words.  <BR>
<BR>
This is only the beginning of a potentially huge discussion.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 15:46:10 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>> I think you may be underestimating the staggering volume of information<BR>
>> that passes along mains connecting the core pop 9 and A TL 16 worlds, so<BR>
>> 100kt mail boats may not necessarily be overkill.<BR>
><BR>
> I freely grant that I don't know how much data such worlds <BR>
> will toss around. It's very hard to take a 50-year-old science/<BR>
> industry and extrapolate out another 37 centuries. We can make <BR>
> some assumptions and toss around some very very very rough numbers:<BR>
><BR>
> A 10-to-30 GB hard disk at our TL, plus its share of the power <BR>
> adapters, cooling system, electronics and so on, runs maybe 2-4 liters. <BR>
> That's in the realm of 100 trillion bytes per dton. Actually, now that <BR>
> I think about it, the cooling system would probably be the killer with <BR>
> today's technology, and so the volume might have to be higher - coolant <BR>
> reserviors, pumps, radiators, etc. Call it 10 dtons per 100 trillion <BR>
> bytes.<BR>
<BR>
But there's no need to access the data en-route. So no cooling is<BR>
needed, nor is any power. <BR>
<BR>
Here's a different view. A CD *with case* occupies 12.5x12.5x1 cm^3 and<BR>
hold 650 meg. That's 4.1 gig per liter. Actually, since a case can hold<BR>
*two* CDs, we get 8.3 gig. If we drop the case and go with sleeves, you<BR>
get 5 cds in the space of one case. Or about 21 gig per liter. <BR>
<BR>
DVDs store even more. A couple of gigs at least (anybody know the<BR>
capacity of a DVD offhand?) Say they are 8 times the storage capacity.<BR>
That gives around 162.5 gig per liter. Which is a bit over 2 petabytes<BR>
per DT.<BR>
<BR>
 1e3 bytes = 1 kilobyte  = 1 thousand bytes<BR>
 1e6 bytes = 1 Megabyte  = 1 million bytes<BR>
 1e9 bytes = 1 gigabyte  = 1 billion bytes<BR>
1e12 bytes = 1 terabyte  = 1 trillion bytes<BR>
1e15 bytes = 1 petabyte  = 1 quadrillion bytes<BR>
1e18 bytes = 1 exabyte   = 1 quintillion bytes<BR>
1e21 bytes = 1 zettabyte = 1 sextillion bytes<BR>
1e24 bytes = 1 yottabyte = 1 septillion bytes<BR>
<BR>
> There are something on the order of 100 million web pages on the <BR>
> global internet. If their average size is 1 megabyte (images and <BR>
> all), we're looking at... (drum roll)<BR>
><BR>
> ...100 trillion bytes to hold the WWW.<BR>
<BR>
100 terabytes. Or .1 petabytes. 1/20th of a DT with *current* tech.<BR>
<BR>
> This is all back-of-the-envelope order-of-magnitude stuff, but<BR>
> you get the idea - at our tech level, no more than 10 ship tons <BR>
> of hardware are required to store the web. <BR>
<BR>
Nope! 1/*20th* of a DT. And no power.<BR>
<BR>
> If you accept those assumptions, consider an Xboat with 10 dtons <BR>
> of data banks built at the local tech level (i.e. you upgrade the <BR>
> computers to TL15 if you service a TL15 world); that Xboat could <BR>
> conceivably carry a pop-9 planet's "world wide web" with it on every <BR>
> jump. <BR>
<BR>
Or by my figures, it could carry *200* TL-9 worlds' "world wide webs".<BR>
<BR>
And I'm sure we can come up better means of getting the same storage<BR>
densities without the handling hassles. :-)<BR>
<BR>
Remember the line from the *old* days of usenet (early 80s):<BR>
<BR>
"Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of mag<BR>
tapes." <BR>
<BR>
These days, it's a FedEx package of CDs and swiftly moving to DVDs.<BR>
There are places that get their newsfeed in that manner, even now.<BR>
Not only is it fast, it's *impossible* to compromise their system,<BR>
because there's no back channel to exploit!<BR>
<BR>
Considering some of the technologies that exist or are about to exist<BR>
and storage gets even better. <BR>
<BR>
Mag bubble: 128k in a module about 5x2.5x1 cm. 10 meg/liter, 138<BR>
            gig/DT. And probably capable of 10-100 times that if you<BR>
	    "lose" the packaging.<BR>
<BR>
Holocrystal? I don't recall the quoted figures but it's truly scary.<BR>
<BR>
"Ultimate". Store bits as spin states of protons in metallic hydrogen<BR>
(~0.1 gram/cc).  1 liter will be 100 moles, or 6.022e25 protons. Or<BR>
about 7.5e24 bytes/liter. Let's assume *lots* of overhead. So we *only*<BR>
get 1 yottabyte (Ybyte) per liter. or 13,500 yottabytes per DT (sorry,<BR>
but "yotta" is as far as the prefixes *go*).<BR>
<BR>
> Say that you and a competitor both learn about something which is <BR>
> important to your respective branches on the next world over. Say <BR>
> that your competitor sends the instructions for what to do about <BR>
> it one minute before you do - but that's the minute that makes the <BR>
> difference between getting the message on Xboat #n instead of <BR>
> Xboat #n+1 an hour or a day later. One day of lead time on a <BR>
> one-week latency might be critical; an hour could be, but rarely.<BR>
<BR>
On the other hand, given the vagaries of jump, "hourly" X-boats will<BR>
*frequently* arrive "out of order".<BR>
<BR>
> You'd much rather have several small xboats leaving minutes apart <BR>
> than megaships moving daily. Of course, if you postulate that the <BR>
> core worlds need a megaship every five minutes to keep up, then my <BR>
> example becomes moot. Five minutes of lead time over a one-week <BR>
> latency won't matter.<BR>
<BR>
Especially when the uncertainty in arrival times is hours!<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:51:14 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: But X-boat pilots do it *alone*. <BR>
<BR>
>From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
<BR>
>It's not that they spend any longer aboard ship than their S <BR>
>pilot compatriots -- a week in jumpspace is still a week in <BR>
>jumpspace. But X-boat pilots do it *alone*. With lots of <BR>
>videos, reading materials, etc., but still totally alone. And <BR>
>in a small, confined space -- imagine something about the size <BR>
>of your bedroom. <BR>
<BR>
Forget the videos and reading materials.  The X-Boat Pilots'<BR>
Association wants inflatable party K'Kree! <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:38:29 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>> 4) There are monsters in the universe. Vampires. Shapechangers.<BR>
>>>    Ghosts.  I'm trying to get a feel more like Dark Conspiracy than<BR>
>>>    White Wolf gothic-punk, although the idea of WW vampires and<BR>
>>>    werewolves being vaporized by FGMPs has a certain appeal. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
>>  How about Goauld (or whatever the heck the things are called in<BR>
>> Stargate).<BR>
><BR>
> I have never seen Stargate. What are the Goauld?<BR>
<BR>
The bad guys. They are a sort of worm-like symbiont. When they mature<BR>
they can take over a host. They provide rapid healing and immunity to<BR>
disease. But they take over your mind. So very strong willed people can<BR>
survive "in the back of the mind) for some time if they don't fight. <BR>
<BR>
The Gouald seem to have several psi powers. They've done the standard<BR>
"throw a person acrodd the room with a gesture" bit. They also have<BR>
"glowing eyes and the glowing seems to appear when they are attempting<BR>
to mentally dominate people other than their host. <BR>
<BR>
Alas, while a mature Gouald can change hosts with no ill effects, the<BR>
abandoned host soon dies because of his compromised immune system. Thus<BR>
a Gouald can live for millenia. One of the bad guys *was* Ra, the god<BR>
of the Egyptians 5000 years ago! And he *may* have been using the same<BR>
body. <BR>
<BR>
Immature Goualds are also placed in host, and provide the health<BR>
benefits/penalties, but aren't "intelligent" yet and *don't* dominate<BR>
the host. Trusted servants called "Jaffas"(sp?) are used for this.<BR>
<BR>
One of the main characters on Stargate SG-1 is a Jaffa who has joined<BR>
the Earth forces. This has occasionally led to problems when they<BR>
encounter traps intended for Goualds and Jaffas. :-)<BR>
 <BR>
Oh yeah, Goualds have high technology, though we are given some clues<BR>
that indicate that it's static because they *stole* all of it. <BR>
<BR>
BTW, one of the races opposing them is the Aesir, one of whom appeared<BR>
on Earth (greatly disguised) as Thor. We found out this year that they<BR>
are actaully the Greys!<BR>
<BR>
Yep, the Greys are the *good* guys. <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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1754<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 14 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1755<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 great scout debate<BR>
Re: Imperial Currency (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
re:  Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1748<BR>
RE: Scouts vs. merchants (was Re: Fashion & Red Ties)<BR>
Re: Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: Imperial Currency (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
Prions and cannibalism<BR>
Re: The great scout debate<BR>
Re: Scouts vs. merchants<BR>
Re: Prions and cannibalism<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
Re: The great scout debate<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:06:26 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: The great scout debate<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
<BR>
>I envision it as a job for loners who don't really fit in well <BR>
>into society. After all, don't we all (Gross generalization <BR>
>here, I can only vouch for the fact that it refers to me.) <BR>
>imagine our Scout characters to be guys who flew a Type S on <BR>
>long, interesting, dangerous missions for years? Does anyone<BR>
>imagine that their Scout character served on a converted AHL <BR>
>class or flew X-boat tenders? <BR>
<BR>
My recurring Scout PC, Rico Cziller, was in the Imperial Grand<BR>
Survey, on Donosevs and Type-S, then called up for the 5FW to do<BR>
insertions and extractions with a Type-S, so maybe you're right.<BR>
 I mostly think of him as the bigamist with families on two<BR>
different worlds (usually Regina and Efate) who vacillates<BR>
between looking for and avoiding his spouses in the post-war<BR>
period.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
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Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:05:17 -0800<BR>
From: "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Imperial Currency (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
> > That<BR>
> > means a lot sized at 1m3 (exclusive of packaging) is MCr=Bill<BR>
Denomination.<BR>
> > Lots will range, by canon, up to 16 tons. At 16 tons of, say, Cr100<BR>
bills,<BR>
> > that's a major load... we'll assume only 10m3 of cash after packaging,<BR>
per<BR>
> > ton. That's up to MCr16,000! (GCr16). (Cr16E12). One score on a load of<BR>
> > even ones is enough to fund a ship for YEARS. And, by canon, it happens.<BR>
><BR>
> 10 cubic meters of Cr 100 bills should be more like<BR>
> MCr 2,100 & 16 tons packed this way would be MCr<BR>
> 34,128.<BR>
<BR>
And now we know why piracy happens in the 3I. Now what kind of security<BR>
would this 16 ton load of cash get.<BR>
<BR>
Wayne<BR>
wewart@home.com<BR>
icq22113294<BR>
http://www.members.home.net/wewart/wewart/traveller/<BR>
<BR>
Give a man fire and he is warm for the night.<BR>
Set a man on fire and he is warm all his life.<BR>
- - Terry Pratchett<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:52:26 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On Thu, 13 Jan 2000, James W. Lindsay wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> On Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:51:50 -0600, Joseph R. Dietrich wrote:<BR>
>> <BR>
>> > >  How about Goauld (or whatever the heck the things are called in<BR>
>> > > Stargate).<BR>
>> > <BR>
>> > I have never seen Stargate. What are the Goauld?<BR>
>> <BR>
>> A parasitic being that requires a human host to survive.  Check your local<BR>
>> video store for the original Stargate starring Kurt Russell.  It is a epic<BR>
>> story-- almost (I think it needed to be about 20-30 minutes longer).<BR>
><BR>
> The series on Showtime ain't half bad either...there have been some<BR>
> interesting episodes, and some decent developing plots. IN my area (maybe<BR>
> nationally) they're showing old episodes on the local FOX affiliate<BR>
<BR>
It occurs to me that Stargates *aren't* incompatible with Traveller.<BR>
They *do* change things, but if they are scattered half as widely as on<BR>
the show most of them are *way* outside "known space". And they are<BR>
kinda small to move huge cargos thru.<BR>
<BR>
But if you did put some in the Traveller universe, and kept them as<BR>
"ancient tech" which can't be duplicated or even just something that<BR>
requires *incredibly* rare materials to build, you'd only change things<BR>
a bit. <BR>
<BR>
Worlds with Stargates, no matter *how* lousy otherwise, would almost<BR>
automatically become sector capitals (one per sector "feels" about<BR>
right) simply because if you place the imperial capital on a world with<BR>
one (Hey! *That's* why they moved the capital to Sylea! Vland doesn't<BR>
have a gate!) you have near instant communications with the other<BR>
capitals. <BR>
<BR>
So *important* traffic, and small shipments from "favored" people<BR>
travel via the gates, and then get transferred to jump-capable ships<BR>
for the "last leg". <BR>
<BR>
They also give rapid links to other species/empires. But by the same<BR>
token they require some safeguards. <BR>
<BR>
Best of all, while it's possible to move a Stargate, doing so means the<BR>
"address" changes and it's *not* simple figuring the new one. And<BR>
nobody without the new one can access it. So it's best to leave them in<BR>
place.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:02:35 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>From: Eris reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
>>Subject: Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
> ...<BR>
>>As far as *trade* is concerned, I don't think Letters of Credit are<BR>
>>the best way to go. For that you want currency, trade goods and<BR>
>>commodities. IMO, of course.<BR>
><BR>
>   RW merchants in similar conditions _developed_ LOC's, etc.; they<BR>
> probably had good reasons to do so :)<BR>
<BR>
At the time the West didn't *have* paper currency. That *developed*<BR>
from Letters of credit and bank "notes" (IOUs!). So "currency" meant<BR>
lots and lots of *gold*. Heavy, bulky, and apt to be stolen. A letter<BR>
of credit was useless unless you were the person it was issued yo or<BR>
could convince the bank that you were.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:25:47 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> If pop's were max'ed out (10 ^ 10 - 1) and each person on<BR>
> each world wrote a good sized novel (100,000 words =3D 5 x<BR>
> 10 ^ 5 bytes) to each person on the other world, there would<BR>
> be less than 10 ^ 26 bytes of data exchanged.<BR>
><BR>
> 10 ^ 26 < 2 ^ 87<BR>
><BR>
> Current maximum *data storage densities* are in excess of<BR>
> 2 ^ 35 bytes/liter (I saw a 40 GB HD advertised in the Fry's<BR>
> (a discount electronics super store) sales circular in last<BR>
> Sunday's paper).  If each TL sees an increase in<BR>
> capabilities comparable to the changes from 75 to 95 (~ 20<BR>
> years development) and data densities double every 18<BR>
> months (1.5 years), then 1 TL advance will multiply data<BR>
> densities by c. 2 ^ (20 / 1.5) =3D 2 ^ 13.333.  If we are currently<BR>
> at TL 8, then by 3I (M:0 TL12) *data densities* would<BR>
> probably be > 2 ^ 88 B/l and by M:1100 (TL 15) they would<BR>
> be > 2 ^ 128 B/l.<BR>
<BR>
Not possible. You run into *physical* limits long before then. As in<BR>
you need *something* to store bits as different states of. And there<BR>
are *only* 6.022e23 particles per mole of any substance. A mole is<BR>
kinda hard to explain. But basicly, if the material has an atomic or<BR>
molecular weight of X, a mole of it has a mass of X grams. <BR>
<BR>
For all practical purposes, more than a few thousand moles per liter is<BR>
*really* unlikely. And even then, trying to encode data on individual<BR>
atoms is going to be hard. <BR>
<BR>
My "best guess" is using metallic hydrogen and a *lot* of handwaving<BR>
you'll be able to store 1 bit per atom (proton) as the spin state of<BR>
the nuclei. Which gives all of 7.5e24 bytes per liter. And totally<BR>
ignores the problems quantum effects given anything that "dense".<BR>
<BR>
> At TL 12, 10 ^ 26 bytes of data could be stored on a PC (or<BR>
> 3IMac) standard hard drive with room to spare!<BR>
<BR>
Nope. Not enough particles!<BR>
<BR>
Keep in mind that (for example) we are about to run into physical<BR>
limits for RAM. Any smaller "cells" and quantum effects start to take<BR>
over, making things work in weird ways.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:05:27 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>I can't remember the title and author, but there was an old SF story=20<BR>
>>about a culture of "food designers," I think living on orbital=20<BR>
>>stations, who designed the most exquisite foods to be ellaborated in=20<BR>
>>tanks, down to the mollecular structure. The highest point of their=20<BR>
>>lives was some sort of competition, which determined their "cook=20<BR>
>>rank." The protagonist won with a dish which all referees considered=20<BR>
>>absolutely exquisite. Then he had to reveal the recipe, and revealed=20<BR>
>>that he had used a *natural* spice brought from the planet, something=20<BR>
>>that had grown naturally... all referees immediately went to throw=20<BR>
>>up, and the guy was disqualified and immediately banished from the=20<BR>
>>colony. Makes for an interesting twist in any Traveller space=20<BR>
>>habitat / asteroid belt colony.<BR>
><BR>
> The short story was by Isaac Asimov. If I recall correctly, the title<BR>
> was "Good Taste".<BR>
<BR>
There's also an Arthur C. Clarke short about a trial in the future<BR>
after one synthesized food company has practically cornered the market<BR>
with a new item. The attorney is leading the court through the history<BR>
of food synthesis and goes into stuff like how all the companies<BR>
started out thrying to imitate "natural" foods, and still go looking<BR>
for "patterns" that will be attractive to customers, but how most<BR>
designs are now strictly that, *designs* based on previous structures.<BR>
<BR>
He notes that the company in question has gone back to the old practice<BR>
of using a natural model. And that this is the problem. But first he<BR>
needs to define another "obsolete" term... cannibalism... :-)<BR>
<BR>
Which is where the story ends, leaving the reader to put two and two<BR>
together and realize just *what* kind of meat these folks are<BR>
synthesizing... :-)<BR>
<BR>
The ObTrav should be obvious. *Is* it cannibalism to grow human meat in<BR>
a carniculture vat and then eat it? And is it "wrong"?<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:10:58 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
<BR>
>All I really need is more time to paint, a nice large magnifier<BR>
<BR>
>(eyes are getting older), and someone near Toronto who wants to<BR>
<BR>
>play.<BR>
<BR>
My ex's brother has one of those stereo microscopes that we used<BR>
in high school biology.  It's about 50 power.  He does<BR>
phenomenal work with it.  (I'm not sure that's the correct term;<BR>
it's not a microscope with a slide and light passing through the<BR>
subject into the lens.  Rather, a light shines down onto the<BR>
subject and reflects up into the lens.)<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:17:14 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: re:  Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
<BR>
>From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
<BR>
>Just how strictly do the K'Kree define carnivory?  Would the <BR>
>following be defined as carnivores?<BR>
[deletion]<BR>
>Where do they draw the line?<BR>
<BR>
If you ask a K'Kree, the answer will probably be:  "Typical<BR>
human, looking for a rule to follow like a line in the sand that<BR>
he can walk right up to and sniff.  The stench of that thought<BR>
is killing me."<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:17:38 -0800<BR>
From: "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> DVDs store even more. A couple of gigs at least (anybody know the<BR>
> capacity of a DVD offhand?) Say they are 8 times the storage capacity.<BR>
> That gives around 162.5 gig per liter. Which is a bit over 2 petabytes<BR>
> per DT.<BR>
><BR>
I think (not sure) that a DVD holds about x2 a CD per layer on the disk (2<BR>
sides to a disk, 2 layers per side, 4 layers total) so 8 times sounds right<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:22:09 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
>From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
<BR>
>Hmmm. An interesting idea just occured to me...<BR>
>It also lets you combine the funeral and the execution into <BR>
>one ceremony! *That* ought to scare the living bejesuz out of a<BR>
<BR>
>prisoner. Sew him into a typical "canvas" shroud (or zip him <BR>
>into a *porous* "body bag"). Stick him in the airlock, close <BR>
>the door, and over the PA speaker he hears them reading the <BR>
>service for the dead. Then they pop the hatch and the escaping <BR>
>air caries him out. <BR>
<BR>
That has a nice Phoenix Project feeling.  They would bring<BR>
someone up in a helicopter, blindfolded, and push him out the<BR>
door.  The helicopter was hovering just foot off the ground, but<BR>
the prisoner didn't know that.  You could do the same here.  Put<BR>
an emergency airlock outside the regular airlock and open the<BR>
regular airlock.  Air pressure drops, but you quickly pump the<BR>
regular and emergency locks back up.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:40:26 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1748<BR>
<BR>
It's not that they spend any longer aboard ship than their S<BR>
>pilot compatriots -- a week in jumpspace is still a week in<BR>
>jumpspace. But X-boat pilots do it *alone*. With lots of videos,<BR>
>reading materials, etc., but still totally alone. And in a<BR>
>small, confined space -- imagine something about the size of your<BR>
>bedroom.<BR>
>     Glenn St-Germain  Edmonton, Alberta, Canada<BR>
<BR>
    CT X-Boats have two extra large staterooms, one for a passenger. The<BR>
second stateroom is utilised as extra living space on solo journeys. They<BR>
also get a living area measuring around 47m. All up it's larger than my<BR>
home. Compare that to the Mir station.<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 14:47:14 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Scouts vs. merchants (was Re: Fashion & Red Ties)<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> Try not to lose sight of the fact that Imperium is based on the success of<BR>
> interstellar trade, and that the Scouts exist to do the dangerous dirty<BR>
> tasks which are not worth risking the life of a Merchant over (why are the<BR>
> survival rolls so different?).<BR>
<BR>
> The economic future of the Imperium relies upon corporations doing two<BR>
> things: producing things and selling things. Everything else is overhead<BR>
> which we need to accept as a cost of doing business. Which category do the<BR>
> Scouts fall into? I think that the term economists use is<BR>
> "deadweight loss."<BR>
<BR>
Erm, have you read the history of the Scout Service ( T4:Milieu 0 )?<BR>
<BR>
The scouts are the ones that create new markets, and are responsible for the<BR>
whole success of the Imperuium as a trading entity. Without them continually<BR>
finding and preparing new markets, the capitalist system of the Imperium<BR>
will fail as it requires expansion.<BR>
<BR>
This is actually why the Imperium is in daner of collapse now, as they are<BR>
surrounded by other political entities, preventing further expansion.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 19:50:53 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
<BR>
Glenn Goffin wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
> <BR>
> >Just how strictly do the K'Kree define carnivory?  Would the<BR>
> >following be defined as carnivores?<BR>
> [deletion]<BR>
> >Where do they draw the line?<BR>
> <BR>
> If you ask a K'Kree, the answer will probably be:  "Typical<BR>
> human, looking for a rule to follow like a line in the sand that<BR>
> he can walk right up to and sniff.  The stench of that thought<BR>
> is killing me."<BR>
<BR>
At which point, I would, with regard to said K'Kree, fall under category<BR>
#4 ("It was dead when I found it!")  ;-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 19:59:54 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snips use of Stargates in Traveller>><BR>
> <BR>
> They also give rapid links to other species/empires. But by the same<BR>
> token they require some safeguards.<BR>
> <BR>
> Best of all, while it's possible to move a Stargate, doing so means the<BR>
> "address" changes and it's *not* simple figuring the new one. And<BR>
> nobody without the new one can access it. So it's best to leave them in<BR>
> place.<BR>
<BR>
Unless, of course, a hostile polity starts using their Stargate to<BR>
invade you via your Stargate.  At that point, you may _have_ to move the<BR>
Stargate whose location is known to your enemy, despite the near-term<BR>
inconvenience of having to recalculate its new "address."  (This assumes<BR>
that the only practical invasion route for said enemy is via Stargates.)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 20:03:10 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Imperial Currency (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
Peter Newman wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snips discussion of Imperial currency>><BR>
> <BR>
> > That<BR>
> > means a lot sized at 1m3 (exclusive of packaging) is MCr=Bill Denomination.<BR>
> > Lots will range, by canon, up to 16 tons. At 16 tons of, say, Cr100 bills,<BR>
> > that's a major load... we'll assume only 10m3 of cash after packaging, per<BR>
> > ton. That's up to MCr16,000! (GCr16). (Cr16E12). One score on a load of<BR>
> > even ones is enough to fund a ship for YEARS. And, by canon, it happens.<BR>
> <BR>
> 10 cubic meters of Cr 100 bills should be more like<BR>
> MCr 2,100 & 16 tons packed this way would be MCr<BR>
> 34,128.<BR>
<BR>
Why am I reminded of Tennessee Ernie Ford?<BR>
<BR>
"You load sixteen tons, and what do you get?<BR>
"A pirate raid later, you're deeper in debt...."<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:55:19 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Prions and cannibalism<BR>
<BR>
From: Daniel Phelps <phelpsd@gate.net><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>Was Written:<BR>
><BR>
>>>>On one world write up I had the custom of cannibalism.<BR>
><BR>
>Snip<BR>
><BR>
>>But do keep in mind that human flesh needs to be *well* cooked, to make<BR>
sure that you kill any parasites or disease organisms.<BR>
><BR>
>Snip<BR>
>><BR>
>>I'd say a pressure cooker would be the best modern equivalent.<BR>
><BR>
>I have a word regards this thread for all your budding Space Cannibals,<BR>
kuri (I hope I spelled it right).  It is a disease related to scrapies and<BR>
mad cow and is the result, if I remember correctly of eating human brains<BR>
and spinal tissue.  This form of prion (not sure of the spelling) disease<BR>
was formerly endemic in Papua NG.  I do not think that cooking makes any<BR>
difference.  Can anyone of our medically inclined shed some light on this?<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
You are correct.  Cooking does not affect transmission of prion diseases.<BR>
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), "mad cow disease", scrapie and kuri are all<BR>
forms of prion disease caused by eating meat contaminated with infectious<BR>
protein particles called prions.<BR>
<BR>
BAD NEWS:  Cooking does not inactivate prions, which may or may not even be<BR>
"alive" like virii or bacteria.  You would have to char it down to ashes and<BR>
even then you couldn't be sure, it's just that you wouldn't eat what would<BR>
be left anyway.<BR>
<BR>
WORSE NEWS:  These diseases affect the nervous system, but the prions appear<BR>
to be in other parts of the body as well.  The only really safe thing to do<BR>
with the corpse of anything that has a prion disease is reduce it to ashes<BR>
and don't bury the ashes where you are going to grow food later.  There is<BR>
some evidence that scrapie prions may persist in fields where infected herds<BR>
once lived.<BR>
<BR>
The incidence of prion diseases has gone up since humans got the bright idea<BR>
of feeding dead sheep and cow bits to other sheep and cows.  And cannibalism<BR>
seems to cause the incidence of kuri to rise.  So one could speculate that<BR>
prions tend become more of a problem when you are eating your own species,<BR>
or when critters that are not supposed to eat meat are fed meat.  This is<BR>
why it is now illegal to feed herbivorous animals "meat by-products".<BR>
<BR>
Prion diseases may, it is feared, also be contracted by receiving blood<BR>
transfusions from infected parties-- "lookback" is currently being done to<BR>
see if anyone has actually contracted the disease after receiving a<BR>
transfusion from someone who later developed the disease.  The problem with<BR>
identifying sufferers of prion diseases is that you are often really not<BR>
sure, especially in the case of older people, what is wrong until an autopsy<BR>
is done.  Prion diseases cause dementia, so they really tend to attract<BR>
attention only in younger victims.<BR>
<BR>
The best research is currently being done by Dr. Stanley Prusiner at UCSF.<BR>
I don't work with Dr. Prusiner or even on his floor and I may not be 100%<BR>
correct-- this is just what I've gathered hanging out at UCSF.  I encourage<BR>
you to research it yourself.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's<BR>
a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect and love your darkest side,<BR>
disposing of only what is obsolete or impractical.  It's all about giving<BR>
yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 18:08:24 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Re: The great scout debate<BR>
<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>>From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
><BR>
>>imagine our Scout characters to be guys who flew a Type S on long,<BR>
interesting, dangerous missions for years? Does anyone imagine that their<BR>
Scout character served on a converted AHL class or flew X-boat tenders?<BR>
>><BR>
>My recurring Scout PC, Rico Cziller, was in the Imperial Grand Survey, on<BR>
Donosevs and Type-S, then called up for the 5FW to do insertions and<BR>
extractions with a Type-S, so maybe you're right. I mostly think of him as<BR>
the bigamist with families on two different worlds (usually Regina and<BR>
Efate) who vacillates between looking for and avoiding his spouses in the<BR>
post-war period.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Lady Julissa thinks she met him in a startown once, but she'll keep his<BR>
secret if he'll keep hers.  "Rico Suave, that you?  ...this is Jiss!"<BR>
<BR>
She never bothered marrying anyone when she was in the Scouts (she left home<BR>
to AVOID getting married!) but occasionally she does have to be careful in<BR>
the Spinward Marches, now that she's gone and got her full title back and<BR>
her mother died in the war and everything.<BR>
<BR>
"Hey didn't I know you back before the war--"<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's<BR>
a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect and love your darkest side,<BR>
disposing of only what is obsolete or impractical.  It's all about giving<BR>
yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 21:15:01 EST<BR>
From: JFZeigler@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Scouts vs. merchants<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 1/14/00 1:52:45 PM Eastern Standard Time, <BR>
gmgoffin@yahoo.com writes:<BR>
<BR>
> Now a week on an X-Boat is lot less dangerous physically and<BR>
>  mentally than a bombing run over occupied Italy in 1943, but<BR>
>  this kind of dynamic could still operate.  <BR>
<BR>
My take on this is that X-boat pilots are deliberately recruited from those<BR>
Scouts who actually *like* to be alone for a week at a time.  The X-boat<BR>
service probably makes it very easy for you to take educational materials,<BR>
entertainment tapes, of whatever with you.  I also suspect that people with<BR>
creative occupations (writers, say) would do well on X-boat duty.  Lots of<BR>
time to work without distractions, once the minimal amount of maintenance<BR>
is done each day.<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, 14 Jan 2000 20:08:40 -0600<BR>
From: "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Prions and cannibalism<BR>
<BR>
Kiri was referring to Kuru<BR>
A prion based  disease very much like scrapie and CJD.<BR>
The natives that she spoke of lived in a primitive society where<BR>
the men did all of hunting and ate most of the protien available.<BR>
<BR>
Women supplemented their diets and that of their children with<BR>
brain tissue while preparing bodies for burial. Uncooked at that, kind of<BR>
like a<BR>
really nasty pate (sp?)<BR>
<BR>
It took a long time to figure out just what was up due to the nature<BR>
of prions. The have been referred to as "slow viruses" sometimes taking<BR>
decades to develope into full blown illnesses.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Just a note from someone who had to study kuru as an undergrad.<BR>
<BR>
Thomas<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 15:21:11 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Steven Hudson<BR>
> >From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
> ...<BR>
> >I'm curious, what sort of miniatures (PCs and/or ships) are you good<BR>
> >folks using?  Or are you doing without, or using the cardboard sort, or<BR>
> >micromachines, Legos, etc.<BR>
><BR>
>   The best available in 25mm should be at:<BR>
>         http://www.HistoricalMiniatures.com/<BR>
><BR>
>   The photo on the "Denizen SF 25mm" page simply doesn't do any justice<BR>
> to the quality of the mini's I've got; their civs and (IIRC) Ventaurans<BR>
> (SF205 Legionnaires I) are first-rate, and the latter look a lot like<BR>
> Zhodani combat-armoured troops should.<BR>
<BR>
Just as a bit of info for 25m fans, I've recently picked up a few old "Star<BR>
Fleet" miniatures, and several of them, especially the heavy troopers, are<BR>
not "obviously" Star Trek at all, and would easily pass as combat armoured<BR>
Trav troops.<BR>
<BR>
At the same time, I also picked up a pile of "Star Khan" and Warhammer 40K<BR>
miniatures.<BR>
While many of them are no good for Traveller, several would make great<BR>
individual characters, there is one tracked robot from the CyberOrc range<BR>
that makes a great robot, and several of the old "Paranoia" minitaures are<BR>
good for "ship's crew"  and general starship personnel.<BR>
<BR>
Also, the WW "Battleground" figures have several good sets, their "sentry<BR>
guns" are great.<BR>
<BR>
Then there's the old West End Games "Star Wars" figures, many of the "rebel<BR>
troops" make  good PC's, the rebel special forces figures especially. The<BR>
Imperials who aren't in obvious Star Wars battle dress make good Imperial<BR>
Navy too.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 13:18:06 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: The great scout debate<BR>
<BR>
From: Luther Martin <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
>I envision it as a job for loners who don't really fit in well into<BR>
society.<BR>
>After all, don't we all (Gross generalization here, I can only vouch for<BR>
the<BR>
>fact that it refers to me.) imagine our Scout characters to be guys who<BR>
flew<BR>
>a Type S on long, interesting, dangerous missions for years? Does anyone<BR>
>imagine that their Scout character served on a converted AHL class or flew<BR>
>X-boat tenders? I envisioned my character doing the 3I equivalent of<BR>
>watching Three Stooges movies while drinking Budweiser on his ship. As well<BR>
>as tinkering with things and reading a lot. He had JOT-5, but nothing else<BR>
>higher than -1.<BR>
<BR>
    I'm a surveyor and I can truthfully say that 90% of surveyors are in the<BR>
biz so they don't have to talk to anyone. A greater bunch of misanthropes is<BR>
not to be found, the chance to go away by yourself and just do your own<BR>
stuff for a week would be great!<BR>
    (The surveyors christmas party is ludicrous, no one says anything.)<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1755<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 14 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1756<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: Silly military quotes again, also, obscenities<BR>
Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
RE: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Star Gate<BR>
re:  Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
Re: Silly military quotes again, also, obscenities<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Scouts vs. merchants<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1751<BR>
Re: The great scout debate<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1752<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1754<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Re: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
Re: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
Re: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 18:16:13 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Silly military quotes again, also, obscenities<BR>
<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>>From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
><BR>
>>What are the obscenities in the 3I? I'm usre we'll have gotten beyond our<BR>
slang for intercourse and excreterary (sp?) functions a couple thousand<BR>
years from now... I quite like "smegging" as in Red Dwarf; after all, smegma<BR>
is not a lovely thing.  Any otehr suggestions for obscenities of the 3I? I<BR>
need some for my players. "Oh, shit," is only getting them so  far.<BR>
><BR>
>Maybe we should cross-post this discussion to Trav-Culture.<BR>
><BR>
>The function of the expletive is to shock the sayer and the hearer.<BR>
English has historically used short words in the consonant-short<BR>
vowel-consonant model, to achieve that goal.  Sometimes when I'm upset, I'll<BR>
let go of a stream of three and four letter words, none of which are<BR>
actually bad words, but they sound very bad:  rat scum rock blood dirt sack<BR>
dog book.<BR>
>"Smeg" fits this model well; so does "sod."<BR>
><BR>
"Smeg", being short for smegma, like "snot", "shit" and "piss" is in the<BR>
"disgusting substances" category.  Disgusting substances seem to be pretty<BR>
universal swear words... there's French "merde" and Japanese "kuso" (shit)<BR>
which branches into "hana-kuso" (snot) and "tsube-kuso" (smegma).<BR>
<BR>
>Finnish, by contrast, uses religious terms; Saataana (Satan) or "perkele"<BR>
(the devil) are as bad as the worst English word.<BR>
>French uses quasi-scientific terms:  espece d'un animal, espece de con.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
I thought in French "con" refered to a portion of female anatomy... like<BR>
"plotte".<BR>
<BR>
The commonest Japanese swear words other than the "disgusting substances"<BR>
ones are intimations that you are of low intelligence:  "baka", "aho", etc.<BR>
all imply that your IQ is two digits or fewer.  "Chikushou" which is worse,<BR>
means "monster". "Bakemono"/"Bakamono" also means monster but with the added<BR>
implication that you are a stupid one.<BR>
<BR>
However a very simple way to insult someone in Japanese is to use a<BR>
low-in-politeness pronoun for "you".  And you can nest these.<BR>
<BR>
Once when I was very angry at someone, I referred to him as "chikushou no<BR>
baka na onna-tarashi" which means monstrous AND stupid skirt-chaser.  But<BR>
the real kicker was the use of "omae" for "you" when I would normally say<BR>
"anata" or "kimi".  "Omae" is not always bad, men can use it casually, but<BR>
coming from a woman, and from a woman who had never called him anything less<BR>
than "anata" generally, it was very well understood by the target of this<BR>
tirade that he was in DEEP DOODOO.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's<BR>
a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect and love your darkest side,<BR>
disposing of only what is obsolete or impractical.  It's all about giving<BR>
yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 21:19:30 EST<BR>
From: JFZeigler@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 1/14/00 2:14:07 PM Eastern Standard Time, <BR>
eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com writes:<BR>
<BR>
> That's your Imperial throughput.  5,500,000,000,000,000 bytes per <BR>
>  second.  On TL-F, specialized, parallelized I/O data processors.<BR>
>  For only one Xboat.  On Mora, expect a dozen Xboats arriving per<BR>
>  day.<BR>
<BR>
I suspect the limiting factor won't be the data storage on the X-boat,<BR>
but the bandwidth available in the transmission channel.  Information<BR>
theory puts some pretty strict limits on the speed with which you can<BR>
transmit over (say) a com laser at a given frequency.<BR>
<BR>
These X-boats might well be able to *carry* petabytes, but they won't<BR>
be able to *exchange* them in mere hours.<BR>
<BR>
>  Why do the Xboats need the computers aboard?  Because they need<BR>
>  to broadcast transient mail to the next Xboat in the link, which<BR>
>  is ready to receive data.  For this reason, I assume Xboats<BR>
>  transmit transient mail first, then send local mail to the system<BR>
>  receivers.<BR>
<BR>
I had a *hard* time designing an X-boat I could believe in for _First In_.<BR>
I don't think the one I ended up with succeeds -- and even that one<BR>
has a lot more mass dedicated to a set of big honking comm lasers<BR>
than to the data storgae hardware.<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, 14 Jan 2000 20:15:25 -0600<BR>
From: "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
>The ObTrav should be obvious. *Is* it cannibalism to grow human meat in<BR>
>a carniculture vat and then eat it? And is it "wrong"?<BR>
<BR>
Yes, if you don't want to get sick :)<BR>
Cannibalism's main drawback is that it is far too easy to get sick from<BR>
something living in human flesh.<BR>
<BR>
TV<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 15:32:31 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
> > > I have never seen Stargate. What are the Goauld?<BR>
> ><BR>
> > A parasitic being that requires a human host to survive.  Check<BR>
> your local<BR>
> > video store for the original Stargate starring Kurt Russell.<BR>
> It is a epic<BR>
> > story-- almost (I think it needed to be about 20-30 minutes longer).<BR>
><BR>
> The series on Showtime ain't half bad either...there have been some<BR>
> interesting episodes, and some decent developing plots. IN my area (maybe<BR>
> nationally) they're showing old episodes on the local FOX affiliate<BR>
<BR>
I'll second that. The third season is better than the first two, which is<BR>
rare, IMO it's one of the best SF shows on TV at present. They're<BR>
continually surprising me by _not_ doing what you expect them to do.<BR>
<BR>
Richard Dean Anderson gets to play a "real person" for a change after having<BR>
to be all nicey-nice for McGyver. And so far I haven't noticed them 'forget'<BR>
anything that happened earlier in the series.<BR>
<BR>
One of the best bits in the second series was when a reporter threatened to<BR>
expose the SG project, and was run down by a car. They never cleared up<BR>
whether it was really an accident or whether it was done on purpose or not.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 20:32:28 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
It's interesting that, just as TMLers are discussion miniatures,<BR>
_Pyramid_ has an article this week about making starship miniatures out<BR>
of golf tees.  (The author says the idea came from _2300_.)<BR>
<BR>
They didn't look half-bad....<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 20:25:06 -0600<BR>
From: "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net><BR>
Subject: Star Gate<BR>
<BR>
I am thrilled to know that SG1 is in a third season.<BR>
We are just getting the 2nd one on Fox and<BR>
it has been VERY consistant which is good.<BR>
The only problem is that ALL the human planets  <BR>
speak English.<BR>
<BR>
Kinda Strange ?<BR>
<BR>
TV<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 20:35:17 -0600<BR>
From: William Barnett-Lewis <wlewis@mailbag.com><BR>
Subject: re:  Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
<BR>
This is why one only asks that question while holding a FGMP-15 in one hand.<BR>
And a tomato and chile based sauce in the other... :  K'Kree BBQ is the only<BR>
acceptable answer.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
on 1/14/00 8:17 PM, Traveller-digest at<BR>
owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:17:14 -0800 (PST)<BR>
> From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
> Subject: re:  Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
> <BR>
>> From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
> <BR>
>> Just how strictly do the K'Kree define carnivory?  Would the<BR>
>> following be defined as carnivores?<BR>
> [deletion]<BR>
>> Where do they draw the line?<BR>
> <BR>
> If you ask a K'Kree, the answer will probably be:  "Typical<BR>
> human, looking for a rule to follow like a line in the sand that<BR>
> he can walk right up to and sniff.  The stench of that thought<BR>
> is killing me."<BR>
> <BR>
> - --Glenn<BR>
> __________________________________________________<BR>
> Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
> Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
> http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
William<BR>
- -- <BR>
Live without fear; your Creator loves you     | William Barnett-Lewis<BR>
as a mother. Go in peace to follow the good   | mailto://wlewis@mailbag.com<BR>
road and may God's blessing be with           |<BR>
you always.                                   |<BR>
St. Claire                                    |<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 13:36:25 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Silly military quotes again, also, obscenities<BR>
<BR>
>So what would shock just about anybody?  Those a`re the words<BR>
>that Imperial drill sergeants will have to know, because their<BR>
>charges could come from anywhere.  I think tone of voice -- even<BR>
>to the level of kiaijitsu -- will be much more important in this<BR>
>regard than specific words.  <BR>
><BR>
>This is only the beginning of a potentially huge discussion.<BR>
>--Glenn<BR>
<BR>
    If my PCs Really Hate someone, they say "Cancer you!"<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 20:29:28 -0600<BR>
From: "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
Yep, StarCruiser (2300) tells you to use golf tees to for representing ships<BR>
on<BR>
the hex map and such.<BR>
Lord, someone still looks at their 2300 stuff:)<BR>
<BR>
TV<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 21:44:37 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
"Frank G. Pitt" wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Then there's the old West End Games "Star Wars" figures, many of the "rebel<BR>
> troops" make  good PC's, the rebel special forces figures especially. The<BR>
> Imperials who aren't in obvious Star Wars battle dress make good Imperial<BR>
> Navy too.<BR>
<BR>
Ooh! that reminded me of another good set of old figures - the 25mm<BR>
troopers Ral Partha made for Battletech!  <BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
**********<BR>
Tangled grasses lie matted with death,<BR>
but generals keep at it.  And for what?<BR>
Isn't it clear that weapons are the tools of misery?<BR>
The great sages never waited until the need for such things arose. - Li<BR>
Po<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 13:46:29 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Scouts vs. merchants<BR>
<BR>
>My take on this is that X-boat pilots are deliberately recruited from those<BR>
>Scouts who actually *like* to be alone for a week at a time.  The X-boat<BR>
>service probably makes it very easy for you to take educational materials,<BR>
>entertainment tapes, of whatever with you.  I also suspect that people with<BR>
>creative occupations (writers, say) would do well on X-boat duty.  Lots of<BR>
>time to work without distractions, once the minimal amount of maintenance<BR>
>is done each day.<BR>
>Jon F. Zeigler: Mathematician, computer geek, amateur historian, freelance<BR>
<BR>
    Especially studying! Here in Tasmania a good job available through the<BR>
university is firewatcher in the forestry firewatch towers. Stuck all that<BR>
way up in the air on a remote ridge is assuring yourself of few distractions<BR>
(unless there's a fire)<BR>
    No wonder scouts get lots of skills, all those ATs they rack up!<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 18:50:08 PST<BR>
From: "S D" <terran_2@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1751<BR>
<BR>
has there already been a map that holds earth in it?<BR>
i've been creating one for a game called Rifts RPG and i wanted to know if i <BR>
could use it in traveller too...but i won't be able to use it unless it <BR>
hasn't been created yet.....<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 21:49:48 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: The great scout debate<BR>
<BR>
Jim & Peta Lawrie wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
>     I'm a surveyor and I can truthfully say that 90% of surveyors are in the<BR>
> biz so they don't have to talk to anyone. A greater bunch of misanthropes is<BR>
> not to be found, the chance to go away by yourself and just do your own<BR>
> stuff for a week would be great!<BR>
>     (The surveyors christmas party is ludicrous, no one says anything.)<BR>
<BR>
I'm a cartographer for NOAA.  Part of my training was spent on a NOAA<BR>
survey ship.  It was a blast.  Great food, video games, movies, and one<BR>
of the ETs (Electronics Techs) was a wargamer!  <BR>
<BR>
I imagine that's life aboard a Donosev as compared to that on a type S.<BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
**********<BR>
Tangled grasses lie matted with death,<BR>
but generals keep at it.  And for what?<BR>
Isn't it clear that weapons are the tools of misery?<BR>
The great sages never waited until the need for such things arose. - Li<BR>
Po<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 18:53:10 PST<BR>
From: "S D" <terran_2@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1752<BR>
<BR>
i live in Oak Harbor, Washington State.  I don't know if there will ever be <BR>
players in this town..most of the RPGer's are for AD&D, Palladium Games, <BR>
Call of Cthulu, and other newer games.  Not many of the people ever play the <BR>
old ones because nobody gots them.<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 18:56:24 PST<BR>
From: "S D" <terran_2@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1754<BR>
<BR>
if its not to much trouble could someone give me something about how the <BR>
attribute system works and how the whole gaming system works.  That could <BR>
help me in finding more interest in the game.<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 18:58:13 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
> <BR>
> > A 10-to-30 GB hard disk at our TL, plus its share of the power<BR>
> > adapters, cooling system, electronics and so on, runs maybe 2-4 liters.<BR>
> > [snip]<BR>
><BR>
> But there's no need to access the data en-route. So no cooling is<BR>
> needed, nor is any power.<BR>
> <BR>
> Here's a different view. A CD *with case* occupies 12.5x12.5x1 cm^3 and<BR>
> hold 650 meg. That's 4.1 gig per liter. [snip]<BR>
<BR>
I'm assuming that a technology that allows rapid modification of <BR>
digital data (that is, allows the Xboat to accept new mail) is <BR>
bigger than the most compact *static* storage we can envision.<BR>
<BR>
Remember, in a matter of hours (usual Xboat turnaround time, per <BR>
Traders and Gunboats, is less than 4 hours) you have to be able<BR>
to read your whole datastore and send it out over an electromagnetic <BR>
transmitter (or maybe a meson communicator, whatever), then retrieve <BR>
the same amount of info electromagnetically and write it to your <BR>
datastore. <BR>
<BR>
With your mastery of exponential prefixes, I'll leave it to you to<BR>
calculate the *energy* needed to store exabytes of data via electron<BR>
pushing, or by proton-spin-state adjustment. We may find that that's <BR>
the limiting factor (because the Xboat has NO POWER PLANT I TELL YOU!<BR>
HAHAHahahahahhAAHAHAHHahaha). <BR>
<BR>
Also, isn't the modulation rate of an RF signal limited by the <BR>
frequency/wavelength of the emitter? This means the power required<BR>
by the transmitter alone could be prohibitive.<BR>
<BR>
I must be getting old... I never used to let practical considerations<BR>
get in the way of a good theoretical limit.<BR>
<BR>
Your CD/DVD examples imply a bank of databurners on the Xboat tender,<BR>
and a cargo bay instead of a databank on the boat.<BR>
<BR>
Someone should design a replacement for the Xboat system that relies<BR>
on a bank of sub-sophonts typing messages onto slips of parchment, and <BR>
loading them onto gigantic freighters. (Kenji? "SayVROOM presents the <BR>
ExaChimp data storage and retrieval system!") <BR>
<BR>
> "Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of mag<BR>
> tapes."<BR>
<BR>
Point made.<BR>
<BR>
> These days, it's a FedEx package of CDs and swiftly moving to DVDs.<BR>
> There are places that get their newsfeed in that manner, even now.<BR>
<BR>
Really? Who?<BR>
<BR>
> > One day of lead time on a<BR>
> > one-week latency might be critical; an hour could be, but rarely.<BR>
> <BR>
> On the other hand, given the vagaries of jump, "hourly" X-boats will<BR>
> *frequently* arrive "out of order".<BR>
<BR>
Ah, I'd quite forgotten, you're right. I still don't like the <BR>
megaships, but I'm sophont enough to admit I don't have a rational <BR>
reason for it. Maybe it's just the meme of the solo express boat <BR>
pilot.<BR>
<BR>
- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 21:59:28 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
Thomas Vickers wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Yep, StarCruiser (2300) tells you to use golf tees to for representing ships<BR>
> on<BR>
> the hex map and such.<BR>
> Lord, someone still looks at their 2300 stuff:)<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
With black painted pingpong balls representing unidentified target<BR>
ships.<BR>
8^)<BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:17:51 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Eric Henry writes:<BR>
>> Why is that a good thing?  It seems to me you want to dump as much heat<BR>
>>  energy ) as possible.  If you're conducting heat ( energy ) you're heating<BR>
>> your own vessel, which is precisely what your opponent was trying to do in<BR>
>> the first place.<BR>
><BR>
> No, your enemy isn't trying to heat up your vehicle.  Your enemy is trying<BR>
> to blow big holes in your vehicle.  There are less efficient ways to kill<BR>
> an enemy ship than by heating it up, but not very many.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, in *reality*, overheating is likely to be the *preferred*<BR>
method, simply because heat balance is *hard*. Dump a good chunk of<BR>
heat into a ship, and the *life system* (ie the parts of the ship where<BR>
the *crew* is) rapidly become unihabitable. <BR>
<BR>
Pirates would *love* "heat cripples". Damage the (very large!)<BR>
radiators a bit, then heat the ship until they have choice between<BR>
surrender and heatstroke. <BR>
<BR>
This even has built-in insurance. If they *do* try to fire a weapon or<BR>
cut in the drive before the *hull* has cooled enough, then they'll fry<BR>
themselves. <BR>
<BR>
Basicly, if the *hull* (as opposed to radiators) is at 80C, the only<BR>
places in the ship that'll be notiocably cooler will be the LH2 tanks,<BR>
and *maybe* the freezers/low berths. Because you *can't* let those get<BR>
hot, not if you want to survive the encounter. So the heat load has to<BR>
go into the lifesystem. Engineering will have its stuff that's *way*<BR>
hotter, as it always does. But keeping the lifesystem cooler than the<BR>
hull requires *enormous* power, or *huge* LOW TEMP radiators.<BR>
<BR>
So, like I said, in reality "heat kills" will be common. And I think<BR>
it'd be kinda fun role-playing such a situation.<BR>
<BR>
"Another hit"<BR>
"Any damage?"<BR>
"Nothing to worry about, but the heat pulse just pushed the cooling<BR>
gear into the red zone. It's either let the ship heat up now, or losse<BR>
the coolers *completely*..."<BR>
"Damn! Ok, try to keep it under 40 C ok?"<BR>
"I'll try, but I don't think we can do it..."<BR>
< several hits later><BR>
"That's <gasp> it... 50C!"<BR>
<several crewmembers are out of it, having failed thier rolls against<BR>
heat prostration><BR>
"Ok, ok, ... We <gasp> surrender...."<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:32:45 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> ObTrav: many depictions in sci-fi of the future imply<BR>
> or state that as races become more advanced<BR>
> technologically, they advance ethically, and stop<BR>
> eating meat, etc. IYTU's, is this an "advance"? Or is<BR>
> there indifference to this? Does the Emperor like his<BR>
> steak well-done, or would he have the same reaction to<BR>
> being offered steak one of us affluent westerners<BR>
> would have at being offered witchety grubs?<BR>
<BR>
Considering a few things I *have* eaten, I'd probably hesitate a bit<BR>
and *try* to eat one. If the first one went down ok (and from what I<BR>
hear, they taste ok) then I'd probably be ok, and chow down.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:34:54 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>ObTrav: many depictions in sci-fi of the future imply<BR>
>>or state that as races become more advanced<BR>
>>technologically, they advance ethically, and stop<BR>
>>eating meat, etc.=20<BR>
><BR>
> A ridiculous assertion, IMHO... but that's just me.<BR>
><BR>
>>IYTU's, is this an "advance"? Or is<BR>
>>there indifference to this? Does the Emperor like his<BR>
>>steak well-done, or would he have the same reaction to<BR>
>>being offered steak one of us affluent westerners<BR>
>>would have at being offered witchety grubs?<BR>
><BR>
> There may well be planets whose cultures eschew eating<BR>
> meat... but the Imperium as a whole? Hardly.<BR>
><BR>
> (I would imagine that Astroburger franchises on the=20<BR>
> vegetarian planets would be difficult to sustain -- IMTU,<BR>
> every starport in the Imperium has an Astroburger franchise.)<BR>
<BR>
Nah! They'll just serve GardenBurgers(TM). <BR>
<BR>
BTW, GardenBurgers won't fool you into thinking they are meat, though<BR>
they are fairly close in many ways. But they are *darn* good on their<BR>
own. <BR>
<BR>
Back when I was low on cash, I belonged to a food co-op. They got a<BR>
*lot* of Gardenburgers donated (it's a local company). Best guess is<BR>
that any time stuff got a bit old, or there was a labelling/packaging<BR>
mixup they'd just toss it in the bin for donations. <BR>
<BR>
Anyway, I got the things by the *pound*. And they were *good*. I had<BR>
meat loving friends *asking* if I had any. <BR>
<BR>
So Astroburger can do ok even on vegitarian planets. Which could lead<BR>
to some surprises. If they've expanded into K'kree territory, imagine<BR>
the shock to some poor K'kree vistors to the imperium who see the sign<BR>
and walk in only to find *meat* being served!<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:41:00 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Ethics in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> From: Jim & Peta Lawrie <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
>> <SNIP><BR>
>> Does the Emperor like his<BR>
>> >steak well-done, or would he have the same reaction to<BR>
>> >being offered steak one of us affluent westerners<BR>
>> >would have at being offered witchety grubs?<BR>
>> >KA Schuant<BR>
>> <SNIP><BR>
>><BR>
>>     Dulinor prefers his meat wearing a crown.<BR>
>>     I don't see the current western life-is-holy attitude in the Imperi=<BR>
> um,<BR>
>> it may only be because I'm after something different in the campaign<BR>
> though.<BR>
>> I had always assumed that there are nobles running gladiator sports<BR>
>> somewhere on lo-law planets.<BR>
><BR>
> Actually, life-is-holy is more of an eastern thing that has<BR>
> invaded the west.  Although there is a strong life-is-holy<BR>
> aspect to the philosophies of the prehistoric settlers of<BR>
> the new world (AKA "native" Americans), it is one of<BR>
> honoring the life by savoring the essence (and the flavor of<BR>
> the food that life provides) not unlike ancient Europeans.<BR>
<BR>
My experience is that folks who know where meat "comes from" tend to be<BR>
less likely to go for *silly* "animal rights" stuff. And *for* the<BR>
stuff that counts.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:42:45 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> From: Alistair J. R. Young <avatar@arkane.demon.co.uk><BR>
><BR>
>> I rather like inertial dampening and antigravity to be two<BR>
>> completely different things. Not so much for that effect, but (per<BR>
>> "Consider Phlebas", I think) for the potentially messy death<BR>
>> awaiting someone who tries to = use antigrav equipment on anything<BR>
>> that generates gravity by spinning.<BR>
<BR>
>> Rather rips RL physics apart, but I think I can live with that.<BR>
<BR>
> You can't create gravity by spinning.  I suppose you are<BR>
> speaking of centrifugal/centripetal force.  What difference<BR>
> does it make if you are spinning something and add AG?<BR>
<BR>
Simple. If you have "spin grav" and turn on an AG unit *nothing<BR>
happens*. That's because (as you noted) there's no "real" gravity (or<BR>
large mass, take your pic) to react against to provide "lift". <BR>
<BR>
In "Consider Phlebas" (which I recently found a copy of), the<BR>
characters are on an "orbital" (mini-ringworld) and "hovering" a few<BR>
hundred feet above a *huge* seagoing ship. One of them had missed the<BR>
briefing and steps off their ship's boat relying on his suit's AG to<BR>
lower him to the ship. SPLAT!<BR>
<BR>
The rest rappel down ropes.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:48:35 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Jason T. Barnabas wrote:<BR>
>>From: Alistair J. R. Young <avatar@arkane.demon.co.uk><BR>
>><BR>
>><BR>
>>> I rather like inertial dampening and antigravity to be two completely<BR>
>>> different things. Not so much for that effect, but (per "Consider<BR>
>>Phlebas",<BR>
>>> I think) for the potentially messy death awaiting someone who tries to use<BR>
>>> antigrav equipment on anything that generates gravity by spinning.<BR>
>>><BR>
>>> Rather rips RL physics apart, but I think I can live with that.<BR>
>><BR>
>>You can't create gravity by spinning.  I suppose you are<BR>
>>speaking of centrifugal/centripetal force.  What difference<BR>
>>does it make if you are spinning something and add AG?<BR>
><BR>
> Handwaves at 10 paces?<BR>
><BR>
> It is not "creating gravtity", it should be "Simulating gravity by<BR>
> spinning".<BR>
<BR>
> Now, if AG just removes the gravity effect instead of providing a<BR>
> gravity like counter force, that rips 20th century physics quite<BR>
> badly* - it also means that you can't use this field to counter<BR>
> forces other than gravity, so the result is that you are wearing an<BR>
> AG belt but still stuck to the floor.<BR>
<BR>
> *There is an assumption in physics that if you are in an accelerating<BR>
> sealed box** with as much apparatus as you want, there is no way of<BR>
> knowing if the acceleration is due to the gravity of a planet in<BR>
> front or a rocket motor*** behind****.  This assumption is know as<BR>
> "Einstein's General Theory of Relativity".<BR>
<BR>
And in such a box, you *can* tell the difference between "spin gravity"<BR>
and "real gravity/rocket motor". Coriolis "forces" are a dead giveaway.<BR>
<BR>
Whereas the typical answer of "a real gravity field decrease via<BR>
inverse square and acceleration from a rocket doesn't" is false,<BR>
because if you are close to a dense, *flat* plate, you don't get a<BR>
decrement either. <BR>
<BR>
Thus, you can tell if you are being spun, but not whether the<BR>
(non-spin) inertial forces are due to acceleration or mass.<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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1756<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1757</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
Date:	1/14/00 8:21:53 PM Pacific Standard Time<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 14 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1757<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>
OT, but funny...<BR>
Re: Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
re:  Silly military quotes again, also, obscenities<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Boarding actions<BR>
Re: Privateers (Punishment for Piracy)<BR>
Re: OT, but funny...<BR>
Terra in Traveller? (was: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1751)<BR>
Re: Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: money in the 3I<BR>
RE: Distance between two worlds<BR>
Re: money in the 3I<BR>
Re: 3I Money<BR>
Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Re:  The great scout debate<BR>
Re: The great scout debate<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 18:18:40<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: OT, but funny...<BR>
<BR>
Today, I needed to buy some 3.5 disks for backing up Ground Forces (all the<BR>
disks in the apartment are either filled or in poor shape.)  So I drop into<BR>
a McWhorters and pick up a few things, including a box of disks.<BR>
<BR>
I get home, and take the box out of the bag.  On;y then do I notice the<BR>
name of the company that manufactured these disks.<BR>
<BR>
Pengo Computer Accessories.  One gues what the logo is.<BR>
<BR>
I can't escape.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas "Penguin Boy" Berry  gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
  http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
"But that's not the point!" raged Ford. "The point is that I am now a<BR>
perfectly safe penguin, and my colleague here is rapidly running out of<BR>
limbs!"  - The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 19:02:08<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
<BR>
At 04:53 PM 1/14/2000 -0600, you wrote:<BR>
>Gentlebeings:<BR>
><BR>
>Just how strictly do the K'Kree define carnivory?  Would the following<BR>
>be defined as carnivores?<BR>
<BR>
Probably G'naak would be anything capable of eating a K'Kree.  Or, in the<BR>
immortal words of Tim the Enchanter "Its got TEETH!!"<BR>
<BR>
Really, if the K'Kree exterminated everything down to the insectovores,<BR>
Kirur would be a dead world within a century.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas "Penguin Boy" Berry  gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
  http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
"I am the penguin bold! We sailed the sea, to tringalee,<BR>
in search of spanish gold" - The Magic Pudding - Norman Lindsay<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 19:11:24<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: re:  Silly military quotes again, also, obscenities<BR>
<BR>
At 04:32 PM 1/14/2000 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>So what would shock just about anybody?  Those a`re the words<BR>
>that Imperial drill sergeants will have to know, because their<BR>
>charges could come from anywhere.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, Drills avoid profanity for that reason.  a simple "God dman it"<BR>
could deeply offend a religious soldier and lead to charges of trainee<BR>
abuse.  Stop laughing, it has happened.<BR>
<BR>
A good Drill Sergeant masters sarcasm.  For example:<BR>
<BR>
"Berry, you were sent here as a test of my will and self-control, right?"<BR>
<BR>
"Why did you join My Army when the Navy recruiter was right next door?<BR>
<BR>
"Troop, why are you wasting my precious oxygen?"<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 04:20:48 +0100<BR>
From: Regin Thybo =?iso-8859-1?Q?Lyngs=F8?= <oceania@rrk.kollegienet.dk><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
>With your mastery of exponential prefixes, I'll leave it to you to<BR>
>calculate the *energy* needed to store exabytes of data via electron<BR>
>pushing, or by proton-spin-state adjustment. We may find that that's<BR>
>the limiting factor (because the Xboat has NO POWER PLANT I TELL YOU!<BR>
>HAHAHahahahahhAAHAHAHHahaha).<BR>
<BR>
Why, it seems inpractical, you could use the time enrute to sort the data <BR>
to make faster deliveries for the next x-boat. (And some espionage :)<BR>
<BR>
> > These days, it's a FedEx package of CDs and swiftly moving to DVDs.<BR>
> > There are places that get their newsfeed in that manner, even now.<BR>
><BR>
>Really? Who?<BR>
<BR>
I would think that many printing places tend to get their materials on CD <BR>
now, or DVD it seems practical.<BR>
<BR>
BTW Maersk (shipping and Air transport firm) moved their computer HQ in <BR>
1998 or 99, and they had 130 HD's with critcally vital information, to move <BR>
it from point A to point B with the MAX bandwith would have taken days, <BR>
they just moved it all by plane in less than 24 hours.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- - Regin<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 14:17:22 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
>>    The Pirate usually IS in-system and he has every right to be there,<BR>
>>because pirates don't come from disaffected merchant crews anymore.<BR>
Pirates<BR>
>>come from spacefaring cultures like Belters who live in a boom-or-bust<BR>
>>cycle.<BR>
    >So you are assuming that nowadays Belters fly armed and armored<BR>
jump-capable<BR>
    >ships large enough to pose a threat to an armed merchant?<BR>
<BR>
    Armed? Yes. Armoured? Possibly. (Would belters require armour for their<BR>
work anyone?) Jump-capable? No.<BR>
<BR>
>>The informant is a customs officer and he gets a copy of the manifest via<BR>
>>the x-boat system weeks before the merchant turns up,<BR>
    >So you are assuming that 1) the prospective victim is a regularily<BR>
scheduled<BR>
    >freighter and 2) that the company files cargo manifests on their ships<BR>
weeks<BR>
    >in advance instead of when they actually load the cargo?<BR>
<BR>
    I've worked in distrubution and you do know in advance when shipments<BR>
are due. The x-boat route is much faster than the actual vessel and you need<BR>
a copy for customs. This not just because its law, but because its the only<BR>
way practicable.<BR>
<BR>
>>...plenty of time for a laser message to be sent via normal channels out<BR>
>>into the belt. If the customs weasel is very lucky he may be able to get<BR>
>>a hold of the merchants flight plans and the corsair can approach under<BR>
>>the guise of a customs ship.<BR>
    >So you are assuming that the real customs service will stand idly by<BR>
while<BR>
    >this is going on? Or are you assuming that the world is large enough to<BR>
    >warrant a regularily sceduled freight service (and an X-boat link) but<BR>
    >can't afford any planetary defense forces? Oh, and you're also assuming<BR>
that<BR>
    >this regularily sheduled freighter doesn't know that the world doesn't<BR>
have<BR>
    >any customs ships?<BR>
<BR>
    As I've said before, this is based on what happens in RL. Specifically<BR>
the Indonesain/Malaysian pirates. Customs officials are quite often corrupt,<BR>
sorry but its true. A friend of mine is a biologist who works for AQIS, the<BR>
Australian Quarrentine Service and he assures me that their outfit is very<BR>
different to the Hong Kong setup. Customs services are a varied lot it<BR>
seems. You'll note that there is about three different navies around Hong<BR>
Kong but the pirate problem remains.<BR>
<BR>
    >>So near the required time the belters go over to their "Pirates Hold<BR>
>>Asteroid" and transfer into the outer system in their Type P and they only<BR>
>>have to wait around for three days on "Silent Running" (Is EmCon the term<BR>
>>for that?<BR>
    >What is a "Pirates Hold Asteroid"? If it is anything that costs money<BR>
to set<BR>
    >up and maintain, it will add to the cost of the operation that the<BR>
pirates<BR>
    >will have to steal enough to support.<BR>
    >      Hans Rancke<BR>
<BR>
    It was a tongue-in-cheek statement. After a few successful raids it may<BR>
be possible for pirates to purchase, steal or upgrade an existing vessel<BR>
(non-starship) for purely raiding purposes. Stashing the boat in an asteroid<BR>
belt is apparently easy. I think that mothballing the vessel for a few weeks<BR>
or months should be within the capabilities of some belters/gas miners. This<BR>
is not a few people working on thier own, I'm postulating a small society<BR>
that considers this piracy to be an acceptable method of supplimenting their<BR>
income. It may not be a pleasant society but its one way of having pirates<BR>
insystem near large worlds.<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 14:19:45 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Privateers (Punishment for Piracy)<BR>
<BR>
>>Privateer : Private individuals who are licensed by a state to raid an<BR>
enemy<BR>
>>states shipping in time of war.<BR>
><BR>
>  It might be pointed out that this largely went out of style once RW<BR>
states<BR>
>developed fiscal organs capable of maintaining naval establishments; they<BR>
>were already anachronistic by the time naval tech started to differentiate<BR>
>substantially from civilian marine transport. Although the former could be<BR>
>hand-waved as being cultural, the latter trend is very clear in all of the<BR>
>Traveller ship design systems that I'm aware of.<BR>
><BR>
>        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
    Good point. There's lots of strange little anachronisms in the game and<BR>
I guess that I shouldn't introduce any more, but it is one way you can allow<BR>
PCs to effectively be pirates and still be "good guys."<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 16:37:40 +1300<BR>
From: "Andrew Moffatt-Vallance" <a.vallance@netaccess.co.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: OT, but funny...<BR>
<BR>
Date sent:      	Fri, 14 Jan 2000 18:18:40<BR>
From:           	"Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
<BR>
> I get home, and take the box out of the bag.  On;y then do I notice the<BR>
> name of the company that manufactured these disks.<BR>
<BR>
> Pengo Computer Accessories.  One gues what the logo is.<BR>
<BR>
> I can't escape.<BR>
<BR>
It is your destiny Doug (all you need now is for an Emperor <BR>
Penguin to tell you he's your father Doug).<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Andrew etc<BR>
Homepage http://users.netaccess.co.nz/amv/<BR>
Traveller http://www.downport.com/amv/<BR>
 "What do you expect from a species who's females are<BR>
 always in heat" Ko of the Ilui clan on Humans and honour<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 21:55:12 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Terra in Traveller? (was: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1751)<BR>
<BR>
S D wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> has there already been a map that holds earth in it?<BR>
> i've been creating one for a game called Rifts RPG and i wanted to know if i<BR>
> could use it in traveller too...but i won't be able to use it unless it<BR>
> hasn't been created yet.....<BR>
<BR>
Yes, there is.  The Solomani Rim Sector.  Since you're new to Traveller,<BR>
I'll mention here that humans from Earth (Terra) are known as Solomani<BR>
(it is believed in the Third Imperium [3I] that "Solomani" refers either<BR>
to "men of Sol [our Sun]" or "sole [true] men."  (I prefer the first<BR>
explanation, as the other two major branches of humaniti (the Vilani and<BR>
Zhodani) are named for their home star system or world.)  The Solomani<BR>
Rim Sector "contains nearly 400 inhabited worlds, including Earth." <BR>
[quote from the back cover of Supplement 10: The Solomani Rim, for<BR>
"Classic Traveller" (CT).]<BR>
<BR>
BTW, Traveller uses a 2-dimensional star map, on a scale of one parsec<BR>
(about 3.26 light years) per hex.<BR>
<BR>
If you have a DOS/Win computer, you can download a truly spectacular<BR>
program for Traveller, called Galactic 2.4.  It has great big bunches of<BR>
sector maps, for several different time periods in Traveller's history. <BR>
It's available at:<BR>
<BR>
http://members.aol.com/jimvassila<BR>
<BR>
Trust me on this, you won't regret downloading this program.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 22:00:30 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
<BR>
"Douglas E. Berry" wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> At 04:53 PM 1/14/2000 -0600, you wrote:<BR>
> >Gentlebeings:<BR>
> ><BR>
> >Just how strictly do the K'Kree define carnivory?  Would the following<BR>
> >be defined as carnivores?<BR>
> <BR>
> Probably G'naak would be anything capable of eating a K'Kree.  Or, in the<BR>
> immortal words of Tim the Enchanter "Its got TEETH!!"<BR>
> <BR>
> Really, if the K'Kree exterminated everything down to the insectovores,<BR>
> Kirur would be a dead world within a century.<BR>
<BR>
All right, then, the follow-up question (yes, _I'm_ a US Army<BR>
interrogator!) is:<BR>
<BR>
At what point do the K'Kree consider a _sentient_ species "G'naak"?<BR>
<BR>
More importantly, would I still be able to eat crawfish without being a<BR>
K'Kree target? ;-)  [I enjoy crawfish with the devotion of a convert<BR>
(I'm not originally from Louisiana).]<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 21:53:35 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
On 01/14/00 at 09:49 PM,  shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) said:<BR>
<BR>
>In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>> My look on grav pong is that it can't happen. Changes to the grav plates<BR>
>> pull (from 1G to 6G or 1 G to 0G) take time to build up/decress, like using<BR>
>> a range top stove when you turn it on it doesn't go to max right away, it<BR>
>> needs time to heat up, just as when you turn if off it needs time to cool<BR>
>> down.<BR>
<BR>
>You obviously use an electric stove. :-)<BR>
<BR>
>Seriously, the plates have to adjust as fast as the drive can. Which is<BR>
>going to be fairly fast.<BR>
<BR>
Does anyone see IComp as being something built into the hull that<BR>
projects a field throughout the volume of the ship insulating it<BR>
from outside inertial forces?<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 19:22:27 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: money in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> A high tech bit of iridium, silicon and oxygen (plus<BR>
> other trace elements) that announces:<BR>
><BR>
> "I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of<BR>
>  1,000 credits. Signed <squiggle><BR>
>  pp His Imperial Majesty, Strephon"<BR>
><BR>
> :-)<BR>
<BR>
Actually, what *any* money "really says" is:<BR>
<BR>
"We, the undersigned government certify that this note can be exchanged<BR>
 for XXX credits worth of goods or services."<BR>
<BR>
No more, no less.<BR>
<BR>
As long as people *believe* that, the money works. If they *don't*<BR>
believe it, then prices go up, and inflation takes off. Ditto if the<BR>
government tries to print "too much" money.<BR>
<BR>
But, they can also print too "little". In which case *nasty* things<BR>
happen. Lots of goods, but not many folks have the cash to buy. And<BR>
barter *isn't* practical for city folks.<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, 15 Jan 2000 17:02:16 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
> > Does anyone have a hard and fast rule for calculating the distance<BR>
> > between two worlds on a sector map ?<BR>
<BR>
OK, people, time for the Computer Science graduate to speak up.<BR>
<BR>
The first question is which distance do you want ?<BR>
<BR>
The _actual_ distance, which is merely a standard hex-wargame calculation,<BR>
or the distance by jump X ?<BR>
<BR>
If you actually want the _shortest_ route between two worlds using Jump X,<BR>
then it becomes difficult.<BR>
<BR>
This is known in CS as the "Travelling Sales Person" problem (or TSP for<BR>
short)<BR>
<BR>
Unfortunately, it's of a class of problem currently considered "NP<BR>
complete". What this means is that while there are some very simple<BR>
algorithms to solve the problem, they require a total enumeratoin of the<BR>
problem space, which in any reasonably sized system imoplies unmanageably<BR>
long amounts of time to solve.<BR>
<BR>
Luckily there are several well known heuristics (as opposed to algorithms)<BR>
that will provide a reasonably good chance of determining the shortest route<BR>
without doing a complete enumeration. The problem with heuirristics is they<BR>
can't guarantee the route they provide is the shortest route, it's just "one<BR>
of the shortest routes".<BR>
<BR>
Tell me what you actualy want to solve, and I'll try and point you at some<BR>
code.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> ><BR>
> > I'm trying to automate Route Mapping (as per Far Trader) using Excel<BR>
> > and<BR>
> > the algorithm I thought I had doesn't spin true.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > If anyone knows of one, send a carrier-pigeon my way.<BR>
><BR>
> I suspect that the only way to do it is by hand.<BR>
><BR>
> Here is what Jim MacClean had to say when I asked.<BR>
><BR>
> ---------------<BR>
><BR>
> --- jmaclean@ix.netcom.com wrote:<BR>
>  From: jmaclean@ix.netcom.com<BR>
>  Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 10:06:22 -0500 (CDT)<BR>
>  To: traveller@mpgn.com<BR>
>  Subject: Re: G:T Far Trader stuff<BR>
>  Reply-to: traveller@mpgn.com<BR>
><BR>
>  On 05/10/99 05:48:08 Terry wrote:<BR>
>  > Ian wrote:<BR>
>  >> The final issue is astrography - for example, Collace to Asteline<BR>
>  >> is 8 parsecs in a straight line, but astrography enforces 10.<BR>
>  >> This cuts what would be an 8 relationship to a 7.5.<BR>
>  ><BR>
>  >Hmm. That's a good point. If I have to refigure distance based on<BR>
>  >actual travel distance, that will modify this whole project. That<BR>
>  >is a good question for those that figured this process out in the<BR>
>  >first place. Well guys?<BR>
><BR>
>  	Yes, distance has to be based on actual travel distance along he<BR>
>  shortest J-2 route (J-4 along x-boat routes).  Worse than that, if<BR>
>  there<BR>
>  isn't enough trade to qualify for its own route, it will flow along<BR>
>  existing<BR>
>  routes, so if you're interested in total trade and not just mapping<BR>
>  routes<BR>
>  you'll have to have a separate step for this.<BR>
>  	I considered automating this task when writing these rules, but it<BR>
>  seemed like a big job.  So far it has been easier to do it by hand.<BR>
>  If you<BR>
>  are willing to automate this so that all anyone has to do is dump in<BR>
>  sector<BR>
>  data you will have done an enormous service to the Trav community.<BR>
>  Who<BR>
>  _wouldn't_ want a trade map of the Imperium?<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
>  ------------------<BR>
>  Jim MacLean<BR>
>  Economist, Traveller Fan<BR>
>  co-author GT: Far Trader<BR>
><BR>
> __________________________________________________<BR>
> Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
> Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
> http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 19:07:33 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: money in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> I see it going back to the barter system, and thus a<BR>
> gold standard or equivalent. After all, what was gold<BR>
> in the days of Rome and Greece and the Kush, but an<BR>
> item of barter that _everyone_ valued? Until the past<BR>
> couple of decades, that was what our paper money was<BR>
> supposed to be, a representation of actual gold. <BR>
<BR>
Actually, while gold "backing" was used that recently, it's *way* out<BR>
of favor. "Money" is a much slipperier concept than most people<BR>
realize. It's actually nothing more than "universally" respected<BR>
"IOUs". <BR>
<BR>
> So you have to ask, what would be an item of barter<BR>
> that _everyone_ values in the 3I? <BR>
<BR>
> Gold might be a problem, I think, because with all<BR>
> these big old asteroids floating around, someone is<BR>
> bound to flood the market with several hundred tons of<BR>
> the stuff, causing inflation!<BR>
<BR>
Actually, the same is true of *any* material you pick. Either that, or<BR>
worse, the ecomony gets stifled because there *isn't* enough X to use<BR>
for all the business that needs transactions. That was a problem all<BR>
thru the Middle ages and right up until they swung over to the opposite<BR>
extreme when the Spanish started bringing back gold by the *ton* from<BR>
the New World. The Spanish economy has *never* fully recovered from<BR>
what that did to them. Lots of "money" but without the economic<BR>
activity to back it caused lots of people to quit producing goods<BR>
because they now "had money". So for a while, everybody was well off.<BR>
Then the gold was spent (most outside the country, since with<BR>
"everyone" being rich they had to imports the goods). And nobody had<BR>
the capital to restart most of the businesses that had closed. Thus the<BR>
Spain that lasted pretty much to modern times. Rich land owners and<BR>
everybody else dirt pooor.<BR>
<BR>
> (I guess that's why bullion is forbidden to private hands in<BR>
> Australia by law?)<BR>
<BR>
No, that's a standard (and pretty much out-dated) method of *forcing*<BR>
the people to use government currency even though they don't think it's<BR>
worth much.<BR>
<BR>
> IMTU, I tend to have little flat cards of metal,<BR>
> alloys of rare earth elements (like ytturbium); these<BR>
> elements have intrinsic value because they're used in<BR>
> high technology power plants, drives, and computers.<BR>
> Of course they're worth little on individual worlds,<BR>
> but that's what the exchange office in the starport is<BR>
> for.<BR>
<BR>
> Thoughts, girls and guys?<BR>
<BR>
As I noted above, when the metal(s) in question are scarce, you'll be<BR>
strangling the economy by choking off the money supply. When they are<BR>
overly abundant, you'll cause inflation. <BR>
<BR>
That's why governments use *floating* exchange rates now. And try to<BR>
keep the amount of their currencies in circulation "balanced" against<BR>
the actual "size" (activity?) of their economy. <BR>
<BR>
Money *isn't* pieces of paper or anything material. It's a means of<BR>
"keeping score" economically. Strong economies *need* lots of currency.<BR>
Weak ones *need* tighter control on the economy.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 20:58:03 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money<BR>
<BR>
>[I note that a true canon purist might claim the<BR>
>illustration is inaccurate since the text says the<BR>
>coins come in various shapes while the coins in the<BR>
>illustration are all round.]<BR>
<BR>
Not necessarily. I could put together some US or Canadian<BR>
coins for a picture: quarters, dimes, nickels, and a half-<BR>
dollar, then conclude that all coins are silver using the<BR>
logic above. :)<BR>
<BR>
(Of course, pennies are copper, Canadian loonies are gold-<BR>
coloured, and Canadian twonies are a silver ring outside a<BR>
copper centre...)<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, 14 Jan 2000 22:10:07 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
On 01/14/00 at 10:01 PM,  "Carlos Alos-Ferrer" <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at> said:<BR>
<BR>
>> > Government code 4 is described as "Representative Democracy." It<BR>
>> > occurs to me that there is an awful lot of variety there, as is in<BR>
>> > most gov codes, but it seems that it could be classified somehow, and<BR>
>> > maybe refined so that some weird effects of UWP generation can be<BR>
>> > dealt with (e.g.: "democracy implies weapons freedom," which is an<BR>
>> > americanism).<BR>
> <BR>
>> smile when you say that Carlos ;-><BR>
<BR>
>Of course, I am sorry. No flamewar intended, just remembered some  past<BR>
>observations in this list, that the number of Gov 4, Low Law  Level<BR>
>planets produced by the worldgen seemed to reflect the american <BR>
>democracy and not, say, the British one. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
I know, I was making a joke. <g><BR>
<BR>
>> You *could* have a real Representative Democracy with a single party,<BR>
>> although the examples of single party states that spring to mind<BR>
>> aren't especially good examples of democracies. You could easily have<BR>
>> a no party democracy, an American President warned against the<BR>
>> factionalism of parties...not that he was listened to.<BR>
<BR>
>"Single party" tend to be or evolve into dictatorships in Earth...  maybe<BR>
>it is easier than that: as a working definition, a "party" has  to<BR>
>represent a "part," so a single party democracy would be rather <BR>
>classified as a "no-parties" one...  <BR>
<BR>
Hum, well, a party implies an organization or structure.  No party<BR>
does not.  In no party democracies, and they are the norm in small<BR>
private clubs and other groups, each candidate would stand alone for<BR>
the office without affiliation with other candidates or<BR>
organizational support.  <BR>
<BR>
In a one party state, the Republic of Mexico has been pretty good<BR>
example of one until recently, the single (or dominate) party is<BR>
organized.  It has an internal structure and organization that, in<BR>
part, serves to perpetuate control of the government by that one<BR>
party.  It also has processes to select candidates for election to<BR>
office which may, or may not, be democratic in nature.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 22:23:01 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> <BR>
> So, like I said, in reality "heat kills" will be common. And I think<BR>
> it'd be kinda fun role-playing such a situation.<BR>
> <BR>
> "Another hit"<BR>
> "Any damage?"<BR>
> "Nothing to worry about, but the heat pulse just pushed the cooling<BR>
> gear into the red zone. It's either let the ship heat up now, or losse<BR>
> the coolers *completely*..."<BR>
> "Damn! Ok, try to keep it under 40 C ok?"<BR>
> "I'll try, but I don't think we can do it..."<BR>
> < several hits later><BR>
> "That's <gasp> it... 50C!"<BR>
> <several crewmembers are out of it, having failed thier rolls against<BR>
> heat prostration><BR>
> "Ok, ok, ... We <gasp> surrender...."<BR>
<BR>
Bearing in mind that I have an imperfect grasp of physics (I know that<BR>
one can become seriously ill from kinetic energy poisoning; beyond that,<BR>
things can get a bit fuzzy):<BR>
<BR>
Would reducing the air pressure aboard ship help reduce the heating<BR>
problem?  If so, at what point, if any, would one hit the point of<BR>
diminishing returns?  0.5 atmospheres?  Vacuum?  Would this be another<BR>
justification for controlled decompression prior to battle?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 21:21:11 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re:  The great scout debate<BR>
<BR>
>> It's not that they spend any longer aboard ship than their S<BR>
>> pilot compatriots -- a week in jumpspace is still a week in<BR>
>> jumpspace. But X-boat pilots do it *alone*. With lots of videos,<BR>
>> reading materials, etc., but still totally alone. And in a<BR>
>> small, confined space -- imagine something about the size of your<BR>
>> bedroom.<BR>
><BR>
>It's not that small, though - more like a studio apartment. Two <BR>
>staterooms, control room, and I think there's a small common area<BR>
>as well. I'll grant that people who thrive on that are unusual, <BR>
>but not *very* unusual. It would be heavenly for many artist-types <BR>
>and writers to be in a job that pays well (look at the mustering-<BR>
>out tables) and guarantees days-at-a-time stretches of peace, <BR>
>quiet, privacy, and non-interruptedness.<BR>
<BR>
By gosh, you're right -- I looked at the deck plans for an X-Boat<BR>
in G:T First In, and there *are* two staterooms... ("Which bed<BR>
will I sleep in *today*?")<BR>
<BR>
>Of course, many sorts of obsessive-compulsive people might make <BR>
>their neuroses even worse. Taking a RealDoll(tm) and a meter-high <BR>
>stack of porn holos as your only baggage on an Xboat trip is a real<BR>
>cry for help, if you get what I'm saying. Well, maybe not if you <BR>
>only do it once or twice to see if you like it.<BR>
<BR>
What if you take the RealDoll and the metre-high stack of porn holos<BR>
along with the usual baggage most X-Boat pilots take on a trip? Is<BR>
that any less deviant?<BR>
<BR>
Which brings to mind the question -- what are the attitudes towards<BR>
porn in the 3I? Or would this vary regionally and/or from system to<BR>
system?<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, 14 Jan 2000 21:10:57 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: The great scout debate<BR>
<BR>
>> I envision it as a great job for those who want to meditate and practice<BR>
>> their martial arts skills....<BR>
<BR>
>I envision it as a job for loners who don't really fit in well into society.<BR>
>After all, don't we all (Gross generalization here, I can only vouch for the<BR>
>fact that it refers to me.) imagine our Scout characters to be guys who flew<BR>
>a Type S on long, interesting, dangerous missions for years? <BR>
<BR>
Sure. But I know that I myself have the temperment and headspace that<BR>
would be suitable for an X-Boat pilot. Back in my days as a library <BR>
technician, I was the type who would be perfectly happy with a desk, a<BR>
computer, and a cart of books to catalog. Although I now work in a job<BR>
that has lots of contact with the public, it doesn't come naturally --<BR>
it's a learned skill. :)<BR>
<BR>
But to spend a week alone aboard an X-Boat with suitable reading materials,<BR>
videos, and other things to do (eg, computer games) -- sure, no problem.<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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1757<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 15 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1758<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: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
RE: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement (Relating to Weapons)<BR>
Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re: Star Gate<BR>
RE: Star Gate<BR>
Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
Re: X-boat traffic<BR>
Magnetic Anomaly Detectors<BR>
Average TML UPP<BR>
Re: 3I Money<BR>
Re: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
Re: Scouts vs. merchants (was Re: Fashion & Red Ties)<BR>
Re: Traveller Hero...<BR>
Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 22:24:52 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
On 01/14/00 at 10:12 PM,  "Carlos Alos-Ferrer" <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at> said:<BR>
<BR>
>He he he... that's right. But still the different types of <BR>
>representation raise an interesting point, which leads to what  Eris<BR>
>pointed about doing a WBH-style detailing of Gov codes. This  detail<BR>
>falls more into the "Type of Representation" story than into  a "Number<BR>
>of Parties" one which I was using as a rule of thumb.<BR>
<BR>
>Which kind of representation types do we know/can imagine? Off the  Top<BR>
>of my Head,<BR>
<BR>
>1- Territorial... per county/district / you name it. Spain is like  that.<BR>
<BR>
>2- National (planetary) - single list for the whole country. Austria  is<BR>
>more like that, I think, but they are a small country.<BR>
<BR>
>3- Personal, as Bruce describes above (a better name for that?)<BR>
<BR>
4 - Occupational...represents members of an occupation or<BR>
occupational sub-group, ie. shop representation in a trade union,<BR>
departmental representatives to a Faculty Council in a University.<BR>
<BR>
5 - Ethnic...represents members of distinct ethnic groups.  In the<BR>
US there have been court mandated changes to territorial<BR>
representation districts with the goal of encouraging the election<BR>
of particular ethnic representives. <BR>
<BR>
6 - Age...represents members of precieved age groups.  Students and<BR>
Seniors have become well defined groups with specific agendas that<BR>
are often represented in formal and informal ways.<BR>
<BR>
7 - Gender...represents members of specific genders.  At this point<BR>
gender representation is informally applied, but certainly a<BR>
consideration in Western Democracies.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 17:37:33 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Robert Eaglestone<BR>
<BR>
> Assume: We record a 3-hour monologue in full 3d surround holovision.<BR>
><BR>
> We're talking movie-length material, here.  Today, we can record<BR>
> a movie in full 2d surround sound within 10 gig... and that's a<BR>
> 2 layer DVD (TL8?), somewhat smaller than a 45 rpm record... which,<BR>
> at its most primitive (TL5?), might store<BR>
><BR>
>    15 kbit/s * 10 min * 60 s/min = 8 megabytes of data.<BR>
><BR>
> One order of magnitude every TL or so?<BR>
> So, naively assuming no breakthroughs and a linear progression:<BR>
<BR>
Yeah, I'd say that's definitely naive <grin><BR>
<BR>
As one of the guys from 3dfx said recently, "Moore's law is for wimps"<BR>
<BR>
>     TL 9 disc stores 100 gig     (Dinomn)<BR>
>     TL A disc stores 1 ter       (Old Regina)<BR>
>     TL B disc stores 10 ter      (Inthe)<BR>
>     TL C disc stores 100 ter     (Regina)<BR>
>     TL D disc stores 1 pet       (Efate)<BR>
>     TL E disc stores 10 pet      (Macene)<BR>
>     TL F disc stores 100 pet     (Rhylanor)<BR>
><BR>
>     TL G disc stores 1 hexabyte  (Darrian)<BR>
><BR>
> (We might even want to bump this up a bit, 'cause we might have<BR>
> 100 gig discs within a decade or so, but no fusion or jump drive).<BR>
<BR>
We have 100Gb discs now.<BR>
<BR>
18Gb disks are available for under $200 US<BR>
<BR>
But then I've always argued that in some areas, and computers is one of<BR>
them, Earth is already TL9.<BR>
<BR>
> If holography begins at TL D, then about 4 hours of basic holo data<BR>
> can fit on 1 petabyte.  But it will probably still sit on something<BR>
> in the size ranges from a thick credit card to a 5" platter.<BR>
<BR>
> Assume: Mom's 3-hour monologue fits on something near the size of<BR>
> a CD.<BR>
<BR>
Easily, DVD's store that, and they are nowhere near maxing out storage<BR>
density on those things yet.<BR>
<BR>
I'd say Mom's 3-hour monologue would fit on a cd about 1" in diameter in<BR>
about five years, based on what I've seen coming out of IBM's labs recently.<BR>
<BR>
> One Xboat solution is to 'ship' physical data discs.  Don't ask<BR>
> about the horror of trying to organize it, but...<BR>
<BR>
No horror, just a big juke box, y'know like in "Happy Days" <grin>.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> 	  50 CDs     ... 1 liter (10cm x 10cm x 10cm)<BR>
>         1000 liters  ... 1 cubic meter<BR>
>           14 cubic m ... 1 dton<BR>
>         ----<BR>
>       80,000 CDs per dton<BR>
>   x        5 dtons per Xboat<BR>
>      -------<BR>
>      400,000 CDs (say half a million)<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> Now, assume this is a disk array rather than individual CDs.<BR>
<BR>
> So then, the Imperial Xboat's mail space is a few big I/O machines<BR>
> capable of storing the equivalent of 500,000 x 100 petabytes of<BR>
> data. 500 hexabytes.  These are TL-F I/O computers, big bucks.<BR>
> Assume it takes one day to unload all that data.  Then these boats<BR>
> are broadcasting<BR>
><BR>
>         max. 500 hexabytes per day<BR>
>         max.  20 hexabytes per hour<BR>
>         max.   5.5 petabytes per second<BR>
<BR>
Current Cisco routers transfer 12Gb a sec.<BR>
<BR>
If you want an idea of know how much text data that is, the entire Library<BR>
of Congress could be transmitted through one in under five seconds.<BR>
<BR>
However, this does tend to assume that there would be need for that volume<BR>
of data.<BR>
<BR>
Given the populations of most of the Traveller worlds are less than Earth<BR>
now, and that the majority of people won't be interested in communicating<BR>
with people off planet (this is based on figures I saw once about the<BR>
percentage of total phone calls and mail that cross international borders is<BR>
quite small ), you may find they rarely use that capacity except near core<BR>
and other high pop areas.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 17:44:08 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of John Macek<BR>
> Steven Hudson wrote:<BR>
> ><BR>
> > 28mm - you run the risk of being mistaken for a Pudding<BR>
> Workshop cultist :)<BR>
><BR>
> 8^)<BR>
><BR>
> Acutally, even though they are 28s, they look really good.  I did a<BR>
> random size comparison and found the range to be from 24ish to 28ish.<BR>
> If I have to go to slightly larger figures to get unarmed or lightly<BR>
> armed civilians, I'm happy with these minis (plus they get double duty<BR>
> as Space 1889 figures).<BR>
<BR>
As a '25mm' figure should be 25mm to the top of the _head_, if it's wearing<BR>
any form of headress, or battledress it can easily be 28mm, and still be the<BR>
same scale.<BR>
<BR>
Thing is, many companies try to skimp on metal (Ral Partha and Grenadier<BR>
were really bad at this) and make '25mm figures' that are closer to 15mm in<BR>
size.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 22:50:33 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement (Relating to Weapons)<BR>
<BR>
Carlos Alos-Ferrer wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> > > Government code 4 is described as "Representative Democracy." It<BR>
> > > occurs to me that there is an awful lot of variety there, as is in<BR>
> > > most gov codes, but it seems that it could be classified somehow, and<BR>
> > > maybe refined so that some weird effects of UWP generation can be<BR>
> > > dealt with (e.g.: "democracy implies weapons freedom," which is an<BR>
> > > americanism).<BR>
> <BR>
> > smile when you say that Carlos ;-><BR>
> <BR>
> Of course, I am sorry. No flamewar intended, just remembered some<BR>
> past observations in this list, that the number of Gov 4, Low Law<BR>
> Level planets produced by the worldgen seemed to reflect the american<BR>
> democracy and not, say, the British one. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
I would think that a Representative Democracy _would_ tend to have fewer<BR>
weapons restrictions, compared to most other forms of government.  This<BR>
statement does _not_ contradict the different levels of weapons<BR>
restrictions found in various Terran RDs in the year 2000.  Let me<BR>
explain (and I don't think that this will cause a flamewar):<BR>
<BR>
In a Representative Democracy, the degree of weapons restrictions (the<BR>
most important aspect of Law Level, to most PCs) is based on the degree<BR>
to which the citizens perceive the need for weapons.  In the United<BR>
States, even in the year 2000, there is still a fairly strong perceived<BR>
need for the right to own firearms: for personal self-defense, for<BR>
defense against a potentially-tyrannical government, for hunting, and<BR>
for sport.  Meanwhile, the citizens of other RDs (such as the UK) do<BR>
_not_ seem to perceive a strong need for private ownership of firearms<BR>
in their country.  In both cases, the tendency is to move toward that<BR>
degree of weapons restriction that matches the perceived need for<BR>
weapons ownership.  In Traveller, this is represented by the 2D part of<BR>
Law Level determination.<BR>
<BR>
Contrast this with, for instance, a Non-Charismatic Leader (Trav<BR>
Government Type C), or even a Civil Service Bureaucracy (Type 8).  In<BR>
these cases, the determining factor for weapons restriction is the<BR>
_government's_ perception of the need for private weapons ownership,<BR>
rather than the _public's_ perception.  Obviously, the more<BR>
authoritarian the government (i.e., the higher the Government Type<BR>
Code), the less likely it is that the government will look favorably on<BR>
private citizens owning "implements of destruction."  Again, in<BR>
Traveller, different societies may have different takes on the subject<BR>
(hence the 2D-7 part of determining Law Level), but more regimented<BR>
societies (i.e., larger Government codes) will tend to have more weapons<BR>
restrictions (the + Government Code part).<BR>
<BR>
<<snip>><BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 22:47:57 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
On 01/14/00 at 10:43 PM,  Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca> said:<BR>
<BR>
>>As I noted elsewhere the pirates can be *counted on* as risking<BR>
>>anything to prevent capture. Pirates *don't* get jail terms. It's a<BR>
>>*capital* crime. Automatic death penalty. <BR>
<BR>
>>Given that, *I* wouldn't want to call their bluff.<BR>
<BR>
>        Is Piracy being a capital crime canon or is that YTU?  In TNEC,<BR>
>piracy is not, as it encourages "gentleman pirates" who do not massacre<BR>
>helpless civillians...  the UN-NSN/DSN knows they can't cover the entire<BR>
>Frontier, so piracy will happen...  Murder-1 *is* a capital crime in the<BR>
>TNEC millieu.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, there are variations from system to system.  In some there is<BR>
no death penalty for anything.  In others, credit fraud *will* get<BR>
you executed.  Piracy, as defined by local law (and that varies<BR>
too), is usually near the top end of whatever passes for punishment.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 23:51:49 -0500<BR>
From: "Thom Harris" <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Star Gate<BR>
<BR>
I just finished watching the rerun for the Showtime "Pilot" episode. Now I<BR>
remember why I started watching Star Gate in the first place. The newer ones<BR>
seem to be rehashes of a lot of old SF stuff and I don't enjoy them as much<BR>
as I used too.<BR>
<BR>
Thom<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2000 9:25 PM<BR>
Subject: Star Gate<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> I am thrilled to know that SG1 is in a third season.<BR>
> We are just getting the 2nd one on Fox and<BR>
> it has been VERY consistant which is good.<BR>
> The only problem is that ALL the human planets<BR>
> speak English.<BR>
><BR>
> Kinda Strange ?<BR>
><BR>
> TV<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 18:09:01 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Star Gate<BR>
<BR>
>On Behalf Of Thomas Vickers<BR>
><BR>
> I am thrilled to know that SG1 is in a third season.<BR>
> We are just getting the 2nd one on Fox and<BR>
> it has been VERY consistant which is good.<BR>
> The only problem is that ALL the human planets<BR>
> speak English.<BR>
><BR>
> Kinda Strange ?<BR>
<BR>
Not really, they usually have some explanation for why they can talk to<BR>
them, either the people come from Earth originally, or they have appropriate<BR>
technology.<BR>
<BR>
I liked one bit where they were in conference with the Goauld system lords,<BR>
and the Goald began by refusing to talk in 'the slave's language'<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 21:08:18 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
Frank Pitt previously wrote:<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> If you actually want the _shortest_ route between two worlds using Jump X,<BR>
> then it becomes difficult.<BR>
><BR>
> This is known in CS as the "Travelling Sales Person" problem (or TSP for<BR>
> short)<BR>
><BR>
> Unfortunately, it's of a class of problem currently considered "NP<BR>
> complete". What this means is that while there are some very simple<BR>
> algorithms to solve the problem, they require a total enumeratoin of the<BR>
> problem space, which in any reasonably sized system imoplies unmanageably<BR>
> long amounts of time to solve.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Actually the TSP is much more difficult than finding the distance between<BR>
two worlds. It requires finding a minimal cost Hamiltonial cycle in a graph.<BR>
In Traveller language, what is the shortest path (in terms of jumps, say max<BR>
jump 2) which passes through Chronor, Jewell, Regina, and Arden, and which<BR>
ends in the same place it started.<BR>
<BR>
The two-world problem can be solved by dynamic programming, for example.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 20:08:43 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> For comparison:<BR>
> a US penny is about 19 mm<BR>
> a US nickel is about 21 mm<BR>
> a US dime is about 17 mm<BR>
> a US quarter is about 24 mm<BR>
> a US half dollar is about 30 mm<BR>
> a Canadian $1 (loony) coin is about 26 mm.<BR>
<BR>
And old US Dollar coin (I have both an "Eisenhower" dollar and a couple<BR>
of old "Liberty Head" dollars and they are all the same size) is 38 mm<BR>
by about 2.5 mm thick. <BR>
<BR>
There's a reason for the sizes of the dime, quarter, half and (old)<BR>
dollar coins. Back when they were all made of silver it worked out at<BR>
$20 to the pound of "silver" coins. Regular pound, not troy pound.<BR>
<BR>
BTW, can you imagine how big this makes a D&D silver piece at *10* to<BR>
the pound? <BR>
<BR>
Oh yeah, I have an old British 2 Pence coin. It's just a *hair* smaller<BR>
than a current US/Canadian dollar coin. <BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 20:33:23 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: X-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Traveller's Digest had an interesting concept.  An interactive message.<BR>
> You record a message on some subject, and the computer starts asking you<BR>
> questions based on the message's content and a set of laws searching for<BR>
> probable questions on the part of the recipient.<BR>
><BR>
> When your message gets to person B, he can ask you questions, and if the<BR>
> program has enough information, get an answer.  I'd imagine that the<BR>
> computer would store previous messages and reaction data, so that when your<BR>
> Mother sent a message the system would be able to do a very credible job of<BR>
> imitating her and her responses.<BR>
><BR>
> If you stray into an area not covered, the program will simply respond "I<BR>
> don't understand that."<BR>
><BR>
> In the Imperial Palace, this is used to allow visitors to question former<BR>
> Emperors.  I always wondered what kind of answers you'd get from Cleon the<BR>
> Mad's simulation...<BR>
<BR>
Probably a better "simulation" than the *sane* emperors. Just about all<BR>
forms of insanity involve either removing some areas of "response" (ie<BR>
depression removes the "happy" part of the response spectrum) or<BR>
involve some "hard-coded" rules governing how you react (paranoids are<BR>
a good example). <BR>
<BR>
Thus, it's actually *easier* to simulate "crazy" than sane.<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, 15 Jan 2000 16:15:43 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Magnetic Anomaly Detectors<BR>
<BR>
    A major advance in warfare systems seems to be in the field of<BR>
battlefield sensors, troops now carry light and reliable night vision<BR>
systems and some efforts seem to have been made at extrapolating new or<BR>
improved battlefield sensors. ie P.A.W.S. etc<BR>
    Would man-carry magnetic anomaly detectors be useful in detecting Gauss<BR>
Weapons? The majority of infantry seem to be equipped with gauss guns and<BR>
MADs could be integrated into an optimised sensor pack, giving distance to<BR>
gauss weapons fire. Is this practicable?<BR>
    Jim. (I poached this idea from cyberpunk 2020)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 21:20:04 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Average TML UPP<BR>
<BR>
A bit of TML trivia. Today, while waiting for engineering to reboot one of<BR>
our servers, I was left with about 30 minutes to kill. Since we have a<BR>
product release due in about 72 hours, I was looking for a quick diversion<BR>
to keep my mind off the fact that our CEO would ask me first thing the next<BR>
morning how things were going. (Does this sound familliar to anyone?)<BR>
Anyway, I killed time by finding the average UPP of people on the Citizens<BR>
of the TML web page.<BR>
<BR>
The results: the average citizen has UPP 787AA7. Do I believe it? It's<BR>
probably close, although when the effects of aging are considered, the<BR>
physical characteristics are probably a slight bit high.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 05:05:19 -0500<BR>
From: "Chauncey Smith" <csmith@ICDC.com><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money<BR>
<BR>
Yes I imagine banks being done on that older system my self. The problem<BR>
being the local tech levels being different. You'd have to make the card at<BR>
the highest tech level so that it can't be duplicated or copied easily.. and<BR>
encrypted.. Then it's only a space race.. so I foresee them using special<BR>
card metals and codes on the cards..<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: Wayne Ewart <wewart@home.com><BR>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Date: Friday, January 14, 2000 12:49 AM<BR>
Subject: 3I Money<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>My take on e-money and the 3I goes something like this<BR>
><BR>
>Real WorldT History lesson first (if this wrong, blame me, i'm doing this<BR>
>from memory)<BR>
>Back around 1200 AD the Knights Templer (All templers take note) gave the<BR>
>world it's first banks. The knights had so much money, they were able to<BR>
set<BR>
>up banks in all major city. Then with nobles were able to place ther money<BR>
>in the bank (say in Paris), get a cedit slip say the noble had plased X<BR>
>amount of gold in the bank. He could then go to Rome, show the slip, and<BR>
get<BR>
>his money from the bank in Rome<BR>
><BR>
>Ob Trav. TAS takes the role of the knights, has banks in every port in the<BR>
>Imperium (and most places out side of it). When a PC places his money in<BR>
the<BR>
>bank on Terra, he is given a debit card stating how much money they have.<BR>
>Then when the PC goes to a bank on Jewell, he show the card and can get his<BR>
>money.<BR>
><BR>
>With the tech of the 3I, I figure that tamper-proof card should be<BR>
possible.<BR>
><BR>
>comments?<BR>
><BR>
>I know this is not perfect, but any ideas how the fine tune it to work for<BR>
>the 3I.<BR>
><BR>
>Wayne<BR>
>wewart@home.com<BR>
>icq22113294<BR>
>http://www.members.home.net/wewart/wewart/traveller/<BR>
><BR>
>Give a man fire and he is warm for the night.<BR>
>Set a man on fire and he is warm all his life.<BR>
>- Terry Pratchett<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 05:20:05 -0500<BR>
From: "Chauncey Smith" <csmith@ICDC.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: William F. Hostman <aramis@gci.net><BR>
To: traveller@mpgn.com <traveller@mpgn.com><BR>
Date: Thursday, January 13, 2000 10:00 PM<BR>
Subject: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>Piracy is defined as an imperial crime in CT, along with Imperial High<BR>
>Treason, Murder, and violations of the Rules of Warfare. Funny, tho, that<BR>
>almost all imperial crimes have either life sentences or death<BR>
>sentences.... I can see Imperial Currency Forgery also being an Imperial<BR>
>High Crime. After All, in cannon, the Imperium uses a strictly CASH<BR>
>payroll. (Specified in several adventures.) Imperial Currency, not<BR>
>electronic transfer, is the explicit means in _The Traveller Adventure_.<BR>
>Ships lockers in all the CT adventures have CASH, and loads of it. Several<BR>
>articles from JTAS specify the all imperial payments are made in Imperial<BR>
>Currency...<BR>
><BR>
>IMTU, there is limited commercial funds transfer via X-mail. But, when you<BR>
>look at the cargo tables in Bk7, or in MT/TNE/T4, currency shipments are a<BR>
>big factor. Think of this: 1L of imperial Cr1 bills is roughly Cr1000. That<BR>
>means a lot sized at 1m3 (exclusive of packaging) is MCr=Bill Denomination.<BR>
>Lots will range, by canon, up to 16 tons. At 16 tons of, say, Cr100 bills,<BR>
>that's a major load... we'll assume only 10m3 of cash after packaging, per<BR>
>ton. That's up to MCr16,000! (GCr16). (Cr16E12). One score on a load of<BR>
>even ones is enough to fund a ship for YEARS. And, by canon, it happens.<BR>
><BR>
That's alot of cash floating around.<BR>
and alot of temptation.. from the crews of the battleships and cruisers who<BR>
are acting as tax men.<BR>
One cruiser goes renegade.. and they are all set up for life. especially at<BR>
the increments you're dealing with. Why doesn't that happen. entire military<BR>
crews go renegade and then turn pirate.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 13:01:06 -0500<BR>
From: "Chauncey Smith" <csmith@ICDC.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Scouts vs. merchants (was Re: Fashion & Red Ties)<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: Luther Martin <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Date: Thursday, January 13, 2000 7:38 PM<BR>
Subject: Scouts vs. merchants (was Re: Fashion & Red Ties)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>Try not to lose sight of the fact that Imperium is based on the success of<BR>
>interstellar trade, and that the Scouts exist to do the dangerous dirty<BR>
>tasks which are not worth risking the life of a Merchant over (why are the<BR>
>survival rolls so different?).<BR>
><BR>
>The economic future of the Imperium relies upon corporations doing two<BR>
>things: producing things and selling things. Everything else is overhead<BR>
>which we need to accept as a cost of doing business. Which category do the<BR>
>Scouts fall into? I think that the term economists use is "deadweight<BR>
loss."<BR>
><BR>
>What I have never understood is why these guys agree to live so many years<BR>
>of their lives in these tiny ships which *don't even have working air<BR>
>filters* You would never see a Merchant living in such conditions.<BR>
><BR>
I do believe that it is true that the Imperiums is based on the success of<BR>
interstellar trade but I disagree with the idea that the scouts are not<BR>
important. The scouts provide a valid service to every citizen of the<BR>
imperium. They are the Explores and the scincetists  and the cowboys (so to<BR>
speak) of the empire.<BR>
<BR>
They maintain the X-boat net work which in my trav universe is subsidized<BR>
but selling the news and providing postal service to most of the imperium.<BR>
Where would America be if it never had the pony express? The same way the<BR>
Pony express allowed America to grow so does the X boat network provide<BR>
security and stability to the Imperium.<BR>
<BR>
Exploring space for new markets is very important to the growth of trade.<BR>
With out trade there would be no reason for the Imperium in the first place.<BR>
The are the scientist that study and explore, searching for new life, new<BR>
civilization boldly going where no man has gone before (oops wrong game)<BR>
<BR>
These guys are the rough riders willing to rough it with out working air<BR>
filters and living life on the wild side like the cowboys of the old west.<BR>
In the old west a cow man didn't need a soft bed or a big house just his bed<BR>
roll and the stars. The Scouts in the Imperium have the same thing every<BR>
night is a night in the stars.<BR>
<BR>
Well that's just the way I see it in my traveller universe.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 23:39:04 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Hero...<BR>
<BR>
On 01/14/00 at 11:11 PM,  "Joseph R. Dietrich" <yikes@evansville.net> said:<BR>
<BR>
>>I've seen Fudge Traveller, Storyteller Traveller, and AD&D Traveller.<BR>
<BR>
>FWIW, I have some files up from my old Star Wars/D6 conversion for<BR>
>MegaTraveller at:<BR>
<BR>
>http://www.evansville.net/~yikes/travxover.html<BR>
<BR>
I'll have to go look at them. <BR>
<BR>
You know D6 is a pretty good conversion for Traveller.  Do normal<BR>
CT/MT character gen, then divide the Characteristic by 3 with the<BR>
quotent being the dice and the remainder the pips.  Each level of<BR>
skill would be a die.  Tasks at Easy-5, Routine-10, Average-15,<BR>
Difficult-20, Formidable-25, Staggering-30, Hopeless-35, and<BR>
Impossible-40.<BR>
<BR>
Sam Sample<BR>
STR 8   2d+2<BR>
DEX 5   1d+2<BR>
INT 7   2d+1<BR>
 . . .<BR>
Astrogation 3   3d  <BR>
Pistol 2        2d<BR>
<BR>
Sam tries a Difficult (>20) shot at Bart using Pistol and DEX<BR>
(3d+2).  He rolls 7+5+8+2 for a total of 22 and a hit.  However if<BR>
Bart is expecting it and attempts to duck behind some cover his 2d<BR>
DEX would subtract from Sam's 22 and he'll probably escape being<BR>
hit. <BR>
<BR>
Like I said, I'll need to look at your conversion, but is that the<BR>
sort of thing you had in mind?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 23:38:22 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
<BR>
True. The difficult part of piracy is unloading the loot, not the<BR>
piracy.  The Madagascar pirate brotherhood of the 1690's and early<BR>
1700's was eliminated by putting pressure on the New York & New England<BR>
receivers of pirate goods not by naval action by the Royal Navy or East<BR>
India Company Navy.<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> At 08:45 AM 1/13/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
> >I wrote an essay on operating expenses for ethically-challenged merchants<BR>
> >a while back that the new people on the list may not have seen yet. It's<BR>
> >a mix of inspiration from the TML and some cogitating of my own. Have<BR>
> >a look, see what you think.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >http://users.hartwick.edu/smithw/pirate_economics.htm<BR>
> ><BR>
> >Walt Smith<BR>
> ><BR>
> <BR>
>         Well thought out, Walt.  So long as the pirate has a place to unload<BR>
> the goods, they can live on a  boarding per month...  Interesting.<BR>
> <BR>
>         Of course, what I looked at was the issue about "can't prize the<BR>
> ship".  At the risk of being a munchin on your guidelines, I present to you<BR>
> the Lamprey-class Corsair (CT/HG)....<BR>
> <BR>
>         TL 13<BR>
>         800ton conical hull, Jump 2, 3gs, PP4 (25ep).<BR>
>         192 tons of fuel, allowing 1jp2 + 1 month.<BR>
>         20 ton bridge (no backup) with a co-located Mod/3 (5/9) computer (no<BR>
> backup)<BR>
> <BR>
>         6 sand casters in 2 turrets organized in 2 batteries, USP 2<BR>
>         6 beam lasers in 2 turrets organized in 2 batteries, USP 3<BR>
>         6 missle racks in 2 turrets organized in 1 batteries, USP 4<BR>
>         2 point armor belt, no screens<BR>
> <BR>
>         Hangars for 20 tons of small craft, 200 tons of large craft and 4<BR>
> tons of vehicles<BR>
>         Usually carries either 1 launch or two fighter and an Air/Raft<BR>
> <BR>
>         6 single occupancy staterooms, 8 double occupany staterooms.  20 low<BR>
> berths<BR>
>         Crew of 20, including 8-man marine squad.<BR>
>         50 tons of cargo space, no mail vault, 5 ton magazine.<BR>
>         One third of a ton waste space.<BR>
> <BR>
>         Base cost of MCr474.64, Architect fees of MCr4.75, Discount of<BR>
> MCr-95.88<BR>
>         Total approx cost of MCr383.51<BR>
> <BR>
>         Economics:<BR>
>                                 Down Payment:            76.70<BR>
>                        Balance Owing:           306.81<BR>
> <BR>
>                      Monthly Payment:             1.278MCr for 480 Months<BR>
> <BR>
>         Operating<BR>
>                          Refined Fuel       192,000.00 Cr per month<BR>
>                              Salaries        44,000.00 Cr per month<BR>
>                     Life Support Costs      160,000.00 Cr per month<BR>
>                      Anunual Overhaul        31,959.41 Cr per month<BR>
>                                Total:       396,000.00 Cr per month<BR>
> <BR>
>         Revenue               Monthly     1,850,000.00 Cr<BR>
>                                Yearly    22,200,000.00  Cr<BR>
> <BR>
>         Return on Investment<BR>
>                                Annual               6%<BR>
> <BR>
>         The modus operandi is the whole-sale theft of Type-A merchants and<BR>
> smaller vessels.  Economics are based on one "kill" every two months of a<BR>
> Type-A vessel.  Her facilities allow her to disable the target vessel, send<BR>
> the boarding team to secure it and then "swallow" it whole prior to jumping<BR>
> out of system.  20 low berths allow the victim crew to be held without risk.<BR>
> The 50 ton cargo bay allows spoils of larger vessels to be taken if the<BR>
> opportunity presents itself.<BR>
> <BR>
>         Notes from Michel:<BR>
> <BR>
>         The kick here, of course, is that there is no battle-damage figures<BR>
> included in monthly operating costs.  Of course, if you push the envelope<BR>
> for *one* kill per month, you can afford to take a missle hit every time.<BR>
>         The design was done without the benefit of my copy of HG in front of<BR>
> me and using my spreadsheet...  while I am fairly sure the engineering and<BR>
> crew numbers work out, the weapon USPs might be inaccurate.  The small craft<BR>
> and vehicle bays might be wrong, too...  those number would just play with<BR>
> the cargo tonnage by +/- 5dtons.<BR>
>         Statement of the obvious is that the owners of Lamprey-class ships<BR>
> would be marked men and women...  one of these monsters "picking on" a<BR>
> cluster of a dozen or so worlds could seriously disrupt trade.  Not only are<BR>
> the goods gone, so is the *ship*.<BR>
> <BR>
>         Regards,<BR>
>         Michel<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 #1758<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1759</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 15 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1759<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: Pirate Tactics<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
Re: Forging currency<BR>
Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
Re: Good info!<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
RE: Grav Pong<BR>
RE: Distance between two worlds<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: OT, but funny...<BR>
Re: Deckplans (was Miniatures)<BR>
Re: Star Gate<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: The great scout debate<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Silly military quotes again, also, obscenities<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 23:47:48 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Tactics<BR>
<BR>
In my campaign, The Beyond, Vanguard Reaches, Trojan Reaches, Foreven,<BR>
piracy is not a captial crime.  Part of the reason I use is that many of<BR>
the pirates are part-time mercs and you don't want to eliminate a<BR>
valuable wartime asset.  It's may be the same way inside the Imperium,<BR>
since nowhere I've managed to read does it specify where the merc ships<BR>
that provide transport and gun support come from. And most pirate<BR>
vessels are good merc vessels.<BR>
<BR>
Jim & Peta Lawrie wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >>         Is Piracy being a capital crime canon or is that YTU?  In TNEC,<BR>
> >> piracy is not, as it encourages "gentleman pirates" who do not massacre<BR>
> >> helpless civillians...  the UN-NSN/DSN knows they can't cover the entire<BR>
> >> Frontier, so piracy will happen...  Murder-1 *is* a capital crime in the<BR>
> >> TNEC millieu.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >I'm not sure if it's canon or not. It seems to be the case<BR>
> >*historically* though.<BR>
> >Leonard Erickson<BR>
> <BR>
>     The Indonesians only consider it Assault and Robbery, because it occurs<BR>
> within their territorial waters but I'm sure the IN would view it in a dim<BR>
> light, especially during the rebellion. It's likely that many pirates never<BR>
> see trial at all, they're just not given a chance to surrender. If a Kinunir<BR>
> opens up with its spinal mount its all academic anyway.<BR>
>     Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 23:51:18 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
Micromachines, plastic models (I've converted the Virago from Shadows of<BR>
the Empire into a pre-Maghiz SDB), and models I've built out of odds and<BR>
ends, Hot Wheels, Planet Micro, and any interesting toy I could use or<BR>
modify.<BR>
<BR>
darkhstarr<BR>
<BR>
John Macek wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Greetings,<BR>
> <BR>
> I'm curious, what sort of miniatures (PCs and/or ships) are you good<BR>
> folks using?  Or are you doing without, or using the cardboard sort, or<BR>
> micromachines, Legos, etc.<BR>
> <BR>
> Regards,<BR>
> John<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 21:45:04 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Why do the Xboats need the computers aboard?  Because they need<BR>
> to broadcast transient mail to the next Xboat in the link, which<BR>
> is ready to receive data.  For this reason, I assume Xboats<BR>
> transmit transient mail first, then send local mail to the system<BR>
> receivers.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, even with multifrequency lasers, there's not enough<BR>
*bandwidth* to transfer this kind of data over anything but a wired<BR>
link. A cable can have several hundred or even *thousand* optical fiber<BR>
"channels" each capable of several gigabytes per second (you can't get<BR>
a lot higher because light doesn't have a high enough frequency!)<BR>
And you can use multiple cables.<BR>
<BR>
But trying to keep that many *beams* aligned and focused, all from<BR>
something as small as an X-boat just plain *won't* work. <BR>
<BR>
So that's another reason for tenders. An X-boat pops in, establishes<BR>
radio/laser contact and starts sending the "low" volume stuff (plain<BR>
text email). Once the tender grapples the X-boat, they connect the<BR>
cables and the *real* download happens. And the data is routed to the<BR>
waiting X-boats. <BR>
<BR>
BTW, the "switch" for routing all this stuff is essentially as sort of<BR>
specialized (and likely *expensive*) computer.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 22:04:17 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Forging currency<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Well, first off, please remember that US currency is ridicilously <BR>
> easy to forge (all the notes the same size, same monocolour, <BR>
> design only differenciated by minor features).<BR>
<BR>
Actually, the new bills are much harder to counterfeit. Watermarks, the<BR>
number in one corner of the front is printed with a *very* special ink.<BR>
It changes color depending on what angle the light hits it from.<BR>
<BR>
BTW, even on the *old* bills, the *front* of the bill used at least two<BR>
colors (sometimes three). Black, and the treaury seal was red, green or<BR>
blue, as were a couple other things. And the serial numbers were always<BR>
green.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 21:43:29 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> One order of magnitude every TL or so?<BR>
> So, naively assuming no breakthroughs and a linear progression:<BR>
><BR>
>     TL 9 disc stores 100 gig     (Dinomn)<BR>
>     TL A disc stores 1 ter       (Old Regina)<BR>
>     TL B disc stores 10 ter      (Inthe)<BR>
>     TL C disc stores 100 ter     (Regina)<BR>
>     TL D disc stores 1 pet       (Efate)<BR>
>     TL E disc stores 10 pet      (Macene)<BR>
>     TL F disc stores 100 pet     (Rhylanor)<BR>
><BR>
>     TL G disc stores 1 hexabyte  (Darrian) <BR>
<BR>
*exa*byte. <BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 23:16:09 -0700<BR>
From: "Joseph Kimball" <jekimball@prodigy.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
> >3- Personal, as Bruce describes above (a better name for that?)<BR>
><BR>
> Eris<BR>
<BR>
Personal Representation:  Each individual (who is enfranchised in that<BR>
society) can choose whom they want to represent them.  A person could choose<BR>
themself, or their Aunt Rhonda, or a person they have confidence in based on<BR>
past interactions, or a person who has been suggested to them.  An example<BR>
of this type of representation in American (and some other Western)<BR>
society(s) currently would be shareholders in a company; each shareholder<BR>
has a vote (based on the number of shares they own) and the governing board<BR>
of the company suggests a President/CEO (and sometimes other officers) but<BR>
the shardholders are welcome to vote for anyone they want.  Shareholders can<BR>
also arrange to give proxy voting power to someone else if they choose.<BR>
<BR>
- - Joseph<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 00:45:00 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
<BR>
On 01/15/00 at 12:44 AM,  "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>I like this idea, but how about going one step farther. Have two banks<BR>
>(Imperium Bank and TAS Savings and Loans) in the startowns of all type A,<BR>
>B, & C ports. And both groups sell Traveller's checks that are good in<BR>
>any Green Zone World (maybe some Amber zones as well).<BR>
<BR>
For the competition factor? <g><BR>
<BR>
> Red zones (or the<BR>
>wilds if you use T:NE) are hard cash (gold, trade goods, ect..) only<BR>
<BR>
Sounds good to me.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 17:48:26 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Good info!<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: Leonard Erickson <shadow@krypton.rain.com><BR>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Date: Saturday, 15 January 2000 12:09<BR>
Subject: Good info!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>I just spotted where they'd *hidden* the January Scientific American.<BR>
>It's got several areticles of interest for Traveller.<BR>
><BR>
>"We Were Not Alone" is applicable to the recent discussion of human<BR>
>sub-species. It looks like there were *at least* three "human" species<BR>
>in existence when Grandfathermade his grab 300 kyears ago. Homo Erectus<BR>
>was still around near Java, Homo Neanderthalis was all over the place,<BR>
>and so was Homo Heidelbergensis.<BR>
><BR>
>That last species *may* actually turn out to be *several* species.<BR>
>Also, Homo Sapiens has been pushed back to *at least* 200 kyears back.<BR>
>Maybe more. So it's *possible* that H.Sapiens was around for<BR>
>Grandfather to pick up.<BR>
><BR>
>In any case Grandfather may have had as many 8 species to chose from.<BR>
<SNIP><BR>
>Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
<BR>
    I think there is so many interesting subspecies that having Grandfather<BR>
around for a million years or so before his canon date is justifiable just<BR>
so he can sample them.<BR>
    Canon allows for Homo Erectus, Homo Antecessor, Homo Heidelbergensis,<BR>
Homo Neandertalensis and Early Moderns and Cro Magnons from Homo Sapiens.<BR>
(I'm assuming periodic gathering expeditions.)<BR>
    But there were some cool short lived sub species that you'd have to give<BR>
a go. Bodo (sp?) is one for sure, big and mean by the looks of him although<BR>
its getting perilously close to a space-orc.<BR>
    Has anyone come up with CT/MT stats for these species? What would a<BR>
further evolved Homo Neandertalensis' society be like? I've heard them<BR>
refered to as peaceful stay-at-homes, maybe they're STR F scholars (Conan<BR>
the Librarian?)<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 01:51:31 EST<BR>
From: JDoch226@aol.com<BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
Several folks have mentioned the old Grenadier Traveller figures on this <BR>
thread.  I'm dying to get hold of some of these, especially the Alien <BR>
Mercenaries.  Anyone know where I might find them?<BR>
Thanks,<BR>
Jed Docherty<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 22:09:53 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
>On Behalf Of Leonard Erickson<BR>
<BR>
> In "Consider Phlebas" (which I recently found a copy of), the<BR>
> characters are on an "orbital" (mini-ringworld) and "hovering" a few<BR>
> hundred feet above a *huge* seagoing ship. One of them had missed the<BR>
> briefing and steps off their ship's boat relying on his suit's AG to<BR>
> lower him to the ship. SPLAT!<BR>
<BR>
Sounds a bit silly. If it was big enough to have a huge sea-going ship in<BR>
it, it should have been big enough to have gravity without spin. May be not<BR>
as much as a planet, but still emough for the gravitics to work.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 22:44:18 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Luther Martin<BR>
<BR>
> Actually the TSP is much more difficult <BR>
> than finding the distance between two <BR>
> worlds. It requires finding a minimal <BR>
> cost Hamiltonial cycle in a graph.<BR>
<BR>
> In Traveller language, what is the <BR>
> shortest path (in terms of jumps, say <BR>
> max jump 2) which passes through Chronor, <BR>
> Jewell, Regina, and Arden, and which<BR>
> ends in the same place it started.<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
True,  but isn't this just the degenerate version <BR>
of TSP with only two nodes you _must_ visit ?<BR>
<BR>
Just a minute, I can think now of a means of solving<BR>
this problem by simulation, which means you must be right, <BR>
unless I've just come up with a solution to TSP, hmm,  <BR>
I'm going to think about this one ...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> The two-world problem can be solved by <BR>
> dynamic programming, for example.<BR>
<BR>
What do you mean by dynamic programming here ?<BR>
<BR>
Frankie <BR>
 <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 01:51:25 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
>Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
...<BR>
>Ooh! that reminded me of another good set of old figures - the 25mm<BR>
>troopers Ral Partha made for Battletech!<BR>
<BR>
  And given current market pricing of $1 US/fig, they're usually very<BR>
good deals; the boxed sets of 28 (+ heavy weapons) would run about <BR>
$20-24 US if still available; the Kurita box is great, Steiner less so.<BR>
And all of the figs are proper 25mm, with a fair number of non-trooper<BR>
figs in the mix (techs, pilots, security guards with batons...).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 05:36:53 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: OT, but funny...<BR>
<BR>
There is no escape.  Why do you think Doug's been buying all those guns?<BR>
He's arming his penguins.  It's a plot I tell ya.  With his hordes of armed<BR>
penguins he'll take over the entire world.  The U.S. will be a particularly<BR>
easy coup;<BR>
<BR>
<husband and wife, out for a walk><BR>
<BR>
Wife : Oh honey, look at that cute lil penguin!<BR>
Husband <not looking, bored>: That's nice dear.<BR>
Wife :  Honey, look!  The cute little guy has something...<to penguin>:<BR>
C'mere lil guy and show me what you have..<BR>
Wife :  Well isn't that sweet?  The cute little guy has a toy gun..Awwwwwww.<BR>
Husband <getting a bad feeling in his gut and starting to turn to look>:<BR>
What was that you-<BR>
<BR>
Penguin <raises gun and shoots> POKA! POKA!<BR>
<BR>
<penguin laughter><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: "Andrew Moffatt-Vallance" <a.vallance@netaccess.co.nz><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2000 10:37 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: OT, but funny...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Date sent:      Fri, 14 Jan 2000 18:18:40<BR>
> From:           "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
><BR>
> > I get home, and take the box out of the bag.  On;y then do I notice the<BR>
> > name of the company that manufactured these disks.<BR>
><BR>
> > Pengo Computer Accessories.  One gues what the logo is.<BR>
><BR>
> > I can't escape.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 02:04:16 -0800<BR>
From: Keith Johnson <keithalanjohnson@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Deckplans (was Miniatures)<BR>
<BR>
At 06:12 PM 1/14/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> > >That's promising news.  While I'm making out my wish list, how about<BR>
> > >Traveller deckplans in 25mm, with a hex grid overlay?<BR>
><BR>
>Seriously tho', is there someone we could write to expressing an<BR>
>interest in such things?<BR>
<BR>
Honestly, the best person to write to is Loren.  However, since he monitors <BR>
this list, talking about it "out loud" in the TML is usually good <BR>
enough.  Heck, it's part of the reason I belong to the list.  I forward <BR>
good ideas and suggestions to The Powers That Be.<BR>
<BR>
If you want to email Loren directly, I guess you could, however that is a <BR>
double edged sword.  He'll read the email, but the man is swamped in work <BR>
already and dumping more fan mail on him might drive him postal one day. ;)<BR>
<BR>
_________________________________________________________<BR>
Rev. Keith Johnson      /\     keith@sjgames.com<BR>
Assistant Webmaster    /()\    keithalanjohnson@home.com<BR>
Steve Jackson Games   /____\   reverendkeith@hotmail.com<BR>
       "I choose you, Dullinor!" - PokeTrav Master<BR>
  IMTU tm++@ t4+@ tg++$ ru- ge-@ st+ pi+ he+ dr+ hi-@ zh+<BR>
_________________________________________________________ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 01:33:36 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Star Gate<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> I am thrilled to know that SG1 is in a third season.<BR>
> We are just getting the 2nd one on Fox and<BR>
> it has been VERY consistant which is good.<BR>
> The only problem is that ALL the human planets  <BR>
> speak English.<BR>
<BR>
First season they made a big point of Daniel having to figure out the<BR>
languages based on whatever Earth language the original settlers had. <BR>
<BR>
Now they've dropped it. I guess we are supposed to assume they went<BR>
thru all that "offscreen". Reasonable enough in *most* cases, as it<BR>
helps move the story along.<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, 15 Jan 2000 01:55:13 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
>> <BR>
> <<snips use of Stargates in Traveller>><BR>
>> <BR>
>> They also give rapid links to other species/empires. But by the same<BR>
>> token they require some safeguards.<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Best of all, while it's possible to move a Stargate, doing so means the<BR>
>> "address" changes and it's *not* simple figuring the new one. And<BR>
>> nobody without the new one can access it. So it's best to leave them in<BR>
>> place.<BR>
><BR>
> Unless, of course, a hostile polity starts using their Stargate to<BR>
> invade you via your Stargate.  At that point, you may _have_ to move the<BR>
> Stargate whose location is known to your enemy, despite the near-term<BR>
> inconvenience of having to recalculate its new "address."  (This assumes<BR>
> that the only practical invasion route for said enemy is via Stargates.)<BR>
<BR>
Actually, invading via stargates requires a low tech culture on one end<BR>
(lower than early industrial). <BR>
<BR>
You see, if you "block" the exit with something solid, whatever was<BR>
sent thru from the other end can't exit, gets mashed *very* flat by<BR>
"gate forces" and bounces back to exit back where it started. A number<BR>
of "low tech" worlds simply placed large stone slabs across the gate. <BR>
<BR>
Higher tech societies can send radio signals in advance as a form of<BR>
IFF, and the folks at the receiving end retract a metal cover if they<BR>
IFF checks (they've got around 30 seconds between gate activation and<BR>
actual transit). <BR>
<BR>
So you can pull off a "one time" attack by pushing thru a small nuke.<BR>
But if the gate has been intelligently emplaced, this tends to block<BR>
it (the SG-1 folks have theirs *deep* underground). Or you just place<BR>
it in an open area well awy from "town" (preferred Gouald setup).<BR>
<BR>
So high TL worlds use IFF and metal gates. Some low TL worlds may<BR>
merely use big stone slabs (picture a huge disk set in a track it can<BR>
be rolled along) along with a "schedule" for visits (ie at pre-arranged<BR>
times they roll back the slab for a short period)<BR>
<BR>
So invasions aren't a big risk. And it helps that the gates are only<BR>
about 12-15 feet in diameter (at a guess). <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, 15 Jan 2000 02:11:02 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: The great scout debate<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>> It's not that they spend any longer aboard ship than their S<BR>
>>> pilot compatriots -- a week in jumpspace is still a week in<BR>
>>> jumpspace. But X-boat pilots do it *alone*. With lots of videos,<BR>
>>> reading materials, etc., but still totally alone. And in a<BR>
>>> small, confined space -- imagine something about the size of your<BR>
>>> bedroom.<BR>
>><BR>
>>It's not that small, though - more like a studio apartment. Two=20<BR>
>>staterooms, control room, and I think there's a small common area<BR>
>>as well. I'll grant that people who thrive on that are unusual,=20<BR>
>>but not *very* unusual. It would be heavenly for many artist-types=20<BR>
>>and writers to be in a job that pays well (look at the mustering-<BR>
>>out tables) and guarantees days-at-a-time stretches of peace,=20<BR>
>>quiet, privacy, and non-interruptedness.<BR>
><BR>
> By gosh, you're right -- I looked at the deck plans for an X-Boat<BR>
> in G:T First In, and there *are* two staterooms... ("Which bed<BR>
> will I sleep in *today*?")<BR>
<BR>
More likely he sleeps in one and uses the other for "projects". And if<BR>
it so happens that he has to haul a passenger, I'll bet a cookie he can<BR>
arrange with "maintenance" to pull "his" x-boat and give him one of the<BR>
"loaners" for that trip. :-)<BR>
<BR>
I can see guys who have these *incredibly* detailed dioramas, or model<BR>
railroad setups, or whatever. And if it keeps them happy and sane, the<BR>
IISS will let them get away with a *lot* (thus they'll wink and the<BR>
dodge with the "loaner" above).<BR>
<BR>
Give me a bunch of books I haven't read, plus some old favorites, and<BR>
lots of references and I could probably handle it.<BR>
<BR>
I've often considered talking to some of my friends who "do" costumes<BR>
to make me a X-boat pilot's uniform. But where would I get the<BR>
*patches*?<BR>
<BR>
>>Of course, many sorts of obsessive-compulsive people might make=20<BR>
>>their neuroses even worse. Taking a RealDoll(tm) and a meter-high=20<BR>
>>stack of porn holos as your only baggage on an Xboat trip is a real<BR>
>>cry for help, if you get what I'm saying. Well, maybe not if you=20<BR>
>>only do it once or twice to see if you like it.<BR>
><BR>
> What if you take the RealDoll and the metre-high stack of porn holos<BR>
> along with the usual baggage most X-Boat pilots take on a trip? Is<BR>
> that any less deviant?<BR>
<BR>
Also, some people just *don't* deal well with real people in "intimate"<BR>
situations. Believe it or not, as long as it doesn't bother him (ie he<BR>
doesn't want a *real* woman, and is quite happy with the doll) and it<BR>
doesn't interfere with his "functioning (ie he doesn't *obsess* over<BR>
it) that guy could be "well adjusted". <BR>
<BR>
Mind you, nobody would claim he is *normal*, but shrinks have learned<BR>
that a person doesn't have to be "normal". They just have to be able to<BR>
function "normally" in everyday situations, and their "difference"<BR>
shouldn't bother them. If they meet those criteria, a modern shrink<BR>
will tell you that they aren't crazy. Weird, yes. But not crazy.<BR>
<BR>
I expect that between the different races, cultures and species, the<BR>
Imperium will ignore *quite* a bit in any sophont who can carry out his<BR>
duty and not cause trouble with the sophonts "he" works with. <BR>
<BR>
> Which brings to mind the question -- what are the attitudes towards<BR>
> porn in the 3I? Or would this vary regionally and/or from system to<BR>
> system?<BR>
<BR>
I'd say it's *definitely* cultural. The *Imperium* won't give a damn.<BR>
The only time they *might* get involved would be "slavery" type issues.<BR>
I.e. "snuff films" and "kiddie porn". And since there will be places<BR>
where either could be produced *legally* under local mores (snuff films<BR>
can be the standard method of execution, for example) even that isn't<BR>
worth checking into. <BR>
<BR>
So on one world, you can walk into a government store and buy a tape of<BR>
someone being slowly tortured to death (and even custom order one if<BR>
you want special details, they'll find a condemned prisoner that fits<BR>
the profile and has a crime that "fits"). On another world, possesion<BR>
of a still photo of your girlfriend that has her midriff exposed is<BR>
good for jail time. <BR>
<BR>
BTW, either world might be a good way to get across the "your not<BR>
in Kansas anymore" bit to players. <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, 15 Jan 2000 02:30:10 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
>> In mail you write:<BR>
>> <BR>
>> > A 10-to-30 GB hard disk at our TL, plus its share of the power<BR>
>> > adapters, cooling system, electronics and so on, runs maybe 2-4 liters.<BR>
>> > [snip]<BR>
>><BR>
>> But there's no need to access the data en-route. So no cooling is<BR>
>> needed, nor is any power.<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Here's a different view. A CD *with case* occupies 12.5x12.5x1 cm^3 and<BR>
>> hold 650 meg. That's 4.1 gig per liter. [snip]<BR>
><BR>
> I'm assuming that a technology that allows rapid modification of <BR>
> digital data (that is, allows the Xboat to accept new mail) is <BR>
> bigger than the most compact *static* storage we can envision.<BR>
><BR>
> Remember, in a matter of hours (usual Xboat turnaround time, per <BR>
> Traders and Gunboats, is less than 4 hours) you have to be able<BR>
> to read your whole datastore and send it out over an electromagnetic <BR>
> transmitter (or maybe a meson communicator, whatever), then retrieve <BR>
> the same amount of info electromagnetically and write it to your <BR>
> datastore. <BR>
<BR>
Sure. But I just used those as an example. I can picture the tender<BR>
having the multi-cd deck from hell and being able to read thousands of<BR>
these at a time, while writing data onto the relevant CDs for the<BR>
X-boats that are going to leave. And rececyling them wouldn't be hard.<BR>
But odds are they'll have a re-writable technology with similar or<BR>
better storage densities by then.<BR>
<BR>
> With your mastery of exponential prefixes, I'll leave it to you to<BR>
> calculate the *energy* needed to store exabytes of data via electron<BR>
> pushing, or by proton-spin-state adjustment. We may find that that's <BR>
> the limiting factor (because the Xboat has NO POWER PLANT I TELL YOU!<BR>
> HAHAHahahahahhAAHAHAHHahaha). <BR>
<BR>
> Also, isn't the modulation rate of an RF signal limited by the <BR>
> frequency/wavelength of the emitter? This means the power required<BR>
> by the transmitter alone could be prohibitive.<BR>
<BR>
The bit rate is limited by the frequency *range* (bandwidth). The upper<BR>
limit is the highest frequency used (roughly). The *power* only depends<BR>
on distance and background noise.<BR>
<BR>
> Your CD/DVD examples imply a bank of databurners on the Xboat tender,<BR>
> and a cargo bay instead of a databank on the boat.<BR>
<BR>
Sure. But as I noted above, I bet they'll have "databanks" capable of<BR>
that sort of density long before then. <BR>
<BR>
>> These days, it's a FedEx package of CDs and swiftly moving to DVDs.<BR>
>> There are places that get their newsfeed in that manner, even now.<BR>
><BR>
> Really? Who?<BR>
<BR>
The FBI for one. At least that's how they used to get it, and given<BR>
their reasons *for* getting it that way (not wanting a net connection)<BR>
they probably still do. And it also meansthey've got one *hell* of an<BR>
archive. <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, 15 Jan 2000 02:40:06 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On 01/14/00 at 09:49 PM,  shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) said:<BR>
><BR>
>>In mail you write:<BR>
><BR>
>>> My look on grav pong is that it can't happen. Changes to the grav plates<BR>
>>> pull (from 1G to 6G or 1 G to 0G) take time to build up/decress, like <BR>
> using<BR>
>>> a range top stove when you turn it on it doesn't go to max right away, it<BR>
>>> needs time to heat up, just as when you turn if off it needs time to cool<BR>
>>> down.<BR>
><BR>
>>You obviously use an electric stove. :-)<BR>
><BR>
>>Seriously, the plates have to adjust as fast as the drive can. Which is<BR>
>>going to be fairly fast.<BR>
><BR>
> Does anyone see IComp as being something built into the hull that<BR>
> projects a field throughout the volume of the ship insulating it<BR>
> from outside inertial forces?<BR>
<BR>
That'd be a *real* "physics breaker". I think it'd mess with<BR>
conservation laws. Having an *active* field (ie one where you have to<BR>
feed "power" proportional to the forces being neutralized) isn't going<BR>
to break much.<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, 15 Jan 2000 02:50:10 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Silly military quotes again, also, obscenities<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> The commonest Japanese swear words other than the "disgusting substances"<BR>
> ones are intimations that you are of low intelligence:  "baka", "aho", etc.<BR>
> all imply that your IQ is two digits or fewer.  "Chikushou" which is worse,<BR>
> means "monster". "Bakemono"/"Bakamono" also means monster but with the added<BR>
> implication that you are a stupid one.<BR>
><BR>
> However a very simple way to insult someone in Japanese is to use a<BR>
> low-in-politeness pronoun for "you".  And you can nest these.<BR>
<BR>
Oh yeah. Any language with "degrees of politeness" and address forms<BR>
that depend on relative status of speaker and spoken to is going to<BR>
allow for some *nasty* insults simply by using the "wrong" form on<BR>
purpose. <BR>
<BR>
> Once when I was very angry at someone, I referred to him as "chikushou no<BR>
> baka na onna-tarashi" which means monstrous AND stupid skirt-chaser.  But<BR>
> the real kicker was the use of "omae" for "you" when I would normally say<BR>
> "anata" or "kimi".  "Omae" is not always bad, men can use it casually, but<BR>
> coming from a woman, and from a woman who had never called him anything less<BR>
> than "anata" generally, it was very well understood by the target of this<BR>
> tirade that he was in DEEP DOODOO.<BR>
<BR>
I'm reminded of an incident I read about. A young Quaker girl was<BR>
*really* upset with a boy. Finally, she burst out:<BR>
<BR>
"Thou, thou... Thou little *you*, thou!"<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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1759<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 15 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1760<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: Terraform Shush/Corridor 0221<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Magnetic Anomaly Detectors<BR>
Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
Re: Nukes (Pirate Economics)<BR>
Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re: overlooked resources<BR>
Stargates was Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: overlooked resources<BR>
Re: obscenities<BR>
Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
Re: Scouts vs. merchants (was Re: Fashion & Red Ties)<BR>
Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 03:01:05 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Terraform Shush/Corridor 0221<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>> Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:26:07 -0500<BR>
>> From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
>> Subject: Terraform Shush/Corridor 0221!<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Is refining the ice from the planetoid belt a necessity? Wouldn't you need<BR>
>> the impurities as raw materials for expanding the planet's biosphere?<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Walt Smith<BR>
><BR>
> Ah, good idea.  So I need a distiller that keeps some<BR>
> kinds of raw materials, but rejects harmful ones.<BR>
> Perhaps there needs to be an additional set of distilleries<BR>
> that look for the necessary and useful additional ingredients.<BR>
><BR>
> But ya know, there can be all kinds of yucky stuff in<BR>
> those iceballs.<BR>
<BR>
Not when you are dealing with a planet. Even the nastiest "quickly"<BR>
reacts with oxygen or other atmospheric components to become "mostly<BR>
harmless". Stuff like cyanogen winds up are nitrogen, CO2, and the<BR>
like.<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, 15 Jan 2000 03:03:09 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
>> <BR>
> <<snip>><BR>
>> <BR>
>> So, like I said, in reality "heat kills" will be common. And I think<BR>
>> it'd be kinda fun role-playing such a situation.<BR>
>> <BR>
>> "Another hit"<BR>
>> "Any damage?"<BR>
>> "Nothing to worry about, but the heat pulse just pushed the cooling<BR>
>> gear into the red zone. It's either let the ship heat up now, or losse<BR>
>> the coolers *completely*..."<BR>
>> "Damn! Ok, try to keep it under 40 C ok?"<BR>
>> "I'll try, but I don't think we can do it..."<BR>
>> < several hits later><BR>
>> "That's <gasp> it... 50C!"<BR>
>> <several crewmembers are out of it, having failed thier rolls against<BR>
>> heat prostration><BR>
>> "Ok, ok, ... We <gasp> surrender...."<BR>
><BR>
> Bearing in mind that I have an imperfect grasp of physics (I know that<BR>
> one can become seriously ill from kinetic energy poisoning; beyond that,<BR>
> things can get a bit fuzzy):<BR>
><BR>
> Would reducing the air pressure aboard ship help reduce the heating<BR>
> problem?  If so, at what point, if any, would one hit the point of<BR>
> diminishing returns?  0.5 atmospheres?  Vacuum?  Would this be another<BR>
> justification for controlled decompression prior to battle?<BR>
<BR>
Heat will still travel via *conduction* thru the hull. And that's the<BR>
mot efficient means of moving heat. So the heat will flow from the hull<BR>
thru the bulkheads and decks (walls and floors). <BR>
<BR>
Also, unless they are *designed* for it, equipment will have cooling<BR>
problems in a vacuum. <BR>
<BR>
Finally, suits have to get rid of heat by *radiation* (or else by<BR>
evaporating a supply of liquid. A very *limited* supply). In a vacuum<BR>
filled compartment, with the walls hotter than the temp you want inside<BR>
the suit, you *can't* radiate heat. And you'll quickly run out of<BR>
evaporative coolant. <BR>
<BR>
At least with air, you can get rid of heat by sweating, and by creating<BR>
a "breeze" to help the sweat evaporate.<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, 15 Jan 2000 03:12:30 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> In a message dated 1/14/00 2:14:07 PM Eastern Standard Time, <BR>
> eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com writes:<BR>
><BR>
>> That's your Imperial throughput.  5,500,000,000,000,000 bytes per <BR>
>>  second.  On TL-F, specialized, parallelized I/O data processors.<BR>
>>  For only one Xboat.  On Mora, expect a dozen Xboats arriving per<BR>
>>  day.<BR>
><BR>
> I suspect the limiting factor won't be the data storage on the X-boat,<BR>
> but the bandwidth available in the transmission channel.  Information<BR>
> theory puts some pretty strict limits on the speed with which you can<BR>
> transmit over (say) a com laser at a given frequency.<BR>
><BR>
> These X-boats might well be able to *carry* petabytes, but they won't<BR>
> be able to *exchange* them in mere hours.<BR>
<BR>
That's why I decided that they only transmit certain types of mail. The<BR>
rest waits until they are grabbed by the tender and then transfered by<BR>
cables. Cables with *lots* of optical fibers in them. *Massively*<BR>
parallel transfer.<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, 15 Jan 2000 11:44:28 +0000<BR>
From: Paul Campbell <kemitixanzantix@freenet.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, 15 Jan 2000, you wrote:<BR>
> >The ObTrav should be obvious. *Is* it cannibalism to grow human meat in<BR>
> >a carniculture vat and then eat it? And is it "wrong"?<BR>
> <BR>
> Yes, if you don't want to get sick :)<BR>
> Cannibalism's main drawback is that it is far too easy to get sick from<BR>
> something living in human flesh.<BR>
> <BR>
> TV<BR>
<BR>
Excuse me for missing something here, but why is it so dangerous to eat human<BR>
flesh?  What is so special about it compared to other 'normal' food animals?<BR>
<BR>
I remember reading a Niven/Pournelle book about the fall of civilisation on<BR>
earth after an asteroid hit - or somthing, it was about ten years ago I read it<BR>
- - that had a bunch of canibals roaming the country.  They picked up a<BR>
gynocologist [sp?] who told the band leader that it was advisable not to eat<BR>
the sick.  Does this imply that healthy 'donors' don't have these things living<BR>
in their flesh?<BR>
<BR>
One thing I licked about this group was how they gained new members:  capture a<BR>
goup of people for induction, corral them with some cooked human, and tell them<BR>
to eat or they are on the menu next.  How would your characters react to being<BR>
put in that position?<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Paul Campbell<BR>
kemitixanzantix@freenet.co.uk<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 11:57:40 +0000<BR>
From: Paul Campbell <kemitixanzantix@freenet.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, 15 Jan 2000, you wrote:<BR>
> On 01/14/00 at 10:01 PM,  "Carlos Alos-Ferrer" <carlos.alos-ferrer@univie.ac.at> said:<BR>
> <BR>
> >> > Government code 4 is described as "Representative Democracy." It<BR>
> >> > occurs to me that there is an awful lot of variety there, as is in<BR>
> >> > most gov codes, but it seems that it could be classified somehow, and<BR>
> >> > maybe refined so that some weird effects of UWP generation can be<BR>
> >> > dealt with (e.g.: "democracy implies weapons freedom," which is an<BR>
> >> > americanism).<BR>
> > <BR>
> >> smile when you say that Carlos ;-><BR>
> <BR>
> >Of course, I am sorry. No flamewar intended, just remembered some  past<BR>
> >observations in this list, that the number of Gov 4, Low Law  Level<BR>
> >planets produced by the worldgen seemed to reflect the american <BR>
> >democracy and not, say, the British one. ;-)<BR>
> <BR>
> I know, I was making a joke. <g><BR>
> <BR>
> >> You *could* have a real Representative Democracy with a single party,<BR>
> >> although the examples of single party states that spring to mind<BR>
> >> aren't especially good examples of democracies. You could easily have<BR>
> >> a no party democracy, an American President warned against the<BR>
> >> factionalism of parties...not that he was listened to.<BR>
> <BR>
> >"Single party" tend to be or evolve into dictatorships in Earth...  maybe<BR>
> >it is easier than that: as a working definition, a "party" has  to<BR>
> >represent a "part," so a single party democracy would be rather <BR>
> >classified as a "no-parties" one...  <BR>
> <BR>
> Hum, well, a party implies an organization or structure.  No party<BR>
> does not.  In no party democracies, and they are the norm in small<BR>
> private clubs and other groups, each candidate would stand alone for<BR>
> the office without affiliation with other candidates or<BR>
> organizational support.  <BR>
> <BR>
> In a one party state, the Republic of Mexico has been pretty good<BR>
> example of one until recently, the single (or dominate) party is<BR>
> organized.  It has an internal structure and organization that, in<BR>
> part, serves to perpetuate control of the government by that one<BR>
> party.  It also has processes to select candidates for election to<BR>
> office which may, or may not, be democratic in nature.<BR>
> <BR>
> Eris<BR>
<BR>
I don't know anything about the Republic of Mexico's government other than what<BR>
you have just said here.  From what you say about it I would have been tempted<BR>
to classify it as some form of Code 3 Government.  Accorinding to my old MT<BR>
books a Self-Perpetuating Oligarchy can have 'little or no input from the<BR>
masses'.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Paul Campbell<BR>
kemitixanzantix@freenet.co.uk<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 08:10:20 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
"Lucifer's Hammer".  Good book.<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: "Paul Campbell" <kemitixanzantix@freenet.co.uk><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2000 6:44 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
> I remember reading a Niven/Pournelle book about the fall of civilisation<BR>
on<BR>
> earth after an asteroid hit - or somthing, it was about ten years ago I<BR>
read it<BR>
> - that had a bunch of canibals roaming the country.  They picked up a<BR>
> gynocologist [sp?] who told the band leader that it was advisable not to<BR>
eat<BR>
> the sick.  Does this imply that healthy 'donors' don't have these things<BR>
living<BR>
> in their flesh?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 04:41:06 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>>On Behalf Of Leonard Erickson<BR>
><BR>
>> In "Consider Phlebas" (which I recently found a copy of), the<BR>
>> characters are on an "orbital" (mini-ringworld) and "hovering" a few<BR>
>> hundred feet above a *huge* seagoing ship. One of them had missed the<BR>
>> briefing and steps off their ship's boat relying on his suit's AG to<BR>
>> lower him to the ship. SPLAT!<BR>
><BR>
> Sounds a bit silly. If it was big enough to have a huge sea-going ship in<BR>
> it, it should have been big enough to have gravity without spin. May be not<BR>
> as much as a planet, but still emough for the gravitics to work.<BR>
<BR>
Gravity is *incredibly* weak. <BR>
<BR>
This "orbital" was a ring maybe a thousand mile wide and maybe 8000 in<BR>
diameter. Maybe a *millionth* the mass of earth. Probably a *lot* less.<BR>
<BR>
*Inside* a ring there's essentially *no* gravity regardless of how<BR>
massive it is. *Especially* close to the surface.<BR>
<BR>
You spin the ring to generate "gravity" like forces. But they aren't<BR>
anything an AG rig would help against.<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, 15 Jan 2000 03:23:10 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Magnetic Anomaly Detectors<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>     A major advance in warfare systems seems to be in the field of<BR>
> battlefield sensors, troops now carry light and reliable night vision<BR>
> systems and some efforts seem to have been made at extrapolating new or<BR>
> improved battlefield sensors. ie P.A.W.S. etc<BR>
>     Would man-carry magnetic anomaly detectors be useful in detecting Gauss<BR>
> Weapons? The majority of infantry seem to be equipped with gauss guns and<BR>
> MADs could be integrated into an optimised sensor pack, giving distance to<BR>
> gauss weapons fire. Is this practicable?<BR>
<BR>
Probably not. For one thing, in some types of weapon the field only<BR>
exists while the weapon is firing. Also the fields will tend to be<BR>
inverse *cube* decrement. <BR>
<BR>
And finally, there's just too much stray magnetism around. "Decoys" are<BR>
*way* to easy.<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: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 08:22:15 -0500<BR>
From: "Thom Harris" <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
Leonard it was $1.00 per ounce of silver. A silver dollar was 1 ounce<BR>
exactly. Gold was $20.00 an ounce and that made the $20.00 gold piece 1<BR>
ounce exactly. A dime was 1 tenth of an ounce, a quarter was 1 fourth of an<BR>
ounce and half dollar was 1 half of an ounce. That was what determined what<BR>
the size of the coins would be, WEIGHT.<BR>
<BR>
When gold and silver were re-evaluated in the early sixties as the monetary<BR>
standard of the world the value went up. That is why the U.S. stopped<BR>
minting SILVER coins and started minting the clad ones. A silver dollar<BR>
today is worth over $3.40 just for the silver in it let alone the mint value<BR>
for collectors.<BR>
<BR>
Thom<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
There's a reason for the sizes of the dime, quarter, half and (old)<BR>
dollar coins. Back when they were all made of silver it worked out at<BR>
$20 to the pound of "silver" coins. Regular pound, not troy pound.<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson (AKA Shadow) > shadow@krypton.rain.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 10:02:59 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Nukes (Pirate Economics)<BR>
<BR>
At 10:13 AM 1/14/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>>From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
>>Subject: Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
>...<BR>
>>        No.  Flat, excplict, roaring, no.  As part of the TNEC milieu<BR>
>>history, a 5000-person colony was wiped out by someone with an axe to grind<BR>
>>and a nuke....  as a result, the UN has made possession of nuclear devices<BR>
>>by anyone other than UN forces a Capital crime with potential for summary<BR>
>>trial and punishment.  Civvilian craft can carry all the lasers and HE-HARMs<BR>
>>they like, but *no* nukes.<BR>
><BR>
>  So your pirates/raiders/Y3K bugs mostly only have to worry about warships<BR>
>(paras/Q's) and each other :)<BR>
><BR>
        <grin>  It depends...  the UN Near Space / Deep Space Navies are the<BR>
only ones who are allowed to have nukes in thier possession.  Now, if a<BR>
pirate manages to get a nuclear warhead, he actually has a problem...  he<BR>
*has* to use it.  If the UN takes him alive and finds it, they kill him.  If<BR>
he uses it to destroy the UN vessel trying to take him, when they figure out<BR>
what happened, they send a battlecruiser after him to kill him...<BR>
        The biggest difference between a merchantman in terms of combat<BR>
ability and a "pirates/raiders/Y3K bug" <g> IMTU is that a pirate will have<BR>
all his hard-points loaded with triple turrets and being paying for a full<BR>
compliement of gunners and marines;  most merchants won't.  He'll have most<BR>
of his hardpoints , if he has got cash or is operating in the Frontier.<BR>
He'll have single or double mounts.  He won't have marines.  Normally.<BR>
        That doesn't mean that he can't hurt the "pirates/raiders/Y3K bugs"<BR>
of TNEC...  its just the old saw about .357's and grizzlies "...you will<BR>
only piss him off...".  However, everyone can get lucky...  And then there<BR>
are those merchants who arm to the teeth "just in case its ever an issue"...<BR>
those are the ones that  Pirates hate running into.<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>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 10:11:56 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
<BR>
At 10:32 AM 1/14/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>>From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
>>Subject: Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
>...<BR>
>>        Statement of the obvious is that the owners of Lamprey-class ships<BR>
>>would be marked men and women...  one of these monsters "picking on" a<BR>
>>cluster of a dozen or so worlds could seriously disrupt trade.  Not only are<BR>
>>the goods gone, so is the *ship*.<BR>
><BR>
>  Another statement of the obvious is that such an obviously purpose-built<BR>
>(/refitted) ship probably can't survive an encounter with any sort of<BR>
>authorities - even merc papers aren't going to help too much except in the<BR>
>short term.<BR>
><BR>
>        Steven Hudson<BR>
><BR>
        Hi, Steve!<BR>
        Yep.  VERY Yep.  I'd guess that in the 3i setting the Lamprey would<BR>
be something built in a border polity or unstable area like Reaver's Deep or<BR>
the Islands subsectors.  More "privateer" than "pirate" insofar as the<BR>
government of the yard that built it would not want it come back at them....<BR>
And certainly, while operating in "hunting areas", she certainly couldn't<BR>
put in at any port authority that couldn't be bribed.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<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>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 08:07:25 -0700 (MST)<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 14 Jan 2000, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> > I have never seen Stargate. What are the Goauld?<BR>
> <BR>
> The bad guys. They are a sort of worm-like symbiont. When they mature<BR>
> they can take over a host. They provide rapid healing and immunity to<BR>
> disease. But they take over your mind. So very strong willed people can<BR>
> survive "in the back of the mind) for some time if they don't fight. <BR>
> <BR>
> The Gouald seem to have several psi powers. They've done the standard<BR>
> "throw a person acrodd the room with a gesture" bit. They also have<BR>
> "glowing eyes and the glowing seems to appear when they are attempting<BR>
> to mentally dominate people other than their host. <BR>
> <BR>
> Alas, while a mature Gouald can change hosts with no ill effects, the<BR>
> abandoned host soon dies because of his compromised immune system. Thus<BR>
> a Gouald can live for millenia. One of the bad guys *was* Ra, the god<BR>
> of the Egyptians 5000 years ago! And he *may* have been using the same<BR>
> body. <BR>
<BR>
Don't forget the Tokra, who are 'ethical' Goa'uld, they only attach to<BR>
willing hosts, and share the body, more of a symbiotic relationship than<BR>
parasitazation. They are the 'Resistance' in the Goa'uld empire.<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>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 23:40:09 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
>One thing I licked about this group was how they gained new members:<BR>
capture a<BR>
>goup of people for induction, corral them with some cooked human, and tell<BR>
them<BR>
>to eat or they are on the menu next.  How would your characters react to<BR>
being<BR>
>put in that position?<BR>
>Paul Campbell<BR>
<BR>
    I know the guys well, they'd smile and eat. When the cannibals had<BR>
turned their backs they'd capture them and then spend the next twenty<BR>
minutes telling me what horrors they do to them while I get the rest of the<BR>
scenario ready.<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 10:08:30 -0500<BR>
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net><BR>
Subject: Re: overlooked resources<BR>
<BR>
At 09:09 pm 1/13/00 PST, you wrote:<BR>
>It occured to me that I should mention ome potentially useful<BR>
resources<BR>
>for GMs that are often overlooked.<BR>
><BR>
>I got an old (1960s) copy of the "BlueJacket Manual" from a friend's<BR>
>brother. And a 1950s copy of the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Miltary<BR>
Justice"<BR>
>from a thrift store's pile of old books.<BR>
<BR>
	The UCMJ is also available online, at the Cornell Law School website<BR>
(don't have it handy, sorry).<BR>
<BR>
- -- Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with your Microsoft<BR>
product.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 08:17:49 -0700 (MST)<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
Subject: Stargates was Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 14 Jan 2000, Black ICE wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> > <BR>
> <<snips use of Stargates in Traveller>><BR>
> > <BR>
> > They also give rapid links to other species/empires. But by the same<BR>
> > token they require some safeguards.<BR>
> > <BR>
> > Best of all, while it's possible to move a Stargate, doing so means the<BR>
> > "address" changes and it's *not* simple figuring the new one. And<BR>
> > nobody without the new one can access it. So it's best to leave them in<BR>
> > place.<BR>
> <BR>
> Unless, of course, a hostile polity starts using their Stargate to<BR>
> invade you via your Stargate.  At that point, you may _have_ to move the<BR>
> Stargate whose location is known to your enemy, despite the near-term<BR>
> inconvenience of having to recalculate its new "address."  (This assumes<BR>
> that the only practical invasion route for said enemy is via Stargates.)<BR>
<BR>
Nah, you just do what they do on Stargate Put a big, strong iris or door a<BR>
few cm from the surface of the interface. The stargate deposits you,<BR>
whole, into a space only a few cm deep. In the series you hear a loud thud<BR>
as this happens. They never show them washing off the back side of the<BR>
iris, though ;-) <BR>
<BR>
You're vulnerable to being spoofed, though, by an enemy transmitting a<BR>
friendly recognition signal.<BR>
<BR>
That's also why burying the stargates work to cut off all transit through<BR>
them (why earth had been lost for so many millenia is that they buried the<BR>
stargate in Egypt). That has been done on a few worlds that the SG team<BR>
has visited, they told the natives to bury the gate after they left.<BR>
<BR>
This is also why Apophis had to use the starships to invade Earth, they<BR>
couldn't use the gate.<BR>
<BR>
Also, the gate doesn't have to be fixed...one episode featured a gate that<BR>
was on a starship...<BR>
<BR>
Another interesting parallel between Stargate and Trav...the reason<BR>
humans are spread all over the place: they were transported by a alien<BR>
race as slaves.<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: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 10:17:10 -0500<BR>
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net><BR>
Subject: Re: overlooked resources<BR>
<BR>
At 10:08 am 1/15/00 -0500, David J. Golden wrote:<BR>
>At 09:09 pm 1/13/00 PST, you wrote:<BR>
>>It occured to me that I should mention ome potentially useful<BR>
>resources<BR>
>>for GMs that are often overlooked.<BR>
>><BR>
>>I got an old (1960s) copy of the "BlueJacket Manual" from a<BR>
friend's<BR>
>>brother. And a 1950s copy of the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Miltary<BR>
>Justice"<BR>
>>from a thrift store's pile of old books.<BR>
><BR>
>	The UCMJ is also available online, at the Cornell Law School<BR>
website<BR>
>(don't have it handy, sorry).<BR>
<BR>
	OK, here we go: http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/ is the U.S. Code<BR>
as of 1996. Military matters are at title 10, UCMJ is chapter 47.<BR>
<BR>
- -- Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with your Microsoft<BR>
product.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 08:53:18 -0500<BR>
From: "Daniel Phelps" <phelpsd@gate.net><BR>
Subject: Re: obscenities<BR>
<BR>
Was asked:<BR>
<BR>
>>>What are the obscenities in the 3I?<BR>
<BR>
There was a Journal article in this regards.  "Curses of the FFW" or a<BR>
similar title. The Zho tend to make reference to lack of psi talent calling<BR>
people "deadheads".  I used this as a plot device/clue in a campaign I ran<BR>
years ago, which was based on a FASA adventure.  Can't remember the title<BR>
but it was the one where the world's habitable acreage was confined to a<BR>
long relatively narrow valley with a stormy wintery sea on one end and<BR>
burning waste on the other.  PC's were trapped on this low tech world trying<BR>
to help the "good guys" with flintlocks against the invading "bad guys".<BR>
The "bad guys" were pretty low tech themselves, "about WWI", but had managed<BR>
to cross the distance from approximately Earth to Mars.  They were being<BR>
selectively being helped with appropriate low tech solutions to the high<BR>
tech problems presented by the PCs.   It took forever for the players to<BR>
connect the curse with the Zho but when finally they did everything made<BR>
sense.  Nice adventure, need to run it again some time.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 09:44:36 -0500<BR>
From: "Daniel Phelps" <phelpsd@gate.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Pirate Economics<BR>
<BR>
As the pirate thread seems to be going full steam I have an odd and<BR>
potentially partially connected question, can anyone suggest curcumstances<BR>
where in "organlegging" would be a profitable, if criminal, enterprise?  It<BR>
has been suggested to me that certain governments in the Far East have<BR>
recently been turning a profit on the execution of prisoners.  Is it<BR>
possible that travellers in low berths could be viewed as "live stock" in<BR>
such curcomstances.  I am not talking just about organs but also "B movie"<BR>
transplants wherein a brain is transplanted ito a new body.   What I am<BR>
looking for is a "high value for mass" specialty trade catering to the<BR>
"special needs" of persons on lower tech worlds and situations where<BR>
complete changes of identity are desired.<BR>
<BR>
Dan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 08:37:40 -0700 (MST)<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
Subject: Re: Scouts vs. merchants (was Re: Fashion & Red Ties)<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 14 Jan 2000, Chauncey Smith wrote:<BR>
 <BR>
> They maintain the X-boat net work which in my trav universe is subsidized<BR>
> but selling the news and providing postal service to most of the imperium.<BR>
> Where would America be if it never had the pony express? The same way the<BR>
> Pony express allowed America to grow so does the X boat network provide<BR>
> security and stability to the Imperium.<BR>
<BR>
Erm, not to burst a bubble, but the Pony Express was a short-lived, flashy<BR>
but ultimately inefficient, money losing enterprise. From my<BR>
encyclopedia:<BR>
<BR>
pony express<BR>
<BR>
The pony express (1860-61) was a brief but spectacular experiment in rapid<BR>
mail delivery from Missouri to California. Hoping to win a government<BR>
contract, the freighting and express firm of Russell, Majors, and Waddell<BR>
promised to carry letters the almost 3,200 km (2,000 mi) between Saint<BR>
Joseph, Mo., and Sacramento, Calif., in 10 days. This was half the time<BR>
taken by the Overland Mail Company, which followed a longer route through<BR>
the Southwest. To provide fresh mounts for riders, the company established<BR>
190 way stations 16-24 km (10-15 mi) apart along a route through Nebraska,<BR>
Wyoming, and Nevada. The riders, who traveled about 120 km (75 mi) each in<BR>
a relay system, carried the mail at a cost of $5 an ounce, continuing even<BR>
through the winter months. Successful logistically but not financially,<BR>
Russell, Majors, and Waddell went bankrupt. Pony express service ended<BR>
after 18 months, in October 1861, when overland telegraph connections were<BR>
completed. <BR>
<BR>
Elliott West <BR>
<BR>
Bibliography:  Bradley, G.  D., Story of the Pony Express, 2d ed.  (1960);<BR>
Chapman, Arthur, The Pony Express (1932;  repr. 1972);  Settle, Raymond W.<BR>
and Mary L., Saddles and Spurs: The Pony Express Saga (1955;  repr.<BR>
1972);  Visscher, W.L., The Pony Express (1980). <BR>
<BR>
Copyright 1995 by Grolier Electronic Publishing, Inc.<BR>
<BR>
<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: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 16:00:28 +0000<BR>
From: Ewan Quibell <E.D.Quibell@bton.ac.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
Bont wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Here's one that was posted a long while back.  I have not checked<BR>
> it, but everyone seemed to agree on it so I guess it works.<BR>
> <BR>
> int<BR>
> distance( int world1, int world2 ) {<BR>
>     int     x1, x2, y1, y2, dx, dy;<BR>
> <BR>
>     x1 = map[world1].x;<BR>
>         x2 = map[world2].x;<BR>
>     y1 = map[world1].y*2 - x1 % 2;<BR>
>         y2 = map[world2].y*2 - x2 % 2;<BR>
> <BR>
>         dx = x1 - x2;<BR>
>         dy = y1 - y2;<BR>
> <BR>
>         if( dx < 0 ) dx = -dx;<BR>
>         if( dy < 0 ) dy = -dy;<BR>
> <BR>
>         if( dx >= dy ) return dx;<BR>
> <BR>
>         return (dx + dy)/2;<BR>
> }<BR>
<BR>
You might also want to try these which, incidentally, were posted last<BR>
January ...<BR>
<BR>
- -----------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
That's not difficult, but the code that populates the<BR>
map array is critical.  For this example, I changed<BR>
the implied array of structures to a two dimensional<BR>
array with world_id,0 being the X axis and world_id,1<BR>
being the y axis.  Since this is a fairly literal<BR>
translation and no testing has been performed, your<BR>
mileage may vary.<BR>
<BR>
dim map(100,2) as integer ' list of worlds (0-99) and coordinates<BR>
<BR>
Function distance(world1 As Integer, world2 As Integer) As Integer<BR>
  Dim x1, x2, y1, y2, dx, dy As Integer<BR>
<BR>
  x1 = map(world1, 0)<BR>
  x2 = map(world2, 0)<BR>
  y1 = map(world1, 1) * 2 - x1 Mod 2<BR>
  y2 = map(world2, 1) * 2 - x2 Mod 2<BR>
  dx = x1 - x2<BR>
  dy = y1 - y2<BR>
  If (dx < 0) Then dx = -dx<BR>
  If (dy < 0) Then dy = -dy<BR>
  If (dx >= dy) Then<BR>
    distance = dx<BR>
  Else<BR>
    distance = (dx + dy) / 2<BR>
  End If<BR>
End Function<BR>
<BR>
- -----------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
PosX1=First two digits of hex# for planet one<BR>
PosX2=First two digits of hex# for planet two<BR>
PosY1=Last two digits of hex# for planet one<BR>
PosY2=Last two digits of hex# for planet two<BR>
<BR>
Xdiff=ABS(PosX1-PosX2)<BR>
{Absolute Difference in the X coordinates}<BR>
<BR>
Ydiff=ABS(IF(MOD(PosX1,2)<>0,PosY1*2-1,PosY1*2)-IF(MOD(PosX2,2)<>0,(PosY2*2)-1,P<BR>
osY2*2))<BR>
{Difference between a modification of the Y coordinates; If X is not even,<BR>
use Y*2-1, otherwise use Y*2.}<BR>
<BR>
=IF(Xdiff>Ydiff,Xdiff,AVERAGE(Ydiff,Xdiff))<BR>
{If the X difference is higher than the Y difference, use the X difference,<BR>
otherwise use an average of the two.}<BR>
<BR>
I suppose I could have collapsed this into one cell somehow, but I like to<BR>
break these things up a bit for understandability.<BR>
<BR>
Notes for non-spreadsheet heads;<BR>
MOD(a,b) returns the remainder of a divided by b.<BR>
ABS(a) returns the absolute value of a.<BR>
IF(a,b,c) If a is true returns b, otherwise returns c.<BR>
"<>" means "does not equal".<BR>
<BR>
- -----------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
   Ewan Quibell                       Their's not to make reply,<BR>
   Senior Communications Engineer     Their's not to reason why,<BR>
   Computer Centre                    Their's but to do and die:<BR>
   University of Brighton             Into the valley of Death<BR>
                                      Rode the six hundred.<BR>
   E.D.Quibell@brighton.ac.uk              Alfred, Lord Tennyson<BR>
<BR>
   #include<stddisclaimer.h><BR>
<BR>
   My spelling is entirerly due to dyslexia, typos, and poetic license<BR>
<BR>
   University of Brighton - Sunday Times' University of the Year<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1760<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1761</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
Date:	1/15/00 10:40:49 AM Pacific Standard Time<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 15 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1761<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: Traveller-digest V1999 #1750<BR>
Imperial Credits<BR>
Linguistics<BR>
To Go Bad or...  (was Re: Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
Re: Linguistics<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1750<BR>
Re: Linguistics<BR>
Organ Pirates (wsa Re: Pirate Economics)<BR>
Re: Linguistics<BR>
Re: Linguistics<BR>
Re: Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
Re Encryption<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re Traveller "Emulations"<BR>
Re: Re Encryption<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
re:  Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
Re: Q-Does anyone have 2d6 probability percentages handy?<BR>
Re: Prions and cannibalism<BR>
Re: Re Encryption<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 11:12:41 EST<BR>
From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1750<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 00-01-14 11:20:04 EST, you write:<BR>
<BR>
<< Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 11:26:48 -0500<BR>
 From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
 Subject: Re: <BR>
 <BR>
 U.S. currency paper is made from a mix of papers and wool (from sheep I<BR>
 believe).  The mix is made into a pulp then the polyester fiber's are added.<BR>
 Bank tellers check currency primarily by it's 'feel'.  If something doesn't<BR>
 'feel' right, it bears a closer look.  Also, there are things in the<BR>
 currency that if looked for, totally defeat any photocopy system.>><BR>
<BR>
I believe it is a cotton based pulp, and silk fibers (red and blue). No wool <BR>
therein -- never head of a wool-based paper, but that doesn't mean there <BR>
isn't any.<BR>
<BR>
However, nobody checks $20 bills (or under) to see if they are counterfeit -- <BR>
almost every store I've been in, however, the clerks are instructed to <BR>
examine $50s and up with suspicion.<BR>
<BR>
Unrelated story: During my non-gaming employment period about 4 years ago, a <BR>
customer paid with a note the clerk had never seen before -- said clerk <BR>
called the manager over, who almost fell over laughing and then called me <BR>
over, as the only other person in the store old enough to think it was funny. <BR>
It was a $5 silver certificate -- now I know how my dad used to feel when he <BR>
told me about the old "bed-sheet" bills they used to have in the US.<BR>
<BR>
Explanation for the non-Yanks: US currency used to consist of notes backed by <BR>
gold/silver and 'Federal Reserve Notes" backed by the faith and power of the <BR>
US gommint. In the 1930s, when the US went off the gold standard, the gold <BR>
notes were pulled from circulation as they wore out, and the treasury would <BR>
no longer redeem them in metal coins (they have value to collectors exceeding <BR>
their face value these days). Silver ertificates circulated until the Nixon <BR>
administration ceased minting silver coins, and went over to the current <BR>
metal-sandwich ones. <BR>
<BR>
LKW<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 11:12:42 EST<BR>
From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Imperial Credits<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 00-01-14 12:34:38 EST, you write:<BR>
<BR>
<< By comparing the coins in the accompanying<BR>
 illustration to the 41 mm long Cr 10 bill in the<BR>
 illustration we know that the illustration is <BR>
 about one third of actual size. Therefore we know<BR>
 that the coins, which measure 5.5 mm to 9 mm across<BR>
 in the illustration are actually about 16.5 mm to<BR>
 27 mm across. The one credit coin is 7 mm in the<BR>
 illustration so it must be 21 mm in reality. >><BR>
<BR>
If it makes you happy . . . the Illo is not to scale. <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
The illo and the accompanying text were created by two separate individuals, <BR>
and they did not communicate. We (GDW) specified the size of the credit <BR>
bills, but never (as far as I know) stated what size the coins were.<BR>
<BR>
I agree, however, that it is highly probable that the Imperium issues <BR>
numerous varieties of coins, taking advantage of the propaganda value of <BR>
commemoratives and the like. Also, you can make a tidy sum for the treasury <BR>
by selling proof sets to collectors.<BR>
<BR>
Any collectors out there happen to know what a complete set of Queen <BR>
Victoria's Maundy Money would be worth (assuming someone has a complete set)? <BR>
I'm considering something similar in Traveller . . .<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 11:21:47 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Linguistics<BR>
<BR>
Has anyone ever made a list of vowels, then consonants, rollable from a<BR>
chart, with percentages by frequency as they appear in the English language?<BR>
___________________________________________________________<BR>
 J-Man<BR>
 ICQ# 2843475<BR>
 New Hampshire - U.S.A.<BR>
 Email : j-man@iname.com<BR>
 Home Page : http://www.geocities.com/~jman037/<BR>
___________________________________________________________<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:18:38 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: To Go Bad or...  (was Re: Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
At 05:20 AM 1/14/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>That's alot of cash floating around.<BR>
>and alot of temptation.. from the crews of the battleships and cruisers who<BR>
>are acting as tax men.<BR>
>One cruiser goes renegade.. and they are all set up for life. especially at<BR>
>the increments you're dealing with. Why doesn't that happen. entire military<BR>
>crews go renegade and then turn pirate.<BR>
><BR>
        Because in the 3i, there is nowhere to *go*.  You can't take your<BR>
Cruiser to any of the neighbours and *keep* it when you defect.  That pile<BR>
of cash is useless anywhere but in the 3i;  maybe you could get 3 or 4 to 1<BR>
exchange rates...  You can't *maintain* that cruiser in the 3i, and when<BR>
word gets out about you, they'll send a BatRon after you to make an example<BR>
of you and your crew.<BR>
<BR>
        <shrug>  Its less tenable than a "normal" pirate, since of the<BR>
noticibility.<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>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 10:33:44 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Linguistics<BR>
<BR>
Jory Earl wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Has anyone ever made a list of vowels, then consonants, rollable from a<BR>
> chart, with percentages by frequency as they appear in the English language?<BR>
<BR>
I'm sure of it (although I don't have such a chart).  After all, one of<BR>
the tools used in cryptanalysis is statistical letter frequency.<BR>
<BR>
Whether any SIGINTers out there are able to _post_ such a list is<BR>
uncertain....<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:31:53 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
At 02:40 AM 1/15/00 PST, you wrote:<BR>
>> Does anyone see IComp as being something built into the hull that<BR>
>> projects a field throughout the volume of the ship insulating it<BR>
>> from outside inertial forces?<BR>
><BR>
>That'd be a *real* "physics breaker". I think it'd mess with<BR>
>conservation laws. Having an *active* field (ie one where you have to<BR>
>feed "power" proportional to the forces being neutralized) isn't going<BR>
>to break much.<BR>
>-- <BR>
>Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
<BR>
        Hi, Leonard!<BR>
        Ok, so that's part of a hand-wave about what Traveller fusion plants<BR>
do with all the energy they produce...  they need as much to "hold things<BR>
down " as they do to move the ship forward...<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>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 11:46:34 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1750<BR>
<BR>
Thanks for the correction.  Yes, it was cotton they said, not wool.  As for<BR>
silver certificates, I have seen only one in my whole life.  They<BR>
essentially look like a dollar but say "silver Certificate" if memory<BR>
serves.<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: <GDWGAMES@aol.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2000 11:12 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1750<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> I believe it is a cotton based pulp, and silk fibers (red and blue). No<BR>
wool<BR>
> therein -- never head of a wool-based paper, but that doesn't mean there<BR>
> isn't any.<BR>
><BR>
> However, nobody checks $20 bills (or under) to see if they are<BR>
counterfeit --<BR>
> almost every store I've been in, however, the clerks are instructed to<BR>
> examine $50s and up with suspicion.<BR>
><BR>
> Unrelated story: During my non-gaming employment period about 4 years ago,<BR>
a<BR>
> customer paid with a note the clerk had never seen before -- said clerk<BR>
> called the manager over, who almost fell over laughing and then called me<BR>
> over, as the only other person in the store old enough to think it was<BR>
funny.<BR>
> It was a $5 silver certificate -- now I know how my dad used to feel when<BR>
he<BR>
> told me about the old "bed-sheet" bills they used to have in the US.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 11:50:00 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Linguistics<BR>
<BR>
|'m only looking for letter frequency in naming convention; I'm trying to<BR>
make a chart where you can construct a character name by rolling percentile<BR>
dice.<BR>
<BR>
Here are vowels, in order of their frequency, per 10,000 English words :<BR>
<BR>
e<BR>
a<BR>
o<BR>
i<BR>
u<BR>
<BR>
Consonants are :<BR>
<BR>
t<BR>
n<BR>
s<BR>
r<BR>
h<BR>
l<BR>
d<BR>
c<BR>
m<BR>
f<BR>
p<BR>
g<BR>
w<BR>
y<BR>
b<BR>
v<BR>
k<BR>
x<BR>
j<BR>
q<BR>
z<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: "Black ICE" <wombat@premier.net><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2000 11:33 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: Linguistics<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Jory Earl wrote:<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Has anyone ever made a list of vowels, then consonants, rollable from a<BR>
> > chart, with percentages by frequency as they appear in the English<BR>
language?<BR>
><BR>
> I'm sure of it (although I don't have such a chart).  After all, one of<BR>
> the tools used in cryptanalysis is statistical letter frequency.<BR>
><BR>
> Whether any SIGINTers out there are able to _post_ such a list is<BR>
> uncertain....<BR>
><BR>
> --<BR>
> AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
> "Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
> Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
><BR>
> http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:43:59 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Organ Pirates (wsa Re: Pirate Economics)<BR>
<BR>
At 09:44 AM 1/15/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>As the pirate thread seems to be going full steam I have an odd and<BR>
>potentially partially connected question, can anyone suggest curcumstances<BR>
>where in "organlegging" would be a profitable, if criminal, enterprise?<BR>
        [snip]<BR>
>Dan<BR>
<BR>
        Shades of _Cyberpunk 2020_, Dan...  A body in good condition in that<BR>
game is worth almost $10k in spare parts.  <shudder>  I have run scenarios<BR>
where "enterprising" individuals were kidnapping joggers and fitness-club<BR>
members for execution and resale...<BR>
<BR>
        However, in CT, regeneration comes in at TL9 and entire clones are<BR>
available at TL13...  You'd presume that there would be TL15 medical ships<BR>
visiting lower TL worlds in the 3i selling services...  I don't think its an<BR>
issue.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<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>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:51:07 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Linguistics<BR>
<BR>
At 11:21 AM 1/15/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>Has anyone ever made a list of vowels, then consonants, rollable from a<BR>
>chart, with percentages by frequency as they appear in the English language?<BR>
>___________________________________________________________<BR>
> J-Man<BR>
<BR>
        The closest thing I ever did along those lines was a name-creation<BR>
system for my world gen program...  I used the names of the planets in the<BR>
Sol system as templates (Earth is VVCCC) and then roll to fill in...  a "C"<BR>
could actually be a two-letter pair such as "th" or "qu"... a "V" could be a<BR>
vowel, hyphen or apostrophe.<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>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:06:43 -0500<BR>
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Linguistics<BR>
<BR>
At 10:33 am 1/15/00 -0600, you wrote:<BR>
>Jory Earl wrote:<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Has anyone ever made a list of vowels, then consonants, rollable<BR>
from a<BR>
>> chart, with percentages by frequency as they appear in the English<BR>
language?<BR>
><BR>
>I'm sure of it (although I don't have such a chart).  After all, one<BR>
of<BR>
>the tools used in cryptanalysis is statistical letter frequency.<BR>
><BR>
>Whether any SIGINTers out there are able to _post_ such a list is<BR>
>uncertain....<BR>
<BR>
	It doesn't take a specialist, nor does it take crypto ... data<BR>
compression also depends on frequency of various patterns, so the<BR>
simplest compression schemes take use of letter frequencies. Samuel<BR>
Morse based his code on the frequency of letters--the more frequent<BR>
letters have shorter code groups. The legend has it that he just went<BR>
down to his local printshop, and counted how many of each letter they<BR>
had in the typebins. The more common the letter, the more of them<BR>
they needed.<BR>
<BR>
	The data compression handbook I just read had the frequency in<BR>
there, but I don't have it handy. All I remember is the top six, in<BR>
order, are ETAOIN.<BR>
<BR>
	You could even run a digest or two through a counting program ...<BR>
<BR>
- -- Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with your Microsoft<BR>
product.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 09:04:26<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
<BR>
At 10:00 PM 1/14/2000 -0600, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>All right, then, the follow-up question (yes, _I'm_ a US Army<BR>
>interrogator!) is:<BR>
<BR>
Douglas Berry<BR>
4 July 1966<BR>
569-69-7412<BR>
Rank? Well, I haven't showered today...<BR>
<BR>
>At what point do the K'Kree consider a _sentient_ species "G'naak"?<BR>
><BR>
>More importantly, would I still be able to eat crawfish without being a<BR>
>K'Kree target? ;-)  [I enjoy crawfish with the devotion of a convert<BR>
>(I'm not originally from Louisiana).]<BR>
<BR>
You're G'naak.  But the K'Kree will be willing to avoid killing you if the<BR>
situation demands it.  Humans who deal with K'Kree on a regular basis tend<BR>
to become vegetarians just to avoid the hassle.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 09:09:51<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
<BR>
At 09:45 PM 1/14/2000 PST, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Actually, even with multifrequency lasers, there's not enough<BR>
>*bandwidth* to transfer this kind of data over anything but a wired<BR>
>link. A cable can have several hundred or even *thousand* optical fiber<BR>
>"channels" each capable of several gigabytes per second (you can't get<BR>
>a lot higher because light doesn't have a high enough frequency!)<BR>
>And you can use multiple cables.<BR>
<BR>
Which is wahy all those Subby Merchants have 5 dt of cargo space reserved<BR>
for mail.  <BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 08:27:07 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Encryption<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>You could always send the message first, or at the same<BR>
>time as travelling. Or even use an encryption that the PCs<BR>
>can't break and give them the message.<BR>
<BR>
Just keep in mind that anything which can be encrypted, transmitted,<BR>
decrypted, and then verified as to format will, by definition, be<BR>
crackable. Oh, and let us not forget the RAIC "Crackers", which can crack<BR>
128bit DES in under 3 hours. (RAIC=Redundant arry of inexpensive<BR>
computers.) Computing power will tend to climb; the problem becomes the<BR>
physical  limits of the media used....<BR>
<BR>
Also, a good PC won't need to have access to a single machine, just a<BR>
network he can virus. Hit a Pop8+, TL15 world, virus the net to run your<BR>
cracking using the planetary net as one huge RAIC. Problem solved, at<BR>
almost NO expense. Have the virus hit the x-boat net, and x-mmail you a<BR>
system away.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 11:28:16 -0600<BR>
From: "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
The danger from human flesh is due to the fact<BR>
that diseases in Human flesh don't have to jump<BR>
species to infect us. <BR>
That means any bacteria or virus that gets<BR>
into your meal is likely to get into you and<BR>
do bad things.<BR>
Considering that your next meal is also the ultimate<BR>
disease vector, that could cause problems<BR>
<BR>
TV<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 08:37:56 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Traveller "Emulations"<BR>
<BR>
>>> Guys: I put links to your emulations on my traveller page... hope you guys<BR>
>>> don't mind....<BR>
><BR>
>I don't mind at all, although I certainly couldn't find a link to my site<BR>
>on your page. :-)<BR>
><BR>
It would seem someone forgot to UPLOAD the changes to the file.... Mea<BR>
Culpa (x2), Mea Maxima Culpa.<BR>
<BR>
It should be there now. BTW, Anyone else have crossover rules out there<BR>
besides, SJG, Joseph, Jason, and Myself? (I know somebody HAD some CORPS<BR>
cross-over rules..)<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 11:02:19 -0700 (MST)<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Encryption<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, 15 Jan 2000, William F. Hostman wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> ><BR>
> >You could always send the message first, or at the same<BR>
> >time as travelling. Or even use an encryption that the PCs<BR>
> >can't break and give them the message.<BR>
> <BR>
> Just keep in mind that anything which can be encrypted, transmitted,<BR>
> decrypted, and then verified as to format will, by definition, be<BR>
> crackable. Oh, and let us not forget the RAIC "Crackers", which can crack<BR>
> 128bit DES in under 3 hours. (RAIC=Redundant arry of inexpensive<BR>
> computers.) Computing power will tend to climb; the problem becomes the<BR>
> physical  limits of the media used....<BR>
<BR>
Well, yes, those RAIC machines can break 56-bit (not 128-bit) DES in<BR>
three hours. A sufficently large one might be able to break 128-bit that<BR>
fast.<BR>
<BR>
BUT the truth in the eternal crypt/decrypt war is that any brute-force<BR>
attempt (which is what the RAIC machines do) doubles in difficulty with<BR>
each bit added to the key. So if you break 128 bit in 3 hours, you break<BR>
129 bit in 6, 130 in 12, and so on.<BR>
<BR>
OTOH encrypting things goes up linearly, ecrypting something in 129 bit<BR>
takes only 129/128 times as long as encrypting 128 bit, or 1.007 times as<BR>
much.<BR>
<BR>
So you go to 512, 1024, 2048, 4096 bit keys...You can choke out your RAICS<BR>
a lot faster than you can choke out your encrypting machines.<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: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:10:18 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
On 01/15/00 at 11:53 AM,  "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>> DVDs store even more. A couple of gigs at least (anybody know the<BR>
>> capacity of a DVD offhand?) Say they are 8 times the storage capacity.<BR>
>> That gives around 162.5 gig per liter. Which is a bit over 2 petabytes<BR>
>> per DT.<BR>
<BR>
>I think (not sure) that a DVD holds about x2 a CD per layer on the disk<BR>
>(2 sides to a disk, 2 layers per side, 4 layers total) so 8 times sounds<BR>
>right<BR>
<BR>
I think DVDs can store about 6 gig.  <BR>
<BR>
Remember the news store from a couple years ago about the IBM guys<BR>
writing "IBM" with single single atom dots, and a little earlier<BR>
than that writing some document (?bible?) on the ?head of a pin?<BR>
using something like a tunneling electron microscope.  That sort of<BR>
thing may become commercially viable and eventually work its way<BR>
down to small computers.<BR>
<BR>
TBH, for game purposes, I *like* big clunky computers, and I've got<BR>
my handwaves forcing that.  <g><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:16:48 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: re:  Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
<BR>
On 01/15/00 at 12:12 PM,  Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>>From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
<BR>
>>Just how strictly do the K'Kree define carnivory?  Would the <BR>
>>following be defined as carnivores?<BR>
>[deletion]<BR>
>>Where do they draw the line?<BR>
<BR>
>If you ask a K'Kree, the answer will probably be:  "Typical<BR>
>human, looking for a rule to follow like a line in the sand that he can<BR>
>walk right up to and sniff.  The stench of that thought is killing me."<BR>
<BR>
Said before (in the case of a K'Kree diplomat) or after (in the case<BR>
of a K'Kree warrior) the speak tries to trample the human.<BR>
<BR>
My take on K'Kree is that they would see *any* flesh eating as evil<BR>
and a practice to be literally stamped out.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 10:32:43 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Q-Does anyone have 2d6 probability percentages handy?<BR>
<BR>
From: Glenn Myers <glenn.myers@ansys.com><BR>
> I am looking for the probability percentages for 2d6.<BR>
> Example:  XX% of the time 7+ will be rolled on 2d6.<BR>
><BR>
> I've generated this table from scratch a few time in the past but figured<BR>
> someone on this list must have it handy. Just feeling lazy today, I guess.<BR>
<BR>
2d6<BR>
 2-12 100.000%<BR>
 3-12  97.333%<BR>
 4-12  91.667%<BR>
 5-12  83.333%<BR>
 6-12  72.222%<BR>
 7-12  58.333%<BR>
 8-12  41.667%<BR>
 9-12  27.778%<BR>
10-12  16.667%<BR>
11-12   8.333%<BR>
12      2.778%<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:34:34 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Prions and cannibalism<BR>
<BR>
On 01/15/00 at 12:29 PM,  "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net> said:<BR>
<BR>
>Kiri was referring to Kuru<BR>
<BR>
Don't the natives use two words for this, something like Kuru Kuru?<BR>
<BR>
I would think prions and micro toxins would be interesting things to<BR>
"expose" our exploring Scouts and Merchants to....<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 10:34:27 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Encryption<BR>
<BR>
The best demonstrated attack against DES is the one using the array<BR>
processor built by the EFF. At last year's RSA conference it recovered a<BR>
56-bit DES key in about 24 hours. It was actually two booths down the aisle<BR>
from my booth. This machine does the computations in hardware, so it's much<BR>
faster than you could accomplish by doing the same thing in software (like a<BR>
distributed attack on a network).<BR>
<BR>
If we double the number of bits of key to 112, we get an increase in time of<BR>
about 2^56. If we triple the number of bits to 168 we add a factor of about<BR>
2^112. In terms of time, the same EFF machine will take about 2*10^14 years<BR>
to recover a 112-bit key, and 1.4*10^31 years to recover a 168-bit key. Even<BR>
if you assume your DES cracker is one billion times better, you knock off a<BR>
factor of 10^9 from these numbers, still putting the work factor at an<BR>
astronomical level.<BR>
<BR>
The AES (advanced encryption standard) currently being finalized by NIST<BR>
will be much stronger yet. We should see this in the market in a few years.<BR>
It's designed to replace the aging DES.<BR>
<BR>
Let's assume that we will use a 256-key, and scale the difficulty from the<BR>
known data on DES. The current machine will take about 3*10^74 years to<BR>
recover a 256-bit key. Let' assume that you can distribute the processing<BR>
over 10 billion computers on a high-pop planet. This brings us down to<BR>
3*10^64 years for a solution. If we assume that TL15 computers are 10^20<BR>
times faster than modern ones (and that's  a very generous assumption), then<BR>
we are now down to about 3*10^64 years.<BR>
<BR>
So even at TL15, you probably can't break this strength of cryptography.<BR>
<BR>
If you are in the SF Bay area, the RSA Data Security Conference is next week<BR>
at the San Jose Convention Center, with the exhibit hall open on Tuesday and<BR>
Wednesday. If you have a serious interest in cryptography, you shouldn't<BR>
miss it.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: William F. Hostman <aramis@gci.net><BR>
To: <traveller@mpgn.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2000 9:27 AM<BR>
Subject: Re Encryption<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> ><BR>
> >You could always send the message first, or at the same<BR>
> >time as travelling. Or even use an encryption that the PCs<BR>
> >can't break and give them the message.<BR>
><BR>
> Just keep in mind that anything which can be encrypted, transmitted,<BR>
> decrypted, and then verified as to format will, by definition, be<BR>
> crackable. Oh, and let us not forget the RAIC "Crackers", which can crack<BR>
> 128bit DES in under 3 hours. (RAIC=Redundant arry of inexpensive<BR>
> computers.) Computing power will tend to climb; the problem becomes the<BR>
> physical  limits of the media used....<BR>
><BR>
> Also, a good PC won't need to have access to a single machine, just a<BR>
> network he can virus. Hit a Pop8+, TL15 world, virus the net to run your<BR>
> cracking using the planetary net as one huge RAIC. Problem solved, at<BR>
> almost NO expense. Have the virus hit the x-boat net, and x-mmail you a<BR>
> system away.<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
> interface!"<BR>
> Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
> 533<BR>
> Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
> ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
> IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
> pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1761<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 15 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1762<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>
An information request...<BR>
Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Terraforming Shush (Corridor 0221 C662262-7 623 F8 V G3 D)<BR>
Re: Encryption<BR>
Organlegging<BR>
RE: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
Weird food<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
Re Encryption<BR>
Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Re Encryption<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:36:38 -0600<BR>
From: "Andrew Akins" <igor@truserve.com><BR>
Subject: An information request...<BR>
<BR>
I'm looking for canonical information conerning the Modular Cutter...please<BR>
correct/add to this lists:<BR>
<BR>
Deckplans:<BR>
    CT Book 7, Traders and Gunboats<BR>
    CT Adventure Broadsword<BR>
    DGP Grand Survey, Donosev<BR>
    GURPS Star Mercs, Broadsword<BR>
    GURPS First In, Donosev<BR>
<BR>
Also, any pictures that artists have drawn of the cuter would be useful.<BR>
Please send me the titles of any works that have deckplans or pictures<BR>
(other than the above listed).<BR>
<BR>
Thanks,<BR>
<BR>
        Andy Akins<BR>
<BR>
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+<BR>
| Andrew Akins                                                       |<BR>
| Home: igor@truserve.com - http://www.truserve.com/~igor/           |<BR>
| Work: andya@cms-gt.com - http://www.cms-gt.com/                    |<BR>
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+<BR>
| IMTU: tg++(**) tc+ ru+ ge 3i+ jt- st au ls+ kk++ hi+ as+ va+ dr++  |<BR>
|       so+ zh+ vi+ da+                                              |<BR>
| Geek: GCS d- s+:+ a- C++ W++ w+++(-)$ PS+ PE t- 5++ X+ R+++ tv+    |<BR>
|       b+++ DI+ D-- G e++ h---- r+++ y++++                          |<BR>
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:45:35 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
<BR>
On 01/15/00 at 12:38 PM,  JFZeigler@aol.com said:<BR>
<BR>
>I suspect the limiting factor won't be the data storage on the X-boat,<BR>
>but the bandwidth available in the transmission channel.  Information<BR>
>theory puts some pretty strict limits on the speed with which you can<BR>
>transmit over (say) a com laser at a given frequency.<BR>
<BR>
>These X-boats might well be able to *carry* petabytes, but they won't be<BR>
>able to *exchange* them in mere hours.<BR>
<BR>
I've always thought the same, so I decided on a slightly different<BR>
model.  Instead of the xboat transmitted data dump it does a<BR>
*physical* dump.  Xboats rendezvous with a Tender drops off data<BR>
modules, takes on other modules for transport, refuels, resupplies,<BR>
recrews and jumps for the next system.  Not the OTU Xboat system,<BR>
but then I don't run the OTU. <g><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:53:28 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
On 01/15/00 at 12:51 PM,  Black ICE <wombat@premier.net> said:<BR>
<BR>
>It's interesting that, just as TMLers are discussion miniatures,<BR>
>_Pyramid_ has an article this week about making starship miniatures out<BR>
>of golf tees.  (The author says the idea came from _2300_.)<BR>
<BR>
You bet!  Traveller 2300 had instructions and photos for using tees<BR>
and mounted ping-pong balls as unidentified boogies.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 14:06:09 -0500<BR>
From: "Josh W. Spencer" <macmanjws@earthlink.net><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/14/2000 23:08, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
> <BR>
>> For comparison:<BR>
>> a US penny is about 19 mm<BR>
>> a US nickel is about 21 mm<BR>
>> a US dime is about 17 mm<BR>
>> a US quarter is about 24 mm<BR>
>> a US half dollar is about 30 mm<BR>
>> a Canadian $1 (loony) coin is about 26 mm.<BR>
> <BR>
> And old US Dollar coin (I have both an "Eisenhower" dollar and a couple<BR>
> of old "Liberty Head" dollars and they are all the same size) is 38 mm<BR>
> by about 2.5 mm thick.<BR>
> <BR>
> There's a reason for the sizes of the dime, quarter, half and (old)<BR>
> dollar coins. Back when they were all made of silver it worked out at<BR>
> $20 to the pound of "silver" coins. Regular pound, not troy pound.<BR>
> <BR>
> BTW, can you imagine how big this makes a D&D silver piece at *10* to<BR>
> the pound? <BR>
> <BR>
> Oh yeah, I have an old British 2 Pence coin. It's just a *hair* smaller<BR>
> than a current US/Canadian dollar coin.<BR>
<BR>
How big is the following:<BR>
1) Old US Susan B. Anthony $1 coin<BR>
2) New US Sacajawea $1 coin<BR>
<BR>
Those would be interesting to know I'd say......<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Josh W. Spencer (macmanjws@earthlink.net)<BR>
Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA<BR>
http://home.earthlink.net/~macmanjws<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 13:06:38 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
On 01/15/00 at 01:00 PM,  shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) said:<BR>
<BR>
>Actually, in *reality*, overheating is likely to be the *preferred*<BR>
>method, simply because heat balance is *hard*. Dump a good chunk of heat<BR>
>into a ship, and the *life system* (ie the parts of the ship where the<BR>
>*crew* is) rapidly become unihabitable. <BR>
<BR>
>Pirates would *love* "heat cripples". Damage the (very large!) radiators<BR>
>a bit, then heat the ship until they have choice between surrender and<BR>
>heatstroke. <BR>
<BR>
>This even has built-in insurance. If they *do* try to fire a weapon or<BR>
>cut in the drive before the *hull* has cooled enough, then they'll fry<BR>
>themselves. <BR>
<BR>
Exactly!  Not all Traveller systems take the need for surface<BR>
radiators and cooling into account as they should, but surface hits<BR>
on radiators *is* the reason ships can be taken more or less intact<BR>
and that boarding actions become possible.  Kill a ship's radiators<BR>
and it *has* to cut down on it's power production.  Keep "touching<BR>
up" the radiators and before long the ship's crew has a hobson's<BR>
choice of killing themselves by using their weapons or maneuver<BR>
systems or shutting everything down. <BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 13:23:25 -0600<BR>
From: "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com><BR>
Subject: Terraforming Shush (Corridor 0221 C662262-7 623 F8 V G3 D)<BR>
<BR>
I. We don't need no stinkin' purifier!<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith and (to cinch things), Leonard Erickson put the nail<BR>
in the iceball-planetoids-have-bad-chemicals argument.  Now,<BR>
thanks to the internet, my factories/whatever need not waste the<BR>
energy purifying the water found in the planetoid belts.  That<BR>
makes things much more economical, too.  Thanks guys!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
II. Move the colonists!<BR>
<BR>
Another previous poster mentioned restationing the 600 inhabitants.<BR>
My take on it is that these are members of the long-term survey<BR>
team.  Problem solved!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
III. Another terraforming solution<BR>
<BR>
Basically, I take the innards of a SurSat, attach a sturdy<BR>
hull and thrust plates for 0.1 G, and voila!  I can even attach<BR>
itty bitty fuel scoops to replenish its itty bitty fuel tank<BR>
from the material it finds.<BR>
<BR>
I suppose what it needs to do is push chunks of ice-rock on an<BR>
accurate trajectory towards where Shush will be in the time it<BR>
takes to get there.<BR>
<BR>
Since it doesn't need a purifier, all I have right now for it<BR>
is the power plant and the SurSat component.<BR>
<BR>
Dalek<BR>
<BR>
TL15 Fusion Plant : MCr0.5   15 Mw   negligible volume<BR>
Sursat            : MCr0.3 ?<BR>
Thrust plates?    : MCr???   ?? Mw   volume?<BR>
Fuel scoops       : negligible?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Now I need a factory that can build these.<BR>
Place the factory in the belt and have your people maintain it.<BR>
Now build a robot maintenance shed and attach it to the factory.<BR>
Churn out scads of these Daleks and away we go.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
IV. An idea terraforming solution<BR>
<BR>
The ideal solution, of course, is to have biological critters in<BR>
the belt system that can be tamed and trained to do all this for<BR>
me.  If the belt really does have lots of ice, and it's near enough<BR>
to the primary or secondary, then some weird kind of photosynthetic<BR>
critter with a vacuum-proof shell can dwell in the crevasses, <BR>
venturing out to grab another ice chunk to melt for liquids.<BR>
These critters, if they do exist as reported by prospectors' logs,<BR>
range in size from basketball to VolksWagen.  Propulsion method<BR>
unknown.  Apparently their shell functions in a similar manner to<BR>
human skin: to keep the 'elements' (or vacuum in this case) out and<BR>
the internals in.  If it's a good insulator then they have little<BR>
energy loss, and probably aren't too active unless they are near<BR>
a strong heat source.  Perhaps there are radioactives that it can<BR>
use for an energy source.  Hate to have that in the ice, tho.<BR>
<BR>
They might be related to creatures whose planetary environment<BR>
is too caustic for normal biology to develop exposed, so those<BR>
creatures with impermeable and anticorrosive carapaces are<BR>
favored.  For example, the "purple basketball", of which we have<BR>
only recordings, probably comes from an increasingly violent<BR>
and volcanic world, and is known to be able to hold pressure in<BR>
a vacuum, though it is assumed it has no way to move in space.<BR>
<BR>
Rob<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 11:25:07 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Encryption<BR>
<BR>
> Bruce Johnson wrote:<BR>
> On Sat, 15 Jan 2000, William F. Hostman wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> > ><BR>
> > >You could always send the message first, or at the same<BR>
> > >time as travelling. Or even use an encryption that the PCs<BR>
> > >can't break and give them the message.<BR>
> > <BR>
> > Just keep in mind that anything which can be encrypted, transmitted,<BR>
> > decrypted, and then verified as to format will, by definition, be<BR>
> > crackable... [snip]<BR>
> <BR>
> Well, yes, those RAIC machines can break 56-bit (not 128-bit) DES in<BR>
> three hours. A sufficently large one might be able to break 128-bit that<BR>
> fast.<BR>
> <BR>
> BUT the truth in the eternal crypt/decrypt war...  [snip]<BR>
<BR>
Everyone who wants to get involved in this thread should go and read<BR>
Simon Singh's _The Code Book_ end-to-end. It's a very very readable <BR>
book about the history of cryptography, from Caesar substitution to <BR>
quantum-mechanical crypto methods.<BR>
<BR>
Having read it myself, I'm going to stay out of the discussion for <BR>
this reason: since the strongest theoretically possible encryption<BR>
known today is based on our understanding of *physics* rather than<BR>
on mathematics, and since and Jump-capable culture clearly has a <BR>
very different idea of physics than we do, it seems to me that we <BR>
can make no useful extrapolations of encryption technology. <BR>
<BR>
I strongly recommend that each Referee determine, for his or her <BR>
own TU, whether or not crypto is breakable, and what equipment is <BR>
needed to do so, and then file that knowledge away with the data<BR>
on feasibility of piracy, use of near-C rocks, and Aslan in <BR>
comfortable shoes.<BR>
<BR>
- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 11:26:33 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Organlegging<BR>
<BR>
From: Daniel Phelps <phelpsd@gate.net><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>As the pirate thread seems to be going full steam I have an odd and<BR>
potentially partially connected question, can anyone suggest circumstances<BR>
where in "organlegging" would be a profitable, if criminal, enterprise?  It<BR>
has been suggested to me that certain governments in the Far East have<BR>
recently been turning a profit on the execution of prisoners.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
I don't think so, not at the TL's that Traveller is dealing with.<BR>
<BR>
There are so many problems with immune system rejection with organ<BR>
transplants.  Once you have the ability to clone new organs from the DNA of<BR>
the person needing an organ, corrected if necessary, why take the risk of<BR>
accepting an organ from a stranger who is even a fairly close match?<BR>
<BR>
If a system is high enough TL to have a starport they probably won't have<BR>
this kind of need for organs.<BR>
<BR>
You might have the occasional isolated weirdo wanting to steal someone<BR>
else's body, even though it'd be easier to create a clone and genetically<BR>
alter it to be different only in ways that would not cause a problem.<BR>
<BR>
But organized crime?  I don't think so.  Organized crime tends to take on<BR>
the job of supplying that for which there is a large demand-- drugs,<BR>
prostitution, etc.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's<BR>
a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect and love your darkest side,<BR>
disposing of only what is obsolete or impractical.  It's all about giving<BR>
yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 19:43:17 -0000<BR>
From: "Mark S Peace" <mark.s.peace@dunelm.org.uk><BR>
Subject: RE: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
>>On Behalf Of Leonard Erickson<BR>
><BR>
>> In "Consider Phlebas" (which I recently found a copy of), the<BR>
>> characters are on an "orbital" (mini-ringworld) and "hovering" a few<BR>
>> hundred feet above a *huge* seagoing ship. One of them had missed the<BR>
>> briefing and steps off their ship's boat relying on his suit's AG to<BR>
>> lower him to the ship. SPLAT!<BR>
><BR>
>Sounds a bit silly. If it was big enough to have a huge sea-going ship in<BR>
>it, it should have been big enough to have gravity without spin. May be not<BR>
>as much as a planet, but still emough for the gravitics to work.<BR>
><BR>
I don't see why.  On the Earth you have *8000 miles* of matter below you<BR>
gravitationally attracting you.  I think the orbitals were only *tens* of<BR>
metres thick so you're only going to get microgravity.<BR>
<BR>
Mark.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 14:00:29 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
"Josh W. Spencer" wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snips sizes of various coins>><BR>
> <BR>
> How big is the following:<BR>
> 1) Old US Susan B. Anthony $1 coin<BR>
<BR>
I get 27 mm diameter, and 2 mm thickness for the "Carter Quarter."<BR>
<BR>
> 2) New US Sacajawea $1 coin<BR>
<BR>
Haven't seen one yet....<BR>
<BR>
<<refrains from dragging in a lame ObTrav question about Coyns>><BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 11:53:01 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Weird food<BR>
<BR>
From: Leonard Erickson <shadow@krypton.rain.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>In mail you write:<BR>
><BR>
>> ObTrav: many depictions in sci-fi of the future imply or state that as<BR>
races become more advanced technologically, they advance ethically, and stop<BR>
eating meat, etc. IYTU's, is this an "advance"? Or is there indifference to<BR>
this? Does the Emperor like his steak well-done, or would he have the same<BR>
reaction to being offered steak one of us affluent westerners would have at<BR>
being offered witchety grubs?<BR>
>><BR>
>Considering a few things I *have* eaten, I'd probably hesitate a bit and<BR>
*try* to eat one. If the first one went down ok (and from what I hear, they<BR>
taste ok) then I'd probably be ok, and chow down.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
A conversation between Kiri and Hiroshi, translated into English:<BR>
<BR>
K:  "Oh, look, sparrows!  I love them!"<BR>
H:  "Me too."<BR>
K:  "They're so cute!"<BR>
H:  ::strange look::  "Yes, it's a nice snack, but there are a lot of bones<BR>
to pick out."<BR>
K:  ::stranger look::  "Hiroshi, that's not what I meant."<BR>
H:  ::alarmed look, realizing he has just semi-squicked SO::  "Just what<BR>
*did* you mean?"<BR>
<BR>
I am still amazed by this.  I questioned him several times that we really<BR>
were talking about "suzume" (sparrow) and not a squab or pigeon, both of<BR>
which I have eaten.   Apparently they eat them at some festival in Aichi.<BR>
If I'd grown up over there, I'd have known this.<BR>
<BR>
In any case, when visiting any new planet, there is sure to be at least one<BR>
menu item you will find difficult to think of as food.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect<BR>
and love your darkest side, disposing of only what is obsolete or<BR>
impractical.  It's all about giving yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 14:03:48 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
On 01/15/00 at 01:59 PM,  shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) said:<BR>
<BR>
>>Does anyone see IComp as being something built into the hull that<BR>
>>projects a field throughout the volume of the ship insulating it<BR>
>>from outside inertial forces?<BR>
<BR>
>That'd be a *real* "physics breaker". <BR>
<BR>
I didn't say it wouldn't, just asked if anyone saw IComp that way.<BR>
<BR>
>I think it'd mess with conservation laws.  Having an *active* field<BR>
>(ie one where you have to feed "power" proportional to the forces<BR>
>being neutralized) isn't going to break much.<BR>
<BR>
"But Officer, I only broke Conservation of Energy a *little* bit.<BR>
Can't you just ignore it?"  <g><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:07:55 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
From: Thom Harris <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
> Leonard it was $1.00 per ounce of silver. A silver dollar was 1 ounce<BR>
> exactly. Gold was $20.00 an ounce and that made the $20.00 gold piece 1<BR>
> ounce exactly. A dime was 1 tenth of an ounce, a quarter was 1 fourth of<BR>
an<BR>
> ounce and half dollar was 1 half of an ounce. That was what determined<BR>
what<BR>
> the size of the coins would be, WEIGHT.<BR>
><BR>
> When gold and silver were re-evaluated in the early sixties as the<BR>
monetary<BR>
> standard of the world the value went up. That is why the U.S. stopped<BR>
> minting SILVER coins and started minting the clad ones. A silver dollar<BR>
> today is worth over $3.40 just for the silver in it let alone the mint<BR>
value<BR>
> for collectors.<BR>
<BR>
Was that the Troy oz. (480 grains) or the Avoirdupois oz. (437.5 grains)?<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 20:13:45 -0000<BR>
From: "Mark S Peace" <mark.s.peace@dunelm.org.uk><BR>
Subject: Re Encryption<BR>
<BR>
>The AES (advanced encryption standard) currently being finalized by NIST<BR>
>will be much stronger yet. We should see this in the market in a few years.<BR>
>It's designed to replace the aging DES.<BR>
><BR>
>Let's assume that we will use a 256-key, and scale the difficulty from the<BR>
>known data on DES. The current machine will take about 3*10^74 years to<BR>
>recover a 256-bit key. Let' assume that you can distribute the processing<BR>
>over 10 billion computers on a high-pop planet. This brings us down to<BR>
>3*10^64 years for a solution. If we assume that TL15 computers are 10^20<BR>
>times faster than modern ones (and that's  a very generous assumption),<BR>
then<BR>
>we are now down to about 3*10^64 years.<BR>
><BR>
>So even at TL15, you probably can't break this strength of cryptography.<BR>
><BR>
Not using current technology, but quantum computers (or maybe something we<BR>
haven't even thought of yet) may well be able to.  As I understand it a<BR>
quantum computer could try multiple combinations of keys at once so a 256<BR>
bit key could be cracked in something like 256 cycles - all theoretical at<BR>
the moment of course.<BR>
<BR>
Mark.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:24:12 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/14/2000 23:08, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> BTW, can you imagine how big this makes a D&D silver<BR>
>piece at *10* to the pound?<BR>
<BR>
700/480 or 700/437.5 times the size of a US (or most other<BR>
nations') specie dollar.  If the later, that would be exactly 1.6<BR>
times.  If the former, aprox. 1.458 times.  These are volumes,<BR>
so if you wanted coins of exactly the same shape, then the<BR>
dimensions would only have to be increased by aprox. 1.134<BR>
or 1.170 times.  There would be less contrast that that of<BR>
comparing a penny and a nickle or a dime and a penny.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:49:39 -0800<BR>
From: "James W. Lindsay" <jlindsay@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 14 Jan 2000 05:25:26 -0700 (MST), Bruce Johnson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> On Thu, 13 Jan 2000, James W. Lindsay wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> > On Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:51:50 -0600, Joseph R. Dietrich wrote:<BR>
> > <BR>
> > > >  How about Goauld (or whatever the heck the things are called in<BR>
> > > > Stargate).<BR>
> > > <BR>
> > > I have never seen Stargate. What are the Goauld?<BR>
> > <BR>
> > A parasitic being that requires a human host to survive.  Check your local<BR>
> > video store for the original Stargate starring Kurt Russell.  It is a epic<BR>
> > story-- almost (I think it needed to be about 20-30 minutes longer).<BR>
> <BR>
> The series on Showtime ain't half bad either...there have been some<BR>
> interesting episodes, and some decent developing plots. IN my area (maybe<BR>
> nationally) they're showing old episodes on the local FOX affiliate<BR>
> <BR>
> OTOH, all the planets in the universe look like Vancouver, though...;-)<BR>
<BR>
So did most of the "worlds" in the first few seasons of Sliders.  X-Files<BR>
and Millennium (and Harsh Realm for a short time) did a much better job of<BR>
hiding Vancouver's more recognizable landmarks.<BR>
<BR>
As for alien planets/cultures/civilizations bearing a distinct resemblance<BR>
to Vancouver, they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery ;)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
James W. Lindsay             Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada<BR>
http://members.home.net/jlindsay                    ICQ:#7521644<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
Smoking cures weight problems...eventually.<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 15:04:48 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
I still prefer the orginal 15mm.  It takes up less space and lots a<BR>
better layout.  Any deckplans in 25mm  I've scaled down. I forgot to<BR>
mentioned in my earlier reply on minitures, the old cardboard heroes<BR>
15mm figures.  <BR>
<BR>
darkhstarr<BR>
<BR>
John Macek wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Steven Hudson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> ><BR>
> > 28mm - you run the risk of being mistaken for a Pudding Workshop cultist :)<BR>
> <BR>
> 8^)<BR>
> <BR>
> Acutally, even though they are 28s, they look really good.  I did a<BR>
> random size comparison and found the range to be from 24ish to 28ish.<BR>
> If I have to go to slightly larger figures to get unarmed or lightly<BR>
> armed civilians, I'm happy with these minis (plus they get double duty<BR>
> as Space 1889 figures).<BR>
> <BR>
> John<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 16:24:21 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Encryption<BR>
<BR>
Actually, we DO have quantum computers.  but they are very primitive.<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: "Mark S Peace" <mark.s.peace@dunelm.org.uk><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2000 3:13 PM<BR>
Subject: Re Encryption<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> >The AES (advanced encryption standard) currently being finalized by NIST<BR>
> >will be much stronger yet. We should see this in the market in a few<BR>
years.<BR>
> >It's designed to replace the aging DES.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >Let's assume that we will use a 256-key, and scale the difficulty from<BR>
the<BR>
> >known data on DES. The current machine will take about 3*10^74 years to<BR>
> >recover a 256-bit key. Let' assume that you can distribute the processing<BR>
> >over 10 billion computers on a high-pop planet. This brings us down to<BR>
> >3*10^64 years for a solution. If we assume that TL15 computers are 10^20<BR>
> >times faster than modern ones (and that's  a very generous assumption),<BR>
> then<BR>
> >we are now down to about 3*10^64 years.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >So even at TL15, you probably can't break this strength of cryptography.<BR>
> ><BR>
> Not using current technology, but quantum computers (or maybe something we<BR>
> haven't even thought of yet) may well be able to.  As I understand it a<BR>
> quantum computer could try multiple combinations of keys at once so a 256<BR>
> bit key could be cracked in something like 256 cycles - all theoretical at<BR>
> the moment of course.<BR>
><BR>
> Mark.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 20:54:33 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
At 21:17 -0500 14/1/00, shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) wrote:<BR>
>It occurs to me that Stargates *aren't* incompatible with Traveller.<BR>
>They *do* change things, but if they are scattered half as widely as on<BR>
>the show most of them are *way* outside "known space". And they are<BR>
>kinda small to move huge cargos thru.<BR>
><BR>
>But if you did put some in the Traveller universe, and kept them as<BR>
>"ancient tech" which can't be duplicated or even just something that<BR>
>requires *incredibly* rare materials to build, you'd only change things<BR>
>a bit.<BR>
<BR>
The BITS product 'The Long Way Home'  deals in some part with this <BR>
style of technology as Ancient 'jump tunnels'.<BR>
<BR>
I seem to recall the TML screaming 'it's not canon' repeatedly when <BR>
the IG versions of the books came out.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 21:08:20 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
At 0:44 -0500 15/1/00, shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) wrote:<BR>
>There's a reason for the sizes of the dime, quarter, half and (old)<BR>
>dollar coins. Back when they were all made of silver it worked out at<BR>
>$20 to the pound of "silver" coins. Regular pound, not troy pound.<BR>
><BR>
>BTW, can you imagine how big this makes a D&D silver piece at *10* to<BR>
>the pound?<BR>
><BR>
>Oh yeah, I have an old British 2 Pence coin. It's just a *hair* smaller<BR>
>than a current US/Canadian dollar coin.<BR>
<BR>
Interestingly (well, maybe) all the UK silver coins aside from the <BR>
20p have shrunk in size recently to reduce their costs, plus the <BR>
bronze coins 1p & 2p are now actually steel plated with copper, again <BR>
to reduce costs.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1762<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1763</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
Date:	1/15/00 6:10:46 PM Pacific Standard Time<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 15 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1763<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>
Computing power (was Re: Encryption)<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: 3I Money<BR>
Re: 3I Money<BR>
Re: Re Traveller "Emulations"<BR>
Re: Encryption (PGP)<BR>
The Unauthorized Alien<BR>
Re Traveller "Emulations"<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Minaitures<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Encryption (PGP)<BR>
Intelligence as game plot (was Re: Encryption)<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Freighter Passengers.<BR>
US Coin Sizes (was Re: 3I Money)<BR>
SIGINT Ship Design (T4/FF&S2) [long]<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 13:22:11 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Computing power (was Re: Encryption)<BR>
<BR>
If we are assuming that the technology to produce quantum computers can<BR>
exist in the Traveller universe then there are far-reaching implications.<BR>
With this level of computing power you can do some amazing things. Try to<BR>
estimate the number of operations per second (MIPS equivalent) that this<BR>
technology could deliver. It's phenomenal.<BR>
<BR>
<opinion><BR>
I personally don't believe it. I talked to the guys at Los Alamos National<BR>
Lab who were doing research in this area a few years back and was not<BR>
convinced. But mine is just one opinion. They were trying to convince me to<BR>
fund their research.<BR>
<BR>
My crystal ball tells me that quantum computing will fall into that category<BR>
of technology which was thought to have had some promise but never<BR>
delivered. We have lots of these.<BR>
</opinion><BR>
<BR>
So if you assume that quantum computers exist, ask your self what else the<BR>
computing power can be used for.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Not using current technology, but quantum computers (or maybe something we<BR>
> haven't even thought of yet) may well be able to.  As I understand it a<BR>
> quantum computer could try multiple combinations of keys at once so a 256<BR>
> bit key could be cracked in something like 256 cycles - all theoretical at<BR>
> the moment of course.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 15:27:31 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
On 01/15/00 at 03:18 PM,  Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>I still prefer the orginal 15mm.  It takes up less space and lots a<BR>
>better layout.  Any deckplans in 25mm  I've scaled down. I forgot to<BR>
>mentioned in my earlier reply on minitures, the old cardboard heroes 15mm<BR>
>figures.  <BR>
<BR>
I've only ever used the orginal 15mm figures.  Mostly we used<BR>
cardboard counters because we all came from wargaming backgrounds<BR>
and cardboard counters made sense to us.<BR>
<BR>
How about a little information for us miniture illiterates?  Does<BR>
the 15 or 25 mm refer to something like 15mm per meter, 25 mm per<BR>
yard, or something more esoteric?  IOW's given a 15 mm scale, would<BR>
a 175 cm tall human be represented be 26.25 mm tall, and given a 25<BR>
mm scale be 43.75 mm tall?  And how do these scales relate to hex<BR>
sizes on various boards, papers and mats?<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 15:37:25 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/15/00 at 03:28 PM,  SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>At 21:17 -0500 14/1/00, shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) wrote:<BR>
>>It occurs to me that Stargates *aren't* incompatible with Traveller.<BR>
>>They *do* change things, but if they are scattered half as widely as on<BR>
>>the show most of them are *way* outside "known space". And they are<BR>
>>kinda small to move huge cargos thru.<BR>
>><BR>
>>But if you did put some in the Traveller universe, and kept them as<BR>
>>"ancient tech" which can't be duplicated or even just something that<BR>
>>requires *incredibly* rare materials to build, you'd only change things<BR>
>>a bit.<BR>
<BR>
>The BITS product 'The Long Way Home'  deals in some part with this  style<BR>
>of technology as Ancient 'jump tunnels'.<BR>
<BR>
>I seem to recall the TML screaming 'it's not canon' repeatedly when  the<BR>
>IG versions of the books came out.<BR>
<BR>
The widespread appearance and use there of, isn't...as you well<BR>
know.  <g> <BR>
<BR>
Having lots of jump gates scattered around charted space *would*<BR>
change Traveller a LOT.  Information would travel almost<BR>
instantanously among connected worlds, and much more rapidly as it<BR>
radiated out from gate nodes.  This would allow more centeralized<BR>
control over interstellar empires.<BR>
<BR>
IMO, common jump gates would make for a *very* different TU.  OTOH,<BR>
a handful of gates with some built in restrictions wouldn't be too<BR>
unbalancing.<BR>
<BR>
Of course, different isn't always bad...<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 14:38:02 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money<BR>
<BR>
>How big is the following:<BR>
>1) Old US Susan B. Anthony $1 coin<BR>
>2) New US Sacajawea $1 coin<BR>
<BR>
I've seen what the new US Sacajawea coin looks like -- it's gold<BR>
in colour, like the Canadian $1 coin (the Loonie), but round instead<BR>
of eleven-sided like our dollar. I also am curious about the size of<BR>
this new $1 US coin. It is my understanding that the reason the old<BR>
Susan B. Anthony $1 US coin failed was mostly that it was not <BR>
sufficiently different in appearance from a quarter, being silver in<BR>
colour and only fractionally larger than a quarter...<BR>
<BR>
(And who the heck *was* Sacajawea anyway?)<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, 15 Jan 2000 15:40:33 -0600<BR>
From: "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money<BR>
<BR>
I think the coin is going to be marginally larger than a quarter, the gold<BR>
coloring being the major way to tell it from a quarter.<BR>
<BR>
As for the the picture, she was part of the Lewis and Clark expedition was<BR>
she<BR>
not? I am not real good on that part of American History :)<BR>
<BR>
TV<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:20:20<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Traveller "Emulations"<BR>
<BR>
At 08:37 AM 1/15/2000 -0900, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>It should be there now. BTW, Anyone else have crossover rules out there<BR>
>besides, SJG, Joseph, Jason, and Myself? (I know somebody HAD some CORPS<BR>
>cross-over rules..)<BR>
<BR>
I started working on the CORPS stuff, but then got a little distracted.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 16:56:26 EST<BR>
From: Optiko@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Encryption (PGP)<BR>
<BR>
> > Just keep in mind that anything which can be encrypted, transmitted,<BR>
>  > decrypted, and then verified as to format will, by definition, be<BR>
>  > crackable. Oh, and let us not forget the RAIC "Crackers", which can crack<BR>
>  > 128bit DES in under 3 hours. (RAIC=Redundant arry of inexpensive<BR>
>  > computers.) Computing power will tend to climb; the problem becomes the<BR>
>  > physical  limits of the media used....<BR>
>  <BR>
>  Well, yes, those RAIC machines can break 56-bit (not 128-bit) DES in<BR>
>  three hours. A sufficently large one might be able to break 128-bit that<BR>
>  fast.<BR>
>  <BR>
>  BUT the truth in the eternal crypt/decrypt war is that any brute-force<BR>
>  attempt (which is what the RAIC machines do) doubles in difficulty with<BR>
>  each bit added to the key. So if you break 128 bit in 3 hours, you break<BR>
>  129 bit in 6, 130 in 12, and so on.<BR>
<BR>
DES is NOT a very good encryption method. 128-bit wouldn't be very difficult <BR>
to crack by Traveller-level computer systems, especially at double-figure <BR>
tech levels. However, DES is not the only encryption system out there. PGP <BR>
lets you encrypt any file at 1024-bit, at least on the old version I have. <BR>
Newer versions are even higher. You could turn an entire planet into a RAIC <BR>
array but you'd still need a long time to crack a 5000+ bit message, which is <BR>
theoretically possible. If a world with highly advanced computer networks <BR>
existed, they would be able to run their entire planetary network with <BR>
1024-bit public key encryption (which IS a viable real-time encryption method <BR>
as the many PGP-based crypto file systems prove) without compromising their <BR>
speed. At that level, decryption becomes next to impossible without the <BR>
suggestion of using the entire planetary network as a RAIC array. The problem <BR>
with that is, that if the entire P-net is 1024-bit encrypted you're going to <BR>
need a god-level password to the net, and if the world's government went to <BR>
the trouble of encrypting the whole net their passwords will be tremendously <BR>
complex. One thing to consider is that although we humans use the fairly <BR>
small ASCII character set, other cultures may not. How hard would decryption <BR>
become with a species with a 500+ character alphabet???<BR>
<BR>
~Op<BR>
 <BR>
  "All dogs have hair. I have hair. Therefore, I am a dog."<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 17:09:11 -0500<BR>
From: Jeff Zeitlin <jzeitlin@cyburban.com><BR>
Subject: The Unauthorized Alien<BR>
<BR>
_I_ can't write these; for the races I've worked up stuff for, I<BR>
made the "error" of asking the creator for permission, and had it<BR>
denied on the completely reasonable ground of 'marketability<BR>
dilution' or words to that effect.  I won't even tell you which<BR>
races - if I do, it will be arguable that you would be bound by<BR>
the same denial, whereas if you don't know, and write about them,<BR>
the worst that can happen is that I am asked to take down the<BR>
writeups.  Both of us are reasonably safe, that way.<BR>
<BR>
What "these" are, are descriptions of alien races from Science<BR>
Fiction/Science Fantasy worked up for Traveller/GURPS Traveller.<BR>
They should include a character generation procedure, any careers<BR>
unique to the race, notes on modifying standard careers, a bit of<BR>
cultural background on the race, and some ideas for using the<BR>
race - both as PC and as NPC - in a campaign, in such a way as to<BR>
emphasize the differences between the race and standard<BR>
Vilano-solomani humans.  Note that any such race should, like in<BR>
any good SF/SF, have both advantages over and disadvantages from<BR>
V-S humans.<BR>
<BR>
Of special interest are those races that come from material known<BR>
to have been important in the genesis of Traveller; of secondary<BR>
special interest are races that have had series of books written<BR>
about them (series being three or more books).  Of course, any<BR>
aliens from any source are of interest; the "special interest"<BR>
simply means that when you submit them, you'll need to get your<BR>
hands out of the way because I'm going to grab them FAST.  The<BR>
others, I'll merely grab.<BR>
<BR>
If you want to bounce ideas off me (and not the rest of the<BR>
list), send them to freelancetraveller@yahoo.com with the tag [FT<BR>
IDEA] in the subject line; actual submissions to the same address<BR>
with the tag [FT SUB], general discussion that the rest of the<BR>
TML can participate in to the list.  Eventually, if more detail<BR>
is desirable, that can be discussed on the Traveller-Culture<BR>
list.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jeff Zeitlin<BR>
jzeitlin@cyburban.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 16:06:04 -0600<BR>
From: "shadowcat" <meow@advancenet.net><BR>
Subject: Re Traveller "Emulations"<BR>
<BR>
I have some crossover stuff for Traveller to Champions, Jason <BR>
Kemp has taken the ball I started and run with it, and hes done<BR>
a most excellent job with something I kept meaning to add a lot to<BR>
but never quite got around to working on. <BR>
<BR>
Shadowcat AKA Kevin Walsh<BR>
Captain of the Free Trader Beowulf<BR>
ADD/ADHD Advocate<BR>
http://www.advancenet.net/~meow<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 22:22:33 +0000<BR>
From: Paul Campbell <kemitixanzantix@freenet.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, 15 Jan 2000, you wrote:<BR>
> On 01/15/00 at 11:53 AM,  "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com> said:<BR>
> <BR>
> >> DVDs store even more. A couple of gigs at least (anybody know the<BR>
> >> capacity of a DVD offhand?) Say they are 8 times the storage capacity.<BR>
> >> That gives around 162.5 gig per liter. Which is a bit over 2 petabytes<BR>
> >> per DT.<BR>
> <BR>
> >I think (not sure) that a DVD holds about x2 a CD per layer on the disk<BR>
> >(2 sides to a disk, 2 layers per side, 4 layers total) so 8 times sounds<BR>
> >right<BR>
> <BR>
> I think DVDs can store about 6 gig.  <BR>
> <BR>
<SNIP><BR>
> <BR>
> TBH, for game purposes, I *like* big clunky computers, and I've got<BR>
> my handwaves forcing that.  <g><BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> Eris<BR>
<BR>
You might want to try throwing these things into the Long Night:<BR>
<BR>
An Israeli company, C3D, has recently demonstrated the next step: FMD -<BR>
Flurescent Multilayer Disk '...stores multiple layers of data on a clear<BR>
plastic disk...something like 20 times over a DVD...should have much faster<BR>
access time because of [this] parallel reading technique.'  '...promise huge<BR>
capacity increases for card and disk storage.  The ClearCard will be able to<BR>
hold up to 10Gb and the CD version will start at 140Gb.'  The ClearCard is only<BR>
about Credit Card sized.<BR>
<BR>
C3D is aiming to have these on the market within the year, and '...with minimal<BR>
changes to tooling from existing CD and DVD mechanisims.'  At least for the CD<BR>
versions I imagine, the ClearCard would need whole new device designs. They are<BR>
hoping to push this technology in the next phases of development to 1000Gb CDs.<BR>
 You could almost backup the Internet on a handfull of those.<BR>
<BR>
I agree with what someone else said: 'Moore's Law is for wimps'<BR>
<BR>
Share your handwaves, please.  My players are aware of these things too.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Paul Campbell<BR>
kemitixanzantix@freenet.co.uk<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 10:41:45 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Minaitures<BR>
<BR>
>I used to have a whole mess of 15mm, but I gave them away to a friend who<BR>
>was more into that.<BR>
<BR>
Likewise. I had everything Martian Metals produced for Traveller.  Sigh.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>>All I really need is more time to paint, a nice large magnifier (eyes are<BR>
>>getting older), and someone near Toronto who wants to play.<BR>
><BR>
>I wish I was closer. I'm in Kingston, but that's about 4 hours away...<BR>
<BR>
Three, but still too far to drive for a game. Maybe we could meet in<BR>
Coburg... :-)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 10:51:51 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>Impressive!  I have four Trav ships, unpainted.  In my SFB collection<BR>
>there are some ships suitable for Traveller - the freighters and some of<BR>
>the Orions.<BR>
<BR>
Well, I'm trying to persuade Jesse to make counters of his ships. Imagine<BR>
having lots of top-down views of ships, highports, and so on...!<BR>
<BR>
I could produce them as a BITS product for about $2Cdn per sheet (including<BR>
shipping). (I've got a Pantone printer at work, and one of the<BR>
summer-school teachers is a printer by trade, so I can get a professional<BR>
job done.)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>My character collection includes the Grenadier 25mm Imperial Marines.  I<BR>
>think they're a bit short, but they still look so darned cool!  Also, I<BR>
>have some really old Grenadier figs from the mid to late 70s.  A dozen<BR>
>or so battlesuits in a variety of shapes and sizes, and unarmored<BR>
>troopers.<BR>
<BR>
Comrade Hudson was kind enough to part with some of his Grenadier<BR>
collection last year. I still haven't had time to paint them (because these<BR>
figures are worth spending time on). Next semester, I hope.<BR>
<BR>
>> I've also made a dozen asteroids and a world model (for use in space<BR>
>> battles), and I have a fair selection of buildings and stuff for tabletop<BR>
>> battles.<BR>
><BR>
>What are you using to make your planets?  Ping-pong balls?<BR>
<BR>
Styrofoam (the smooth kind). Our local craft shop has a selection of<BR>
different sizes. I'm working on a gas giant, but the cloud bands are giving<BR>
me trouble.  Asteroids are easier: mount a 0.75" ball on a bamboo skewer,<BR>
which is in turn mounted on a couple of washers (as a base); coat the ball<BR>
with model glue, which will make it shrivel up in interesting ways; spray<BR>
with black primer; drybrush with various shades of gray; protect with clear<BR>
lacquer.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>> All I really need is more time to paint, a nice large magnifier (eyes are<BR>
>> getting older), and someone near Toronto who wants to play.<BR>
><BR>
>Next time you're in Baltimore, bring your collection and we'll play!<BR>
<BR>
I've been tempted to bring them with me to Vancouver, but that's a lot of<BR>
weight to drag around on public transit.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 11:10:32 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>As a '25mm' figure should be 25mm to the top of the _head_, if it's wearing<BR>
>any form of headress, or battledress it can easily be 28mm, and still be the<BR>
>same scale.<BR>
<BR>
Odd, I've always thought it was 25mm to the eyes. (As the heights of<BR>
different hats varies more than the heights of people.)<BR>
<BR>
I got caught this was with a Reviresco order. I ordered 60 "25mm" WWI<BR>
soldiers, only to get 60 "20mm" soldiers. Sure, they were 25mm to the top<BR>
of their hats, but they were a lot smaller than any of my other 25mm<BR>
figures (which are mostly 25mm from feet to eyes).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 14:59:43 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Encryption (PGP)<BR>
<BR>
There is a fundamental difference between DES and PGP which makes comparing<BR>
their key lengths difficult. DES is a symmetric algorithm, so the same key<BR>
is used to encrypt and decrypt. If I want to communicate securely with you<BR>
using DES I have to make sure that we have the same DES key. PGP is based<BR>
upon an assymetric algorithm in which a different key is used to encrypt<BR>
than to decrypt. So anyone can send you a PGP-encrypted message but only you<BR>
can read it.<BR>
<BR>
Suppose that DES is a well-designed algorithm, so that the best you can do<BR>
is try all 2^56 possible keys to break the system. How does this compare to<BR>
PGP?<BR>
<BR>
Assymetric systems are based upon a mathematical problem which is easy to do<BR>
one way but hard to do the other way. The most common system is the RSA<BR>
system, in which the easy problem is multiplying two big numbers together<BR>
and the hard problem is factoring a big number. If this is the case, we<BR>
certainly don't need to try all possible keys. For example, to factor a<BR>
number we can try only prime numbers less than the square root of the number<BR>
to be guaranteed finding a  factor. By the prime number theorem, about<BR>
x/log(x) of the numbers less than x are prime, so we have a much lower<BR>
amount of work to do.<BR>
<BR>
In the old days, before crypto export laws began to change, export quality<BR>
(i.e. low-grade, weak) encryption was 40 bits for a symmetric algorithm and<BR>
512 for assymetric. This should give a good indication of the relative<BR>
strengths of the two systems.<BR>
<BR>
> DES is NOT a very good encryption method. 128-bit wouldn't be very<BR>
difficult<BR>
> to crack by Traveller-level computer systems, especially at double-figure<BR>
> tech levels. However, DES is not the only encryption system out there. PGP<BR>
> lets you encrypt any file at 1024-bit, at least on the old version I have.<BR>
> Newer versions are even higher. You could turn an entire planet into a<BR>
RAIC<BR>
> array but you'd still need a long time to crack a 5000+ bit message, which<BR>
is<BR>
> theoretically possible. If a world with highly advanced computer networks<BR>
<BR>
> existed, they would be able to run their entire planetary network with<BR>
> 1024-bit public key encryption (which IS a viable real-time encryption<BR>
method<BR>
> as the many PGP-based crypto file systems prove) without compromising<BR>
their<BR>
> speed. At that level, decryption becomes next to impossible without the<BR>
> suggestion of using the entire planetary network as a RAIC array. The<BR>
problem<BR>
> with that is, that if the entire P-net is 1024-bit encrypted you're going<BR>
to<BR>
> need a god-level password to the net, and if the world's government went<BR>
to<BR>
> the trouble of encrypting the whole net their passwords will be<BR>
tremendously<BR>
> complex. One thing to consider is that although we humans use the fairly<BR>
> small ASCII character set, other cultures may not. How hard would<BR>
decryption<BR>
> become with a species with a 500+ character alphabet???<BR>
><BR>
> ~Op<BR>
><BR>
>   "All dogs have hair. I have hair. Therefore, I am a dog."<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 15:13:15 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Intelligence as game plot (was Re: Encryption)<BR>
<BR>
This very wise comment can of course be applied to virtually any discussion<BR>
of the Traveller universe.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, crypto is unbreakable, so in the Spinward Marches there is a very high<BR>
level of intelligence activity on both sides to make sure that they know<BR>
what's going on. If you can somehow obtain the enemy's cryptographic keys,<BR>
then you can read their traffic and monitor what they are doing. Otherwise<BR>
it's much more difficult.<BR>
<BR>
In particular, I envision Esalin much like Berlin during the Cold War,<BR>
crawling with intelligence operatives from both sides, trying to maneuver<BR>
for position. You can base lots of interesting adventures here, and since<BR>
your government is funding the operation, the characters can realistically<BR>
have access to vast resources and all sorts of advanced high-tech gadgets<BR>
which would otherwise be unobtainable.<BR>
<BR>
In particular, one adventure I ran many years ago had the characters as<BR>
Zhodani intelligence agents on a mission to recover something inside<BR>
Imperial space. They had access to an unlimited budget to build a<BR>
special-purpose ship (with some size limit), access to two deep-space<BR>
refuelings, unlimited construction budgets for building up to 4 (probably<BR>
the wrong number) robots, and lots of other stuff. Plus psionic powers. You<BR>
can be really creative with these, particularly when the entire party has<BR>
high psi abilities.<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> I strongly recommend that each Referee determine, for his or her<BR>
> own TU, whether or not crypto is breakable, and what equipment is<BR>
> needed to do so, and then file that knowledge away with the data<BR>
> on feasibility of piracy, use of near-C rocks, and Aslan in<BR>
> comfortable shoes.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 18:50:52 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
What webpage is that FMD drive on?  I remember seeing it but lost the URL<BR>
and the search engines are turning up loads of crap.<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: "Paul Campbell" <kemitixanzantix@freenet.co.uk><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2000 5:22 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> On Sat, 15 Jan 2000, you wrote:<BR>
> > On 01/15/00 at 11:53 AM,  "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com> said:<BR>
> ><BR>
> > >> DVDs store even more. A couple of gigs at least (anybody know the<BR>
> > >> capacity of a DVD offhand?) Say they are 8 times the storage<BR>
capacity.<BR>
> > >> That gives around 162.5 gig per liter. Which is a bit over 2<BR>
petabytes<BR>
> > >> per DT.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > >I think (not sure) that a DVD holds about x2 a CD per layer on the disk<BR>
> > >(2 sides to a disk, 2 layers per side, 4 layers total) so 8 times<BR>
sounds<BR>
> > >right<BR>
> ><BR>
> > I think DVDs can store about 6 gig.<BR>
> ><BR>
> <SNIP><BR>
> ><BR>
> > TBH, for game purposes, I *like* big clunky computers, and I've got<BR>
> > my handwaves forcing that.  <g><BR>
> ><BR>
> ><BR>
> > Eris<BR>
><BR>
> You might want to try throwing these things into the Long Night:<BR>
><BR>
> An Israeli company, C3D, has recently demonstrated the next step: FMD -<BR>
> Flurescent Multilayer Disk '...stores multiple layers of data on a clear<BR>
> plastic disk...something like 20 times over a DVD...should have much<BR>
faster<BR>
> access time because of [this] parallel reading technique.'  '...promise<BR>
huge<BR>
> capacity increases for card and disk storage.  The ClearCard will be able<BR>
to<BR>
> hold up to 10Gb and the CD version will start at 140Gb.'  The ClearCard is<BR>
only<BR>
> about Credit Card sized.<BR>
><BR>
> C3D is aiming to have these on the market within the year, and '...with<BR>
minimal<BR>
> changes to tooling from existing CD and DVD mechanisims.'  At least for<BR>
the CD<BR>
> versions I imagine, the ClearCard would need whole new device designs.<BR>
They are<BR>
> hoping to push this technology in the next phases of development to 1000Gb<BR>
CDs.<BR>
>  You could almost backup the Internet on a handfull of those.<BR>
><BR>
> I agree with what someone else said: 'Moore's Law is for wimps'<BR>
><BR>
> Share your handwaves, please.  My players are aware of these things too.<BR>
><BR>
> --<BR>
> Paul Campbell<BR>
> kemitixanzantix@freenet.co.uk<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 14:58:09 -0900<BR>
From: Richard Martin <asrlm@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
John Macek wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> "Frank G. Pitt" wrote:<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Then there's the old West End Games "Star Wars" figures, many of the "rebel<BR>
> > troops" make  good PC's, the rebel special forces figures especially. The<BR>
> > Imperials who aren't in obvious Star Wars battle dress make good Imperial<BR>
> > Navy too.<BR>
> <BR>
> Ooh! that reminded me of another good set of old figures - the 25mm<BR>
> troopers Ral Partha made for Battletech!<BR>
<BR>
I too have those. A set from both House Kurita and the other side<BR>
(cannot remember the name), really fine castings as one would expect<BR>
from Ral Partha, along with 25mm RAFM Space Marines in heavy battle<BR>
dress, including the tracks as well as the variety of weapons. What I<BR>
really like is the ones with rocket packs on. Thye look like they are<BR>
flying. I have collected a wide variety of 25mm over the years basically<BR>
purchasing what would look interesting. What I like about Sci-Fi is the<BR>
ability to make just about any miniature work.<BR>
<BR>
This also goes for ship miniatures. Again I have found that with a<BR>
little imagination (as apposed to strict doctrine or canon) one can find<BR>
suitable minatures out there. I like the Renegade Legion line of space<BR>
fighters, esp the Praying Mantis. Orion and Hydran ships in SFB could<BR>
easily make great ships for Traveller. <BR>
<BR>
I am reminded of the sizes of professional football players. Most<BR>
average over six feet and 220+ lbs. Compare them with the average<BR>
Chinese or Japanese and one could well see how even 28mm or 'large 25mm'<BR>
scale castings are not unreasonable in apparent size. This would be even<BR>
more relevent is a society that is affluent and can afford the large<BR>
amounts of high quality nutrition, as well as health care, that would<BR>
allow for the human species to grow larger in body mass and height.<BR>
<BR>
 <BR>
- -- <BR>
Richard Martin<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I think, therefor I am, therefor I must be... Still here<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 12:35:28 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Freighter Passengers.<BR>
<BR>
    Most of the time we assume that a high passage is the same no matter<BR>
what form of ship it is booked on, I've just found a FAQ site for passenger<BR>
accomodation on frieghters that points out the differences between freighter<BR>
and liner accomodation. (Albiet from a sales point of view.)<BR>
http://www.travltips.com/faq.html<BR>
    It makes a good case for lowering the cost of passages on freighters in<BR>
my opinion.<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 21:01:35 -0500<BR>
From: "Josh W. Spencer" <macmanjws@earthlink.net><BR>
Subject: US Coin Sizes (was Re: 3I Money)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/15/2000 15:00, Black ICE wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> I get 27 mm diameter, and 2 mm thickness for the "Carter Quarter."<BR>
<BR>
Damn. I thought they were closer than that. I've heard in certain quarters<BR>
(so to speak) that they're called "porno bucks" because supposedly they're<BR>
doled out in those types of shops.<BR>
<BR>
I was kinda disappointed in the SBA dollar coin because it should not have<BR>
been so close in size to the regular quarter. I hope when the Sacajawea coin<BR>
comes out it'll be different, and not just in the color of the coin itself.<BR>
The public's acceptance (or lack thereof) of this coin will also be a major<BR>
factor.<BR>
<BR>
ObTrav: I can imagine Imperial Credits being treated in Solomani territory<BR>
the same way as the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Josh<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 20:14:36 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: SIGINT Ship Design (T4/FF&S2) [long]<BR>
<BR>
As we have been discussing crypto and intelligence, I decided to post a<BR>
design for a SIGINT collection ship, available for trial deployment in<BR>
M:1100 (design notes follow):<BR>
<BR>
<<begin ship design>><BR>
<BR>
AuricTech Shipyards PUEBLO-class Signals Intelligence ship<BR>
<BR>
Tons: 6000 std (AF Short Round Cylinder Hypersonic) <BR>
Dimensions: 77.7 m x 38.6 m x 38.6 m<BR>
Volume: 84000 m3<BR>
Cargo: 50 std (2 hatches, Hdl: 2 x 10 t) <BR>
Mass (L/C): 55181 t / 52036 t <BR>
Maintenance Points: 1751<BR>
Passengers High/Med: None <BR>
Mission Specialists: 6 <BR>
Crew: 38 / 66 <BR>
Frozen Watch: 0<BR>
Cost: 40,360.723 MCr <BR>
Tech Level: 15<BR>
Size: 9 <BR>
<BR>
Electronics<BR>
Controls: Holographic, High automation. 10 x FltComp (CM: 0.2 CP: 5.0).<BR>
6 xFibComp (CM: 0.2 CP: 5.0). Bridge.<BR>
Communications: 40 x Dir Radio Rcvr (10,000 AU, 0.02 MW). 2 x Radio<BR>
(1,000AU, 0.2MW). 4 x Laser (1,000AU, 0MW).<BR>
Sensors: 1 x Fld PEMS (15 [500 mkm], 5 MW). 1xAEMS (12.5 [5 mkm] LP, 50<BR>
MW). 8 xLIDAR (15.5 [5 mkm], 4 MW).<BR>
Survey/Science: None<BR>
ECM: 24 x Radio Jammer (1,000AU, 0.4MW). 1 x Area Jammer (12, 975 MW).<BR>
1xDecp. Jammer (13, .19.5 MW).  1xPas. Jammer (16, 9.75 MW).<BR>
Signatures: Vis: -1, IR: -1 (-1 at 3395 MW, -1.5 at 770 MW), Act:-.1,<BR>
Neu:-1, Grav:1<BR>
<BR>
Performance <BR>
4 Jump (600 std/pc fuel) <BR>
2 / 2.1 Maneuver (Thruster: 2690 MW)<BR>
No Contra-grav <BR>
2223 kph/2346 kph Atmosphere Maximum <BR>
1667 kph/1760 kph Atmosphere Cruise <BR>
3 Power (Fusion: 7700 MW,1yr) <BR>
4720 Battery (1.45 Wpn, 13.3 Life Spt, 10.6 Zero Emm).<BR>
2457.9 Fuel (Scoop:10 /Purif:24 hrs, 43 MW) <BR>
70/2/0/18 Accomodations (SmStRoom/LargeStRoom/Low Berth/Emgy Low Berth) <BR>
1872 Life Sup. (Type: Endurance [Gardens], Good Food/Storage) <BR>
2 G-Comp <BR>
16 Sandcaster Bty (AV: 79 / Cans: 50 /) 2 x Sandcaster / Bty<BR>
4 Nuclear Damper Bty (5 MW / Range: 50 kkm) 2 x Damper / Bty<BR>
143 Meson Screen (6.4 MW)<BR>
40 [172] Armor, 34 Structure <BR>
<BR>
Weapons (300,000km range bands) <BR>
12 x 61-Mj Laser Turret Bty (+6) 1/4-2-2-2 [2,800/20-20-20-20] 800 rof<BR>
(2 x Turret / Bty)<BR>
<BR>
Features<BR>
60 x Airlock <BR>
0x Decontamination Airlock <BR>
2 x Electronic Shop (6 std ea)<BR>
2 x Machine Shop (10 std ea)<BR>
6 x SIGINT Lab (6 std ea)<BR>
1 x  Sickbay (8std ea.) <BR>
1x Ship's locker (3 std ea.) <BR>
1 x Armory (2.57 std ea.) <BR>
1 x Gym (2.5 std ea.)<BR>
1 x SCIF (40 std ea)<BR>
1 x Ordinary Galley (Cap: 72) <BR>
1 x Lounge (30 std ea.)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Small Craft<BR>
1 x Docking Ring (100 std)  Note: Docking Ring is designed to support<BR>
the standard Type S scout/courier<BR>
<BR>
Backups <BR>
Drives: None <BR>
Screens: None<BR>
Communications: None <BR>
Sensors: 1 x PEMS (14.5 [160 mkm]).  2 x AEMS (12 [1.6 mkm] LP).<BR>
ECM: 1 x Area Jammer (11).  1 x Decp Jammer (12). <BR>
Power & Fuel: Fusion (160 MW). <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Crew Details 5 x Maneuver. 3 x Electronics. 19 x Engineering. 2 x<BR>
Maintenance. 12 x Gunnery. 9 x Screen. 4 x Flight. 9 x Command. 2 x<BR>
Steward. 1 x Medical.<BR>
<BR>
<<end ship design>><BR>
<BR>
Design Notes:<BR>
<BR>
This ship is designed for deployments inside hostile space.  Note the<BR>
extremely low visual, passive, and active signatures.  This low<BR>
observability is achieved through aggressive use of stealth hull<BR>
contours, Ultra-Black hull coatings, configurable radiators, and<BR>
neutrino masking.  Note also that the PUEBLO class can operate on<BR>
battery power for several hours at a time, thus further reducing the<BR>
chance that the ship will be detected.<BR>
<BR>
The PUEBLO class, while not a first-line warship, is capable of<BR>
self-defense, with 12 light laser batteries (two mounts per battery),<BR>
useful against small craft and missiles; 16 sandcaster mounts, arranged<BR>
in eight batteries; a meson screen; and eight nuclear damper mounts,<BR>
arranged in four batteries.  For a design not intended to stand in the<BR>
line of battle, the PUEBLO class is armored at least as well as Imperial<BR>
destroyer-class ships, such as the MIDU AGASHAAN.<BR>
<BR>
The heart of the PUEBLO class is, of course, the Signals Intelligence<BR>
(SIGINT) suite.  The PUEBLO class boasts 40 directional radio receivers,<BR>
six SIGINT processing labs, and three state-of-the-art fiber-optic<BR>
computers dedicated to signals processing and cryptanalysis, as well as<BR>
a large (40 dton) Secure Compartmentalized Intelligence Facility (SCIF),<BR>
for secure workspaces and briefings.  Further, should additional<BR>
computing power be needed for specific instances, the PUEBLO class can<BR>
shift to using the ten on-board flight computers for routine operations,<BR>
allowing the SIGINT labs access to the three fiber-optic computers<BR>
normally dedicated to ship operations.  In the event that the SIGINT<BR>
mission specialists discover time-sensitive information, the PUEBLO<BR>
class carries a standard Type S scout/courier, able to relay critical<BR>
intelligence to headquarters, while the mother ship remains on station,<BR>
gathering more intelligence.<BR>
<BR>
Although primarily a SIGINT collection and analysis platform, the PUEBLO<BR>
class also mounts an impressive countermeasures suite, with 24 radio<BR>
jammers, and powerful active and passive sensor jammers.  The PUEBLO<BR>
class also carries an extremely sensitive folding-array PEMS, capable of<BR>
detecting ships at ranges exceeding 300 million kilometers (exact range<BR>
classified).  As a backup, and for initial sensor capability during<BR>
folding-array deployment, the PUEBLO class also carries a fixed-array<BR>
PEMS with a range exceeding 100 million kilometers.<BR>
<BR>
All these capabilities do not come at the expense of long-term<BR>
habitability.  The PUEBLO class is equipped with individual small<BR>
staterooms for every crewbeing and SIGINT mission specialist, as well as<BR>
a 30 dton all-ranks lounge for off-duty recration.  Further, the<BR>
Endurance life support continually provides an adequate supply of fresh<BR>
fruits and vegetables, to supplement the 26 crew-weeks of Good stored<BR>
rations.  With onboard machine and electronics shops, a PUEBLO class<BR>
ship could remain on station nearly indefinitely if needed.<BR>
<BR>
While the PUEBLO class is somewhat costly (approximately MCr 40,360 for<BR>
individual orders [quantity discounts available]), the value of an<BR>
intelligence platform of this capability cannot be measured in mere<BR>
credits.  What price an entire Battle Squadron in the wrong place, due<BR>
to a lack of timely intelligence?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1763<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1764</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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From:	owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com (Traveller-digest)<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Sunday, January 16 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1764<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: Organlegging<BR>
IRIS<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1750<BR>
Re: US Coin Sizes (was Re: 3I Money)<BR>
Re: IRIS<BR>
Raining Zhodani on Mongo! <BR>
Re: An information request...<BR>
Re: An information request...<BR>
Re: money in the 3I<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Organlegging<BR>
Re: OT, but funny...<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Weird food (OT reply)<BR>
YTU/MTU/OTU<BR>
Imperial Crimes<BR>
Re: Miniatures...<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 21:12:46 -0500<BR>
From: "Josh W. Spencer" <macmanjws@earthlink.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Organlegging<BR>
<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> I don't think so, not at the TL's that Traveller is dealing with.<BR>
> <BR>
> There are so many problems with immune system rejection with organ<BR>
> transplants.  Once you have the ability to clone new organs from the DNA of<BR>
> the person needing an organ, corrected if necessary, why take the risk of<BR>
> accepting an organ from a stranger who is even a fairly close match?<BR>
> <BR>
> If a system is high enough TL to have a starport they probably won't have<BR>
> this kind of need for organs.<BR>
> <BR>
> You might have the occasional isolated weirdo wanting to steal someone<BR>
> else's body, even though it'd be easier to create a clone and genetically<BR>
> alter it to be different only in ways that would not cause a problem.<BR>
> <BR>
> But organized crime?  I don't think so.  Organized crime tends to take on<BR>
> the job of supplying that for which there is a large demand-- drugs,<BR>
> prostitution, etc.<BR>
> <BR>
I tend to think that when the idea of body banks was first thought up (I<BR>
don't remember if any one particular person is credited with the idea), it<BR>
seemed reasonable that body banks would be around for a long time before<BR>
cloning would be perfected.<BR>
<BR>
Now that a monkey has apparently been cloned, it's very possible that<BR>
cloning body parts might actually come first, bypassing the body banks<BR>
entirely. Lost a leg? Fine, we'll clone it for you for $100,000! What? Can't<BR>
afford a cloned leg, well here's this nice prosthetic for $50,000!<BR>
<BR>
One thing that does have me concerned is the fact that no one has yet dealt<BR>
with the civil rights of a cloned human being, should one actually succeed.<BR>
The political efforts of various governments has been to outlaw or to<BR>
heavily regulate cloning research. I think these politicians should also be<BR>
saying to the scientists, "OK, if you're gonna do this, any clone that is<BR>
viable and is brought to term will have the FULL Constitutional Rights that<BR>
the rest of us have. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." If John Q.<BR>
Public supports this approach, no problem, but if not, well, they're setting<BR>
themselves up for another twin-tiered society.<BR>
<BR>
And then there are the religious leaders......<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Josh W. Spencer (macmanjws@earthlink.net)<BR>
Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA<BR>
http://home.earthlink.net/~macmanjws<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 19:18:22 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: IRIS<BR>
<BR>
In the (GURPS) Traveller campaign that I am running, one of the <BR>
plot threads I am developing involves IRIS, the Imperial Regency<BR>
Intelligence Service. They are up to something -- something that <BR>
will eventually involve the players. <BR>
<BR>
Does anyone have any info on IRIS that they can post (or point<BR>
me to) about IRIS? Who they are, what their mandate is, how they<BR>
operate, etc.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks in advance,<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: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 21:18:08 -0500<BR>
From: "Thom Harris" <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1750<BR>
<BR>
Actually the last "SILVER" coins were minted in 1964 so that would<BR>
effectively put the order to end them in the Kennedy administration as<BR>
Johnson wasn't sworn in until Nov 63'. Our government is extremely slow as<BR>
we all know!!!!<BR>
<BR>
Thom<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: <GDWGAMES@aol.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2000 11:12 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1750<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> In a message dated 00-01-14 11:20:04 EST, you write:<BR>
><BR>
> << Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 11:26:48 -0500<BR>
>  From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
>  Subject: Re:<BR>
><BR>
> Silver ertificates circulated until the Nixon administration ceased<BR>
> minting silver coins, and went over to the current metal-sandwich<BR>
> ones.<BR>
><BR>
> LKW<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 21:37:49 -0500<BR>
From: "Thom Harris" <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
Subject: Re: US Coin Sizes (was Re: 3I Money)<BR>
<BR>
All the news that's fit to print on the new Golden Dollar can be found here:<BR>
<BR>
http://www.usmint.gov/GoldenDollar/<BR>
<BR>
Here's a quote on the description of the coin:<BR>
<BR>
"When judged by their appearance (color, border and design) the Golden<BR>
Dollar and the Susan B. Anthony Dollar are distinctly different. However,<BR>
they share important similarities. They have the same diameter (26.50 mm),<BR>
thickness (2.00 mm) and weight (8.10 grams). So, their denomination will be<BR>
easily recognized by consumers and vendors alike. The Golden Dollar's wider<BR>
border and smooth edge will be readily identified by the visually impaired."<BR>
<BR>
Thom<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: "Josh W. Spencer" <macmanjws@earthlink.net><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2000 9:01 PM<BR>
Subject: US Coin Sizes (was Re: 3I Money)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> On 01/15/2000 15:00, Black ICE wrote:<BR>
> ><BR>
> > I get 27 mm diameter, and 2 mm thickness for the "Carter Quarter."<BR>
><BR>
> Damn. I thought they were closer than that. I've heard in certain quarters<BR>
> (so to speak) that they're called "porno bucks" because supposedly they're<BR>
> doled out in those types of shops.<BR>
><BR>
> I was kinda disappointed in the SBA dollar coin because it should not have<BR>
> been so close in size to the regular quarter. I hope when the Sacajawea<BR>
coin<BR>
> comes out it'll be different, and not just in the color of the coin<BR>
itself.<BR>
> The public's acceptance (or lack thereof) of this coin will also be a<BR>
major<BR>
> factor.<BR>
><BR>
> ObTrav: I can imagine Imperial Credits being treated in Solomani territory<BR>
> the same way as the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin.<BR>
><BR>
> --<BR>
> Josh<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 20:53:18 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: IRIS<BR>
<BR>
Glenn St-Germain wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> In the (GURPS) Traveller campaign that I am running, one of the<BR>
> plot threads I am developing involves IRIS, the Imperial Regency<BR>
> Intelligence Service. They are up to something -- something that<BR>
> will eventually involve the players.<BR>
> <BR>
> Does anyone have any info on IRIS that they can post (or point<BR>
> me to) about IRIS? Who they are, what their mandate is, how they<BR>
> operate, etc.<BR>
<BR>
Well, if one can believe the excerpts from Emperor Strephon's journals,<BR>
as quoted in _Survival Margin_, IRIS is not a recognized Imperial<BR>
agency.  (Or, at least, Emperor Strephon states in his journals that he<BR>
had no knowledge of IRIS prior to its assertion of authority during the<BR>
Rebellion.)<BR>
<BR>
Note that, in _Survival Margin_, the earliest TNS story (at least the<BR>
earliest I found in skimming the TNS entries) that referred to IRIS was<BR>
dated 118-1121 (although the story referred to a 60-day cease-fire in<BR>
the Solomani Rim, negotiated in 1117).<BR>
<BR>
Thus, off the top of my head, I see three possible conclusions:<BR>
<BR>
1.  IRIS exists, and Strephon (or his imposter) did not know of its<BR>
existence;<BR>
<BR>
2.  IRIS exists, and Strephon was not truthful in his journals; <BR>
<BR>
3.  IRIS, rather than being an actual Imperial agency, is a group of<BR>
unscrupulous intel weenies who are taking advantage of the chaos of the<BR>
Rebellion to make a naked power grab.<BR>
<BR>
I'm sure that there are other possibilities, but they don't occur to me<BR>
at the moment.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 18:57:48 -0800<BR>
From: Kristian Miller <travellerne@3rd-imperium.com><BR>
Subject: Raining Zhodani on Mongo! <BR>
<BR>
Hi All,<BR>
<BR>
The Traveller Board Gaming Group will meetin again next Saturday,<BR>
January 22 at 11:00.<BR>
<BR>
Featured this month will be "Brilliant Lances" miniatures and "Fifth<BR>
Frontier War."  We might have some other board games going as well.<BR>
<BR>
We meet in San Jose near the intersection of I-680 and 101.  Email me<BR>
for directions if you can make it.<BR>
<BR>
Kristian Miller<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 22:07:37 EST<BR>
From: GypsyComet@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: An information request...<BR>
<BR>
>I'm looking for canonical information conerning the Modular Cutter...please<BR>
>correct/add to this lists:<BR>
><BR>
>Deckplans:<BR>
>    CT Book 7, Traders and Gunboats<BR>
>    CT Adventure Broadsword<BR>
>    DGP Grand Survey, Donosev<BR>
>    GURPS Star Mercs, Broadsword<BR>
>    GURPS First In, Donosev<BR>
><BR>
>Also, any pictures that artists have drawn of the cuter would be useful.<BR>
>Please send me the titles of any works that have deckplans or pictures<BR>
>(other than the above listed).<BR>
><BR>
>Thanks,<BR>
><BR>
>        Andy Akins<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
The first addition to that list would be JTAS #5, which has the original <BR>
article on the various modules (including side and/or deckplan views). A more <BR>
complete list will take some looking...<BR>
<BR>
GC<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 17:10:25 -0600 (CST)<BR>
From: Cynthia Higginbotham <cyhiggin@pipeline.com><BR>
Subject: Re: An information request...<BR>
<BR>
Andrew Akins said:<BR>
> I'm looking for canonical information conerning the Modular Cutter...please<BR>
> correct/add to this lists:<BR>
> <BR>
> Deckplans:<BR>
>     CT Book 7, Traders and Gunboats<BR>
>     CT Adventure Broadsword<BR>
>     DGP Grand Survey, Donosev<BR>
>     GURPS Star Mercs, Broadsword<BR>
>     GURPS First In, Donosev<BR>
> <BR>
> Also, any pictures that artists have drawn of the cuter would be useful.<BR>
> Please send me the titles of any works that have deckplans or pictures<BR>
> (other than the above listed).<BR>
<BR>
Deckplans and description first appeared in an early issue of<BR>
JOTAS (Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society). I'm too lazy to<BR>
go out back and dig out the issue.  Someone else want to jump in<BR>
with the issue number?<BR>
<BR>
			--Cynthia<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
(To be filled in with something clever or really dumb someday..)<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
http://www.pipeline.com/~cyhiggin/  ****    cyhiggin@pipeline.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 18:16:56 -0500<BR>
From: "Daniel Phelps" <phelpsd@gate.net><BR>
Subject: Re: money in the 3I<BR>
<BR>
Was written:<BR>
<BR>
>Actually, while gold "backing" was used that recently, it's *way* out<BR>
>of favor. "Money" is a much slipperier concept than most people<BR>
>realize. It's actually nothing more than "universally" respected<BR>
>"IOUs".<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Snip<BR>
<BR>
>> So you have to ask, what would be an item of barter<BR>
>> that _everyone_ values in the 3I?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
While even I can see the supply side down side, what about what was used in<BR>
Blish's "Cities in Space" series.  Anti-agathic drugs have the advantage of<BR>
being nearly universally desired.<BR>
<BR>
Dan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 19:59:25 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
...<BR>
>the 15 or 25 mm refer to something like 15mm per meter, 25 mm per<BR>
>yard, or something more esoteric?  IOW's given a 15 mm scale, would<BR>
>a 175 cm tall human be represented be 26.25 mm tall, and given a 25<BR>
>mm scale be 43.75 mm tall?  And how do these scales relate to hex<BR>
>sizes on various boards, papers and mats?<BR>
<BR>
  Typically "_xx_mm" refers to approximate height of an adult human male<BR>
in that scale; some companies/consumers choose to prefer that to be to<BR>
eyes, crown, headgear, whatever. For simplicity I refer to the broad<BR>
classes that most people will recognize, and try to point out really<BR>
horrid exceptions.<BR>
<BR>
  Ground scale requires doublethink, as even 15mm starts to require a<BR>
huge tabletop if you play at 1:1 (GW's old "Spacefarers" rules is rare<BR>
in that it did this, and successfully). I'd recommend 2 or 5 to one<BR>
compression to give you both scope for action and some resemblance of<BR>
the figures to the scenery.<BR>
<BR>
  I'd also probably recommend using counters, too - the die cut sheets<BR>
that came with the FASA boxes, or AHL/Snapshot were very nice (note the<BR>
TO&E in A:7 - Broadsword for what can be done with a simple silhouette).<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
The CT Creed: "There is no Game but Traveller, and High Guard is its Product"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 20:00:23 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
>Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
><BR>
>I still prefer the orginal 15mm.  It takes up less space and lots a<BR>
>better layout.  Any deckplans in 25mm  I've scaled down. I forgot to<BR>
>mentioned in my earlier reply on minitures, the old cardboard heroes<BR>
>15mm figures.  <BR>
<BR>
  I'm not counting old OOP stuff, as it's needlessly cruel :)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 15:28:45 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Organlegging<BR>
<BR>
<SNIP><BR>
>One thing that does have me concerned is the fact that no one has yet dealt<BR>
>with the civil rights of a cloned human being, should one actually succeed.<BR>
>The political efforts of various governments has been to outlaw or to<BR>
>heavily regulate cloning research. I think these politicians should also be<BR>
>saying to the scientists, "OK, if you're gonna do this, any clone that is<BR>
>viable and is brought to term will have the FULL Constitutional Rights that<BR>
>the rest of us have. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." If John<BR>
Q.<BR>
>Public supports this approach, no problem, but if not, well, they're<BR>
setting<BR>
>themselves up for another twin-tiered society.<BR>
>And then there are the religious leaders......<BR>
>Josh W. Spencer (macmanjws@earthlink.net)<BR>
<BR>
    If cloning becomes cheap enough ITTU, medical students may have a few<BR>
'dead' clones made of themselves as an entrance requirement. Just to give<BR>
them some practice material. (No squeamish students there!)<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 17:58:49 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: OT, but funny...<BR>
<BR>
On 14 Jan 00, at 18:18, Douglas E. Berry wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Today, I needed to buy some 3.5 disks for backing up Ground Forces (all<BR>
> the disks in the apartment are either filled or in poor shape.)  So I drop<BR>
> into a McWhorters and pick up a few things, including a box of disks.<BR>
> <BR>
> I get home, and take the box out of the bag.  On;y then do I notice the<BR>
> name of the company that manufactured these disks.<BR>
> <BR>
> Pengo Computer Accessories.  One gues what the logo is.<BR>
> <BR>
> I can't escape.<BR>
<BR>
There's only one answer, you know. Join the nightmare, go with <BR>
Linux.<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: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 23:35:52 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
On 01/15/00 at 11:33 PM,  shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson) said:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>  Typically "_xx_mm" refers to approximate height of an adult human male<BR>
>in that scale; some companies/consumers choose to prefer that to be to<BR>
>eyes, crown, headgear, whatever. For simplicity I refer to the broad<BR>
>classes that most people will recognize, and try to point out really<BR>
>horrid exceptions.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks, now I know. <BR>
<BR>
>  Ground scale requires doublethink, as even 15mm starts to require a<BR>
>huge tabletop if you play at 1:1 (GW's old "Spacefarers" rules is rare in<BR>
>that it did this, and successfully). I'd recommend 2 or 5 to one<BR>
>compression to give you both scope for action and some resemblance of the<BR>
>figures to the scenery.<BR>
<BR>
>  I'd also probably recommend using counters, too - the die cut sheets<BR>
>that came with the FASA boxes, or AHL/Snapshot were very nice (note the<BR>
>TO&E in A:7 - Broadsword for what can be done with a simple silhouette).<BR>
<BR>
Yeah, counters always made sense to me.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:55:18 -0800<BR>
From: "David P. Summers" <summers@alum.mit.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:25:47 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
<BR>
>Not possible. You run into *physical* limits long before then. As in<BR>
>you need *something* to store bits as different states of. And there<BR>
>are *only* 6.022e23 particles per mole of any substance.<BR>
<BR>
[Cogent discussion of fundamental limit deleted]<BR>
<BR>
>My "best guess" is using metallic hydrogen and a *lot* of handwaving<BR>
>you'll be able to store 1 bit per atom (proton) as the spin state of<BR>
>the nuclei. Which gives all of 7.5e24 bytes per liter. And totally<BR>
>ignores the problems quantum effects given anything that "dense".<BR>
<BR>
You will be able to get a bit past this if you find something that<BR>
isn't binary.  If you have hydrogen molecules and you populate<BR>
vibrational states, you can store information based on what<BR>
state it is.  There are quite a few states between the ground<BR>
state and the dissociation limit (I don't know how many).<BR>
You could to electronic states for atoms, but I think you will<BR>
get more density with vibrational levels of diatomics.<BR>
<BR>
Of course this is also a lot of handwaving (you have to isolate<BR>
the molecules from each other and be able to read and set them)<BR>
but it is a theoretical limit.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
______________________________<BR>
summers@alum.mit.edu<BR>
(This is the net.  My e-mail address may be in Boston, but I'm in California.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 16:44:10 +1000<BR>
From: "The Roc" <roc@kewl.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Weird food (OT reply)<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Kiri Aradia Morgan <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2000 5:53 AM<BR>
Subject: Weird food<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> From: Leonard Erickson <shadow@krypton.rain.com><BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> >In mail you write:<BR>
> ><BR>
> >> ObTrav: many depictions in sci-fi of the future imply or state that as<BR>
> races become more advanced technologically, they advance ethically, and<BR>
stop<BR>
> eating meat, etc. IYTU's, is this an "advance"? Or is there indifference<BR>
to<BR>
> this? Does the Emperor like his steak well-done, or would he have the same<BR>
> reaction to being offered steak one of us affluent westerners would have<BR>
at<BR>
> being offered witchety grubs?<BR>
> >><BR>
> >Considering a few things I *have* eaten, I'd probably hesitate a bit and<BR>
> *try* to eat one. If the first one went down ok (and from what I hear,<BR>
they<BR>
> taste ok) then I'd probably be ok, and chow down.<BR>
> ><BR>
><BR>
> A conversation between Kiri and Hiroshi, translated into English:<BR>
><BR>
> K:  "Oh, look, sparrows!  I love them!"<BR>
> H:  "Me too."<BR>
> K:  "They're so cute!"<BR>
> H:  ::strange look::  "Yes, it's a nice snack, but there are a lot of<BR>
bones<BR>
> to pick out."<BR>
> K:  ::stranger look::  "Hiroshi, that's not what I meant."<BR>
> H:  ::alarmed look, realizing he has just semi-squicked SO::  "Just what<BR>
> *did* you mean?"<BR>
><BR>
> I am still amazed by this.  I questioned him several times that we really<BR>
> were talking about "suzume" (sparrow) and not a squab or pigeon, both of<BR>
> which I have eaten.   Apparently they eat them at some festival in Aichi.<BR>
> If I'd grown up over there, I'd have known this.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
LOL!<BR>
<BR>
My youngest daughter is both cat- and dolphin-crazy and will always point<BR>
them out when we see them in life or in pictures (et al.).  She will usually<BR>
say things like, "I really love dolphins..." to which I usually answer to<BR>
the effect of, "Oh yes, especially if they are cooked right..." or "Ummmm,<BR>
especially when served with home-made gravy..." and her reply is usually one<BR>
of disgust.  Sorry, I don't actually eat cats and dolphins, but the way you<BR>
opened the thread struck me, you could have changed the initials of "K" with<BR>
"T" (for Tasha) and "H" for "R" in the original conversation and there you<BR>
would have a man and his daughter talking... having a little harmless fun<BR>
(she knows I don't mean it).<BR>
<BR>
However, from when I was a child, we used to have baked or stewed rabbit (we<BR>
hunted them ourselves), but here (Queensland's Gold Coast) they are not so<BR>
common and are pretty rare.  None of my children will eat rabbit IF they<BR>
know it was once a "cute, furry, little long-eared critter."<BR>
<BR>
- -- The Roc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 21:17:31 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: YTU/MTU/OTU<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>	What?  You mean YTU does not conform to MTU?  ;)<BR>
<BR>
Heck, that's what makes it MTU, not YTU, and for that matter, It's close<BR>
but definitely not the OTU.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman<BR>
Mailto:Aramis@gci.net  Mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742<BR>
AIM:AKAramis<BR>
<BR>
Traveller, GURPS, Hero, WFRP, SFB/Prime Directive, Star Wars, Ars Magica,<BR>
Arabian Sea Tales, and Masterbook GM<BR>
Star Trek, B5, FSRP, and Traveller Fan<BR>
<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn t4- tt+ to- ?tg ru+ ge 3i+ jt-() au+ st+ ls ls- kk+<BR>
as+ hi+ dr+  so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
<BR>
IMTU addons: virush++ Newt++ dolphin+ Ithklur-- Merc+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 21:45:32 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Imperial Crimes<BR>
<BR>
>Violating them triggers Imperial intervention, but no criminal<BR>
>sanctions per se.  A violation of the RoW may also be a crime.<BR>
>Someone who nukes a city in an Imperial member state will likely<BR>
>be charged with insurrection, murder, crime against<BR>
>civilization, maybe treason, and maybe a few others, depending<BR>
>on how creative the prosecutor is.<BR>
><BR>
>>Funny, tho, that almost all imperial crimes have either life<BR>
>> sentences or death sentences....<BR>
<BR>
Note that violating the rules of warfare WILL be Murder or Attempted<BR>
Murder, and thus an imperial high crime. At least for whomever ordered<BR>
it... the willful and overt act which leads to the unjustified killing of a<BR>
sophont. Canon penalties included life on/in a prison colony or<BR>
termination. In addition to triggering intervention.<BR>
<BR>
Essentially, as was discussed 4 years ago, with Murder, Treason, and Theft,<BR>
plus attempt for each, you can justify nearly any crime in the inventory.<BR>
Currency froud is treason: you are attempting to create a local<BR>
destabilization of the Imperial Credit, and thus the Imperial Government.<BR>
Anything which interferes with trade is likewise either theft or treason.<BR>
Anything wich interferes with imperial bureaucrats can also be construed to<BR>
be treason. Piracy is Theft, and if you kill anyone or leave them for dead,<BR>
is Murder or Attempt, plus the theft.<BR>
<BR>
>Imperial General<BR>
>Crimes (I think that's what I'm going to call them) cover all of<BR>
>the things that local law ordinarily covers in places where<BR>
>there is no local law, like a world adminstered directly by the<BR>
>Imperial government.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, Admirality Law applies if there is no government. Aboard ships, the<BR>
laws of the registered homeworld apply, but so do the admirality codes,<BR>
which allow spacing for any violence towards crew, or repeated violence<BR>
towards passengers, or for non-violent attempts to wrest control from the<BR>
legitamate crew, or for stowaway. As per TTB. Not as per TTB, but in line,<BR>
is that where spacing is not an option, any reasonably quick and relatively<BR>
low-pain method may be used as available. Worlds governed by the Imperial<BR>
Government or any of it's branches will have their own codes of laws, by<BR>
decree of the Governor General, with the consent of the Privy Council. On<BR>
Terra, this means the IM Commanding General, and his staff, respectively.<BR>
Mind you, the officers better all be in agreemment on spacing someone, and<BR>
have held a trial... and, to space someone, it needs to be unanimous.<BR>
<BR>
There is an ISUJC (Imperial Services Unified Justice Code, chosen just to<BR>
be different from UCMJ... :P ) IMTU which applies on any imperial<BR>
installation, vessel, or extrality zone.<BR>
<BR>
Then again, IMTU, the imperium requires that all members laws include the<BR>
"Imperial High Crimes", by their definitions, in their local laws. IMOJ<BR>
only gets involved in extraditions, or in cases where jurisdiction is<BR>
questionable due to multiple worlds being involved, so there are only two<BR>
"Imperial punishments" IMTU... Life or Death. Lesser punishments at<BR>
Imperial Prisons are imposed by admirality courts, military courts, and<BR>
upon remand by member worlds too small, low tech, or poor to house the<BR>
prisoner in question, and hold him in accordance with the assigned sentence<BR>
and the laws of the sentencing party.<BR>
<BR>
Oh, and by having only the two draconian sentences, M3I encourages people<BR>
to take deals in local courts, where they may actually get out, as IMTU, a<BR>
life sentence means you stay until you are non-resucitably dead, and they<BR>
you go home in a vial as a pile of ashes or as a bleached skeleton. (The<BR>
latter assumes someone pays for the shipping, while the former is at<BR>
imperial expense.)<BR>
<BR>
YTUMV.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 17:09:01 +1000<BR>
From: "The Roc" <roc@kewl.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures...<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2000 7:27 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> How about a little information for us miniture illiterates?  Does<BR>
> the 15 or 25 mm refer to something like 15mm per meter, 25 mm per<BR>
> yard, or something more esoteric?  IOW's given a 15 mm scale, would<BR>
> a 175 cm tall human be represented be 26.25 mm tall, and given a 25<BR>
> mm scale be 43.75 mm tall?  And how do these scales relate to hex<BR>
> sizes on various boards, papers and mats?<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
The size refers to the average hight (I believe it to be something like 5'<BR>
10" to 6' - depending upon the miniature manufacturer) of a human male.<BR>
Therefore, a 15 mm individual (male and human) would represent a man of<BR>
about 6 foot in hight in that scale.  A 25 mm miniature of the same<BR>
individual, would represent a man of about 6 foot in that particular scale.<BR>
A 15 mm miniature of a 12 foot tall alien would tower above the miniature of<BR>
the 15 mm, 6 foot tall man - both still being 15 mm.<BR>
<BR>
By the way, 15 mm was my choice for the game as deck plans could be bigger<BR>
(cover a larger area), and using boxes, books, and other odds and ends, you<BR>
could create rather large community/street scenes.  25 mm probably had more<BR>
detail, but my 15 mm (official Traveller miniatures) really painted up well<BR>
anyway.  I have also picked up a large collection of Micro Machine Star Wars<BR>
figures (prepainted and close enough to scale) for the same, compact reason.<BR>
<BR>
- -- The Roc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 02:16:16 -0500<BR>
From: Bill Rutherford <worj@home.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
At 11:10 AM 01/15/2000 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
> >As a '25mm' figure should be 25mm to the top of the _head_, if it's wearing<BR>
> >any form of headress, or battledress it can easily be 28mm, and still be the<BR>
> >same scale.<BR>
><BR>
>Odd, I've always thought it was 25mm to the eyes. (As the heights of<BR>
>different hats varies more than the heights of people.)<BR>
><BR>
>I got caught this was with a Reviresco order. I ordered 60 "25mm" WWI<BR>
>soldiers, only to get 60 "20mm" soldiers. Sure, they were 25mm to the top<BR>
>of their hats, but they were a lot smaller than any of my other 25mm<BR>
>figures (which are mostly 25mm from feet to eyes).<BR>
It really depends on who you ask, what the ambient air temperature is, and <BR>
from which direction the wind is blowing at the time of <BR>
determination.  Some manufacturers of "15/25/whatever"mm miniatures measure <BR>
to the top of the head, others to the eyes, and yet others to somewhere <BR>
around the top of the headgear...<BR>
<BR>
I like measuring to the eyes because that tends to keep things <BR>
consistent.  Taking Seven Years War troops as an example, measuring to the <BR>
top of the head is problematic if the figure's wearing a mitre (e.g., a <BR>
grenadier) and measuring to the top of the headgear is silly...<BR>
<BR>
If one wanted to get really anal about it, one could figure scales, based <BR>
on the average distance (during a given era) from the ground to a soldier's <BR>
eyes, as well as an average "add" to that figure to get to the top of the <BR>
head.  The problem is that scale is something generally alien to miniatures <BR>
makers, that is, they do 15mm, 25mm, 28mm, etc., NOT 1/108 scale, 1/64 <BR>
scale, or 1/53 scale...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Bill Rutherford<BR>
worj@home.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1764<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Sunday, January 16 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1765<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 Zho Executions?<BR>
Re K'Kree<BR>
Kuru and CJD<BR>
Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
Re: An information request...<BR>
Re: An information request...<BR>
I Comps<BR>
Re Currency and Piracy<BR>
Sacajaweah [ot]<BR>
Re IRIS<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
Re: IRIS<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 21:50:58 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Zho Executions?<BR>
<BR>
>The Zhodani don't execute anyone.  They try to help people<BR>
>resolve their problems and enjoy life.<BR>
><BR>
IMTU, they do, but only by lethal injection, and only if someone is so<BR>
broken that they cannot be helped... and the family and friends gather, and<BR>
comfort them, just like they would a loved but terminally ill person. I<BR>
figure this is what happens when even a personality overlay and extensive<BR>
therapy doesn't take... maybe 1 in 1E9 to 1E12, depending on local TL's.<BR>
And the sympathy and support would be on the same orders as HRH Dianna<BR>
generated.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 22:00:19 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re K'Kree<BR>
<BR>
>Gentlebeings:<BR>
><BR>
>Just how strictly do the K'Kree define carnivory?  Would the following<BR>
>be defined as carnivores?<BR>
><BR>
IMTU, if it locomotes, K'Kree ban the eating of it or it's biological<BR>
products in their space. If a spaient population can't or won't stop eating<BR>
things that locomote, they eradicate said population. BTW, there is a<BR>
reference in canon that they consider the feeding of infants by lactation<BR>
to be carnivourous behavior. Was in a JTAS issue, pre-MT.<BR>
<BR>
So, No eggs, milk, fish, fowl, insects, or zooplankton, although they<BR>
wouldn't be too picky about that latter one, since planktonic composition<BR>
is not controllable.....<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 22:28:41 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Kuru and CJD<BR>
<BR>
>I have a word regards this thread for all your budding Space Cannibals, kuri<BR>
>(I hope I spelled it right).  It is a disease related to scrapies and mad<BR>
>cow and is the result, if I remember correctly of eating human brains and<BR>
>spinal tissue.  This form of prion ( not sure of the spelling) disease  was<BR>
>formerly endemic in Papua NG.  I do not think that cooking makes any<BR>
>difference.  Can anyone of our medically inclined shed some light on this?<BR>
><BR>
Kuru. Scrapie. Mad Cow Disease. (Brittish/Bovine) Spongiform Encephalitus.<BR>
Cruzfeld Jacob's Disease. All one and the same, according to recent<BR>
research (1998-99), all apparently caused by the same prion-transformation,<BR>
and hereafter refered to as CJD. Kuru is when you get it from eating<BR>
affected humans. Scrapie is when it's in sheep, BSE in Cattle and Humans<BR>
who got it from cattle or sheep, and CJD when it is a random event. In all<BR>
cases, one protien gets tweaked. in the "Twisted" state, as it's called, it<BR>
will twist other molecules of the same protien to the twisted form. These<BR>
are not eliminated from the system, and collect in (all) the tissues; in<BR>
the brain they form plaque-filled lesions, which may be hollow (I don't<BR>
recall clearly on this point). The gross morphology is similar to<BR>
Alzheimers's disease, but the plaques are distinguishable in post-mortem<BR>
between CJD and Alzheimer's. There is currently no diagnostic test for the<BR>
living other than a brain biopsy. Since the Prion has the same chemical<BR>
structure as the normal protien it is based upon, merely a different twist,<BR>
most chemical analysis to date has been unable to itentify it. There is a<BR>
proposed possibility of using the Scanning Tunnelling Microscope to image<BR>
the protiens and look for the twisted version, however, the reality is that<BR>
this may not be possible to to required sample size, density, etc.<BR>
<BR>
The only method of destroying the prion is to run it though temps high<BR>
enough to melt steel. You can get CJD by being operated on with the same<BR>
scalpel as a CJD carrier. It may be able to pe transmitted by lactation<BR>
products; I've not seen studies yet that indicate nor exclude this. It can<BR>
be spread via contaminated plant matter being consumed. It will affect all<BR>
known lab primates it has been tested on. And, the more of the prion you<BR>
consume, the faster you show symptoms.<BR>
<BR>
And the worst news about them is that, even if you don't eat infected<BR>
meats, you may still get it, as there is a roughly 1 per 10,000 rate of CJD<BR>
in the general populace, including individuals who are strict<BR>
no-animal-products-at-all vegans. The good news is that, by the time this<BR>
vector starts making you loose it, you've generally live a long life.... as<BR>
the initial ammount is several orders of magnitude less than from eating<BR>
prion-containing meats...<BR>
<BR>
A recent study (1998) found that the exact same protien is found in the<BR>
plaques of ALL of these, plus there may be other protien-prion combinations<BR>
possible &/or involved.<BR>
<BR>
Why do I know this? I had to read all the current materials in my office's<BR>
files to prepare a precis for my boss. I work at the Mental Health<BR>
Association in Alaska, as the Assistant to the CEO. This was triggered off<BR>
by an article in a recent (early 1999) journal article which indicated that<BR>
a large number of Alzheimers patients were in fact CJD patients. And they<BR>
do not respond to the same medications, either.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 18:17:19 +1100<BR>
From: "AB" <ab@rossmack.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
See http://www.rossmack.com/ab/RPG/traveller/AstroHexDistance.asp<BR>
<BR>
- -AB<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 02:55:43 -0500<BR>
From: Glenn Grant <neo@total.net><BR>
Subject: Re: An information request...<BR>
<BR>
Andrew Akins <igor@truserve.com> sez,<BR>
<BR>
>I'm looking for canonical information conerning the Modular Cutter...<BR>
>Please send me the titles of any works that have deckplans or pictures<BR>
<BR>
I drew an illustration of the Modular Cutter for the G:T book, _Star Mercs_<BR>
(based heavily on the classic Keith illo in the Traveller Book).  It's on<BR>
page 57.<BR>
<BR>
Best,<BR>
<BR>
 + GMG +<BR>
<BR>
   ------------------------Glenn Grant------------------------<BR>
                         <neo@total.net><BR>
      "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work.<BR>
        I want to achieve it by not dying." -- Woody Allen<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 03:10:23 EST<BR>
From: Clifford N Linehan <cnl.rubicon@juno.com><BR>
Subject: Re: An information request...<BR>
<BR>
>I'm looking for canonical information conerning the Modular<BR>
Cutter...please<BR>
>correct/add to this lists:<BR>
><BR>
>Deckplans:<BR>
>    CT Book 7, Traders and Gunboats<BR>
>    CT Adventure Broadsword<BR>
>    DGP Grand Survey, Donosev<BR>
>    GURPS Star Mercs, Broadsword<BR>
>    GURPS First In, Donosev<BR>
><BR>
>Also, any pictures that artists have drawn of the cuter would be useful.<BR>
>Please send me the titles of any works that have deckplans or pictures<BR>
>(other than the above listed).<BR>
><BR>
>Thanks,<BR>
><BR>
>        Andy Akins<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
In the deck plans for the Donosev in the World Builders Handbook by DGP,<BR>
it shows the deck plans for a Cutter with a Fuel Skimming Module and a<BR>
Survey Module.<BR>
<BR>
Clifford Linehan<BR>
cnl.rubicon@juno.com<BR>
"When the ship lifts, all bills are paid. No regrets." - Lazarus Long (By<BR>
R. A. Heinlein)<BR>
IMTU tc+ tm+ ?tn- ?t4- tg++ ?tt to ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt au st+ ls pi+ ta he+<BR>
kk hi as va dr so zh+ vi da sy<BR>
<BR>
________________________________________________________________<BR>
YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET!<BR>
Juno now offers FREE Internet Access!<BR>
Try it today - there's no risk!  For your FREE software, visit:<BR>
http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 23:02:06 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: I Comps<BR>
<BR>
>> Does anyone see IComp as being something built into the hull that<BR>
>> projects a field throughout the volume of the ship insulating it<BR>
>> from outside inertial forces?<BR>
><BR>
>That'd be a *real* "physics breaker". I think it'd mess with<BR>
>conservation laws. Having an *active* field (ie one where you have to<BR>
>feed "power" proportional to the forces being neutralized) isn't going<BR>
>to break much.<BR>
<BR>
If going that route, I'd just say it takes accellerations applied to the<BR>
grid, and sees to it that they are applied simultaneously to all items<BR>
within the area circumscribed by the grid. The problem with 20g<BR>
accelerations in nomal situations is that the ship accellerates, while you<BR>
compress for a bit, and your brain, insulated by not being rigidly<BR>
attached, doesn't accellerate until it's been hit by the advancing<BR>
braincase....<BR>
<BR>
And this doesn't even account for the nastiness of the blood, which pools<BR>
in the  direction away from thrust.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 22:53:43 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Currency and Piracy<BR>
<BR>
> One score on a load of<BR>
>>even ones is enough to fund a ship for YEARS. And, by canon, it happens.<BR>
>><BR>
>That's alot of cash floating around.<BR>
>and alot of temptation.. from the crews of the battleships and cruisers who<BR>
>are acting as tax men.<BR>
>One cruiser goes renegade.. and they are all set up for life. especially at<BR>
>the increments you're dealing with. Why doesn't that happen. entire military<BR>
>crews go renegade and then turn pirate.<BR>
<BR>
[first: Yes, I realized after I sent that there is no Canon Cr1 bill.<BR>
However, it does make the point nicely...]<BR>
[second: I didn't look it up, as my copy of TTA is buried, so I knew the<BR>
volume was off, but I also know it would be LOWER than what I used.]<BR>
<BR>
This very problem is why, IMTU, the ship taking the moneys is part of a<BR>
squadron. And, should they suddenly have a violent change of command, the<BR>
others in the squadron WILL open fire. And the Nav-Comp program is a<BR>
non-calculation version on the ship with the monies, and get's it's course<BR>
by comparing from the other ships in the squadron. You see, OTU sources<BR>
indicate all capital ships have escorts. So, you have always got some<BR>
people unless you misjump. In which case, you may be screwed.... it reduces<BR>
the temptation. Also, knowing that you will be listed at every starport in<BR>
the imperium on the Highly Wanted for High Treason list. And the ship will<BR>
be listed "Shoot on site, no quarter to be asked nor given." And, with one<BR>
of those 1L Petabyte devices, you can probably list the contents by serial<BR>
number for 1E14 bills... so you can have them all put on the watched list<BR>
for a while... and have local banks pull them from service, and  sort by<BR>
whose using the bank that day. IMTU, banks can always get an imperial<BR>
assistance grant for billscanning systems to aid in forgery deterrance,<BR>
theft detections, and such, complete with 7 IMOJ operators... three shift<BR>
at any point, opn a rotating set of 4 hour shifts at close of buisiness....<BR>
So all the local banks on Psaydi might share the cost of one device, and<BR>
all run the day's take over night, and the guys go bank to bank. Bad bills<BR>
get replaced, and IMOJ knows which batch has gone into local circulation...<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 23:16:30 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Sacajaweah [ot]<BR>
<BR>
>(And who the heck *was* Sacajawea anyway?)<BR>
><BR>
IIRC, she was the native guide for Lewis and Clarke's Expedition.<BR>
<BR>
Which BTW, has one interesting problem in the journals thereof... Clarke<BR>
spells his own name different ways within it: Clarke, Clark, Clarck...<BR>
And Lewis uses 2 of the three, as well...<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 23:24:17 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re IRIS<BR>
<BR>
>Thus, off the top of my head, I see three possible conclusions:<BR>
><BR>
>1.  IRIS exists, and Strephon (or his imposter) did not know of its<BR>
>existence;<BR>
><BR>
>2.  IRIS exists, and Strephon was not truthful in his journals;<BR>
><BR>
>3.  IRIS, rather than being an actual Imperial agency, is a group of<BR>
>unscrupulous intel weenies who are taking advantage of the chaos of the<BR>
>Rebellion to make a naked power grab.<BR>
><BR>
>I'm sure that there are other possibilities, but they don't occur to me<BR>
>at the moment.<BR>
<BR>
4. IRIS is created by the Moot between the assasination and Lucan actually<BR>
banning the moot from meeting. Thus Strephon would have a good reason not<BR>
to know of it, it would have the specified duty, and woudl be a new thing<BR>
as of 1117, probably being taken from IISS and IN Intel types.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 23:09:49 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
><BR>
> I've only ever used the orginal 15mm <BR>
> figures.  Mostly we used cardboard counters <BR>
> because we all came from wargaming backgrounds<BR>
> and cardboard counters made sense to us.<BR>
<BR>
Heathen  ! <BR>
<BR>
Carboard counters are not _wargaming_ that's _boardgaming_ <BR>
<BR>
_Wargamers_ use _figures_ !<BR>
<BR>
> How about a little information for us miniture illiterates?  Does<BR>
> the 15 or 25 mm refer to something like 15mm per meter, 25 mm per<BR>
> yard, or something more esoteric?  <BR>
<BR>
More esoteric. <BR>
<BR>
25mm is the height of a six foot tall man <BR>
(the only size a soldier would be,  of course), <BR>
to the top of the head of a figure in a scale <BR>
of 1/72nd.<BR>
<BR>
15mm is the height of a six foot man in the <BR>
scale 1/120th<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> IOW's given a 15 mm scale, would a 175 cm tall <BR>
> human be represented be 26.25 mm tall,<BR>
<BR>
In "15mm scale" a 175cm tall human would be 14.58mm tall<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> and given a 25 mm scale be 43.75 mm tall?  <BR>
<BR>
Given a 25mm figure measured to the top of the <BR>
head, it would be 1.8m or six feet tall.<BR>
A 175cm tall human would be about 24.3mm <BR>
tall in this scale<BR>
<BR>
> And how do these scales relate to hex<BR>
> sizes on various boards, papers and mats?<BR>
<BR>
They don't, unless specifically stated. <BR>
<BR>
For example the fact that people use 15mm <BR>
squares on Traveller deckplans does not relate <BR>
to the use of 15mm figures in any way, as these <BR>
are usually used to reference 1.5m on the <BR>
deckplan (making an easy conversion) rather <BR>
than 1.8m which is what it would be if the <BR>
15mm scale was followed.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 01:05:12 -0900<BR>
From: Peter Newman <pnewman@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re: IRIS<BR>
<BR>
> Black ICE <wombat@premier.net> wrote<BR>
<BR>
> Glenn St-Germain wrote:<BR>
> > Does anyone have any info on IRIS that they can post (or point<BR>
> > me to) about IRIS? Who they are, what their mandate is, how they<BR>
> > operate, etc.<BR>
> <BR>
> Well, if one can believe the excerpts from Emperor Strephon's journals,<BR>
> as quoted in _Survival Margin_, IRIS is not a recognized Imperial<BR>
> agency.  (Or, at least, Emperor Strephon states in his journals that he<BR>
> had no knowledge of IRIS prior to its assertion of authority during the<BR>
> Rebellion.)<BR>
<BR>
That's not necessarily what he means, it is not what he<BR>
_says_.<BR>
<BR>
> Note that, in _Survival Margin_, the earliest TNS story (at least the<BR>
> earliest I found in skimming the TNS entries) that referred to IRIS was<BR>
> dated 118-1121 (although the story referred to a 60-day cease-fire in<BR>
> the Solomani Rim, negotiated in 1117).<BR>
> <BR>
> Thus, off the top of my head, I see three possible conclusions:<BR>
> <BR>
> 1.  IRIS exists, and Strephon (or his imposter) did not know of its<BR>
> existence;<BR>
> <BR>
> 2.  IRIS exists, and Strephon was not truthful in his journals; <BR>
> <BR>
> 3.  IRIS, rather than being an actual Imperial agency, is a group of<BR>
> unscrupulous intel weenies who are taking advantage of the chaos of the<BR>
> Rebellion to make a naked power grab.<BR>
> <BR>
> I'm sure that there are other possibilities, but they don't occur to me<BR>
> at the moment.<BR>
<BR>
Strephon's exact quote is:<BR>
<BR>
"Who are these IRIS people? You'd think that I might have<BR>
heard of them once or twice." [Survival Margin p. 28]<BR>
<BR>
4. IRIS exists. Strephon's journal article questioned not the<BR>
existence of the Agency but rather whether these particular<BR>
people actually were high level IRIS operatives. Notice that <BR>
he says "Who are these IRIS people and not "What is this <BR>
IRIS agency?" Therefore Strephon is not denying the <BR>
existence of IRIS, rather what he is saying is "I worked <BR>
closely with IRIS, one of my government's spy agencies, and <BR>
I do not recognize the names of these people."<BR>
<BR>
If a US President were to say "Who are these CIA people?"<BR>
would you interpret this as "I have never heard of the<BR>
CIA." or as "I don't know who these particular guys are.<BR>
If they work for the CIA then they are low enough level<BR>
personnel that I have never heard of them."<BR>
<BR>
It is perfectly legitimate to assume that IRIS does exist.<BR>
This is, IMNSHO, the most logical reading of what Strephon <BR>
said.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 23:29:20 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Robert Prior<BR>
><BR>
> >As a '25mm' figure should be 25mm to the top<BR>
> >the _head_, if it's wearing any form of<BR>
> >headdress, or battledress it can easily be<BR>
> >28mm, and still be the same scale.<BR>
><BR>
> Odd, I've always thought it was 25mm to the eyes. (As the heights of<BR>
> different hats varies more than the heights of people.)<BR>
<BR>
Nope, a 25mm figure is supposed to represent a six-foot tall person in<BR>
1/72nd scale.<BR>
( 25mm x 72 ) = 1.8m = ( 6 x 30cm) approx = 6 feet<BR>
<BR>
Originally, of course, the size was a 1" figure, and in that case the calc<BR>
is<BR>
<BR>
1" x 72 = 72" = 6 x 12" = 6 feet<BR>
<BR>
If it was to the eyes it would represent a person almost half an inch taller<BR>
than six feet<BR>
<BR>
> I got caught this was with a Reviresco order. I ordered 60 "25mm" WWI<BR>
> soldiers, only to get 60 "20mm" soldiers. Sure, they were 25mm to the top<BR>
> of their hats, but they were a lot smaller than any of my other 25mm<BR>
> figures (which are mostly 25mm from feet to eyes).<BR>
<BR>
This is further confused by the fact that some people think 25mm equates to<BR>
1/76th scale , such a figure being about 23.5 mm to the top of the head.<BR>
<BR>
It's possible that these figures may have been designed for that, as many<BR>
WWI and WWII figures are sized to match up with Airfix AFV kits in 1/76th.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 00:09:15 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Bill Rutherford<BR>
<BR>
> It really depends on who you ask,<BR>
> what the ambient air temperature is,<BR>
> and from which direction the wind is<BR>
> blowing at the time of determination.<BR>
<BR>
> Some manufacturers of "15/25/whatever"mm<BR>
> miniatures measure to the top of the head,<BR>
> others to the eyes, and yet others to<BR>
? somewhere around the top of the headgear...<BR>
<BR>
The 25mm standard derives from the<BR>
1" standard and thus is directly tied to<BR>
the top of the head of a six foot tall<BR>
man in 1/72nd scale.<BR>
<BR>
Manufaturers who say otherwise are trying<BR>
to confuse the issue, usually because they<BR>
don't conform. That being said, the standard<BR>
itself is unrealistic, so shorter<BR>
figures are quite believable.<BR>
<BR>
Other scales are more recent, and thus<BR>
may not have been derived directly, however<BR>
15mm defined this way does relate directly<BR>
to 1/120 scale, which is the scale one of<BR>
the first manufacturers of "15mm" figures<BR>
used for it's AFV's, so that was probably<BR>
originally defined in the same way,<BR>
<BR>
> I like measuring to the eyes because that<BR>
> tends to keep things consistent.  Taking<BR>
> Seven Years War troops as an example,<BR>
> measuring to the top of the head is<BR>
> problematic if the figure's wearing a<BR>
> mitre (e.g., a grenadier) and measuring<BR>
> to the top of the headgear is silly...<BR>
<BR>
From memory, the original way specified<BR>
to determine this was to measure to the<BR>
point of the chin, which should be 7/8"<BR>
<BR>
Incidentally implying an average head<BR>
height of 9", which from my memory of<BR>
drawing ratios sounds about right for<BR>
a six footer.<BR>
<BR>
> If one wanted to get really anal about it, one could figure scales, based<BR>
> on the average distance (during a given era) from the ground to a<BR>
> soldier's  eyes,<BR>
<BR>
No need, it wasn't defined by the actual<BR>
averages of heights at the time, it was<BR>
defined by the mythical "average height<BR>
of a soldier" during the late 1800's, which<BR>
was in turn defined as six feet.<BR>
(propaganda, y'know)<BR>
<BR>
Though doing "scale" figures that took this<BR>
into account would be fun. That way Ral Partha<BR>
figures could be passed off as "historiclly<BR>
accurate" because the average height in the<BR>
middle ages was less than six feet <grin><BR>
<BR>
> as well as an average "add" to that figure to get to the top of the<BR>
> head.  The problem is that scale is something generally alien to<BR>
> miniatures  makers,<BR>
<BR>
Not the good ones. ESCI, for example were<BR>
usually very accurate with both their figures<BR>
and AFV's. Miniature Figurines (MiniFigs) were<BR>
also very accurate in most of their ranges,<BR>
and I believe Essex still are.<BR>
<BR>
The problem was all the plethora of Fantasy<BR>
and RPG figure makers. When you're measuring<BR>
the scale of an orc, who can say if it's<BR>
the right height or not ?<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 00:20:24 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Frank G.<BR>
> If it was to the eyes it would <BR>
? represent a person almost half an <BR>
> inch taller than six feet<BR>
<BR>
I meant, half a _foot_<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 17:19:14 +0000<BR>
From: Ewan Quibell <E.D.Quibell@bton.ac.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
> Actually, in a lot of situations, "spacing" is a good method. From<BR>
> research on vacuum exposure, it turns out to *not* be horribly painful<BR>
> etc. You tend to lose conciousness quickly (30 sec or less). Unless, of<BR>
> course, you try to hold your breath, in which case you rupture your<BR>
> lungs and have other unpleasant things happen.<BR>
<BR>
[snip Leonard's description of a live funeral]<BR>
<BR>
I wrote this as a scene to give to any PC who didn't manage to get out<BR>
of a bad situation.<BR>
<BR>
Ewan<BR>
- ------------------<BR>
<BR>
Nugget: Caught<BR>
<BR>
Scene:<BR>
You wake up slowly, groggily, your eyes don't focus. As your senses come<BR>
to you find that you are looking at the floor from a distance of ten<BR>
centimetres. The disorientation passes finally and you realise that you<BR>
are floating.<BR>
<BR>
Grav plates must be out. I'll get to it.<BR>
<BR>
Shaking your head a little to clear it some more, you free spin to find<BR>
yourself looking at an airlock door. Your eyes move to the control panel<BR>
to find it lifeless except for the view screen, through which you see an<BR>
unfamiliar face. The shipboard comm beeps into life.<BR>
<BR>
"Captain, he's awake."<BR>
<BR>
"Proceed" is the only answer the woman receives. Time slows as the<BR>
woman's face takes on a grim determination. Her eyes move down from the<BR>
screen to the panel. Adrenaline starts to flow. Your hart leaps into<BR>
your mouth. All your senses are on overdrive. You feel the clothing<BR>
against your skin. The pungent smell of sweat fills the air. Blood<BR>
tastes bitter sweat in your mouth. Every misplaced atom of the scratches<BR>
on the airlock floor are clearly visible, definable. You have never been<BR>
more alive that at this moment. Panic. A glance at what you knew was the<BR>
outer airlock door makes it worse. A pleading look at the outer view<BR>
screen finds only darkness peppered with the beautiful light of distant<BR>
stars disappearing into an unending universe. A deafening silence<BR>
becomes a fierce booming whistling. The air is ripped from your lungs as<BR>
you try to plead with you captor. Your last sight is of the rapidly<BR>
shrinking ship as your senses dull into unconsciousness.<BR>
<BR>
The last record of your life is the ships log. It reads on this date :-<BR>
<BR>
Passenger 1874-45FGT-83540<BR>
Spaced for hijacking.<BR>
<BR>
Action:<BR>
Role new PC<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
   Ewan Quibell                       Their's not to make reply,<BR>
   Senior Communications Engineer     Their's not to reason why,<BR>
   Computer Centre                    Their's but to do and die:<BR>
   University of Brighton             Into the valley of Death<BR>
                                      Rode the six hundred.<BR>
   E.D.Quibell@brighton.ac.uk              Alfred, Lord Tennyson<BR>
<BR>
   #include<stddisclaimer.h><BR>
<BR>
   My spelling is entirerly due to dyslexia, typos, and poetic license<BR>
<BR>
   University of Brighton - Sunday Times' University of the Year<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 00:31:16 +0000<BR>
From: Ewan Quibell <E.D.Quibell@bton.ac.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
> My "best guess" is using metallic hydrogen and a *lot* of handwaving<BR>
> you'll be able to store 1 bit per atom (proton) as the spin state of<BR>
> the nuclei. Which gives all of 7.5e24 bytes per liter. And totally<BR>
> ignores the problems quantum effects given anything that "dense".<BR>
<BR>
Could you, with enormous hand waving, change the orbit direction of the<BR>
electron ? Is it possible to have the electron and proton going in the<BR>
same direction ? If you can hand wave all these you can manage 4 bits<BR>
per atom.<BR>
<BR>
Ewan<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
   Ewan Quibell                       Their's not to make reply,<BR>
   Senior Communications Engineer     Their's not to reason why,<BR>
   Computer Centre                    Their's but to do and die:<BR>
   University of Brighton             Into the valley of Death<BR>
                                      Rode the six hundred.<BR>
   E.D.Quibell@brighton.ac.uk              Alfred, Lord Tennyson<BR>
<BR>
   #include<stddisclaimer.h><BR>
<BR>
   My spelling is entirely due to dyslexia, typos, and poetic license<BR>
<BR>
   University of Brighton - Sunday Times' University of the Year<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 02:06:20 +0000<BR>
From: Ewan Quibell <E.D.Quibell@bton.ac.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
<BR>
JFZeigler@aol.com wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> I suspect the limiting factor won't be the data storage on the X-boat,<BR>
> but the bandwidth available in the transmission channel.  Information<BR>
> theory puts some pretty strict limits on the speed with which you can<BR>
> transmit over (say) a com laser at a given frequency.<BR>
> <BR>
> These X-boats might well be able to *carry* petabytes, but they won't<BR>
> be able to *exchange* them in mere hours.<BR>
<BR>
It comes down to information logistics. The most pressing data, the<BR>
stuff that has to leave the system in the next hour gets pumped from the<BR>
x-boat out the Lasers, the radio, the menson comm, any thing that can<BR>
move data without a physical commotion. The stuff that stays in system<BR>
gets transferred when the Xboat hooks up with the tender.<BR>
<BR>
> >  Why do the Xboats need the computers aboard?  Because they need<BR>
> >  to broadcast transient mail to the next Xboat in the link, which<BR>
> >  is ready to receive data.  For this reason, I assume Xboats<BR>
> >  transmit transient mail first, then send local mail to the system<BR>
> >  receivers.<BR>
<BR>
Yes, but the stuff that stays in-system is broadcast to the system over<BR>
a longer period by the tender not the x-boat, which frees the x-boat up<BR>
to get ready to jump out, waiting for the next inbound x-boat with the<BR>
important messages.<BR>
<BR>
I would also assume the the x-boats would broadcast all there info to<BR>
the tender which would filter and forward, as opposed to direct to<BR>
another x-boat, the latency times would only be a couple of seconds,  as<BR>
I expect in 3000 years they would have solved the problems we are having<BR>
now with error correction at light second distances.<BR>
 <BR>
> I had a *hard* time designing an X-boat I could believe in for _First In_.<BR>
> I don't think the one I ended up with succeeds -- and even that one<BR>
> has a lot more mass dedicated to a set of big honking comm lasers<BR>
> than to the data storgae hardware.<BR>
<BR>
I wouldn't have a hope of designing it better, if at all. I think you<BR>
did an outstanding job on First In, congrats.<BR>
<BR>
I do think your assumptions in the x-boat description would be wrong<BR>
however. 150 Terabytes of data is not a lot really when you consider it<BR>
will be carrying the electronic mail from the Imperial government, with<BR>
the excess taken up by corporations and the public. I think that x-boats<BR>
in the core sectors would be running full all the time, with little or<BR>
no public or corporate mail, especially when you can imagine the<BR>
ultimate in off site backup (the next system) but then YMMV.<BR>
<BR>
Ewan<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
   Ewan Quibell                       Their's not to make reply,<BR>
   Senior Communications Engineer     Their's not to reason why,<BR>
   Computer Centre                    Their's but to do and die:<BR>
   University of Brighton             Into the valley of Death<BR>
                                      Rode the six hundred.<BR>
   E.D.Quibell@brighton.ac.uk              Alfred, Lord Tennyson<BR>
<BR>
   #include<stddisclaimer.h><BR>
<BR>
   My spelling is entirerly due to dyslexia, typos, and poetic license<BR>
<BR>
   University of Brighton - Sunday Times' University of the Year<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1765<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Sunday, January 16 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1766<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: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re: Imperial Crimes<BR>
Re: IRIS<BR>
Re: IRIS<BR>
Re: OT, but funny...<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1750<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: OT, but funny... <BR>
Re: Linguistics<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Mega Traveller designs<BR>
Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
Re: Re Encryption<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1750<BR>
Re: IRIS<BR>
Spacing<BR>
Someone to write to . . .<BR>
K'kree and line drawing<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 12:00:01 +0000<BR>
From: Ewan Quibell <E.D.Quibell@bton.ac.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
<BR>
> However, this does tend to assume that there would be need for that volume<BR>
> of data.<BR>
<BR>
If there wasn't a need for it they wouldn't have bothered to make then<BR>
thing. Along the same lines as Intell give us the cycles and Microsoft<BR>
takes them away.<BR>
<BR>
> Given the populations of most of the Traveller worlds are less than Earth<BR>
> now, and that the majority of people won't be interested in communicating<BR>
> with people off planet (this is based on figures I saw once about the<BR>
> percentage of total phone calls and mail that cross international borders is<BR>
> quite small ), you may find they rarely use that capacity except near core<BR>
> and other high pop areas.<BR>
<BR>
Just the Imperual Government will find ways of filling it up the<BR>
X-boats. If the purpose of the x-boats is for governments information<BR>
flow then information passing applications will be invented just to use<BR>
the system.<BR>
<BR>
> Frankie<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
   Ewan Quibell                       Their's not to make reply,<BR>
   Senior Communications Engineer     Their's not to reason why,<BR>
   Computer Centre                    Their's but to do and die:<BR>
   University of Brighton             Into the valley of Death<BR>
                                      Rode the six hundred.<BR>
   E.D.Quibell@brighton.ac.uk              Alfred, Lord Tennyson<BR>
<BR>
   #include<stddisclaimer.h><BR>
<BR>
   My spelling is entirely due to dyslexia, typos, and poetic license<BR>
<BR>
   University of Brighton - Sunday Times' University of the Year<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 12:35:57 +0000<BR>
From: Ewan Quibell <E.D.Quibell@bton.ac.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Actually, even with multifrequency lasers, there's not enough<BR>
> *bandwidth* to transfer this kind of data over anything but a wired<BR>
> link. A cable can have several hundred or even *thousand* optical fiber<BR>
> "channels" each capable of several gigabytes per second (you can't get<BR>
> a lot higher because light doesn't have a high enough frequency!)<BR>
> And you can use multiple cables.<BR>
> <BR>
> But trying to keep that many *beams* aligned and focused, all from<BR>
> something as small as an X-boat just plain *won't* work.<BR>
<BR>
You should be able to get a few beams using the grav focusing technology<BR>
of the Third Impuerium, so the closer the tender gets to the x-boat the<BR>
more channels you can transfer data across. You wouldn't only use laser<BR>
comm, you would use any comm device which can move data, the menson<BR>
comm, the radio etc.<BR>
 <BR>
> So that's another reason for tenders. An X-boat pops in, establishes<BR>
> radio/laser contact and starts sending the "low" volume stuff (plain<BR>
> text email). Once the tender grapples the X-boat, they connect the<BR>
> cables and the *real* download happens. And the data is routed to the<BR>
> waiting X-boats.<BR>
<BR>
I'd say the high priority stuff goes across the lasers, and the download<BR>
dose the lower priority traffic, but then YMMV.<BR>
 <BR>
> BTW, the "switch" for routing all this stuff is essentially as sort of<BR>
> specialized (and likely *expensive*) computer.<BR>
<BR>
That's what they are today.<BR>
<BR>
Ewan<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
   Ewan Quibell                       Their's not to make reply,<BR>
   Senior Communications Engineer     Their's not to reason why,<BR>
   Computer Centre                    Their's but to do and die:<BR>
   University of Brighton             Into the valley of Death<BR>
                                      Rode the six hundred.<BR>
   E.D.Quibell@brighton.ac.uk              Alfred, Lord Tennyson<BR>
<BR>
   #include<stddisclaimer.h><BR>
<BR>
   My spelling is entirerly due to dyslexia, typos, and poetic license<BR>
<BR>
   University of Brighton - Sunday Times' University of the Year<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 12:58:37 +0000<BR>
From: Ewan Quibell <E.D.Quibell@bton.ac.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
Paul Campbell wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Excuse me for missing something here, but why is it so dangerous to eat human<BR>
> flesh?  What is so special about it compared to other 'normal' food animals?<BR>
<BR>
CJD ....<BR>
<BR>
Ewan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 05:01:47<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Imperial Crimes<BR>
<BR>
At 09:45 PM 1/15/2000 -0900, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Note that violating the rules of warfare WILL be Murder or Attempted<BR>
>Murder, and thus an imperial high crime. At least for whomever ordered<BR>
>it... the willful and overt act which leads to the unjustified killing of a<BR>
>sophont. Canon penalties included life on/in a prison colony or<BR>
>termination. In addition to triggering intervention.<BR>
<BR>
Not necessarily.  The Rules of Warfare also cover economic displacement,<BR>
and can be interpreted quite loosely if need be.<BR>
<BR>
Let's say the Lessfilings and Tastesgreats are having yet another religious<BR>
war on Miller.  Nobody cares.  The Imperium might try to mediate, if asked<BR>
to, but it's entirely a local problem.<BR>
<BR>
Now, we assume that their war has interrupted production at the biggest<BR>
lanthanum refining facility in the subsector.  Good Morning!  The two sides<BR>
are going to quickly find themselves facing Marines, then later Army troops<BR>
who will be more than happy to let the two sides kill each other, but will<BR>
ensure that the vital plant is allowed to operate unmolested.<BR>
<BR>
OK, so the plant is owned by a devout Lessfiling.  A fanatical Tastesgreat<BR>
smuggles a bomb in to the plant.  The Army begins offensive operations<BR>
against the Tastesgreats without mercy.  They will have every possible<BR>
means of waging war taken away, and their leadership (the ones who survive)<BR>
will be charged with various charges starting with littering and working up<BR>
from there.<BR>
<BR>
You might think that the owners of the processing plant would be happy with<BR>
this state of affairs.  Hardly!  While their main customer might be the<BR>
Navy, they do not want a few thousand Imperial soldiers running around<BR>
their property.  It cramps their ability to do slightly less legal<BR>
business.  For this reason, businesses in these situations tend to hire<BR>
mercenaries to both guard their plants and to make preemptive strikes.<BR>
That way they can go to the subsector officials ant say "see?  We're taking<BR>
care of the problem, no need for troops here!"<BR>
><BR>
>Essentially, as was discussed 4 years ago, with Murder, Treason, and Theft,<BR>
>plus attempt for each, you can justify nearly any crime in the inventory.<BR>
>Currency froud is treason: you are attempting to create a local<BR>
>destabilization of the Imperial Credit, and thus the Imperial Government.<BR>
>Anything which interferes with trade is likewise either theft or treason.<BR>
>Anything wich interferes with imperial bureaucrats can also be construed to<BR>
>be treason. Piracy is Theft, and if you kill anyone or leave them for dead,<BR>
>is Murder or Attempt, plus the theft.<BR>
><BR>
>>Imperial General<BR>
>>Crimes (I think that's what I'm going to call them) cover all of<BR>
>>the things that local law ordinarily covers in places where<BR>
>>there is no local law, like a world adminstered directly by the<BR>
>>Imperial government.<BR>
><BR>
>IMTU, Admirality Law applies if there is no government. Aboard ships, the<BR>
>laws of the registered homeworld apply, but so do the admirality codes,<BR>
>which allow spacing for any violence towards crew, or repeated violence<BR>
>towards passengers, or for non-violent attempts to wrest control from the<BR>
>legitamate crew, or for stowaway. As per TTB. Not as per TTB, but in line,<BR>
>is that where spacing is not an option, any reasonably quick and relatively<BR>
>low-pain method may be used as available. Worlds governed by the Imperial<BR>
>Government or any of it's branches will have their own codes of laws, by<BR>
>decree of the Governor General, with the consent of the Privy Council. On<BR>
>Terra, this means the IM Commanding General, and his staff, respectively.<BR>
>Mind you, the officers better all be in agreemment on spacing someone, and<BR>
>have held a trial... and, to space someone, it needs to be unanimous.<BR>
><BR>
>There is an ISUJC (Imperial Services Unified Justice Code, chosen just to<BR>
>be different from UCMJ... :P ) IMTU which applies on any imperial<BR>
>installation, vessel, or extrality zone.<BR>
><BR>
>Then again, IMTU, the imperium requires that all members laws include the<BR>
>"Imperial High Crimes", by their definitions, in their local laws. IMOJ<BR>
>only gets involved in extraditions, or in cases where jurisdiction is<BR>
>questionable due to multiple worlds being involved, so there are only two<BR>
>"Imperial punishments" IMTU... Life or Death. Lesser punishments at<BR>
>Imperial Prisons are imposed by admirality courts, military courts, and<BR>
>upon remand by member worlds too small, low tech, or poor to house the<BR>
>prisoner in question, and hold him in accordance with the assigned sentence<BR>
>and the laws of the sentencing party.<BR>
><BR>
>Oh, and by having only the two draconian sentences, M3I encourages people<BR>
>to take deals in local courts, where they may actually get out, as IMTU, a<BR>
>life sentence means you stay until you are non-resucitably dead, and they<BR>
>you go home in a vial as a pile of ashes or as a bleached skeleton. (The<BR>
>latter assumes someone pays for the shipping, while the former is at<BR>
>imperial expense.)<BR>
><BR>
>YTUMV.<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
>William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
>interface!"<BR>
>Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
>533<BR>
>Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
>ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
>IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
>pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
><BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry   Templar Agent at Large.<BR>
gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/sylea.html<BR>
<BR>
TravGeekCode: <BR>
tc+ tm+ !tn- t4@ ?tg+ tt@ to(CORPS)++ ru@ $ge++ 3i<BR>
ii+ au st+ ls+ pi kk+ so(++) va++ dr+ zh+ sw++ ?da<BR>
         <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 05:05:49<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: IRIS<BR>
<BR>
At 01:05 AM 1/16/2000 -0900, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>It is perfectly legitimate to assume that IRIS does exist.<BR>
>This is, IMNSHO, the most logical reading of what Strephon <BR>
>said.<BR>
<BR>
I don't buy an agency with the power to approve or disaprove Imperial<BR>
succession existing in such a vacuum.  IRIS really felt like a bunch of<BR>
intel weenies making a raw grab for power.  Meeting with each of the<BR>
claiments under the guise of an "interview" and seeing who would give the<BR>
most.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 05:07:06<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: IRIS<BR>
<BR>
At 08:53 PM 1/15/2000 -0600, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>1.  IRIS exists, and Strephon (or his imposter) did not know of its<BR>
>existence;<BR>
<BR>
Just a note, that really was Strephon.  The last MT product confirmed that<BR>
fact.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas "Penguin Boy" Berry  gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
  http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
"But that's not the point!" raged Ford. "The point is that I am now a<BR>
perfectly safe penguin, and my colleague here is rapidly running out of<BR>
limbs!"  - The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 05:09:32<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: OT, but funny...<BR>
<BR>
At 05:58 PM 1/16/2000 +1300, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>There's only one answer, you know. Join the nightmare, go with <BR>
>Linux.<BR>
<BR>
Once we get The Big Shiny New Computer(tm) with our tax refund, this box is<BR>
having Red Hat installed.  Nice thing about living in this area, I have<BR>
people fighting to install it on my machine.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 05:49:58 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1750<BR>
<BR>
From: Thom Harris <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
> Actually the last "SILVER" coins were minted in 1964 so that would<BR>
> effectively put the order to end them in the Kennedy administration as<BR>
> Johnson wasn't sworn in until Nov 63'. Our government is extremely slow as<BR>
> we all know!!!!<BR>
<BR>
This is incorrect.  Silver coins were minted last year and<BR>
every year since '64.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 05:57:49 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
On one of these threads I recently posted some growth<BR>
figures for storage media.  These were erroneous.  The<BR>
growth per TL should be x 2 ^ (10 / 1.5) ~ 2 ^ 6.667 ~<BR>
101.594<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 07:53:45 -0700<BR>
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@ctaz.com><BR>
Subject: Re: OT, but funny... <BR>
<BR>
> At 05:58 PM 1/16/2000 +1300, you wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >There's only one answer, you know. Join the nightmare, go with <BR>
> >Linux.<BR>
> <BR>
> Once we get The Big Shiny New Computer(tm) with our tax refund, this box is<BR>
> having Red Hat installed.  Nice thing about living in this area, I have<BR>
> people fighting to install it on my machine.<BR>
<BR>
Just goes to show what happens when you live right, I guess...<BR>
<BR>
First you beat cancer.<BR>
<BR>
Then you go Linux.<BR>
<BR>
Keven<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
tc++ tm+ tn+ t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure<BR>
                                                     In Reavers' Deep<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 18:09:04 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Linguistics<BR>
<BR>
>Has anyone ever made a list of vowels, then consonants, rollable from a<BR>
>chart, with percentages by frequency as they appear in the English language?<BR>
<BR>
Yes, but it sounds nothing like English.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 18:20:17 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>How about a little information for us miniture illiterates?  Does<BR>
>the 15 or 25 mm refer to something like 15mm per meter, 25 mm per<BR>
>yard, or something more esoteric?  IOW's given a 15 mm scale, would<BR>
>a 175 cm tall human be represented be 26.25 mm tall, and given a 25<BR>
>mm scale be 43.75 mm tall?  And how do these scales relate to hex<BR>
>sizes on various boards, papers and mats?<BR>
<BR>
There are, unfortunately, two views as to what "xx mm" means.<BR>
<BR>
The original meaning, when miniature figures were almost exclusively<BR>
miniature soldiers, was that the number referred to the distance from the<BR>
ground to the figure's eyes. This was more constant than to the top of the<BR>
figure, because most military uniforms included hats, which varied<BR>
tremendously in height.<BR>
<BR>
Unfortunately, somewhere along the line someone mistook that as being the<BR>
total height of the figure. There are now several foundaries using this as<BR>
the scale.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Using a 25mm figure, a scale inch is roughly 5-6 feet. Most games I've seen<BR>
use 1" = 6' as an equivalent: this makes figures a bit larger than the<BR>
terrain, but not much more.<BR>
<BR>
GDW's old deckplans were set so that 1" = 3m, which was the right scale for<BR>
15mm miniatures.<BR>
<BR>
Modern military simulations tend to use 20mm figures, because this matches<BR>
the 1:72 scale, which means that model vehicles (and soldiers) are cheap.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Hope this helps.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 23:17:16 -0800<BR>
From: "Antony Farrell" <Skaran@bigpond.com><BR>
Subject: Mega Traveller designs<BR>
<BR>
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.<BR>
<BR>
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Content-Type: text/plain;<BR>
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<BR>
For anyone on the list who is interested, after a bit of a break I have<BR>
begun adding my MT designs to my website, there are also some TNE designs<BR>
there as well.<BR>
The site can be found at<BR>
http://www.users.bigpond.com/Skaran<BR>
<BR>
Antony Farrell<BR>
<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 13:53:03 +0000<BR>
From: Ewan Quibell <E.D.Quibell@bton.ac.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
<BR>
> I've always thought the same, so I decided on a slightly different<BR>
> model.  Instead of the xboat transmitted data dump it does a<BR>
> *physical* dump.  Xboats rendezvous with a Tender drops off data<BR>
> modules, takes on other modules for transport, refuels, resupplies,<BR>
> recrews and jumps for the next system.  Not the OTU Xboat system,<BR>
> but then I don't run the OTU. <g><BR>
> <BR>
> Eris<BR>
<BR>
You heretic ... ;-)<BR>
<BR>
But that isn't a bad way of doing things if you are interested in data<BR>
security, as it would mean that the scouts running the x-boats who have<BR>
all that time to work on there computer-8 skill would not be able to<BR>
read all that government email.<BR>
<BR>
Ewan<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
   Ewan Quibell                       Their's not to make reply,<BR>
   Senior Communications Engineer     Their's not to reason why,<BR>
   Computer Centre                    Their's but to do and die:<BR>
   University of Brighton             Into the valley of Death<BR>
                                      Rode the six hundred.<BR>
   E.D.Quibell@brighton.ac.uk              Alfred, Lord Tennyson<BR>
<BR>
   #include<stddisclaimer.h><BR>
<BR>
   My spelling is entirerly due to dyslexia, typos, and poetic license<BR>
<BR>
   University of Brighton - Sunday Times' University of the Year<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 14:04:11 +0000<BR>
From: Ewan Quibell <E.D.Quibell@bton.ac.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Encryption<BR>
<BR>
Jory Earl wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Actually, we DO have quantum computers.  but they are very primitive.<BR>
<BR>
There actually highly advanced, they just can't do much ... picky I<BR>
know, but YMMV.<BR>
<BR>
Ewan<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
   Ewan Quibell                       Their's not to make reply,<BR>
   Senior Communications Engineer     Their's not to reason why,<BR>
   Computer Centre                    Their's but to do and die:<BR>
   University of Brighton             Into the valley of Death<BR>
                                      Rode the six hundred.<BR>
   E.D.Quibell@brighton.ac.uk              Alfred, Lord Tennyson<BR>
<BR>
   #include<stddisclaimer.h><BR>
<BR>
   My spelling is entirerly due to dyslexia, typos, and poetic license<BR>
<BR>
   University of Brighton - Sunday Times' University of the Year<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:58:08 -0500<BR>
From: "Thom Harris" <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1750<BR>
<BR>
You aren't speaking of coins in general circulation unless they are the clad<BR>
ones. If you want to be picayune then yes you are right, the U.S. mints do<BR>
release some silver coins. Mostly those were commemorative or collector<BR>
pieces but NOT general distribution.<BR>
<BR>
Thom<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2000 8:49 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1750<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> From: Thom Harris <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
> > Actually the last "SILVER" coins were minted in 1964 so that would<BR>
> > effectively put the order to end them in the Kennedy administration as<BR>
> > Johnson wasn't sworn in until Nov 63'. Our government is extremely slow<BR>
as<BR>
> > we all know!!!!<BR>
><BR>
> This is incorrect.  Silver coins were minted last year and<BR>
> every year since '64.<BR>
> --<BR>
> Jason<BR>
> ______________________________________________<BR>
>     The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
> http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
> Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
> <BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> __________________________________________<BR>
> NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
> Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
> http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 12:04:10 EST<BR>
From: GypsyComet@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: IRIS<BR>
<BR>
Peter Newman <pnewman@gci.net> types:<BR>
<BR>
>Strephon's exact quote is:<BR>
><BR>
>"Who are these IRIS people? You'd think that I might have<BR>
>heard of them once or twice." [Survival Margin p. 28]<BR>
><BR>
>4. IRIS exists. Strephon's journal article questioned not the<BR>
>existence of the Agency but rather whether these particular<BR>
>people actually were high level IRIS operatives. Notice that <BR>
>he says "Who are these IRIS people and not "What is this <BR>
>IRIS agency?" Therefore Strephon is not denying the <BR>
>existence of IRIS, rather what he is saying is "I worked <BR>
>closely with IRIS, one of my government's spy agencies, and <BR>
>I do not recognize the names of these people."<BR>
><BR>
>If a US President were to say "Who are these CIA people?"<BR>
>would you interpret this as "I have never heard of the<BR>
>CIA." or as "I don't know who these particular guys are.<BR>
>If they work for the CIA then they are low enough level<BR>
>personnel that I have never heard of them."<BR>
><BR>
>It is perfectly legitimate to assume that IRIS does exist.<BR>
>This is, IMNSHO, the most logical reading of what Strephon <BR>
>said.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
 I choose the "Brothers of Varian" option, actually: A group<BR>
of "faces" whose very public campaign to determine the<BR>
proper replacement for the slain Strephon is designed to<BR>
discomfort/enrage Lucan, thereby making him less fit<BR>
with every passing day.<BR>
<BR>
 Then there are the real world causes: IRIS started life<BR>
as a _variant_ super-organization published in Challenge<BR>
and created by Chuck Gannon. The appearance of IRIS in<BR>
the OTU is directly related to Chuck becoming Line<BR>
Editor ~two years later, and Strephon's quote in Survival<BR>
Margin is directly related to Chuck's departure from GDW<BR>
at the end of the MT era.<BR>
<BR>
 I found IRIS to be a rather offensive concept when it<BR>
first appeared, was dismayed by it's transformation from<BR>
variant to official, and overjoyed at Strephon's words in<BR>
Survival Margin.  IRIS was never real in Chuck Gannon's<BR>
sense in MTU. Not for a second.<BR>
<BR>
GC<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 12:39:25 EST<BR>
From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Spacing<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 00-01-14 18:14:17 EST, you write:<BR>
<BR>
<< Leonard Erickson)<BR>
 Subject: Re: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
 <BR>
 In mail you write:<BR>
 <BR>
 >>From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
 <BR>
<deletions><BR>
Actually, in a lot of situations, "spacing" is a good method. From<BR>
 research on vacuum exposure, it turns out to *not* be horribly painful<BR>
 etc. >><BR>
<BR>
This is not what Jerry Pournelle tells me (and he claims to have gone through <BR>
it by accident in his younger days when working for JPL or wherever). He says <BR>
it hurt like h*ll.<BR>
<BR>
LKW<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 12:39:22 EST<BR>
From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Someone to write to . . .<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 00-01-14 18:14:17 EST, you write:<BR>
<BR>
<< Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:09:01 -0500<BR>
 From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
 Subject: Re: Deckplans (was Miniatures)<BR>
 <BR>
 Keith Johnson wrote:<BR>
 <BR>
 > >That's promising news.  While I'm making out my wish list, how about<BR>
 > >Traveller deckplans in 25mm, with a hex grid overlay?<BR>
 > <BR>
 > Believe me, I'm whining to-the-powers-that-be in producing that as well. ;)<BR>
 <BR>
 Good man!  Whine some for me too!  8^)<BR>
 Seriously tho', is there someone we could write to expressing an<BR>
 interest in such things?<BR>
 <BR>
 John >><BR>
<BR>
Oh, I dunno -- how about the Traveller Line Manager for SJ Games -- ol' <BR>
whatsis name?<BR>
<BR>
Consider your interest expressed.<BR>
<BR>
LKW<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 12:39:24 EST<BR>
From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
Subject: K'kree and line drawing<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 00-01-14 18:14:17 EST, you write:<BR>
<BR>
<< Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:53:25 -0600<BR>
 From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
 Subject: Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
 <BR>
 Gentlebeings:<BR>
 <BR>
 Just how strictly do the K'Kree define carnivory?  >><BR>
<BR>
Differently from what humans would, I expect.<BR>
<BR>
<<Would the following be defined as carnivores?<BR>
 <BR>
 1.  Insectivores or equivalents (e.g., I eat crawfish)>><BR>
<BR>
Are insects animals? <BR>
<BR>
<< 2.  Organisms that consume sessile animals (e.g., a barnacle-eating <BR>
creature)<BR>
 3.  Organisms that feed on zooplankton (e.g., baleen whales)>><BR>
<BR>
Depends on if the K'kree define these as animals. I think they probably do <BR>
not, but their categories are not the same as human's would classify them. <BR>
Basically, if it moves on it's own, its an animal. If it doesn't, it's a <BR>
plant. <BR>
<BR>
<< 4.  Scavengers that feed on already-dead animals ("Honest, Mr. K'Kree, it <BR>
was dead when I _found_ it!")>><BR>
<BR>
I don't think that's going to cut it -- how many of us kill what we eat these <BR>
days?<BR>
<BR>
<< 5.  Organisms that feed on _any_ heterotroph (e.g., a mushroom eater)<BR>
 <BR>
 Where do they draw the line?   >><BR>
<BR>
An even more interesting question is how they would view an intelligent <BR>
plant? I think the K'kree rule of thumb is: "We do not eat animals -- <BR>
therefore, whatever we do it cannot be an animal."<BR>
<BR>
GT Alien races 2 deals with the question of parasites and microbes. Imagine <BR>
the reaction to the discovery that there are little gnaak inside of you . . .<BR>
<BR>
LKW<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1766<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Sunday, January 16 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1767<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: IRIS<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re: IRIS<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: K'kree and line drawing<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
Re K'Kree<BR>
Re: Oak Harbor, Washington<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
Flightless birds<BR>
Re: Scouts vs. merchants<BR>
Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
Vs: Third Imperium Email<BR>
Re: IRIS<BR>
Re: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
Re: 3I Money<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re: Someone to write to . . .<BR>
Xboat traffic/My Electronics Handwave<BR>
Re: IRIS<BR>
Re: IRIS<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 10:58:15 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: IRIS<BR>
<BR>
> Then there are the real world causes: IRIS started life<BR>
>as a _variant_ super-organization published in Challenge<BR>
>and created by Chuck Gannon. The appearance of IRIS in<BR>
>the OTU is directly related to Chuck becoming Line<BR>
>Editor ~two years later<BR>
<BR>
... and it is this IRIS that I want more information on. MTU is <BR>
now in late 1115 / early 1116, and will be using the GURPS <BR>
Traveller timeline when it gets to That Fateful Day. In the last <BR>
adventure, IRIS appeared as a few Men In Black types who were <BR>
trying to get their hands on a missing person that the PCs were in<BR>
the process of rescuing. I've plotted out the next bunch of <BR>
adventures: there is an Evil Conspiracy afoot, and IRIS is somehow<BR>
involved. More background info on IRIS would help me flesh out the<BR>
Conspiracy and their involvement -- though I can easily wing it if<BR>
I have to...<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: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 18:38:58 +0000<BR>
From: Paul Campbell <kemitixanzantix@freenet.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
On Sun, 16 Jan 2000, you wrote:<BR>
> Paul Campbell wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> > Excuse me for missing something here, but why is it so dangerous to eat human<BR>
> > flesh?  What is so special about it compared to other 'normal' food animals?<BR>
> <BR>
> CJD ....<BR>
> <BR>
> Ewan<BR>
<BR>
You can get CJD in cattle as well.  My point was why is it so dangerous to eat<BR>
*human* flesh?  We can get CJD from cattle, scrapies from sheep.  Why is human<BR>
flesh so much more dangerous?  From what was being said I got the impression<BR>
that just about anyone you chose to eat would be putting your self at risk.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Paul Campbell<BR>
kemitixanzantix@freenet.co.uk<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 17:42:50 +0000<BR>
From: Paul Campbell <kemitixanzantix@freenet.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: IRIS<BR>
<BR>
On Sun, 16 Jan 2000, you wrote:<BR>
> In the (GURPS) Traveller campaign that I am running, one of the <BR>
> plot threads I am developing involves IRIS, the Imperial Regency<BR>
> Intelligence Service. They are up to something -- something that <BR>
> will eventually involve the players. <BR>
> <BR>
> Does anyone have any info on IRIS that they can post (or point<BR>
> me to) about IRIS? Who they are, what their mandate is, how they<BR>
> operate, etc.<BR>
> <BR>
> Thanks in advance,<BR>
> <BR>
> -- g<BR>
<BR>
The original information published regarding IRIS is in issues 33 (background)<BR>
and 34 (character generation) of Challenge magazine.  The work of Charles E<BR>
Gannon.  They were created by Empress (Emperor?) Arbellatra as her first,<BR>
although not very well known, act as Emperor.<BR>
<BR>
Arbellatra brought the end to the Civil War by appointing herself as Regent<BR>
rather than immediatley assending to the Irridium Thrown.  She created IRIS<BR>
'...an independant and powerful regent capable of ensuring the smooth<BR>
succession of the throne's rightful heirs the Imperial Regency of Intelligence<BR>
and Security, or "IRIS".'<BR>
<BR>
So, IRIS has been around for around 500 years.<BR>
<BR>
'...what was needed was an independant, invisible force with the power to<BR>
eliminate individuals who would contest the lawful Emporer or his/her<BR>
successors."<BR>
<BR>
IRIS were involved in conducting pre-audience psi screenings, until they were<BR>
relieved of this duty in 30-1115.  Among those who wanted rid of the psi<BR>
screenings were a sizable number of Illelish nobles.  Strephon was<BR>
definitely aware of IRIS, when IRIS offered to remove themselves for their role<BR>
in security at the palace should Strephon wish this.  Stephon accepted and<BR>
relieved them of one of their five Mandates.<BR>
<BR>
 -- <BR>
Paul Campbell<BR>
kemitixanzantix@freenet.co.uk<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 11:25:58 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
...<BR>
>> 28mm - you run the risk of being mistaken for a Pudding Workshop cultist :)<BR>
...<BR>
>Acutally, even though they are 28s, they look really good.  I did a<BR>
>random size comparison and found the range to be from 24ish to 28ish. <BR>
>If I have to go to slightly larger figures to get unarmed or lightly<BR>
>armed civilians, I'm happy with these minis (plus they get double duty<BR>
>as Space 1889 figures).<BR>
<BR>
  Unless the rest of your S:1889 collection happens to be from RAFM, and<BR>
thus of a more conventional "25mm" size. Another great thing about RAFM<BR>
is that you can mail-order through Canadian retailers and get historical<BR>
mini's in blisters of 6 for $6.95 CDN under the new price-list - or only<BR>
~$0.75 US per figure (and our sales taxes don't apply to sales out of the<BR>
country, of course).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 11:26:52 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: K'kree and line drawing<BR>
<BR>
>From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
...<BR>
>GT Alien races 2 deals with the question of parasites and microbes. Imagine <BR>
>the reaction to the discovery that there are little gnaak inside of you . . .<BR>
<BR>
  Tabloid headline: "K'kree spontaneous combustion explained!"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 11:34:17 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>From: JDoch226@aol.com<BR>
>Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
><BR>
>Several folks have mentioned the old Grenadier Traveller figures on this <BR>
>thread.  I'm dying to get hold of some of these, especially the Alien <BR>
>Mercenaries.  Anyone know where I might find them?<BR>
<BR>
  Grenadiers assets (incl. any surviving masters?) are owned by an<BR>
Italian company (Stratelibri, www.stratelibri.com - under construction),<BR>
although they would have to get a new license from Mr. Miller, one<BR>
assumes.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 11:41:03 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re K'Kree<BR>
<BR>
>From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
>Subject: Re K'Kree<BR>
...<BR>
>IMTU, if it locomotes, K'Kree ban the eating of it or it's biological<BR>
>products in their space. If a spaient population can't or won't stop eating<BR>
>things that locomote, they eradicate said population. BTW, there is a<BR>
>reference in canon that they consider the feeding of infants by lactation<BR>
>to be carnivourous behavior. Was in a JTAS issue, pre-MT.<BR>
<BR>
  IIRC, you may be thinking of a JTAS article (Contact!: K'kree?) that<BR>
referred to a K'kree noble recalling his amusement at watching a 100%<BR>
Solomani race warrior losing his lunch upon seeing the K'kree patrol he<BR>
was with (as an attache/observer) eliminate some local guerilla support<BR>
personnel without wasting valuable ammo: i.e., females & children being<BR>
stomped to death.<BR>
<BR>
  The interviewer is then told that this was humourous as regurgitation<BR>
features in K'kree child-rearing.<BR>
<BR>
  One also has to wonder if the K'kree don't tend to let the last vestiges<BR>
of a dietarily hostile population linger on so as to maximize the use of <BR>
the world as a hunting preserve...<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 11:48:42 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Oak Harbor, Washington<BR>
<BR>
>From: "S D" <terran_2@hotmail.com><BR>
>Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1752<BR>
><BR>
>i live in Oak Harbor, Washington State.  I don't know if there will ever be <BR>
>players in this town..most of the RPGer's are for AD&D, Palladium Games, <BR>
>Call of Cthulu, and other newer games.  Not many of the people ever play the <BR>
>old ones because nobody gots them.<BR>
<BR>
  I don't recall the Sound region very well, but if that's up north <BR>
go to ( www.columbiagames.com ) and look for their local convention<BR>
announcements - about four times each year (?) they get a whole bunch<BR>
of their customers together at some NW Washington motel or other for <BR>
a weekend of gaming.<BR>
<BR>
  Mostly they're a wargame company, but they also do the acclaimed Harn<BR>
F-RPG; they have no SF properties, and I suspect that a lot of serious<BR>
Harn types (and wargamers - see "Miniatures" thread :> ) would prefer<BR>
Traveller as an SF-RPG to Palladium or Alternity <gag>; drop by for a<BR>
Saturday afternoon to get maximum exposure at minimum cost and look at<BR>
the other games while trying to recruit - maybe a 5x8" hand-out of what<BR>
games you're interested and URLs (such as Mr. Millers page or SJGames)<BR>
that would let them explore what you're talking about. And your contact<BR>
info :)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 08:47:54 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
At 21:09 -0500 15/1/00, eris@pcola.gulf.net wrote:<BR>
> >The BITS product 'The Long Way Home'  deals in some part with this  style<BR>
> >of technology as Ancient 'jump tunnels'.<BR>
> >I seem to recall the TML screaming 'it's not canon' repeatedly when  the<BR>
> >IG versions of the books came out.<BR>
><BR>
>The widespread appearance and use there of, isn't...as you well<BR>
>know.  <g><BR>
<BR>
I agree, but the scenario had a single jump tunnel...<BR>
<BR>
>Of course, different isn't always bad...<BR>
<BR>
Bah! Just what I'd expect the Heretic's Heretic to say!<BR>
<BR>
But seriously, I bought TLWH before I got involved with BITS, and <BR>
didn't have a problem with it. TLWH has a one off artifact, no more <BR>
dubious than Twilight's Peak or the Pocket Universe's of Grandfather.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 12:03:06 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
>Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
...<BR>
>>   The best available in 25mm should be at:<BR>
>>         http://www.HistoricalMiniatures.com/<BR>
...<BR>
>that makes a great robot, and several of the old "Paranoia" minitaures are<BR>
>good for "ship's crew"  and general starship personnel.<BR>
<BR>
  Yep. They also might worry some of the more erudite mini's collectors in<BR>
the group :)  Alas, they too are OOP.<BR>
<BR>
>Then there's the old West End Games "Star Wars" figures, many of the "rebel<BR>
>troops" make  good PC's, the rebel special forces figures especially. The<BR>
>Imperials who aren't in obvious Star Wars battle dress make good Imperial<BR>
>Navy too.<BR>
<BR>
  The problem I have/had with the "Star Fleet", "Star Wars", and "Stargrunt"<BR>
figs is that they all start at ~$8 CDN for three figs and go upwards from<BR>
there :(  If I go into a FLGS these days, I'm not sure that I can find any<BR>
proper 25mm (def'n - matches my Grenadier Traveller stuff) SF at all, and<BR>
RAFM's Call of Cthulhu figs only go so far*.<BR>
<BR>
 *they do, however, have a penguin in the product line.<BR>
<BR>
  The Denizen figs are $6 US for 4, so ~2.25 CDN before transaction costs;<BR>
ordring huge mail-orders to be sent to US addresses actually means that I<BR>
save money on that value, and the figures are better (IMNSHO) than the ones<BR>
discussed above (SW stormtroopers make good security troops, though :> ).<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 14:09:05 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
On 01/16/00 at 02:00 PM,  "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz> said:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>> On Behalf Of eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
>><BR>
>> I've only ever used the orginal 15mm <BR>
>> figures.  Mostly we used cardboard counters <BR>
>> because we all came from wargaming backgrounds<BR>
>> and cardboard counters made sense to us.<BR>
<BR>
>Heathen  ! <BR>
<BR>
>Carboard counters are not _wargaming_ that's _boardgaming_ <BR>
<BR>
>_Wargamers_ use _figures_ !<BR>
<BR>
I'm a heretic...what can I say.  <shrug> Besides, I've played<BR>
several wargames using counters where no gameboards were<BR>
involved...Jutland for example.  Heck, the original B2 ship combat<BR>
had no gameboards, and I used bottle caps for that.  ;-p<BR>
<BR>
As for the descriptions of what 15 and 25 mm mean...well, that's<BR>
just a *dumb* way of doing things!  The only *intelligent* way would<BR>
be a general scale for everything, like 1/100, 1/120, 1/200 or<BR>
something like that.  <gd&r><BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 21:24:25 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Flightless birds<BR>
<BR>
Have a look at the following page:<BR>
<BR>
http://www.satanic.org/<BR>
<BR>
It has a most adorable little penguin in it :-)<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 12:26:07 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Scouts vs. merchants<BR>
<BR>
>From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
>Subject: Re: Scouts vs. merchants (was Re: Fashion & Red Ties)<BR>
...<BR>
>Erm, not to burst a bubble, but the Pony Express was a short-lived, flashy<BR>
>but ultimately inefficient, money losing enterprise. From my<BR>
>encyclopedia:<BR>
...<BR>
>through the winter months. Successful logistically but not financially,<BR>
>Russell, Majors, and Waddell went bankrupt. Pony express service ended<BR>
>after 18 months, in October 1861, when overland telegraph connections were<BR>
>completed. <BR>
<BR>
  Now, if 1860 had brought a war on the Pacific coast with a European<BR>
power rather than the approach of the Civil War, and/or the telegraph <BR>
hadn't been quite so developed, then the system might have become more<BR>
entrenched and valuable if for no other reason than for its logistics<BR>
establishment...<BR>
<BR>
  Now, _why_ didn't the Templars want the Pony Express running? :><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 12:26:39 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Electronic Cash<BR>
<BR>
...<BR>
>>   RW merchants in similar conditions _developed_ LOC's, etc.; they<BR>
>> probably had good reasons to do so :)<BR>
><BR>
>At the time the West didn't *have* paper currency. That *developed*<BR>
>from Letters of credit and bank "notes" (IOUs!). So "currency" meant<BR>
>lots and lots of *gold*. Heavy, bulky, and apt to be stolen. A letter<BR>
>of credit was useless unless you were the person it was issued yo or<BR>
>could convince the bank that you were.<BR>
<BR>
  I didn't say paper currency - I suppose I could have said specie, but<BR>
I'm not convinced that would have been helpful. And I assure you that if<BR>
you had enough gold that a pack mule would've gotten worried about it<BR>
then you had very little to worry about overall :><BR>
<BR>
  The main point is that under the sorts of circumstances discussed RW <BR>
merchants used letters of credit in preference to all of the options<BR>
that we might think of - and that they had discarded as undesirable.<BR>
<BR>
  OTOH, ISTR S:6 - 76 Patrons involving bearer bonds in one scenario - <BR>
except that even there the person (PC) cashing them in still had to<BR>
identify themselves conclusively, with potentially serious consequences<BR>
in that case...<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 22:32:17 +0200<BR>
From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Jussi_Kenkkil=E4?= <Jussi.Kenkkila@helsinki.fi><BR>
Subject: Vs: Third Imperium Email<BR>
<BR>
> If anyone wants a copy, email me direct. It currently runs from a dos box<BR>
> under win'95.<BR>
> <BR>
> AndyC.<BR>
<BR>
I'd be very interested on this program of yours. Could you email it to me?<BR>
<BR>
- -J2K<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 13:06:27 -0800<BR>
From: "T. Kuchta" <tkuchta@desertlinc.com><BR>
Subject: Re: IRIS<BR>
<BR>
Hello all,<BR>
<BR>
The first mention I can find is in Challenge No. 33. in the article aptly<BR>
titled "IRIS".<BR>
<BR>
The article is prefaced by saying: "Note: This is a MegaTraveller variant."<BR>
<BR>
That said, IRIS was created in 622 by Arbellatra, last of the Emperors of<BR>
the Flag. IRIS stands for Imperial Regency of Intelligence and Security and<BR>
is tasked with ensuring the smooth succession of the throne to the rightful<BR>
heirs. The article gives the total size of IRIS as between 300,000 and<BR>
400,000; which IMO is microscopic in terms of the size of the Imperium.<BR>
<BR>
Though listed as a variant, it did seem to become 'official' in later<BR>
publications from GDW, notably Survival Margin.<BR>
<BR>
T. Kuchta<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 13:13:30 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Chauncey Smith" <csmith@ICDC.com><BR>
>Subject: Re: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
...<BR>
>the increments you're dealing with. Why doesn't that happen. entire military<BR>
>crews go renegade and then turn pirate.<BR>
<BR>
  Because they're not all unattached orphans and/or sociopaths? And given<BR>
that any navy in the 3I is only grazing a tiny portion of its pool of<BR>
unskilled recruits (and that's what the rules show) then they may very<BR>
well choose to select for loyalty - because they can afford to.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 13:06:35 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard it was $1.00 per ounce of silver. A silver dollar was 1 ounce<BR>
> exactly.<BR>
<BR>
Sorry, but I *have* some silver dollars, and they do *not* weigh an<BR>
ounce. They weigh 1/20th of a pound. Likewise, half dollars weight<BR>
1/40th of a pound, quarters weigh 1/80th of a pound, and dimes weigh<BR>
1/200th of a pound. <BR>
<BR>
I measured this *long* ago using a lab balance (in grams and fractions<BR>
thereof) and found the correspondence.<BR>
<BR>
Do keep in mind that the "silver" coins were *not* pure silver. That<BR>
may account for some of the difference. Also, while 20:1 gold:silver<BR>
exchange rate was often proposed, it never got very far simply because<BR>
supply and demand ensured that a fixed rate would quickly cause ruuns<BR>
on which ever was "cheaper" at the moment.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Gold was $20.00 an ounce and that made the $20.00 gold piece 1<BR>
> ounce exactly. A dime was 1 tenth of an ounce, a quarter was 1 fourth of an<BR>
> ounce and half dollar was 1 half of an ounce. That was what determined what<BR>
> the size of the coins would be, WEIGHT.<BR>
<BR>
Yes, I agree that the size was determined by weight. But unlike you,<BR>
*I* have actually *weighed* coins. I suggest that you try it. I don't<BR>
have my lab balance handy, but I *do* have a postal scale handy. 40<BR>
quarters comes to 8 ounces. If you were correct, they'd come to *10*<BR>
ounces. QED. A quarter weighs 1/80th of a pound, *not* 1/4th of an<BR>
ounce. <BR>
<BR>
Note that weighing one, or 4 quarters doesn't show the error because<BR>
it's hard to tell the difference between 1 ounce and .8 ounce on the<BR>
scale. It's *easy* to tell the difference between 8 ounces and 10<BR>
ounces. Matter of fact, by the time youve got the first dozen quarters<BR>
on the scale the error is obvious. 12 quarters *doesn't* weigh 3<BR>
ounces. more like 2.5 (actually 2.4)<BR>
<BR>
Further check. 3 silver dollars (all I have) registers at about 2.5<BR>
ounces *not* 3 ounces. the "$20/lb" rule says they should weigh 2.4<BR>
ounces. Looks about right.<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, 16 Jan 2000 16:29:51 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money<BR>
<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> (And who the heck *was* Sacajawea anyway?)<BR>
<BR>
Sacagawea[1] was the Shoshone woman who was hired on to serve as a Shoshone<BR>
interpreter for the Lewis and Clark expedition. She spoke only two<BR>
languages, Shoshone and Hidatsa, but her husband, a French trapper (I forget<BR>
his name at the moment) spoke Hidatsa and, not surprisingly, French.<BR>
<BR>
The real hoot? Neither Lewis nor Clark spoke French. Fortunately, the<BR>
expedition had a fellow who could speak French and English.<BR>
<BR>
There's and Ob(vious)Trav in there. It's not hard to see! :)<BR>
<BR>
She had a child who was raised on the trail with the expedition. It was the<BR>
presence of her and her child which signalled to many tribes that the<BR>
expedition was a peaceful one, as no war band would bring a woman and child<BR>
with them on their journey.<BR>
<BR>
[1] My apologies for changing the spelling, but the last part's pronounced<BR>
"gah-we-ah", not "jah-we-ah". Lewis and Clark spelled it "correctly" in<BR>
their journals, but inexplicably changed it after the journey.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 21:40:57 +0000<BR>
From: Ewan Quibell <E.D.Quibell@bton.ac.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
Paul Campbell wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> You can get CJD in cattle as well.  My point was why is it so dangerous to eat<BR>
> *human* flesh?  We can get CJD from cattle, scrapies from sheep.  Why is human<BR>
> flesh so much more dangerous?  From what was being said I got the impression<BR>
> that just about anyone you chose to eat would be putting your self at risk.<BR>
> <BR>
> --<BR>
> Paul Campbell<BR>
> kemitixanzantix@freenet.co.uk<BR>
<BR>
I shouldn't think that eating human flesh is any more dangerous than<BR>
eating other substances, but that's just a assumption. I doubt there is<BR>
any data cannibalism to prove this correct or incorrect due to it's very nature.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
   Ewan Quibell                       Their's not to make reply,<BR>
   Senior Communications Engineer     Their's not to reason why,<BR>
   Computer Centre                    Their's but to do and die:<BR>
   University of Brighton             Into the valley of Death<BR>
                                      Rode the six hundred.<BR>
   E.D.Quibell@brighton.ac.uk              Alfred, Lord Tennyson<BR>
<BR>
   #include<stddisclaimer.h><BR>
<BR>
   My spelling is entirerly due to dyslexia, typos, and poetic license<BR>
<BR>
   University of Brighton - Sunday Times' University of the Year<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 16:43:33 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Someone to write to . . .<BR>
<BR>
Loren Wiseman wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Oh, I dunno -- how about the Traveller Line Manager for SJ Games -- ol' <BR>
> whatsis name?<BR>
> <BR>
> Consider your interest expressed.<BR>
<BR>
And if I'm not mistaken, ol' whatsis name is the Art Director too. <BR>
;^)<BR>
<BR>
Crazy idea... instead of producing deckplans with hexes being 1":3', go<BR>
to 1/2":3'. I know it would go against GURPS standards, but it would put<BR>
the deckplans at 25mm scale. Also, this would make them a little more<BR>
usable with 15s (I'm guessing on this one, haven't actually done a<BR>
reality check to be sure).<BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 15:45:33 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Xboat traffic/My Electronics Handwave<BR>
<BR>
On 01/16/00 at 03:01 PM,  Ewan Quibell <E.D.Quibell@bton.ac.uk> said:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>> I've always thought the same, so I decided on a slightly different<BR>
>> model.  Instead of the xboat transmitted data dump it does a<BR>
>> *physical* dump.  Xboats rendezvous with a Tender drops off data<BR>
>> modules, takes on other modules for transport, refuels, resupplies,<BR>
>> recrews and jumps for the next system.  Not the OTU Xboat system,<BR>
>> but then I don't run the OTU. <g><BR>
>> <BR>
>> Eris<BR>
<BR>
>You heretic ... ;-)<BR>
<BR>
You're just figuring *that* out? ;-p<BR>
<BR>
>But that isn't a bad way of doing things if you are interested in data<BR>
>security, as it would mean that the scouts running the x-boats who have<BR>
>all that time to work on there computer-8 skill would not be able to read<BR>
>all that government email.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, there's no (known) xboat system because there are no states<BR>
big enough to really need one and nobody can reliably do better<BR>
than Jump 2 anyway.  <g><BR>
<BR>
Concerning electronic cash...Bruce makes a convincing case, *but* it<BR>
seems to me that having to haul around honking big loads of currency<BR>
and bullion if more fun.  I also really restrict electronics, so I'm<BR>
going to do the same with electronic cash.  Yes, you *can* do it at<BR>
TL9+, but because people don't trust it it isn't used. <BR>
<BR>
I've posted my anti-electronics handwave before, so I'll be brief<BR>
here.  <BR>
<BR>
I postulate that there is a generally a big breakthrough in gravity<BR>
generation and control that can occur anywhere from TL 6 up.<BR>
Gravtech devices are so useful they quickly become very widespread<BR>
in almost any culture that learns of this technology.  Gravtech is<BR>
the foundation for early development and use of fusion power plants,<BR>
advanced maneuver drives (of any type), jump drives, and all CG and<BR>
IComp technology.  <BR>
<BR>
OTOH, there is a big downside.  All gravtech devices produce fields<BR>
that damage microelectronics.  Large, more robust, electronic systems<BR>
have little trouble, but tiny semiconductor and quantum devices<BR>
degrade and fail very quickly.  All microelectronics have to be<BR>
heavily shielded to work reliably and have MTBF (mean times between<BR>
failure) measured in days or weeks rather than years. <BR>
<BR>
So, you have a trade off.  If you want gravtech then you are going<BR>
to have electronics problems.  You can build very compact<BR>
electronics, but you have to replace the devices (or modules) every<BR>
few weeks and risk intermittent reliability problems, or you can<BR>
build larger, heavier, slower electronic devices that you can count<BR>
on.<BR>
<BR>
The bottom line.  A notebook or desktop computer that a PC may buy<BR>
is a little larger, a little heavier, not much more powerful, can<BR>
store a *lot* more information and costs about the same as what is<BR>
available today.  Larger computers, tend toward very large<BR>
centralized systems in controlled environments accessed by lots of<BR>
terminals (ie the 50's model of computing).  Ship and vehicle<BR>
computers have a *real* problem because they are used inside boxes<BR>
chock full of gravtech devices, hence they have to be big, heavy,<BR>
and costly usually with many redundant processors and memory stores<BR>
kept in shielded areas (ie multiple refrigerator sized boxes) and<BR>
even then are in almost constant need to maintenance and repair.<BR>
<BR>
Given the above, cash cards that might spontaneously lose their<BR>
contents aren't going to be popular.  Yes, you can do it with dumb<BR>
(ie data only) cards and smart readers, but the very idea makes<BR>
people leery.  No matter how good a device is, if people won't use<BR>
it then it won't be successful.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 10:17:22 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: IRIS<BR>
<BR>
>In the (GURPS) Traveller campaign that I am running, one of the<BR>
>plot threads I am developing involves IRIS, the Imperial Regency<BR>
>Intelligence Service. They are up to something -- something that<BR>
>will eventually involve the players.<BR>
><BR>
>Does anyone have any info on IRIS that they can post (or point<BR>
>me to) about IRIS? Who they are, what their mandate is, how they<BR>
>operate, etc.<BR>
<BR>
Well, first off understand that IRIS is officially a variant. At least,<BR>
that's what has stated in the original article. It then showed up (without<BR>
the variant tag) in other articles by the same author (Chuck Gannon, IIRC),<BR>
and then was kinda debunked in TNE (Emperor Strephon wondering why he, as<BR>
emperor, hadn't heard of them!).  So in a sense you are free to do what you<BR>
choose.<BR>
<BR>
Your best bet for GURPS is probably GURPS Special Ops, in that IRIS agents<BR>
are supposed to be _extremely_ elite James Bond types. (I don't have G:SO,<BR>
just going by the book description.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 10:22:10 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: IRIS<BR>
<BR>
>Well, if one can believe the excerpts from Emperor Strephon's journals,<BR>
>as quoted in _Survival Margin_, IRIS is not a recognized Imperial<BR>
>agency.  (Or, at least, Emperor Strephon states in his journals that he<BR>
>had no knowledge of IRIS prior to its assertion of authority during the<BR>
>Rebellion.)<BR>
[snip]<BR>
>Thus, off the top of my head, I see three possible conclusions:<BR>
[snip]<BR>
>I'm sure that there are other possibilities, but they don't occur to me<BR>
>at the moment.<BR>
<BR>
I'd go with your third option (intel weenies) myself. The original IRIS<BR>
article (in Challenge) clearly stated that IRIS was a variant; I was<BR>
diappointed when GDW didn't edit out all Chuck Gannon's references to IRIS<BR>
in other work he did for them.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1767<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Sunday, January 16 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1768<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: Miniatures<BR>
Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
Re: US Coin Sizes (was Re: 3I Money)<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
Re IRIS<BR>
Re: Weird food (OT reply)<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: US Coin Sizes (was Re: 3I Money)<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re: Re Encryption<BR>
Re: Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
Re: Linguistics<BR>
Re: Linguistics<BR>
Re: Organlegging<BR>
Re: Re Encryption<BR>
Re: Boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 10:43:56 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>> Odd, I've always thought it was 25mm to the eyes. (As the heights of<BR>
>> different hats varies more than the heights of people.)<BR>
><BR>
>Nope, a 25mm figure is supposed to represent a six-foot tall person in<BR>
>1/72nd scale.<BR>
>( 25mm x 72 ) = 1.8m = ( 6 x 30cm) approx = 6 feet<BR>
><BR>
>Originally, of course, the size was a 1" figure, and in that case the calc<BR>
>is<BR>
><BR>
>1" x 72 = 72" = 6 x 12" = 6 feet<BR>
><BR>
>If it was to the eyes it would represent a person almost half an inch taller<BR>
>than six feet<BR>
<BR>
I'd just measured several dozen miniatures, all billed as "25mm" in the<BR>
catalogue (or on the package). Here are the results:<BR>
<BR>
Rafm Colonials: 25mm to eyes<BR>
Rafm Call of Cthulhu: 26-28mm to eyes<BR>
Ral Partha Ancients: 25mm to eyes<BR>
Soldier and Swords Dream Park: 25-26mm to eyes<BR>
West End Star Wars: 24-25mm to eyes<BR>
Ral Partha D&D: 25-27mm to eyes<BR>
Reviresco WWI: 20mm to eyes (25mm to top of hat)<BR>
Grenadier Traveller: 25mm to eyes<BR>
Ral Partha Shadowrun: 25-27mm to eyes<BR>
<BR>
Clearly, in the vast majority of cases the manufacturers that I buy from<BR>
have used "25mm" to refer to the foot-to-eye measure.<BR>
<BR>
According to Rafm, they decided to go with 20mm for their WWII and Vietnam<BR>
lines so that wargamers could use HO-scale models, which are fairly cheap<BR>
and widely available.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>> I got caught this was with a Reviresco order. I ordered 60 "25mm" WWI<BR>
>> soldiers, only to get 60 "20mm" soldiers. Sure, they were 25mm to the top<BR>
>> of their hats, but they were a lot smaller than any of my other 25mm<BR>
>> figures (which are mostly 25mm from feet to eyes).<BR>
><BR>
>This is further confused by the fact that some people think 25mm equates to<BR>
>1/76th scale , such a figure being about 23.5 mm to the top of the head.<BR>
><BR>
>It's possible that these figures may have been designed for that, as many<BR>
>WWI and WWII figures are sized to match up with Airfix AFV kits in 1/76th.<BR>
<BR>
They were. And they are nice figures, too, they are just the wrong size for<BR>
me -- in that I have a large collection* of 25mm figures.<BR>
<BR>
*350 painted, 700 unpainted.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 13:40:18 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> From: Thom Harris <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
>> Leonard it was $1.00 per ounce of silver. A silver dollar was 1 ounce<BR>
>> exactly. Gold was $20.00 an ounce and that made the $20.00 gold piece 1<BR>
><BR>
> Was that the Troy oz. (480 grains) or the Avoirdupois oz. (437.5 grains)?<BR>
<BR>
For the gold, it was a troy ounce. For the silver, it was neither<BR>
because he's got the weight wrong.<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, 16 Jan 2000 13:41:28 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On 01/14/2000 23:08, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
>> BTW, can you imagine how big this makes a D&D silver<BR>
>>piece at *10* to the pound?<BR>
><BR>
> 700/480 or 700/437.5 times the size of a US (or most other<BR>
> nations') specie dollar.<BR>
<BR>
Sorry, but the "silver dollar" doesn't weigh an ounce. See my other<BR>
message where I report on actual *weighings* of both dollars and<BR>
quarters. *Multiple* dollars and quarters.<BR>
<BR>
> If the later, that would be exactly 1.6 times.  If the former, aprox.<BR>
> 1.458 times.<BR>
<BR>
Again, a silver dollar weighs 1/20th of a avdp. *pound*. That's 8/10ths<BR>
of an avdp ounce. <BR>
<BR>
A D&D silver piece will have *double* the volume. Cube root of 2 is<BR>
~1.26 so if you maintained the proportions, it'd be 26% bigger in every<BR>
dimension. or about 48mm in diameter by a bit over 3 mm thick.<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, 16 Jan 2000 13:50:29 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: US Coin Sizes (was Re: 3I Money)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On 01/15/2000 15:00, Black ICE wrote:<BR>
>> <BR>
>> I get 27 mm diameter, and 2 mm thickness for the "Carter Quarter."<BR>
><BR>
> Damn. I thought they were closer than that. I've heard in certain quarters<BR>
> (so to speak) that they're called "porno bucks" because supposedly they're<BR>
> doled out in those types of shops.<BR>
><BR>
> I was kinda disappointed in the SBA dollar coin because it should not have<BR>
> been so close in size to the regular quarter.<BR>
<BR>
They didn't *really* have a choice. From complaints over the years,<BR>
they knew it'd *have* to be made smaller than the half dollar. And if<BR>
you stack up the dime, penny, nickel, quarter, you'll see that the size<BR>
progression is such that you *can't* really fit a new coin into the<BR>
"gap" between them (in each case the larger coin is only about 2mm<BR>
bigger than the smaller one). That leaves the gap between the quarter<BR>
and the half. And the SBA is in that gap. <BR>
<BR>
They could have made it an mm or so bigger, but remember that the bif\g<BR>
compliant was that halves and dollar coins were *too* big. <BR>
<BR>
> I hope when the Sacajawea coin comes out it'll be different, and not<BR>
> just in the color of the coin itself.<BR>
<BR>
Again, not bloody likely. There's no place to *put* a different size<BR>
without making it "too big". You might (just barely) be able to squeeze<BR>
it in between the SBA and the 50 cent piece. But I'm not sure that'd go<BR>
over really well either. <BR>
<BR>
And you'd just about have to hold the vending machine industry at<BR>
gunpoint to make them change the coin mechanisms *again*.<BR>
<BR>
There may be other considerations as well. For exanple, you have to<BR>
make sure that there aren't any common, *cheap* foreign coins that are<BR>
"close enough" to the size of your "new coin" to let them be used<BR>
instead of it in vending machines. Because *somebody* will notice and<BR>
word will spread thru the "underground". <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, 16 Jan 2000 14:03:42 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>>On Behalf Of Leonard Erickson<BR>
>><BR>
>>> In "Consider Phlebas" (which I recently found a copy of), the<BR>
>>> characters are on an "orbital" (mini-ringworld) and "hovering" a few<BR>
>>> hundred feet above a *huge* seagoing ship. One of them had missed the<BR>
>>> briefing and steps off their ship's boat relying on his suit's AG to<BR>
>>> lower him to the ship. SPLAT!<BR>
>><BR>
>>Sounds a bit silly. If it was big enough to have a huge sea-going ship in<BR>
>>it, it should have been big enough to have gravity without spin. May be not<BR>
>>as much as a planet, but still emough for the gravitics to work.<BR>
>><BR>
> I don't see why.  On the Earth you have *8000 miles* of matter below you<BR>
> gravitationally attracting you.  I think the orbitals were only *tens* of<BR>
> metres thick so you're only going to get microgravity.<BR>
<BR>
More importantly, on earth, the matter is between you and the center.<BR>
So the pull of each atom sums to a vector towards the center.<BR>
<BR>
An "orbital" is a giant ring, spun for "gravity". And you are on the<BR>
*inside*. So the pulls of the atoms partly so\um to a pull towards the<BR>
center and mostly *neutralize*. If it was a spherical shell, they'd<BR>
*all* neutralize.<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, 16 Jan 2000 13:33:30 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On 01/14/2000 23:08, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> In mail you write:<BR>
>> <BR>
>>> For comparison:<BR>
>>> a US penny is about 19 mm<BR>
>>> a US nickel is about 21 mm<BR>
>>> a US dime is about 17 mm<BR>
>>> a US quarter is about 24 mm<BR>
>>> a US half dollar is about 30 mm<BR>
>>> a Canadian $1 (loony) coin is about 26 mm.<BR>
<BR>
<snip><BR>
<BR>
> How big is the following:<BR>
> 1) Old US Susan B. Anthony $1 coin<BR>
<BR>
See above. Same size as the "loony". <BR>
<BR>
> 2) New US Sacajawea $1 coin<BR>
<BR>
I haven't seen one, but as far as I know they are the same *size* as<BR>
the Susan B. They really don't have a lot of choice. Look at the sizes:<BR>
<BR>
      dime: 17 mm<BR>
     penny: 19 mm<BR>
    nickel: 21 mm<BR>
   quarter: 24 mm<BR>
SBA dollar: 26 mm<BR>
      half: 30 mm<BR>
<BR>
There's just plain not enough *room* between any of the sizes to insert<BR>
a new coin. Not unless you make it *bigger*, and that defeats the<BR>
purpose. <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: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 11:14:49 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re IRIS<BR>
<BR>
On 15 Jan 00, at 23:24, William F. Hostman wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> >Thus, off the top of my head, I see three possible conclusions:<BR>
> ><BR>
> >1.  IRIS exists, and Strephon (or his imposter) did not know of its<BR>
> >existence;<BR>
> ><BR>
> >2.  IRIS exists, and Strephon was not truthful in his journals;<BR>
> ><BR>
> >3.  IRIS, rather than being an actual Imperial agency, is a group of<BR>
> >unscrupulous intel weenies who are taking advantage of the chaos of the<BR>
> >Rebellion to make a naked power grab.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >I'm sure that there are other possibilities, but they don't occur to me<BR>
> >at the moment.<BR>
> <BR>
> 4. IRIS is created by the Moot between the assasination and Lucan actually<BR>
> banning the moot from meeting. Thus Strephon would have a good reason not<BR>
> to know of it, it would have the specified duty, and woudl be a new thing<BR>
> as of 1117, probably being taken from IISS and IN Intel types.<BR>
<BR>
Last I heard the moot has only one power: to dissolve the Imperium, <BR>
not to make new Imperial Intel organisations. Besides when Lucan <BR>
illegaly dissolved the moot for a year any new moot that sat would've <BR>
effectively have been his puppet and anything it formed only valid in <BR>
his chunk of the Imperium.<BR>
<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: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 11:14:49 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: Weird food (OT reply)<BR>
<BR>
On 16 Jan 00, at 16:44, The Roc wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> However, from when I was a child, we used to have baked or stewed rabbit<BR>
> (we hunted them ourselves), but here (Queensland's Gold Coast) they are<BR>
> not so common and are pretty rare.<BR>
<BR>
I always liked my rabbit well done :)<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, 16 Jan 2000 14:07:38 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On Sat, 15 Jan 2000, you wrote:<BR>
>> >The ObTrav should be obvious. *Is* it cannibalism to grow human meat in<BR>
>> >a carniculture vat and then eat it? And is it "wrong"?<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Yes, if you don't want to get sick :)<BR>
>> Cannibalism's main drawback is that it is far too easy to get sick from<BR>
>> something living in human flesh.<BR>
>> <BR>
>> TV<BR>
><BR>
> Excuse me for missing something here, but why is it so dangerous to eat human<BR>
> flesh?  What is so special about it compared to other 'normal' food animals?<BR>
<BR>
Because the genetic (and physiological) differences between a human and<BR>
a typcial food animal are *huge*. That makes cross infection difficult.<BR>
And mostly limited to a few parasites (trichinosis, for example). <BR>
<BR>
But one human is essentially *identical* to another human as far as<BR>
disease organisms are concerned. <BR>
<BR>
So if you eat people, you have to avoid not mere the ones that are<BR>
*obviously* sick, but also the ones who are infected, but not showing<BR>
symptoms. That's both the recently infected and *carriers* (people with<BR>
a natural immunity such that they aren't affected by the organism, but<BR>
it can flourish in their systems. Look up "Typhoid Mary").<BR>
<BR>
> I remember reading a Niven/Pournelle book about the fall of civilisation on<BR>
> earth after an asteroid hit - or somthing, it was about ten years ago I read <BR>
> it - that had a bunch of canibals roaming the country.  They picked up a<BR>
> gynocologist [sp?] who told the band leader that it was advisable not to eat<BR>
> the sick.  Does this imply that healthy 'donors' don't have these things <BR>
> living in their flesh?<BR>
<BR>
"Healthy" appearing people are *less likely* to be infected. But you<BR>
still need to cook them *well* done. And avoid certain tissues. <BR>
<BR>
Of course, now that we known more about kuru and other prion diseases,<BR>
even that may not be enough precautions.<BR>
<BR>
> One thing I licked about this group was how they gained new members:<BR>
> capture a goup of people for induction, corral them with some cooked<BR>
> human, and tell them to eat or they are on the menu next.  How would<BR>
> your characters react to being put in that position?<BR>
<BR>
Well, you tell yourself that *you* didn't cause the person to be<BR>
killed, and then you (reluctantly) eat. <BR>
<BR>
At least that's how folks who've had to resort to eating dead members<BR>
of their group in emergency situations have justified it. And the laws<BR>
(and most churches) *do* recognize a distinction between eating people<BR>
who were dead, and killing people for the purpose of eating them.<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, 16 Jan 2000 16:06:48 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/16/00 at 04:01 PM,  SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>At 21:09 -0500 15/1/00, eris@pcola.gulf.net wrote:<BR>
>> >The BITS product 'The Long Way Home'  deals in some part with this  style<BR>
>> >of technology as Ancient 'jump tunnels'.<BR>
>> >I seem to recall the TML screaming 'it's not canon' repeatedly when  the<BR>
>> >IG versions of the books came out.<BR>
>><BR>
>>The widespread appearance and use there of, isn't...as you well<BR>
>>know.  <g><BR>
<BR>
>I agree, but the scenario had a single jump tunnel...<BR>
<BR>
>>Of course, different isn't always bad...<BR>
<BR>
>Bah! Just what I'd expect the Heretic's Heretic to say!<BR>
<BR>
Traveller is a multifold path to Enlightenment, young grasshopper. ;-p<BR>
<BR>
>But seriously, I bought TLWH before I got involved with BITS, and  didn't<BR>
>have a problem with it. TLWH has a one off artifact, no more  dubious<BR>
>than Twilight's Peak or the Pocket Universe's of Grandfather.<BR>
<BR>
I didn't have a problem with it either, nor Twilight's Peak or<BR>
Grandpapa's private reserve.  I don't have a problem with the<BR>
occasional time machine, AM asteroid belts, or mysterious psionics.<BR>
I just make such things rare and rarer. <g><BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 11:33:00 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: US Coin Sizes (was Re: 3I Money)<BR>
<BR>
On 16 Jan 00, at 13:50, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> There may be other considerations as well. For exanple, you have to<BR>
> make sure that there aren't any common, *cheap* foreign coins that are<BR>
> "close enough" to the size of your "new coin" to let them be used instead<BR>
> of it in vending machines. Because *somebody* will notice and word will<BR>
> spread thru the "underground". <BR>
<BR>
When I was on an Army exercise in Australia in 1992 my fellow <BR>
soldiers and I discovered that our NZ $1 coins were close enough in <BR>
size to an Aussie $2 coin (which for some ungodly reason is smaller <BR>
than their $1 coin) that if you put it into a coke vending machine it'd <BR>
think you'd inserted the A$2 coin. As the drinks cost about A$2 <BR>
(IIRC) rather than the NZ$1 at home we were quite happy with this <BR>
discovery. On arriving home we found that the reverse doesn't hold - <BR>
the A$1 is too much smaller than out NZ$2 to work that way.<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, 16 Jan 2000 22:46:11 +0000<BR>
From: Paul Campbell <kemitixanzantix@freenet.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
On Sun, 16 Jan 2000, you wrote:<BR>
> In mail Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow) wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Because the genetic (and physiological) differences between a human and<BR>
> a typcial food animal are *huge*. That makes cross infection difficult.<BR>
> And mostly limited to a few parasites (trichinosis, for example). <BR>
> <BR>
> But one human is essentially *identical* to another human as far as<BR>
> disease organisms are concerned. <BR>
> <BR>
> So if you eat people, you have to avoid not mere the ones that are<BR>
> *obviously* sick, but also the ones who are infected, but not showing<BR>
> symptoms. That's both the recently infected and *carriers* (people with<BR>
> a natural immunity such that they aren't affected by the organism, but<BR>
> it can flourish in their systems. Look up "Typhoid Mary").<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
Thanks,  that was the missing link I hadn't figured out.  It seems obvious to me<BR>
now.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Paul Campbell<BR>
kemitixanzantix@freenet.co.uk<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 14:40:52 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re Encryption<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>Let's assume that we will use a 256-key, and scale the difficulty from the<BR>
>>known data on DES. The current machine will take about 3*10^74 years to<BR>
>>recover a 256-bit key. Let' assume that you can distribute the processing<BR>
>>over 10 billion computers on a high-pop planet. This brings us down to<BR>
>>3*10^64 years for a solution. If we assume that TL15 computers are 10^20<BR>
>>times faster than modern ones (and that's  a very generous assumption),<BR>
> then<BR>
>>we are now down to about 3*10^64 years.<BR>
>><BR>
>>So even at TL15, you probably can't break this strength of cryptography.<BR>
>><BR>
> Not using current technology, but quantum computers (or maybe something we<BR>
> haven't even thought of yet) may well be able to.  As I understand it a<BR>
> quantum computer could try multiple combinations of keys at once so a 256<BR>
> bit key could be cracked in something like 256 cycles - all theoretical at<BR>
> the moment of course.<BR>
<BR>
And if quantum computing is available, then the sort of *encryption*<BR>
that can be conveniently used gets harder in direct proportion to the<BR>
extent that cracking gets made easier. <BR>
<BR>
As long as you assume that the crackers and the cryptographers have<BR>
access to the *same* technologies, then it'll *always* be harder to<BR>
crack than to encrypt/decrypt. <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, 16 Jan 2000 14:46:41 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On 01/15/00 at 12:12 PM,  Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com> said:<BR>
><BR>
>>>From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
><BR>
>>>Just how strictly do the K'Kree define carnivory?  Would the <BR>
>>>following be defined as carnivores?<BR>
>>[deletion]<BR>
>>>Where do they draw the line?<BR>
><BR>
>>If you ask a K'Kree, the answer will probably be:  "Typical<BR>
>>human, looking for a rule to follow like a line in the sand that he can<BR>
>>walk right up to and sniff.  The stench of that thought is killing me."<BR>
><BR>
> Said before (in the case of a K'Kree diplomat) or after (in the case<BR>
> of a K'Kree warrior) the speak tries to trample the human.<BR>
><BR>
> My take on K'Kree is that they would see *any* flesh eating as evil<BR>
> and a practice to be literally stamped out.<BR>
<BR>
They'll leave scavengers alone. They won't *like* them, but any<BR>
scavenger that *isn't* (as many of the larger ones are) an<BR>
"opportunistic hunter" will be tolerated. If only because they've<BR>
learned through experience that an ecosystem *requires* scavengers. <BR>
<BR>
If they encountered an intelligent race of scavengers, they'd<BR>
(probably) let them live. But they'd never "respect" them. Their<BR>
species name would probably become an insult. And they'd deal with them<BR>
as little as possible.<BR>
<BR>
K'kree are *far* more comfortable with *tiny* scavengers (earthly<BR>
equivalents would be insects, worms and other invertebrates)<BR>
<BR>
If you hunt or trap your food, you have to die...<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, 16 Jan 2000 14:53:54 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Linguistics<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Jory Earl wrote:<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Has anyone ever made a list of vowels, then consonants, rollable from a<BR>
>> chart, with percentages by frequency as they appear in the English <BR>
> language?<BR>
><BR>
> I'm sure of it (although I don't have such a chart).  After all, one of<BR>
> the tools used in cryptanalysis is statistical letter frequency.<BR>
><BR>
> Whether any SIGINTers out there are able to _post_ such a list is<BR>
> uncertain....<BR>
<BR>
They've been *published* in the open literature. My book on computer<BR>
aided cryptanalysis is in storage though. <BR>
<BR>
An "easy" way to get one is to do what the authors of the chart in the<BR>
book did. The had *hundreds* of newspaper articles entered into a<BR>
computer and then analyzed the frequencies. This was hard work back in<BR>
the 70s. <BR>
<BR>
*We* can simply grab web pages, or a week or two of one of the more<BR>
"literate" neswgroups, strip headers, quotes, and sig files, and run<BR>
our *own* analysis of what's left. <BR>
<BR>
ps. For what it's worth, the original tables were generated at Brown<BR>
University from a collection of text referred to as the "Brown<BR>
University Corpus". Maybe a web search will turn up references.<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, 16 Jan 2000 14:52:35 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Linguistics<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 11:21 AM 1/15/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>>Has anyone ever made a list of vowels, then consonants, rollable from a<BR>
>>chart, with percentages by frequency as they appear in the English language?<BR>
<BR>
Check books on Cryptography. Such charts are used in cracking ciphers.<BR>
"Hmm, this two letter combo shows up a lot....."<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, 16 Jan 2000 15:02:17 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Organlegging<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> One thing that does have me concerned is the fact that no one has yet dealt<BR>
> with the civil rights of a cloned human being, should one actually succeed.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, the was an article about that sort of thing in Analog. The<BR>
consensus is that there's no need for special laws. A clone is nothing<BR>
more (and nothing *less*) than an artificially generated identical<BR>
twin. And as such, has the *same* rights as any other human.<BR>
<BR>
Consider, clones will be produced the same way babies from "in vitro"<BR>
fertilizations are. They'll have the same rights as any other<BR>
fertilized human egg. That is to say, not much, until they are<BR>
implanted in a host mother, and full rights once they are born. <BR>
<BR>
> The political efforts of various governments has been to outlaw or to<BR>
> heavily regulate cloning research. I think these politicians should also be<BR>
> saying to the scientists, "OK, if you're gonna do this, any clone that is<BR>
> viable and is brought to term will have the FULL Constitutional Rights that<BR>
> the rest of us have. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."<BR>
<BR>
They don't have to. Because until and unless someone succeeds in<BR>
arguing in court that they *don't* (which *ain't* gonna happen!) they<BR>
*do* have such rights.<BR>
<BR>
The regulations are for the same reason they are regulating embryo<BR>
research, and handling of stored eggs, sperm, and fertilized eggs.<BR>
Because they *could* grow into a human. <BR>
<BR>
> If John Q.<BR>
> Public supports this approach, no problem, but if not, well, they're setting<BR>
> themselves up for another twin-tiered society.<BR>
<BR>
Nope, because the law would have to be *changed* to *create* a<BR>
difference in rights. <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, 16 Jan 2000 14:25:52 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re Encryption<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>You could always send the message first, or at the same<BR>
>>time as travelling. Or even use an encryption that the PCs<BR>
>>can't break and give them the message.<BR>
><BR>
> Just keep in mind that anything which can be encrypted, transmitted,<BR>
> decrypted, and then verified as to format will, by definition, be<BR>
> crackable.<BR>
<BR>
Nope. For example, one-time pads are not crackable. Period. There's no<BR>
"pattern" to exploit. <BR>
<BR>
> Oh, and let us not forget the RAIC "Crackers", which can crack<BR>
> 128bit DES in under 3 hours. (RAIC=Redundant arry of inexpensive<BR>
> computers.) Computing power will tend to climb; the problem becomes the<BR>
> physical limits of the media used....<BR>
<BR>
DES is *48* bit. Period. <BR>
<BR>
And just keep in mind that the array that can crack a 128-bit key (of<BR>
specified type!) in 3 hours will take *twelve* hours to crack a 129 bit<BR>
key, 2 *days* to crack a 130-bit key, 8 days to crack a 131-bit key, etc.<BR>
<BR>
bits	time<BR>
- -----	-----<BR>
128	3 hr<BR>
129	12 hr<BR>
130	48 hr (2 days)<BR>
131	8 days<BR>
132	32 days<BR>
133	128 days<BR>
134	512 days<BR>
135	2048 days (5.6 years)<BR>
136	8192 days (22.4 years)<BR>
<BR>
So by adding one byte to the key, we've got something that'll take more<BR>
than 20 years to crack. <BR>
<BR>
The trick is that for anything *worth* using as a cipher, you pick<BR>
algorithms that are such that you have an exponential increase in time<BR>
to crack versus key length.<BR>
<BR>
If computing power doubles, add a couple of bits to the key length and<BR>
the would-be crackers have *lost* ground.<BR>
<BR>
The trick with cracking DES, and even "triple-DES" is that DES is an<BR>
*old* "standard". If it wasn't for pressure from government agencies<BR>
that *want* to be able to read traffic, it would have been abandoned<BR>
5-10 years back. <BR>
<BR>
> Also, a good PC won't need to have access to a single machine, just a<BR>
> network he can virus. Hit a Pop8+, TL15 world, virus the net to run your<BR>
> cracking using the planetary net as one huge RAIC. Problem solved, at<BR>
> almost NO expense.<BR>
<BR>
Only if they have no defenses against having computer time hijacked<BR>
that way. Which is bloody unlikely. Otherwise the net would be brought<BR>
to a standstill. After all, if *you* can think of this so can several<BR>
thousand *other* people. <BR>
<BR>
We've had computer networks for only 30 years or so. They've had them<BR>
for 3 *millennia*. They'll have *real* security on their systems.<BR>
Because if they didn't, they'd be unusable.<BR>
<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: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 00:08:04 +0100 (MET)<BR>
From: Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk><BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
Jim Lawrie writes:<BR>
<BR>
>>>Pirates come from spacefaring cultures like Belters who live in a<BR>
>>>boom-or-bust cycle.<BR>
>>So you are assuming that nowadays Belters fly armed and armored jump-capable<BR>
>>ships large enough to pose a threat to an armed merchant?<BR>
> <BR>
>Armed? Yes. Armoured? Possibly. (Would belters require armour for their<BR>
>work anyone?) Jump-capable? No.<BR>
<BR>
So how does the Belter get to the destination world in time to intercept the<BR>
prospective victim? Or are you saying that he lives and works in the same<BR>
system where he intends to perform his piracy, in a ship that can't even<BR>
jump away afterwards?<BR>
 <BR>
>>>The informant is a customs officer and he gets a copy of the manifest via<BR>
>>>the x-boat system weeks before the merchant turns up,<BR>
>>So you are assuming that 1) the prospective victim is a regularily<BR>
>>scheduled freighter and 2) that the company files cargo manifests on their<BR>
>ships weeks in advance instead of when they actually load the cargo?<BR>
> <BR>
>I've worked in distribution and you do know in advance when shipments<BR>
>are due.<BR>
<BR>
You also live in a world where the speed of information is substantially<BR>
higher than the speed of travel. Which is not the case in the TU.<BR>
<BR>
>The x-boat route is much faster than the actual vessel...<BR>
<BR>
No it is not. The only time where an X-boat is sure to beat another ship to<BR>
a destination is when it leaves at least two days before said ship.<BR>
<BR>
>... and you need a copy for customs. This not just because its law, but<BR>
>because its the only way practicable.<BR>
<BR>
That may be the law in some (or even all) countries on Earth today. It is not<BR>
necessarily the law in the TU. It certainly isn't the ONLY way practicable.<BR>
Go back a couple of centuries and it wasn't _possible_ here on Earth, yet<BR>
merchants did manage to trade even so.<BR>
<BR>
>>So you are assuming that the real customs service will stand idly by while<BR>
>>this is going on? Or are you assuming that the world is large enough to<BR>
>>warrant a regularily sceduled freight service (and an X-boat link) but<BR>
>>can't afford any planetary defense forces? Oh, and you're also assuming<BR>
>>that this regularily sheduled freighter doesn't know that the world doesn't<BR>
>>have any customs ships?<BR>
><BR>
>As I've said before, this is based on what happens in RL. Specifically<BR>
>the Indonesain/Malaysian pirates. <BR>
<BR>
But 20th Century RL is not a very good model for how interstellar<BR>
transportation works in the TU. 16th Century RL would be a better model, but<BR>
not really a very good one either. A RL analogy of the TU would be a 16th<BR>
Century where merchant ships had the ability to teleport from just outside<BR>
the port of origin to just outside the destination. As for the Indonesian/<BR>
Malaysian pirates, they don't use ships roughly as expensive as their<BR>
victims', and they don't perform their deeds in outer space, where they can<BR>
be tracked by telescope to their lair. Nor does RL Earth have a<BR>
supra-national organistion with a policy of replacing governments that are<BR>
discovered to support pirates and the power to do so.<BR>
<BR>
>Stashing the boat in an asteroid belt is apparently easy. <BR>
<BR>
Tracking a ship is even easier. It may be dfficult to detect a single ship<BR>
a long way off, but that is due to data processing problems. Once you know<BR>
where a ship is, you can track it from across a solar system (provided it<BR>
gives of any heat at all).<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
      Hans Rancke<BR>
University of Copenhagen<BR>
     rancke@diku.dk<BR>
- ------------<BR>
        "The referee should determine the nature of subsequent<BR>
         events based on the individual situation."<BR>
                                _76 Patrons_, p. 8<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1768<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Sunday, January 16 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1769<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: Flightless birds<BR>
Re: Good info<BR>
Re: Minitures<BR>
Re: Encryption (PGP)<BR>
Re: Weird food<BR>
Re: 3I Money<BR>
Re: Re Encryption<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1749<BR>
3I Electronic Commerce (was Encryption)<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: Weird food (OT reply)<BR>
Re: IRIS<BR>
Re: Encryption (PGP)<BR>
Re: K'kree militancy<BR>
Re: IRIS<BR>
Re: Average TML UPP<BR>
RE: Distance between two worlds<BR>
RE: Distance between two worlds<BR>
Traveller Wonder (was Re: Dark Imperium again)<BR>
Re: Average TML UPP<BR>
SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Books 0-8<BR>
Re: Boarding actions<BR>
Re: UNCLASSIFIED Books 0-8 (collector ed)<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 00:18:00 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: Flightless birds<BR>
<BR>
I wrote:<BR>
> Have a look at the following page:<BR>
> <BR>
> http://www.satanic.org/<BR>
> <BR>
> It has a most adorable little penguin in it :-)<BR>
<BR>
Perhaps I should add that the page is heavily ironic, and has nothing to<BR>
do with satanism. Really. It's just a joke.<BR>
<BR>
Although the sysadmins responsible for the page DO claim that they sell<BR>
their soul to Satan to increase system uptime...  ;-)<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
 (taking care not to offend people)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 00:27:21 +0100 (MET)<BR>
From: Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk><BR>
Subject: Re: Good info<BR>
<BR>
Jim Lawrie writes:<BR>
<BR>
>    Canon allows for Homo Erectus, Homo Antecessor, Homo Heidelbergensis,<BR>
>Homo Neandertalensis and Early Moderns and Cro Magnons from Homo Sapiens.<BR>
>(I'm assuming periodic gathering expeditions.)<BR>
<BR>
All these were around 300,000 years ago? Remember that the Ancients period<BR>
only covers about 20,000 years centered around a date about 300,000 years<BR>
ago (information to the contrary in some MT books was erroneous). And they<BR>
didn't get around to raising humans right away.<BR>
<BR>
>    Has anyone come up with CT/MT stats for these species? What would a<BR>
>further evolved Homo Neandertalensis' society be like? I've heard them<BR>
>refered to as peaceful stay-at-homes, maybe they're STR F scholars (Conan<BR>
>the Librarian?)<BR>
<BR>
If they're humans (and they are supposed to be), then some Future Neanderthal<BR>
cultures MAY be peaceful, but odds are that they will be as warlike as any<BR>
other humans.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
      Hans Rancke<BR>
University of Copenhagen<BR>
     rancke@diku.dk<BR>
- ------------<BR>
        'There was a man,'  remarked Captain Eliot, 'who was sentenced<BR>
    to death for stealing a horse from a common. He said to the judge,<BR>
    that  he  thought it hard to be hanged for stealing a horse from a<BR>
    common  and  the  judge  answered,  "You  are not to be hanged for<BR>
    stealing  a  horse  from  a common,  but that others may not steal<BR>
    horses from commons." '<BR>
        'And do you find,' asked Stephen, 'that in fact horses are not<BR>
    daily stolen from commons? You do not!'<BR>
<BR>
                        --- "The Mauritius Command" by Patrick O'Brian<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 10:28:30 +1000<BR>
From: dadams@parracity.nsw.gov.au<BR>
Subject: Re: Minitures<BR>
<BR>
>>><BR>
We play using 15mm figs - Citadel, Laserburn, Stan Johansen, and Martian<BR>
Metals, mainly.  Much of the driving force behind this is the fact that we<BR>
have an extensive set of old Fasa, Seeker, and GDW 15mm deck plans for<BR>
various ships. Too, we use Roco modern vehicles and various SF models as<BR>
props; 25mm is much more limited in these respects...<BR>
<<<<BR>
<BR>
While 15mm is the scale of the old Trav figures, GZG in England make some great<BR>
vehivals and figures in 25mm (figures are true 25mm, the vehicals tend to be<BR>
slightly bigger for the GW "25mm" figures"). The New Israle and United Nations<BR>
Power Armour are very trav like. (Actually the range is more 2300AD, but there<BR>
are enogh Grav to keep Stiker fans happy).<BR>
<BR>
There is also a limited 15mm range from GZG, though I never have seen them.<BR>
<BR>
Darryl<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 15:24:11 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Encryption (PGP)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Suppose that DES is a well-designed algorithm, so that the best you can do<BR>
> is try all 2^56 possible keys to break the system. How does this compare to<BR>
> PGP?<BR>
><BR>
> Assymetric systems are based upon a mathematical problem which is easy to do<BR>
> one way but hard to do the other way. The most common system is the RSA<BR>
> system, in which the easy problem is multiplying two big numbers together<BR>
> and the hard problem is factoring a big number. If this is the case, we<BR>
> certainly don't need to try all possible keys. For example, to factor a<BR>
> number we can try only prime numbers less than the square root of the number<BR>
> to be guaranteed finding a  factor. By the prime number theorem, about<BR>
> x/log(x) of the numbers less than x are prime, so we have a much lower<BR>
> amount of work to do.<BR>
><BR>
> In the old days, before crypto export laws began to change, export quality<BR>
> (i.e. low-grade, weak) encryption was 40 bits for a symmetric algorithm and<BR>
> 512 for assymetric. This should give a good indication of the relative<BR>
> strengths of the two systems.<BR>
<BR>
Sorry, but the law made *no* distinction between symettric/asymettric.<BR>
The limit was 40-bit keys. *period*. Still is. :-(<BR>
<BR>
That's why there are two version of netscape. The "export" version uses<BR>
40-bit keys. If you are in the US, you can get the 128-bit(?) version.<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, 16 Jan 2000 15:13:24 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Weird food<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> A conversation between Kiri and Hiroshi, translated into English:<BR>
><BR>
> K:  "Oh, look, sparrows!  I love them!"<BR>
> H:  "Me too."<BR>
> K:  "They're so cute!"<BR>
> H:  ::strange look::  "Yes, it's a nice snack, but there are a lot of bones<BR>
> to pick out."<BR>
> K:  ::stranger look::  "Hiroshi, that's not what I meant."<BR>
> H:  ::alarmed look, realizing he has just semi-squicked SO::  "Just what<BR>
> *did* you mean?"<BR>
><BR>
> I am still amazed by this.  I questioned him several times that we really<BR>
> were talking about "suzume" (sparrow) and not a squab or pigeon, both of<BR>
> which I have eaten.   Apparently they eat them at some festival in Aichi.<BR>
> If I'd grown up over there, I'd have known this.<BR>
><BR>
> In any case, when visiting any new planet, there is sure to be at least one<BR>
> menu item you will find difficult to think of as food.<BR>
<BR>
Check the menus for some Roman banquets... Things like *mice*.<BR>
<BR>
And there's a Polynesian festival where they gather these "worm"-like<BR>
things that are basicly eggsacs of some marine critter. I've never seen<BR>
pictures, but from the description in one of Willy Ley's old science<BR>
essays, I get the impression of "gummy worms" blown up to the size of<BR>
medium large *snakes*...<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, 16 Jan 2000 15:20:50 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> (And who the heck *was* Sacajawea anyway?)<BR>
<BR>
An Indian woman who acted as guide for Lewis and Clark during their<BR>
expedition to explore the new territory Jefferson had bought from<BR>
France.<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, 16 Jan 2000 15:39:37 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Encryption<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson previously wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Nope. For example, one-time pads are not crackable. Period. There's no<BR>
> "pattern" to exploit.<BR>
<BR>
This is not entirely true. You have to generate the data for the one time<BR>
pad in some pseudorandom way. If I can determine the way you generated the<BR>
pseudorandom data I can read your system.  In a similar case, a few years<BR>
back, the pseudorandom number generator used by Netscape to implement SSL in<BR>
its browser was particularly bad, and what users thought was very strong<BR>
encryption was actually very weak.<BR>
<BR>
> DES is *48* bit. Period.<BR>
<BR>
Actually DES is 56 bits. See the standards FIPS 46-3, "Data Encryption<BR>
Standard (DES)" and ANSI X9.52-1998, "Triple Data Encryption Algorithm Modes<BR>
of Operation" for further detail.<BR>
<BR>
> The trick with cracking DES, and even "triple-DES" is that DES is an<BR>
> *old* "standard". If it wasn't for pressure from government agencies<BR>
> that *want* to be able to read traffic, it would have been abandoned<BR>
> 5-10 years back.<BR>
<BR>
Again, this is not entirely true. DES and 3DES are widely accepted in the<BR>
financial services industry. The FSI is probably the most conservative<BR>
around, since they stand to lose *lots* of money if their cryptography is<BR>
weak. You have to do a *realistic* risk assessment for your use of<BR>
cryptography, and the FSI has agreed that 3DES is adequate for their needs.<BR>
<opinion> I agree with them. </opinion><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 10:38:55 +1000<BR>
From: dadams@parracity.nsw.gov.au<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1749<BR>
<BR>
>>><BR>
  Or at least rather expensive (Geo-Hex fronts for the GZG stuff, IIRC?).<BR>
<<<<BR>
<BR>
In Australia, the GZG stuff is far cheeper than GW (We pay $A20-40 for a good<BR>
size vehical, commpared to $38-60 for a plastic GW kit.<BR>
<BR>
While I am not a GZG appologist, nor play one on TV, You can not go wrong with<BR>
this stuff (and the local distributer, Nik from Eureka will love me and give me<BR>
better discounts :-)<BR>
<BR>
Darryl<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 15:49:25 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: 3I Electronic Commerce (was Encryption)<BR>
<BR>
Pondering the effects of breakable encryption gives me this: no practical<BR>
electronic commerce in the 3I if cryptography is weak. All of the technology<BR>
used today and that which will be used in the forseeable future (i.e. that<BR>
technology which is still in the early R&D phase) to allow electronic<BR>
commerce relies on cryptography. Creating a legally-binding digital<BR>
signature relies on strong cryptography. Even ATMs rely on cryptography to<BR>
provide secure operation. This tells me that up to at least TL10 or so,<BR>
electronic commerce will rely on cryptography in a big way.<BR>
<BR>
What happens if you assume that cryptography is weak, perhaps due to the<BR>
perfection of a new technology or the invention of a device like in the<BR>
movie Sneakers? One major effect is to totally invalidate the current<BR>
paradigm for electronic commerce. So if we assume that this happens, how<BR>
does the 3I perform electronic commerce?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 23:50:21 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
At 18:08 -0500 16/1/00, eris@pcola.gulf.net wrote:<BR>
> >Bah! Just what I'd expect the Heretic's Heretic to say!<BR>
><BR>
>Traveller is a multifold path to Enlightenment, young grasshopper. ;-p<BR>
<BR>
Greatest respects, revered elder!<BR>
<BR>
> didn't have a problem with it either, nor Twilight's Peak or<BR>
>Grandpapa's private reserve.  I don't have a problem with the<BR>
>occasional time machine, AM asteroid belts, or mysterious psionics.<BR>
>I just make such things rare and rarer. <g><BR>
<BR>
It's a reason I have a problem with the idea of a canon Ancients <BR>
sourcebook. I like the idea that they can create/be a sense of wonder <BR>
and amazement in the universe. Detailing them more than 'Secret of <BR>
the Ancients' would destroy this.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 10:58:47 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Weird food (OT reply)<BR>
<BR>
> However, from when I was a child, we used to have baked or stewed rabbit<BR>
> (we hunted them ourselves), but here (Queensland's Gold Coast) they are<BR>
> not so common and are pretty rare.<BR>
<BR>
I always liked my rabbit well done :)<BR>
Rupert Boleyn <paradise.net.nz><BR>
Wellington, New Zealand<BR>
<BR>
    We're hip deep in rabbits down here in Tasmania. We could release a<BR>
couple of million up there if you like!<BR>
<BR>
    We had a bit in a scenario where the Free Trader crew were smuggling<BR>
illegal bioweapons in this terrifying Big Black Box With Flashing Lights On<BR>
It. They were offered a bonus to actually deploy the weapon by the patron<BR>
and when they were safely wrapped up in Vac Suits they opened the box and<BR>
after a lot of slow-door-opening descriptions out hopped some bunnies. Of<BR>
course the actual players were all australians so they blew the rabbits away<BR>
instantly and promptly desired to go back and pound on said patron, strange<BR>
behaviour for people who were prepared to release a plague or an MGM Alien!<BR>
    This cameo occured to me after I read that if the rabbit had been<BR>
introduced to Australia by a hostile power it would have been the most<BR>
successful act of war in history.<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 17:11:30 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: IRIS<BR>
<BR>
> Then there are the real world causes: IRIS started life<BR>
>as a _variant_ super-organization published in Challenge<BR>
>and created by Chuck Gannon. The appearance of IRIS in<BR>
>the OTU is directly related to Chuck becoming Line<BR>
>Editor ~two years later, and Strephon's quote in Survival<BR>
>Margin is directly related to Chuck's departure from GDW<BR>
>at the end of the MT era.<BR>
><BR>
> I found IRIS to be a rather offensive concept when it<BR>
>first appeared, was dismayed by it's transformation from<BR>
>variant to official, and overjoyed at Strephon's words in<BR>
>Survival Margin.  IRIS was never real in Chuck Gannon's<BR>
>sense in MTU. Not for a second.<BR>
<BR>
Agreed, on both counts.<BR>
<BR>
I edited out IRIS from my Rebellion-era campaign. Or rather, I left it in<BR>
as a 'regular' agency reporting to the Imperial family (think of the<BR>
American Secret Service). Meant that I didn't have to edit out all<BR>
references to "IRIS" from published materials, but kept the James Bond/Tom<BR>
Clancy superspy stuff out of my game.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 16:06:55 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Encryption (PGP)<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson previously wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Sorry, but the law made *no* distinction between symettric/asymettric.<BR>
> The limit was 40-bit keys. *period*. Still is. :-(<BR>
><BR>
> That's why there are two version of netscape. The "export" version uses<BR>
> 40-bit keys. If you are in the US, you can get the 128-bit(?) version.<BR>
<BR>
Nope. This is incorrecty. Leonard, would you care to lose some money (or<BR>
Traveller materials) in a friendly side wager? You can also refer to<BR>
http://www.rsasecurity.com/rsalabs/faq/6-4-1.html and related sections of<BR>
the RSA FAQ for some additional information. Doh! I may have just killed my<BR>
chance to make easy money.<BR>
<BR>
Both the 40-bit and 128-bit versions of Netscape refer to the length of a<BR>
*symmetric* key. I can break a 128-bit RSA key on my PC in a few seconds!<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 19:32:30 EST<BR>
From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: K'kree militancy<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 00-01-16 08:09:13 EST, you write:<BR>
<BR>
<< BTW, there is a  reference in canon that they consider the feeding of <BR>
infants by lactation to be carnivourous behavior. Was in a JTAS issue, <BR>
pre-MT. >><BR>
<BR>
I am unfamiliar with this reference -- can someone please provide me with <BR>
chapter and verse?<BR>
<BR>
Loren ("I wrote a lot of that stuff and that wasn't what was intended") <BR>
Wiseman<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 01:47:50 +0100 (MET)<BR>
From: Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk><BR>
Subject: Re: IRIS<BR>
<BR>
Peter Newman writes:<BR>
<BR>
>Strephon's exact quote is:<BR>
> <BR>
>"Who are these IRIS people? You'd think that I might have<BR>
>heard of them once or twice." [Survival Margin p. 28]<BR>
><BR>
>4. IRIS exists. Strephon's journal article questioned not the<BR>
>existence of the Agency but rather whether these particular<BR>
>people actually were high level IRIS operatives. Notice that <BR>
>he says "Who are these IRIS people and not "What is this <BR>
>IRIS agency?" Therefore Strephon is not denying the <BR>
>existence of IRIS, rather what he is saying is "I worked <BR>
>closely with IRIS, one of my government's spy agencies, and <BR>
>I do not recognize the names of these people."<BR>
> <BR>
>If a US President were to say "Who are these CIA people?"<BR>
>would you interpret this as "I have never heard of the<BR>
>CIA." or as "I don't know who these particular guys are.<BR>
>If they work for the CIA then they are low enough level<BR>
>personnel that I have never heard of them."<BR>
<BR>
The question is tainted by the fact that we all know that the CIA exists.<BR>
If someone from the previously never-before-heard-of "Inner Council"<BR>
appeared after the president had disappeared and claimed to have the right<BR>
of approval of the next president, you just might interpret a note in his<BR>
diary about "Who are these Inner Council guys?" differently, mightn't you?<BR>
<BR>
IMO either interpretation is possible, though the existence of an IRIS that<BR>
no one except the Emperor appears to have heard of before is so unlikely<BR>
that the "they exist" interpretation is marginal. But then, I am biased by<BR>
not liking IRIS in the first place.<BR>
<BR>
>It is perfectly legitimate to assume that IRIS does exist. This is,<BR>
>IMNSHO, the most logical reading of what Strephon said.<BR>
<BR>
At most it is an equally logical reading (I'd have to check the other quotes<BR>
about IRIS to decide if I agreed with that). But you are disregarding the<BR>
fact that the original article about IRIS specifically states that it is<BR>
a variant. Thus IRIS was not supposed to be part of the OTU. Whoever wrote<BR>
the TNS newsbriefs forgot that and put them in. Oops. I thought the solution<BR>
(having the IRIS of the newsbriefs be a bunch of con artists) was a very<BR>
ingenious one.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
      Hans Rancke<BR>
University of Copenhagen<BR>
     rancke@diku.dk<BR>
- ------------<BR>
        "The referee should determine the nature of subsequent<BR>
         events based on the individual situation."<BR>
                                _76 Patrons_, p. 8<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 23:30:46 GMT<BR>
From: Postmark Design Bureau <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Average TML UPP<BR>
<BR>
Luther Martin wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> A bit of TML trivia. Today, while waiting for engineering to reboot one of<BR>
> our servers, I was left with about 30 minutes to kill. Since we have a<BR>
> product release due in about 72 hours, I was looking for a quick diversion<BR>
> to keep my mind off the fact that our CEO would ask me first thing the next<BR>
> morning how things were going. (Does this sound familliar to anyone?)<BR>
> Anyway, I killed time by finding the average UPP of people on the Citizens<BR>
> of the TML web page.<BR>
> <BR>
> The results: the average citizen has UPP 787AA7. Do I believe it? It's<BR>
> probably close, although when the effects of aging are considered, the<BR>
> physical characteristics are probably a slight bit high.<BR>
> <BR>
Well chargen has quite a few opportunities for stat gain, especially<BR>
in the military carreers. And few members will have made more than<BR>
a couple of aging rolls.<BR>
<BR>
T4 and T5 are good at giving Edu bonuses, although CT players should find<BR>
it harder to justify an A average.<BR>
<BR>
The problems are Int and Soc. Pushing the average up to A for int needs<BR>
some good rolls, but there are lots of bonuses to Soc available.<BR>
Must be all those souts and army NCOs bringing the averages down. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Phil Kitching, http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo<BR>
Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Products Division<BR>
"Microwaving halfbaked ideas from across the galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 00:09:57 GMT<BR>
From: Postmark Design Bureau <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
Frank G. Pitt wrote:<BR>
> True,  but isn't this just the degenerate version <BR>
> of TSP with only two nodes you _must_ visit ?<BR>
<BR>
The difficulty with NP complete problems is not that<BR>
they are impossible to solve, just that the solution<BR>
becomes a lot harder each time another step is added<BR>
(exponentially, ie 2^n or 100^n or somesuch)<BR>
<BR>
So the travelling salesman problems is "given a list<BR>
of cities (A, B, C, ...) find the shortest route between<BR>
them, visting each once only, ending at your start point.<BR>
<BR>
To show this, I'm going to solve the TSP for<BR>
n = 1,2,3, and 4<BR>
<BR>
If there is one city, the solution is trivial;<BR>
<BR>
	A<BR>
<BR>
If there are two cities, the possible routes are;<BR>
<BR>
	A -> B -> A<BR>
	B -> A -> B<BR>
<BR>
but it only matters that start and end are the same,<BR>
so these are the same.<BR>
<BR>
for two cities, the rutes are:<BR>
<BR>
	A -> B -> C -> A<BR>
	A -> C -> B -> A<BR>
<BR>
again, these are the same<BR>
<BR>
for four cities:<BR>
<BR>
	A -> B -> C -> D -> A<BR>
	A -> B -> D -> C -> A <BR>
	A -> C -> B -> D -> A<BR>
	A -> C -> D -> B -> A <BR>
	A -> D -> C -> B -> A<BR>
	A -> D -> B -> C -> A  <BR>
<BR>
Again, half of these can be eliminated as duplicates,<BR>
which leaves only three route distances to calculate.<BR>
<BR>
(That's not technically a solution, but I'm sure you'd<BR>
 agree that if the distances between cities were known,<BR>
 the sums are easy)<BR>
<BR>
Unfortunately, the nature of the TSP is that if the<BR>
question is visit each of the American state capitals,<BR>
then any route you chose - even on foot - would be quicker<BR>
than waiting for the correct answer.<BR>
- -- <BR>
Phil Kitching, http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo<BR>
Postmark Design Bureau, Laser Communications Division<BR>
"For when your message must get through"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 00:36:17 GMT<BR>
From: Postmark Design Bureau <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
Frank G. Pitt wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> > The two-world problem can be solved by <BR>
> > dynamic programming, for example.<BR>
> <BR>
> What do you mean by dynamic programming here ?<BR>
<BR>
At a guess.<BR>
<BR>
Count the number of hexes on a straight line<BR>
between the start and end worlds and divide by<BR>
two to give the "minimum time to destination"<BR>
("time remaining")<BR>
<BR>
This calculation is repeated a lot in what follows<BR>
<BR>
Start at the first world and find all the worlds<BR>
that are jump 1 or 2 away.<BR>
<BR>
Go to each of these and find their "time remaining".<BR>
<BR>
The number of jumps to reach a world plus the<BR>
"time remaining" is the "minimum time via the world"<BR>
(route time"). For this world it is "time remaining" + 1<BR>
<BR>
Choose the world with the lowest "route time" and<BR>
find all the worlds that are in jump 1 or 2 away.<BR>
Ignore any that you have already reached.<BR>
For each of the remaining worlds calculate their<BR>
"time remaining" and "route time"<BR>
(now as "time remaining" + 2).<BR>
<BR>
Repeat again, noting that the world you choose might be<BR>
one from the first jump if your previous choice had<BR>
taken you down a dead end.<BR>
<BR>
If you keep following this method, as soon as you reach<BR>
your destination, it will be via the shortest route<BR>
(possibly one of many equally short routes.) If you want<BR>
to find all possibilities of that length, just continue<BR>
until no routes have a "route time" equal to your solution.<BR>
<BR>
This method guarantees to find an optimal route quickly<BR>
because it is easy to calculate tan accurate "time remaining"<BR>
which allows you to ignore lots of misleading routes.<BR>
routing algorithims become a lot harder when this is not so.<BR>
<BR>
Note that if you are interested in distance and not time<BR>
or different jump numbers, then adjust accordingly.<BR>
- -- <BR>
Phil Kitching, http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo<BR>
Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Products Division<BR>
"Microwaving halfbaked ideas from across the galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 19:59:50 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Traveller Wonder (was Re: Dark Imperium again)<BR>
<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> It's a reason I have a problem with the idea of a canon Ancients<BR>
> sourcebook. I like the idea that they can create/be a sense of<BR>
> wonder  and amazement in the universe. Detailing them more than<BR>
> 'Secret of the Ancients' would destroy this.<BR>
<BR>
That's the way I feel about a lot of Traveller canon. I think that you begin<BR>
to lose the sense of wonder when you start writing things out of the<BR>
universe to keep it consistent. Not that consistency is bad, mind you.<BR>
<BR>
Recently I regained that feeling of early Traveller, the idea that there is<BR>
a vast, potentially hostile universe... by playing a PC game called<BR>
Frontier: Elite II.<BR>
<BR>
Has anyone played this game? I imagine the Brits on the list would have had<BR>
a better chance than the Americans (the game had spotty distribution in the<BR>
U.S., and it was passed like a hot potato from Konami's shortlived PC<BR>
division to Gametek, which was in serious trouble from the start). Elite is<BR>
generally considered to be Travelleresque, but Elite II is so much like<BR>
Traveller that it's downright frightening and surprisingly "realistic" with<BR>
regard to circumstellar movement.<BR>
<BR>
Does anyone know if the programmer (David?) Braben was influenced by<BR>
Traveller in working on this series? If not, it is an amazing coincidence...<BR>
especially since the capital planet of the Empire is called Capitol. Which<BR>
sounds awfully familiar.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 20:41:06 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Average TML UPP<BR>
<BR>
Postmark Design Bureau wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> ><BR>
> > The results: the average citizen has UPP 787AA7. Do I believe it? It's<BR>
> > probably close, although when the effects of aging are considered, the<BR>
> > physical characteristics are probably a slight bit high.<BR>
> ><BR>
> Well chargen has quite a few opportunities for stat gain, especially<BR>
> in the military carreers. And few members will have made more than<BR>
> a couple of aging rolls.<BR>
> <BR>
> T4 and T5 are good at giving Edu bonuses, although CT players should find<BR>
> it harder to justify an A average.<BR>
> <BR>
> The problems are Int and Soc. Pushing the average up to A for int needs<BR>
> some good rolls, but there are lots of bonuses to Soc available.<BR>
> Must be all those scouts and army NCOs bringing the averages down. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
Well, Army NCOs may help bring the TML average Soc down, but we<BR>
certainly help _raise_ the average Int.... ;-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 13:34:46 +1100<BR>
From: "Hughes, Michael" <Michael.Hughes@cbr.defence.gov.au><BR>
Subject: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Books 0-8<BR>
<BR>
Have they been released yet? Anyone got a copy?<BR>
<BR>
Michael <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:40:44 -0500<BR>
From: "Thom Harris" <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: "Hans Rancke-Madsen" <rancke@diku.dk><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2000 6:08 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
> As for the Indonesian/Malaysian pirates, they don't use ships roughly as<BR>
> expensive as their victims', and they don't perform their deeds in outer<BR>
> space, where they can be tracked by telescope to their lair. Nor does RL<BR>
> Earth have a supra-national organistion with a policy of replacing<BR>
> governments that are discovered to support pirates and the power to do so.<BR>
<BR>
Ships used by pirates in the TU would more than likely be way less expensive<BR>
than the ships they go after, especially if they are huge cargo carriers<BR>
(bulk<BR>
oil ships and super freighters today) or luxury liners. If it were me, I<BR>
certainly<BR>
wouldn't go after armed merchants that might get off a lucky shot.<BR>
<BR>
> >Stashing the boat in an asteroid belt is apparently easy.<BR>
><BR>
> Tracking a ship is even easier. It may be dfficult to detect a single ship<BR>
> a long way off, but that is due to data processing problems. Once you know<BR>
> where a ship is, you can track it from across a solar system (provided it<BR>
> gives of any heat at all).<BR>
><BR>
>       Hans Rancke<BR>
<BR>
The ability to track these ships in Indonesia/Malaysia exists today if there<BR>
were<BR>
enough pressure put on the governments to do it. Gee, I wonder if they have<BR>
the<BR>
same problems in the TU...... that we have in RL? That might answer some the<BR>
"how can there be pirates" questions, huh?<BR>
<BR>
Thom<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 21:55:19 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy \(Colin Michael\)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Re: UNCLASSIFIED Books 0-8 (collector ed)<BR>
<BR>
My intel sources say that it went to the printer this past week and should<BR>
ship before the end of the month.<BR>
<BR>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>
Colin Michael, WebDev<BR>
www.downport.com<BR>
The Traveller Domain<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: "Hughes, Michael" <Michael.Hughes@cbr.defence.gov.au><BR>
> Have they been released yet? Anyone got a copy?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1769<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Monday, January 17 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1770<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: Average TML UPP<BR>
RE: Miniatures (longish)<BR>
Re: Minitures<BR>
Re: Encryption<BR>
Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re: K'kree and line drawing<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Encryption (including Traveller stuff)<BR>
Re: K'kree and line drawing<BR>
Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
Re: IRIS<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
RE: Traveller Wonder (was Re: Dark Imperium again)<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 19:04:27 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Average TML UPP<BR>
<BR>
Actually, an Int of A is not really that high. If you roll 10 on 2d6 you<BR>
have rolled better than 30/36 of the typical rolls, so your roll puts you in<BR>
about the 83rd percentile. I easily believe that the typical TML reader can<BR>
claim this. (The average *poster* is a different story, however.)<BR>
<BR>
For Edu, in the U.S., about 1 in 5 adults are college graduates, so a<BR>
*rough* estimate is that completion of a 4-year degree puts you at an Edu of<BR>
about 8 or 9. Adding another plus or two for independent reading and whatnot<BR>
and you are easily up to an average of A.<BR>
<BR>
Note that a stat of C is rolled 1 in 36 times, putting you at about the 97th<BR>
percentile. IMTU, I interpret levels above C as adding an additional factor<BR>
of 1/6, so that a D is equal to 1 in 216, or like rolling an 18 on 3d6, etc.<BR>
<BR>
And of course we are talking about people who have gained their abilities<BR>
and skills through real life, not through a char gen process.<BR>
<BR>
Army NCOs should, of course, have other skills like "showing up to work with<BR>
just seconds to spare" and "evading real work." You guys didn't fool me.<BR>
(Yes, that's one of those literary whatsits. Not to be taken too seriously.<BR>
Unless it means you.)<BR>
<BR>
> Well chargen has quite a few opportunities for stat gain, especially<BR>
> in the military carreers. And few members will have made more than<BR>
> a couple of aging rolls.<BR>
><BR>
> T4 and T5 are good at giving Edu bonuses, although CT players should find<BR>
> it harder to justify an A average.<BR>
><BR>
> The problems are Int and Soc. Pushing the average up to A for int needs<BR>
> some good rolls, but there are lots of bonuses to Soc available.<BR>
> Must be all those souts and army NCOs bringing the averages down. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 22:22:46 -0500<BR>
From: Bill Rutherford <worj@home.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures (longish)<BR>
<BR>
At 12:09 AM 01/17/2000 +1300, Frankie wrote:<BR>
<BR>
<Snippage occurs throughout><BR>
>The 25mm standard derives from the<BR>
>1" standard and thus is directly tied to<BR>
>the top of the head of a six foot tall<BR>
>man in 1/72nd scale.<BR>
<BR>
Again, depending on who you ask...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>Manufaturers who say otherwise are trying<BR>
>to confuse the issue, usually because they<BR>
>don't conform. That being said, the standard<BR>
>itself is unrealistic, so shorter<BR>
>figures are quite believable.<BR>
<BR>
That sounds right...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>Other scales are more recent, and thus<BR>
>may not have been derived directly, however<BR>
>15mm defined this way does relate directly<BR>
>to 1/120 scale, which is the scale one of<BR>
>the first manufacturers of "15mm" figures<BR>
>used for it's AFV's, so that was probably<BR>
>originally defined in the same way,<BR>
<BR>
Actually, 1/120th scale is the TT model railroading scale developed by <BR>
Harold Joyce in the US in the 1930s.  [Note: Most of the information in <BR>
this paragraph was drawn from a RailTech catalog]  WW II postponed TT <BR>
scale's market introduction until 1945 (The HP Products line of TT trains); <BR>
the scale flourished until the early 1960s, when OOO scale (later renamed N <BR>
scale), which was 1/160th scale, became popular.  Joyce sold the HP <BR>
Products line in 1969.  Early on, numerous companies (Kemtron, Lindsay, <BR>
Gandy Dancer, Star-Line, and several others) manufactured TT scale rolling <BR>
stock, equipment, roadbed, and accessories.  Tri-ang, Mellor, and Gem (in <BR>
the UK), Rokal (West Germany), and Zeuke (East Germany), all entered the TT <BR>
scale market. In the 1970s, the East German gov't nationalized Zeuke, <BR>
renaming it Berliner TT-Bahnen; this company carried the torch in Europe <BR>
until the Berlin Wall fell.  After reunification, Carlo Parisel tried to <BR>
rejuvinate interest in TT scale in the West; it flopped as far as <BR>
mainstream model railroading was concerned, though there's an enthusiastic <BR>
interest group in the National Model Railroading Ass'n, and a number of <BR>
garage concerns are cranking out models and accessories in the US.  The <BR>
scale, I undertand, is reasonably healthy in Europe<BR>
<BR>
...and of course, the 1940s originals from which the current Quality <BR>
Castings range is descended were 1/108th scale (go figure), according to <BR>
their manufacturer.<BR>
<BR>
>...From memory, the original way specified<BR>
>to determine this was to measure to the<BR>
>point of the chin, which should be 7/8"<BR>
><BR>
>Incidentally implying an average head<BR>
>height of 9", which from my memory of<BR>
>drawing ratios sounds about right for<BR>
>a six footer.<BR>
<BR>
That's what I understand.<BR>
<BR>
<A bunch of good discussion snipped...><BR>
<BR>
>The problem was all the plethora of Fantasy<BR>
>and RPG figure makers. When you're measuring<BR>
>the scale of an orc, who can say if it's<BR>
>the right height or not ?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Agreed completely and no way to tell!<BR>
<BR>
"Scales" vs. millimeters would be so much simpler...<BR>
<BR>
Bill Rutherford<BR>
worj@home.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 19:36:16 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Minitures<BR>
<BR>
>From: dadams@parracity.nsw.gov.au<BR>
>Subject: Re: Minitures<BR>
...<BR>
>While 15mm is the scale of the old Trav figures, GZG in England make some great<BR>
>vehivals and figures in 25mm (figures are true 25mm, the vehicals tend to be<BR>
>slightly bigger for the GW "25mm" figures"). The New Israle and United Nations<BR>
>Power Armour are very trav like. (Actually the range is more 2300AD, but there<BR>
>are enogh Grav to keep Stiker fans happy).<BR>
<BR>
  The vehicles are nice ( see ww.geo-hex.com ? in NorAm) and priced fairly<BR>
for what they are, but being so big that adds up pretty fast (OTOH, if the<BR>
Trav group in question are mostly mini's gamers the expense gets spread out<BR>
too, in all likelihood).<BR>
<BR>
  I use Grenadiers Traveller Imperial Marines, but upon finding the Power<BR>
Armor sets for Stargrunt (#'s SSN-355 & 353) I've decided to use those as<BR>
the Battledress (PA) troops and the Grenadier figs as the regular Marines<BR>
in (non-powered) Combat Armour; the other PA lines from GZG didn't (IMHO)<BR>
match up quite as closely in style.<BR>
<BR>
>There is also a limited 15mm range from GZG, though I never have seen them.<BR>
<BR>
  ISTR someone telling me that they're just a smaller version of the 25mm<BR>
Stargrunt line. I doubt that, but it would be cool!<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 19:42:38 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Encryption<BR>
<BR>
Luther Martin wrote:<BR>
> Leonard Erickson previously wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> > Nope. For example, one-time pads are not crackable. Period. There's no<BR>
> > "pattern" to exploit.<BR>
> <BR>
> This is not entirely true. You have to generate the data for the one time<BR>
> pad in some pseudorandom way. <BR>
<BR>
This is not entirely true. I can use a radiation source and a geiger <BR>
counter to generate my one-time pad. Serious cryptonoids *will* do <BR>
so. Short of that, modern BSD-derived operating systems (probably <BR>
including Linux) make available a pool of random numbers which are <BR>
generated from very difficult-to-predict sources - the delay between <BR>
user keypresses or hard disk reads measured in *microseconds* - good<BR>
luck regenerating my randoms.<BR>
<BR>
> In a similar case, a few years<BR>
> back, the pseudorandom number generator used by Netscape to implement SSL in<BR>
> its browser was particularly bad, and what users thought was very strong<BR>
> encryption was actually very weak.<BR>
<BR>
That's a problem with Netscape, not with one-time pads.<BR>
<BR>
- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 17:17:50 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> Actually, even with multifrequency lasers, there's not enough<BR>
>> *bandwidth* to transfer this kind of data over anything but a wired<BR>
>> link. A cable can have several hundred or even *thousand* optical fiber<BR>
>> "channels" each capable of several gigabytes per second (you can't get<BR>
>> a lot higher because light doesn't have a high enough frequency!)<BR>
>> And you can use multiple cables.<BR>
>> <BR>
>> But trying to keep that many *beams* aligned and focused, all from<BR>
>> something as small as an X-boat just plain *won't* work.<BR>
><BR>
> You should be able to get a few beams using the grav focusing technology<BR>
> of the Third Impuerium, so the closer the tender gets to the x-boat the<BR>
> more channels you can transfer data across. You wouldn't only use laser<BR>
> comm, you would use any comm device which can move data, the menson<BR>
> comm, the radio etc.<BR>
<BR>
Trouble is, *all* the bands below visible light have a *total* capacity<BR>
less than that of the visible light band. Really!<BR>
<BR>
And meson comm has to have pretty limited bandwidth for various<BR>
reasons. Besides, meson comms take up a fair amount of room.<BR>
  <BR>
>> So that's another reason for tenders. An X-boat pops in, establishes<BR>
>> radio/laser contact and starts sending the "low" volume stuff (plain<BR>
>> text email). Once the tender grapples the X-boat, they connect the<BR>
>> cables and the *real* download happens. And the data is routed to the<BR>
>> waiting X-boats.<BR>
><BR>
> I'd say the high priority stuff goes across the lasers, and the download<BR>
> dose the lower priority traffic, but then YMMV.<BR>
<BR>
It depends on the *volume* AND on the *security* required. High<BR>
security stuff won't be sent over anything but a direct cable link.<BR>
Medium security can be sent via tight beam, but only when the beam<BR>
spread can be kept small enough that none goes past the target ship. <BR>
Low security can be broadcast, with encryption.<BR>
  <BR>
>> BTW, the "switch" for routing all this stuff is essentially as sort of<BR>
>> specialized (and likely *expensive*) computer.<BR>
><BR>
> That's what they are today.<BR>
<BR>
Exactly.<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, 16 Jan 2000 18:48:32 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>> You can get CJD in cattle as well.  My point was why is it so<BR>
>> dangerous to eat *human* flesh?  We can get CJD from cattle,<BR>
>> scrapies from sheep.  Why is human flesh so much more dangerous?<BR>
>> From what was being said I got the impression that just about anyone<BR>
>> you chose to eat would be putting your self at risk.<BR>
 <BR>
> I shouldn't think that eating human flesh is any more dangerous than<BR>
> eating other substances, but that's just a assumption. I doubt there is<BR>
> any data cannibalism to prove this correct or incorrect due to it's very <BR>
> nature.<BR>
<BR>
But elementary biology/epdemiology does give the answer.<BR>
<BR>
If the rrisk on contracting a disease from a cow is 1, then the risk of<BR>
catching one from a human is 100, or even 1000. Simply because disease<BR>
that can jump species are *rare*, while *all* diseases can jump between<BR>
members of the same species with varying degrees of sucess.<BR>
<BR>
In order of danger:<BR>
<BR>
1. tranfusion/transplant<BR>
2. blood contact with broken skin, sexual contact, mosquitoes<BR>
3. eating raw flesh (of *your* species)<BR>
4. eating cooked flesh (of your species)<BR>
5. "normal" phsyical contact (with own species)<BR>
...<BR>
20. Eating raw flesh (of "related" species).<BR>
...<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, 16 Jan 2000 18:42:51 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: K'kree and line drawing<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
> ...<BR>
>>GT Alien races 2 deals with the question of parasites and microbes. Imagine <BR>
>>the reaction to the discovery that there are little gnaak inside of you . . <BR>
> .<BR>
><BR>
>   Tabloid headline: "K'kree spontaneous combustion explained!"<BR>
<BR>
Another tabloid: "Self-cooking K'kree developed!"<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, 16 Jan 2000 17:08:42 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>> My "best guess" is using metallic hydrogen and a *lot* of handwaving<BR>
>> you'll be able to store 1 bit per atom (proton) as the spin state of<BR>
>> the nuclei. Which gives all of 7.5e24 bytes per liter. And totally<BR>
>> ignores the problems quantum effects given anything that "dense".<BR>
><BR>
> Could you, with enormous hand waving, change the orbit direction of the<BR>
> electron?<BR>
<BR>
Electrons don't orbit. That's an *old* model before they got the<BR>
quantum physics worked out. Electrons have "energy levels".<BR>
<BR>
Also, in a solid, especially a *metallic* one, the electrons aren't<BR>
tied to one atom. They form a "cloud" throughout the solid. Even in<BR>
non-metals, the electrons aren't fixed. There's only a *probability* of<BR>
any given electron being near any given atom.<BR>
<BR>
So the electrons aren't usable for storage of info at that level. <BR>
<BR>
And in all likelihood, you can't *really* make the spins of individual<BR>
nuclei line up arbitrarily, nor keep them that way if you could. But<BR>
it's a lot less of a handwave, and *might* be possible.<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, 16 Jan 2000 20:14:44 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Encryption (including Traveller stuff)<BR>
<BR>
I promise that this is my last comment on cryptography. I just hope that I<BR>
can keep the promise.<BR>
<BR>
> ><BR>
> > This is not entirely true. You have to generate the data for the one<BR>
time<BR>
> > pad in some pseudorandom way.<BR>
><BR>
> This is not entirely true. I can use a radiation source and a geiger<BR>
> counter to generate my one-time pad. Serious cryptonoids *will* do<BR>
> so. Short of that, modern BSD-derived operating systems (probably<BR>
> including Linux) make available a pool of random numbers which are<BR>
> generated from very difficult-to-predict sources - the delay between<BR>
> user keypresses or hard disk reads measured in *microseconds* - good<BR>
> luck regenerating my randoms.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Note the use of "not entirely." Many commercial systems, including the ones<BR>
my company makes, use thermal noise at a PN junction to generate random<BR>
bits, for example. Serious cryptography is always done in hardware, and your<BR>
key never leaves the protection of a hardware module. Software is usually<BR>
not as good. Usually, since a good software implementation will be better<BR>
than a bad hardware implementation. Don't bet on any software implementation<BR>
being good, though.<BR>
<BR>
If you trust the random numbers generated by UNIX, for example, look at<BR>
their spectral properties. Collect a large number of samples, and then look<BR>
at the Fourier spectrum of the data. The results will probably surprise you.<BR>
I know that they surprised me the first time I tried it. They are not<BR>
random.<BR>
<BR>
> > In a similar case, a few years<BR>
> > back, the pseudorandom number generator used by Netscape to implement<BR>
SSL in<BR>
> > its browser was particularly bad, and what users thought was very strong<BR>
> > encryption was actually very weak.<BR>
><BR>
> That's a problem with Netscape, not with one-time pads.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, it's an implementation problem. Almost all weaknesses which are<BR>
found in commercial cryptography are because of a careless implementation<BR>
rather than a poor design. With cryptography, the details are (almost)<BR>
everything.<BR>
<BR>
Traveller time!<BR>
<BR>
I envision all critical systems of the 3I, including cryptography, most<BR>
shipboard software, and so forth, to be generated using robust formal<BR>
processes in which the designer enters a high-level specification, and then<BR>
some sort of tool generates all of the hardware and software to implement<BR>
the formal specification. Each step of the generation process will have<BR>
undergone a formal proof of correctness so that the resulting system has a<BR>
fairly high level of correctness. Not perfect, but fairly bug-free by<BR>
today's standards.<BR>
<BR>
In fact, IMTU it is illegal to modify the code on ships or to introduce new<BR>
code which has not been verified. Much like today, when it is illegal to<BR>
modify the PROMs in your car which control then engine performance. But the<BR>
concerns for a ship are worse. You've got those lasers and missiles to<BR>
control. Even if you are not prosecuted, using unverified code voids your<BR>
insurance.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 22:33:08 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: K'kree and line drawing<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
> <BR>
> >>From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
> > ...<BR>
> >>GT Alien races 2 deals with the question of parasites and microbes. Imagine<BR>
> >>the reaction to the discovery that there are little gnaak inside of you . .<BR>
> > .<BR>
> ><BR>
> >   Tabloid headline: "K'kree spontaneous combustion explained!"<BR>
> <BR>
> Another tabloid: "Self-cooking K'kree developed!"<BR>
<BR>
I wonder whether we could convince these K'kree that A-1 is an excellent<BR>
liniment....  ;-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 22:31:10 -0600<BR>
From: "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Food and Culture - Disgusting Habits<BR>
<BR>
>If the rrisk on contracting a disease from a cow is 1, then the risk of<BR>
>catching one from a human is 100, or even 1000. Simply because disease<BR>
>that can jump species are *rare*, while *all* diseases can jump between<BR>
>members of the same species with varying degrees of sucess.<BR>
<BR>
Thats my point, even if I couldn't explain it myself :)<BR>
<BR>
TV<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 21:38:13 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: IRIS<BR>
<BR>
>>If a US President were to say "Who are these CIA people?"<BR>
>>would you interpret this as "I have never heard of the<BR>
>>CIA." or as "I don't know who these particular guys are.<BR>
>>If they work for the CIA then they are low enough level<BR>
>>personnel that I have never heard of them."<BR>
><BR>
>The question is tainted by the fact that we all know that the CIA exists.<BR>
>If someone from the previously never-before-heard-of "Inner Council"<BR>
>appeared after the president had disappeared and claimed to have the right<BR>
>of approval of the next president, you just might interpret a note in his<BR>
>diary about "Who are these Inner Council guys?" differently, mightn't you?<BR>
><BR>
>IMO either interpretation is possible, though the existence of an IRIS that<BR>
>no one except the Emperor appears to have heard of before is so unlikely<BR>
>that the "they exist" interpretation is marginal. But then, I am biased by<BR>
>not liking IRIS in the first place.<BR>
<BR>
Another interpretation of Strephon's question: "Who do these IRIS people<BR>
think they are?". <BR>
<BR>
>At most it is an equally logical reading (I'd have to check the other quotes<BR>
>about IRIS to decide if I agreed with that). But you are disregarding the<BR>
>fact that the original article about IRIS specifically states that it is<BR>
>a variant.<BR>
<BR>
Now that I've heard from several different people on IRIS and its function,<BR>
I've decided what to do IMTU. I originally used them because I wanted to<BR>
have some other secret covert Imperial government agency working at cross-<BR>
purposes to the PC's, who themselves are working for a secret covert<BR>
Imperial government agency. I've heard the name IRIS here and there (along<BR>
with others such as ISIS and IBIS), and it's a cool acronym -- IRIS, the<BR>
eye that Sees All.<BR>
<BR>
Anyway, IMTU, IRIS is going to be a MIB-type special ops agency -- black<BR>
bag stuff. What the CIA might be if they operated within the US. YMMV.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks, all.<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: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 18:05:24 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Robert Prior<BR>
> >If it was to the eyes it would represent <BR>
> > a person almost half an inch taller<BR>
> >than six feet<BR>
> <BR>
> I'd just measured several dozen miniatures, <BR>
> all billed as "25mm" in the catalogue <BR>
> (or on the package). Here are the results:<BR>
><BR>
> Clearly, in the vast majority of cases <BR>
> the manufacturers that I buy from have <BR>
> used "25mm" to refer to the foot-to-eye measure.<BR>
<BR>
So the majority of those figures therefore <BR>
represent men (or whatever) that are about <BR>
six and a half feet tall.  <BR>
<BR>
Of course, just because they claim they are <BR>
25mm scale, doesn't mean they're_right_<BR>
<BR>
Try measuring something on them that you know <BR>
the real world length of, a musket perhaps, <BR>
multiplying by 72, and comparing against the <BR>
real world measurement. <BR>
<BR>
All those companies are johnny-come-latelys anyway. <BR>
Where were they in 1880 when the standard was defined ?<BR>
<grin><BR>
<BR>
Frankie <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 21:01:51 -0800<BR>
From: "James W. Lindsay" <jlindsay@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, 15 Jan 2000 15:37:25 -0600, eris@pcola.gulf.net wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> On 01/15/00 at 03:28 PM,  SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com> said:<BR>
> <BR>
> >At 21:17 -0500 14/1/00, shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) wrote:<BR>
> >>It occurs to me that Stargates *aren't* incompatible with Traveller.<BR>
> >>They *do* change things, but if they are scattered half as widely as on<BR>
> >>the show most of them are *way* outside "known space". And they are<BR>
> >>kinda small to move huge cargos thru.<BR>
> >><BR>
> >>But if you did put some in the Traveller universe, and kept them as<BR>
> >>"ancient tech" which can't be duplicated or even just something that<BR>
> >>requires *incredibly* rare materials to build, you'd only change things<BR>
> >>a bit.<BR>
> <BR>
> >The BITS product 'The Long Way Home'  deals in some part with this  style<BR>
> >of technology as Ancient 'jump tunnels'.<BR>
> <BR>
> >I seem to recall the TML screaming 'it's not canon' repeatedly when  the<BR>
> >IG versions of the books came out.<BR>
> <BR>
> The widespread appearance and use there of, isn't...as you well<BR>
> know.  <g> <BR>
> <BR>
> Having lots of jump gates scattered around charted space *would*<BR>
> change Traveller a LOT.  Information would travel almost<BR>
> instantanously among connected worlds, and much more rapidly as it<BR>
> radiated out from gate nodes.  This would allow more centeralized<BR>
> control over interstellar empires.<BR>
> <BR>
> IMO, common jump gates would make for a *very* different TU.  OTOH,<BR>
> a handful of gates with some built in restrictions wouldn't be too<BR>
> unbalancing.<BR>
<BR>
I remember reading recently in either "Survival Margin" or "The Regency<BR>
Sourcebook" about an *extremely* charismatic Vargr leader that popped up<BR>
around 1200 or so.  He was charismatic enough for the Domain of Deneb to<BR>
take notice of (said Vargr was capable of leading his people from a great<BR>
distance-- something that Vargr don't generally "get").<BR>
<BR>
Could the existence of even two (recently discovered) linked stargates in<BR>
the Vargr extents make such a scenario possible?  Eris has already pointed<BR>
out the advantages of coordinating communications over broad expanses.<BR>
<BR>
Just thinkin' aloud :)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
James W. Lindsay             Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada<BR>
http://members.home.net/jlindsay                    ICQ:#7521644<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
A professor is one who talks in someone else's sleep.<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 19:03:45 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Traveller Wonder (was Re: Dark Imperium again)<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Chris Seamans<BR>
<BR>
> Recently I regained that feeling of <BR>
> early Traveller, the idea that there is<BR>
> a vast, potentially hostile universe... <BR>
> by playing a PC game called Frontier: Elite II.<BR>
> <BR>
> Has anyone played this game? <BR>
<BR>
I still have it. <BR>
<BR>
> Does anyone know if the programmer <BR>
>(David?) <BR>
<BR>
Yep David. Also responsible for Rev's <BR>
on the BBC and later was involved with <BR>
Formula One Racing on the PC <BR>
<BR>
> Braben was influenced by<BR>
> Traveller in working on this series? <BR>
<BR>
Don't know, but in case it helps, the <BR>
original audio cassette-based Elite, <BR>
for the BBC microcomputer, came with a <BR>
background story "The Dark Wheel" written <BR>
by one Robert Holdstock,  ( perhaps better <BR>
known for his novel "Mythago Wood") . <BR>
<BR>
That novel is not very Traveller-like at <BR>
all, though accurate to the game. <BR>
<BR>
For example, they talk about "witch-space"<BR>
as the place you go when FTL, and the culture <BR>
does not seem to include an empire, merely <BR>
a group of enemy aliens known as Thargoids,<BR>
(which I suspect was a swipe at 2000AD's <BR>
resident alien editor ) and some shadowy <BR>
figures behind a powerful trading organization...<BR>
<BR>
Hmm,now where has that plot come up recently ?<BR>
<BR>
> If not, it is an amazing coincidence...<BR>
> especially since the capital planet of <BR>
> the Empire is called Capitol. Which<BR>
> sounds awfully familiar.<BR>
<BR>
This is not all that surprising, the <BR>
number of SF universes in which the <BR>
empire's capital is called Capitol <BR>
is probably quite high. <BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 22:00:20 -0800<BR>
From: "James W. Lindsay" <jlindsay@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
On Sun, 16 Jan 2000 17:08:42 PST, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
> <BR>
> ><BR>
> >> My "best guess" is using metallic hydrogen and a *lot* of handwaving<BR>
> >> you'll be able to store 1 bit per atom (proton) as the spin state of<BR>
> >> the nuclei. Which gives all of 7.5e24 bytes per liter. And totally<BR>
> >> ignores the problems quantum effects given anything that "dense".<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Could you, with enormous hand waving, change the orbit direction of the<BR>
> > electron?<BR>
> <BR>
> Electrons don't orbit. That's an *old* model before they got the<BR>
> quantum physics worked out. Electrons have "energy levels".<BR>
> <BR>
> Also, in a solid, especially a *metallic* one, the electrons aren't<BR>
> tied to one atom. They form a "cloud" throughout the solid. Even in<BR>
> non-metals, the electrons aren't fixed. There's only a *probability* of<BR>
> any given electron being near any given atom.<BR>
<BR>
So how does the current "cloud" theory work with regards to ions?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
James W. Lindsay             Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada<BR>
http://members.home.net/jlindsay                    ICQ:#7521644<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
A professor is one who talks in someone else's sleep.<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 00:32:26 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/17/00 at 12:21 AM,  SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>>Traveller is a multifold path to Enlightenment, young grasshopper. ;-p<BR>
<BR>
>Greatest respects, revered elder!<BR>
<BR>
Hee, I don't know about revered, but elder does fit. <g><BR>
<BR>
>> didn't have a problem with it either, nor Twilight's Peak or<BR>
>>Grandpapa's private reserve.  I don't have a problem with the<BR>
>>occasional time machine, AM asteroid belts, or mysterious psionics.<BR>
>>I just make such things rare and rarer. <g><BR>
<BR>
>It's a reason I have a problem with the idea of a canon Ancients <BR>
>sourcebook. I like the idea that they can create/be a sense of wonder <BR>
>and amazement in the universe. Detailing them more than 'Secret of  the<BR>
>Ancients' would destroy this.<BR>
<BR>
Yes, I certainly agree that detailed descriptions of the "Ancients"<BR>
would tend to channel many people's perception of them along the<BR>
published route.  How's that for being circumspect?  ;-> <BR>
<BR>
If the sourcebook is viewed as *a* view of the universe, a set of<BR>
uidelines, then it need not remove the sense of mystery and wonder.<BR>
That's not how an sourcebook would be viewed by the canonists, of<BR>
course.<BR>
<BR>
Eris,<BR>
    fast approaching "old coothood"<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1770<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Monday, January 17 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1771<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>
Gamer types [OT]<BR>
[none]<BR>
Re Canibalism<BR>
Re: Gamer types [OT]<BR>
Re: Silly military quotes again, also, obscenities<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re Crypto<BR>
Re:  The great scout debate<BR>
Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Boarding actions<BR>
Re: Boarding actions<BR>
Re: Boarding actions<BR>
Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
Re: Scouts vs. merchants<BR>
Re: Someone to write to . . .<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Silver Coins (Was:  Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1750)<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 21:07:29 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Gamer types [OT]<BR>
<BR>
>> I've only ever used the orginal 15mm<BR>
>> figures.  Mostly we used cardboard counters<BR>
>> because we all came from wargaming backgrounds<BR>
>> and cardboard counters made sense to us.<BR>
><BR>
>Heathen  !<BR>
><BR>
>Carboard counters are not _wargaming_ that's _boardgaming_<BR>
><BR>
>_Wargamers_ use _figures_ !<BR>
<BR>
Young whippersnapper! Wargamers use counters on hexgridded maps. Parker<BR>
Borthers makes boardgames. The guys with the minis are either 3-D<BR>
Roleplayers or Simulation gamers! ;)<BR>
<BR>
Seriously tho, there was a time when wargamers were the counters of boards<BR>
types... and the classic boardgames were chess, checkers, monopoly and<BR>
aggrivation. And the minis types were "Historical wargamers" or<BR>
"Micro-armor" gamers. Ah, the days of Survival, 1776, and Tactics II...<BR>
<BR>
Traveller was one of the earlier games to try to maintain the<BR>
cross-fertilization between wargamers and role-players...<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 21:33:41 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: [none]<BR>
<BR>
>> 4. IRIS is created by the Moot between the assasination and Lucan actually<BR>
>> banning the moot from meeting. Thus Strephon would have a good reason not<BR>
>> to know of it, it would have the specified duty, and woudl be a new thing<BR>
>> as of 1117, probably being taken from IISS and IN Intel types.<BR>
><BR>
>Last I heard the moot has only one power: to dissolve the Imperium,<BR>
>not to make new Imperial Intel organisations. Besides when Lucan<BR>
>illegaly dissolved the moot for a year any new moot that sat would've<BR>
>effectively have been his puppet and anything it formed only valid in<BR>
>his chunk of the Imperium.<BR>
><BR>
No, they had two: to disolve the imperium, and to examin, confirm, or even<BR>
reject the new emperor. [MT Imp Encyc. p 32, GDW]<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 21:28:18 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Canibalism<BR>
<BR>
>> You can get CJD in cattle as well.  My point was why is it so dangerous<BR>
>>to eat<BR>
>> *human* flesh?  We can get CJD from cattle, scrapies from sheep.  Why is<BR>
>>human<BR>
>> flesh so much more dangerous?  From what was being said I got the impression<BR>
>> that just about anyone you chose to eat would be putting your self at risk.<BR>
<BR>
The problems with canabalism as practiced in PNG is that it was ritualistic<BR>
and shared, to if someone dies who has kuru, many are exposed, so the<BR>
population rapidly becomes higher.<BR>
<BR>
Plus, one general note about the food chain is in order:<BR>
<BR>
Carnivores and omnivores are concentrators of toxic substances... each eats<BR>
many herbivores, and becomes exposed to all their pathogenic substances;<BR>
those which are not eliminated are now (while maybe not individually) a<BR>
concrentration of pathogens. If, as the PNG canibals do, you eat your own<BR>
dead, there is a good chance of encountering the pathoges that killed<BR>
someone. If they died of CJD/Kuru, you have now introduced the prion form<BR>
of that protien, which will convert normal protien-forms it encounters to<BR>
prion forms. And, you have a much higher dose than random mutation has.<BR>
after a while, with repeated inculations of additional prions, you get<BR>
snowballing as you eat the people who continue to die. Oh, and since you<BR>
don't get high-concentrations until you're an adult,  you have time to<BR>
breed, pass on the tradion, and THEN get sick and die, and everybody in the<BR>
tribe quickly has the pathogenic prion at some concentration.<BR>
<BR>
Oh, and with human flesh, you also get exposed to any viruses and bacteria<BR>
that may be in the tissues, which, since they were in the tissues,<BR>
obviously were resisting the human immuno-response.<BR>
<BR>
This partly explains why most land predators seem to prefer herbivourous<BR>
prey... but not entirely.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 17:50:35 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Gamer types [OT]<BR>
<BR>
>Traveller was one of the earlier games to try to maintain the<BR>
>cross-fertilization between wargamers and role-players...<BR>
><BR>
>William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
<BR>
    GDW especially had a fondness for it, I think everygame they did came<BR>
out with some sort of WG componant.<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 23:10:26 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Silly military quotes again, also, obscenities<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
<BR>
>However a very simple way to insult someone in Japanese is to <BR>
>use a low-in-politeness pronoun for "you".  And you can nest <BR>
>these.<BR>
<BR>
To go in a slightly different direction, I note that in Thai,<BR>
royalty must be addressed in speech that is so laden with<BR>
acknowledgements of difference in rank that it is nearly a<BR>
different language.  This might play out in a similar way among<BR>
the Aslan, but not among any of the big three human groups.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 23:15:18 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
>It's interesting that, just as TMLers are discussion<BR>
miniatures,<BR>
>_Pyramid_ has an article this week about making starship <BR>
>miniatures out of golf tees.  (The author says the idea came <BR>
>from _2300_.)<BR>
<BR>
I really must subscribe.  An idea that I've had but have never<BR>
executed was to use some of the ordnance issued to the small<BR>
version of G.I. Joe.  These are all sorts of rockets and<BR>
missiles.  I have some, gleaned from yard sales, in my storage<BR>
unit, but I've never tried to modify or paint them (for lack of<BR>
space and time, but not desire or a belief in the existence of<BR>
talent).  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 22:33:44 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Crypto<BR>
<BR>
>><BR>
>> > Nope. For example, one-time pads are not crackable. Period. There's no<BR>
>> > "pattern" to exploit.<BR>
>><BR>
>> This is not entirely true. You have to generate the data for the one time<BR>
>> pad in some pseudorandom way.<BR>
<BR>
The verifiablitiy I was originally talking was NOT in the encryption, but<BR>
in the original message. With a sufficiently long message, a single use pad<BR>
cannot be cracked as a PAD, but individual sheets can be, provided the<BR>
message per sheet is long enough AND you have enough ability to throw at<BR>
something<BR>
<BR>
ForEx: If you know that accound numbers are, say xxx-xxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxx,<BR>
you look for a pattern in your coded end-result. If you know that there<BR>
will be two or more, you have something to look for. It can be brute<BR>
forced, if the message is long enough. HOWEVER, most uses of SUCP's are<BR>
short, and are code-words anyway... so the sample size is not enough. And,<BR>
if you have a public standard for the encryption, or even a published but<BR>
not public standard, that alone provides the parameters.<BR>
<BR>
Also, Single Use cipering has the same disadvantage of all encryption: you<BR>
have to pass the key AT SOME POINT.<BR>
<BR>
Look at PGP. You have to give someone your public key for them to send<BR>
encrypted to you, and you'll need their public key to verify they are from<BR>
them. You have to exchange keys. That's the weak link. And why PGP i<BR>
scalled "Pretty Good Privacy"... it's crackable, and quick, using massively<BR>
parralel architechtures.<BR>
<BR>
Now, for smartcards, you have the physical limits of the size of the card.<BR>
You can only fit so much into the card, so it has a limit not based upon<BR>
maximal computing power available for encryption, but maximum able to be<BR>
fit on the card. You can easily acquire a machine 1E12 time more<BR>
processors, being something about 1 Td, and still be right close. so you<BR>
can start running 1E12 decrypt attempts, by simple sequential keys. And,<BR>
assuming the "Correct" decrypt time is 1 second, you can hit 3600 tries per<BR>
hour per processor, for 3.6E15 attempts per hour, or 8.64E16 per day. So<BR>
you've temp backed up the nav comp... and have it's massively parrallel<BR>
architechture cranking for a while... once in jump, by what little I've<BR>
read in canon, it should be available.<BR>
<BR>
Now, looking to Bk8, said card of about 3cc's is 1/100'th of the size of 2<BR>
cpu and 1 storage of synaptic units, or even less of parallel units, so<BR>
it's probably about 1/100th as many  processors... and you can fit 10,000<BR>
synaptic processor units to a cumbic meter... and how many cumets to the<BR>
computer??? a good custom job with off the shelf units could be made in<BR>
someone's stateroom... and crank for a loong time.<BR>
<BR>
the trick with sequential application of sequential keys to an algorhythmic<BR>
crytography is that you need massively parallel structures to make ti<BR>
time-worthy. And you start each off in a separate point in the potential<BR>
key sequence, and have them try. Sine you are likely to find the key<BR>
between 1/3 and 3/rd's of the way through one processor's sequence, AVERAGE<BR>
cracking time will be 1/3-2/3 of the time to run ALL keys. Assuming that<BR>
the data protocols will also be standards, and be verifiable for content,<BR>
you simply run a verify on each decryted one. Say another 1 sec...<BR>
<BR>
1E56/1E17 is 1E39 days.... with a 1 cumet computer. Porbably can do more.<BR>
<BR>
Another thing to keep in mind is that for data to be useable, it must be<BR>
both verifiable (IE, you can make sure it hasn't been altered, AKA<BR>
checksums) and in the proper format. So, you don't need to decrypt the<BR>
whole message, just to the point where you get material not meeting the<BR>
known format's restrictions, say 1/10th or even 1/100th. [Yeah, you need an<BR>
insider, but that's easy with the lure of free money that can't be traced<BR>
directly to him tampering.] so you get to that point, and if you know there<BR>
is a date there, and the decrypt doesn't do a number in a reasonable date<BR>
range, you stop and move up to the next key. And for E-transfers between<BR>
banks, there WILL be some numeric only fields.... and others with alphnums.<BR>
and others with alpha only. and they will be in the same spot every time.<BR>
that's a "Verifiable format". if you get to that spot, and it matches, then<BR>
you decrypt to the nepoint where either one point fails, or you've got a<BR>
checksum to use, and then you check to see if the checksum is valid. once<BR>
you get there, you've got one of several possible "false keys", just keep<BR>
checking multiples.<BR>
<BR>
ForEx: Birate gets every computer he can salvage right after the 5Fw... has<BR>
his boys all go down and get an elmonit card at regina, (tl 12), and all<BR>
from the same bank (and branch). He now has his dozen samples. They go to<BR>
their "Haven", which is out in the reaches of wypoc's oort cloud. They've<BR>
got 17 "Prizes", of which 14 are welded into a base, the the others are<BR>
used for fuel runs (they're the ones with survivng jump-drives, and the<BR>
cargo holds have demountables....) to a GG. He powes up all those computers<BR>
in the "Bases" various holds, with them netowrked, and  starts cracking.<BR>
Once he's got several possible keys, he just applies them to the cards...<BR>
the odds are they were all done with the same private key. Then, once he<BR>
gets one that works, the boys all get huge "deposits" on the cards. They<BR>
turn over the enterprise to their next in lines, and move their families<BR>
out of the haven, and off they go, and since the cards have to be honored<BR>
if the got the right key... they trade the cards for ships at someplace<BR>
else, and then sell the ships at a third place, and run for darrian, or<BR>
solomani or sword worlds space with specie.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 23:43:03 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re:  The great scout debate<BR>
<BR>
>From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
<BR>
>Which brings to mind the question -- what are the attitudes <BR>
>towards porn in the 3I? Or would this vary regionally and/or <BR>
>from system to system?<BR>
<BR>
There are actually a couple of questions here.  (1) what<BR>
constitutes pornography in the Far Future?  and (2) what are<BR>
attitudes toward that?  <BR>
<BR>
In Brave New World, Aldous Huxley touches on (1) a little.  In a<BR>
future where everyone is made by machine, a biological mother<BR>
and father are objects of fear and loathing, and even the words<BR>
"mother" and "father" are powerful invectives.  <BR>
<BR>
I would expect that, in the Imperium at least, psionics would in<BR>
some ways be seen as dirty.  Telepaths are, after all, called<BR>
mind-rapers.  So stories or holovids about psionics might be<BR>
pornographic to many people.  We might even analogize to<BR>
contemporary snuff films, in cases where a psi-vid is rumored<BR>
not be special effects.  <BR>
<BR>
As to (2), I think the answer is, attitudes will vary.  After<BR>
all, there are an awfully large number of sentient species in<BR>
known space, and an even larger number of cultures. <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 23:52:35 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re Piracy & Elmonits<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Chauncey Smith" <csmith@ICDC.com><BR>
>That's a lot of cash floating around.  and alot of temptation..<BR>
<BR>
>from the crews of the battleships and cruisers who are acting <BR>
>as tax men.  One cruiser goes renegade.. and they are all set <BR>
>up for life.  especially at the increments you're dealing with.<BR>
<BR>
>Why doesn't that happen. entire  military crews go renegade and<BR>
<BR>
>then turn pirate.<BR>
<BR>
It doesn't happen often because they would become outlaws, cut<BR>
off from their homes, families, and other connections to<BR>
society.  Under normal circumstances, for most people, no amount<BR>
of money is worth it.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
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Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 23:56:43 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>From: JDoch226@aol.com<BR>
<BR>
>Several folks have mentioned the old Grenadier Traveller <BR>
>figures on this thread.  I'm dying to get hold of some of <BR>
>these, especially the Alien Mercenaries.  Anyone know where I <BR>
>might find them?<BR>
<BR>
Crazy Igor's wish list<BR>
rec.games.frp.marketplace<BR>
maybe ebay<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 00:11:30 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Thom Harris" <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
>Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
...<BR>
>Ships used by pirates in the TU would more than likely be way less expensive<BR>
>than the ships they go after, especially if they are huge cargo carriers<BR>
>(bulk oil ships and super freighters today) or luxury liners. If it were me, I<BR>
>certainly wouldn't go after armed merchants that might get off a lucky shot.<BR>
<BR>
  It's probably safe to warn you that the idea of pirates going after _big_<BR>
ships is pretty novel on the TML, simply because even the optimists haven't<BR>
been able to figure out how anything short of a dedicated light commerce<BR>
raider (i.e., _warship_) could fight one, let alone board it. <BR>
<BR>
  Feel free to look at stats for that sort of thing - under HG they almost<BR>
always end up with huge arrays of lasers because the opportunity cost of<BR>
doing so is _trivial_.<BR>
<BR>
...<BR>
>The ability to track these ships in Indonesia/Malaysia exists today if<BR>
there were<BR>
>enough pressure put on the governments to do it. Gee, I wonder if they have the<BR>
>same problems in the TU...... that we have in RL? That might answer some the<BR>
>"how can there be pirates" questions, huh?<BR>
<BR>
  It's probably noticeably easier to police a developed star system than a<BR>
backward island archipelago. The alternative is that you think that the IN<BR>
has a mandate to leave pirates alone? (although to be fair, 3I policy on<BR>
mercs leaves the door at least half-open for them to create their problems).<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 19:25:49 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
>  It's probably safe to warn you that the idea of pirates going after _big_<BR>
>ships is pretty novel on the TML, simply because even the optimists haven't<BR>
>been able to figure out how anything short of a dedicated light commerce<BR>
>raider (i.e., _warship_) could fight one, let alone board it.<BR>
><BR>
>  Feel free to look at stats for that sort of thing - under HG they almost<BR>
>always end up with huge arrays of lasers because the opportunity cost of<BR>
>doing so is _trivial_.<BR>
<BR>
    I think that most systems might like to limit how many weapons are on<BR>
big ships, you might be allowing a psuedo battleship in system without<BR>
knowing it. Although this is a place that can't even control pirates.<BR>
    Ma<BR>
<BR>
>>The ability to track these ships in Indonesia/Malaysia exists today if<BR>
>there were<BR>
>>enough pressure put on the governments to do it. Gee, I wonder if they<BR>
have the<BR>
>>same problems in the TU...... that we have in RL? That might answer some<BR>
the<BR>
>>"how can there be pirates" questions, huh?<BR>
><BR>
>  It's probably noticeably easier to police a developed star system than a<BR>
>backward island archipelago. The alternative is that you think that the IN<BR>
>has a mandate to leave pirates alone? (although to be fair, 3I policy on<BR>
>mercs leaves the door at least half-open for them to create their<BR>
problems).<BR>
>        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
    My original thought is that they'd "go" you when you went through an<BR>
"Area of reduced manoeuvrability" but I'm no astrophysicist so I don't know<BR>
how likely this would be. As far as I know an asteroid belt still has huge<BR>
spaces in it and is not the sea of rocks portrayed in the movies, is this<BR>
right? Gas miners are good for this piracy, lurking in rings and inside gas<BR>
giants they can monitor the area without being easily detected (Then again,<BR>
don't gas giants put out lots of radiation across the spectrum?). Maybe this<BR>
is where they encounter PCs? Every PC tries to avoid paying for his fuel.<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 00:36:41 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
>Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
...<BR>
>>Traders routinely are armed, at least in the Spinward Marches, so how<BR>
>>long will he have to wait until a suitable victim comes along?<BR>
>>      Hans Rancke<BR>
><BR>
>    The Pirate usually IS in-system and he has every right to be there,<BR>
>because pirates don't come from disaffected merchant crews anymore. Pirates<BR>
>come from spacefaring cultures like Belters who live in a boom-or-bust<BR>
>cycle. The informant is a customs officer and he gets a copy of the manifest<BR>
>via the x-boat system weeks before the merchant turns up, plenty of time for<BR>
>a laser message to be sent via normal channels out into the belt. If the<BR>
<BR>
  The last time we had a hijacking thread the "crime for fun and profit"<BR>
crew tried to convince us that no one would or could (?) really send word<BR>
ahead. I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for them to start arguing<BR>
with you over a related pet concept, though :)<BR>
<BR>
  I'm not even going to touch the "pirates wait at 100-D line pretending <BR>
to be rocks/invisible/customs cutter" schtick.<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 00:44:33 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money (was Re Piracy & Elmonits)<BR>
<BR>
From: Leonard Erickson <shadow@krypton.rain.com><BR>
> > Leonard it was $1.00 per ounce of silver. A silver dollar was 1 ounce<BR>
> > exactly.<BR>
><BR>
> Sorry, but I *have* some silver dollars, and they do *not* weigh an<BR>
> ounce. They weigh 1/20th of a pound. Likewise, half dollars weight<BR>
> 1/40th of a pound, quarters weigh 1/80th of a pound, and dimes weigh<BR>
> 1/200th of a pound.<BR>
<BR>
I don't know how to break this to you guys, but you are both<BR>
wrong.  Leonard was close, but no cigar.<BR>
<BR>
> I measured this *long* ago using a lab balance (in grams and fractions<BR>
> thereof) and found the correspondence.<BR>
<BR>
It's too bad you didn't use grains instead of grams.  That<BR>
would have given you an exact figure and you would not have<BR>
needed to do any conversions or could have done them in<BR>
the base units that were (and still are) used in uS coinage.<BR>
<BR>
> Do keep in mind that the "silver" coins were *not* pure silver. That<BR>
> may account for some of the difference. Also, while 20:1 gold:silver<BR>
> exchange rate was often proposed, it never got very far simply because<BR>
> supply and demand ensured that a fixed rate would quickly cause ruuns<BR>
> on which ever was "cheaper" at the moment.<BR>
<BR>
Leonard, you are both right and wrong here.  They were<BR>
originally pure silver.  To be technically correct, they were<BR>
99.995 fine silver, so they never were truly pure, but you don't<BR>
find pure silver in nature and its expensive to reduce it to<BR>
absolute purity.  If this were an entry in FF&S2, it would be<BR>
listed as 100% or 1.000 because if rounding to 3 significant<BR>
digits, it is pure.<BR>
<BR>
> > Gold was $20.00 an ounce and that made the $20.00 gold piece 1<BR>
> > ounce exactly. A dime was 1 tenth of an ounce, a quarter was 1 fourth of<BR>
an<BR>
> > ounce and half dollar was 1 half of an ounce. That was what determined<BR>
what<BR>
> > the size of the coins would be, WEIGHT.<BR>
<BR>
This is also not correct.  In 1792 the uS Congress passed the<BR>
first coinage act, adopting a bimetallic standard under which<BR>
both gold and silver coins were to be minted. The legal mint<BR>
ratio was 15 to 1.<BR>
<BR>
> Yes, I agree that the size was determined by weight. But unlike you,<BR>
> *I* have actually *weighed* coins. I suggest that you try it. I don't<BR>
> have my lab balance handy, but I *do* have a postal scale handy. 40<BR>
> quarters comes to 8 ounces. If you were correct, they'd come to *10*<BR>
> ounces. QED. A quarter weighs 1/80th of a pound, *not* 1/4th of an<BR>
> ounce.<BR>
<BR>
1/20th of a pound is 350 grains which is very close to the<BR>
actual mass of a newly minted uS silver dollar.<BR>
<BR>
> Note that weighing one, or 4 quarters doesn't show the error because<BR>
> it's hard to tell the difference between 1 ounce and .8 ounce on the<BR>
> scale. It's *easy* to tell the difference between 8 ounces and 10<BR>
> ounces. Matter of fact, by the time youve got the first dozen quarters<BR>
> on the scale the error is obvious. 12 quarters *doesn't* weigh 3<BR>
> ounces. more like 2.5 (actually 2.4)<BR>
><BR>
> Further check. 3 silver dollars (all I have) registers at about 2.5<BR>
> ounces *not* 3 ounces. the "$20/lb" rule says they should weigh 2.4<BR>
> ounces. Looks about right.<BR>
<BR>
3 modern dollars should weigh c. 2.37 oz. which on a<BR>
postal scale would read as 2.4 oz.<BR>
<BR>
As I said, the Coinage Act of 1792 provided for two<BR>
standards of value: a silver dollar containing 371.25 gr of<BR>
pure silver and a gold dollar containing 24.75 gr of pure<BR>
gold. The gold dollar, a very small coin, was minted only from<BR>
1849 to 1889.  In the Gold Reserve Act of 1934, the gold<BR>
content of the dollar was reduced to 13.71 gr.  IIRC, In 1853,<BR>
Congress, reduced the weight of the half-dollars, quarters,<BR>
and dimes by about 7 percent.  IIRC, the new standard was<BR>
345 gr of silver per dollar.<BR>
<BR>
Silver dollars continued in circulation until 1965, when they<BR>
almost disappeared because the value of their silver content<BR>
exceeded their face value. Beginning in 1975, U.S. citizens<BR>
were allowed to own, buy, and sell gold as a commodity, but<BR>
gold coins could not circulate as money.  The US mint<BR>
continues to mint both gold and silver coins until this very<BR>
day.  Fact is, I've seen an ad on TV recently for a 2000 silver<BR>
dollar that is 99.99 fine silver.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 10:40:00 +1000<BR>
From: "Alan Bradley" <alanb@elf.brisnet.org.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Scouts vs. merchants<BR>
<BR>
> From: Steven Hudson<BR>
> >through the winter months. Successful logistically but not financially,<BR>
> >Russell, Majors, and Waddell went bankrupt. Pony express service ended<BR>
> >after 18 months, in October 1861, when overland telegraph connections<BR>
were<BR>
> >completed. <BR>
> <BR>
>   Now, if 1860 had brought a war on the Pacific coast with a European<BR>
> power rather than the approach of the Civil War, and/or the telegraph <BR>
> hadn't been quite so developed, then the system might have become more<BR>
> entrenched and valuable if for no other reason than for its logistics<BR>
> establishment...<BR>
> <BR>
>   Now, _why_ didn't the Templars want the Pony Express running? :><BR>
<BR>
Well, when did Norton become Emperor?  Perhaps his rise was forseen.<BR>
<BR>
OBTRAV:  Umm...  Well we've been much more on-topic recently than we were a<BR>
week ago....<BR>
<BR>
I play scouts, and sometimes merchants too.  I've developed a distinct<BR>
fondness for Contact & Liaison characters.  In particular, Liaison teams<BR>
are likely to spend years at a time hanging about on scruffy worlds in the<BR>
boonies, going native.  Picture someone who has spent the last four years<BR>
being the only representative of the Imperium for a thousand kilometres, on<BR>
a TL 2 world, where the next Imperial over is just as nuts.<BR>
<BR>
There are plenty of RW frontier types to use as precedents.  Just mix in a<BR>
bit of high-tech gear with local natural material clothing, and you can get<BR>
quite a cool looking character.  And being a Scout, they might just keep<BR>
wearing something like this when they get back to "Civilisation".  And<BR>
sometimes, someone might mistake them for a "barbarian"...<BR>
<BR>
Alan Bradley<BR>
alanb@elf.brisnet.org.au<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 00:38:30 -0800<BR>
From: Keith Johnson <keithalanjohnson@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Someone to write to . . .<BR>
<BR>
At 04:50 PM 1/16/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>Loren Wiseman wrote:<BR>
> > Oh, I dunno -- how about the Traveller Line Manager for SJ Games -- ol'<BR>
> > whatsis name?<BR>
><BR>
>And if I'm not mistaken, ol' whatsis name is the Art Director too.<BR>
>;^)<BR>
<BR>
Whatsis name was the Art Director.  Ashe Marler is doing that job for SJ <BR>
Games now.<BR>
<BR>
Now there is more time for whatsis name to work on that silly space game. :)<BR>
<BR>
_________________________________________________________<BR>
Rev. Keith Johnson      /\     keith@sjgames.com<BR>
Assistant Webmaster    /()\    keithalanjohnson@home.com<BR>
Steve Jackson Games   /____\   reverendkeith@hotmail.com<BR>
       "I choose you, Dullinor!" - PokeTrav Master<BR>
  IMTU tm++@ t4+@ tg++$ ru- ge-@ st+ pi+ he+ dr+ hi-@ zh+<BR>
_________________________________________________________ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 09:39:08 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
Glenn Goffin wrote:<BR>
>>From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
>>It's interesting that, just as TMLers are discussion<BR>
>miniatures,<BR>
>>_Pyramid_ has an article this week about making starship <BR>
>>miniatures out of golf tees.  (The author says the idea came <BR>
>>from _2300_.)<BR>
><BR>
>I really must subscribe.  An idea that I've had but have never<BR>
>executed was to use some of the ordnance issued to the small<BR>
>version of G.I. Joe.  These are all sorts of rockets and<BR>
>missiles.  I have some, gleaned from yard sales, in my storage<BR>
>unit, but I've never tried to modify or paint them (for lack of<BR>
>space and time, but not desire or a belief in the existence of<BR>
>talent).  <BR>
<BR>
You only need a few ships, but you need lots of missiles.<BR>
<BR>
Go to somewhere that sells nails and buy a box of 8mm (3/8") veneer pins<BR>
(a small panel pin).<BR>
<BR>
Moulding pins make a good substitute (they have a more rounded head instead<BR>
of a cone.)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 01:43:26 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Silver Coins (Was:  Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1750)<BR>
<BR>
From: Thom Harris <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
><BR>
> From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
> ><BR>
> > From: Thom Harris <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
> ><BR>
> > > Actually the last "SILVER" coins were minted in 1964 so that would<BR>
> > > effectively put the order to end them in the Kennedy administration as<BR>
> > > Johnson wasn't sworn in until Nov 63'. Our government is extremely<BR>
> > > slow as we all know!!!!<BR>
> ><BR>
> > This is incorrect.  Silver coins were minted last year and<BR>
> > every year since '64.<BR>
><BR>
> You aren't speaking of coins in general circulation unless they are the<BR>
clad<BR>
> ones. If you want to be picayune then yes you are right, the U.S. mints do<BR>
> release some silver coins. Mostly those were commemorative or collector<BR>
> pieces but NOT general distribution.<BR>
<BR>
I didn't say anything about circulation.  Silver coins are,<BR>
legally speaking, not money.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
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Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1771<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Monday, January 17 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1772<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: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: Re Encryption<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Boarding actions<BR>
Re: Someone to write to . . .<BR>
Re: Miniatures (longish)<BR>
Re: Encryption (including Traveller stuff)<BR>
Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
Re: Re Crypto<BR>
Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
Traveller Services<BR>
Re: Traveller Services<BR>
Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 09:59:31 +0000<BR>
From: Ewan Quibell <E.D.Quibell@bton.ac.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> > You should be able to get a few beams using the grav focusing technology<BR>
> > of the Third Impuerium, so the closer the tender gets to the x-boat the<BR>
> > more channels you can transfer data across. You wouldn't only use laser<BR>
> > comm, you would use any comm device which can move data, the menson<BR>
> > comm, the radio etc.<BR>
> <BR>
> Trouble is, *all* the bands below visible light have a *total* capacity<BR>
> less than that of the visible light band. Really!<BR>
<BR>
Agreed, but, if you can only get some laser comms, any other way of<BR>
moving data at any reasonable speed will be used, as it will cut the<BR>
time of the data transfer.<BR>
<BR>
> And meson comm has to have pretty limited bandwidth for various<BR>
> reasons. Besides, meson comms take up a fair amount of room.<BR>
<BR>
No problem, just pick another 'wireless' communication medium which<BR>
doesn't interfere with the frequencies what you are using above, and<BR>
move data across that.<BR>
<BR>
> >> So that's another reason for tenders. An X-boat pops in, establishes<BR>
> >> radio/laser contact and starts sending the "low" volume stuff (plain<BR>
> >> text email). Once the tender grapples the X-boat, they connect the<BR>
> >> cables and the *real* download happens. And the data is routed to the<BR>
> >> waiting X-boats.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > I'd say the high priority stuff goes across the lasers, and the download<BR>
> > dose the lower priority traffic, but then YMMV.<BR>
> <BR>
> It depends on the *volume* AND on the *security* required. High<BR>
> security stuff won't be sent over anything but a direct cable link.<BR>
> Medium security can be sent via tight beam, but only when the beam<BR>
> spread can be kept small enough that none goes past the target ship.<BR>
> Low security can be broadcast, with encryption.<BR>
<BR>
I can't see why high security suff isn't sent encrypted over laser. With<BR>
the inability to predict the arrival time or the place of arrival of the<BR>
x-boat in the system, whoever wants to intercept the tight beam messages<BR>
would have to be incredibly lucky to be in the right place at the right<BR>
time. If the x-boat comes out close to the tender they are going to have<BR>
more of a chance but then the tight beam laser has less spread. If the<BR>
x-boat comes out in an unexpected place then the datajacker isn't going<BR>
to have a chance, and by the time he gets in place to catch the spread<BR>
of the laser he will also be noted by the sensor opp on the tender and a<BR>
type S can be dispatched to go take a look, or get in the way. Again YMMV.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
   Ewan Quibell                       Their's not to make reply,<BR>
   Senior Communications Engineer     Their's not to reason why,<BR>
   Computer Centre                    Their's but to do and die:<BR>
   University of Brighton             Into the valley of Death<BR>
                                      Rode the six hundred.<BR>
   E.D.Quibell@brighton.ac.uk              Alfred, Lord Tennyson<BR>
<BR>
   #include<stddisclaimer.h><BR>
<BR>
   My spelling is entirerly due to dyslexia, typos, and poetic license<BR>
<BR>
   University of Brighton - Sunday Times' University of the Year<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 01:57:01 +0100<BR>
From: Volker Greimann <volker@greimann.de><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>At 21:17 -0500 14/1/00, shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) wrote:<BR>
>>It occurs to me that Stargates *aren't* incompatible with Traveller.<BR>
>>They *do* change things, but if they are scattered half as widely as on<BR>
>>the show most of them are *way* outside "known space". And they are<BR>
>>kinda small to move huge cargos thru.<BR>
>><BR>
>>But if you did put some in the Traveller universe, and kept them as<BR>
>>"ancient tech" which can't be duplicated or even just something that<BR>
>>requires *incredibly* rare materials to build, you'd only change things<BR>
>>a bit.<BR>
Only a bit? You forget the whole concept of the 3I is slow propagation of <BR>
news.<BR>
Norris wouldnt have been able to pull of his faked promotion-stunt, the commo<BR>
lags that are the whole point of installing Archdukes would be missing, the <BR>
Fourth<BR>
Frontier war (the False War) would be a real war, as orders from the throne <BR>
_would_ have arrived on time, etc,etc. And these are only some the changes <BR>
for the marches.<BR>
The imperiam setting as we know it cant handle devices like these without<BR>
shaking up its very foundations...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 02:52:14 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re Encryption<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard Erickson previously wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> Nope. For example, one-time pads are not crackable. Period. There's no<BR>
>> "pattern" to exploit.<BR>
><BR>
> This is not entirely true. You have to generate the data for the one time<BR>
> pad in some pseudorandom way. If I can determine the way you generated the<BR>
> pseudorandom data I can read your system.  In a similar case, a few years<BR>
> back, the pseudorandom number generator used by Netscape to implement SSL in<BR>
> its browser was particularly bad, and what users thought was very strong<BR>
> encryption was actually very weak.<BR>
<BR>
Which is why real users of onetime pad ciphers (like the government)<BR>
don't *generate* the data. They *record* TRULY random data. Like cosmic<BR>
ray counts in a deep cave.<BR>
<BR>
The *professionals* know better than to do what Netscape did.<BR>
<BR>
>> The trick with cracking DES, and even "triple-DES" is that DES is an<BR>
>> *old* "standard". If it wasn't for pressure from government agencies<BR>
>> that *want* to be able to read traffic, it would have been abandoned<BR>
>> 5-10 years back.<BR>
><BR>
> Again, this is not entirely true. DES and 3DES are widely accepted in the<BR>
> financial services industry. The FSI is probably the most conservative<BR>
> around, since they stand to lose *lots* of money if their cryptography is<BR>
> weak. You have to do a *realistic* risk assessment for your use of<BR>
> cryptography, and the FSI has agreed that 3DES is adequate for their needs.<BR>
> <opinion> I agree with them. </opinion><BR>
<BR>
"Straight" DES on the other hand is a bad joke given modern technology.<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: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 02:55:46 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On Sun, 16 Jan 2000 17:08:42 PST, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> In mail you write:<BR>
>> <BR>
>> ><BR>
>> >> My "best guess" is using metallic hydrogen and a *lot* of handwaving<BR>
>> >> you'll be able to store 1 bit per atom (proton) as the spin state of<BR>
>> >> the nuclei. Which gives all of 7.5e24 bytes per liter. And totally<BR>
>> >> ignores the problems quantum effects given anything that "dense".<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> > Could you, with enormous hand waving, change the orbit direction of the<BR>
>> > electron?<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Electrons don't orbit. That's an *old* model before they got the<BR>
>> quantum physics worked out. Electrons have "energy levels".<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Also, in a solid, especially a *metallic* one, the electrons aren't<BR>
>> tied to one atom. They form a "cloud" throughout the solid. Even in<BR>
>> non-metals, the electrons aren't fixed. There's only a *probability* of<BR>
>> any given electron being near any given atom.<BR>
><BR>
> So how does the current "cloud" theory work with regards to ions?<BR>
<BR>
I don't *do* wavefnuctions. Especially for something that complex. But<BR>
the math does describe it accurately according to folks in the field.<BR>
It's just not the sort of thing you can visualize...<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: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 06:55:23 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
You mean the theory of electrons orbiting atoms is false?<BR>
<BR>
Can you describe to me then, just how individual nuclei and electrons<BR>
interact, and the relationship between them?<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: "Leonard Erickson" <shadow@krypton.rain.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2000 5:55 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
><BR>
> >><BR>
> >> Electrons don't orbit. That's an *old* model before they got the<BR>
> >> quantum physics worked out. Electrons have "energy levels".<BR>
> >><BR>
> >> Also, in a solid, especially a *metallic* one, the electrons aren't<BR>
> >> tied to one atom. They form a "cloud" throughout the solid. Even in<BR>
> >> non-metals, the electrons aren't fixed. There's only a *probability* of<BR>
> >> any given electron being near any given atom.<BR>
> ><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 07:54:32 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
At 12:11 AM 1/17/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>>From: "Thom Harris" <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
>>Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
>...<BR>
>>Ships used by pirates in the TU would more than likely be way less expensive<BR>
>>than the ships they go after, especially if they are huge cargo carriers<BR>
>>(bulk oil ships and super freighters today) or luxury liners. If it were me, I<BR>
>>certainly wouldn't go after armed merchants that might get off a lucky shot.<BR>
><BR>
>  It's probably safe to warn you that the idea of pirates going after _big_<BR>
>ships is pretty novel on the TML, simply because even the optimists haven't<BR>
>been able to figure out how anything short of a dedicated light commerce<BR>
>raider (i.e., _warship_) could fight one, let alone board it. <BR>
><BR>
>  Feel free to look at stats for that sort of thing - under HG they almost<BR>
>always end up with huge arrays of lasers because the opportunity cost of<BR>
>doing so is _trivial_.<BR>
><BR>
        Hi, Steve!<BR>
        Last year Walt and I were yacking about this topic...  I came up<BR>
with a 1000dton mechant ship that carried a USP 9 missle bay or two...<BR>
which meant that nothing short of a dedicated commerce raider *could* hunt<BR>
it, simply because it was going to be scoring size-related criticals on<BR>
anything else...  The largest canon "privately owned" hull is the 800-ton<BR>
merc cruiser...  That's a critical.  Ooops.<BR>
        We opted for missles because no energy requirement, meaning the<BR>
powerplant stayed cheap.  A couple of taps from that would screw up just<BR>
about *any* pirate's day.  Even the piracy-optimized Lamprey wouldn't last long.<BR>
<BR>
>        Steven Hudson<BR>
><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>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 11:52:17 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Someone to write to . . .<BR>
<BR>
Keith Johnson wrote:<BR>
>At 04:50 PM 1/16/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>>Loren Wiseman wrote:<BR>
>> > Oh, I dunno -- how about the Traveller Line Manager for SJ Games -- ol'<BR>
>> > whatsis name?<BR>
>><BR>
>>And if I'm not mistaken, ol' whatsis name is the Art Director too.<BR>
>>;^)<BR>
><BR>
>Whatsis name was the Art Director.  Ashe Marler is doing that job for SJ <BR>
>Games now.<BR>
><BR>
>Now there is more time for whatsis name to work on that silly space game. :)<BR>
<BR>
eh?<BR>
<BR>
I thought that Penguin chap was the (web) publisher for the Silly Period. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 03:49:33 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures (longish)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 12:09 AM 01/17/2000 +1300, Frankie wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> <Snippage occurs throughout><BR>
>>The 25mm standard derives from the<BR>
>>1" standard and thus is directly tied to<BR>
>>the top of the head of a six foot tall<BR>
>>man in 1/72nd scale.<BR>
><BR>
> Again, depending on who you ask...<BR>
<BR>
It's the most common "equivalent" I've heard assigned. BTW, for 1/72<BR>
(25mm) there's a handy tool you might never think of. Hit office<BR>
supplies stores and the like until you can get a 2 foot or longer<BR>
"printer's ruler". One of the edges will be a pica scale. Numbered at 6<BR>
picas to the inch. And often with half pica marks. In other words a<BR>
ruler marked in scale feet, with 1/2 foot markings!<BR>
<BR>
> Actually, 1/120th scale is the TT model railroading scale developed by <BR>
<BR>
10 ft = 1 inch<BR>
<BR>
> scale), which was 1/160th scale, became popular.  Joyce sold the HP <BR>
<BR>
13 1/3 feet = 1 inch?<BR>
<BR>
> ...and of course, the 1940s originals from which the current Quality <BR>
> Castings range is descended were 1/108th scale (go figure), according to <BR>
<BR>
9 feet = 1 inch. <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: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 03:00:32 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Encryption (including Traveller stuff)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> I envision all critical systems of the 3I, including cryptography, most<BR>
> shipboard software, and so forth, to be generated using robust formal<BR>
> processes in which the designer enters a high-level specification, and then<BR>
> some sort of tool generates all of the hardware and software to implement<BR>
> the formal specification. Each step of the generation process will have<BR>
> undergone a formal proof of correctness so that the resulting system has a<BR>
> fairly high level of correctness. Not perfect, but fairly bug-free by<BR>
> today's standards.<BR>
<BR>
But even with *that* sort of effort, it's stuill possible to<BR>
*deliberately* compromise systems. It's a trick that was pointed out<BR>
*years* ago (I first encountered it in the late 70s, and it wasn't a<BR>
new idea then).<BR>
<BR>
What you need to do is manage to replace the compiler on the system<BR>
that generates the software distribution, or better yet, the place that<BR>
produces the compilers. <BR>
<BR>
The "doctored" compiler will compile a backdoor into code, and compile<BR>
this behavior into any compilers (well, any future versions of itself,<BR>
anyway) that it compiles. Uusally, it only "infects" compilers, and<BR>
security related programs.<BR>
<BR>
Thus, you can vet the *source* code all you want. The binary will be<BR>
different. <BR>
<BR>
Likewise, compromise the masks for a CPU, and you can do the same sort<BR>
of trick. <BR>
<BR>
In fact, given the size of compilers and CPUs now, it's actually more<BR>
likely to practical than back when the idea originated (mostly as a way<BR>
of pointing out just *how* paranoid you have to be).<BR>
<BR>
> In fact, IMTU it is illegal to modify the code on ships or to introduce new<BR>
> code which has not been verified. Much like today, when it is illegal to<BR>
> modify the PROMs in your car which control then engine performance. But the<BR>
> concerns for a ship are worse. You've got those lasers and missiles to<BR>
> control. Even if you are not prosecuted, using unverified code voids your<BR>
> insurance.<BR>
<BR>
As I understand it, there are a couple of CPUs (very non-standard)<BR>
developed in Britain or Europe that have a "provably correct"<BR>
instruction set *and* have been had the implementation proven. Until<BR>
you do those two steps, formal proofs of the *software* are worthless.<BR>
<BR>
For reliable, safe, systems you need to do formal proofs on the<BR>
following: <BR>
<BR>
1. the CPU design<BR>
2. CPU *implementation*<BR>
3. The assembler<BR>
4. the compilers written using the assembler<BR>
5. the OS<BR>
6. the application software<BR>
<BR>
It also helps to have software distributed as the equivalent of ROM<BR>
cartridges. Preferabbly using one of the computer architectures where<BR>
code and data are kept in *seperate* memories. That makes writing self<BR>
modifying code, viruses, worms, etc next to impossible.<BR>
<BR>
But given such a setup, it'd be *worth* the enormous effort required to<BR>
compromise the cpu or assembler/compiler. It'd be the sort of thing<BR>
spooks *dream* of. <BR>
<BR>
Adventure hook: the players are approached by an intel agency to haul<BR>
some specialists to a world that either hasn't been re-contacted<BR>
after the Long Night, or that has been re-contacted, but not<BR>
redeveloped. <BR>
<BR>
They are approached because they've done some exploring/trading in this<BR>
"wild" area, and thus have some familiarity. Or because they've had<BR>
experience dealing with facilities that have been abandoned since the<BR>
Long Night.<BR>
<BR>
What's going on is that the agency has come across records buried in a<BR>
warehouse that dates back to before the Long Night. The records seem to<BR>
indicate that there was a project to insert exactly that sort of<BR>
compromised hardware/software on the planet they want to visit, which<BR>
had been a major computer/software production center almost up to the<BR>
end. <BR>
<BR>
Most *current* software/hardware can be traced back to this long<BR>
ignored planet. So they need to find anything that may be left from the<BR>
project. If it wasn't completed, then they can relax. If it *was*<BR>
completed, then the backdoor is probably present in *everything* (after<BR>
all, the old computers were used to design the new ones, so they'd have<BR>
"built in" the CPU infection, if any. Ditto for old compiler and new<BR>
compilers). <BR>
<BR>
So if the project succeeded, they not only *have* to know, they have to<BR>
find out the *details*, so they can try to produce some "clean" systems<BR>
for internal use. And, of course, they have to make sure that nobody<BR>
*else* learns of the backdoor. <BR>
<BR>
If it did succeed, it's just about the ultimate weapon. But since it's<BR>
so *old*, *everyone* could be vulnerable...<BR>
<BR>
The players are *not* going to be told this. And if they find out, it<BR>
could be worth their lives. <BR>
<BR>
Lot's of possible outcomes.<BR>
<BR>
1. The project never got anywhere.<BR>
2. The project succeeded, but didn't get the trojan into production in<BR>
   time for it to spread before the world was cut off.<BR>
3. The project succeeded, the trojan did get out and is likely<BR>
   widespread. But the records on how to *access* it aren't<BR>
   recoverable.<BR>
4. As #3, but the records have obviously been *removed*. <BR>
5. As #3, but the records are intact<BR>
5. As #1, but they can't *prove* it.<BR>
6. As #2, but they can't *prove* it.<BR>
<BR>
Plus lots of variants depending on whether the PCs or the spooks find<BR>
the evidence, and whether or not they can keep it to themselves. <BR>
<BR>
Obviously, most PCs would *think* that #5 is best if *they* are the<BR>
ones that find the records and can keep it secret.<BR>
<BR>
Of course, any GM worth his salt will wait until the PCs have been<BR>
using the secret to pull off various things for a while then let them<BR>
find out that the intel agency has noticed the odd pattern of computer<BR>
"glitches" that the players have been leavinmg behind them. Now they<BR>
are after the party!<BR>
<BR>
And if they *don't* find the gimmick, or even if they think it doesn't<BR>
exist, you can still have the *PCs* on the receiving end of mysterious<BR>
computer behavior. Is it a coincidence? Is the agency (or someone else)<BR>
after them. <BR>
<BR>
Worst of all, have the mysterious glitches occur (as accidents, a<BR>
string of *really* weird luck). And have the agency *assumed* the<BR>
players are doing it. Once the PCs catch on, they are in a *hell* of a<BR>
position. How do you convince a bunch of *professional* paranoids that<BR>
you *don't* have the secret they are *sure* you have? <BR>
<BR>
For the "slow" GMs out there, let me point out that turning yourself in<BR>
is *not* an option. There's *no* way to prove that you *don't* know<BR>
something. What would be left of the PCs after the spooks gave up would<BR>
barely be worth burying.<BR>
<BR>
For extra paranoia, the spooks *did* get the secret and think the PCs<BR>
did too. This would effectively subject the PCs to a "virus" that's<BR>
after *them*. Personally and specifically. I don't advise this unless<BR>
the PCs were tired of those characters or you *really* hate them. :-)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<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: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 04:12:30 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Frank G. Pitt wrote:<BR>
>> True,  but isn't this just the degenerate version <BR>
>> of TSP with only two nodes you _must_ visit ?<BR>
><BR>
> The difficulty with NP complete problems is not that<BR>
> they are impossible to solve, just that the solution<BR>
> becomes a lot harder each time another step is added<BR>
> (exponentially, ie 2^n or 100^n or somesuch)<BR>
<BR>
<snip><BR>
<BR>
> Unfortunately, the nature of the TSP is that if the<BR>
> question is visit each of the American state capitals,<BR>
> then any route you chose - even on foot - would be quicker<BR>
> than waiting for the correct answer.<BR>
<BR>
But because this version of the problem doers *not* involve a "cyclic<BR>
graph" *and* doesn't require visiting all the nodes, the answer is<BR>
*trival* to compute. Really!<BR>
<BR>
A simple mechanical, analog computer will do the job. Create a "net"<BR>
consisting of strings representing jump lengths, joined together at the<BR>
stars that are possible intermediate "nodes" on the trip. You grasp the<BR>
starting node, and the desired end node. Pull util you've taken up the<BR>
available slack. The shortest route between the two nodes will be the<BR>
ones along the taut bit of string. Sometimes, you'll have places where<BR>
the route branches and rejoins, but in such cases both branches are the<BR>
same total length.<BR>
<BR>
Calculating the same result with a computer is a bit harder, and left as<BR>
an excercise for the student.<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: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 03:55:24 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re Crypto<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>><BR>
>>> > Nope. For example, one-time pads are not crackable. Period. There's no<BR>
>>> > "pattern" to exploit.<BR>
>>><BR>
>>> This is not entirely true. You have to generate the data for the one time<BR>
>>> pad in some pseudorandom way.<BR>
><BR>
> The verifiablitiy I was originally talking was NOT in the encryption, but<BR>
> in the original message. With a sufficiently long message, a single use pad<BR>
> cannot be cracked as a PAD, but individual sheets can be, provided the<BR>
> message per sheet is long enough AND you have enough ability to throw at<BR>
> something<BR>
<BR>
Huh? What are you talking about? You don't reuse sheets on the pad. If<BR>
the message is longer than the sheet, you start on the next sheet. <BR>
<BR>
Done this way, you *can't* crack the message without knowing the "key"<BR>
(the sheet(s) used and their content). <BR>
<BR>
> ForEx: If you know that accound numbers are, say xxx-xxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxx,<BR>
> you look for a pattern in your coded end-result. If you know that there<BR>
> will be two or more, you have something to look for. It can be brute<BR>
> forced, if the message is long enough.<BR>
<BR>
Nope. BY DEFINITION "onetime pad" means "key longer than message, never<BR>
re-used". <BR>
<BR>
> Also, Single Use cipering has the same disadvantage of all encryption: you<BR>
> have to pass the key AT SOME POINT.<BR>
<BR>
Yep.<BR>
<BR>
> Look at PGP. You have to give someone your public key for them to send<BR>
> encrypted to you, and you'll need their public key to verify they are from<BR>
> them. You have to exchange keys. That's the weak link. And why PGP i<BR>
> scalled "Pretty Good Privacy"... it's crackable, and quick, using massively<BR>
> parralel architechtures.<BR>
<BR>
Not if they are using the appropriate key length for the "environment<BR>
(ie availability of massively parallel architectures). <BR>
<BR>
> the trick with sequential application of sequential keys to an algorhythmic<BR>
> crytography is that you need massively parallel structures to make ti<BR>
> time-worthy.<BR>
<BR>
Want to restate that so I can tell what you are trying to say. I can't<BR>
come up with a meaning that both matches the words *and* is true.<BR>
<BR>
> Another thing to keep in mind is that for data to be useable, it must be<BR>
> both verifiable (IE, you can make sure it hasn't been altered, AKA<BR>
> checksums) and in the proper format. So, you don't need to decrypt the<BR>
> whole message, just to the point where you get material not meeting the<BR>
> known format's restrictions, say 1/10th or even 1/100th.<BR>
<BR>
Doesn't work that way. because the "brute force" decrypt will contain<BR>
all possible messages that meet the format *and* have the right size.<BR>
<BR>
> [Yeah, you need an<BR>
> insider, but that's easy with the lure of free money that can't be traced<BR>
> directly to him tampering.] so you get to that point, and if you know there<BR>
> is a date there, and the decrypt doesn't do a number in a reasonable date<BR>
> range, you stop and move up to the next key. And for E-transfers between<BR>
> banks, there WILL be some numeric only fields.... and others with alphnums.<BR>
> and others with alpha only. and they will be in the same spot every time.<BR>
<BR>
Except that "spot" doesn't have the same meaning with *bitwise* ciphers<BR>
that it does with character oriented ciphers. <BR>
<BR>
> that's a "Verifiable format". if you get to that spot, and it matches, then<BR>
> you decrypt to the nepoint where either one point fails, or you've got a<BR>
> checksum to use, and then you check to see if the checksum is valid. once<BR>
> you get there, you've got one of several possible "false keys", just keep<BR>
> checking multiples.<BR>
<BR>
BTW, "smart cards" may be crackable. But data transmissions *won't* be.<BR>
Because the very regularity you want tyo exploit is the first thing<BR>
that a *good* cipher destroys. <BR>
<BR>
To use character based ciphers as an example, the key doesn't merely<BR>
change the value of the characters. It determines which characters get<BR>
swapped with which other characters.<BR>
<BR>
So without the right key, the characters aren't in the right places,<BR>
anyway.<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: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 12:43:47 +0000<BR>
From: Andy Coombes <coombes@bcs.org.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>The two-world problem can be solved by dynamic programming, for example.<BR>
><BR>
I don't know what dynamic programming is, but I've written a pair of programs<BR>
to do just this.<BR>
<BR>
mkroute generates a table to determine the shortest distances between pairs<BR>
of worlds, and route uses that table for specific queries.<BR>
<BR>
Generating the table uses a "brute force approach":<BR>
<BR>
for each pair of worlds A,B<BR>
  if distance(A,B) <= max jump<BR>
    set duration(A,B) = 1 week<BR>
<BR>
repeat as necessary<BR>
  for each pair of worlds A,B<BR>
    for each world C reachable from A<BR>
      if C is not reachable from B or duration(B,C) > duration(A,B) +<BR>
duration(A,C)<BR>
        set duration(B,C) = duration(A,B) + duration(A,C)    <BR>
<BR>
(note the algorithm is simplified and is reproduced from memory, so no<BR>
claims are made for its accuracy). Informal testing seem to indicate that<BR>
it works.<BR>
<BR>
Generating the table takes less than 30 seconds on a PII 450.<BR>
- ----<BR>
 "...an imperfect plan implemented immediately and violently will always<BR>
 succeed better than a perfect plan." -- Gen. George S. Patton<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 07:55:31 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Traveller Services<BR>
<BR>
I have a big favor to ask -<BR>
<BR>
Can someone run through the steps in creating a character for High Guard,<BR>
Mercenary (book 4) and one of the classes in Book 3?<BR>
<BR>
And one more thing..Can someone go through the steps in creating a ship as<BR>
per High guard rules? I've never really known if I was doing these right or<BR>
not.<BR>
___________________________________________________________<BR>
 J-Man<BR>
 ICQ# 2843475<BR>
 New Hampshire - U.S.A.<BR>
 Email : j-man@iname.com<BR>
 Home Page : http://www.geocities.com/~jman037/<BR>
___________________________________________________________<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 08:57:56 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Services<BR>
<BR>
At 07:55 AM 1/17/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>I have a big favor to ask -<BR>
><BR>
>Can someone run through the steps in creating a character for High Guard,<BR>
>Mercenary (book 4) and one of the classes in Book 3?<BR>
><BR>
>And one more thing..Can someone go through the steps in creating a ship as<BR>
>per High guard rules? I've never really known if I was doing these right or<BR>
>not.<BR>
>___________________________________________________________<BR>
> J-Man<BR>
> ICQ# 2843475<BR>
<BR>
        Meet me online tomorrow night...  I've got an explorer ship I have<BR>
to put together, so we can step-by-step it...  I'll be on around 9:30pm<BR>
AST...  check my ICQ...<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Michel R. Vaillancourt	misha@atlantic-online.ns.ca<BR>
				ICQ # 31172292<BR>
	"Reality Error in Progress....<BR>
			       ....Do Not Adjust Your Penguin"	<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Cyberpunk:  	http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/cp2020<BR>
	Traveller:		http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/traveller<BR>
	AD&D:		http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/adnd_eurania<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	    ***REMEMBER - Always virus-check your emails ***<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 13:03:40 +0000<BR>
From: Ewan Quibell <E.D.Quibell@bton.ac.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> But because this version of the problem doers *not* involve a "cyclic<BR>
> graph" *and* doesn't require visiting all the nodes, the answer is<BR>
> *trival* to compute. Really!<BR>
> <BR>
> A simple mechanical, analog computer will do the job. Create a "net"<BR>
> consisting of strings representing jump lengths, joined together at the<BR>
> stars that are possible intermediate "nodes" on the trip. You grasp the<BR>
> starting node, and the desired end node. Pull util you've taken up the<BR>
> available slack. The shortest route between the two nodes will be the<BR>
> ones along the taut bit of string. Sometimes, you'll have places where<BR>
> the route branches and rejoins, but in such cases both branches are the<BR>
> same total length.<BR>
> <BR>
> Calculating the same result with a computer is a bit harder, and left as<BR>
> an excercise for the student.<BR>
<BR>
Do an A* search algorithm on an expanding cone shaped search space,<BR>
starting in the direction of you destination planet.<BR>
<BR>
A mate of mine got best AI project in my year for doing this for air<BR>
lane tracking in the UK. V similar to jumping through a subsector. I did<BR>
take him six months to do, and he did have about 5000 points to work<BR>
through. He managed a 85% hit rate on the shortest path on the programs<BR>
first run through.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
   Ewan Quibell                       Their's not to make reply,<BR>
   Senior Communications Engineer     Their's not to reason why,<BR>
   Computer Centre                    Their's but to do and die:<BR>
   University of Brighton             Into the valley of Death<BR>
                                      Rode the six hundred.<BR>
   E.D.Quibell@brighton.ac.uk              Alfred, Lord Tennyson<BR>
<BR>
   #include<stddisclaimer.h><BR>
<BR>
   My spelling is entirerly due to dyslexia, typos, and poetic license<BR>
<BR>
   University of Brighton - Sunday Times' University of the Year<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1772<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Monday, January 17 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1773<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>
Evil Programming Tricks<BR>
Re: Traveller Wonder (was Re: Dark Imperium again)<BR>
Starship Weaponry Limitations (was re: Boarding Actions)<BR>
RE: Prions and cannibalism<BR>
SEC: UNCLASS - Re: Organ Pirtaes<BR>
Fading Imperium (Re: Dark Imperium)<BR>
Re: Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
Re: Kuru and CJD<BR>
RE: Encryption (PGP)<BR>
Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
Re: Starship Weaponry Limitations (was re: Boarding Actions)<BR>
Re: SEC: UNCLASS - Re: Organ Pirtaes<BR>
Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
Re: Grav Pong<BR>
Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Magnetic Anomaly Detectors<BR>
Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
Re: IRIS<BR>
Laser communications (was other stuff)<BR>
RE: prions and eating habits<BR>
RE: Prions<BR>
RE: Stargate<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 16 Jan 1980 20:20:29 -0800<BR>
From: Rob Dean <rsdean@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Evil Programming Tricks<BR>
<BR>
shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) writes:<BR>
<BR>
> Subject: Re: Encryption (including Traveller stuff)<BR>
<BR>
> But given such a setup, it'd be *worth* the enormous effort required to<BR>
> compromise the cpu or assembler/compiler. It'd be the sort of thing<BR>
> spooks *dream* of. <BR>
> Adventure hook:...<BR>
<BR>
> What's going on is that the agency has come across records buried in a<BR>
> warehouse that dates back to before the Long Night. The records seem to<BR>
> indicate that there was a project to insert exactly that sort of<BR>
> compromised hardware/software on the planet they want to visit, which<BR>
> had been a major computer/software production center almost up to the<BR>
> end.<BR>
<BR>
Sounds like you've been reading Vinge's _A Deepness in the Sky_ ...<BR>
<BR>
(I recommend it highly to anyone who hasn't read it yet.)<BR>
<BR>
Rob Dean<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 14:48:25 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Wonder (was Re: Dark Imperium again)<BR>
<BR>
Chris Seamans wrote:<BR>
> Recently I regained that feeling of early Traveller, the idea that<BR>
> there is a vast, potentially hostile universe... by playing a PC game<BR>
> called Frontier: Elite II.<BR>
><BR>
> Has anyone played this game?<BR>
<BR>
IF I have ?!?!? The question should be "How much..." !   ;-)<BR>
<BR>
Actually, it's that game (and the first game in the series, Elite) that<BR>
got me interested in Traveller in the first place.<BR>
<BR>
"This SciFi-RPG seems a lot like Elite. Sounds great, I'll buy it."<BR>
<BR>
> I imagine the Brits on the list would have had a better chance than<BR>
> the Americans<BR>
<BR>
Don't forget the rest of Europe (including Sweden), please  ;-)<BR>
<BR>
> Elite is generally considered to be Travelleresque, but Elite II is<BR>
> so much like Traveller that it's downright frightening and<BR>
> surprisingly "realistic" with regard to circumstellar movement.<BR>
<BR>
Yes, the game uses real physics for in-system travel (F=m*a). Also,<BR>
gravity comes into play in a realistic fashion, and you don't need to<BR>
use your engines to maintain your vector (unless you pass near a heavy<BR>
object).<BR>
<BR>
> Does anyone know if the programmer (David?) Braben was influenced by<BR>
> Traveller in working on this series? If not, it is an amazing<BR>
> coincidence... especially since the capital planet of the Empire is <BR>
> called Capitol. Which sounds awfully familiar.<BR>
<BR>
And that empire is called "The Imperium." The empire centered around Sol<BR>
system is called "The Federation." This could still be coincidence, but<BR>
it's nice to recommend the game to RPG players as a good way of getting<BR>
a grip on the "feel" of the Traveller universe.<BR>
<BR>
Wonderful game as well. I wish I had it for my PC... I don't use my old<BR>
Amiga 500 that much nowadays...<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 09:45:31 -0500<BR>
From: "Smith, Walter" <SmithW@hartwick.edu><BR>
Subject: Starship Weaponry Limitations (was re: Boarding Actions)<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillencourt wrote:<BR>
> Last year Walt and I were yacking about this topic...  I came up <BR>
>with a 1000dton mechant ship that carried a USP 9 missle bay or two... <BR>
>which meant that nothing short of a dedicated commerce raider *could* >hunt<BR>
it, simply because it was going to be scoring size-related <BR>
>criticals on anything else...  The largest canon "privately owned" hull <BR>
>is the 800-ton merc cruiser...  That's a critical.  Ooops. <BR>
<BR>
IMTU you won't find bay weapons (or spinal mounts) on anything<BR>
privately owned. The Imperium has a thing about merchants capable<BR>
of scoring multiple criticals on the average customs & patrol ship.<BR>
<BR>
If you've got a bay weapon in Imperial space, you're Imperial Navy, <BR>
Colonial Navy, Client State, or Hostile Intruder. There may be the <BR>
occaisional exception for a *very* well respected starmerc outfit,<BR>
and I haven't worked it out completely for fleet auxiliaries, but for<BR>
the most part privately-owned vessels don't get any armament above<BR>
Book 2 standards.<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 15:00:22 -0000<BR>
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Prions and cannibalism<BR>
<BR>
Kiri wrote:<BR>
<snip info on prion diseases><BR>
<BR>
Some other facts to note:<BR>
<BR>
The "good news" on prion diseases is  that  the  introduction  of<BR>
prions into a subject does not cause  the  disease  in  everyone.<BR>
There is a genetic component  as  well.  When  it  comes  to  the<BR>
CJD/BSE scandal: since most of the UK beef herd  were  bred  from<BR>
only a few cows they were all genetically very similar.  Thus  if<BR>
one cow is vulnerable to mad-cow disease then most/all  would  be<BR>
vulnerable.  The same is not true for  people.  It  is  *unknown*<BR>
how prevelent the critical gene is in the human population ... it<BR>
is *possible* that the incidence of "new varient form CJD" (human<BR>
form of BSE) will not rise above current levels (less chance  per<BR>
person than being struck by lightning).<BR>
<BR>
The "eating BSE causes CJD" idea is actually a hypothesis, rather<BR>
than theory.  There just arn't many other  credible  alternatives<BR>
known about at present which strengthens the perception  of  this<BR>
idea.  Several years ago an experiment was  performed  with  Kuru<BR>
(another  prion  disease)  on  monkeys.  Test  monkeys  were  fed<BR>
infected meat via a tube directly into their  stomachs  ...  they<BR>
did not contract the disease.  They were then fed  infected  meat<BR>
normally ... and *did* contract the disease.  The suggestion  was<BR>
that prions cannot enter through the intestinal lining, but  that<BR>
they could enter through the mucous membranes  of  the  nose  and<BR>
eyes (via *handling* infected meat).<BR>
<BR>
Kuru was sometimes called the laughing cannibal  disease  due  to<BR>
the symptoms it caused.<BR>
<BR>
ObTrav: Although we tend to think of  cannibalism  as  either  an<BR>
occasional primative (low TL) tradition or a  mental  aberration,<BR>
it could be made practicable in a high TL  environment  with  the<BR>
introduction of genetic screening to find/"cure" those vulnerable<BR>
to prion diseases.  High TL, high population worlds may see it as<BR>
a necessary form of recycling ... marketed under the  brand  name<BR>
"soylent green", maybe.<BR>
<BR>
Regards PLST<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 02:04:42 +1100<BR>
From: "David Healey" <David.Healey@dcb.defence.gov.au><BR>
Subject: SEC: UNCLASS - Re: Organ Pirtaes<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, 15 Jan 2000 12:43:59 -0400, Michel Vaillancourt said :<BR>
<BR>
At 09:44 AM 1/15/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>As the pirate thread seems to be going full steam I have an odd and<BR>
>potentially partially connected question, can anyone suggest curcumstances<BR>
>where in "organlegging" would be a profitable, if criminal, enterprise?<BR>
        [snip]<BR>
>Dan<BR>
<BR>
<Michel><BR>
        Shades of _Cyberpunk 2020_, Dan...  A body in good condition in that<BR>
game is worth almost $10k in spare parts.  <shudder>  I have run scenarios<BR>
where "enterprising" individuals were kidnapping joggers and fitness-club<BR>
members for execution and resale...<BR>
<BR>
        However, in CT, regeneration comes in at TL9 and entire clones are<BR>
available at TL13...  You'd presume that there would be TL15 medical ships<BR>
visiting lower TL worlds in the 3i selling services...  I don't think its an<BR>
issue.<BR>
</Michel><BR>
<BR>
However, you would get people who might pay more for "real" organs, not something grown in a tank or whatever.  Why have a fake when you can have the real thing ?  At least, that's the way you'd sell it. <BR>
<BR>
"Psst, wanna buy a kidney ?  Used to be owned by a noble.  Sir Rossis of Liver."<BR>
<BR>
Dave<BR>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             !<BR>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 09:27:00 -0600<BR>
From: "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com><BR>
Subject: Fading Imperium (Re: Dark Imperium)<BR>
<BR>
I see we are once again considering starship-sized matter <BR>
portals.  Of course, Traveller has this in its technology <BR>
trees, but they're waaay up there -- as a recent posted has<BR>
noted, it's technology from Somewhere Else, and is probably <BR>
terribly expensive to maintain.<BR>
<BR>
Another recent poster noted that it does hurt a major <BR>
weakness of the Imperium -- the speed of information --<BR>
which is a game strength.<BR>
<BR>
I don't think matter portals would destroy the game's<BR>
foundations utterly if you used them very carefully and<BR>
limited them well.<BR>
<BR>
1. Fading Suns?<BR>
Use them in the Fifth Imperium, at the far edge of <BR>
mankind's existence.  If you want them to be Ancient,<BR>
make sure they can't be operated until you're at TL19+.<BR>
Burn off Sylea in a previous war, move the capital to <BR>
"Byzantium Secundus" and you're done.<BR>
<BR>
2. Uselessly placed?<BR>
Why would the Ancients place them for the convenience of<BR>
the Third Imperium?  Place one end somewhere in an empty<BR>
hex in the Lunion subsector and the other end somewhere in<BR>
an empty hex in the middle of a small rift in the Foreven <BR>
sector.<BR>
<BR>
Maybe the players stumble upon the secret that these<BR>
things can be moved, and suddenly they're caught in <BR>
the middle of everyone's politics.<BR>
<BR>
3. Local<BR>
Place the portals locally.  One gate in Regina, and the<BR>
sister gate disovered in Inthe.  If only we could move<BR>
those things!  Why can't we move them?  Well, we've tried<BR>
a few times, but something always seems to go wrong...<BR>
and our budget doesn't allow for losing another million-ton <BR>
open-belly cargo vessel.<BR>
<BR>
Rob<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 10:25:03 -0500<BR>
From: Ethan Henry <egh@klg.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Extent of K'Kree Militancy<BR>
<BR>
Black ICE <wombat@premier.net> wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> At what point do the K'Kree consider a _sentient_ species "G'naak"?<BR>
<BR>
Smell. I would think it's a bit like asking<BR>
<BR>
"How many days do can you go without showering before you stink?"<BR>
<BR>
It is, to a certain extent, subjective, though some people probably<BR>
believe on general principles that it shouldn't be more than a day.<BR>
<BR>
It depends on how strongly you smell of it.<BR>
<BR>
> More importantly, would I still be able to eat crawfish without being a<BR>
> K'Kree target? ;-)  [I enjoy crawfish with the devotion of a convert<BR>
> (I'm not originally from Louisiana).]<BR>
<BR>
If we assume that you ate no other meat, it might be ok... then again,<BR>
they might know you've been eating _something_, just that it's not steak.<BR>
<BR>
THis is a race that considers "smelly wax" an artform after all, so smell<BR>
is a big deal to them.<BR>
<BR>
Ethan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 08:43:24 -0700 (MST)<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU><BR>
Subject: Re: Kuru and CJD<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, 15 Jan 2000, William F. Hostman wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> The only method of destroying the prion is to run it though temps high<BR>
> enough to melt steel. You can get CJD by being operated on with the same<BR>
> scalpel as a CJD carrier. It may be able to pe transmitted by lactation<BR>
> products; I've not seen studies yet that indicate nor exclude this. It can<BR>
> be spread via contaminated plant matter being consumed. It will affect all<BR>
> known lab primates it has been tested on. And, the more of the prion you<BR>
> consume, the faster you show symptoms.<BR>
<BR>
Whoa there, me bucko!!! This is beginning to sound like Reagan's 'Ivan the<BR>
Terrible Supersoldier' here...'High enough temps to melt steel' is just a<BR>
_little_ hyperbole. It is a protein, like any other, and thus governed by<BR>
the chemical constraints of proteins...an autoclave will work, you just<BR>
may need to autoclave it longer. Long before you melt steel, proteins have<BR>
decomposed to gases...<BR>
<BR>
Also all studies so far show that it seems to have a very _low_<BR>
transmission rate, and large amounts of the prion are necessary for the<BR>
effect to happen. Witness that BSE existed in the Brtish cattle for some<BR>
time before the beef was removed from the market; millions of people ate<BR>
contaminated beef, but only a relative handful of people have come down<BR>
with the disease. Even members of the same families are not all infected.<BR>
<BR>
This makes sense, in that the mechanism of action (the prion changes the<BR>
normal protein conformation in a catalytic way) implies a relatively high<BR>
concentration of the catalyst.<BR>
<BR>
Also, since not everyone exposed to the prion gets CJD. So there are<BR>
clearly other, unknown processes at work here.<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: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 15:45:02 -0000<BR>
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Encryption (PGP)<BR>
<BR>
Shadow wrote:<BR>
> The limit was 40-bit keys. *period*. Still is. :-(<BR>
><BR>
> That's why there are two version of netscape. The "export" <BR>
> version uses 40-bit keys. If you are in the US, you can get the<BR>
> 128-bit(?) version.<BR>
<BR>
By coincidence my CC bill arrived today with the fifth  faudulant<BR>
transaction in the past three months.  Since I'm not  in  the  US<BR>
I'm forced to use 40-bit keys for online transactions.  It  is  a<BR>
strong discouragement from buying on the net.<BR>
<BR>
Regardless of the excuse given the current  crypto  export  rules<BR>
are *pro-crime*!  Sorry for the  rant  but  if  you  come  across<BR>
anybody who supports the export restriction or who thinks its not<BR>
important please put them straight.<BR>
<BR>
Current US crypto export rules are *pro-crime*.<BR>
<BR>
Regards PLST<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 16:03:30 +0000<BR>
From: Martin Hardgrave <martin@deira.demon.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement<BR>
<BR>
In message <00c601bf5dc4$fa34ca00$11111111@horace>, AB <ab@rossmack.com><BR>
writes<BR>
>My 0.02Cr on Individual Representatives, off track a little, but what the<BR>
>hell?<BR>
><BR>
>What if each representative's vote in the parliament was weighted by the<BR>
>number of votes received?<BR>
><BR>
>*Extract from Hansard*<BR>
><BR>
>The Speaker:  Will the Nomenclator read the result of the vote please?<BR>
>Nomenclator:  83 members abstained.  2 members voted 8,631 against.  1<BR>
>member voted 38,142 in favour.  The Bill is passed into law.<BR>
><BR>
I remember a comedy sketch about a meeting with the heads of half a<BR>
dozen trades unions.  It came to the tea break and there was a show of<BR>
hands for tea or coffee.  The chairman wanted tea, everyone else wanted<BR>
coffee "right" he said "two and a half million votes for coffee and<BR>
three million votes for tea.  Tea it is."<BR>
- -- <BR>
Martin Hardgrave<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 12:19:13 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Starship Weaponry Limitations (was re: Boarding Actions)<BR>
<BR>
At 09:45 AM 1/17/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>Michel Vaillencourt wrote:<BR>
>> Last year Walt and I were yacking about this topic...  I came up <BR>
>>with a 1000dton mechant ship that carried a USP 9 missle bay or two... <BR>
>>which meant that nothing short of a dedicated commerce raider *could* >hunt<BR>
>it, simply because it was going to be scoring size-related <BR>
>>criticals on anything else...  The largest canon "privately owned" hull <BR>
>>is the 800-ton merc cruiser...  That's a critical.  Ooops. <BR>
><BR>
>IMTU you won't find bay weapons (or spinal mounts) on anything<BR>
>privately owned. The Imperium has a thing about merchants capable<BR>
>of scoring multiple criticals on the average customs & patrol ship.<BR>
><BR>
>If you've got a bay weapon in Imperial space, you're Imperial Navy, <BR>
>Colonial Navy, Client State, or Hostile Intruder. There may be the <BR>
>occaisional exception for a *very* well respected starmerc outfit,<BR>
>and I haven't worked it out completely for fleet auxiliaries, but for<BR>
>the most part privately-owned vessels don't get any armament above<BR>
>Book 2 standards.<BR>
><BR>
>Walt Smith<BR>
><BR>
        Hi, Walt!<BR>
        I believe the mutal answer we came up with was that it was a<BR>
"reserve" vessel...  10000dtons, btw...  the missile bay was under the<BR>
charge of a Naval Lt, and the ship, due to cost, was only going to be owned<BR>
by a major corporation.  The idea was that it could, in time of war, be<BR>
"called up" by the IN or SSN for auxillary work doing fleet supply and what<BR>
have you and not be an easy scrap for light raiders...<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>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 12:22:47 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: SEC: UNCLASS - Re: Organ Pirtaes<BR>
<BR>
At 02:04 AM 1/18/00 +1100, you wrote:<BR>
>However, you would get people who might pay more for "real" organs, not<BR>
something grown in a tank or whatever.  Why have a fake when you can have<BR>
the real thing ?  At least, that's the way you'd sell it. <BR>
><BR>
<BR>
        Hi, Dave!<BR>
        Um, I've always interpretted "limb regeneration" to mean "come to<BR>
the hospital for a week and we'll give you this expensive treatment that<BR>
will *grow back* the missing limb/ organ".<BR>
<BR>
        Not clone-tank replacement, but litterall "regeneration" of the<BR>
damaged or missing parts.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<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>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 09:08:35 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
Frank G. Pitt writes:<BR>
<BR>
> If you actually want the _shortest_ route between two worlds using Jump X,<BR>
> then it becomes difficult.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, it doesn't.  This is not a case of the travelling sales person because you are only required to visit two points.  Some time ago I wrote a<BR>
shortest-path program (which I seem to have lost; the C code snippet earlier<BR>
came out of it); it could solve shortest path from a given world to every<BR>
other world in the same sector, using several different concepts of 'shortest<BR>
path', and do the whole sector in <1 second (note, however, that solving for <BR>
the entire sector is not significantly slower than solving for a single world<BR>
on the other side of the sector).  All you need to do is start with the <BR>
closest worlds, and give each world a path to the central world.  For every<BR>
iteration, find every world with a path to a world you've already mapped,<BR>
and if you have a choice, choose the shorter path.  Note that this generates<BR>
a 'least jumps' path rather than a 'fewest parsecs' path unless you modify<BR>
the algorithm, but in practice 'least jumps' is the better path anyway.<BR>
<BR>
The time requirement for solving this is geometric (for a flat map, it's generally order 3/2 in the number of worlds, though it becomes order 2 in some<BR>
degenerate cases).<BR>
<BR>
However, solving for optimal trade routes (as per Far Trader) probably is a<BR>
case of the travelling salesman <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 09:12:23 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Grav Pong<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
 <BR>
> That'd be a *real* "physics breaker". I think it'd mess with<BR>
> conservation laws. Having an *active* field (ie one where you have to<BR>
> feed "power" proportional to the forces being neutralized) isn't going<BR>
> to break much.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, as long as it takes energy to enter or leave the vehicle (energy<BR>
requirement will vary depending on location relative to current gravitational<BR>
field), a hull grid which shields the occupants from gravity doesn't violate <BR>
conservation laws, and doesn't violate any other physical laws any more than<BR>
other traveller gravetics do (most of which violate conservation of energy).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 09:16:32 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: light lag vs targetting<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
<BR>
 Actually, in *reality*, overheating is likely to be the *preferred*<BR>
> method, simply because heat balance is *hard*. Dump a good chunk of<BR>
> heat into a ship, and the *life system* (ie the parts of the ship where<BR>
> the *crew* is) rapidly become unihabitable. <BR>
<BR>
Only if you have much more heat dumping capability than your target.  Lasers<BR>
dump _far_ more heat into the attacking vehicle than they do into the target.<BR>
<BR>
It also takes a whole lot of power to do; a typical freighter (200 tD, 1,000<BR>
tons or more) takes a couple gigajoules to raise its average temperature by<BR>
one degree, and given halfway decent environmental controls will need a <BR>
couple hundred gigajoules to be an actual capacity kill.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 10:05:51 -0700<BR>
From: scharlto@ifsna.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
Be prepared to fork out some money for these.  On EBay, the<BR>
boxed sets go as high as $90 each, while in RGFM I have gotten<BR>
some for $50.  I have found three individual figures at Crazy<BR>
Igor's, but that is over a period of more than a year.<BR>
<BR>
If anyone here has some extra bucks, feel free to buy the molds<BR>
from the former owners of Grenadier, and start producing more of<BR>
these.  All of the sets (Marines, Adventurers, Aliens, Alien<BR>
Adventurers) were very nice, and hold up quite well even by<BR>
todays standards.  NOt bad for figures sculpted in 1981-1983.<BR>
<BR>
Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com> wrote:<BR>
>> From: JDoch226@aol.com<BR>
><BR>
>> Several folks have mentioned the old Grenadier Traveller<BR>
>> figures on this thread.  I'm dying to get hold of some of<BR>
>> these, especially the Alien Mercenaries.  Anyone know where I<BR>
>> might find them?<BR>
><BR>
> Crazy Igor's wish list<BR>
> rec.games.frp.marketplace<BR>
> maybe ebay<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Steven Charlton<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 09:19:03 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Magnetic Anomaly Detectors<BR>
<BR>
Jim & Peta Lawrie writes:<BR>
>     A major advance in warfare systems seems to be in the field of<BR>
> battlefield sensors, troops now carry light and reliable night vision<BR>
> systems and some efforts seem to have been made at extrapolating new or<BR>
> improved battlefield sensors. ie P.A.W.S. etc<BR>
>     Would man-carry magnetic anomaly detectors be useful in detecting Gauss<BR>
> Weapons? The majority of infantry seem to be equipped with gauss guns and<BR>
> MADs could be integrated into an optimised sensor pack, giving distance to<BR>
> gauss weapons fire. Is this practicable?<BR>
<BR>
Realistically, its probably easier to just detect the radio-frequency pulse<BR>
when the weapon fires, which you should be able to do with rather conventional<BR>
sensors (at fairly low resolution, the wavelength would be quite long).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 10:03:22 -0800<BR>
From: "Bruce Macintosh" <bruce.macintosh@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
<BR>
When people talk about laser communications bandwidth limits, could someone<BR>
explain<BR>
the underlying assumptions in terms of the wavelength of the laser?<BR>
<BR>
Almost certainly, modern calculations are based on a single laser<BR>
monochromatic<BR>
laser beam, on the reasonable grounds that the most efficient lasers available<BR>
are fixed to a few wavelength. (A 100-W NdYag laser, fixed to a couple of<BR>
possible combinations, costs about $100,000. Modern tuenable lasers are<BR>
enormously more complicated, particularly if they need good beam quality<BR>
(important<BR>
for shooting long distances); the 20-W dye lasers that my group at LLNL built<BR>
for astronomical adaptive optics cost a couple of million each, and are very<BR>
complicated beasts.)<BR>
<BR>
Traveller lasers, on the other hand, are generally fully tuenable (probably<BR>
FELs.)<BR>
In principle this means you could cram a whole bunch of frequencies into a<BR>
single<BR>
beam, putting the equivalent of tens of thousands of conventional laser<BR>
channels in. Combined with the high power levels available, one could<BR>
certainly<BR>
expect X-boats to have communication bandwidths between each other with<BR>
large bandwidths; I just don't know how large...But it's probably true that<BR>
docking<BR>
will still matter for "bulk mail" data, with beamed transfers for "express<BR>
mail".<BR>
<BR>
Bruce<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 10:10:52 -0800<BR>
From: "Bruce Macintosh" <bruce.macintosh@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: Re: IRIS<BR>
<BR>
>4. IRIS exists. Strephon's journal article questioned not the<BR>
>existence of the Agency but rather whether these particular<BR>
>people actually were high level IRIS operatives. Notice that<BR>
>he says "Who are these IRIS people and not "What is this<BR>
>IRIS agency?" Therefore Strephon is not denying the<BR>
>existence of IRIS, rather what he is saying is "I worked<BR>
>closely with IRIS, one of my government's spy agencies, and<BR>
>I do not recognize the names of these people."<BR>
<BR>
Unlikely. Later articles laugh at the whole IRIS concept<BR>
("an organization do decide who gets to be Emporer? Funny, I<BR>
thought that was what the Moot was for..." or words to that effect...)<BR>
<BR>
Bruce<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 10:22:52 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Laser communications (was other stuff)<BR>
<BR>
I have always assumed that FELs operating a x-ray wavelengths are used at<BR>
advanced TLs in space. In space, you don't have the complications of an<BR>
optical fiber with Rayleigh scattering (which goes like w^4), so higher<BR>
frequency is better. For a typical x-ray laser, say at 10^18 Hz, I assume<BR>
that you have about 10^15 Hz for communicating.<BR>
<BR>
Laser communication systems which I am familliar with all use on-off keying<BR>
for modulation. If you assume that advanced TLs add the ability to modulate<BR>
the phase, frequency, and amplitude of laser signals, then you can play the<BR>
same games we do now, sending more than 1 bit per signalling, like we do<BR>
with QAM today. If we assume that we can do this, we can probably assume<BR>
much higher data rates, say up to 10^18 or 10^19 Hz.<BR>
<BR>
A big problem with using systems like these will be the detector. Modern<BR>
detectors have rise times which are incredibly slow compared to this<BR>
signalling rate. I'm not even sure how people detect the femtosecond pulses<BR>
(10-15 fs?) they generate from fancy lasers today (probably mode-locked<BR>
systems giving a high bandwith, and a short pulse?). If you assume the<BR>
source is capable of generating a signal at these rates, you also need to<BR>
assume that the destination can detect the signal at these rates.<BR>
<BR>
Comments?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> When people talk about laser communications bandwidth limits, could<BR>
someone<BR>
> explain<BR>
> the underlying assumptions in terms of the wavelength of the laser?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 14:01:47 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: prions and eating habits<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>Carnivores and omnivores are concentrators of toxic substances...<BR>
>each eats many herbivores, and becomes exposed to all their<BR>
>pathogenic substances;<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>This partly explains why most land predators seem to prefer<BR>
>herbivourous prey... but not entirely.<BR>
<BR>
	The main reasons are fairly simple: herbivores are far, far<BR>
	more common, and carnivores tend to invest more heavily in<BR>
	equipment and behaviour that makes them dangerous.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 14:17:35 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Prions<BR>
<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>Cooking does not inactivate prions, which may or may not even be<BR>
>"alive" like virii or bacteria.  You would have to char it down<BR>
>to ashes and even then you couldn't be sure, it's just that you<BR>
>wouldn't eat what would be left anyway.<BR>
<BR>
	The word "prion" derives from "proteinaceous infectious<BR>
	particle.  It is thought that a prion is a normal protein<BR>
	(ie. one that we all have and need) that has been "folded"<BR>
	in the wrong way.  Once folded this way, it encourages<BR>
	normal proteins of that type to fold the wrong way, thus<BR>
	it does replicate itself (in a sense).  Whether that makes<BR>
	it alive is an interesting question.  At least some prions<BR>
	have apparently "survived" temperatures well in excess of<BR>
	boiling water, but that doesn't mean that they are<BR>
	indestructable (that being said, I wouldn't voluntarily<BR>
	eat anything that had dangerous prions in it, regardless of<BR>
	how you treated it).<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>So one could speculate that prions tend become more of a problem<BR>
>when you are eating your own species, or when critters that are<BR>
>not supposed to eat meat are fed meat.  This is why it is now<BR>
>illegal to feed herbivorous animals "meat by-products".<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	I'm not sure what you mean by "supposed to eat meat," but<BR>
	it is probably true that you are more likely to contract<BR>
	disease from a similar animal than from a dissimilar one.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 14:19:22 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Stargate<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>The Gouald seem to have several psi powers. They've done the<BR>
>standard "throw a person acrodd the room with a gesture" bit.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	I believe that the throwing around is done, or at least<BR>
	aided, by technology (the funky stuff on their hands).<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1773<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Monday, January 17 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1774<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>
What in God's name is the N-Judah<BR>
Re: Friday -- is that the 21st?<BR>
SEC: UNCLASS - Organ donation<BR>
Re: Friday -- is that the 21st?<BR>
SF Miniatures (tongue-in-cheek)<BR>
SEC: UNCLASS - Ethically-challenged organ traders<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again <BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again <BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again <BR>
Re: 3I Money<BR>
Re: K'kree militancy<BR>
Re: traveller poll!<BR>
Re: Starship Weaponry Limitations (was re: Boarding Actions)<BR>
Re: Magnetic Anomaly Detectors<BR>
re:  Dark Imperium<BR>
Re: Magnetic Anomaly Detectors<BR>
Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
re: Traveller Wonder (was Re: Dark Imperium again)<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 11:19:29 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: What in God's name is the N-Judah<BR>
<BR>
>From: Ross Coburn <rosscoburn@earthlink.net><BR>
>Subject: Re: Friday -- is that the 21st?<BR>
<BR>
>What in God's name is the N-Judah, and how contagious is it?<BR>
<BR>
Ross, Ross, Ross, welcome to San Francisco.  <BR>
<BR>
Hie thee to a book store or a map store or a tourist store or<BR>
the Powell Street Muni booth near the cable car, and purchase<BR>
for thyself a Muni Map.  Then for a mere pittance shalst thou<BR>
have displayed in one place in all their glory both our fair<BR>
city and the totality of its municipal transit system, including<BR>
not just bus routes, but street cars, cable cars, and the<BR>
underground/above ground metro rail.  <BR>
<BR>
But wait, there's more!  The map also shows all of the BART<BR>
stations in the city, and all of the Golden Gate Transit and<BR>
SamTrans routes through the city, with notes as to where they<BR>
go.  A great bargain, verily, so hesitate not, but go thou and<BR>
buy.  It may e'en be on yon Web.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn of Boston<BR>
channelling forgotten ancestors<BR>
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<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 11:24:06 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Friday -- is that the 21st?<BR>
<BR>
From: Keith Johnson <keithalanjohnson@home.com><BR>
<BR>
>I live in Kentfield, which is north of the Golden Gate.  If it <BR>
>is convenient, perhaps we can do a carpool thing if you are <BR>
>swinging through Marin<BR>
<BR>
I'm starting in Mill Valley and ending down on the Peninsula, so<BR>
off hand it doesn't sound convenient.  If you want to catch a<BR>
Golden Gate transit bus and meet me maybe in Sausalito, I'll be<BR>
happy to take you into San Francisco.   You'll have to figure<BR>
out how to get home.  <BR>
<BR>
I'm trying to visualize a scenario in which I leave my car in<BR>
Marin and you drive us both to San Francisco ... but nothing is<BR>
coming to me.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
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<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 06:23:47 +1100<BR>
From: "David Healey" <David.Healey@dcb.defence.gov.au><BR>
Subject: SEC: UNCLASS - Organ donation<BR>
<BR>
Gentlesophonts,<BR>
<BR>
Whilst driving into work tonite, I passed a billboard advertising an online lingerie shop.  And this got me to thinking about a possible scenario.<BR>
<BR>
On some hi-pop worlds, there may have evolved the idea that the body is not really "owned" by the person inhabiting it, but by the state.  Ergo, when the person dies, the state repossesses the body, where its' surplus organs are utilised and the rest is turned into algae-prot or some such.  Possibly the penguins take the body away as part of an ancient treaty .....<BR>
<BR>
What happens to a person if they are declared 'legally' dead but happen to regain life ?  Say they're seized by a massive coronary and are rushed into the ER where they are pronounced DoA.  Then, by some miracle (ala any number of telemovies and schlock), they miraculously recover and spring up.  Isn't there some disease/condition that slow down the metabolism to a near-death rate ?<BR>
<BR>
Anyway, the person is now legally dead and the state wants the body.  But the person who's currently in it is, understandably, somewhat reluctant.  "Can we 'ave your liver, den ?"  "But I'm still using it ...."<BR>
<BR>
What happens now ?  The person wants offworld, and Real Quick, and the PC's ship is the next to leave.  Funtimes ensue.<BR>
<BR>
Comments ?  Debunking ?  Threats ?  Showers of lavish and deserved praise ?  Or has this sort of scenario already been done ?  And how does this relate to the online lingerie shop ?  I've no intercoursing idea, but there it is.<BR>
<BR>
Dave<BR>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 11:30:14 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Friday -- is that the 21st?<BR>
<BR>
>From: Keith Johnson <keithalanjohnson@home.com><BR>
<BR>
>(Damnit.  I only got a degree in English.  How the heck do you <BR>
>indicate Ross as possessive?  Ross'es?)<BR>
<BR>
I think Ross', following Strunk & White's dictum that you<BR>
shouldn't have three "s"es in a row, even with an apostrophe. <BR>
Spoken and written English sometimes diverge, so while we say<BR>
"Rosses" we write "Ross'".  What does Ross think? It's his name.<BR>
<BR>
>Kirsten said:<BR>
>>If you're coming down from Marin, make the right onto Noriega<BR>
>>and park as soon as you find a place.<BR>
>Ha!  If I had a nickel for every time a resident of SF said <BR>
>that to me.  The "as soon as you find a [parking] place" in SF <BR>
>really translates into "park five miles away and take a bus". <BR>
<BR>
That is too true.  I hate not working in San Francisco.  With a<BR>
job in the city, I never needed a car.  I didn't even own a car<BR>
from the time I moved here until I got this job in Marin, but<BR>
there's just no transit out here that's fast enough to be<BR>
reasonable.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
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<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 13:39:21 -0600<BR>
From: John Groth <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: SF Miniatures (tongue-in-cheek)<BR>
<BR>
Here's a look at one line of SF miniatures:<BR>
<BR>
http://www.brunching.com/ratings/rate-starwarslegos.html<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 06:37:21 +1100<BR>
From: "David Healey" <David.Healey@dcb.defence.gov.au><BR>
Subject: SEC: UNCLASS - Ethically-challenged organ traders<BR>
<BR>
On Mon, 17 Jan 2000 12:22:47 -0400, Michel Vaillancourt said :<BR>
<BR>
At 02:04 AM 1/18/00 +1100, you wrote:<BR>
>However, you would get people who might pay more for "real" organs, not<BR>
something grown in a tank or whatever.  Why have a fake when you can have<BR>
the real thing ?  At least, that's the way you'd sell it. <BR>
><BR>
<BR>
<Michel><BR>
        Hi, Dave!<BR>
        Um, I've always interpretted "limb regeneration" to mean "come to<BR>
the hospital for a week and we'll give you this expensive treatment that<BR>
will *grow back* the missing limb/ organ".<BR>
<BR>
        Not clone-tank replacement, but litterall "regeneration" of the<BR>
damaged or missing parts.<BR>
<Michel><BR>
<BR>
What, ala the regen-tank bit in Starship Troopers ?  Yeah, that makes a fair degree of sense, I 'spose.  I'd sort of imagined big vats (or even small fish-tank sized jars) of organs being generated on an almost production-line basis.  But either would be feasible, I suppose.  The latter especially in emergency cases.  Forex; road trauma or battle wounds.  Maybe they just stick you on machines in a tank until the relevant bits grow back.<BR>
<BR>
Still, you get people now buying real fur and skins (B*****ds !!!!) when there's perfectly good fake stuff out there.  I suppose because "Nothing feels like the real thing".  That's what I meant.  A lucrative, blackmarket in used body parts to cater for the rich who want the real thing.<BR>
<BR>
Dave<BR>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             !<BR>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 11:48:17 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again <BR>
<BR>
>From: "James W. Lindsay" <jlindsay@home.com><BR>
>Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz<BR>
>List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
>So did most of the "worlds" in the first few seasons of <BR>
>Sliders. X-Files and Millennium (and Harsh Realm for a short <BR>
>time) did a much better job of hiding Vancouver's more <BR>
>recognizable landmarks. As for alien<BR>
>planets/cultures/civilizations bearing a distinct resemblance<BR>
>to Vancouver, they say that imitation is the sincerest form of <BR>
>flattery;)<BR>
<BR>
It's nice to know that we're starting to explore strange new<BR>
worlds that don't look like Southern California.  ("It appears<BR>
to be a class M, San Bernadino-type world, Captain."  "And the<BR>
population, Spock?"  "Almost entirely slim buxom humanoid<BR>
females, sir."  "Excellent; landing party to the transporter!")<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 11:57:29 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
<BR>
>How about a little information for us miniture illiterates?  <BR>
>Does the 15 or 25 mm refer to something like 15mm per meter, 25<BR>
<BR>
>mm per yard, or something more esoteric?  IOW's given a 15 mm <BR>
>scale, would a 175 cm tall human be represented be 26.25 mm <BR>
>tall, and given a 25 mm scale be 43.75 mm tall?  And how do <BR>
>these scales relate to hex sizes on various boards, papers and <BR>
>mats?<BR>
<BR>
In case nobody in the dozen unread digests in my inbox hasn't<BR>
yet replied, here's a little information:<BR>
<BR>
"mm" by itself means that an average human male, standing, will<BR>
be that many millimeters tall, from the sole of his foot to the<BR>
top of his skull.  It means that that that many millimeters is<BR>
roughly equivalent to six feet (or however many millimeters that<BR>
is; about 1800?).  Any given figure in that scale may be taller<BR>
or shorter, depending on headgear, footwear, hair style, or body<BR>
size.  Typical scales for metal miniatures are 15mm, 25mm, and<BR>
54mm.  <BR>
<BR>
1/72 and HO scales are somewhere between 15mm and 25mm, HO being<BR>
closer to 15 and 1/72 closer to 25.  <BR>
<BR>
Hex maps for miniatures gaming usually use smaller hexes for<BR>
15mm and larger ones for 25mm figures, but I don't recall the<BR>
hex size (which is usually measured from side to side of the<BR>
hex, not corner to corner, if I recall correctly).  <BR>
<BR>
Extrapolation to the size of a gaming table and features thereon<BR>
is left as an exercise for the reader.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 14:02:22 -0600<BR>
From: ehenry@newberlin.org (Eric Henry)<BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again <BR>
<BR>
Hah!  There was just such a reference in Austin Powers:  The Spy who Shagged<BR>
Me.<BR>
<BR>
As Austin is driving through the mountains of England he says "Isn't amazing<BR>
how much England resembles southern California."  Followed by a little grin<BR>
reminiscent of his Wayne's World character.<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>>From: "James W. Lindsay" <jlindsay@home.com><BR>
>>Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz<BR>
>>List solutions)<BR>
><BR>
>>So did most of the "worlds" in the first few seasons of<BR>
>>Sliders. X-Files and Millennium (and Harsh Realm for a short<BR>
>>time) did a much better job of hiding Vancouver's more<BR>
>>recognizable landmarks. As for alien<BR>
>>planets/cultures/civilizations bearing a distinct resemblance<BR>
>>to Vancouver, they say that imitation is the sincerest form of<BR>
>>flattery;)<BR>
><BR>
>It's nice to know that we're starting to explore strange new<BR>
>worlds that don't look like Southern California.  ("It appears<BR>
>to be a class M, San Bernadino-type world, Captain."  "And the<BR>
>population, Spock?"  "Almost entirely slim buxom humanoid<BR>
>females, sir."  "Excellent; landing party to the transporter!")<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 12:02:43 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again <BR>
<BR>
>From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
>Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz<BR>
>List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
>Having lots of jump gates scattered around charted space<BR>
*would*<BR>
>change Traveller a LOT.  Information would travel almost<BR>
>instantanously among connected worlds, and much more rapidly<BR>
>as it radiated out from gate nodes.  This would allow more <BR>
>centeralized control over interstellar empires.<BR>
>IMO, common jump gates would make for a *very* different TU.  <BR>
>OTOH, a handful of gates with some built in restrictions <BR>
>wouldn't be too unbalancing. Of course, different isn't always <BR>
>bad...<BR>
<BR>
The 1980s comic book series Six from Sirius (two six-issue<BR>
miniseries) had vaguelly Traveller-like interstellar travel (but<BR>
not communications, I think; it seems to me that they had FTL<BR>
commo).  The second adventure concerned the discovery of<BR>
portable jump gates. There were only a couple of them.  With<BR>
them, armies (too small for ships) could be moved from anywhere<BR>
to anywhere instantly, which would have disrupted everything. <BR>
Fortunately, the six Sirian agents were able to get control of<BR>
the gates at the end and drop them into a star, saving canon<BR>
again.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 12:05:17 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money<BR>
<BR>
>From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
<BR>
>(And who the heck *was* Sacajawea anyway?)<BR>
<BR>
You should know that -- don't they teach Canadian history in<BR>
Canadian schools?  Sacajawea was the Canadian native American<BR>
who led Lewis & Clarke on a snipe hunt through the Pacific<BR>
Northwest, carefully preventing them from finding anything of<BR>
real value, like Banff or Vancouver.  I would have thought she<BR>
was a great hero up north.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
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<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 12:51:02 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Re: K'kree militancy<BR>
<BR>
>From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
<BR>
>In a message dated 00-01-16 08:09:13 EST, you write:<BR>
>><< BTW, there is a  reference in canon that they consider the<BR>
>>feeding of infants by lactation to be carnivourous behavior. <BR>
>>Was in a JTAS issue, pre-MT. >><BR>
<BR>
>I am unfamiliar with this reference -- can someone please <BR>
>provide me with chapter and verse?<BR>
<BR>
That doesn't make sense if the K'Kree are themselves mammalian. <BR>
They would become the only species to decide to stop breeding<BR>
because feeding the infants was immoral.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 13:26:55 -0800<BR>
From: "Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella" <xrp@sierratel.com><BR>
Subject: Re: traveller poll!<BR>
<BR>
Via electronic medium on 1/10/00 4:15 PM, aremis@amaonline.com wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> The Royal Rangers are a part of the Assembly's of God I believe.<BR>
<BR>
Confirmed. I have worked with the local RR.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 08:37:18 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Starship Weaponry Limitations (was re: Boarding Actions)<BR>
<BR>
>>IMTU you won't find bay weapons (or spinal mounts) on anything<BR>
>>privately owned. The Imperium has a thing about merchants capable<BR>
>>of scoring multiple criticals on the average customs & patrol ship.<BR>
<Snip><BR>
>>Walt Smith<BR>
>><BR>
>        Hi, Walt!<BR>
>        I believe the mutal answer we came up with was that it was a<BR>
>"reserve" vessel...  10000dtons, btw...  the missile bay was under the<BR>
>charge of a Naval Lt, and the ship, due to cost, was only going to be owned<BR>
>by a major corporation.  The idea was that it could, in time of war, be<BR>
>"called up" by the IN or SSN for auxillary work doing fleet supply and what<BR>
>have you and not be an easy scrap for light raiders...<BR>
>        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
    I think it was in the "Stainless Steel Rat" that the villain was<BR>
building a battleship under the noses of the port authority. Empty bays can<BR>
be used for cargo can't they? If I was a naval architect I'd be very<BR>
interested in a bunch of 50 or 100 ton "cargo" bays all over the outside of<BR>
a vessel. (Of course the setting was a one in which war was only a footnote<BR>
in the history books.)<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 08:53:18 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Magnetic Anomaly Detectors<BR>
<BR>
>>     Would man-carry magnetic anomaly detectors be useful in detecting<BR>
Gauss<BR>
>> Weapons? The majority of infantry seem to be equipped with gauss guns and<BR>
>> MADs could be integrated into an optimised sensor pack, giving distance<BR>
to<BR>
>> gauss weapons fire. Is this practicable?<BR>
><BR>
>Realistically, its probably easier to just detect the radio-frequency pulse<BR>
>when the weapon fires, which you should be able to do with rather<BR>
conventional<BR>
>sensors (at fairly low resolution, the wavelength would be quite long).<BR>
<BR>
    I'd expect there to be quite a lot of radio jamming on the battlefield<BR>
though, would that effect your sensor?<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 21:55:49 GMT<BR>
From: "Boris Cibic" <kafka47@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: re:  Dark Imperium<BR>
<BR>
Discussions of faster than jump need not destroy the Traveller Milieu, if <BR>
one considers that they may have been discovered by accident in 1117.  For <BR>
sure the communications lag, a psycho on the throne (does not matter which <BR>
faction you supported) would have prevent the Imperial Navy from taking this <BR>
discovery to higher levels.  IMTU these jump gates exist as wormhole portal <BR>
activated by a device 1mx5cmx1cm.  Now given the size of Chartered Space, <BR>
how easily do you think that it would be easy to find such devices amongst <BR>
all the interstellar muck floating out there?  Furthermore, the IN like most <BR>
bureaucratic institutions would undoubtably set on this for a number of <BR>
years...pity, the Rebellion cut the funding, guys.  Breaking the <BR>
communication barrier is easy but again why would two portals led to <BR>
complementary areas afterall look at the TAS reports when the Solomani <BR>
misjump...it would be nasty to end up in the wrong territory.<BR>
   Once again I offer my services with the sourcebook that Swordy and I were <BR>
working on.<BR>
   BTW, is SJG going ahead with the Imperial Intelligence book?<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 14:10:52 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Magnetic Anomaly Detectors<BR>
<BR>
Jim & Peta Lawrie writes:<BR>
<BR>
>     I'd expect there to be quite a lot of radio jamming on the battlefield<BR>
> though, would that effect your sensor?<BR>
>     Jim<BR>
<BR>
No worse than it would affect a madscanner.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 14:34:11 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
- --0-2078917053-948148452=:5633<BR>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII<BR>
<BR>
For amusement, I've attached a program that will compute the shortest route<BR>
between two worlds in the same sector.  It requires a .sec file (I got mine<BR>
from the missouri archives) and produces varying output; no particular<BR>
effort has been made to write a 'clean' program or anything, and tiebreaking<BR>
is handled by just taking the first available path; it might, for example,<BR>
be reasonable to treat a path which leads through a poor quality starport<BR>
as longer, and a strict 'more parsecs is longer' logic isn't really accurate<BR>
either, but better route-cost algorithms are left as an exercise for the<BR>
reader.<BR>
<BR>
Compile on unix with cc -o jpath jpath.c.  Getting it to work on dos will<BR>
require figuring out a getopt variant.  Sample usage:<BR>
<BR>
jpath -j4 -d porozlo regina <BR>
gives the shortest J-4 route between porozlo and regina, and outputs<BR>
(9): Porozlo-(4)-Echiste-(3)-Wypoc-(2)-Regina<BR>
<BR>
- --0-2078917053-948148452=:5633<BR>
Content-Type: TEXT/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII<BR>
Content-Description: jpath.c<BR>
<BR>
/*  (c) 1998 Anthony Jackson.  Permission is granted to copy this file for<BR>
    any use as long as this note is not removed.  */<BR>
<BR>
#include <stdio.h><BR>
#include <unistd.h><BR>
<BR>
struct  world   {<BR>
    int x, y, next, jd, jn, todo, todonext;<BR>
    char    name[16], upp[8], base, capital, al[2];<BR>
    } worlds[1000];<BR>
int maxworld, maxlength = 1000, counting;<BR>
int		map[40][32];<BR>
<BR>
readsec(char *mapname) {<BR>
    FILE    *f;<BR>
    char    buf[100], *p;<BR>
    int     x = -1;<BR>
    f = fopen(mapname,"r"); if(!f) return 0;<BR>
    while( fgets( buf, 100, f ) ) {<BR>
        if( buf[0] == '.' && x == -1 ) { x = 0; continue; }<BR>
        if( (buf[0] == ' ') || x == -1 ) continue;<BR>
        memcpy(worlds[x].name,buf,14);<BR>
		for(p = worlds[x].name+13;*p==' ';p--) *p = 0;<BR>
        sscanf(buf+14,"%2d%2d",&worlds[x].x,&worlds[x].y);<BR>
        memcpy(worlds[x].upp,buf+19,7); worlds[x].upp[7] = buf[27];<BR>
        worlds[x].base = buf[30];<BR>
        memcpy(worlds[x].al,buf+55,2);<BR>
        worlds[x].capital = ' '; buf[47] = 0;<BR>
        if( strstr( buf+32, "Cx" ) )<BR>
            worlds[x].capital = '*';    /* sector capital   */<BR>
        if( strstr( buf+32, "Cp" ) )<BR>
            worlds[x].capital = '+';    /* subsector capital    */<BR>
		worlds[x].next = -1;<BR>
		worlds[x].jd = 1000000;<BR>
        x++;<BR>
    }<BR>
    maxworld = x;<BR>
    return 1;<BR>
}<BR>
int<BR>
distance( int world1, int world2 ) {<BR>
    int     x1, x2, y1, y2, dx, dy;<BR>
<BR>
    x1 = worlds[world1].x; <BR>
	x2 = worlds[world2].x;<BR>
    y1 = worlds[world1].y*2 - x1 % 2; <BR>
	y2 = worlds[world2].y*2 - x2 % 2;<BR>
    <BR>
	dx = x1 - x2; <BR>
	dy = y1 - y2;<BR>
    <BR>
	if( dx < 0 ) dx = -dx; <BR>
	if( dy < 0 ) dy = -dy;<BR>
    <BR>
	if( dx >= dy ) return dx;<BR>
    <BR>
	return (dx + dy)/2;<BR>
}<BR>
int	<BR>
findpath( int start, int maxj ) {<BR>
	int		i, baselen = worlds[start].jd;<BR>
	int		dist, gotone = 0;<BR>
	for(i=0;i<maxworld;i++) {<BR>
		if(i == start ) continue;<BR>
		if( worlds[i].jd <= baselen ) continue;<BR>
		dist = distance( start, i );<BR>
		if( dist > maxj ) continue;<BR>
		if( counting ) dist = 1;<BR>
		if( worlds[i].jd <= baselen + dist ) continue;<BR>
		if( dist + baselen > maxlength ) continue;<BR>
		worlds[i].next = start;<BR>
		worlds[i].jd = dist + baselen;<BR>
		worlds[i].jn = dist;<BR>
		worlds[i].todonext = 1;<BR>
		gotone = 1;<BR>
	}<BR>
	worlds[start].todonext = 0;<BR>
	return gotone;<BR>
}<BR>
makepaths( int homeworld, int maxj ) {<BR>
	int		i;<BR>
	int		gotone=1;<BR>
	worlds[homeworld].jd = 0;<BR>
	worlds[homeworld].todonext = 1;<BR>
	while(gotone) {<BR>
		for(i=0;i < maxworld;i++) worlds[i].todo = worlds[i].todonext;<BR>
		gotone = 0;<BR>
		for(i=0;i < maxworld;i++) {<BR>
			if( findpath(i,maxj) ) gotone = 1;<BR>
		}<BR>
	}<BR>
}<BR>
showpath( int where ) {<BR>
	printf("(%d): ",worlds[where].jd);<BR>
	for(;;) {<BR>
		if( worlds[where].next == -1 ) {<BR>
			printf("%s\n",worlds[where].name);<BR>
			return 0;<BR>
		}<BR>
		printf("%s-(%d)-",worlds[where].name,worlds[where].jn);<BR>
		where = worlds[where].next;<BR>
	}<BR>
}<BR>
showpaths( int world, int tab ) {<BR>
	int		i;<BR>
	printf("%*s%2d(%2d)%s\n", tab, "",worlds[world].jn,worlds[world].jd,<BR>
		worlds[world].name);<BR>
	for(i=0;i < maxworld;i++) <BR>
		if( worlds[i].next == world ) showpaths( i, tab+2 );<BR>
}<BR>
<BR>
void<BR>
usage() {<BR>
    printf("Usage: jpath [flags] world\n"<BR>
           "               -s [sector] -- sector file to use\n"<BR>
           "               -j [jump] -- length of one jump.\n"<BR>
		   "               -c -- count mode (least # jumps, not least parsecs\n"<BR>
           "               -l [length] -- maximum path length to show\n"<BR>
           "               -d [dest] -- destination world\n");<BR>
}<BR>
<BR>
main(int argc, char **argv) {<BR>
	int		worldnum=-1,dworldnum=-1, jd = 1, c, i;<BR>
    char    *s, *sector="spinward.sec", *world = 0, *dworld = 0;<BR>
    extern  int optind;<BR>
    extern  char    *optarg;<BR>
<BR>
    while( (c = getopt( argc, argv, "s:j:d:l:c" )) != -1 ) <BR>
        switch(c) {<BR>
        case 's': sector = optarg; break;<BR>
        case 'j': jd = atoi( optarg ); break;<BR>
		case 'c': counting = 1; break;<BR>
        case 'l': maxlength = atoi(optarg); break;<BR>
		case 'd': dworld = optarg; break;<BR>
        default: usage(); return 0;<BR>
        }<BR>
	if( optind >= argc ) {<BR>
		usage();<BR>
		return 0;<BR>
		}<BR>
	world = argv[optind];<BR>
    if(!readsec(sector)) {<BR>
        printf("No map file '%s'\n", sector);<BR>
        return 0;<BR>
        }<BR>
	for(i = 0;i < maxworld;i++) {<BR>
		if( !strcasecmp(worlds[i].name,world) ) worldnum = i;<BR>
		if( dworld && !strcasecmp(worlds[i].name,dworld) ) dworldnum = i;<BR>
		}<BR>
	if( worldnum == -1 ) {<BR>
		printf("No such world '%s'\n",world);<BR>
		return 0;<BR>
	}<BR>
	if( dworld && dworldnum == -1 ) {<BR>
		printf("No such world '%s'\n",dworld);<BR>
		return 0;<BR>
	}<BR>
	makepaths(worldnum,jd);<BR>
	if( dworld ) showpath(dworldnum);<BR>
	else showpaths( worldnum, 0 );<BR>
}<BR>
<BR>
- --0-2078917053-948148452=:5633--<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 09:40:52 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
<BR>
    We've hashed out the how and why of pirates pretty clearly, has anyone<BR>
thought of a drill that the locals use when they learn that there's pirates<BR>
in system?<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 14:51:08 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
<BR>
Jim & Peta Lawrie writes:<BR>
>     We've hashed out the how and why of pirates pretty clearly, has anyone<BR>
> thought of a drill that the locals use when they learn that there's pirates<BR>
> in system?<BR>
<BR>
Depends on the capabilities of the system navy.  If the pirates are in near<BR>
space, the navy probably engages the pirates.  If the pirates are at a considerable distance (more than a few hours out) it will depend on whether<BR>
the system navy can detach a squadron sufficient to drive away the pirates<BR>
while maintaining a credible defense on the mainworld (you don't want to be<BR>
decoyed away from the mainworld, and defending beyond 100d or so isn't all<BR>
that important).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 22:18:31 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: re: Traveller Wonder (was Re: Dark Imperium again)<BR>
<BR>
At 21:57 -0500 16/1/00, "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net> wrote:<BR>
>That's the way I feel about a lot of Traveller canon. I think that you begin<BR>
>to lose the sense of wonder when you start writing things out of the<BR>
>universe to keep it consistent. Not that consistency is bad, mind you.<BR>
<BR>
Consistency I like - explaining everything I don't. I like the scope <BR>
for the ref to expand things their own way. It's one of my objections <BR>
about the otherwise excellent 'Behind the Claw' for GT. There is now <BR>
a canon (GT) description of every world in the sector which kills <BR>
creativity dead for other authors/GMs. The old GDW material (and DGP <BR>
stuff) was good in that it only detailed key worlds. Sadly, I expect <BR>
that the Solomani Rim book will go the same way, and another <BR>
referee's playground will officially be dead for future large scale <BR>
innovation. Don't get me wrong - I like the work in GT:BTC, but it <BR>
has destroyed something for me by defining the entire frontier way <BR>
beyond a UPP.<BR>
>Has anyone played this game? I imagine the Brits on the list would have had<BR>
>a better chance than the Americans (the game had spotty distribution in the<BR>
>U.S., and it was passed like a hot potato from Konami's shortlived PC<BR>
>division to Gametek, which was in serious trouble from the start). Elite is<BR>
>generally considered to be Travelleresque, but Elite II is so much like<BR>
>Traveller that it's downright frightening and surprisingly "realistic" with<BR>
>regard to circumstellar movement.<BR>
<BR>
I disliked Elite II because it threw away the very playable manuever <BR>
system from Elite 1. However, I think that it could have been really <BR>
cool. I suspect the authors had seen Traveller - certainly the <BR>
original manuals from the first game felt like they had. Eg Tech <BR>
levels etc.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 22:25:45 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
At 1:34 -0500 17/1/00, eris@pcola.gulf.net wrote:<BR>
> >It's a reason I have a problem with the idea of a canon Ancients<BR>
> >sourcebook. I like the idea that they can create/be a sense of wonder<BR>
> >and amazement in the universe. Detailing them more than 'Secret of  the<BR>
> >Ancients' would destroy this.<BR>
><BR>
>Yes, I certainly agree that detailed descriptions of the "Ancients"<BR>
>would tend to channel many people's perception of them along the<BR>
>published route.  How's that for being circumspect?  ;-><BR>
<BR>
Not bad....<BR>
<BR>
>If the sourcebook is viewed as *a* view of the universe, a set of<BR>
>uidelines, then it need not remove the sense of mystery and wonder.<BR>
>That's not how an sourcebook would be viewed by the canonists, of<BR>
>course.<BR>
<BR>
My frustrations with this approach don't come from the fact that I <BR>
get to become a card-carrying heretic - (I do use 2300 and other <BR>
material happily for Traveller) - rather that it limits the scope for <BR>
future authors, and moves towards the old school 'you will play the <BR>
game this way' of certain fantasy systems.<BR>
<BR>
>    fast approaching "old coothood"<BR>
<BR>
Say hello when you see the mad thug!<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1774<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1775</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
Date:	1/17/00 8:11:21 PM Pacific Standard Time<BR>
From:	owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com (Traveller-digest)<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Monday, January 17 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1775<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>
Penguin News<BR>
[BITS] Millennium fun adventure<BR>
Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
Re: Penguin News<BR>
Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
SEC: UNCLASS - OT: Machetti Weilding Paramedics<BR>
re:  What in God's name is the N-Judah<BR>
RE: K'kree militancy<BR>
re:  Organ donation <BR>
System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
V1999<BR>
Re:Minitures<BR>
Re: V1999<BR>
Re: Re Encryption<BR>
Re: Traveller Services<BR>
Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement (Relating to Weapons)<BR>
Re: Minaitures<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
K'kree again<BR>
Re: K'kree militancy<BR>
Re: 3I Money<BR>
another school<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 22:40:01 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Penguin News<BR>
<BR>
Penguin News:<BR>
<BR>
I had a chat to Andy Lilly at the weekend, who mentioned that ACQ is <BR>
plodding on towards production. He's laid out the tables pull out <BR>
(the plan is the centre pages won't be numbered and can be pulled out <BR>
with all the hand tables you need for the game) and is working on the <BR>
in-line text. A slight delay happened because we had some suggested <BR>
mods from James Lindsay following playtest discussions.<BR>
<BR>
The biggest delay has been that BITS now publish using QuarkExpress 4 <BR>
not Word 6/97, which the book was originally submitted as. On the <BR>
upside, those of you with the Khiidkar Incident and SpaceDogs and <BR>
older 101 books should have noticed an improvement in copy quality.<BR>
<BR>
BTW - Any feedback on the Khiidkar Incident - we've heard from you <BR>
about SpaceDogs, but not TKI. TML is important in giving us feedback <BR>
as it flavours what we look to produce - remember, we are a fan based <BR>
organisation at heart.<BR>
<BR>
Once ACQ is printed, I'd like to get some scenarios up on the BITS <BR>
pages, so if you like it let me know! The idea would be to create a <BR>
library of adventures there for you all to use. This means that you <BR>
can share your games and ideas around. We're also always on the look <BR>
out for good material for the website archive - I'd like to build a <BR>
complete T4 errata there as it's all spread around - let me know if <BR>
you have any!<BR>
<BR>
Andy has read 101 patron's draft now, and suspects that it won't take <BR>
too long to edit after ACQ, so keep your fingers crossed!<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 22:55:41 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: [BITS] Millennium fun adventure<BR>
<BR>
BITS - British Isles Traveller Support<BR>
http://www.bits.org.uk/<BR>
<BR>
All good things must come to an end, so this is a 24 hour warning. <BR>
'White Dwarf', our free adventure for the Millennium, will be removed <BR>
from the BITS site after 1800 hrs GMT on 18 January 2000.<BR>
<BR>
This is your final warning....<BR>
<BR>
Dom (BITS webmaster)<BR>
- -------------Dom Mooney---webmaster@bits.org.uk----------------<BR>
                  BITS - British Isles Traveller Support.<BR>
  http://www.bits.org.uk/              mailto:bits@bits.org.uk<BR>
Traveller is a registered trademark of FarFuture Enterprises.<BR>
GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, Inc.<BR>
BITS and CORE are trademarks of BITS UK Limited.<BR>
All rights reserved.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 10:09:16 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
<BR>
>>     We've hashed out the how and why of pirates pretty clearly, has<BR>
anyone<BR>
>> thought of a drill that the locals use when they learn that there's<BR>
pirates<BR>
>> in system?<BR>
><BR>
>Depends on the capabilities of the system navy.  If the pirates are in near<BR>
>space, the navy probably engages the pirates.  If the pirates are at a<BR>
considerable distance (more than a few hours out) it will depend on whether<BR>
>the system navy can detach a squadron sufficient to drive away the pirates<BR>
>while maintaining a credible defense on the mainworld (you don't want to be<BR>
>decoyed away from the mainworld, and defending beyond 100d or so isn't all<BR>
>that important).<BR>
<BR>
    I was thinking that pirates either jump out right away or stay behind<BR>
and hide. If you had a few groups of 3 close escorts waiting to jump<BR>
immediately and few jump destinations, the locals could jump them out right<BR>
away to have the warning go out as well as a pursuit force.<BR>
    Of course, the pirates could jump across the system and then they're<BR>
home free. Come to think of it, they can just go jump one anywhere and wait<BR>
a week or so before continuing, no one can search everyone.<BR>
    (Rubs temples) "The pain William, the pain."<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 18:17:08 -0500<BR>
From: "Michael Peters" <travelleri@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Penguin News<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2000 5:40 PM<BR>
Subject: Penguin News<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<snip of good news about ACQ><BR>
<BR>
> BTW - Any feedback on the Khiidkar Incident - we've heard from you<BR>
> about SpaceDogs, but not TKI. TML is important in giving us feedback<BR>
> as it flavours what we look to produce - remember, we are a fan based<BR>
> organisation at heart.<BR>
><BR>
Well, not directly, Dom, but...<BR>
<BR>
I recently recieved my copy of TKI and SpaceDogs from SJG. When they arrived<BR>
I opended them at the kitchen table, where my wife was sitting. Now she<BR>
played Trav. and D&D back in the late '70's - early 80's, but she hasn't<BR>
been near my gaming stuff in years, persueing her own schooling and career<BR>
in graphic arts, and now in advertising. When she saw the books she made a<BR>
single comment, "Hey those are really nice covers... not like the old books<BR>
you drag around the house...". Later I saw her pick the books up and flip<BR>
through them.<BR>
<BR>
I'll discuss the content of the books after finsihing them. But let Andy<BR>
know that his cover lay out caught the eye of a non-Traveller nut. Nice to<BR>
know that they stand out that much! Now to see more of them on LOCAL store's<BR>
shelves...<BR>
<BR>
Mike<BR>
<BR>
> Once ACQ is printed, I'd like to get some scenarios up on the BITS<BR>
> pages, so if you like it let me know! The idea would be to create a<BR>
> library of adventures there for you all to use. This means that you<BR>
> can share your games and ideas around. We're also always on the look<BR>
> out for good material for the website archive - I'd like to build a<BR>
> complete T4 errata there as it's all spread around - let me know if<BR>
> you have any!<BR>
><BR>
> Andy has read 101 patron's draft now, and suspects that it won't take<BR>
> too long to edit after ACQ, so keep your fingers crossed!<BR>
><BR>
> Dom<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 15:32:35 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
<BR>
Jim & Peta Lawrie writes:<BR>
<BR>
>     I was thinking that pirates either jump out right away or stay behind<BR>
> and hide. If you had a few groups of 3 close escorts waiting to jump<BR>
> immediately and few jump destinations, the locals could jump them out right<BR>
> away to have the warning go out as well as a pursuit force.<BR>
<BR>
It is not short-term worthwhile to pursue pirates who jump out, and hiding is<BR>
frequently not practical.  A system defense squadron basically expects to<BR>
drive away pirates (and hopefully get firm ID), not kill them.  The trick is <BR>
to be able to arrive where the pirates are before they can make trouble <BR>
(basically, a ship which is hanging out looking for prey will probably have<BR>
a few SDBs show up to 'escort' him into port), or at least before they can<BR>
escape after making trouble.  Pirates beyond about 150d pretty much beyond the<BR>
capability of a typical system to do much about.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 17:34:25 -0600<BR>
From: "Snorkey" <snorkey@home.com><BR>
Subject: SEC: UNCLASS - OT: Machetti Weilding Paramedics<BR>
<BR>
David Healey did state:<BR>
> What, ala the regen-tank bit in Starship Troopers ?  Yeah, that makes a<BR>
> fair degree of sense, I 'spose.  I'd sort of imagined big vats (or even<BR>
> small fish-tank sized jars) of organs being generated on an almost<BR>
> production-line basis.  But either would be feasible, I suppose.  The<BR>
> latter especially in emergency cases.  Forex; road trauma or battle wounds.<BR>
>  Maybe they just stick you on machines in a tank until the relevant bits grow<BR>
back.<BR>
<BR>
I recently had a vision of a future culture where body/limb regeneration is<BR>
expensive but technically trivial, but all skills must be learned:<BR>
<BR>
...From the mist covered trenches they come, Ghouls, with their bloody<BR>
machetes in hand. They move from one corps to another, checking: Sometimes<BR>
they sigh and move on;  usually they pause over a fallen solder, raise their<BR>
wickedly sharp blade...and with two or three quick hacks the Tech will sever<BR>
the head from the broken, dying body. The Battle Field Medic then places<BR>
it's gory trophy in a Flash Freeze box, Tosses it into a sled, for<BR>
regeneration back at base.  By Tuesday this Trooper will be back on the<BR>
front.<BR>
<BR>
Not really Traveler per say, but an interesting scene to show the PC on some<BR>
high tech world in the throws of a polite war.<BR>
<BR>
Snork<BR>
- --<BR>
"Kwabena Ayesu Benada", On this day, the ban on eating of new yams is<BR>
lifted.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 15:57:16 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: re:  What in God's name is the N-Judah<BR>
<BR>
>From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
>Subject: What in God's name is the N-Judah<BR>
<BR>
Sorry -- I thought I sent that to TravellerinSF, not TML.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 17:59:57 -0600<BR>
From: "Snorkey" <snorkey@home.com><BR>
Subject: RE: K'kree militancy<BR>
<BR>
>>From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
>>I am unfamiliar with this reference -- can someone please<BR>
>>provide me with chapter and verse?<BR>
><BR>
There was an article/story in TJAS giving the K'kree point of view. There<BR>
was a scene that took place during a  K'kree permanent pacification (A.k.a.<BR>
genocide) of a omnivore minor race. The K'kree squad broke into a dwelling<BR>
to find a female feeding a child via the species' equivalent of Lactation<BR>
(smelled of blood to the teller). The K'kree didn't bother shooting them,<BR>
they just trampled the female and it children to death.<BR>
<BR>
The K'kree feed their young by regurgitation not by lactation.<BR>
<BR>
Snork<BR>
- --<BR>
"Kwabena Ayesu Benada", On this day, the ban on eating of new yams is<BR>
lifted.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 16:07:07 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: re:  Organ donation <BR>
<BR>
>From: "David Healey" <David.Healey@dcb.defence.gov.au><BR>
<BR>
>Whilst driving into work tonite, I passed a billboard <BR>
>advertising an online lingerie shop.  And this got me to <BR>
>thinking about a possible scenario.<BR>
[deletion]<BR>
>Anyway, the person is now legally dead and the state wants the <BR>
>body.  But the person who's currently in it is, understandably,<BR>
<BR>
>somewhat reluctant.  "Can we 'ave your liver, den ?"  <BR>
[deletion]<BR>
>The person wants offworld, and Real Quick, and the PC's ship is<BR>
<BR>
>the next to leave.  Funtimes ensue.<BR>
[deletion]<BR>
>And how does this relate to the online lingerie shop ?  <BR>
<BR>
Well, suppose that the legally dead person is actually a model<BR>
for the lingerie shop ("Arbellatra's Mystery", perhaps), which<BR>
is actually an extremely profitable multi-planet corporation,<BR>
and her rival, an up and coming new model, has decided (1) to<BR>
hasten the likelihood of promotion by getting rid of the<BR>
competition and/or (2) get revenge for some slight, real or<BR>
imagined.  Nah, forget it.  This is sounding too much like<BR>
Baywatch or something.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 16:20:55 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
<BR>
>    We've hashed out the how and why of pirates pretty clearly,<BR>
<BR>
>has anyone thought of a drill that the locals use when they <BR>
>learn that there's pirates in system?<BR>
<BR>
B:  "Hey sophs, pirates about; took an inbound fat trader a few<BR>
hours ago."<BR>
<BR>
A:  "No smeg then? They got the Slewfoot?"<BR>
<BR>
B:  "Sure as.  All the cargo, ship's safe, pick of personal<BR>
valuables, crew and passengers left safe so they can be hit<BR>
again."<BR>
<BR>
A:  "Well, then, sophos, let's not be sitting on our sterns<BR>
here.  The pirates'll be wanting friendlinesses; Gani, call the<BR>
girls of both sexes and have em ready for 2300.  Julinge, copy<BR>
me the ship's manifest and start listing who needs what from it;<BR>
I'd like to have em here with earnest money when the pirates<BR>
show up.  Brigaj, do we know who those gentlefolk are?"<BR>
<BR>
B:  "Oh, I heard it was Sunbeard and her gang."<BR>
<BR>
A:  "Well, then, we'll need some food, too, call yer mums fer<BR>
those momos and dumplings and stuff.  Ah, a good time shall be<BR>
had by all."<BR>
<BR>
Oh, wait, did you mean the defense drill?<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 19:29:36 -0500<BR>
From: "Terry Carlino" <carlino@home.com><BR>
Subject: V1999<BR>
<BR>
I'm sure I'm being incredibly dull but...Why are we still on V1999? Is the<BR>
remailer robot thingee that turns out the digest version of TML unable to<BR>
handle Y2K? Pardon if this has been discussed but I've been offline since<BR>
the first week of January.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Terry C<BR>
All that is Gold does not glitter<BR>
Not all who travel are lost<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 12:00:18 +1000<BR>
From: dadams@parracity.nsw.gov.au<BR>
Subject: Re:Minitures<BR>
<BR>
Comrade Hudson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>>><BR>
ISTR someone telling me that they're just a smaller version of the 25mm<BR>
Stargrunt line. I doubt that, but it would be cool!<BR>
<<<<BR>
<BR>
That is my impression also. I will ask Nik (from Eurkea) if he has any to<BR>
comapre.<BR>
<BR>
Darryl<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 19:05:16 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: V1999<BR>
<BR>
On 01/17/00 at 07:29 PM,  "Terry Carlino" <carlino@home.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>I'm sure I'm being incredibly dull but...Why are we still on V1999? Is<BR>
>the remailer robot thingee that turns out the digest version of TML<BR>
>unable to handle Y2K? Pardon if this has been discussed but I've been<BR>
>offline since the first week of January.<BR>
<BR>
Well, we started off the new year with a mini-flamefest, but that<BR>
seems to have receded.  As far as the digest version number, it's<BR>
been mentioned a time or two, but no one has pursued the issue and<BR>
the moderator hasn't posted anything.<BR>
<BR>
My guess is that someone has to manually reset it, and that someone<BR>
hasn't had the time or inclination to do so.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 20:56:25 -0500<BR>
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Encryption<BR>
<BR>
At 03:39 PM 1/16/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>Leonard Erickson previously wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> Nope. For example, one-time pads are not crackable. Period.<BR>
There's no<BR>
>> "pattern" to exploit.<BR>
><BR>
>This is not entirely true. You have to generate the data for the one<BR>
time<BR>
>pad in some pseudorandom way. If I can determine the way you<BR>
generated the<BR>
>pseudorandom data I can read your system.  In a similar case, a few<BR>
years<BR>
>back, the pseudorandom number generator used by Netscape to<BR>
implement SSL <BR>
<BR>
	If you're using a pseudo-random generator, it is NOT a one-time pad.<BR>
Instead, it's just a "normal" cryptosystem, because whatever you use<BR>
to 'seed' the PRNG is the key.<BR>
<BR>
	A true one-time pad uses truly random data. I've got instructions<BR>
somewhere for building a hardware random number generator. You can<BR>
also use, for example, radioactive decay to generate random numbers.<BR>
<BR>
- -- Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with your Microsoft<BR>
product.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 21:11:48 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Services<BR>
<BR>
I work nights Michel.<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: "Michel Vaillancourt" <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2000 7:57 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Services<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> At 07:55 AM 1/17/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
> >I have a big favor to ask -<BR>
> ><BR>
> >Can someone run through the steps in creating a character for High Guard,<BR>
> >Mercenary (book 4) and one of the classes in Book 3?<BR>
> ><BR>
> >And one more thing..Can someone go through the steps in creating a ship<BR>
as<BR>
> >per High guard rules? I've never really known if I was doing these right<BR>
or<BR>
> >not.<BR>
> >___________________________________________________________<BR>
> > J-Man<BR>
> > ICQ# 2843475<BR>
><BR>
>         Meet me online tomorrow night...  I've got an explorer ship I have<BR>
> to put together, so we can step-by-step it...  I'll be on around 9:30pm<BR>
> AST...  check my ICQ...<BR>
><BR>
>         --Michel<BR>
><BR>
> -+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
> Michel R. Vaillancourt misha@atlantic-online.ns.ca<BR>
> ICQ # 31172292<BR>
> "Reality Error in Progress....<BR>
>        ....Do Not Adjust Your Penguin"<BR>
> -+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
> Cyberpunk:  http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/cp2020<BR>
> Traveller: http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/traveller<BR>
> AD&D: http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/adnd_eurania<BR>
> -+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
>     ***REMEMBER - Always virus-check your emails ***<BR>
> -+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 20:58:07 -0500<BR>
From: "Daniel Phelps" <phelpsd@gate.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Gov Code 4 Refinement (Relating to Weapons)<BR>
<BR>
Was written:<BR>
<BR>
>In a Representative Democracy, the degree of weapons restrictions (the<BR>
>most important aspect of Law Level, to most PCs) is based on the degree<BR>
>to which the citizens perceive the need for weapons.  In the United<BR>
>States, even in the year 2000, there is still a fairly strong perceived<BR>
>need for the right to own firearms: for personal self-defense, for<BR>
>defense against a potentially-tyrannical government, for hunting, and<BR>
>for sport.  Meanwhile, the citizens of other RDs (such as the UK) do<BR>
>_not_ seem to perceive a strong need for private ownership of firearms<BR>
>in their country.  In both cases, the tendency is to move toward that<BR>
>degree of weapons restriction that matches the perceived need for<BR>
>weapons ownership.<BR>
<BR>
Snip<BR>
<BR>
>Contrast this with, for instance, a Non-Charismatic Leader (Trav<BR>
>Government Type C), or even a Civil Service Bureaucracy (Type 8).  In<BR>
>these cases, the determining factor for weapons restriction is the<BR>
>_government's_ perception of the need for private weapons ownership,<BR>
>rather than the _public's_ perception.<BR>
<BR>
Regards the above arguments does anyone know anything about the Swiss<BR>
government and its relationship to hand weapons?   It is my understanding<BR>
that hand weapons ownership there is far less restricted there than in say,<BR>
...the UK, indeed less restrictive than in many US states.  As it was<BR>
explained to me this has to do with the fact that virtually all adult male<BR>
citizens and indeed many of their female citizens are in the reserves and<BR>
subject to weekend drills.  I was told that many are required to keep their<BR>
"basic load" of ammo secured in their homes together with their issued basic<BR>
infantry weapon.  Indeed as the mother of a good friend of mine lives<BR>
outside of Geneva, he told me that when  he visits out in the country on<BR>
weekend mornings he wakes up and instantly knows where he is by the smell of<BR>
cow flop and the sound of small arms fire.<BR>
<BR>
It has been argued that the Swiss have the most successful army in the world<BR>
in that no one has attacked them in living memory.  Of course the distinct<BR>
home court advantage of always holding the high ground probably helps.<BR>
Regards the Swiss and WWII the book "In the Eye of the Hurricane"  is a very<BR>
interesting read. :-p<BR>
<BR>
Regards Traveller this would make for an interesting culture, a<BR>
Representative Democracy with a strong planetary self defense posture<BR>
engrained into the citizenry I could picture such system on a border subject<BR>
to raids.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Dan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 20:05:19 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Minaitures<BR>
<BR>
I wish I had given my Martian Metal figs away.  They disappeared from my<BR>
house over a gaming weekend along with a few Traveller booklets. <BR>
Couldn't find which of my friends did it.  sigh.<BR>
<BR>
darkhstarr<BR>
<BR>
Robert Prior wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >I used to have a whole mess of 15mm, but I gave them away to a friend who<BR>
> >was more into that.<BR>
> <BR>
> Likewise. I had everything Martian Metals produced for Traveller.  Sigh.<BR>
> <BR>
> >>All I really need is more time to paint, a nice large magnifier (eyes are<BR>
> >>getting older), and someone near Toronto who wants to play.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >I wish I was closer. I'm in Kingston, but that's about 4 hours away...<BR>
> <BR>
> Three, but still too far to drive for a game. Maybe we could meet in<BR>
> Coburg... :-)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 20:10:32 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
If I remember from my tabletop days, 15mm & 25mm would the height of the<BR>
figure.  I do remember that 25mm converts also into 1/72 scale.  25mm is<BR>
the usual size of most fantasy figures.  <BR>
<BR>
darkhstarr<BR>
<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> On 01/15/00 at 03:18 PM,  Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com> said:<BR>
> <BR>
> >I still prefer the orginal 15mm.  It takes up less space and lots a<BR>
> >better layout.  Any deckplans in 25mm  I've scaled down. I forgot to<BR>
> >mentioned in my earlier reply on minitures, the old cardboard heroes 15mm<BR>
> >figures.<BR>
> <BR>
> I've only ever used the orginal 15mm figures.  Mostly we used<BR>
> cardboard counters because we all came from wargaming backgrounds<BR>
> and cardboard counters made sense to us.<BR>
> <BR>
> How about a little information for us miniture illiterates?  Does<BR>
> the 15 or 25 mm refer to something like 15mm per meter, 25 mm per<BR>
> yard, or something more esoteric?  IOW's given a 15 mm scale, would<BR>
> a 175 cm tall human be represented be 26.25 mm tall, and given a 25<BR>
> mm scale be 43.75 mm tall?  And how do these scales relate to hex<BR>
> sizes on various boards, papers and mats?<BR>
> <BR>
> Eris<BR>
> --<BR>
> -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
> eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
> -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 21:58:39 EST<BR>
From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
Subject: K'kree again<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 00-01-17 17:59:50 EST, you write:<BR>
<BR>
<< >From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
 <BR>
 >In a message dated 00-01-16 08:09:13 EST, you write:<BR>
 >><< BTW, there is a  reference in canon that they consider the<BR>
 >>feeding of infants by lactation to be carnivourous behavior. <BR>
 >>Was in a JTAS issue, pre-MT. >><BR>
 <BR>
 >I am unfamiliar with this reference -- can someone please <BR>
 >provide me with chapter and verse?<BR>
 <BR>
 That doesn't make sense if the K'Kree are themselves mammalian. <BR>
 They would become the only species to decide to stop breeding<BR>
 because feeding the infants was immoral. >><BR>
<BR>
Glenn,<BR>
<BR>
K'kree are not mammalian (or mammals, for that matter). <BR>
<BR>
Loren Wiseman<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 21:04:43 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: K'kree militancy<BR>
<BR>
>>><< BTW, there is a  reference in canon that they consider the<BR>
>>>feeding of infants by lactation to be carnivourous behavior. <BR>
>>>Was in a JTAS issue, pre-MT. >><BR>
><BR>
>>I am unfamiliar with this reference -- can someone please <BR>
>>provide me with chapter and verse?<BR>
><BR>
>That doesn't make sense if the K'Kree are themselves mammalian. <BR>
>They would become the only species to decide to stop breeding<BR>
>because feeding the infants was immoral.<BR>
<BR>
The K'Kree are furry and warm-blooded, but they do not lactate to feed<BR>
the young. If I recall correctly, the young are fed chewed, partially-<BR>
digested food regurgitated by a parent. (Ewwwwwwww!)<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: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 21:03:03 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money<BR>
<BR>
>>(And who the heck *was* Sacajawea anyway?)<BR>
><BR>
>You should know that -- don't they teach Canadian history in<BR>
>Canadian schools?  Sacajawea was the Canadian native American<BR>
>who led Lewis & Clarke on a snipe hunt through the Pacific<BR>
>Northwest, carefully preventing them from finding anything of<BR>
>real value, like Banff or Vancouver.  I would have thought she<BR>
>was a great hero up north.<BR>
<BR>
You're kidding about her being a Canadian, right?<BR>
<BR>
No, I've never heard of her until I started reading up on the<BR>
new US$1 coin. They don't teach a lot of US history up here in<BR>
Canada, at least in the numbered grades (ie, elementary and high<BR>
school). In fact, I've noticed a distinct regional bias to they<BR>
way they do teach it up here -- I grew up in Ontario, where the<BR>
Canadian history we got was mostly on Ontario & Quebec, with very<BR>
little about western Canada; on the other hand, my mother taught<BR>
Social Studies (which includes history) here in Edmonton for many<BR>
years, and a lot of the focus was on the history of Western Canada.<BR>
<BR>
Another regionalism (though there may be a time factor at work here<BR>
as well): In my school days (the 1970s), we were taught that Louis<BR>
Riel was a rebel and a traitor who deserved to be hanged. In the 1990's<BR>
here in Alberta, the history classes taught that Louis Riel was a hero<BR>
and a freedom fighter... whether this is due to a regional bias or a <BR>
change in the view of Riel over time, I can't say.<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: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 22:08:22 -0600<BR>
From: Charles R Hensley <hensley.cr@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: another school<BR>
<BR>
Based on T4 but convertable to other systems.<BR>
<BR>
School Name:  Imperial Technological Institute<BR>
Location: every class A and B starport, every High Pop world (pop 9, A)<BR>
in the Imperium and numerious Class C starports and Mid Pop  (pop 7, 8)<BR>
worlds.<BR>
Tech Level: 9 - C depending on location.<BR>
Status: Private school.<BR>
Degrees offered: Technical Certificates (2 year school).<BR>
Number of students/faculty: Minimum 20 students, 1 faculty.  Maximum<BR>
3000 students, 40 faculty.<BR>
Noteworthy Programs:  Standardized computerized instruction system. Job<BR>
placement assistance.<BR>
    Effects: +1 enlistment in the Merchants, (if the merchants are<BR>
broken down, then +2 enlistment in Free Traders, -1 Enlistment in<BR>
Megacorps, +1 first promotion in Free Traders)<BR>
Tuition and Fees:  Cr5000/year (does not include room and board).<BR>
Financial aid available: Student Loans (9% interest)<BR>
Benifits: Job placement assistance.<BR>
Admission Requirements: None<BR>
Perseverance:  8-, DM+1 if END 7+, DM +2 if EDU 6+<BR>
Flunked out: one year spent, no skills, no EDU bonus.<BR>
Skills: 2 levels of ONE of the following;  Communications, Computer,<BR>
Electronics, Engineering, Gravetics, Mechanics, Robotics, Sensors, or<BR>
Administration. No EDU bonus (this school does not provide non-technical<BR>
courses required for the EDU bonus as colleges and universities do)<BR>
<BR>
ITI is a low cost school to assist those wishing to get off planet or<BR>
get jobs at the local starport.  They earn thier money through the high<BR>
interest rate on the school loans (several points above Imperium<BR>
standard), job placement fees.  The cirriculum is tough enough that most<BR>
students must also barrow for room and board.<BR>
<BR>
The school is commonly called "the poor man's Merchant Accademy" as most<BR>
of the placements are to Free Traders.  MegaCorps disdain the ITI<BR>
students as being low class, uneducated, and inexperienced, prefering<BR>
college, university, and Merchant Accademy graduates.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
As a note: T4 colleges give both skills and EDU bonuses (see pg. 19,<BR>
Academic Skills and Graduation paragraphs), Contrary to what has been<BR>
mentioned previously.  Also see my write-ups at<BR>
http://home.att.net/~hensley.cr/Traveller/hrules.html<BR>
<BR>
Charles<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1775<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Tuesday, January 18 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1776<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: another school<BR>
Re Crypto<BR>
Re Prions<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Cryptonomicon<BR>
Re: 3I Money<BR>
re:  K'kree again<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
RE: [BITS] Millennium fun adventure<BR>
Re:  IRIS<BR>
Re: Star Wars LEGO figures<BR>
Re: Silly military quotes again, also, obscenities<BR>
Keyboard killer!!!<BR>
Fashion+ (Was:  Re: fashions)<BR>
Re: Elite<BR>
Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 23:21:33 -0500<BR>
From: "Josh W. Spencer" <macmanjws@earthlink.net><BR>
Subject: Re: another school<BR>
<BR>
On 01/17/2000 23:08, Charles R Hensley wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Based on T4 but convertable to other systems.<BR>
> <BR>
> School Name:  Imperial Technological Institute<BR>
> Location: every class A and B starport, every High Pop world (pop 9, A)<BR>
> in the Imperium and numerious Class C starports and Mid Pop  (pop 7, 8)<BR>
> worlds.<BR>
> Tech Level: 9 - C depending on location.<BR>
> Status: Private school.<BR>
> Degrees offered: Technical Certificates (2 year school).<BR>
> Number of students/faculty: Minimum 20 students, 1 faculty.  Maximum<BR>
> 3000 students, 40 faculty.<BR>
> Noteworthy Programs:  Standardized computerized instruction system. Job<BR>
> placement assistance.<BR>
> Effects: +1 enlistment in the Merchants, (if the merchants are<BR>
> broken down, then +2 enlistment in Free Traders, -1 Enlistment in<BR>
> Megacorps, +1 first promotion in Free Traders)<BR>
> Tuition and Fees:  Cr5000/year (does not include room and board).<BR>
> Financial aid available: Student Loans (9% interest)<BR>
> Benifits: Job placement assistance.<BR>
> Admission Requirements: None<BR>
> Perseverance:  8-, DM+1 if END 7+, DM +2 if EDU 6+<BR>
> Flunked out: one year spent, no skills, no EDU bonus.<BR>
> Skills: 2 levels of ONE of the following;  Communications, Computer,<BR>
> Electronics, Engineering, Gravetics, Mechanics, Robotics, Sensors, or<BR>
> Administration. No EDU bonus (this school does not provide non-technical<BR>
> courses required for the EDU bonus as colleges and universities do)<BR>
> <BR>
> ITI is a low cost school to assist those wishing to get off planet or<BR>
> get jobs at the local starport.  They earn thier money through the high<BR>
> interest rate on the school loans (several points above Imperium<BR>
> standard), job placement fees.  The cirriculum is tough enough that most<BR>
> students must also barrow for room and board.<BR>
> <BR>
> The school is commonly called "the poor man's Merchant Accademy" as most<BR>
> of the placements are to Free Traders.  MegaCorps disdain the ITI<BR>
> students as being low class, uneducated, and inexperienced, prefering<BR>
> college, university, and Merchant Accademy graduates.<BR>
<BR>
This type of school for non-advantaged characters is a great fill-in. But I<BR>
can see it now..."ITI: We're serious about success." <-- A total rip-off of<BR>
the old DeVry Institute of Technology TV ads. Yes I went there, once, long<BR>
ago. :) :)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Josh W. Spencer (macmanjws@earthlink.net)<BR>
Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA<BR>
http://home.earthlink.net/~macmanjws<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 19:20:03 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Crypto<BR>
<BR>
>> the trick with sequential application of sequential keys to an algorhythmic<BR>
>> crytography is that you need massively parallel structures to make ti<BR>
>> time-worthy.<BR>
><BR>
>Want to restate that so I can tell what you are trying to say. I can't<BR>
>come up with a meaning that both matches the words *and* is true.<BR>
<BR>
If you have unit of processing power X required to run a decrypt of a key<BR>
of y bits length  in time Z you need a significant fraction of 2^y<BR>
processors of >=X to get a timely result. (2^y)/432000 generates number of<BR>
processors for decrypt time of Z=1sec to pop all possibles keys in a week,<BR>
assuming no overhead processing time. One interesting problem with<BR>
encryption: you may get format-validatable results to generate the correct<BR>
format, but incorrect data, with the incorrect key. With certain cyphering<BR>
methods you will also get correct character outputs in scrambled order with<BR>
certain incorrect keys. This problem is more common with twin-key than with<BR>
single key, from what I've read.<BR>
<BR>
Once you get the ones with the correct formatted output (which there will<BR>
be in most cases), you then have reduced the number of possible keys by at<BR>
least several orders of magnitude with any decent cyphering method.<BR>
<BR>
If the cypher is sequential, you will be able to reduce the time needed by<BR>
partial decrypt and then checking format, and if that works, full decypt on<BR>
that individual key; if you still have a valid format on the output, then<BR>
you write it (The key) to the possibles file.  If you have multiple<BR>
examples with the same key, you then run only the possibles from the first<BR>
run against the second example. once you get down to a handful of keys, you<BR>
then take the clear data for another known example, and run it through the<BR>
possible reverse (Source) keys to generate encryption for the destination<BR>
keys from your narrowed possibles file; since many of the overlaps are<BR>
supposedly content dependant. You then check these by running the cleardata<BR>
for a known example through the possible source keys and checking against<BR>
eht encrypted known example. Minimum needed is 3 keys with a known format<BR>
of content, and at least 1 whose content is known (preferably 2-4 of<BR>
these). It's much easier if you have knowedge of the content of all 3<BR>
minimum examples. to be fairly sure you've got the right one, you'd want to<BR>
have at least 5 known samples. If, as in the credcards, from the previous<BR>
post, you can get 8+, all of which you know the content and format, you can<BR>
reduce the number of possibles considerably on the second run.<BR>
<BR>
overall method<BR>
1: brute force on example #1<BR>
2: run the possibles from step 1 on example #2 to trim the possibles<BR>
3: find the possible source keys for those those remaining possibles.<BR>
4: test the keys with known cleardata for which you have known encrypted data.<BR>
5: repeat again with second "known" example.<BR>
<BR>
The more known examples, the better. Step 2 can be repeated if there are<BR>
still too many to run the reverse key generate test from 3-4 and you have<BR>
another example.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 19:45:18 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Prions<BR>
<BR>
>Whoa there, me bucko!!! This is beginning to sound like Reagan's 'Ivan the<BR>
>Terrible Supersoldier' here...'High enough temps to melt steel' is just a<BR>
>_little_ hyperbole. It is a protein, like any other, and thus governed by<BR>
>the chemical constraints of proteins...an autoclave will work, you just<BR>
>may need to autoclave it longer. Long before you melt steel, proteins have<BR>
>decomposed to gases...<BR>
<BR>
I should have said "higher than many current autoclaves can generate." The<BR>
prionic forms in question, according to the studies, ARE more thermally<BR>
resistant than the normal forms. Which is why the local hospitals are no<BR>
longer reusing "inexpensive" surgical instruments, including clamps,<BR>
retractors, scalpels, and a few others. It may be paranoia, it might not.<BR>
(A friend working at the local BIA/PHS hospital pointed this out to me, so<BR>
I checked with friends working at the other two local hospitals... I am<BR>
repeatedly told they all are autoclaving only those items which are (A) too<BR>
expensive for single patient use, and their definition of too expensive is<BR>
rather high (3 digits) by my standards; (B) not in unprotected contact with<BR>
human flesh. Which jives with the studies on the prions in question.<BR>
<BR>
At least one study stated that "To obtain assured destruction, we were<BR>
forced to melt the scalpels." IIRC, most compounds volatize to gasses<BR>
before they undergo thermally-induced chemical breakdown. Volatizing into a<BR>
gas, unless the molecule changes state (ie reverts to a non-prionic<BR>
conformation) or composition (ceases to be the same chemical molecule), is<BR>
insufficient, as you will have deposition issues. You need to  cause the<BR>
prion to chemically react and become a different molecule. By heat, by<BR>
introduction of other chemicals, or by atomic manipulation (ie: change the<BR>
atomic structure of 1 or more elements in the molecule, not something<BR>
currently practical, FWIW), you need to change the molecule into one or<BR>
more other molecules.<BR>
<BR>
I have repeatedly read that some molecules have differing reactivities and<BR>
properties depending upon which of several configurations occur... C(x)<BR>
being an example... and some amino acids with handedness. Proteins and<BR>
sugars also have handedness issues. I have to accept it, simply because of<BR>
the sources, as I don't quite grock molecular chemistry...<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 23:50:23 -0500<BR>
From: "Josh W. Spencer" <macmanjws@earthlink.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
At 21:17 -0500 14/1/00, shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) wrote:<BR>
>>><BR>
>>> It occurs to me that Stargates *aren't* incompatible with Traveller.<BR>
>>> They *do* change things, but if they are scattered half as widely as on<BR>
>>> the show most of them are *way* outside "known space". And they are<BR>
>>> kinda small to move huge cargos thru.<BR>
>>> <BR>
>>> But if you did put some in the Traveller universe, and kept them as<BR>
>>> "ancient tech" which can't be duplicated or even just something that<BR>
>>> requires *incredibly* rare materials to build, you'd only change things<BR>
>>> a bit.<BR>
<BR>
Volker Greimann replies:<BR>
> Only a bit? You forget the whole concept of the 3I is slow propagation of<BR>
> news.<BR>
> Norris wouldnt have been able to pull of his faked promotion-stunt, the commo<BR>
> lags that are the whole point of installing Archdukes would be missing, the<BR>
> Fourth<BR>
> Frontier war (the False War) would be a real war, as orders from the throne<BR>
> _would_ have arrived on time, etc,etc. And these are only some the changes<BR>
> for the marches.<BR>
> The imperiam setting as we know it cant handle devices like these without<BR>
> shaking up its very foundations...<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
At what TL would instantaneous communication be introduced?<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Josh W. Spencer (macmanjws@earthlink.net)<BR>
Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA<BR>
http://home.earthlink.net/~macmanjws<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 22:55:27 -0600<BR>
From: "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net><BR>
Subject: Cryptonomicon<BR>
<BR>
Something that might be of use to those interested in Crypto,<BR>
Neil Stephenson's most recent book "The Cryptonomicon" deals with <BR>
Cryptography a bit. Makes an interesting read too.<BR>
<BR>
TV<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 21:45:36 -0800<BR>
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <gmgoffin@pacbell.net><BR>
Subject: Re: 3I Money<BR>
<BR>
> From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
> <BR>
> >>(And who the heck *was* Sacajawea anyway?)<BR>
> ><BR>
> >You should know that -- don't they teach Canadian history in<BR>
 <BR>
> You're kidding about her being a Canadian, right?<BR>
<BR>
I must have been.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 21:44:02 -0800<BR>
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <gmgoffin@pacbell.net><BR>
Subject: re:  K'kree again<BR>
<BR>
> From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
<BR>
> Glenn,<BR>
> <BR>
> K'kree are not mammalian (or mammals, for that matter). <BR>
> <BR>
> Loren Wiseman<BR>
<BR>
Thanks, Loren.  They should be alien.<BR>
<BR>
> From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
<BR>
> The K'Kree are furry and warm-blooded, but they do not lactate to feed<BR>
> the young. If I recall correctly, the young are fed chewed, partially-<BR>
> digested food regurgitated by a parent. (Ewwwwwwww!)<BR>
<BR>
It seems to me that the Vargr would feed their young regurgitated food<BR>
(as well as mother's milk).  It's very common for wolves and not unheard<BR>
of for dogs to kill something and eat all of it, then run home to the<BR>
pups, who lick its face to trigger the urge to vomit, and the pups eat<BR>
the partially digested result.  (Dogwatching, by Desmond Morris,<BR>
discusses this at some length.)  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 16:52:29 +1000<BR>
From: david.d.jaques-watson@centrelink.gov.au<BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
Dear Folks -<BR>
<BR>
Eris asked:<BR>
> How about a little information for us miniture illiterates?  Does<BR>
> the 15 or 25 mm refer to something like 15mm per meter, 25 mm per<BR>
> yard, or something more esoteric?  IOW's given a 15 mm scale, would<BR>
> a 175 cm tall human be represented be 26.25 mm tall, and given a 25<BR>
> mm scale be 43.75 mm tall?  And how do these scales relate to hex<BR>
> sizes on various boards, papers and mats?<BR>
<BR>
I first noticed this when looking at printed deckplans - they seemed too small<BR>
for the figurines. I was right - the deckplans use a 0.5 inch grid, which is<BR>
SMALLER than if they used a 15 mm (1.5 cm) grid.<BR>
<BR>
25mm is nearly equal to 1 inch. More precisely 2.54 cm = 25.4 mm = 1 inch.<BR>
15mm is nearly equal to 0.5 inches. More precisely, 1.27 cm = 12.7 mm = 0.5<BR>
inches.<BR>
<BR>
Most grid sheets are made in the US, so are in imperial, where 1 inch = 6 feet.<BR>
Hex sheets, AFAIK, are the same, where 1" = 6'. If using "15mm" figurines, this<BR>
means that 0.5 inches is set to 6 feet (as I mentioned above). Sloppy, I know.<BR>
More noticable with the smaller minis than with the 25mm ones. Just get some<BR>
metric gridpaper and redraw your maps (I tried this with a _Gazelle_ - "it looks<BR>
bigger in real life, don't ya know?" ;-). Or rescale your gifs.<BR>
<BR>
Worse, mini designers use artistic licence when it comes to heights. Most of my<BR>
fantasy fighters, for instance, are over 1" - that is,  _over_ 6' - probably the<BR>
stereotypical 6'4" hero-type. Your 175cm human is nearly 6'9", and I'm sure<BR>
you'll be able to find a figurine to match.<BR>
<BR>
With blue eyes.<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
David "Hyphen" Jaques-Watson        Beowulf Down (Tavonni/Vilis/SM 1520)<BR>
http://www.tip.net.au/~davidjw                       davidjw@pcug.org.au<BR>
"I file things in historical order, with a hashing algorithm of gravity"<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
REQ'D DISCLAIMER - material & opinions contained within are solely those<BR>
of the author and do not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the<BR>
position of Centrelink or any other Commonwealth Government agency.<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 19:37:12 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: [BITS] Millennium fun adventure<BR>
<BR>
http://www.bits.org.uk/<BR>
> <BR>
> All good things must come to an end, so this is a 24 hour warning. <BR>
> 'White Dwarf', our free adventure for the Millennium, will be removed <BR>
> from the BITS site after 1800 hrs GMT on 18 January 2000.<BR>
> <BR>
> This is your final warning....<BR>
<BR>
Thank's for putting up in the first place, man.<BR>
<BR>
I'm itching for a convention to run it at now!<BR>
<BR>
Frankie <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 22:44:40 -0900<BR>
From: Peter Newman <pnewman@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re:  IRIS<BR>
<BR>
"Bruce Macintosh" <bruce.macintosh@worldnet.att.net> wrote<BR>
<BR>
> >4. IRIS exists. Strephon's journal article questioned not the<BR>
> >existence of the Agency but rather whether these particular<BR>
> >people actually were high level IRIS operatives. Notice that<BR>
> >he says "Who are these IRIS people and not "What is this<BR>
> >IRIS agency?" Therefore Strephon is not denying the<BR>
> >existence of IRIS, rather what he is saying is "I worked<BR>
> >closely with IRIS, one of my government's spy agencies, and<BR>
> >I do not recognize the names of these people."<BR>
> <BR>
> Unlikely. Later articles laugh at the whole IRIS concept<BR>
> ("an organization do decide who gets to be Emporer? Funny, I<BR>
> thought that was what the Moot was for..." or words to that effect...)<BR>
<BR>
That's quite true Bruce but the statements that<BR>
laughed at the whole IRIS concept were not made by<BR>
objective [GDW staff] sources they were made by individuals<BR>
who belonged to factions that had a good reason for<BR>
discrediting this idea. Therefore the fact that they<BR>
were denied in later articles is meaningless. All<BR>
denials were made _in_charecter_ IIRC.<BR>
<BR>
If GDW had really wanted us (the reader) to be clear <BR>
on this they could simply have noted, by issuing errata <BR>
in JTAS, that IRIS was still a variant and that the <BR>
references to it in Survival Margin did not prove<BR>
the organization was real. If you really want to clear <BR>
this up you might want to ask Mark Miller, Loren<BR>
Wiseman, or someone else who would know.<BR>
<BR>
Of course we know that IRIS started out as a variant<BR>
but the original question was not "Based on all<BR>
canonical materials what is the authenticity of<BR>
IRIS ?" the question was "Based on what Strephon said<BR>
in Survival Margin what is the authenticity of IRIS?"<BR>
which is an entirely different question.<BR>
<BR>
Without wanting to turn this into Traveller deconstructionist<BR>
week I was simply pointing out that their were more than<BR>
3 legitimate ways of reading that text.<BR>
<BR>
Personally I am not sure that we need IRIS when we<BR>
already have IMOJ, Naval Intelligence, the Scouts,<BR>
black Intel projects like Longbow, etc in the canon<BR>
Traveller universe but it is not at all unrealistic<BR>
for a government as big as the Imperium to have<BR>
multiple types of spooks.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 00:51:38 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Star Wars LEGO figures<BR>
<BR>
> http://www.brunching.com/ratings/rate-starwarslegos.html<BR>
<BR>
  Way cool. Of course, I collect them already, although I'm still<BR>
waiting to get a Darth Vader...<BR>
<BR>
  And remember, you can always claim that they're for the kids, and<BR>
that it's purely coincidental if they're left on the table when you<BR>
set up the Traveller game :)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 23:01:38 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Silly military quotes again, also, obscenities<BR>
<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>>From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
><BR>
>>However a very simple way to insult someone in Japanese is to use a<BR>
low-in-politeness pronoun for "you".  And you can nest these.<BR>
>><BR>
>To go in a slightly different direction, I note that in Thai,royalty must<BR>
be addressed in speech that is so laden with acknowledgements of difference<BR>
in rank that it is nearly a different language.  This might play out in a<BR>
similar way among the Aslan, but not among any of the big three human<BR>
groups.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Japanese has that aspect too...  it just doesn't affect me often-- I have<BR>
never needed to speak to the Emperor, LOL!<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's<BR>
a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect and love your darkest side,<BR>
disposing of only what is obsolete or impractical.  It's all about giving<BR>
yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 23:06:36 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Keyboard killer!!!<BR>
<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>It's nice to know that we're starting to explore strange new worlds that<BR>
don't look like Southern California.  ("It appears to be a class M, San<BR>
Bernadino-type world, Captain."  "And the population, Spock?"  "Almost<BR>
entirely slim buxom humanoid females, sir."  "Excellent; landing party to<BR>
the transporter!")<BR>
><BR>
3.0++ -- it came up on the screen while I was on the phone with a friend and<BR>
he thought I was dying...<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's<BR>
a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect and love your darkest side,<BR>
disposing of only what is obsolete or impractical.  It's all about giving<BR>
yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 02:28:03 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Fashion+ (Was:  Re: fashions)<BR>
<BR>
<eris@pcola.gulf.net> wrote:<BR>
>"Andrew Moffatt-Vallance" <a.vallance@netaccess.co.nz> said:<BR>
><BR>
> >Also it should be remembered that the vast majority of Imperial  citizens<BR>
> >(and non-Imperial for that matter) will never venture into  space, so I<BR>
> >don't see the necessities of space travel having any  real influence on<BR>
> >fashion.<BR>
><BR>
> Well, I can't speak for the others, but I wasn't writing about<BR>
> Fashion for the vast majority of anything.  <g> What I was doing was<BR>
> suggesting styles for a couple of small parts of society.  Frankly,<BR>
> when you're talking about many thousands of worlds, anything<BR>
> somewhere best describes Fashion. <g><BR>
<BR>
That's pretty much the way I see it IMTU.  Most spacers also<BR>
know the truth of this statement and very often wear what is<BR>
IMTU called worlds motley, a combination of a variety of<BR>
styles in combination, like one long sleeve and one short one<BR>
(or a mid-length or none at all) both a skirt (or kilt) and pants,<BR>
vests of 3 or four different styles, suspenders and a belt, etc.<BR>
The idea is an old one IMTU; the term I borrowed from the<BR>
novel _Hellspark_ (I don't remember the author's name, I do<BR>
remember that she was a she).<BR>
<BR>
I have been trying to duplicate the suit that her main character<BR>
wore using official Traveller stuff.  Of course, the computer<BR>
(Margaret Lord Lynn (AKA Maggi Maggi)) on her ship is<BR>
impossible, being an AI; however, if we assume a<BR>
sophisticated robotic type computer, we can come up with<BR>
something that will work.<BR>
<BR>
As to the suit, I figure that if I start with a full body-suit of<BR>
Flex-11 (CSC pp 20-21) that would give a good basis for<BR>
explaining it.  CSC does not offer much in the way of details<BR>
concerning Flex-11, only cost (900 cr.) and mass (6 kg).  I<BR>
would guess that it would have a flexible armor rating of 4 or<BR>
5.  I would then add the properties of Stretch Cloth and those<BR>
of Video Cloth (CSC p 39) (this would add 150 cr./sq. m to the<BR>
outfit).  Then, I would add the properties of OneWay (CSC p<BR>
40) (adding another 200 cr./sq. m).  Finally, I would add the<BR>
equivalent of a Multi (CSC pp 27-28) to provide the onboard<BR>
computing power and sensory input described in the novel.<BR>
<BR>
I seem to remember reading about a subdermal implant that<BR>
could be used in conjunction with the comm functions of the<BR>
suit electronics.  Oops, I forgot about the comm unit, I'll get<BR>
back to that later.  Let's see, as to the subdermal implant, ah,<BR>
yes here it is, T4B1 p65.  Under Aide it says that an Aide<BR>
subdermal implant will cost 300 cr. (including the outpatient<BR>
surgery needed to implant and connect it).  Then we add a<BR>
fancy Comm rig for 200 cr. and a Comm Booster for another<BR>
500 cr.  All this electronic equipment would of course be<BR>
ruggedized and woven into the fabric of the suit.<BR>
<BR>
The last piece of equipment she had was her spectacles.  I<BR>
would guess that the Night Glasses-9 (CSC p 28) would<BR>
make a good starting place.  The technical advancements in<BR>
3 tech levels should bring those up to the capability of a<BR>
Personal HUD, complete with 3-D display and Comm<BR>
interface and would probably cost something on the order<BR>
1000 cr.<BR>
<BR>
Had anyone ever considered that computer controlled stretch<BR>
cloth might actually improve your Str rating?  Come to think of<BR>
it with proper programming, it might even increase your Dex<BR>
by a point or two.  Hmm, I think that IMTU, I will create a new<BR>
skill and once you achieve it you get a the boost while you are<BR>
wearing such a suit.  I think another point of Dex should be<BR>
available at skill level/4 and a third at skill level/9.  Hmm, yes, I<BR>
think I like this idea.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 11:08:16 GMT<BR>
From: "Jonathan Lupton" <jonathanlupton@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Elite<BR>
<BR>
Chris Seamans wrote:<BR>
>>Recently I regained that feeling of early Traveller, the idea that<BR>
>>there is a vast, potentially hostile universe... by playing a PC game <BR>
>>called Frontier: Elite II.<BR>
>><BR>
>>Has anyone played this game?<BR>
<BR>
<reminisce><BR>
Ahhhh.... I remember the days I used to spend hours playing the original <BR>
elite, first on the Spectrum (complete with the lens lock security system, <BR>
anyone remember that?) the on the Amiga, I finally reached Deadly rank and <BR>
had to stop playing to regain some form of real life.<BR>
<BR>
Frontier was more detailed but suffered from some strange bugs like<BR>
flying straight thru' gas giants and the shooting the asteroid trick to <BR>
become elite.<BR>
<BR>
First Encounters (Frontier 2)(Elite 3)(Whatever) was basically an improved <BR>
version of frontier, space combat was made a lot easier!<BR>
<BR>
These are the games that started me and some friends playing traveller all <BR>
those years ago<BR>
</reminisce><BR>
<BR>
There's quite a few little adventure within the 2nd and 3rd games that could <BR>
be converted into Traveller adventures. You could even convert the setting <BR>
into a new traveller setting and use the games 3D star map to give you a 3d <BR>
traveller setting. I bet someone on this list has probably already done <BR>
this?<BR>
<BR>
Jens wrote:<BR>
>Wonderful game as well. I wish I had it for my PC... I don't use my old <BR>
>Amiga 500 that much nowadays...<BR>
<BR>
Elite Plus was released for the PC with improved sound and graphics (same <BR>
gameplay as elite). Gametek produced First Encounters but they were sold to <BR>
take 2, it may be worth contacting take 2 and seeing if they have any copies <BR>
left (www.take2games.com).<BR>
<BR>
J.<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 12:53:07 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
<BR>
Jim & Peta Lawrie wrote:<BR>
>    We've hashed out the how and why of pirates pretty clearly, has anyone<BR>
>thought of a drill that the locals use when they learn that there's pirates<BR>
>in system?<BR>
<BR>
There's the one you use on Lobstermen in X-com Terror from the Deep.<BR>
<BR>
<sorry><BR>
<BR>
The marketing department of the Postmark Design Bureau (Laser Communications<BR>
Division) would suggest pointing your Telstar XII laser communications<BR>
satellites at the problem and, if they come within 1 million km (100 dia)<BR>
"sending a message they can't ignore"TM*<BR>
<BR>
Arrays such as these will protect the jump zones of most planets, which only<BR>
leaves you needing to send SDBs along to protect the in system mining fleets.<BR>
<BR>
If you don't think your system could afford a Telstar XII array and a<BR>
few SDB fleets, you're probably also the sort of people who would query<BR>
the cost of our minimum specification lab ship.<BR>
<BR>
[*] The PDB (LCD) also has an internal design study for the Telstar XIII,<BR>
    with a design range of over *one billion* km, designed to protect<BR>
    a stellar 100D limit and the closer gas giants. The current hold up<BR>
    is an argument over the validity of the interception scenarios being<BR>
    used - marketing wanting to advertise a *one hour response time* and<BR>
    legals wanting the clause "against targets that don't move for two hours"<BR>
    in the small print.<BR>
<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 08:56:19 -0500<BR>
From: "Vincent P. Runci" <vahid@prodigy.net><BR>
Subject: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
After reading the last several posts about K'Kree militant vegetarianism, I<BR>
decided to look through my collection of old journals and find the one which<BR>
describes the K'Kree killing of the nursing mother and infants.<BR>
The article, "Destiny:  Within the Two Thousand Worlds" by William H. Keith<BR>
appeared in JTAS # 21.<BR>
<BR>
The article made an interesting  suggestion to explain this militant<BR>
vegetarianism.  The K'Kree ambassador being interviewed in the article<BR>
suggested that carnivores and omnivores that evolve intelligence must<BR>
develop some sort of social or cultural restraint on their killing instinct<BR>
(i.e.: a conscience) in order to maintain a viable civilization.  On the<BR>
hand, vegetarians which gain intelligence have no such requirement to<BR>
suppress a killer instinct so they are able to become more ruthless and<BR>
efficient in warfare, according to this ambassador.<BR>
<BR>
Anyway, this explains the nursing mother atrocity.  The K'Kree had been<BR>
chasing the remnants of a g'naak society to their mountain stronghold. They<BR>
burst into a shelter and found this mother feeding her babies.  The K'kree<BR>
had already been infuriated by the scent of singed meat and blood in the<BR>
air.  They entered the shelter to find one of the young "feeding on a<BR>
whitish blood-like substance from the female."   The ambassador goes on to<BR>
say, " We killed them of course, quickly and cleanly, with our feet, to save<BR>
ammunition, since they were unarmed."<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 16:00:47 +0100 (MET)<BR>
From: Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium<BR>
<BR>
Volker Greimann writes:<BR>
<BR>
>>>But if you did put some [stargates] in the Traveller universe, and kept<BR>
>>>them as "ancient tech" which can't be duplicated or even just something<BR>
>>>that requires *incredibly* rare materials to build, you'd only change<BR>
>>>things a bit.<BR>
><BR>
>Only a bit? You forget the whole concept of the 3I is slow propagation of <BR>
>news.<BR>
>Norris wouldnt have been able to pull of his faked promotion-stunt, the<BR>
>commo lags that are the whole point of installing Archdukes would be<BR>
>missing, the Fourth Frontier war (the False War) would be a real war, as<BR>
>orders from the throne _would_ have arrived on time, etc,etc. And these<BR>
>are only some the changes for the marches.<BR>
<BR>
I agree with your other points, but as for Norris, he couldn't pull the stunt<BR>
off in the canon TU without the tacit approval of an awful lot of dukes and<BR>
admirals. Remember that Norris is only a subsector duke. Anything he gets<BR>
from the Imperiallines network his fellow dukes would get too. And the Navy<BR>
has jump-6 couriers, so the top admirals gets the information just as fast.<BR>
I happen to think that the megacorporate sector managers would get the news<BR>
just as fast, but that really isn't necessesary; there's at least a score of<BR>
other people who gets the news about when Norris does (Plus their confidential<BR>
staffs  --  it's a major miracle that none of them leaks this juicy tidbit to<BR>
the press...).<BR>
<BR>
Anyway, even if Norris somehow were the only one to get the advanced notice,<BR>
a lot of high-ranking people are going to know about the existence of the<BR>
Imperiallines network. If nothing else they would be able to count back when<BR>
they finally do get the news and realize that Norris could have known that<BR>
Strephon was dead... hmmm... just about when he announced his elevation to<BR>
archdukehood...<BR>
<BR>
That's a recipice for disaster unless Norris was absolutely sure that the<BR>
other leading nobles, Delphine and the Duke of Deneb at the very least,<BR>
wouldn't rock the boat when they realized the deception. Only a criminal<BR>
lunatic would run the risk of pissing them off by doing it without their<BR>
approval.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
      Hans Rancke<BR>
University of Copenhagen<BR>
     rancke@diku.dk<BR>
- ------------<BR>
        "The referee should determine the nature of subsequent<BR>
         events based on the individual situation."<BR>
                                _76 Patrons_, p. 8<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1776<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1777</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest     Tuesday, January 18 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1777<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: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
RE: Re Prions<BR>
RE: 2D probabilities on Excel<BR>
Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
Re: Xboat traffic/My Electronics Handwave<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
re: V1999<BR>
Re: Elite<BR>
RE: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
RE: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
RE: K'Kree JTAS article  <BR>
Re: Elite<BR>
New Look at Downport<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Utterly off topic re: Star Wars LEGO figures<BR>
Re: Perseus Arm Explorations...<BR>
Re: New Look at Downport<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 10:59:33 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
At 08:56 AM 1/18/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>After reading the last several posts about K'Kree militant vegetarianism, I<BR>
>decided to look through my collection of old journals and find the one which<BR>
>describes the K'Kree killing of the nursing mother and infants.<BR>
>The article, "Destiny:  Within the Two Thousand Worlds" by William H. Keith<BR>
>appeared in JTAS # 21.<BR>
><BR>
              [snip]<BR>
        That article is the reason that chap who introduced me to CT *did<BR>
not* use the K'Kree.  The 3I should have run them over in a pre-emptive<BR>
strike.  There is no way, given the ineffiency of K'Kree designs, that the<BR>
3I could have lost...  and knowing the K'Kree mentality for genocide wars,<BR>
the 3I would have been obliged to wipe them out.<BR>
<BR>
        So, that had happened about 20 years before the FFW in his game.<BR>
That left the area of the 2000 Worlds a war-torn wasteland, laden with plot<BR>
ideas.  =)<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<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>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 11:01:36 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
<BR>
At 04:20 PM 1/17/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>>    We've hashed out the how and why of pirates pretty clearly,<BR>
><BR>
>>has anyone thought of a drill that the locals use when they <BR>
>>learn that there's pirates in system?<BR>
><BR>
>B:  "Hey sophs, pirates about; took an inbound fat trader a few<BR>
>hours ago."<BR>
><BR>
              [amusement snipped]<BR>
><BR>
>Oh, wait, did you mean the defense drill?<BR>
><BR>
>--Glenn<BR>
<BR>
        Hi, Glenn!<BR>
<BR>
        I am rather of the opinion that there are more than a few<BR>
back-waters where this is more accurate than the IN would like to discuss...<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<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>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 10:05:22 -0000<BR>
From: Matt Bond <MBOND@karpad.demon.co.uk><BR>
Subject: RE: Re Prions<BR>
<BR>
> -----Original Message-----<BR>
> From: William F. Hostman [mailto:aramis@gci.net]<BR>
> Sent: 18 January 2000 4:45<BR>
> To: traveller@mpgn.com<BR>
> Subject: Re Prions<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> >Whoa there, me bucko!!! This is beginning to sound like <BR>
> Reagan's 'Ivan the<BR>
> >Terrible Supersoldier' here...'High enough temps to melt <BR>
> steel' is just a<BR>
> >_little_ hyperbole. It is a protein, like any other, and <BR>
> thus governed by<BR>
> >the chemical constraints of proteins...an autoclave will <BR>
> work, you just<BR>
> >may need to autoclave it longer. Long before you melt steel, <BR>
> proteins have<BR>
> >decomposed to gases...<BR>
> <BR>
> I should have said "higher than many current autoclaves can <BR>
> generate." The<BR>
> prionic forms in question, according to the studies, ARE more <BR>
> thermally<BR>
> resistant than the normal forms. Which is why the local <BR>
> hospitals are no<BR>
> longer reusing "inexpensive" surgical instruments, including clamps,<BR>
> retractors, scalpels, and a few others. It may be paranoia, <BR>
> it might not.<BR>
> (A friend working at the local BIA/PHS hospital pointed this <BR>
> out to me, so<BR>
> I checked with friends working at the other two local <BR>
> hospitals... I am<BR>
> repeatedly told they all are autoclaving only those items <BR>
> which are (A) too<BR>
> expensive for single patient use, and their definition of too <BR>
> expensive is<BR>
> rather high (3 digits) by my standards; (B) not in <BR>
> unprotected contact with<BR>
> human flesh. Which jives with the studies on the prions in question.<BR>
> <BR>
> At least one study stated that "To obtain assured destruction, we were<BR>
> forced to melt the scalpels." IIRC, most compounds volatize to gasses<BR>
> before they undergo thermally-induced chemical breakdown. <BR>
> Volatizing into a<BR>
> gas, unless the molecule changes state (ie reverts to a non-prionic<BR>
> conformation) or composition (ceases to be the same chemical <BR>
> molecule), is<BR>
> insufficient, as you will have deposition issues. You need to <BR>
>  cause the<BR>
> prion to chemically react and become a different molecule. By heat, by<BR>
> introduction of other chemicals, or by atomic manipulation <BR>
> (ie: change the<BR>
> atomic structure of 1 or more elements in the molecule, not something<BR>
> currently practical, FWIW), you need to change the molecule <BR>
> into one or<BR>
> more other molecules.<BR>
<BR>
Couldn't the scalpels etc, be soaked in some kind of acid/alkali that<BR>
would attack the organic molecules of the prion before the steel of the<BR>
scalpel?<BR>
<BR>
Then heat them in the autoclave...<BR>
<BR>
Matt<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 11:09:22 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: 2D probabilities on Excel<BR>
<BR>
Glenn Myers writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>Ian's use of excel got me thinking of setting up a Palm Quicksheet<BR>
>for this.  How does one make excel do this?<BR>
<BR>
	All I did was input the following:<BR>
<BR>
	A	B	C	(columns)<BR>
	1	36	=A1/B1<BR>
	2	36	=A2/B2<BR>
	3	36	=A3/B3<BR>
	4	36	=A4/B4<BR>
	etc.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 10:02:05 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Distance between two worlds<BR>
<BR>
All Right! You da bomb, man!<BR>
<BR>
This is gonna be fun!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Anthony Jackson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> For amusement, I've attached a program that will compute the shortest route<BR>
> between two worlds in the same sector.  It requires a .sec file (I got mine<BR>
> from the missouri archives) and produces varying output; no particular<BR>
> effort has been made to write a 'clean' program or anything, and tiebreaking<BR>
> is handled by just taking the first available path; <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 10:38:17 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Xboat traffic/My Electronics Handwave<BR>
<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
  Ship and vehicle<BR>
> computers have a *real* problem because they are used inside boxes<BR>
> chock full of gravtech devices, hence they have to be big, heavy,<BR>
> and costly usually with many redundant processors and memory stores<BR>
> kept in shielded areas (ie multiple refrigerator sized boxes) and<BR>
> even then are in almost constant need to maintenance and repair.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
AAARRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!<BR>
<BR>
"constant need to maintenance and repair"....<BR>
<BR>
Looks like me 'n Pete 'n the warblers are gonna become close friends!<BR>
<BR>
"watch while I stawlk the woild wahbler, and poke it with a stick!"<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 09:46:32<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
At 10:59 AM 1/18/2000 -0400, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>        That article is the reason that chap who introduced me to CT *did<BR>
>not* use the K'Kree.  The 3I should have run them over in a pre-emptive<BR>
>strike.  There is no way, given the ineffiency of K'Kree designs, that the<BR>
>3I could have lost...  and knowing the K'Kree mentality for genocide wars,<BR>
>the 3I would have been obliged to wipe them out.<BR>
<BR>
And the Wehrmacht should have been in Red Square by October 1941.<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 14:06:18 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
At 09:46 AM 1/18/00, you wrote:<BR>
>At 10:59 AM 1/18/2000 -0400, you wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>>        That article is the reason that chap who introduced me to CT *did<BR>
>>not* use the K'Kree.  The 3I should have run them over in a pre-emptive<BR>
>>strike.  There is no way, given the ineffiency of K'Kree designs, that the<BR>
>>3I could have lost...  and knowing the K'Kree mentality for genocide wars,<BR>
>>the 3I would have been obliged to wipe them out.<BR>
><BR>
>And the Wehrmacht should have been in Red Square by October 1941.<BR>
>-- <BR>
>Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
<BR>
        I know, Doug, the "Best Laid Plans of Cows and Men" and all that.<BR>
You must admit however, that to leave that kind of foe at your back waiting<BR>
for the inevitable does not make much sense.<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>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 11:46:37 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
<BR>
HA! Good one!<BR>
<BR>
Glenn Goffin wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
> <BR>
> >    We've hashed out the how and why of pirates pretty clearly,<BR>
> <BR>
> >has anyone thought of a drill that the locals use when they<BR>
> >learn that there's pirates in system?<BR>
> <BR>
> B:  "Hey sophs, pirates about; took an inbound fat trader a few<BR>
> hours ago."<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 18:38:42 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: re: V1999<BR>
<BR>
At 23:06 -0500 17/1/00, "Terry Carlino" <carlino@home.com> wrote:<BR>
>I'm sure I'm being incredibly dull but...Why are we still on V1999? Is the<BR>
>remailer robot thingee that turns out the digest version of TML unable to<BR>
>handle Y2K? Pardon if this has been discussed but I've been offline since<BR>
>the first week of January.<BR>
<BR>
There is concern that we don't meet the criteria for TL8 in GT so the <BR>
list admin are holding the V1999 until they are certain that the <BR>
V2000 will be correct.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 18:44:11 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Elite<BR>
<BR>
At 10:01 -0500 18/1/00, "Jonathan Lupton" <jonathanlupton@hotmail.com> wrote:<BR>
><reminisce><BR>
>Ahhhh.... I remember the days I used to spend hours playing the original<BR>
>elite, first on the Spectrum (complete with the lens lock security system,<BR>
>anyone remember that?) the on the Amiga, I finally reached Deadly rank and<BR>
>had to stop playing to regain some form of real life.<BR>
<BR>
First on the Spectrum?!<BR>
<BR>
First on the BBC Model B in reality, and the Atari ST release <BR>
predated the Amoeba.<BR>
<BR>
I spent far too much time on that game...<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 14:17:35 -0500<BR>
From: "Charles Prevatte" <prevattec@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: RE: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
> -----Original Message-----<BR>
> From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> [mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Michel<BR>
> Vaillancourt<BR>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2000 1:06 PM<BR>
> To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> At 09:46 AM 1/18/00, you wrote:<BR>
> >At 10:59 AM 1/18/2000 -0400, you wrote:<BR>
> ><BR>
> >>        That article is the reason that chap who introduced me<BR>
> to CT *did<BR>
> >>not* use the K'Kree.  The 3I should have run them over in a pre-emptive<BR>
> >>strike.  There is no way, given the ineffiency of K'Kree<BR>
> designs, that the<BR>
> >>3I could have lost...  and knowing the K'Kree mentality for<BR>
> genocide wars,<BR>
> >>the 3I would have been obliged to wipe them out.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >And the Wehrmacht should have been in Red Square by October 1941.<BR>
> >--<BR>
> >Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
><BR>
>         I know, Doug, the "Best Laid Plans of Cows and Men" and all that.<BR>
> You must admit however, that to leave that kind of foe at your<BR>
> back waiting<BR>
> for the inevitable does not make much sense.<BR>
><BR>
>         --Michel<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Add to that, the fact that the KKree have no allies and at least one enemy<BR>
that would ally against them makes it all that much stranger.<BR>
<BR>
If the 3I where to go after the KKree, they would do so unapposed except by<BR>
the KKree themselves.  With the KKree limits in ship design and the 3I much<BR>
larger economy the KKree would be in a tuff spot.<BR>
<BR>
The only reason I can see for the 3I leaving the KKree alone is the Hivers.<BR>
The KKree gives the Hivers something else to worry about (and plot against)<BR>
than the 3I.<BR>
<BR>
Charles L.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 14:18:29 -0500<BR>
From: "Charles Prevatte" <prevattec@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: RE: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
> -----Original Message-----<BR>
> From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> [mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Michel<BR>
> Vaillancourt<BR>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2000 1:06 PM<BR>
> To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> At 09:46 AM 1/18/00, you wrote:<BR>
> >At 10:59 AM 1/18/2000 -0400, you wrote:<BR>
> ><BR>
> >>        That article is the reason that chap who introduced me<BR>
> to CT *did<BR>
> >>not* use the K'Kree.  The 3I should have run them over in a pre-emptive<BR>
> >>strike.  There is no way, given the ineffiency of K'Kree<BR>
> designs, that the<BR>
> >>3I could have lost...  and knowing the K'Kree mentality for<BR>
> genocide wars,<BR>
> >>the 3I would have been obliged to wipe them out.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >And the Wehrmacht should have been in Red Square by October 1941.<BR>
> >--<BR>
> >Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
><BR>
>         I know, Doug, the "Best Laid Plans of Cows and Men" and all that.<BR>
> You must admit however, that to leave that kind of foe at your<BR>
> back waiting<BR>
> for the inevitable does not make much sense.<BR>
><BR>
>         --Michel<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Add to that, the fact that the KKree have no allies and at least one enemy<BR>
that would ally against them makes it all that much stranger.<BR>
<BR>
If the 3I where to go after the KKree, they would do so unapposed except by<BR>
the KKree themselves.  With the KKree limits in ship design and the 3I much<BR>
larger economy the KKree would be in a tuff spot.<BR>
<BR>
The only reason I can see for the 3I leaving the KKree alone is the Hivers.<BR>
The KKree gives the Hivers something else to worry about (and plot against)<BR>
than the 3I.<BR>
<BR>
Charles L.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 11:22:44 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
Charles Prevatte writes:<BR>
> Add to that, the fact that the KKree have no allies and at least one enemy<BR>
> that would ally against them makes it all that much stranger.<BR>
> <BR>
> If the 3I where to go after the KKree, they would do so unapposed except by<BR>
> the KKree themselves.  With the KKree limits in ship design and the 3I much<BR>
> larger economy the KKree would be in a tuff spot.<BR>
<BR>
Well, there might be various hostile powers which would view a war between <BR>
the Imperium and the KKree as an opportunity.<BR>
> <BR>
> The only reason I can see for the 3I leaving the KKree alone is the Hivers.<BR>
> The KKree gives the Hivers something else to worry about (and plot against)<BR>
> than the 3I.<BR>
<BR>
Plus the fact that the Imperium seems to have been largely running on inertia<BR>
for the last several hundred years.  When was the last time the Imperium <BR>
actually started a war (as opposed to fighting a war started by the other<BR>
side).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 14:22:39 -0500<BR>
From: "Smith, Walter" <SmithW@hartwick.edu><BR>
Subject: RE: K'Kree JTAS article  <BR>
<BR>
Charles Prevatte wrote:<BR>
>Add to that, the fact that the KKree have no allies and at least one <BR>
>enemy that would ally against them makes it all that much stranger. <BR>
><BR>
>If the 3I where to go after the KKree, they would do so unapposed<BR>
>except by the KKree themselves.  With the KKree limits in ship design <BR>
>and the 3I much larger economy the KKree would be in a tuff spot. <BR>
<BR>
I think distance and other, more immediate distractions (both internal<BR>
and external) are behind the 3I's willingness to leave the K'Kree<BR>
alone. <BR>
<BR>
If the K'Kree were right on humanity's doorstep, this would change.<BR>
However, due to technical and social reasons, the K'Kree don't seem to <BR>
spread very fast. The wars they do have are more ideologically motivated <BR>
than based on desires for territorial expansion, so it may take them<BR>
a long time to spread from where they are to the Imperial border.<BR>
<BR>
Besides, we only know about the Hivers. Who knows what star beasties<BR>
on the other side of the 2000 Worlds enjoy K'Kree barbecue?<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 19:37:18 GMT<BR>
From: "i Steve" <isteve1967@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Elite<BR>
<BR>
>>Ahhhh.... I remember the days I used to spend hours playing the original <BR>
>>elite,<BR>
<BR>
hehehehehehehe....just giggling to myself as a referee knowing the fun I'm <BR>
going to have making my PCs dock their ship manually at those low TL <BR>
revolving space stations (the ones with spin to simulate gravity because <BR>
g-plates are too expensive at that TL) if the docking computer conks....<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
iSteve<BR>
isteve@outhere.f9.co.uk<BR>
isteve1967@hotmail.com<BR>
ICQ#54933683<BR>
<BR>
Yoda DOS: (A)bort or (F)ail, there is no (R)etry....<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 15:52:00 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: New Look at Downport<BR>
<BR>
        Hey!  Swordy!  I like the retouch on the Downport.com site...<BR>
Better color scheme and nicer buttons.  Keep it up!<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>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 09:44:35 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
On 18 Jan 00, at 11:22, Anthony Jackson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Charles Prevatte writes:<BR>
> > Add to that, the fact that the KKree have no allies and at least one<BR>
> > enemy that would ally against them makes it all that much stranger.<BR>
> > <BR>
> > If the 3I where to go after the KKree, they would do so unapposed except<BR>
> > by the KKree themselves.  With the KKree limits in ship design and the<BR>
> > 3I much larger economy the KKree would be in a tuff spot.<BR>
><BR>
> Well, there might be various hostile powers which would view a war between<BR>
> the Imperium and the KKree as an opportunity. > > The only reason I can<BR>
> see for the 3I leaving the KKree alone is the Hivers. > The KKree gives<BR>
> the Hivers something else to worry about (and plot against) > than the 3I.<BR>
<BR>
If the Rim War is anything to go by attacking something the size of <BR>
the 2000 worlds, even with assured victory, would be really dumb as <BR>
the 3I would be exhausted by the end, and then the Solomani would <BR>
eat them up. As for the K'Kree having no allies, I suspect that if they <BR>
started losing too heavily (and given supply issues I doubt the 3I <BR>
would do well once it got deep into K'Kree space) the Hivers would <BR>
start supplying equipment and maybe even military assitance. Hiver <BR>
may make terrible troopers, but with their penchant for manipulation <BR>
and their high-tech data-processing equipment, I'm sure that they'd <BR>
make very good strategic advisors. <BR>
 <BR>
> Plus the fact that the Imperium seems to have been largely running on<BR>
> inertia for the last several hundred years.  When was the last time the<BR>
> Imperium actually started a war (as opposed to fighting a war started by<BR>
> the other side).<BR>
<BR>
Add to that the fact that aside from some skirmishes in the Marches <BR>
they haven't really won a war since who knows when, and that sort of <BR>
invasion is a recipe for disaster.<BR>
<BR>
BTW while we're running around pre-emtively dealing with threats <BR>
how about the Vargr? They're nothing but piractical, murdering scum, <BR>
so we'd best do them in, too. Now that's be real fun, seeing as <BR>
they're spread out over a volume of space larger than the 3I.<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: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 21:08:31 GMT<BR>
From: "i Steve" <isteve1967@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Utterly off topic re: Star Wars LEGO figures<BR>
<BR>
>And remember, you can always claim that they're for the kids<BR>
<BR>
I was in the local Toys R Us lately...shopping for my god daughter, <BR>
obviously.....ahem.....and I happened to wander through the lego <BR>
section...on my way to the soft toys - sheesh!...and then i saw it....LEGO <BR>
SAMURAI!!!  WITH NINJA!!!!!!!!<BR>
<BR>
If they do a Japanese palace it's time to dust off Bushido.....<BR>
<BR>
iSteve<BR>
isteve@outhere.f9.co.uk<BR>
isteve1967@hotmail.com<BR>
ICQ#54933683<BR>
<BR>
Yoda DOS: (A)bort or (F)ail, there is no (R)etry....<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 16:31:19 EST<BR>
From: JFZeigler@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Perseus Arm Explorations...<BR>
<BR>
Sorry if this took a while.  I'm cleaning out my saved-email queue.<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 12/29/99 11:51:45 AM Eastern Standard Time, <BR>
Jason.Kemp@tdh.state.tx.us writes:<BR>
<BR>
> In DGP's Cats & Rats, there is a paragraph that mentions a series of<BR>
>  Solomani long-range explorations to the Perseus Arm to rimward of<BR>
>  the Solomani Confederation. I do not have my resource materials here<BR>
>  at work, so I was wondering how much distance was covered by the<BR>
>  explorations. If anyone has access to the book and could help me on<BR>
>  this one, I'd appreciate it.<BR>
<BR>
You've probably found the answer to this already, but _Rats & Cats_<BR>
says the most far-ranging expedition that has returned already went<BR>
about 3,000 parsecs.  There are some expeditions that haven't made<BR>
it back in the timeframe of the book.<BR>
<BR>
>  Also, what kind of stellar density would exist in the space between<BR>
>  spiral arms? I imagine I could duplicate it for mapping purposes<BR>
>  with a roll like either a natural 2 on 2d6 or 3 on 3d6, but wanted<BR>
>  to get some more informed opinion on the matter before I generated<BR>
>  any kind of starmap for such a journey. :)<BR>
<BR>
Actually, the spaces between the spiral arms are not likely to be that<BR>
sparse.  The factor that makes a spiral galaxy's arms so prominent is<BR>
the presence of large quantities of gas and dust, forming an arc of "star<BR>
nurseries."  Thus most of the galaxy's superbright stars are in the arms,<BR>
since they don't live long enough to wander out of them.  Since those<BR>
superbright stars are what you see over any distance, they make the<BR>
spiral arms stand out.  There are lots of stars outside the arms, though.<BR>
Sol's present position in the midst of an arm is pretty much a coincidence.<BR>
<BR>
Between the arms, you get the galaxy's disk population, full of older<BR>
low-mass stars that have had plenty of time to wander away from the<BR>
spiral-arm formations in which they were born.  I don't have figures right<BR>
at hand, but I doubt the overall star count is anywhere near as low as<BR>
you would get using the above method.  It might be only slightly lower<BR>
than the count in our own neighborhood.  If I come across such figures,<BR>
I'll let you know.<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: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 16:35:33 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy \(Colin Michael\)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Re: New Look at Downport<BR>
<BR>
Yes, as Michel has noted, we are doing a few updates to the look and<BR>
navigation tools at Downport.com, but they aren't quite done yet.  We are<BR>
aiming to maintain our usability with as many browsers as possible, while<BR>
adding a few bits of style.  Another goal of the update is to give more<BR>
exposure to our affiliated web sites.  It will be the end of the week before<BR>
I have completed the changes (and fixes to the changes), but please let me<BR>
know what you think :-)<BR>
<BR>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>
Colin Michael, WebDev<BR>
www.downport.com<BR>
The Traveller Domain<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: "Michel Vaillancourt" <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
>         Hey!  Swordy!  I like the retouch on the Downport.com site...<BR>
> Better color scheme and nicer buttons.  Keep it up!<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 17:39:38 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>> I'd just measured several dozen miniatures,<BR>
>> all billed as "25mm" in the catalogue<BR>
>> (or on the package). Here are the results:<BR>
>><BR>
>> Clearly, in the vast majority of cases<BR>
>> the manufacturers that I buy from have<BR>
>> used "25mm" to refer to the foot-to-eye measure.<BR>
<BR>
[snip]<BR>
<BR>
>All those companies are johnny-come-latelys anyway.<BR>
>Where were they in 1880 when the standard was defined ?<BR>
><grin><BR>
><BR>
>Frankie<BR>
<BR>
There's a standard? Devised by which organization?<BR>
<BR>
Personally, I'd rather go with a scale. My 25mm's are about 1/64, which<BR>
lets me know how big to make equipment and sets (deckplans etc.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1777<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Tuesday, January 18 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1778<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>
Possessives (was: Friday -- is that the 21st?)<BR>
Re: Perseus Arm Explorations...<BR>
Re: Miniatures<BR>
REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Testing....<BR>
K'kree childrearing (was Re: K'kree militancy)<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1775<BR>
Re: Elite<BR>
Re: another school<BR>
Handwave: Jumpspace cosmology<BR>
Re: Elite<BR>
AM2 K'Kree<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
Re: New Look at Downport<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
HOW-TO: HG Ship Design (LONG)<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 17:49:38 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Possessives (was: Friday -- is that the 21st?)<BR>
<BR>
>>From: Keith Johnson <keithalanjohnson@home.com><BR>
><BR>
>>(Damnit.  I only got a degree in English.  How the heck do you<BR>
>>indicate Ross as possessive?  Ross'es?)<BR>
><BR>
>I think Ross', following Strunk & White's dictum that you<BR>
>shouldn't have three "s"es in a row, even with an apostrophe.<BR>
>Spoken and written English sometimes diverge, so while we say<BR>
>"Rosses" we write "Ross'".  What does Ross think? It's his name.<BR>
<BR>
Written: Ross'<BR>
Spoken: Rosses<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 16:09:02 -0600 (CST)<BR>
From: "Jason Kemp" <Jason.Kemp@tdh.state.tx.us><BR>
Subject: Re: Perseus Arm Explorations...<BR>
<BR>
From: JFZeigler@aol.com<BR>
<BR>
> Sorry if this took a while.  I'm cleaning out my saved-email queue.<BR>
<BR>
No worries. Thanks for getting back to me.<BR>
<BR>
> You've probably found the answer to this already, but _Rats & Cats_<BR>
> says the most far-ranging expedition that has returned already went<BR>
> about 3,000 parsecs.  There are some expeditions that haven't made<BR>
> it back in the timeframe of the book.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks. Yeah, I had looked that up. But the stellar density question <BR>
still remains at large. :)<BR>
<BR>
> Between the arms, you get the galaxy's disk population, full of older<BR>
> low-mass stars that have had plenty of time to wander away from the<BR>
> spiral-arm formations in which they were born.  I don't have figures right<BR>
> at hand, but I doubt the overall star count is anywhere near as low as<BR>
> you would get using the above method.  It might be only slightly lower<BR>
> than the count in our own neighborhood.  If I come across such figures,<BR>
> I'll let you know.<BR>
<BR>
Okay, so maybe Scattered (2 in 6) might work? Looking forward to <BR>
anything you could send my way. :)<BR>
<BR>
Thanks,<BR>
Jason<BR>
<BR>
=============================<BR>
Jason Kemp, ADS Programmer IV<BR>
(512)458-7111 ext. 3375<BR>
Internet Address:  jason.kemp@tdh.state.tx.us<BR>
<BR>
Most computer virus and email alerts are hoaxes.  For more info, check out:<BR>
http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/culture/beliefs/urbanlegends/library/blhoax.htm<BR>
==============================<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 17:23:18 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>I first noticed this when looking at printed deckplans - they seemed too small<BR>
>for the figurines. I was right - the deckplans use a 0.5 inch grid, which is<BR>
>SMALLER than if they used a 15 mm (1.5 cm) grid.<BR>
<BR>
No, the deckplans used 0.5 inches = 1.5 metres, which is (roughly) in scale<BR>
with 15mm = 6 feet.<BR>
<BR>
1" = 3 metres = 9.8 feet (for the deckplan)<BR>
<BR>
25.4/15 x 6 = 10.16 feet (for the figure)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 14:28:44 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
>From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
>        That article is the reason that chap who introduced me<BR>
>to CT *did not* use the K'Kree.  The 3I should have run them <BR>
>over in a pre-emptive strike.  There is no way, given the <BR>
>ineffiency of K'Kree designs, that the 3I could have lost...  <BR>
>and knowing the K'Kree mentality for genocide wars, the 3I <BR>
>would have been obliged to wipe them out.<BR>
<BR>
I don't think that the 3I has the political will to commit<BR>
genocide, especially preemptively and on so large a scale. <BR>
Information about it will always get out, and the people will<BR>
not support it.  Maybe the people can be persuaded to support it<BR>
by letting the K'Kree wipe out several large human populations<BR>
- -- or maybe not.  <BR>
<BR>
It's also not a politically wise move for a few reasons.  <BR>
<BR>
(1) Even though the 3I would win, it is unlikely that it would<BR>
be able to kill every last K'Kree, or even every last K'Kree<BR>
population, and the survivors would find allies in the<BR>
Imperium's enemies.  The K'Kree would be the sworn enemies of<BR>
the Imperium forever -- and they might someday be a major<BR>
threat.<BR>
<BR>
(2) The neighbors would not approve, and would then consider the<BR>
Imperium a genocidal maniac.  This would likely lead to a war on<BR>
all fronts, either all against the Imperium, or all non-humans<BR>
against the humans.  <BR>
<BR>
(3) The K'Kree are useful as a check on the Vargr and Hivers.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 14:34:25 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
<BR>
>>the 3I would have been obliged to wipe them out.<BR>
<BR>
>And the Wehrmacht should have been in Red Square by October <BR>
>1941.<BR>
<BR>
Well, if they'd made up their minds about where to attack --<BR>
Leningrad, Stalingrad, or Moscow -- they might have done a<BR>
little better.  They just didn't have the strength for all three<BR>
more or less at once.  Leningrad, then Moscow, then Stalingrad<BR>
might have worked.  The Germans forgot the tactical principle of<BR>
mass.<BR>
<BR>
Winning a war, of course, is lot easier than wiping out an<BR>
entire population of heavily armed aliens in their own home<BR>
areas.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 14:39:45 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Charles Prevatte" <prevattec@worldnet.att.net><BR>
<BR>
>Add to that, the fact that the KKree have no allies and at<BR>
>least one enemy that would ally against them makes it all that <BR>
>much stranger.  If the 3I where to go after the KKree, they <BR>
>would do so unapposed except by the KKree themselves.  <BR>
<BR>
I'm not sure that's true.  The Vargr would likely take advantage<BR>
of Imperial distraction to attack targets of opportunity along<BR>
the coreward edge of the Imperium. This would force the Imperium<BR>
to commit fleets to screen that area instead of attacking the<BR>
K'Kree, so the Vargr would in effect be allies of the K'Kree. <BR>
Some Vargr states might expressly ally with the K'Kree (talk<BR>
about your strange bedfellows) to oppose genocide, or just to<BR>
maintain the balance of power.  The Hivers would likewise be<BR>
quite concerned about a power vaccuum if the K'Kree were<BR>
neutralized.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 14:57:01 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
<BR>
>BTW while we're running around pre-emtively dealing with <BR>
>threats how about the Vargr? They're nothing but piractical, <BR>
>murdering scum, so we'd best do them in, too. <BR>
<BR>
Hear hear!  Well said!  And as soon as we're done with the<BR>
Vargr, it's time to get rid of the real scourge of known space,<BR>
the mind-raping Zhodani and their dangerous Droyne allies.  You<BR>
can't trust a Droyne, you know, you can't even look into their<BR>
eyes, and the Zhodani would as soon run off with your spouse as<BR>
empty your bank account.  So we get rid of them all and that<BR>
gives our Spinward Marches cousins plenty of living room to<BR>
coreward and spinward!<BR>
<BR>
And then the Aslan -- greedy, land-hungry, inscrutable -- a<BR>
great danger if ever there was one, but pretty obedient if you<BR>
keep them on a short leash, and strong, so they might make good<BR>
workers for the weapons factories and even guards in the camps<BR>
for the Droyne and Zhodani.  But we'll get rid of them in the<BR>
end, and they never will be missed.<BR>
<BR>
And then the Hivers! let's not forget those manipulating,<BR>
deceitful, history-rapers.  Did I call the Aslan inscrutable?<BR>
The Hivers can't even speak, they're so inscrutable.  You never<BR>
know what a Hiver is thinking, except that you know it involves<BR>
injury to you that you may never even learn about!  So let's<BR>
exterminate the Hivers like they exterminate their own young!<BR>
<BR>
And the Vilani! The ancient enemy within!  We must root out the<BR>
Vilani perversions of our culture.  Burn all the manuals!  Make<BR>
them take Vilani names again, and wear big name tags, so that we<BR>
can identify them easily!  Then we move them all back to Vland<BR>
and its neighboring planets and take away all of their<BR>
starships.  Then we want to learn how they live so long, so we<BR>
may have to do some experiments.  Yesss, experimentsss.  Lots of<BR>
experiments!<BR>
<BR>
And then after we've dealt with all of the so-called major<BR>
races, we turn to the traitors in the Solomani Confederation who<BR>
think we've been doing it all for their benefit, but we haven't<BR>
- -- after all, where were they when we were here, living with the<BR>
stinking Vilani day in and day out century in and century out --<BR>
they had their own quiet peaceful safe part of space with only<BR>
themselves to worry about.  We'll take care of those relatives<BR>
of ours, all right.  Yes we will.<BR>
<BR>
And then it's the minor races!  We must cleanse our part of<BR>
space of all impurities! Newts and Geonee and Vegans and those<BR>
sentient robots -- destroy them all! all! We must be cleansed<BR>
....<BR>
<BR>
This message has been brought to you by the Society for the<BR>
Advancement of the Rights of Imperial Citizens of Pure Solomani<BR>
Ancestry.  For more information, please check your local net<BR>
listings.  Thank you.<BR>
<BR>
**************************************************************<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 18:03:26 -0500<BR>
From: "Josh W. Spencer" <macmanjws@earthlink.net><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
On 01/18/2000 17:39, Glenn Goffin wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> I'm not sure that's true.  The Vargr would likely take advantage<BR>
> of Imperial distraction to attack targets of opportunity along<BR>
> the coreward edge of the Imperium. This would force the Imperium<BR>
> to commit fleets to screen that area instead of attacking the<BR>
> K'Kree, so the Vargr would in effect be allies of the K'Kree.<BR>
> Some Vargr states might expressly ally with the K'Kree (talk<BR>
> about your strange bedfellows) to oppose genocide, or just to<BR>
> maintain the balance of power.  The Hivers would likewise be<BR>
> quite concerned about a power vaccuum if the K'Kree were<BR>
> neutralized.  <BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
Unless of course, the threat came from *somewhere else* other than the 3I.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Josh<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 18:25:12 -0500<BR>
From: "Alvin" <aplummer@idirect.com><BR>
Subject: Testing....<BR>
<BR>
Hi,<BR>
<BR>
Just testing if I got the new address right....<BR>
<BR>
Alvin Plummer<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 18:50:32 -0500<BR>
From: Jeff Zeitlin <jzeitlin@cyburban.com><BR>
Subject: K'kree childrearing (was Re: K'kree militancy)<BR>
<BR>
On Mon, 17 Jan 2000 17:57:19 -0500 (EST), Glenn Goffin<BR>
<gmgoffin@yahoo.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>>From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
<BR>
>>In a message dated 00-01-16 08:09:13 EST, you write:<BR>
>>><< BTW, there is a  reference in canon that they consider the<BR>
>>>feeding of infants by lactation to be carnivourous behavior. <BR>
>>>Was in a JTAS issue, pre-MT. >><BR>
<BR>
>>I am unfamiliar with this reference -- can someone please <BR>
>>provide me with chapter and verse?<BR>
<BR>
>That doesn't make sense if the K'Kree are themselves mammalian. <BR>
>They would become the only species to decide to stop breeding<BR>
>because feeding the infants was immoral.<BR>
<BR>
The K'kree give birth to live young, but feeding is regurgitated<BR>
partially-digested food.  Hence the K'kree jokes about the human<BR>
reaction to the preferred K'kree method of "execution" of<BR>
subtechnological gnaak.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jeff Zeitlin<BR>
jzeitlin@cyburban.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 18:52:40 EST<BR>
From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1775<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 00-01-17 23:11:21 EST, you write:<BR>
<BR>
<<  "Snorkey" <snorkey@home.com><BR>
 Subject: RE: K'kree militancy<BR>
 <BR>
 >>From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
 >>I am unfamiliar with this reference -- can someone please<BR>
 >>provide me with chapter and verse?<BR>
 ><BR>
 There was an article/story in TJAS giving the K'kree point of view. There<BR>
 was a scene that took place during a  K'kree permanent pacification (A.k.a.<BR>
 genocide) of a omnivore minor race. The K'kree squad broke into a dwelling<BR>
 to find a female feeding a child via the species' equivalent of Lactation<BR>
 (smelled of blood to the teller). The K'kree didn't bother shooting them,<BR>
 they just trampled the female and it children to death.<BR>
 <BR>
 The K'kree feed their young by regurgitation not by lactation.<BR>
  >><BR>
<BR>
Been a while since I read this section, but I do not recall the "smelled of <BR>
blood" quote. It was not our intention to have K'kree consider lactation to <BR>
be carnovory, and I don't think we said so. I'll try to dig up the quote in <BR>
my spare (heh-heh) time.<BR>
<BR>
Loren Wiseman<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 19:01:54 -0500<BR>
From: "Thom Harris" <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Elite<BR>
<BR>
For those asking about the game "ELITE" try this URL:<BR>
<BR>
http://www.hoopla.cwc.net/lotf/<BR>
<BR>
This will get you started.....<BR>
<BR>
Thom<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: "Jonathan Lupton" <jonathanlupton@hotmail.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2000 6:08 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: Elite<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Chris Seamans wrote:<BR>
> >>Recently I regained that feeling of early Traveller, the idea that<BR>
> >>there is a vast, potentially hostile universe... by playing a PC game<BR>
> >>called Frontier: Elite II.<BR>
> >><BR>
> >>Has anyone played this game?<BR>
><BR>
> <reminisce><BR>
> Ahhhh.... I remember the days I used to spend hours playing the original<BR>
> elite, first on the Spectrum (complete with the lens lock security system,<BR>
> anyone remember that?) the on the Amiga, I finally reached Deadly rank and<BR>
> had to stop playing to regain some form of real life.<BR>
><BR>
> Frontier was more detailed but suffered from some strange bugs like<BR>
> flying straight thru' gas giants and the shooting the asteroid trick to<BR>
> become elite.<BR>
><BR>
> First Encounters (Frontier 2)(Elite 3)(Whatever) was basically an improved<BR>
> version of frontier, space combat was made a lot easier!<BR>
><BR>
> These are the games that started me and some friends playing traveller all<BR>
> those years ago<BR>
> </reminisce><BR>
><BR>
> There's quite a few little adventure within the 2nd and 3rd games that<BR>
could<BR>
> be converted into Traveller adventures. You could even convert the setting<BR>
> into a new traveller setting and use the games 3D star map to give you a<BR>
3d<BR>
> traveller setting. I bet someone on this list has probably already done<BR>
> this?<BR>
><BR>
> Jens wrote:<BR>
> >Wonderful game as well. I wish I had it for my PC... I don't use my old<BR>
> >Amiga 500 that much nowadays...<BR>
><BR>
> Elite Plus was released for the PC with improved sound and graphics (same<BR>
> gameplay as elite). Gametek produced First Encounters but they were sold<BR>
to<BR>
> take 2, it may be worth contacting take 2 and seeing if they have any<BR>
copies<BR>
> left (www.take2games.com).<BR>
><BR>
> J.<BR>
> ______________________________________________________<BR>
> Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 18:11:37 -0600<BR>
From: Charles R Hensley <hensley.cr@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: Re: another school<BR>
<BR>
In reply to my post:<BR>
Josh W. Spencer wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>This type of school for non-advantaged characters is a great fill-in.<BR>
But I<BR>
>can see it now..."ITI: We're serious about success." <-- A total<BR>
rip-off of<BR>
>the old DeVry Institute of Technology TV ads. Yes I went there, once,<BR>
long<BR>
>ago. :) :)<BR>
<BR>
exactly my point (DeVry, ITT, or dozens of other examples)<BR>
<BR>
Charles<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 19:49:05 -0500<BR>
From: "Alvin" <aplummer@idirect.com><BR>
Subject: Handwave: Jumpspace cosmology<BR>
<BR>
OK, how's this for a justification of the two-dimensional<BR>
nature of Traveller?  (Or has this been done too many times<BR>
before?)<BR>
<BR>
- - Pancake jumpspace, arranged in layers which lie "flat" across<BR>
the plane of the galaxy.  The "Prime Layer" which allows up to <BR>
Jump-6 includes Charted Space: it is something like a river, <BR>
which allows FTL civilizations to grow within it's flow.<BR>
The Prime Layer is about 3 to 5 light years in depth, but infinite<BR>
in length and width: because of the characteristics of jumpspace <BR>
physics, only one star within a given parsec may be enfolded within <BR>
a given jumpspace layer.<BR>
<BR>
The pancake can - up to a limit - fold and buckle, like a towel:<BR>
in computer images, it looks something like a very thin layer of <BR>
rippling water, locked in time, with other distinct "water layers" <BR>
above and below it.<BR>
<BR>
- - The Imperium has sent STL ships, mainly unmanned ram <BR>
scoop's at .1 to .9 c., both above and below the Prime Layer to a<BR>
distance of 150 light years.  Multiple layers of jumpspace<BR>
has been detected, some as thick as 50 light years.  <BR>
However, none allow travel above light speed: one layer<BR>
actually forbid's Jumpspace travel above the 60 kilometers <BR>
per hour level, which is a good deal slower than is possible in <BR>
normal space.<BR>
<BR>
Alvin Plummer<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 01:13:39 -0000<BR>
From: "Matthew Bond" <mgb@akira.swinternet.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Elite<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Date: 18 January 2000 18:50<BR>
Subject: Re: Elite<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>At 10:01 -0500 18/1/00, "Jonathan Lupton" <jonathanlupton@hotmail.com><BR>
wrote:<BR>
>><reminisce><BR>
>>Ahhhh.... I remember the days I used to spend hours playing the original<BR>
>>elite, first on the Spectrum (complete with the lens lock security system,<BR>
>>anyone remember that?) the on the Amiga, I finally reached Deadly rank and<BR>
>>had to stop playing to regain some form of real life.<BR>
><BR>
>First on the Spectrum?!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Yes, after all, he was only saying that HE first played it on his speccy,<BR>
then played it on his Amiga.  I first played it on a C64.<BR>
<BR>
>First on the BBC Model B in reality, and the Atari ST release<BR>
>predated the Amoeba.<BR>
><BR>
>I spent far too much time on that game...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Me too.<BR>
<BR>
>Dom<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Matt<BR>
<BR>
Matthew Bond<BR>
mgb@akira.swinternet.co.uk<BR>
www.akira.swinternet.co.uk/strom.html<BR>
- --------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
"To strike a man who insults you is one thing...<BR>
...To run him through with a sword is quite another!"<BR>
- --------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 01:25:27 -0000<BR>
From: "Matthew Bond" <mgb@akira.swinternet.co.uk><BR>
Subject: AM2 K'Kree<BR>
<BR>
While hunting through my early GDW stuff looking for the K'Kree reference we<BR>
were all hunting for (JTAS 21 it seems, hmmm... must go shopping <g>) I was<BR>
looking through my recently acquired AM2 when I noticed that pp5-8 and<BR>
pp33-36 are missing, and I have duplicates of pp9-12 and 29-32.<BR>
<BR>
Does anyone else have this problem?<BR>
<BR>
If not, could some kindly sophont scan/photocopy the 'missing' pages and<BR>
contact me offlist.<BR>
<BR>
TIA,<BR>
<BR>
Matt<BR>
<BR>
Matthew Bond<BR>
mgb@akira.swinternet.co.uk<BR>
www.akira.swinternet.co.uk/strom.html<BR>
- --------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
"To strike a man who insults you is one thing...<BR>
...To run him through with a sword is quite another!"<BR>
- --------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 20:35:55 -0500<BR>
From: Bill Rutherford <worj@home.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
At 05:39 PM 01/17/2000 -0500, he wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> >All those companies are johnny-come-latelys anyway.<BR>
> >Where were they in 1880 when the standard was defined ?<BR>
> ><grin><BR>
> ><BR>
> >Frankie<BR>
><BR>
>There's a standard? Devised by which organization?<BR>
><BR>
>Personally, I'd rather go with a scale. My 25mm's are about 1/64, which<BR>
>lets me know how big to make equipment and sets (deckplans etc.)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Hear, hear!!!<BR>
BTW - If you do Wild West gaming, 1/64th scale is also S scale in model <BR>
railroading terms - and ERTL/ESCI makes a fair range of wild west <BR>
snap-together buildings to that scale!  Strangely enough, the plastic <BR>
painted cowpeople fit in just fine with any of the white metal cowboys on <BR>
the market...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Bill Rutherford<BR>
worj@home.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 20:52:30 -0600<BR>
From: Ron Brown <ronnyq@nightowl.net><BR>
Subject: Re: New Look at Downport<BR>
<BR>
Colin has done a great job with site design, maintaining ease of navigation and<BR>
a streamlined design while ensuring compatibility across several browser<BR>
platforms.  He is probably the most valuable member of the Downport team.<BR>
<BR>
Ron Brown<BR>
System Administrator<BR>
Traveller Downport<BR>
<BR>
"Swordy (Colin Michael)" wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Yes, as Michel has noted, we are doing a few updates to the look and<BR>
> navigation tools at Downport.com, but they aren't quite done yet.  We are<BR>
> aiming to maintain our usability with as many browsers as possible, while<BR>
> adding a few bits of style.  Another goal of the update is to give more<BR>
> exposure to our affiliated web sites.  It will be the end of the week before<BR>
> I have completed the changes (and fixes to the changes), but please let me<BR>
> know what you think :-)<BR>
><BR>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>
> Colin Michael, WebDev<BR>
> www.downport.com<BR>
> The Traveller Domain<BR>
><BR>
> ----- Original Message -----<BR>
> From: "Michel Vaillancourt" <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
> >         Hey!  Swordy!  I like the retouch on the Downport.com site...<BR>
> > Better color scheme and nicer buttons.  Keep it up!<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 19:02:50 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
...<BR>
>BTW while we're running around pre-emtively dealing with threats <BR>
>how about the Vargr? They're nothing but piractical, murdering scum, <BR>
>so we'd best do them in, too. Now that's be real fun, seeing as <BR>
>they're spread out over a volume of space larger than the 3I.<BR>
<BR>
  And fluffy pelts, too...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 19:03:11 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
>From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
>Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
...<BR>
>        I know, Doug, the "Best Laid Plans of Cows and Men" and all that.<BR>
>You must admit however, that to leave that kind of foe at your back waiting<BR>
>for the inevitable does not make much sense.<BR>
<BR>
  And completely at variance with the way they permanently settled issues<BR>
with the Solomani, Zhodani, Vargr, and those pesky rebels in Ilelish...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 22:57:45 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: HOW-TO: HG Ship Design (LONG)<BR>
<BR>
        Jory wanted a step-by-step on ship design with HG.  So, since I had<BR>
a hull to do anyway, He're my step-by-step...<BR>
<BR>
        WARNING : - I make no claims that this is the brightest way to do<BR>
it...  Its just how *I* do it.   Sooo....<BR>
<BR>
        1)      Concept.  Know what you want.  I try and already have the<BR>
class name or lead ship name in mind so that it'll keep your design focused<BR>
on game play...  I tend to munchkin designs less when I do it this way.  In<BR>
this case, I'm creating the "Silk Road Class Trade Explorer"...  Venture<BR>
merchants with exploration charters from the UN looking for either<BR>
unsurveyed worlds, or worlds with un-registered Terran colonies on them.<BR>
<BR>
        1a)     Part of Concept is knowing what Tech Level you are building<BR>
at.  This limts weapons selection, computer selection (and thereby hull<BR>
size) and several other things.  Think ahead.  The _Silk Road_ ships will be<BR>
built at TNEC High Civillian TL of 10.<BR>
<BR>
        2)      Size matters.  I nail the approximate size down...  I say<BR>
approximate, because later on, I'll most likely tweak it up or down to get<BR>
the best bang for buck.  Here, I'm going with a 600 ton hull.  For steel<BR>
fabricated hulls, cost is MCr0.1 per ton of hull;  that's MCr60.<BR>
<BR>
        3)      Shape.  Each configuration has its own benefits and<BR>
problems...  certainly the least expensive option is to go with Config 7 -<BR>
Dispersed Structure...  However, the inability to neither fuel skim nor land<BR>
can cause economic problems.  However, the ability to unload all carried<BR>
craft, regardless of size or number, in one action makes them well suited to<BR>
battle-rider ops.  Config 1 - Needle Wedge looks cool (Patrol Cruiser and<BR>
Star Destroyers) and can do full atmospheric ops...  the price is brutal,<BR>
though.<BR>
        Now, I specifically *do not* want this ship able to land, but I do<BR>
want it able to fuel skim...  for plot reasons, I want the crew to rely on<BR>
small craft for landing on worlds.  Config 4 - Close Structure gives me<BR>
that.  Because of the lack of streamlining and structural mods required for<BR>
landings, the base cost of the hull goes down by 40%...  MCr24.<BR>
<BR>
        4)      Performance.  The engines and support fuel are *the* things<BR>
which gulp back the most amount of space in any civvie hull.  I place them<BR>
first, and then if required I can tweak them a bit.  First, Jump Drive...<BR>
my TL of 10 restricts me to Jp1.  So, there we go.<BR>
        According to the table, a Jp1 drive takes 2% of the hull for 12 tons<BR>
and costs MCr4 per ton of drive.  That's MCr48.<BR>
        Maneuver drive goes in next.  I consider 1g to be insufficient for<BR>
anything but Extremely Safe Area ops...  The other thing is that a 1g drive<BR>
almost costs as much a 2g drive on a given ship, if you do the numbers.<BR>
Take a look at the "Typical Travel Times" table on pp54 of _the Traveller<BR>
Book_...  the flight times for the 100d limit on a size 8 world change less<BR>
and less as you crank up the G's, because of the way the math works...  you<BR>
might save yourself a few minutes, but cost a bale of cash better used<BR>
elsewhere.  For reasons of plot/ concept, I want a bit of reserve guts on<BR>
this design...  TL prevents me from going to 4g's, but I can do 3.  3g<BR>
manuver drive is 8% of the hull for 48tons at MCr0.5 per ton of drive.  Cost<BR>
is therefore MCr24.<BR>
        Powerplant is the next game.  Your powerplant has to be equal in USP<BR>
to the larger in USP of either your jump drive or you maneuver drive...  so,<BR>
in this case, we *must* have a powerplant of USP3, minimum.  Which is plenty<BR>
big for now...  again, this might get stepped up if later in the design the<BR>
energy production does not meet demand.  Powerplant tonnage is affected by<BR>
TL..  at TLs 9-12, it is 3x the USP in percent of hull...  so, our USP 3 PP<BR>
consumes 9% of the hull for 54dtons at a cost of MCr3 per ton of drive.<BR>
Cost is therefore MCr162.  Energy production is calculated as the USP of the<BR>
PP as a percent of the hull...  our drive therefore produces 18EP.<BR>
Generally accepted hand-waving says that an EP is about 250Mw, BTW...<BR>
        As a sidebar, its this infation of powerplant sizes at lower TLs<BR>
that *trashes* the ability of low TL HG merchants to make money....  the<BR>
same powerplant at TL15 is *18* dtons and *MCr54*....  <BR>
<BR>
        5)      Range.  The next thing is fuel.  This point might cause you<BR>
to go back to #4 and slide numbers down.  You need a ton of fuel per EP<BR>
produced to give your ship 4 weeks of operations time on the powerplant.<BR>
So, we need 18 tons.  You also need 10% of the hull for each JP1 range you<BR>
want...  so, logically, you should by at least enough fuel to cover the<BR>
maximum rating of your jump drive.  In our case, 1JP1 isn't enough for the<BR>
_Silk Road_.  I want 8 weeks and 3 parsecs of work time.  Total fuel tankage<BR>
is therefore 216 dtons.<BR>
<BR>
        5a)     Fuel Purification.  If you can skim, buy fuel scoops.<BR>
Regardless, buy purifiers...  purifiers are rated per 1000 tons of fuel with<BR>
a minimum size.  In the case of the _SR_, she'll have both...  scoops cost<BR>
MCr1.2 and purifiers cost 13.3dtons and MCr0.07.<BR>
<BR>
        6)      Run the numbers.  So far, the engines and fuel systems have<BR>
used up 330 dtons of our 600.  Not bad.  If I had opted to go for 6 parsecs<BR>
range, we'd have significantly less.  But, that isn't a bad working number<BR>
for now.<BR>
<BR>
        7)      Place the Bridge and Computer.  The bridge is 2% of the<BR>
hull, with a minimum size of 20tons.  This gets murderous on smaller<BR>
designs, because *everything* under 1000dtons gets a 20% bridge...  so, a<BR>
200dton ship and a 300dton ship with otherwise identical specs, the<BR>
300-tonner will have more space left over.  Keep that in mind.<BR>
        In our case, its a 20dton bridge.  Bridges cost Cr5000 per ton of<BR>
hull, so ours costs MCr3.<BR>
        Picking the computer is a bit of an issue.  TL caps you, and tonnage<BR>
sets a minimum size.  We can go as high as a 4, by TL.  We need a computer<BR>
at least as big as our jump drive rating, so that's a 1.  Because of our<BR>
ship size (600dtons, USP 6), we also need a minimum of a Model/1.  Note that<BR>
a smaller ship with a bigger jump drive would require a bigger computer;<BR>
conversely, a larger ship might only have a Jp1, but be forced to buy a<BR>
bigger computer to manage it...  For reasons of surviability balanced<BR>
against cost, we'll go with a Model/3.  Thats MCr18, 3 tons and 1 ep used.<BR>
<BR>
        7a)     Redundant back ups.  You can have as many redundant bridges<BR>
and computers as you like.  You only "pay" the EP cost on the first one, as<BR>
you can only have one running at a time.  We won't mount any.<BR>
<BR>
        8)      Weapons.  This is where your costs go crazy...  You can<BR>
mount one turret for every 100tons (round down) of hull.  The _Silk Road_,<BR>
therefore can mount six turrets.  Larger ships can "trade" 10 turrets for a<BR>
bay mounted weapon (kind like Star Trek, where its all inside the hull)<BR>
which are generally more efficient.<BR>
        Dedicated ship-killers mount monster weapons called spinal mounts...<BR>
the whole ship is built around the bore of the gun...  kinda like the<BR>
warships in _Star Blazers_.  If you install a spinal mount, you do not count<BR>
any tonnage of the hull used by the spinal in figuring how many turrets you<BR>
can have...  so, a 10000 ton ship with a 1000ton spinal only has 9000tons<BR>
for setting up turrets...  90 in this case.<BR>
        Weapons gulp energy, unless you opt for missles.  A good balance for<BR>
a civvie ship is a 30/40/30 split in turrets between beam weapons (energy<BR>
pigs), missile racks and sand caster launchers.  Missiles and Sand do not<BR>
use energy...<BR>
        Sand is a defensive system that bursts a drum of granular silica<BR>
material between you and the guy firing on you...  the lasers spend part of<BR>
their energy burning through the sand and missles can detonate too early<BR>
when they fly through it...  its a must for civvie ships.<BR>
        The _Silk Road_ is going to put two of her six turrets to carrying<BR>
lasers, two towards missiles and two towards defensive sandcasters.  Each<BR>
turret mounting 1 - 3 lasers uses 1 ton of space.  Each laser uses 1EP.<BR>
Beam lasers are more accurate and cost MCr1 each.  Pulse lasers do more<BR>
damage and cost MCr0.5 each.  The _SR_ will mount two triple turrets of beam<BR>
lasers, giving two tons, 6EP and MCr6...  each turret will be its own<BR>
battery and have a USP of 3.<BR>
        Each turret mounting 1 to 3 missiles costs one ton.  Each weapon<BR>
costs MCr0.75.  So, two triple turrets will be two tons and MCr4.5.  No<BR>
energy is used.  Six missile racks firing as one battery gives a USP 3.<BR>
        Each turret mounting 1 - 3 sandcasters costs one ton.  Each system<BR>
costs MCr0.25.  So, two triple sandcaster turrets will be two tons and<BR>
MCr1.5.  Again, no energy is used.  Each group of 3 systems gives USP2..<BR>
You could lump them together for a six system battery, but the USP3 isn't<BR>
that big a difference.  I think you are better off being able to defend<BR>
against two attacks.<BR>
<BR>
        9)      Screens.  While the _SR_ cannot afford the cost of defensive<BR>
screens, any warship should have one of each.  Note that TL will be a<BR>
governing factor here.  Buy as high as you can go...  a single good hit from<BR>
a nuclear missle will incinerate most destroyer or smaller sized ships, and<BR>
a meson hit will fillet just about anything.  Ask the Vilani if you don't<BR>
believe me on either point.<BR>
<BR>
        10)     Carried vehicle/ craft space.   Decide what you are carrying<BR>
and who is driving it.  The _SR_ will carry one Modular Cutter @ 50 tons and<BR>
allocate space for three unmounted modules @ 30tons each...  The list will<BR>
be ATV, Fuel Tanker, Advance Base and Prospector/ Survey.  Total space<BR>
required will be 140tons at Cr2000/ ton for a cost of MCr0.28.  We'll have a<BR>
two-person vehicle ops team on board the _SR_ to fly and drive.<BR>
<BR>
        11)     Run the numbers.  So far, the engines and fuel have used up<BR>
343 dtons of our 600.  The weapons have used another 6 tons and 6 EP.  The<BR>
bridge and computer total 23 tons and 1 EP.  Small crat/ vehicle takes up<BR>
140tons and 0 EP.  We now have 75 dtons and 11 EP left.  Notice I am not yet<BR>
worrying about cost.<BR>
        If it wasn't for her carried craft and support modules, the _SR_<BR>
would still be almost 30% empty...    This is why I like fully stream-lined<BR>
designs for most applications.<BR>
<BR>
        12)     Crew and Accomodations.  Start totaling.  For each 35tons of<BR>
drive on a ship less than 1000dtons or per 100dtons for 1000+dtons, one<BR>
engineering crew.  For each turret battery of weapons, 1 gunner.  For each<BR>
bay weapon, 4 gunners.  Total up the number of crew at this point...  Don't<BR>
forget a Pilot on any starship, a Navigator on any starship 200+dtons, and a<BR>
medic per 200 passengers expected and a steward per 8 passengers expected.<BR>
For each 1000dtons of ship, you need three maintainers or service crew;  if<BR>
you carry marines aboard, you can cut that down to 2 per 1000.<BR>
        10% of crew (round up) are considered officers...  they get thier<BR>
own cabins.  Everyone else goes two to a cabin.  Each passenger expected<BR>
requires thier own cabin.<BR>
        Each cabin costs 4 tons, 0 EP and MCr0.5.<BR>
        The _Silk Road_ has a crew of 15 at this point...  Pilot, Navigator,<BR>
4 Engineers, 5 gunners/ marines, 2 flight section and 2 service crew.  Of<BR>
that, 5 are officers.  In additon, 6 "passengers" are going to be allowed<BR>
for...  the science & survey teams.  That means we now have to add a Medic<BR>
and a Steward...  both as officers.  The total compliment including the S&S<BR>
teams is 22.  Of that, 13 get thier own staterooms and 8 double up.<BR>
        That totals 17 staterooms for 68 tons and MCr8.5.  0 EP required.<BR>
<BR>
        13)     Revenue systems.  If this hull is going to make money (not a<BR>
pure gunboat), then you need to worry about the money tree part of the<BR>
design.  First off, always alocate 5 tons to mail if you armed the ship...<BR>
its a gimme, cash wise...  the odds of making Cr5000/ dton on speculative<BR>
aren't great and you get the revenue even if you aren't hauling anything.<BR>
        Slam any unused space left over at this point into cargo.  The _Silk<BR>
Road_ will need some cargo space, if only to carry spoils of her exploits<BR>
home.  At this point, she has 20 tons left over.  Not a lot, but its a cargo<BR>
bay.<BR>
<BR>
        13a)    Magazines.  If you carry missiles and sandcasters, you might<BR>
want to set a few tons aside to carry reloads.  You get 20 reloads per ton.<BR>
Add up the number of racks you have, multiply by 3 and that is the number of<BR>
missiles you need to completely reload after a scrap.<BR>
<BR>
        13b)    Profitability check.  If you are supposed to be a Merchant<BR>
total your ship's cost right now, roughly...  round up to the nearest MCr.<BR>
Divide that number by 480 and then divide that result by the amount of cargo<BR>
space you have.  If the answer you get is more than 5000 credits per ton of<BR>
cargo, odds are you can't make money on this design.  Start trimming back<BR>
weapons and the associated powerplant costs, and consider reducing your jump<BR>
range by a parsec.<BR>
        If you are supposed to be a Liner, then instead of dividing by cargo<BR>
bay tonnage, divide by the number of passenger staterooms.  If you get a<BR>
number more than Cr8000 per passenger, odds are you can't make money on this<BR>
design.  Start trimming back weapons and the associated powerplant costs,<BR>
and consider reducing your jump range by a parsec.<BR>
        If you are supposed to be a gunboat, who cares!?<BR>
        The _SR_, incidentally, needs to carry cargo worth Cr 32,609.03/dton<BR>
every trip to break even at this point.  Of course, we know that as an<BR>
explorer that's not how she makes her due.<BR>
<BR>
        14)     Finish details.  Add the architect's fee of 1% of the total<BR>
finish cost of the design.  Decide if it will be a class or unique.  If it<BR>
is a class, then calculate the in quantity discount at 20% of the new total.<BR>
Calculate the vessel agility...  divide the unused EP produced by the<BR>
powerplant by 1% of the hull size...  round the resulting number down.<BR>
Agility cannot be higher than the manuver drive rating.<BR>
        The _SR_ has an architect's fee of MCr3.13, a class in quantity<BR>
discount of MCr63.24 giving a finish cost per ship of MCr252.94.  She has 11<BR>
unused EP, giving an agility of 1.8, which rounds down to 1.<BR>
<BR>
        15)     Ship's Descriptive Paragraph.  The Supp-9 format is great,<BR>
but *dry*.  I much prefer the Book-2 SDP format for laying out the info on a<BR>
ship.  As part of the SDP, include the info on the ship concept that you<BR>
came up with in #1 and any odd details about her operations.<BR>
<BR>
        So, here is the completed _Silk Road_ class Trade Explorer.<BR>
<BR>
Ship's Descriptive Paragraph<BR>
<BR>
        Silk Road Class Trade Explorer (type AW)<BR>
        TL 10.  600 tons.<BR>
        Using a 600-ton, Close Structure hull, the Silk Road Class Trade<BR>
Explorer is designed to operate under the UN Frontier Exploration Charter.<BR>
This charter mandates the exploration and development of worlds in the<BR>
Frontier and Beyond regions of the Terran Sphere.<BR>
        It is performance-rated at jump-1, 3-G acceleration and 18EP.<BR>
        Fuel tankage for 216 tons supports the power plant and 1 jump-1.<BR>
        The ship is/ is not fitted with fuel scoops and a purification plant.<BR>
        Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model/3.<BR>
        There are 17 staterooms, no standard low berths and no emergency low<BR>
berths.<BR>
        The ship has 6 turrets.   6 Beam lasers are mounted in 2 turrets<BR>
which are organized into 2 batteries of USP 3.   6 missile racks are mounted<BR>
in 2 turrets which are organized into 1 battery of USP 3.   6 Sandcasters<BR>
are mounted in 2 turrets which are organized into 2 batteries of USP 2. <BR>
        For defense it has no screens or other defenses and an agility of 1.  <BR>
        There is a no magazine and are no nuclear weapons normally carried.<BR>
        There are 2 ship's vehicles.  A Modular Cutter with ATV, Fuel<BR>
Tanker, Advance Base and Prospector/ Survey modules and an ATV is carried.<BR>
        Cargo capacity is 20 tons.<BR>
        The hull is partially streamlined.<BR>
        There are 0 tons of waste space.<BR>
        The Silk Road Class Trade Explorer requires a crew of 13.<BR>
        A Pilot, Navigator, 4 Engineers, 5 Gunner - Marines, 2 Flight<BR>
section and 2 Service Crew are required.  <BR>
        A pair of 3-person Survey Scientists, plus a Medic and Steward are<BR>
also part of the normal crew.<BR>
        The Flight Section Officer operates the Modular Cutter, with the ATV<BR>
being handled by one of the Gunner - Marines.<BR>
        The ship costs MCr252.94, including architects fees and takes 96<BR>
months to build.<BR>
        Special Notes:  The United Nations Frontier Exploration Charter<BR>
2099-205 under-writes the payments for craft constructed under its auspicies<BR>
for six-month periods.  The participating ship must report in to a UN<BR>
facility or warship every six months and turn over full copies of its logs<BR>
and scientific records.  In exchange, the UN makes the bank payments.  In<BR>
addition, should the ship in question opt to develop a discovered world, the<BR>
UN will buy out the loan from the bank and recover costs from the revenues<BR>
associated with the Colony.  This arrangement allows for purpose-built<BR>
civillian exploration craft which can operate without economic hinderance.<BR>
<BR>
        O/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _<BR>
        O\<BR>
<BR>
        I hope that helped you out some, Jory.  Lemme know if any of that<BR>
doesn't make sense.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Michel R. Vaillancourt	misha@atlantic-online.ns.ca<BR>
				ICQ # 31172292<BR>
	"Reality Error in Progress....<BR>
			       ....Do Not Adjust Your Penguin"	<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Cyberpunk:  	http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/cp2020<BR>
	Traveller:		http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/traveller<BR>
	AD&D:		http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/adnd_eurania<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	    ***REMEMBER - Always virus-check your emails ***<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1778<BR>
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Traveller-digest    Wednesday, January 19 2000    Volume 1999 : Number 1779<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>
A kill<BR>
Re: Elite<BR>
Re: A kill<BR>
Re: Elite<BR>
Re: Traveller Wonder (was Re: Dark Imperium again)<BR>
Re: Traveller Wonder (was Re: Dark Imperium again)<BR>
Re: fashions<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
RE: K'kree militancy<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: Xboat traffic/My Electronics Handwave<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
RE: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: psuedo battleships (was Boarding actions)<BR>
RE: Traveller Wonder (was Re: Dark Imperium again)<BR>
Clones<BR>
SEC: UNCLASSIFIED TML Test<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: Elite<BR>
Re: Boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 21:08:37 -0600<BR>
From: "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net><BR>
Subject: A kill<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>  And fluffy pelts, too...<BR>
<BR>
Okay, that is a splort for that one.<BR>
Orange Juice burns when it flies through<BR>
your sinus cavity.<BR>
NO fair :)<BR>
<BR>
TV<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 22:04:55 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Elite<BR>
<BR>
From: Thom Harris <thomharr@mediaone.net><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> For those asking about the game "ELITE" try this URL:<BR>
><BR>
> http://www.hoopla.cwc.net/lotf/<BR>
><BR>
> This will get you started.....<BR>
<BR>
Another great option is to go directly to the "source". Ian Bell (co-author<BR>
of the original Elite) has a site dedicated to Elite. The versions of Elite<BR>
on his page are completely legal to download, even though he and David<BR>
Braben had something of a falling out concerning the game and its sequels.<BR>
The site has a lot of great stuff on it, including ROMs for various versions<BR>
ready for emulation. Ian is partial to the Nintendo version of Elite. The<BR>
url is<BR>
http://www.iancgbell.clara.net/clara.net/i/a/n/iancgbell/webspace/elite/<BR>
<BR>
David Braben is developing his own "Elite Club", where Frontier: Elite II<BR>
and First Encounters will be available for shareware or freeware download.<BR>
At the moment, the url is merely a copy of his main "Frontier Developments"<BR>
homepage, but supposedly that will change in the near future. The url is<BR>
http://www.eliteclub.co.uk/<BR>
<BR>
Enjoy!<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 21:19:56 -0600<BR>
From: "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net><BR>
Subject: Re: A kill<BR>
<BR>
>><BR>
>>  And fluffy pelts, too...<BR>
><BR>
>Okay, that is a splort for that one.<BR>
>Orange Juice burns when it flies through<BR>
>your sinus cavity.<BR>
>NO fair :)<BR>
><BR>
>TV<BR>
<BR>
To make matters worse, my dogs saw and now they think I am really cool.<BR>
The favored greeting of a Pekingese  is to splort right in someone's face.<BR>
They probably thought I was really happy to see them.<BR>
<BR>
TV<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 22:19:48 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Elite<BR>
<BR>
From: Jonathan Lupton <jonathanlupton@hotmail.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Frontier was more detailed but suffered from some strange bugs<BR>
> like flying straight thru' gas giants and the shooting the asteroid trick<BR>
> to become elite.<BR>
<BR>
The bug was only apparent with a small number of planets, and after<BR>
literally countless hours of normal play, I have yet to see this bug in<BR>
action. Asteroids always counted, in all versions, toward getting elite<BR>
status. It just turns out that one of the moons of Mars is flagged as a big<BR>
asteroid and you get big points for shooting it. Unless you're looking for<BR>
the bug, you're not going to find it... and if you know about it, then<BR>
you're cheating with full knowledge that you're cheating.<BR>
<BR>
The copy I have is quite stable, and no significant bugs have appeared, and<BR>
I've played it a lot... way too much, in fact. :)<BR>
<BR>
> First Encounters (Frontier 2)(Elite 3)(Whatever) was basically an<BR>
> improved version of frontier, space combat was made a lot easier!<BR>
<BR>
Which is odd, the general consensus among fans is that First Encounters was<BR>
a big, buggy let down. Crashes and fatal errors abound. Further, the patch<BR>
actually makes some bugs "worse".<BR>
<BR>
> There's quite a few little adventure within the 2nd and 3rd games<BR>
> that could  be converted into Traveller adventures. You could even<BR>
> convert the setting into a new traveller setting and use the games<BR>
> 3D star map to give you a 3d traveller setting. I bet someone on this<BR>
> list has probably already done  this?<BR>
<BR>
The setting of Frontier is *very* close to Traveller, as it ignores nearly<BR>
everything in "The Dark Wheel".<BR>
<BR>
> Elite Plus was released for the PC with improved sound and<BR>
> graphics (same gameplay as elite). Gametek produced First<BR>
> Encounters but they were sold to take 2, it may be worth contacting<BR>
> take 2 and seeing if they have any copies  left<BR>
> (www.take2games.com).<BR>
<BR>
Gametek is gone. Take 2 is to the best of my knowledge no longer supporting<BR>
First Encounters. Last I checked they didn't have the patches up. Braben's<BR>
starting the Elite Club to allow downloads of the Frontier and First<BR>
Encounters. From what I've seen he's not yet sure whether he's going to<BR>
offer them as freeware or shareware.<BR>
<BR>
Both games are available on the web, and while downloading them is both<BR>
illegal and supposedly morally reprehensible, just remember that they will<BR>
be shortly available from the author. If he offers them as shareware<BR>
downloads make sure you buy them to support Elite 4!<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 22:25:39 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Wonder (was Re: Dark Imperium again)<BR>
<BR>
From: Frank G. Pitt <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Don't know, but in case it helps, the<BR>
> original audio cassette-based Elite,<BR>
> for the BBC microcomputer, came with a<BR>
> background story "The Dark Wheel" written<BR>
> by one Robert Holdstock,  ( perhaps better<BR>
> known for his novel "Mythago Wood") .<BR>
<BR>
Yeah, copies of this are floating around the web. Most of this background<BR>
material was tossed out for Frontier.<BR>
<BR>
> For example, they talk about "witch-space"<BR>
> as the place you go when FTL, and the culture<BR>
> does not seem to include an empire, merely<BR>
> a group of enemy aliens known as Thargoids,<BR>
> (which I suspect was a swipe at 2000AD's<BR>
> resident alien editor ) and some shadowy<BR>
> figures behind a powerful trading organization...<BR>
<BR>
While Elite's background does not include an Empire, Frontier certainly<BR>
does, which is what I cited in my original post.<BR>
<BR>
> This is not all that surprising, the<BR>
> number of SF universes in which the<BR>
> empire's capital is called Capitol<BR>
> is probably quite high.<BR>
<BR>
I didn't realize that it was that common. It hasn't been common in my<BR>
experience.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 22:31:44 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller Wonder (was Re: Dark Imperium again)<BR>
<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> "This SciFi-RPG seems a lot like Elite. Sounds great, I'll buy it."<BR>
<BR>
Cool. For me, it was the reverse. I mucked around with Elite well after I<BR>
had been introduced to Traveller as a wee child. Back in the early 80s I<BR>
owned a TI-99/4A, which seems to be one of the few computer systems which<BR>
Elite *wasn't* ported to! :)<BR>
<BR>
> Don't forget the rest of Europe (including Sweden), please  ;-)<BR>
<BR>
I just knew that it was a British game! Sorry, didn't mean to leave out the<BR>
rest of Europe! :)<BR>
<BR>
> Yes, the game uses real physics for in-system travel (F=m*a). Also,<BR>
> gravity comes into play in a realistic fashion, and you don't need to<BR>
> use your engines to maintain your vector (unless you pass near a<BR>
> heavy object).<BR>
<BR>
I've considered forcing my players to leave a base and scoop fuel from a gas<BR>
giant in *real time*. I wonder how many would scoop fuel to shave a few<BR>
credits off of each run after that. :)<BR>
<BR>
> And that empire is called "The Imperium." The empire centered<BR>
> around Sol system is called "The Federation." This could still be<BR>
> coincidence, but it's nice to recommend the game to RPG players<BR>
> as a good way of getting a grip on the "feel" of the Traveller<BR>
> universe.<BR>
<BR>
To be honest, I think that Frontier is the best non-Traveller version of the<BR>
Classic Traveller Universe, whether it was intentional or not.<BR>
<BR>
> Wonderful game as well. I wish I had it for my PC... I don't use my<BR>
> old Amiga 500 that much nowadays...<BR>
<BR>
You can get Elite for the PC off the net quite legally at Ian Bell's site<BR>
(the url is in another of my recent messages entitled "Re: Elite"). Frontier<BR>
is available, illegally, but should soon be available legally from Braben's<BR>
Elite Club.<BR>
<BR>
Good luck in finding it! :)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 22:37:20 -0500<BR>
From: "Terry Carlino" <carlino@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: fashions<BR>
<BR>
"Andrew Moffatt-Vallance" <a.vallance@netaccess.co.nz> said:<BR>
><BR>
> >Also it should be remembered that the vast majority of Imperial  citizens<BR>
> >(and non-Imperial for that matter) will never venture into  space, so I<BR>
> >don't see the necessities of space travel having any  real influence on<BR>
> >fashion.<BR>
><BR>
> Well, I can't speak for the others, but I wasn't writing about<BR>
> Fashion for the vast majority of anything.  <g> What I was doing was<BR>
> suggesting styles for a couple of small parts of society.  Frankly,<BR>
> when you're talking about many thousands of worlds, anything<BR>
> somewhere best describes Fashion. <g><BR>
<BR>
I would suspect that there are three groups of Imperial Society that are<BR>
important to address for most types of Traveller games.<BR>
<BR>
The first is military uniforms. I remember reading in a book on military<BR>
uniforms that military uniforms today differ from ordinary clothing more<BR>
than in any time in the past. I believe the author was comparing uniforms in<BR>
the last half century or so to styles in the post armor period. For example<BR>
hats. Almost no one in the civilian world wears anything but a baseball cap<BR>
or western style hats. Now in work uniforms (in the U.S. at least) the<BR>
baseball hat has become a very popular form of headgear. However with dress<BR>
uniforms military members wear either berets, combination caps, or the navy<BR>
Dixie Cup (though the navy is moving toward the garrison cap, which is also<BR>
used by the other services.) None of these match civilian headgear. Of<BR>
course the navy dress blue uniform is entirely distinctive. But the higher<BR>
in rank one goes the more like civilian clothing uniforms look. Officer mess<BR>
dress is very like the civilian tuxedo that would be appropriate for the<BR>
occasion the mess dress is used for. I personally was disappointed with the<BR>
GURPS:IN uniforms in the playtest. The basics were okay but I would expect<BR>
that officers who served in staff positions in Ducal or Imperial court would<BR>
require a much higher variety of uniforms that described. I certainly will<BR>
be adding more IMTU.<BR>
<BR>
The second is spacer clothing. You know, the kind that would be seen on a<BR>
Free Trader or around a port. Also the kind that you would see 'below decks'<BR>
on a fancy MegaLiner, in places the passengers don't see. I expect that the<BR>
officers and stewards would wear outfits based on the Imperial Navy dress<BR>
uniforms. (Just like cruise ship officers do now.) This might consist of<BR>
coveralls as remarked on by others or t-shirt and shorts or BDU like<BR>
trousers. (And of course a scout vest if preferred.) Skinsuits might also be<BR>
common, probably with loose coveralls over. IN work uniforms (with the<BR>
insignia removed) might also be worn, either by ex-IN enlisteds or from<BR>
system navy hand-me-downs or military surplus.<BR>
<BR>
The third is High Fashion. I prefer games, which include all of the<BR>
double-dealing, backstabbing, and intrigue that go on among the rich, and<BR>
the powerful (which in the 3I means the Nobility). If your PC's are going to<BR>
be dealing with these people (and don't want to take a hit on your reaction<BR>
rolls because you look like a rube) then you have to know about what they're<BR>
wearing at court. Aren't going anywhere near the Baron's shindig? Okay. How<BR>
about that job on the MegaLiner? You want to sit at the Captain's table<BR>
where you can pump the MegaCorp Agent about that missing arms consignment?<BR>
You better look high social class bub. This is the Illish Princess not the<BR>
Pacific Princess. Space Trash eat at the Third Assistant Steward's table,<BR>
even if they have somehow scammed a High Passage.<BR>
<BR>
Terry C<BR>
All that is Gold does not glitter<BR>
Not all who travel are lost<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 20:44:33 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
>Plus the fact that the Imperium seems to have been largely running on inertia<BR>
>for the last several hundred years.  When was the last time the Imperium <BR>
>actually started a war (as opposed to fighting a war started by the other<BR>
>side).<BR>
<BR>
Well, there was that little skirmish down by the Solomani Rim...<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: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 14:59:47 +1000<BR>
From: david.d.jaques-watson@centrelink.gov.au<BR>
Subject: RE: K'kree militancy<BR>
<BR>
Dear Folks -<BR>
<BR>
Loren said:<BR>
>Been a while since I read this section, but I do not recall the<BR>
>"smelled of blood" quote.<BR>
<BR>
OK, that section of the article could probably be taken either way. The original<BR>
passage says they were eating (or had just eaten) meat. If you want to re-read<BR>
it and give us an official clarification, you could say that's where the<BR>
"stench" came from.<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
David "Hyphen" Jaques-Watson        Beowulf Down (Tavonni/Vilis/SM 1520)<BR>
http://www.tip.net.au/~davidjw                       davidjw@pcug.org.au<BR>
"I file things in historical order, with a hashing algorithm of gravity"<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
REQ'D DISCLAIMER - material & opinions contained within are solely those<BR>
of the author and do not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the<BR>
position of Centrelink or any other Commonwealth Government agency.<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 22:56:40 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
On 01/18/00 at 08:56 AM,  "Vincent P. Runci" <vahid@prodigy.net> said:<BR>
<BR>
>Anyway, this explains the nursing mother atrocity.  The K'Kree had been<BR>
>chasing the remnants of a g'naak society to their mountain stronghold.<BR>
>They burst into a shelter and found this mother feeding her babies.  The<BR>
>K'kree had already been infuriated by the scent of singed meat and blood<BR>
>in the air.  They entered the shelter to find one of the young "feeding<BR>
>on a whitish blood-like substance from the female."   The ambassador goes<BR>
>on to say, " We killed them of course, quickly and cleanly, with our<BR>
>feet, to save ammunition, since they were unarmed."<BR>
<BR>
I always saw this a little differently than it appears the rest of<BR>
you do.  How do you regard rat traps?  Have you ever poisoned an<BR>
anthill or used bug spray?<BR>
<BR>
The K'kree were pursuing g'naak.  To the K'kree g'naak are vermin to<BR>
be exterminated...period.  There wasn't the slightest chance that<BR>
they wouldn't have killed the mother and children regardless of<BR>
whether they were nursing, eating, fighting, sleeping, or playing<BR>
mumblly-peg.  The K'kree wouldn't understand a claim that this was<BR>
an atrocity any more than you or I would call beating a snake to<BR>
death or stomping a bug an atrocity.<BR>
<BR>
And, to me, *that* is what makes the K'kree so very dangerous.  They<BR>
are implacable, have no conscious or compunction about committing<BR>
genocide, and fully intend to exterminate every carnivore and most<BR>
omnivores from the universe.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 22:59:38 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
On 01/18/00 at 10:59 AM,  Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca> said:<BR>
<BR>
>        That article is the reason that chap who introduced me to CT *did<BR>
>not* use the K'Kree.  The 3I should have run them over in a pre-emptive<BR>
>strike.  There is no way, given the ineffiency of K'Kree designs, that<BR>
>the 3I could have lost...  and knowing the K'Kree mentality for genocide<BR>
>wars, the 3I would have been obliged to wipe them out.<BR>
<BR>
>        So, that had happened about 20 years before the FFW in his game.<BR>
>That left the area of the 2000 Worlds a war-torn wasteland, laden with<BR>
>plot ideas.  =)<BR>
<BR>
Not a bad idea!  That opens up a nice frontier to be explored, and<BR>
it is still stocked with scattered K'kree ready and willing to stomp<BR>
the human/vargr explorers on a local level.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 23:11:53 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Xboat traffic/My Electronics Handwave<BR>
<BR>
On 01/18/00 at 10:38 AM,  Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu> said:<BR>
<BR>
>eris@pcola.gulf.net wrote:<BR>
>> <BR>
>  Ship and vehicle<BR>
>> computers have a *real* problem because they are used inside boxes<BR>
>> chock full of gravtech devices, hence they have to be big, heavy,<BR>
>> and costly usually with many redundant processors and memory stores<BR>
>> kept in shielded areas (ie multiple refrigerator sized boxes) and<BR>
>> even then are in almost constant need to maintenance and repair.<BR>
<BR>
>AAARRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!<BR>
<BR>
>"constant need to maintenance and repair"....<BR>
<BR>
1.  Something to keep everyone practicing their computer and<BR>
electronics skills during jump.<BR>
<BR>
2.  Foreshadowing what will happen at unfortunate times in the game,<BR>
like during combat or when you are in a hurry to plot that jump<BR>
course.<BR>
<BR>
3.  A way of draining your coffers and keeping you busy scrounging<BR>
around salvage yards for spare parts.<BR>
<BR>
>Looks like me 'n Pete 'n the warblers are gonna become close friends!<BR>
<BR>
<smile><BR>
<BR>
>"watch while I stawlk the woild wahbler, and poke it with a stick!"<BR>
<BR>
Bruce and crew are at Pete's U-Pull-It salvage yard looking for<BR>
various parts needed to repair their ship.  Pete called out as the<BR>
PC's walked out into the yard, "Stay on the paths and the warblers<BR>
won't bother you."  None of them know what a warbler is...yet, but<BR>
ex-scout Ricardo (Bruce) appears more interested in the warblers<BR>
than he is in the various hulks and hulls. <g><BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 23:18:55 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
On 01/18/00 at 09:46 AM,  "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>At 10:59 AM 1/18/2000 -0400, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>>        That article is the reason that chap who introduced me to CT *did<BR>
>>not* use the K'Kree.  The 3I should have run them over in a pre-emptive<BR>
>>strike.  There is no way, given the ineffiency of K'Kree designs, that the<BR>
>>3I could have lost...  and knowing the K'Kree mentality for genocide wars,<BR>
>>the 3I would have been obliged to wipe them out.<BR>
<BR>
>And the Wehrmacht should have been in Red Square by October 1941. -- <BR>
<BR>
It *should* have been, could have been...all in all, I'm glad it wasn't.<BR>
<BR>
Re K'kree the 3I doesn't have to wipe them out, but given the K'kree<BR>
attitude eventually it *is* going to come to war. <BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 23:24:45 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: RE: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
On 01/18/00 at 02:17 PM,  "Charles Prevatte" <prevattec@worldnet.att.net> said:<BR>
<BR>
>Add to that, the fact that the KKree have no allies and at least one<BR>
>enemy that would ally against them makes it all that much stranger.<BR>
<BR>
>If the 3I where to go after the KKree, they would do so unapposed except<BR>
>by the KKree themselves.  With the KKree limits in ship design and the 3I<BR>
>much larger economy the KKree would be in a tuff spot.<BR>
<BR>
>The only reason I can see for the 3I leaving the KKree alone is the<BR>
>Hivers. The KKree gives the Hivers something else to worry about (and<BR>
>plot against) than the 3I.<BR>
<BR>
However, the 3I doesn't have to fight a war of genocide.  That isn't<BR>
required.  The idea is to reduce the K'kree power and ability to<BR>
wage offense war.  Rather than a protracted war of attrition what is<BR>
needed is a series of short sharp wars...no unlike what the Zhodani<BR>
forced onto the 3I. <BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 21:47:23 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: psuedo battleships (was Boarding actions)<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
>Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
><BR>
>>  It's probably safe to warn you that the idea of pirates going after _big_<BR>
>>ships is pretty novel on the TML, simply because even the optimists haven't<BR>
>>been able to figure out how anything short of a dedicated light commerce<BR>
>>raider (i.e., _warship_) could fight one, let alone board it.<BR>
>><BR>
>>  Feel free to look at stats for that sort of thing - under HG they almost<BR>
>>always end up with huge arrays of lasers because the opportunity cost of<BR>
>>doing so is _trivial_.<BR>
><BR>
>    I think that most systems might like to limit how many weapons are on<BR>
>big ships, you might be allowing a psuedo battleship in system without<BR>
>knowing it. Although this is a place that can't even control pirates.<BR>
<BR>
  Real warships have armour; freighters - no matter how indegistible - <BR>
won't, and thus can't offer to meaningfully participate in a line of <BR>
battle, at least not against proper warships...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 19:27:03 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Traveller Wonder (was Re: Dark Imperium again)<BR>
<BR>
> -----Original Message-----<BR>
> > Don't know, but in case it helps, the<BR>
> > original audio cassette-based Elite,<BR>
> > for the BBC microcomputer, came with a<BR>
> > background story "The Dark Wheel" written<BR>
> > by one Robert Holdstock,  ( perhaps better<BR>
> > known for his novel "Mythago Wood") .<BR>
><BR>
> Yeah, copies of this are floating around the web. Most of this background<BR>
> material was tossed out for Frontier.<BR>
<BR>
Hmm, that's a shame. It was what made the game<BR>
stand out at the time.<BR>
<BR>
It wasn't all that original otherwise, building on<BR>
such classics as "StarFighter" for the TRS-80 among others<BR>
<BR>
<snip><BR>
> > This is not all that surprising, the<BR>
> > number of SF universes in which the<BR>
> > empire's capital is called Capitol<BR>
> > is probably quite high.<BR>
><BR>
> I didn't realize that it was that common. It hasn't been common in my<BR>
> experience.<BR>
<BR>
Er, from memory, Games Workshops Warhammer 40K, E.E.Smith's d'Alembert<BR>
series, several of Poul Andersen's books, Chris BeeBee's books, Alan Dean<BR>
Foster's Flinx series, the Nemesis series in 2000AD....<BR>
<BR>
I suspect there are quite a few more, there's definitely one author whose<BR>
name escapes me at the moment, scandinavian name, barbarians in space ?<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 22:25:30 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: Clones<BR>
<BR>
There's been talk of clones, and their rights. Now of<BR>
course a clone is nothng more than a twin<BR>
brother/sister of the orginal, so if implanted in<BR>
vitro and grown up normally will have the same legal<BR>
rights as anyone normally concieved.<BR>
<BR>
BUT - what about if they are "force-grown", in tanks,<BR>
to, say, 21 years old physically, in just 100 days?<BR>
They have the mind of a newborn, but the body of an<BR>
adult. What then?<BR>
<BR>
Then there is the question of the good old<BR>
"braintaping", recording a person's whole personality<BR>
on disk. If you have this technology, you can download<BR>
it onto a computer, then onto any number of clones you<BR>
wish, or even on variations. (Presumably they must be<BR>
human, I imagine trying to put a human personality<BR>
into a fish is a real square peg in round hole<BR>
problem!) Is this desirable? Doubtless it appeals to a<BR>
few military scientists, armies of clone soldiers and<BR>
all that, all with the personality of a crusty old<BR>
platoon sergeant who's recently retired but happy to<BR>
donate his genetic and mental materal to his<BR>
country...<BR>
<BR>
How would "personality clones" treat each-other? In<BR>
the old AD&D clone spell they attack each-other on<BR>
sight, what do you guys think?<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, brain-taping ain't possible, but brain-bursting<BR>
is; that is, specific skills (walking, talking simply,<BR>
shooting, etc) can be burned in, but emotionally and<BR>
psychologically, force-grown clones are children for<BR>
at least ten years after their "birth".<BR>
<BR>
Comments?<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>
"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>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 17:27:33 +1100<BR>
From: "Hughes, Michael" <Michael.Hughes@cbr.defence.gov.au><BR>
Subject: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED TML Test<BR>
<BR>
4.	Would you hit a man with glasses?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
If he was dumb enough to threaten or attack me.  I've never thrown the first<BR>
punch, but I make a point of throwing the last one.<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I would use a rock*<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
* I don't care if this joke has already been made (still trawling through<BR>
the chrissy mail). It was worth it. <BR>
<BR>
Michael <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 17:43:42 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
<Snip><BR>
>And, to me, *that* is what makes the K'kree so very dangerous.  They<BR>
>are implacable, have no conscious or compunction about committing<BR>
>genocide, and fully intend to exterminate every carnivore and most<BR>
>omnivores from the universe.<BR>
>Eris<BR>
<BR>
    Pursuing the WW2 analogy, as imperfect as it is, this is what makes the<BR>
K'kree so defeatable. Just like Hitler relentlessly try to capture a town<BR>
named after Stalin. Their single mindedness makes them ridiculously easy to<BR>
steer, this is probably why the Imperium never felt threatened by them.<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 22:39:32 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Elite<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>>Ahhhh.... I remember the days I used to spend hours playing the original <BR>
>>>elite,<BR>
><BR>
> hehehehehehehe....just giggling to myself as a referee knowing the fun I'm <BR>
> going to have making my PCs dock their ship manually at those low TL <BR>
> revolving space stations (the ones with spin to simulate gravity because <BR>
> g-plates are too expensive at that TL) if the docking computer conks....<BR>
<BR>
Heck, I haven't played the game, and here's *my* reaction to that:<BR>
<BR>
STC=Space Traffic Control <BR>
<BR>
STC: "Ever do a manual dock with a rotating station before?"<BR>
 PC: "No, but..."<BR>
STC: "We'll send out a pilot...."<BR>
<BR>
The pilot, once on board may, if asked nicely, allow the PC to try the<BR>
approach. But *he* has to have override. IF the PC makes it, the pilot<BR>
will sign off an "endorsement" for the pilot's papers. <BR>
<BR>
Actual "rockhopper" type belters are automatically ok. They've had<BR>
experience trying to dock with rocks that could swat their ship out of<BR>
the sky. :-)<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: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 22:48:31 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>     My original thought is that they'd "go" you when you went through an<BR>
> "Area of reduced manoeuvrability" but I'm no astrophysicist so I don't know<BR>
> how likely this would be. As far as I know an asteroid belt still has huge<BR>
> spaces in it and is not the sea of rocks portrayed in the movies, is this<BR>
> right?<BR>
<BR>
Yep. There are less than a million (probably a *lot* less) "large"<BR>
bodies in the asteroid belt. Say it's a *flat* ring, between 2 and 3<BR>
AU. That gives an area of pi*3^2 - pi*2^2 = 5pi AU^2. An AU is roughly<BR>
150 million km. Or about 3.5e17 km^2. Which gives the million bodies<BR>
3.5e11 km^2 each. Which puts them in the middle of a circle with a<BR>
radius of 335,000 km. <BR>
<BR>
Basicly, except in the case of "binary" asteroids, which orbit about a<BR>
common center of gravity, you can't even *see* another asteroid if you<BR>
are standing on one.<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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1779<BR>
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Traveller-digest    Wednesday, January 19 2000    Volume 1999 : Number 1780<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: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Kuru and CJD<BR>
Re: Magnetic Anomaly Detectors<BR>
Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Capitol common in SFLit?<BR>
Re Fuel Scoops<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU<BR>
Re: HOW-TO: HG Ship Design (LONG)<BR>
RE: Traveller Wonder (was Re: Dark Imperium again)<BR>
crew initiation rites<BR>
OT: AOHell (was Re: crew initiation rites)<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Encryption Frequency<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 22:59:11 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>At 21:17 -0500 14/1/00, shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) wrote:<BR>
>>>It occurs to me that Stargates *aren't* incompatible with Traveller.<BR>
>>>They *do* change things, but if they are scattered half as widely as on<BR>
>>>the show most of them are *way* outside "known space". And they are<BR>
>>>kinda small to move huge cargos thru.<BR>
>>><BR>
>>>But if you did put some in the Traveller universe, and kept them as<BR>
>>>"ancient tech" which can't be duplicated or even just something that<BR>
>>>requires *incredibly* rare materials to build, you'd only change things<BR>
>>>a bit.<BR>
> Only a bit? You forget the whole concept of the 3I is slow propagation of <BR>
> news.<BR>
<BR>
As long as the gates are *scarce*, they only speed up a *few* comm links.<BR>
<BR>
> Norris wouldn't have been able to pull of his faked promotion-stunt,<BR>
> the commo lags that are the whole point of installing Archdukes would<BR>
> be missing, the Fourth Frontier war (the False War) would be a real<BR>
> war, as orders from the throne _would_ have arrived on time, etc,etc.<BR>
> And these are only some the changes for the marches.<BR>
<BR>
Again, if they are scarce, you can get a message in a hurry between<BR>
worlds which have stargates. But before it gets to a world with a gate,<BR>
and after leaving one, it's back to limited by jump. <BR>
<BR>
So, for example, perhaps there *aren't* any (known) gates in the<BR>
Marches. <BR>
<BR>
> The imperiam setting as we know it can't handle devices like these without<BR>
> shaking up it's very foundations...<BR>
<BR>
It can *if* they are placed carefully. <BR>
<BR>
BTW, a world is a *big* place. Even if you've "cracked" the code for<BR>
the addressing, and *know* that there used to be a gate on a planet,<BR>
*finding* it could take centuries. <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: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 23:04:22 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> You mean the theory of electrons orbiting atoms is false?<BR>
<BR>
It's been false since Schrodinger's time. <BR>
<BR>
> Can you describe to me then, just how individual nuclei and electrons<BR>
> interact, and the relationship between them?<BR>
<BR>
Nope. I don't have the math. But that's the whole bit about quantum<BR>
mechanics. *It* describes those interactions, and they are more complex<BR>
than the "simple orbits" stuff. <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: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 23:07:15 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Kuru and CJD<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On Sat, 15 Jan 2000, William F. Hostman wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> The only method of destroying the prion is to run it though temps high<BR>
>> enough to melt steel. You can get CJD by being operated on with the same<BR>
>> scalpel as a CJD carrier. It may be able to pe transmitted by lactation<BR>
>> products; I've not seen studies yet that indicate nor exclude this. It can<BR>
>> be spread via contaminated plant matter being consumed. It will affect all<BR>
>> known lab primates it has been tested on. And, the more of the prion you<BR>
>> consume, the faster you show symptoms.<BR>
><BR>
> Whoa there, me bucko!!! This is beginning to sound like Reagan's 'Ivan the<BR>
> Terrible Supersoldier' here...'High enough temps to melt steel' is just a<BR>
> _little_ hyperbole. It is a protein, like any other, and thus governed by<BR>
> the chemical constraints of proteins...an autoclave will work, you just<BR>
> may need to autoclave it longer. Long before you melt steel, proteins have<BR>
> decomposed to gases...<BR>
><BR>
> Also all studies so far show that it seems to have a very _low_<BR>
> transmission rate, and large amounts of the prion are necessary for the<BR>
> effect to happen. Witness that BSE existed in the Brtish cattle for some<BR>
> time before the beef was removed from the market; millions of people ate<BR>
> contaminated beef, but only a relative handful of people have come down<BR>
> with the disease. Even members of the same families are not all infected.<BR>
><BR>
> This makes sense, in that the mechanism of action (the prion changes the<BR>
> normal protein conformation in a catalytic way) implies a relatively high<BR>
> concentration of the catalyst.<BR>
><BR>
> Also, since not everyone exposed to the prion gets CJD. So there are<BR>
> clearly other, unknown processes at work here.<BR>
<BR>
From discussions on the subject elsewhere:<BR>
<BR>
The prion has to escape being digested when you eat the meat.<BR>
Difficult, but not impossible. Undigested protiens getting into your<BR>
system is the basis of food allergies.<BR>
<BR>
Next, it has to survive long enough to reach the brain.<BR>
<BR>
Once there, it has to cross the "blood/brain" barrier. A membrane whose<BR>
whole pupose is to prevent most materials from getting from the<BR>
bloodstream into the brain. <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: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 23:14:28 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Magnetic Anomaly Detectors<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Jim & Peta Lawrie writes:<BR>
>>     A major advance in warfare systems seems to be in the field of<BR>
>> battlefield sensors, troops now carry light and reliable night vision<BR>
>> systems and some efforts seem to have been made at extrapolating new or<BR>
>> improved battlefield sensors. ie P.A.W.S. etc<BR>
>>     Would man-carry magnetic anomaly detectors be useful in detecting Gauss<BR>
>> Weapons? The majority of infantry seem to be equipped with gauss guns and<BR>
>> MADs could be integrated into an optimised sensor pack, giving distance to<BR>
>> gauss weapons fire. Is this practicable?<BR>
><BR>
> Realistically, its probably easier to just detect the radio-frequency pulse<BR>
> when the weapon fires, which you should be able to do with rather <BR>
> conventional<BR>
> sensors (at fairly low resolution, the wavelength would be quite long).<BR>
<BR>
"Coil" type guns (ie "mass drivers") would do this. I'm not sure "rail"<BR>
type guns would do this. <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: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 23:16:18 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Mother's 3-hour holograpic monologue / Xboat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> When people talk about laser communications bandwidth limits, could<BR>
> someone explain the underlying assumptions in terms of the wavelength<BR>
> of the laser?<BR>
<BR>
> Almost certainly, modern calculations are based on a single laser<BR>
> monochromatic laser beam, on the reasonable grounds that the most<BR>
> efficient lasers available are fixed to a few wavelength.<BR>
<BR>
> Traveller lasers, on the other hand, are generally fully tuenable<BR>
> (probably FELs.) In principle this means you could cram a whole bunch<BR>
> of frequencies into a single beam, putting the equivalent of tens of<BR>
> thousands of conventional laser channels in. Combined with the high<BR>
> power levels available, one could certainly expect X-boats to have<BR>
> communication bandwidths between each other with large bandwidths; I<BR>
> just don't know how large...But it's probably true that docking will<BR>
> still matter for "bulk mail" data, with beamed transfers for "express<BR>
> mail".<BR>
<BR>
For a *continously* tunable lasesr, the bandwidth is simply the highest<BR>
usable frequency minus the lowest usable one.<BR>
<BR>
To get the *data rate* you apply Shannon's law.<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: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 00:08:35 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
>From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
>Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
...<BR>
>Re K'kree the 3I doesn't have to wipe them out, but given the K'kree<BR>
>attitude eventually it *is* going to come to war. <BR>
<BR>
  Does it? Their leadership is intellectually sophisticated enough to<BR>
recognize disaster staring them in the snout and consider utterances<BR>
about "waiting for destiny to fulfil itself at a more propitious time"<BR>
as a really solid option.<BR>
<BR>
  Also, the K'kree seem to have developed a phobia (a common occurence<BR>
amongst those in contact with the Hivers? :> ) about individual world<BR>
cultures deviating too far from Kirur-norm, and they reasonably feel <BR>
that commo distance is a factor there, in a similar way to the presumed<BR>
difficulties facing the 3I*.<BR>
<BR>
  *but not necessarily the rather smaller Sphere. Hmm...<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 00:08:51 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
>Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
...<BR>
>    Pursuing the WW2 analogy, as imperfect as it is, this is what makes the<BR>
>K'kree so defeatable. Just like Hitler relentlessly try to capture a town<BR>
>named after Stalin. Their single mindedness makes them ridiculously easy to<BR>
>steer, this is probably why the Imperium never felt threatened by them.<BR>
<BR>
  Alright, any more anti-K'kree jokes and they begin phase two of Kirur-<BR>
forming Australia. And you thought that the rabbits were bad enough...<BR>
<BR>
  "Steer", indeed.<BR>
<BR>
  <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 03:08:20 EST<BR>
From: GypsyComet@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Capitol common in SFLit?<BR>
<BR>
>> > This is not all that surprising, the<BR>
>> > number of SF universes in which the<BR>
>> > empire's capital is called Capitol<BR>
>> > is probably quite high.<BR>
>><BR>
>> I didn't realize that it was that common. It hasn't been common in my<BR>
>> experience.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
 Nor in mine.<BR>
<BR>
>Er, from memory, Games Workshops Warhammer 40K,<BR>
<BR>
 "Terra" as seen in numerous references in all editions of the GW <BR>
Money-Eater...<BR>
<BR>
>E.E.Smith's d'Alembert<BR>
>series, several of Poul Andersen's books,<BR>
<BR>
 The Flandry-era Imperium is ruled from Terra, IIRC. It's been a while.<BR>
<BR>
>Chris BeeBee's books, Alan Dean Foster's Flinx series,<BR>
<BR>
 I don't recall there being a seperate world of rulership beyond Terra and <BR>
Hivehom, but again it's been a while.<BR>
<BR>
>the Nemesis series in 2000AD....<BR>
<BR>
 GC<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 23:34:36 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Fuel Scoops<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>I've considered forcing my players to leave a base and scoop fuel from a gas<BR>
>giant in *real time*. I wonder how many would scoop fuel to shave a few<BR>
>credits off of each run after that. :)<BR>
><BR>
I did that to a player group... ONCE. I was just running along nicely,<BR>
until someone blew a piloting roll REALLY badly (was using TNE) - A Natural<BR>
20. Not just once, versus his 12 asset, but three times running. 2hours of<BR>
play later, one of the guys was furiously looking for a CD with Taps on<BR>
it... as the cutter kept getting colder and colder, and then started to<BR>
groan... and heat up again... then implode, All the while the PC was<BR>
desperately trying to undo his crit fails (The player genuinely rolled 17<BR>
20's and 7 1's of 30 rolls that session... and with a different die each<BR>
3rd roll, rolling on s shoebox lid on the floor in the middle of the room,<BR>
tossing the die from the couch....). The tension level was high, the<BR>
ending, anticlimactic. It also spelled doom for the campaign, as the ship<BR>
was down to PP fuel, having spent the last 1/6th G-hour of thrustfor an OI<BR>
burn... Everyone drank a toast to the portrayal of a tragic death in the<BR>
best anime-melodrama traditions (Both Players and Characters), and then the<BR>
rest of the party started trying to figure out how to get help. Without<BR>
attracting the vampire they had originally set out to study.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 02:29:52 -0800<BR>
From: "Zane H. Healy" <healyzh@aracnet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
>> Only a bit? You forget the whole concept of the 3I is slow propagation of<BR>
>> news.<BR>
><BR>
>As long as the gates are *scarce*, they only speed up a *few* comm links.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, they exist, and they don't cause any real trouble with the canon<BR>
setting, for the simple fact they only one that I know of existing in<BR>
charted space is far out on the edge, and it's not been discovered.<BR>
Several years ago I did up a campaign, where Stargates would have played an<BR>
important part, unfortunatly the game died before it really got off the<BR>
ground (blasted Navy was at fault there).<BR>
<BR>
The gates IMTU are old, and abandoned, but they're newer than the Ancients.<BR>
The entire race that created them is dead, and no one knows they exist, or<BR>
how to operate them.<BR>
<BR>
I figure that stargates in the Traveller universe would be sort of like<BR>
Wormwholes in the "Honor Harrington" universe.  In other words great for<BR>
getting between the rather separtated systems that have them, (and there is<BR>
a good reason they're very separated IMTU), but you've still got to use<BR>
conventional Jump Drive to get to most systems.<BR>
<BR>
				Zane<BR>
| Zane H. Healy                    | UNIX Systems Adminstrator  |<BR>
| healyzh@aracnet.com (primary)    | Linux Enthusiast           |<BR>
| healyzh@holonet.net (alternate)  | Classic Computer Collector |<BR>
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+<BR>
|     Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing,    |<BR>
|                   and Zane's Computer Museum.                 |<BR>
|                 http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/              |<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 03:02:34 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU<BR>
<BR>
I have been following the DITU threads and have a couple of<BR>
thoughts and some past history to add to the discussion.<BR>
<BR>
There are four major areas that I noted during previous<BR>
posts: darker ancients; dark secret organizations; mythical<BR>
elements and star gates.  As to the first two, I have no<BR>
opinions or suggestions to offer.<BR>
<BR>
Mythical elements can make an interesting addition to a TU.<BR>
After all, they are already known quantities, or are they?<BR>
When I think of FRPGs, one of the first elements that I think<BR>
of is elves.  There are all kind of models for elves.  I have an<BR>
image of what elves are that has been influenced by many<BR>
sources.  One of the strongest is Tolkien's writings and the<BR>
adaptation of those concepts by D&D and other FRPGs.<BR>
However, the original mythical elves were painted with a<BR>
much darker palette.  They were devious and mean spirited.<BR>
While they did have a sense of humor, it was a dangerous<BR>
thing to be a part of their jesting.  People and animals died<BR>
from their jokes.  Dwarves and the other humanoid (demi-<BR>
human) creatures offer similar possibilities.<BR>
<BR>
I have always been partial to the human/animal mix type<BR>
mythical creatures.  Centaurs can be the animalistic<BR>
creatures described in D&D or more like the Greek myth<BR>
types, teachers, philosophers, inventors.  This would make<BR>
sense if they had come to Earth in days gone by to try to<BR>
advance human society for some reason.  Perhaps they<BR>
knew there was a big battle brewing and they needed troops<BR>
they could manage.  If so, maybe they planted the seeds they<BR>
wanted and left to allow the seeds to germinate.  Or maybe<BR>
they found humans untrainable for their needs and moved<BR>
on.<BR>
<BR>
Then there are minotaurs.  Perhaps the one in Crete was<BR>
accidentally captured when his starship crash landed on<BR>
Earth or maybe he was an advance scout.  Perhaps they<BR>
didn't want to attempt colonization due to the human<BR>
infestation.  Maybe they don't even know that we know about<BR>
them.  What will they do when they read Earth's historical<BR>
literature?  How would they react to the knowledge that our<BR>
ancestors captured and imprisoned one of theirs and<BR>
eventually killed him for no good reason?<BR>
<BR>
How about sphinx?  Maybe you'd like to include harpies.   Or<BR>
faun/satyrs.  Another favorite of many is "demons."  Are they<BR>
actually dimensional travellers or did they just have advanced<BR>
technology when they visited earth?  We could include stuff<BR>
like djinn, efreet and other "elemental" creatures in this<BR>
category or put them in a category of their own.<BR>
<BR>
Then there are the were creatures and more generalized<BR>
shape-changers.  They can be a lot of fun, because they look<BR>
human until they decide to change or the change comes on<BR>
them, depending upon the rules in YTU.<BR>
<BR>
In one game I ran, there were vampires.  Most were highly<BR>
ethical people.  Several of the most elite units in his<BR>
majesty's service were composed of vampires and their<BR>
support personnel.  Their "food" came from the support<BR>
personnel, many of whom hoped to become members of that<BR>
elite group some day, or from the animals in the life support<BR>
system.<BR>
<BR>
Vampires IThatTU never confirmed nor denied any rumors<BR>
about themselves.  Most of the folks ITTU "knew" that<BR>
vampires could not survive sunlight and that's why they *had*<BR>
to wear battle dress or some other fully sealed clothing to<BR>
move about in daylight.  And of course, it was a well known<BR>
fact that they were very susceptible to fire, terrified by/hated<BR>
crosses, hated salt, garlic, silver, etc.<BR>
<BR>
In fact, they were no more damaged by sunlight than anyone<BR>
else who spends most of their time out of it.  Fire was no<BR>
more (or less) dangerous to them than to anyone else.  Salt<BR>
had no particular effect upon them.  Nor garlic, aside from a<BR>
powerful revulsion to the smell.  Silver was only poisonous to<BR>
most of the organisms that made them vampires.<BR>
<BR>
There were several different "clans" of vampires.  What<BR>
separated the clans were the type of organism that made them<BR>
vampires.  Each different type of organism gave different<BR>
strengths and weaknesses to the clan defined by their<BR>
infection.  Most of them gave a boost to Str, End and Dex.<BR>
Some also boosted Int.  Being a vampire boosted Soc in<BR>
most areas of TTU as they were well respected for their<BR>
service to the Empire.  Most clans had the ability to shape-<BR>
shift.  One of the rarer varieties actually had the ability to<BR>
become "gaseous."  Most of them developed one or more<BR>
psi talents.<BR>
<BR>
One of the problems with vampires is that if you allow them to<BR>
be PCs, you get characters that are too powerful and the<BR>
PCPs learn the truth about vampires.  So, I didn't allow PC<BR>
vampires.<BR>
<BR>
Let's see, did I leave anything out?  Oh, yes, there are the<BR>
wholly unhuman mythological types.  Creatures like<BR>
gargoyles and dragons (both potentially NPCs your PCs<BR>
might interact with).  Inclusion of the great worms might give<BR>
a different meaning to the term dragon ship!<BR>
<BR>
Finally, we have the Star Gates.  If I were introducing<BR>
something like Star Gates, I wouldn't use the SG1 model.  I<BR>
would make them more like teleportals.  I would call them<BR>
Jump Portals because to me that makes better sense<BR>
considering the psychology of the TU.  Or, I would allow the<BR>
PC's to discover the first one and allow them to decide what<BR>
they are called.<BR>
<BR>
I would have each portal open to only one destination.  I<BR>
would allow 1-6 active portals per connected system.  I would<BR>
have distances between portals something on the order of<BR>
36 to 121 ((D + 5) * (D + 5)) parsecs.  I would also place<BR>
them out were the performance of Thrusters drops off.<BR>
<BR>
If anyone asked why, I would tell them they needed to do<BR>
research to get the answer to this question.  If they are<BR>
curious enough to do the research, I would tell them that the<BR>
technology used to open JumpGate is gravity sensitive and<BR>
that if one were opened any closer than 1,000 A.U., the<BR>
same gravitational gradient that makes Thruster technology<BR>
work will cause a JumpGate to collapse as soon as something<BR>
passes through it and once closed, it cannot be reopened.<BR>
<BR>
I would make them have a radius of ~25 m.  Why?  Because<BR>
the basic unit of distance of the ancients is ~25 cm.  Really?<BR>
No.  The real reason is so that a 1,000 Td ship of any<BR>
configuration will go through it.  What is the largest ship that<BR>
could go through a JumpGate?  Well, let's see, the smallest<BR>
cross-section per volume would be for a long rounded<BR>
cylinder.  A ship of as much as 50,000 Td could be<BR>
accommodated by a JumpGate of this size.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 06:20:35 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: HOW-TO: HG Ship Design (LONG)<BR>
<BR>
There are a few things I have NEVER done..like come up with profitability.<BR>
How did you figure out how to do that?<BR>
BTW, thanks for the run-down. I was almost sure I had been doing it wrong<BR>
all these years.  As far as services go, I think the book 3 are pretty easy<BR>
to figure out but I know I have been doing Mercenary and High Guard wrong.<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: "Michel Vaillancourt" <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
To: <traveller@mpgn.com><BR>
Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2000 9:57 PM<BR>
Subject: HOW-TO: HG Ship Design (LONG)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>         Jory wanted a step-by-step on ship design with HG.  So, since I<BR>
had<BR>
> a hull to do anyway, He're my step-by-step...<BR>
>         I hope that helped you out some, Jory.  Lemme know if any of that<BR>
> doesn't make sense.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 11:22:53 +0000<BR>
From: "Greg Aldridge" <Greg.Aldridge@marconicomms.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Traveller Wonder (was Re: Dark Imperium again)<BR>
<BR>
> > > This is not all that surprising, the<BR>
> > > number of SF universes in which the<BR>
> > > empire's capital is called Capitol<BR>
> > > is probably quite high.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > I didn't realize that it was that common. It hasn't been common in my<BR>
> > experience.<BR>
><BR>
> Er, from memory, Games Workshops Warhammer 40K, E.E.Smith's d'Alembert<BR>
> series, several of Poul Andersen's books, Chris BeeBee's books, Alan Dean<BR>
> Foster's Flinx series, the Nemesis series in 2000AD....<BR>
<BR>
Wasn't it Termight or Terra in Nemesis.<BR>
<BR>
Greg.<BR>
<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
     Greg Aldridge      | "Since light travels faster than sound, isn't<BR>
   Software Engineer,   | that why some people appear bright until you<BR>
   EASAMS Engineering   |              hear them speak?"<BR>
        Systems         |<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
   Email: Greg.Aldridge@marconicomms.com    Tel: 01245 353221 x4437<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
IMTU tc tm tn t4+ tg ru+ ge(+) 3i+ c+ jt au- ls+ pi ta-- he as vi sy+ so<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 08:30:52 EST<BR>
From: "Roger Barr" <travelergm@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: crew initiation rites<BR>
<BR>
<snip><BR>
I wonder what sorts of "rights of passage" Free traders might have for<BR>
groundling new hires in the crew?<BR>
<end snip><BR>
<BR>
You know, I had a really interesting idea that my wife and I discussed one <BR>
day recently. It involved a new astrogator right out of the merchant academy <BR>
serving (temporarily) on a Free Trader. Maybe I'll get to writing it for the <BR>
list...<BR>
(personal time and the 15 month old son permitting)<BR>
<BR>
Roger Barr<BR>
TravelerGM@aol.com (or TravelerGM@hotmail.com)<BR>
(And yes, I DO  realize that the spelling of it is off by an "l", but it <BR>
wouldn't fit on AOL otherwise...)<BR>
<sigh><BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 08:41:07 -0500<BR>
From: "Josh W. Spencer" <macmanjws@earthlink.net><BR>
Subject: OT: AOHell (was Re: crew initiation rites)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/19/2000 08:30, Roger Barr sighs:<BR>
><BR>
> (And yes, I DO  realize that the spelling of it is off by an "l", but it<BR>
> wouldn't fit on AOL otherwise...)<BR>
<BR>
Time to quit AOL don't you agree? :) :) Especially with that new privacy<BR>
policy which requires the user every year to tell AOL that they *don't* want<BR>
their names on e-mail lists they sell to third parties.<BR>
<BR>
Not only that, you can put the extra "l" back in there! :) :)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Josh<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 08:45:50 -0500<BR>
From: "Josh W. Spencer" <macmanjws@earthlink.net><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
On 01/19/2000 03:08, Steven Hudson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Alright, any more anti-K'kree jokes and they begin phase two of Kirur-<BR>
> forming Australia. And you thought that the rabbits were bad enough...<BR>
> <BR>
> "Steer", indeed.<BR>
<BR>
Not just "Steer", indeed....I can see the Imperial drill sergeant (Louis<BR>
Gossett, Jr. would of course be one) now. "Only two things from from Kirur,<BR>
and one of 'ems the Steers!"<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Josh W. Spencer (macmanjws@earthlink.net)<BR>
Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA<BR>
http://home.earthlink.net/~macmanjws<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 05:48:11 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Encryption Frequency<BR>
<BR>
Someone asked about letter frequency some time back and I never saw a<BR>
response, so I decide to do a little counting.  I don't get my subscription<BR>
in digest form so I decide to use one of my email folders.  I copied it to<BR>
the desktop and opened it to see what it looked like.  I found several<BR>
attached images and knew those would definitely skew the data, so I tried to<BR>
think of any other source of English usage that I might have in an<BR>
electronic format.  I realized that I had several copies of the Bible that<BR>
could be used and decided to do a letter count on one of them.<BR>
<BR>
The text of the NAS Bible contains 4,070,478 characters.  This does not<BR>
include the titles of the books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, etc.) nor<BR>
chapter and verse numbers.  The alphabetic characters are detailed<BR>
separately below.<BR>
<BR>
* * * * * * * *   All Characters   * * * * * * * *<BR>
  746,779 18.346%<BR>
!   1,243  0.031%<BR>
"  59,194  1.454%<BR>
'   3,656  0.090%<BR>
(     250  0.006%<BR>
)     250  0.006%<BR>
*      16  0.000%<BR>
,  57,632  1.416%<BR>
- -   2,140  0.053%<BR>
.  28,355  0.697%<BR>
0   1,180  0.029%<BR>
1     291  0.007%<BR>
2     339  0.008%<BR>
3     198  0.005%<BR>
4     173  0.004%<BR>
5     185  0.005%<BR>
6     137  0.003%<BR>
7     139  0.003%<BR>
8      81  0.002%<BR>
9      51  0.001%<BR>
:     890  0.022%<BR>
;  10,848  0.267%<BR>
<       2  0.000%<BR>
>       2  0.000%<BR>
?   3,123  0.077%<BR>
A  14,721  0.362%<BR>
B   6,244  0.153%<BR>
C   2,197  0.054%<BR>
D  10,453  0.257%<BR>
E   6,476  0.159%<BR>
F   3,723  0.091%<BR>
G   6,397  0.157%<BR>
H  12,859  0.316%<BR>
I  15,582  0.383%<BR>
J   6,472  0.159%<BR>
K     968  0.024%<BR>
L  10,871  0.267%<BR>
M   6,831  0.168%<BR>
N   4,920  0.121%<BR>
O  11,889  0.292%<BR>
P   2,409  0.059%<BR>
Q      35  0.001%<BR>
R   9,152  0.225%<BR>
S   8,181  0.201%<BR>
T  13,319  0.327%<BR>
U   1,074  0.026%<BR>
V     388  0.010%<BR>
W   4,554  0.112%<BR>
X       6  0.000%<BR>
Y   5,430  0.133%<BR>
Z     909  0.022%<BR>
[      40  0.001%<BR>
]      40  0.001%<BR>
a 237,839  5.843%<BR>
b  42,073  1.034%<BR>
c  52,749  1.296%<BR>
d 136,884  3.363%<BR>
e 385,709  9.476%<BR>
f  77,080  1.894%<BR>
g  52,521  1.290%<BR>
h 226,696  5.569%<BR>
i 185,179  4.549%<BR>
j   2,831  0.070%<BR>
k  22,062  0.542%<BR>
l 120,644  2.964%<BR>
m  74,049  1.819%<BR>
n 203,382  4.997%<BR>
o 256,696  6.306%<BR>
p  40,383  0.992%<BR>
q   1,041  0.026%<BR>
r 167,644  4.119%<BR>
s 188,795  4.638%<BR>
t 261,206  6.417%<BR>
u  83,788  2.058%<BR>
v  30,785  0.756%<BR>
w  69,215  1.700%<BR>
x   1,795  0.044%<BR>
y  63,483  1.560%<BR>
z   2,622  0.064%<BR>
       2  0.000%<BR>
      12  0.000%<BR>
      19  0.000%<BR>
* * * * * * * *   Alphabetic Characters   * * * * * * * *<BR>
A 252,560  8.010%<BR>
B  48,317  1.532%<BR>
C  54,946  1.743%<BR>
D 147,337  4.673%<BR>
E 392,185 12.438%<BR>
F  80,803  2.563%<BR>
G  58,918  1.869%<BR>
H 239,555  7.597%<BR>
I 200,761  6.367%<BR>
J   9,303  0.295%<BR>
K  23,030  0.730%<BR>
L 131,515  4.171%<BR>
M  80,880  2.565%<BR>
N 208,302  6.606%<BR>
O 268,585  8.518%<BR>
P  42,792  1.357%<BR>
Q   1,076  0.034%<BR>
R 176,796  5.607%<BR>
S 196,976  6.247%<BR>
T 274,525  8.706%<BR>
U  84,862  2.691%<BR>
V  31,173  0.989%<BR>
W  73,769  2.339%<BR>
X   1,801  0.057%<BR>
Y  68,913  2.185%<BR>
Z   3,531  0.112%<BR>
<BR>
Elapsed time:  0:09:27.49219<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1780<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1781</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest    Wednesday, January 19 2000    Volume 1999 : Number 1781<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: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: AOHell (was Re: crew initiation rites)<BR>
Re: HOW-TO: HG Ship Design (LONG)<BR>
Re: Testing....<BR>
K'kree and food<BR>
Re: Elite<BR>
Re: UNCLASS - Organ donation<BR>
Uh oh ... Virus!<BR>
RE: Prions<BR>
BlueJacket Manual<BR>
Re: Elite<BR>
Bye for a week<BR>
Outside (Was: K'Kree JTAS article)<BR>
Generating names (was Re: Encryption Frequency)<BR>
Re: V1999<BR>
Re: Magnetic Anomaly Detectors<BR>
Re: psuedo battleships (was Boarding actions)<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: Uh oh ... Virus!<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU<BR>
Re: Uh oh ... Virus!<BR>
Scientific American<BR>
Badges & T-shirts from CORE<BR>
Dark Imperium and Delta Green<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Heaven & Earth Website<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium and Delta Green<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 09:01:32 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
My understanding of nuclear physics is all based upon what was readily<BR>
available during the 60's and 70's when I studied it in earnest.  (kids have<BR>
LOTS of time on their hands).  Now that I'm an adult I find there are so<BR>
many other things needing my attention (like work..:) )  so I have fallen<BR>
behind.  Is there a website I can go to to 'catch up'?<BR>
<BR>
As for Schrodinger, I've heard there is a "cat" story but never actually<BR>
read it.  I'm vaguely aware of Heisenburg's Uncertainty Principle (sorry<BR>
Star Trek :) ) but I am sure there is much more depth to it than saying,<BR>
"looking at a subatomic particle makes two of it's attributes change in<BR>
random and unpredictable ways".<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>
> It's been false since Schrodinger's time.<BR>
><BR>
> > Can you describe to me then, just how individual nuclei and electrons<BR>
> > interact, and the relationship between them?<BR>
><BR>
> Nope. I don't have the math. But that's the whole bit about quantum<BR>
> mechanics. *It* describes those interactions, and they are more complex<BR>
> than the "simple orbits" stuff.<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: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 09:02:38 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: AOHell (was Re: crew initiation rites)<BR>
<BR>
AOL must DIE.<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: "Josh W. Spencer" <macmanjws@earthlink.net><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2000 8:41 AM<BR>
Subject: OT: AOHell (was Re: crew initiation rites)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> On 01/19/2000 08:30, Roger Barr sighs:<BR>
> ><BR>
> > (And yes, I DO  realize that the spelling of it is off by an "l", but it<BR>
> > wouldn't fit on AOL otherwise...)<BR>
><BR>
> Time to quit AOL don't you agree? :) :) Especially with that new privacy<BR>
> policy which requires the user every year to tell AOL that they *don't*<BR>
want<BR>
> their names on e-mail lists they sell to third parties.<BR>
><BR>
> Not only that, you can put the extra "l" back in there! :) :)<BR>
><BR>
> --<BR>
> Josh<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 09:55:26 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: HOW-TO: HG Ship Design (LONG)<BR>
<BR>
At 06:20 AM 1/19/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>There are a few things I have NEVER done..like come up with profitability.<BR>
<BR>
        To be frank, I've gotten the impression that *most* of the earlier<BR>
Traveller designs were never "proofed" for profitability.  Yet its a major<BR>
concern in a "Merchant Prince" game.<BR>
<BR>
>How did you figure out how to do that?<BR>
<BR>
        Discussions on the TML got me thinking about it seriously, but it<BR>
had always been something floating around in the back of my head.  I have a<BR>
much more complicated spreadsheet for determining the actual return on<BR>
investment of a finished design, but that "Rule of Thumb" seems to keep<BR>
things in the right ball-park.<BR>
<BR>
>BTW, thanks for the run-down.<BR>
<BR>
        No problem.  My contribution to the signal part of the ratio for the<BR>
month.  =)  Besides, as I said, I needed to do that design *anyway*...  it<BR>
was just a matter of writing down what I was thinking.<BR>
<BR>
> I was almost sure I had been doing it wrong<BR>
>all these years.<BR>
<BR>
        Were you?  If you think so, what were you doing differently.<BR>
<BR>
>  As far as services go, I think the book 3 are pretty easy<BR>
>to figure out but I know I have been doing Mercenary and High Guard wrong.<BR>
>___________________________________________________________<BR>
> J-Man<BR>
<BR>
        Hmmm.  Maybe I'll roll up a Mercenary character some time in the<BR>
next couple of days and post the HOW-TO on that.<BR>
<BR>
        I definately need to sit down with STRIKER and do up a couple of<BR>
vehicle designs.<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>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 08:58:52 -0500<BR>
From: Ethan Henry <egh@klg.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Testing....<BR>
<BR>
"Alvin" <aplummer@idirect.com> wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Just testing if I got the new address right....<BR>
> <BR>
> Alvin Plummer<BR>
<BR>
Hey, welcome back Alvin!<BR>
- --<BR>
Ethan Henry                                        egh@klg.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 09:02:39 EST<BR>
From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
Subject: K'kree and food<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 00-01-18 10:06:23 EST, you write:<BR>
<BR>
<< > From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
 <BR>
 > The K'Kree are furry and warm-blooded, but they do not lactate to feed<BR>
 > the young. If I recall correctly, the young are fed chewed, partially-<BR>
 > digested food regurgitated by a parent. (Ewwwwwwww!)<BR>
 <BR>
 It seems to me that the Vargr would feed their young regurgitated food<BR>
 (as well as mother's milk).  It's very common for wolves and not unheard<BR>
 of for dogs to kill something and eat all of it, then run home to the<BR>
 pups, who lick its face to trigger the urge to vomit, and the pups eat<BR>
 the partially digested result.  (Dogwatching, by Desmond Morris,<BR>
 discusses this at some length.)   >><BR>
<BR>
Maybe, but they don't like to talk about it much. :  )<BR>
<BR>
Yeah, it's actually fairly common way of weaning the young to solid food. <BR>
Some human cultures do something similar, but they just pre-chew the food, <BR>
they don't barf it up . . . and if there is a culture that does, I don't <BR>
wanna know about it<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Gawd -- eating barf -- how disgusting. Give me something nicer to think about <BR>
eating, like honey.<BR>
<BR>
Loren ("Don't bother to tell me what it really is, I already know" Wiseman<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 14:12:45 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Elite<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow) wrote:<BR>
>In mail you write:<BR>
><BR>
>>>>Ahhhh.... I remember the days I used to spend hours playing the original <BR>
>>>>elite,<BR>
>><BR>
>> hehehehehehehe....just giggling to myself as a referee knowing the fun I'm <BR>
>> going to have making my PCs dock their ship manually at those low TL <BR>
>> revolving space stations (the ones with spin to simulate gravity because <BR>
>> g-plates are too expensive at that TL) if the docking computer conks....<BR>
><BR>
>Heck, I haven't played the game, and here's *my* reaction to that:<BR>
><BR>
>STC=Space Traffic Control <BR>
><BR>
>STC: "Ever do a manual dock with a rotating station before?"<BR>
> PC: "No, but..."<BR>
>STC: "We'll send out a pilot...."<BR>
<BR>
You clearly haven't played the game. :-)<BR>
<BR>
In the Elite universe<BR>
<BR>
 PC: "Controller, I am engaging docking computers"<BR>
STC: "Thanks for the warning, we'll secure for impact and alert the emergency<BR>
      repair crews. Wait... I can't see you... you must be on the other side<BR>
      of the planet. I'll warn them you're crashing, er, coming."<BR>
<BR>
At least the docking computer gave the station time to prepare, humans<BR>
could crash<BR>
in no time at all. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
Interestingly, the BBC Micro casette version used a matter transporter to do<BR>
the docking 100% safe, no time at all.<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 06:17:06 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: UNCLASS - Organ donation<BR>
<BR>
From: David Healey <David.Healey@dcb.defence.gov.au><BR>
> Whilst driving into work tonite, I passed a billboard advertising an<BR>
online lingerie shop.  And this got me to thinking about a possible<BR>
scenario.<BR>
><BR>
> On some hi-pop worlds, there may have evolved the idea that the body is<BR>
not really "owned" by the person inhabiting it, but by the state.  Ergo,<BR>
when the person dies, the state repossesses the body, where its' surplus<BR>
organs are utilised and the rest is turned into algae-prot or some such.<BR>
Possibly the penguins take the body away as part of an ancient treaty .....<BR>
><BR>
> What happens to a person if they are declared 'legally' dead but happen to<BR>
regain life ?  Say they're seized by a massive coronary and are rushed into<BR>
the ER where they are pronounced DoA.  Then, by some miracle (ala any number<BR>
of telemovies and schlock), they miraculously recover and spring up.  Isn't<BR>
there some disease/condition that slow down the metabolism to a near-death<BR>
rate?<BR>
<BR>
Someone suffering from a sever case of hypothermia (sp?) might be mistaken<BR>
for dead.<BR>
<BR>
> Anyway, the person is now legally dead and the state wants the body.  But<BR>
the person who's currently in it is, understandably, somewhat reluctant.<BR>
"Can we 'ave your liver, den ?"  "But I'm still using it ...."<BR>
><BR>
> What happens now ?  The person wants offworld, and Real Quick, and the<BR>
PC's ship is the next to leave.  Funtimes ensue.<BR>
><BR>
> Comments ?  Debunking ?  Threats ?  Showers of lavish and deserved praise<BR>
?  Or has this sort of scenario already been done ?  And how does this<BR>
relate to the online lingerie shop ?  I've no intercoursing idea, but there<BR>
it is.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 08:55:08 -0600 ()<BR>
From: "Joseph R. Dietrich" <yikes@evansville.net><BR>
Subject: Uh oh ... Virus!<BR>
<BR>
Virus-friendly processors? Take a look at:<BR>
<BR>
http://www.creativepro.com/story/news/0,1819,3485,00.html<BR>
<BR>
To quote a small portion: "... patents [for the technology]... describe a<BR>
technology that pairs a processor, known as the morph host, and software,<BR>
called code-morphing software. ... Combined, the two would allow a chip to<BR>
translate instruction sets not designed for it -- such as Intel's x86 --<BR>
into its own native code. Crusoe is expected to be the first implementation<BR>
of this technology."<BR>
<BR>
Uh oh. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
Ciao,<BR>
<BR>
Joseph R. Dietrich<BR>
yikes@evansville.net<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 11:00:49 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Prions<BR>
<BR>
Matt Bond writes:<BR>
>Couldn't the scalpels etc, be soaked in some kind of acid/alkali<BR>
>that would attack the organic molecules of the prion before the<BR>
>steel of the scalpel?<BR>
>Then heat them in the autoclave...<BR>
<BR>
	Yup.  AFAIK prions are no more resistant to chemical<BR>
	degradation than other proteins.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 09:04:14 -0700<BR>
From: "Eric T. Holmes" <eholmes@lanl.gov><BR>
Subject: BlueJacket Manual<BR>
<BR>
Leonard:<BR>
<BR>
I just want to personally second your assessment of the Blue Jacket Manual.<BR>
I've got a reprint of the 1950s version and my father-in-law's 1940s version.<BR>
Handy when I added flavor to the Ship Operating Manual.<BR>
<BR>
Other things I recommend getting your hands on....<BR>
<BR>
Marine Corps training manuals for squad urban operations<BR>
Any Army manuals you can get your hands on<BR>
Any Air Force fighter tactics manuals, these may still be classified.<BR>
<BR>
Here are some web site addresses you might like:<BR>
<BR>
http://www.adtdl.army.mil/<BR>
<BR>
http://www.military-network.com/<BR>
<BR>
http://www.doctrine.quantico.usmc.mil/<BR>
<BR>
http://afm10-100.randolph.af.mil/airman/<BR>
<BR>
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/default.htm<BR>
<BR>
http://call.army.mil/call.html<BR>
<BR>
http://www.ncts.navy.mil/nol/<BR>
<BR>
Every "ship" has to have her!<BR>
<BR>
http://www.bombergirl.com/<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Eric<BR>
<BR>
eholmes@lanl.gov 			holmberg@thuntek.net <BR>
7am to 4pm Mountain Time 	6pm to Midnight Mountain Time<BR>
<BR>
IMTU: he+, tc+, tm, tne, t4, tg, tt, to, ru, ge, 3i+, c+, jt, au, st, ls+,<BR>
pi+, ta+, <BR>
		as+, va+, dr+, _sa_, kk--, hi--, so++, zh, vi, da, sy, _hu_ <BR>
			(sa = other sapients, hu = other humani)<BR>
<BR>
Lacedaemon, we have done our duty.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 17:39:12 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: Elite<BR>
<BR>
Chris Seamans wrote:<BR>
<snip><BR>
> be shortly available from the author. If he offers them as shareware<BR>
> downloads make sure you buy them to support Elite 4!<BR>
<BR>
I just read the webpage announcing that Elite 4 is under construction.<BR>
<BR>
WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE !<BR>
<BR>
I MUST HAVE THAT GAME !<BR>
<BR>
Seriously, I played the first and second games until my eyes went red...<BR>
several times...<BR>
<BR>
And with support for newer graphic accelerators...<BR>
<BR>
*drool*<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
 (previously known as Cpt. Jameson)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 08:33:42<BR>
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
Subject: Bye for a week<BR>
<BR>
I'm unsubbing for a week or so to finish ground forces.. the TML is just to<BR>
distracting when I'm trying to write.<BR>
<BR>
Save the Penguins!<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 17:44:34 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Outside (Was: K'Kree JTAS article)<BR>
<BR>
"Smith, Walter" wrote:<BR>
> Besides, we only know about the Hivers. Who knows what star beasties<BR>
> on the other side of the 2000 Worlds enjoy K'Kree barbecue?<BR>
<BR>
Has there ever been anything written (in canon or otherwise) about what<BR>
lies outside of the known empires (on the "other side" compared to the<BR>
3I of the alien empires) ?<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 08:52:59 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Generating names (was Re: Encryption Frequency)<BR>
<BR>
I missed the posting earlier asking about the relative frequencies of<BR>
letters. I have always used the probabilities given in "Cryptography: A<BR>
Primer" by Alan Konheim. These are based on estimates using recent English.<BR>
If anyone wants these, along with a first-order transition model, please<BR>
e-mail me off list.<BR>
<BR>
The best use I have found for these is in name generation. You think up some<BR>
new scheme to model names in a new language for culture ABC on planet XYZ,<BR>
but when you write a program to generate random names using your scheme,<BR>
they end up being unpronouncible. The solution is to compare the names<BR>
generated using your scheme to a standard model of English using a<BR>
first-order Markov model for English. So that you look at the transition<BR>
probabilities to make sure your words look like English. For example, for<BR>
the word "the" you have the transition from t->h and the transition from<BR>
h->e which are fairly high probability events. Multiply the probabilities to<BR>
get the probability for the word, and take the nth root to get an average<BR>
per transition. You do the same trick with your randomly-created names, and<BR>
throw away any names which are below some threshold you set. This technique<BR>
gives you names which look foreign or alien, but are still pronouncible by<BR>
native speakers of English.<BR>
<BR>
I first wrote a program to do this to create names for the Tekumel world,<BR>
which has some really wierd languages, so that creating good names which fit<BR>
the feel of the game is particularly hard.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 18:14:29 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: V1999<BR>
<BR>
Dom Mooney wrote:<BR>
> There is concern that we don't meet the criteria for TL8 in GT so the<BR>
> list admin are holding the V1999 until they are certain that the<BR>
> V2000 will be correct.<BR>
<BR>
LOL!<BR>
<BR>
If any food or drink had been in my mouth when I read this, it would<BR>
have left in a hurry. As it were, my chewing gum tried to jump into my<BR>
throat and then jumped out of my mouth... although it did miss the<BR>
keyboard...<BR>
<BR>
What kind of points does that merit?<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
 (still waiting for cybertech et al)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 09:10:28 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Magnetic Anomaly Detectors<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
<BR>
> "Coil" type guns (ie "mass drivers") would do this. I'm not sure "rail"<BR>
> type guns would do this. <BR>
<BR>
They would (in any case where you have a substantial current moving you'll get<BR>
radio waves).  You'll get a larger radio pulse if the railgun is designed with<BR>
electromagnets rather than temporary magnets, but on the plus side a railgun<BR>
designed with electromagnets won't be very visible to madscanners if turned off<BR>
(about as visible as a comparable lump of conductive metal).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 09:12:35 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: psuedo battleships (was Boarding actions)<BR>
<BR>
Steven Hudson writes:<BR>
<BR>
>   Real warships have armour; freighters - no matter how indegistible - <BR>
> won't, and thus can't offer to meaningfully participate in a line of <BR>
> battle, at least not against proper warships...<BR>
<BR>
Real warships usually have considerable speed as well, and still tend to outgun<BR>
a heavy freighter.  Despite all that, orbital control might still get sticky<BR>
about 10,000 ton freighters with maxed hardpoint loads.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 09:13:26 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
Glenn St-Germain writes:<BR>
> >Plus the fact that the Imperium seems to have been largely running on<BR>
> >inertia for the last several hundred years.  When was the last time the<BR>
> >Imperium  actually started a war (as opposed to fighting a war started by<BR>
> >the other side).<BR>
> <BR>
> Well, there was that little skirmish down by the Solomani Rim...<BR>
<BR>
Didn't the solomani start that one?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 09:15:30 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Uh oh ... Virus!<BR>
<BR>
Joseph R. Dietrich writes:<BR>
> Virus-friendly processors? Take a look at:<BR>
No more friendly to viruses than any other type of cpu.  It appears to be a<BR>
processor specially designed to more easily run in emulation modes.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 17:14:24 +0000<BR>
From: Martin Hardgrave <martin@deira.demon.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In message <00114.162547.0u5.rnr.w165w@krypton.rain.com>, Leonard<BR>
Erickson <shadow@krypton.rain.com> writes<BR>
><BR>
>For all practical purposes, more than a few thousand moles per liter is<BR>
>*really* unlikely. And even then, trying to encode data on individual<BR>
>atoms is going to be hard. <BR>
<BR>
Useful/useless rule of thumb - aqueous solutions are never more than 55<BR>
mole/litre, which is the concentration of water in water.<BR>
- -- <BR>
Martin Hardgrave<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 10:51:38 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU<BR>
<BR>
Jason T. Barnabas wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> I have been following the DITU threads and have a couple of<BR>
> thoughts and some past history to add to the discussion.<BR>
> <BR>
> There are four major areas that I noted during previous<BR>
> posts: darker ancients; dark secret organizations; mythical<BR>
> elements and star gates.  As to the first two, I have no<BR>
> opinions or suggestions to offer.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Wow, some nice ideas in there...definitely into the TML keeper file...<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 10:57:23 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Uh oh ... Virus!<BR>
<BR>
And here all along we've been blaming Billy G, when it's Lucan , erm<BR>
_Linus_ who caused the 3I to fall! ;-)<BR>
<BR>
Joseph R. Dietrich wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Virus-friendly processors? Take a look at:<BR>
> <BR>
> http://www.creativepro.com/story/news/0,1819,3485,00.html<BR>
> <BR>
> To quote a small portion: "... patents [for the technology]... describe a<BR>
> technology that pairs a processor, known as the morph host, and software,<BR>
> called code-morphing software. ... Combined, the two would allow a chip to<BR>
> translate instruction sets not designed for it -- such as Intel's x86 <BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 10:25:00 -0800<BR>
From: "Thing" <gduke@telebyte.com><BR>
Subject: Scientific American<BR>
<BR>
Has anyone looked at the January 2000 issue of Scientific American?<BR>
<BR>
Besides having a nice little article describing using negative energy to<BR>
balance equations for wormholes and some FTL drive possibilities there<BR>
is an article about the LLNL maglev design using Halbach arrays of<BR>
permanent room-temperature magnets instead of electro magnets.<BR>
Apparently they are building a model for NASA for application as a<BR>
launching system to reduce the cost of launching satellites and such.<BR>
<BR>
I was wondering if such a system might be of use in the rail gun arena?<BR>
You probably couldn't do a traditional railgun as you would need a<BR>
cart/basket with the Halbach arrays for the magnetic induction, but then<BR>
you could launch non-ferrous objects.  I would guess that the distance<BR>
needed for proper acceleration would be to long for anything remotely<BR>
man-portable.<BR>
<BR>
Anywise I was just wondering if anyone had looked into this.<BR>
<BR>
And could such a launching array be mistaken by a visiting craft for a<BR>
weapons system?  he Halbach arrays are supposed to cause the magnetic<BR>
field lines to cancel each other out above the array so I assume the<BR>
cart wouldn't show up as magnetic from above.  The Inductrack rail would<BR>
show up being a 1K+ rail angled up the side of a hill/mountain, but<BR>
powered down I assume it wouldn't show up as more than just a metal<BR>
rail.<BR>
<BR>
G.D.D.<BR>
======<BR>
"I shall not cause harm to any vehicle, nor the personal contents<BR>
thereof; nor through inaction let that vehicle or the personal contents<BR>
thereof come to harm." - Repo Code<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 13:37:48 EST<BR>
From: Kagehira@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Badges & T-shirts from CORE<BR>
<BR>
    As part of a deal Andy Lilly is sending me a shipment of CORE products.<BR>
    As part of the discussion it was mentioned that several people where <BR>
interested in obtaining CORE patches & T-shirts. However because of the costs <BR>
involved this was prohibitive.<BR>
    Right now there is the opportunity for a one shot deal for these goods, <BR>
I'll collect the funds, send him one check (thus spreading the costs), and <BR>
than redistribute the goods he sends me.<BR>
    This notice is to see what interest there is before I go through the <BR>
bother of trying to figure out costs and who owes who what.<BR>
<BR>
Bryan<BR>
HIWG CS<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 21:36:59 GMT<BR>
From: "Boris Cibic" <kafka47@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Dark Imperium and Delta Green<BR>
<BR>
Stargates aside or Gates, I guess would be the more popular usuage of these <BR>
devices at a lower TL.  I have heard rumours about a great game called <BR>
"Delta Green"...has anyone played it and incorporated it into their TU?  I <BR>
believe, the premise is modern believable horror, in the vein of H.P. <BR>
Lovecraft.  Which would be kinda, cool as I once ran a whole series of <BR>
adventures in which the players were in the outer edges of chartered space, <BR>
in a scout craft, called HPL.<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 22:54:38 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
Anthony Jackson wrote:<BR>
> Didn't the solomani start that one?<BR>
<BR>
That's what those bastard Imperials claim. The truth was quite<BR>
different. I was there. Back in the old days, when we didn't have...<BR>
<BR>
*SOUND OF BOMBS DETONATING*<BR>
<BR>
Well... so much for the Solomani Veterans organization...  ;-)<BR>
<BR>
Seriously, I think that many of the interstellar wars are not started by<BR>
any one side, but rather by the combined actions of both (or more) of<BR>
the involved sides. That way, everyone involved can claim that THEY<BR>
didn't start the war, it was the *others* who did.<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 23:00:27 -0000<BR>
From: "Stuart Ferris" <stuart.ferris@virgin.net><BR>
Subject: Heaven & Earth Website<BR>
<BR>
The Heaven & Earth (World Builder Deluxe Mk II) website is now officially<BR>
open. Jesse has done a tremendous job on the graphics. The site can be found<BR>
at the following location:-<BR>
<BR>
http://www.downport.com/wbd/HEAVEN_&_EARTH.htm<BR>
<BR>
The program isn't quite ready for release yet, but I am now on the final<BR>
stages of Beta testing.<BR>
<BR>
I'd also like to take the opportunity to thank Colin Michael and Ron Brown<BR>
of Downport for hosting the site.<BR>
<BR>
Stuart Ferris<BR>
stuart.ferris@virgin.net<BR>
http://freespace.virgin.net/stuart.ferris/index.htm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 15:08:24 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: healyzh@aracnet.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium and Delta Green<BR>
<BR>
> Stargates aside or Gates, I guess would be the more popular usuage of these <BR>
> devices at a lower TL.  I have heard rumours about a great game called <BR>
> "Delta Green"...has anyone played it and incorporated it into their TU?  I <BR>
> believe, the premise is modern believable horror, in the vein of H.P. <BR>
> Lovecraft.  Which would be kinda, cool as I once ran a whole series of <BR>
> adventures in which the players were in the outer edges of chartered space, <BR>
> in a scout craft, called HPL.<BR>
<BR>
"Delta Green" is probably one of the best done RPG supplements in years, the<BR>
material is great, and the quality of presentation is terrific.  I've got<BR>
the first book, but there have been additional supplements done since it<BR>
came out.  I've not played it, but I've enjoyed reading it.  However, I<BR>
don't really see it fitting into a Traveller campaign.<BR>
<BR>
					Zane<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1781<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1782</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest    Wednesday, January 19 2000    Volume 1999 : Number 1782<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: K'kree militancy<BR>
Re: Laser communications (was other stuff)<BR>
Re: Re Prions<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium and Delta Green<BR>
Re: Re Prions<BR>
Re: SEC: UNCLASS - Ethically-challenged organ traders<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Old Old Terra<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1776<BR>
SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Wow.<BR>
SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
Re: Re Prions<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 14:49:01 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: K'kree militancy<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
><BR>
>>In a message dated 00-01-16 08:09:13 EST, you write:<BR>
>>><< BTW, there is a  reference in canon that they consider the<BR>
>>>feeding of infants by lactation to be carnivourous behavior. <BR>
>>>Was in a JTAS issue, pre-MT. >><BR>
><BR>
>>I am unfamiliar with this reference -- can someone please <BR>
>>provide me with chapter and verse?<BR>
><BR>
> That doesn't make sense if the K'Kree are themselves mammalian. <BR>
> They would become the only species to decide to stop breeding<BR>
> because feeding the infants was immoral.<BR>
<BR>
The K'kree *aren't* "mammalian" in that sense. They regurgitate<BR>
partialy digested food to feed their young. Just like birds.<BR>
<BR>
Remember, Terran species, genera, Phyla and even *kingdoms* won't exist<BR>
on other worlds. There may be groupings that are *similar*, but the<BR>
won't be the same. <BR>
<BR>
Unless the world was "seeded" from another there will be *no* relation<BR>
between any life form on one world and lifeforms on another.<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: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 14:05:45 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Laser communications (was other stuff)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> I have always assumed that FELs operating a x-ray wavelengths are used at<BR>
> advanced TLs in space. In space, you don't have the complications of an<BR>
> optical fiber with Rayleigh scattering (which goes like w^4), so higher<BR>
> frequency is better. For a typical x-ray laser, say at 10^18 Hz, I assume<BR>
> that you have about 10^15 Hz for communicating.<BR>
><BR>
> Laser communication systems which I am familliar with all use on-off keying<BR>
> for modulation. If you assume that advanced TLs add the ability to modulate<BR>
> the phase, frequency, and amplitude of laser signals, then you can play the<BR>
> same games we do now, sending more than 1 bit per signalling, like we do<BR>
> with QAM today. If we assume that we can do this, we can probably assume<BR>
> much higher data rates, say up to 10^18 or 10^19 Hz.<BR>
><BR>
> A big problem with using systems like these will be the detector. Modern<BR>
> detectors have rise times which are incredibly slow compared to this<BR>
> signalling rate. I'm not even sure how people detect the femtosecond pulses<BR>
> (10-15 fs?) they generate from fancy lasers today (probably mode-locked<BR>
> systems giving a high bandwith, and a short pulse?). If you assume the<BR>
> source is capable of generating a signal at these rates, you also need to<BR>
> assume that the destination can detect the signal at these rates.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, I can see other problems. Wavelength equals c divided by the<BR>
frequency. Which means that for a frequency of 1e18, the wavelength is<BR>
3e-10. <BR>
<BR>
Which means that if your detector is *bigger* than that, and unless the<BR>
beam is coming in at *exactly* a right angle, you'll have portions of<BR>
the detector receiving "peaks" while other portions receive "troughs"<BR>
and not even the *same* peaks & troughs. <BR>
<BR>
So a "large" detector will recieve an "average" of the signal. Which<BR>
limits your modulation rate to something *lower* than the "peroid of<BR>
averaging" (which works out to be roughly the diameter of the detector<BR>
divided by c). <BR>
<BR>
Detecting *individual* pulse doesn't have this problem. Detecting a<BR>
*series* of pulses requires they be seperated by more than that period,<BR>
or they "smear together" at the detector.<BR>
<BR>
The above is purely theory, but I can't really see a way around it.<BR>
<BR>
Oh yeah, I think there's an upper limit to the frequencies you can get<BR>
out of an FEL based on the wavelength of the electrons.<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: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 15:05:02 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re Prions<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At least one study stated that "To obtain assured destruction, we were<BR>
> forced to melt the scalpels."<BR>
<BR>
Keep in mind that most modern scalpels are a metal blade in a *plastic*<BR>
handle. They may have merely meant melting the *handle* which makes the<BR>
scalpel just as non-resuable as melting the blade.<BR>
<BR>
> IIRC, most compounds volatize to gasses<BR>
> before they undergo thermally-induced chemical breakdown.<BR>
<BR>
Most *simple* compounds. Protiens are *not* that simple. They'll<BR>
dchange structure (egg white coagulating, for example) at medium<BR>
temperatures, and start decomposing at high temps. *How* high depends<BR>
on a lot of factors, but given the molecular weight of even a *small*<BR>
protein, it's not going to evaporate, it's going to decompse first.<BR>
<BR>
> Volatizing into a<BR>
> gas, unless the molecule changes state (ie reverts to a non-prionic<BR>
> conformation) or composition (ceases to be the same chemical molecule), is<BR>
> insufficient, as you will have deposition issues.<BR>
<BR>
See above. I don't think proteins *can* volatilize.<BR>
<BR>
The "trick" is that to volatilize, the kinetic (thermal) energy of the<BR>
molecular has to be enough to get it into the "air" by breaking the<BR>
bonds holding it to other molecules. <BR>
<BR>
In protiens, due to the *high* molecular weight, this is a high enough<BR>
energy that the bonds between different parts of the molecule will<BR>
break (and try to reform). This changes the "folding". <BR>
<BR>
Since prions "work" by being *more* stable (if not *the* most stable<BR>
configuration) they'll not be affected at the temps where the normal<BR>
molecules start re-folding. <BR>
<BR>
But at even higher temps, the bonds between the amino acids are going<BR>
to be too weak to withstand the "jostling" from the increased thermal<BR>
energy. So the protein will start to break down. <BR>
<BR>
At still higher temps, the bonds between the atoms in the amino acids<BR>
will start breaking down. This is when a "bulk" amount of the protein<BR>
would "char". <BR>
<BR>
But the temps required to char some proteins, while lower than the<BR>
melting point of steel (or even aluminum,I'd think) are so high that<BR>
the *non*-metallic components of the tool may also decompose. <BR>
<BR>
And for that matter, once you get above 300C or so, you've ruined the<BR>
"temper" of the steel. Scalpels would dull easily, hemostats would bend<BR>
instead of being "springy" etc.<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: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 18:27:05 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium and Delta Green<BR>
<BR>
From: healyzh@aracnet.com<BR>
<BR>
> "Delta Green" is probably one of the best done RPG supplements in years, the<BR>
> material is great, and the quality of presentation is terrific.  I've got<BR>
> the first book, but there have been additional supplements done since it<BR>
> came out.  I've not played it, but I've enjoyed reading it.  However, I<BR>
> don't really see it fitting into a Traveller campaign.<BR>
<BR>
I'll second this. It's a great supplement! <BR>
The notion (I won't mention *what* exactly) could be fit into a<BR>
divergent TU.<BR>
Who knows what lurks in the blackest depths of space....<BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 15:20:38 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re Prions<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Couldn't the scalpels etc, be soaked in some kind of acid/alkali that<BR>
> would attack the organic molecules of the prion before the steel of the<BR>
> scalpel?<BR>
><BR>
> Then heat them in the autoclave...<BR>
<BR>
Most autoclaves include not merely high *temperatures*, but also high<BR>
pressure *gases* that tend to kill things. <BR>
<BR>
Acids and akalis don't get into tiny cracks all that well. And they<BR>
tend to eat away metal. <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: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 15:32:55 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: SEC: UNCLASS - Ethically-challenged organ traders<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Still, you get people now buying real fur and skins (B*****ds !!!!) when <BR>
> there's perfectly good fake stuff out there.  I suppose because "Nothing <BR>
> feels like the real thing".  That's what I meant.  A lucrative, blackmarket <BR>
> in used body parts to cater for the rich who want the real thing.<BR>
<BR>
But regen is *by definition* making *your* body regow the missing<BR>
parts. Transplants are sticking somebody else's tissues into your body,<BR>
and trying to *fool* your body into not rejecting these "alien" tissues.<BR>
<BR>
If transplants were common among the rich, then a favored assassination<BR>
technique would be slipping them something that revived their body's<BR>
immune response to the transplanted organs. Done properly, death could<BR>
occur in *minutes* due to massive anaphylactic shock (extreme allergic<BR>
reaction to the foreign tissue).<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: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 15:38:19 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> After reading the last several posts about K'Kree militant vegetarianism, I<BR>
> decided to look through my collection of old journals and find the one which<BR>
> describes the K'Kree killing of the nursing mother and infants.<BR>
> The article, "Destiny:  Within the Two Thousand Worlds" by William H. Keith<BR>
> appeared in JTAS # 21.<BR>
><BR>
> The article made an interesting  suggestion to explain this militant<BR>
> vegetarianism.  The K'Kree ambassador being interviewed in the article<BR>
> suggested that carnivores and omnivores that evolve intelligence must<BR>
> develop some sort of social or cultural restraint on their killing instinct<BR>
> (i.e.: a conscience) in order to maintain a viable civilization.  On the<BR>
> hand, vegetarians which gain intelligence have no such requirement to<BR>
> suppress a killer instinct so they are able to become more ruthless and<BR>
> efficient in warfare, according to this ambassador.<BR>
<BR>
Alas, herbivores have "submission mechanisms" too, just like<BR>
carnivores. Because while herbivores don't attack their *food*, they<BR>
*do* fight *each other* for mates and the like. <BR>
<BR>
The thing is, the "submission posture" (ie "i give up" in body<BR>
language) varies from species to species. I learned the "wolf" one from<BR>
a friend who had a rescued wolf. She considered us members of the pack,<BR>
but if you were playing with her and things got too rough, you had best<BR>
"submit" and let her have the "win". <BR>
<BR>
Anyway, getting back to K'kree, beside the fact that being intelligent<BR>
let's them decide to *ignore* instinctive reactions, the odds are<BR>
against any carnivores they are fighting having a "i give up" that's<BR>
similar enough to recognize.<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: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 15:47:10 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On 01/18/2000 17:39, Glenn Goffin wrote:<BR>
>> <BR>
>> I'm not sure that's true.  The Vargr would likely take advantage<BR>
>> of Imperial distraction to attack targets of opportunity along<BR>
>> the coreward edge of the Imperium. This would force the Imperium<BR>
>> to commit fleets to screen that area instead of attacking the<BR>
>> K'Kree, so the Vargr would in effect be allies of the K'Kree.<BR>
>> Some Vargr states might expressly ally with the K'Kree (talk<BR>
>> about your strange bedfellows) to oppose genocide, or just to<BR>
>> maintain the balance of power.  The Hivers would likewise be<BR>
>> quite concerned about a power vaccuum if the K'Kree were<BR>
>> neutralized.   <BR>
><BR>
> Unless of course, the threat came from *somewhere else* other than the 3I.<BR>
<BR>
Ah!<BR>
<BR>
The K'kree, expanding to spinward? Anti-spinward? Whichever direction<BR>
is *away* from the imperium run into something like Niven's Protectors.<BR>
<BR>
We'll assume these are both high-TL and have realized that it's not a<BR>
good use of resources to wipe out *all* the other races in the<BR>
universe, just the ones that won't leave you in peace. <BR>
<BR>
Bye-bye K'kree!<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: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 11:30:58 +1000<BR>
From: david.d.jaques-watson@centrelink.gov.au<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
Dear Folks -<BR>
<BR>
Jim wrote:<BR>
>Their single mindedness makes them ridiculously easy to<BR>
>steer...<BR>
 ^^^^^<BR>
<BR>
"Herd", Jim, the proper word is "herd".<BR>
<BR>
;-)<BR>
<BR>
(Just saw "City Slickers" on TV again the other night)<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
David "Hyphen" Jaques-Watson        Beowulf Down (Tavonni/Vilis/SM 1520)<BR>
http://www.tip.net.au/~davidjw                       davidjw@pcug.org.au<BR>
"I file things in historical order, with a hashing algorithm of gravity"<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
REQ'D DISCLAIMER - material & opinions contained within are solely those<BR>
of the author and do not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the<BR>
position of Centrelink or any other Commonwealth Government agency.<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 16:45:56 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
<BR>
> The K'kree, expanding to spinward? Anti-spinward? Whichever direction<BR>
> is *away* from the imperium run into something like Niven's Protectors.<BR>
<BR>
Hm..personally, I was running through a list of races in GURPS Space, and <BR>
decided that that would be a good place to put the Kaa (who would, of course,<BR>
confirm all the worst beliefs of the K'kree, since they would consider the <BR>
K'kree to be 'food').<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 19:57:50 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
The poor K'kree have been getting a bad rap all these years.  They're just a<BR>
fun-loving buncha equines just out horsing around.<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: "Anthony Jackson" <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Cc: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2000 7:45 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
><BR>
> > The K'kree, expanding to spinward? Anti-spinward? Whichever direction<BR>
> > is *away* from the imperium run into something like Niven's Protectors.<BR>
><BR>
> Hm..personally, I was running through a list of races in GURPS Space, and<BR>
> decided that that would be a good place to put the Kaa (who would, of<BR>
course,<BR>
> confirm all the worst beliefs of the K'kree, since they would consider the<BR>
> K'kree to be 'food').<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 11:52:02 +1100<BR>
From: "Hughes, Michael" <Michael.Hughes@cbr.defence.gov.au><BR>
Subject: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Old Old Terra<BR>
<BR>
ISTR that 20 years ago, when the Village People were at the height of their<BR>
popularity, plans were being made for an animated series based on their<BR>
characters. It was quashed by the networks.<BR>
Here's one way the Village People could be introduced into a Traveller<BR>
campaign; perhaps they'd all be members of Terra's Old-Timers Club....and<BR>
once they were revived, they were driven from their homeworld due to certain<BR>
elements in the Solomani Party! So they took their show to the rest of the<BR>
galaxy...as well as their REAL talents in solving mysteries (or somesuch<BR>
thing). Like KORN did on South Park!<BR>
<BR>
- - -- <BR>
Josh W. Spencer (macmanjws@earthlink.net <mailto:macmanjws@earthlink.net> ) <BR>
<BR>
* * * * <BR>
<BR>
Okay, this has a tentative link at best. I had Gene Roddenberry as Sylea's<BR>
answer to Shakespeare (the noted playright of old Terra) famed for his Star<BR>
Trek plays. Thespians regard Spock and Kirk as the Hamlet and Macbeth of<BR>
theatre, referring to the episode where those two fight as 'the duel' lest<BR>
it bring bad luck to the production. <BR>
<BR>
Michael<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 17:00:16 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
Jory Earl writes:<BR>
> The poor K'kree have been getting a bad rap all these years.  They're just<BR>
> a fun-loving buncha equines just out horsing around.<BR>
<BR>
In my example,its more a case of the K'kree and Kaa sort of deserving one another. <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 20:12:35 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
So what are the stats on the Kaa?  I've never heard of them.<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: "Anthony Jackson" <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2000 8:00 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Jory Earl writes:<BR>
> > The poor K'kree have been getting a bad rap all these years.  They're<BR>
just<BR>
> > a fun-loving buncha equines just out horsing around.<BR>
><BR>
> In my example,its more a case of the K'kree and Kaa sort of deserving one<BR>
another.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 17:10:16 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
Jory Earl writes:<BR>
> So what are the stats on the Kaa?  I've never heard of them.<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: "Anthony Jackson" <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
> To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2000 8:00 PM<BR>
> Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> > Jory Earl writes:<BR>
> > > The poor K'kree have been getting a bad rap all these years.  They're<BR>
> just<BR>
> > > a fun-loving buncha equines just out horsing around.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > In my example,its more a case of the K'kree and Kaa sort of deserving one<BR>
> another.<BR>
<BR>
A rather cheesy race from GURPS Space.  Anthropomorphoid serpent-people with<BR>
various bad habits (like eating sentients).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 20:21:15 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
Ever think about doing a write-up of them to stick in the traveller universe<BR>
somewhere?  Or are they so removed from 'canon' that its not do-able?<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: "Anthony Jackson" <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2000 8:10 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Jory Earl writes:<BR>
> > So what are the stats on the Kaa?  I've never heard of them.<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: "Anthony Jackson" <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
> > To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
> > Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2000 8:00 PM<BR>
> > Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
> ><BR>
> ><BR>
> > > Jory Earl writes:<BR>
> > > > The poor K'kree have been getting a bad rap all these years.<BR>
They're<BR>
> > just<BR>
> > > > a fun-loving buncha equines just out horsing around.<BR>
> > ><BR>
> > > In my example,its more a case of the K'kree and Kaa sort of deserving<BR>
one<BR>
> > another.<BR>
><BR>
> A rather cheesy race from GURPS Space.  Anthropomorphoid serpent-people<BR>
with<BR>
> various bad habits (like eating sentients).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 17:24:01 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
Jory Earl writes:<BR>
> Ever think about doing a write-up of them to stick in the traveller<BR>
> universe somewhere?  Or are they so removed from 'canon' that its not<BR>
> do-able? <BR>
<BR>
Was originaly motivated by some old posts about 'which races from GURPS Aliens work as minor races in GURPS Traveller'.  The Kaa don't work as a minor race<BR>
without extensive revisions, they're clearly a major race (which means<BR>
you need to put them outside known space, pretty much).  True for several<BR>
other races as well.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 20:45:05 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
Nothing wrong with that, the Third Imperium couldn't possibly have explored<BR>
everywhere.  First Contact makes a good adventure, don't you think?<BR>
Traveller is the best space role playing game ever created but it could use<BR>
some new material once in a while.<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: "Anthony Jackson" <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2000 8:24 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Jory Earl writes:<BR>
> > Ever think about doing a write-up of them to stick in the traveller<BR>
> > universe somewhere?  Or are they so removed from 'canon' that its not<BR>
> > do-able?<BR>
><BR>
> Was originaly motivated by some old posts about 'which races from GURPS<BR>
Aliens work as minor races in GURPS Traveller'.  The Kaa don't work as a<BR>
minor race<BR>
> without extensive revisions, they're clearly a major race (which means<BR>
> you need to put them outside known space, pretty much).  True for several<BR>
> other races as well.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 17:42:24 -0800<BR>
From: "Fred's E-mail" <terran_2@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1776<BR>
<BR>
guess what all..i finallly got traveller starter kit..well i ordered it<BR>
anyway..it will be here in a few days...so i will begin playing like the<BR>
rest of you....yipeeeeeeeee<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 13:15:21 +1100<BR>
From: "Hughes, Michael" <Michael.Hughes@cbr.defence.gov.au><BR>
Subject: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Wow.<BR>
<BR>
That's the best single piece of 'no flames please' mail I have ever read.<BR>
<BR>
That's a keeper. <BR>
<BR>
Michael Hughes<BR>
Knowledge Edge Engagement Policy  & US/NZ Team<BR>
International Policy Division<BR>
Australian Defence Headquarters<BR>
Australian Department of Defence<BR>
<BR>
Phone (B): (02) 6265 6112<BR>
Phone (H): (02) 6296 1055<BR>
Fax:       (02) 6265 7225<BR>
Email: michael.hughes@cbr.defence.gov.au<BR>
<mailto:michael.hughes@cbr.defence.gov.au> <BR>
<BR>
I've been lurking here for years now. I have trouble keeping up with the<BR>
volume of posts and don't even try to join in the discussions. Since I give<BR>
so little back to the list I don't feel I should have much say in how it<BR>
runs, but maybe feedback would be a contribution of sorts.<BR>
What do I like about the TML? The family feeling, the light-hearted banter,<BR>
the creativity. I love it that Doug wants to share his triumph with us; I<BR>
enjoy watching the debate over whether we're in the naughties or the oaties;<BR>
I hoard the ideas on law, fashion, turbolifts. And that's just since the new<BR>
year!<BR>
What DON'T I like? The volume, the endlessly repeated debates and, above<BR>
all, the flaming. It's been a long time since I've skipped whole digests<BR>
unread but I am going to have to do so now, which means I will be missing<BR>
out on the good stuff sandwiched between the vitriol and righteous<BR>
indignation. I resent that.<BR>
I am white, gentile, thirtysomething, heterosexual, middle-class, (mostly)<BR>
able-bodied, English and male. Sometimes it's hard to be proud of that -<BR>
"which oppressor role do I want to be identified with today?".  I know that<BR>
it has, on balance, made my life easier; I know I was raised racist, sexist<BR>
and various other-ist. I try to step beyond that, to treat every person as<BR>
an individual rather than a member of a group. I often succeed and when I<BR>
don't I apologise (if I realise it).<BR>
Maybe that's why I found Legate Legion's attack and follow-ups so chilling.<BR>
More likely it's because I'm a GURPS GM and small-time writer for SJG,<BR>
finding myself for once in a group targeted for destruction. I cannot be<BR>
objective about this. I would support a call to suspend LL from the list,<BR>
with his return dependent upon an actual apology.<BR>
Again, my apologies for the off-topic post. I wish you all (*including* LL)<BR>
a very happy and peaceful 2000.<BR>
John<BR>
John G. Wood            <john@elvw.demon.co.uk<BR>
<mailto:john@elvw.demon.co.uk> ><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 13:36:26 +1100<BR>
From: "Hughes, Michael" <Michael.Hughes@cbr.defence.gov.au><BR>
Subject: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
<BR>
Spacers usually wear snug clothing and short hair, but tastes vary widely.<BR>
Naturally, worlds vary even more.  Local conditions (atmosphere,<BR>
hydrgrahics, temperature, TL, etc.) will influence things.  I try to give<BR>
each world a flavour, and each NPC a style.<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I see Spacer's, even Navy, wearing the same sort of<BR>
coverall/overall/jumpsuity thing as sub crews do (no reason, I just think it<BR>
is cool). In the case of a breech (or combat alert) the arm and leg cuffs,<BR>
being from a high tech outfit, automatically contract to form a snug but<BR>
comfortable fit at ankle and wrist for ease of suiting up (probably linked<BR>
to the ship's computer so this is automatic when said alert is activated). <BR>
<BR>
I'm embarrassed to say that this but I got that from Back to The Future II. <BR>
<BR>
High tech clothes might also have all sorts of nifty stuff with it such as<BR>
auto-cleaning (but not heavy soiling), automatically adjust internal<BR>
temperature, auto-repair small rips etc. I remember on the TML (way back in<BR>
the turn of the 90's) peoples were discussing plastic that bonded when a<BR>
weak electrical charge was applied (they were used to seal that pesky darn<BR>
hole in Iris valves). Maybe these outfits made from similar plastic<BR>
derivatives have a small contact on them that uses body heat to power this<BR>
charge and thus gain these yummo high tech benefits.<BR>
<BR>
Which means a dead man's clothes cuffs would slowly expand back to original<BR>
form, rips wouldn't seal and stains wouldn't disappear. <BR>
<BR>
Creepy. <BR>
<BR>
'If you would like to comment on this, press 1. If you think this is<BR>
horse-meat, press 2. If you would like to bring up that infamous creation<BR>
the Tech 15 IISS utility vest, press 3. If you think that infamous creation<BR>
the Tech 15 IISS utility vest  looks like something from Michael Jackson's<BR>
wardrobe, press 4. Otherwise please hold for an operator.' <BR>
<BR>
Michael <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 21:12:25 -0600<BR>
From: John Groth <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Prions<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
> <BR>
> > At least one study stated that "To obtain assured destruction, we were<BR>
> > forced to melt the scalpels."<BR>
> <BR>
> Keep in mind that most modern scalpels are a metal blade in a *plastic*<BR>
> handle. They may have merely meant melting the *handle* which makes the<BR>
> scalpel just as non-resuable as melting the blade.<BR>
<BR>
Well, one of my classmates works at a local hospital, sterilizing<BR>
instruments.  I'll print our the relevant posts, show them to her, and<BR>
post her comments.<BR>
<BR>
ObTrav:  Presumably the legendary Cannibal Vilani would have figured out<BR>
a means of preventing the anthropophagic spread of prion-based<BR>
illnesses.  If not, that could be an explanation for Vilani conservatism<BR>
(when some of your most experienced citizens have their brains turned to<BR>
Swiss cheese by prions, that can reduce your society's ability to<BR>
innovate).<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1782<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Thursday, January 20 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1783<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: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: Re Prions<BR>
Re: psuedo battleships<BR>
Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: Heaven & Earth Website<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: psuedo battleships<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
Core patches/tshirts, estimated costs<BR>
CT Campaign Background (Longish)<BR>
Re: Core patches/tshirts, estimated costs<BR>
Re: CT Campaign Background (Longish)<BR>
Re: Ethically-challenged organ traders<BR>
How small can a sophont be?<BR>
RE: Scientific American<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: Elite<BR>
Small change [was:Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1754]<BR>
RE: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
RE: Scientific American<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 20:39:59 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
>> >inertia for the last several hundred years.  When was the last time the<BR>
>> >Imperium  actually started a war (as opposed to fighting a war started by<BR>
>> >the other side).<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Well, there was that little skirmish down by the Solomani Rim...<BR>
><BR>
>Didn't the solomani start that one?<BR>
<BR>
Lies. Typical anti-Solomani propaganda by the corrupt and decadent<BR>
Imperium regime against the peaceful and freedom loving citizens<BR>
of the Solomani Confederation.<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: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 22:37:35 -0500<BR>
From: "Daniel Phelps" <phelpsd@gate.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Prions<BR>
<BR>
Was written:<BR>
<BR>
>ObTrav:  Presumably the legendary Cannibal Vilani would have figured out<BR>
>a means of preventing the anthropophagic spread of prion-based<BR>
>illnesses.  If not, that could be an explanation for Vilani conservatism<BR>
>(when some of your most experienced citizens have their brains turned to<BR>
>Swiss cheese by prions, that can reduce your society's ability to<BR>
>innovate).<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Perhaps it is all a vile K'kree plot to destroy all flesh eating Humaniti<BR>
and Vargr.  Yes, that is it!  Kuru was the orginal test.  Mad Cow and<BR>
Scrappies were field experiments to see if it would spread to humaniti.<BR>
I'll bet if we check there is a canine manifestation as well.<BR>
<BR>
It is all a K'kree plot, who else might be so clever?<BR>
<BR>
Hivers!!!  I should have guessed, it is even worse than we thought, a<BR>
cowardly but oh so clever Hiver manipulation of the K'kree thus pitting them<BR>
against Humaniti and Vargr.<BR>
<BR>
Dan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 19:55:38 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: psuedo battleships<BR>
<BR>
>From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
>Subject: Re: psuedo battleships (was Boarding actions)<BR>
...<BR>
>>   Real warships have armour; freighters - no matter how indegistible - <BR>
>> won't, and thus can't offer to meaningfully participate in a line of <BR>
>> battle, at least not against proper warships...<BR>
><BR>
>Real warships usually have considerable speed as well, and still tend to outgun<BR>
>a heavy freighter.  Despite all that, orbital control might still get sticky<BR>
>about 10,000 ton freighters with maxed hardpoint loads.<BR>
<BR>
  Some warships (esp. if meson weapons are discounted for some reason)<BR>
can utilize armour as a sufficient defensive mechanism, although high<BR>
Agility is nice as well. Freighters can hope for mediocre Agility (~1-2)<BR>
at best, and nuclear warhead missiles can inflict horrible damage with<BR>
single attacks against unarmoured targets of any size (a minor glitch<BR>
in HG2, IMHO, but not one which anyone has seriously proposed fixing).<BR>
<BR>
  Maximized hardpoint use is not needed; a 10k-Dt ship should be able<BR>
to have an Agility of 1 under HG2 and still have ~90 EP available (or<BR>
90*250MW under other systems), so at least one USP 8+ laser battery is<BR>
a no-brainer; everything else is subject to tastes and 3I tax laws.<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 22:23:36 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
<BR>
On 01/20/00 at 01:36 PM,  "Hughes, Michael" <Michael.Hughes@cbr.defence.gov.au> said:<BR>
<BR>
>I see Spacer's, even Navy, wearing the same sort of<BR>
>coverall/overall/jumpsuity thing as sub crews do (no reason, I just think<BR>
>it is cool). In the case of a breech (or combat alert) the arm and leg<BR>
>cuffs, being from a high tech outfit, automatically contract to form a<BR>
>snug but comfortable fit at ankle and wrist for ease of suiting up<BR>
>(probably linked to the ship's computer so this is automatic when said<BR>
>alert is activated). <BR>
<BR>
I had that opinion too, but from my limited sample it appears that<BR>
jumpsuit/coverall type clothing isn't going to be popular with half<BR>
the human population.  I'm opting for shirt and pants being more<BR>
common for normal wear with coveralls and jumpsuits used while doing<BR>
scut work.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 00:26:28 -0800<BR>
From: Evyn MacDude <wmacdude@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
Anthony Jackson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Anthropomorphoid serpent-people with<BR>
> various bad habits (like eating sentients).<BR>
<BR>
 !?! That's a Bad Habit?.......<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
The theme of the whole thing is clear. We have to be careful with wisdom. We have<BR>
to make certain we're ready for it when it comes knocking on our door. Knowledge<BR>
isn't always a blessing;<BR>
    sometimes, it's damnation.<BR>
Play Dirty: Let's All Go to the Movies!, by John Wick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 00:39:34 -0900<BR>
From: Peter Newman <pnewman@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
Shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) wrote<BR>
<BR>
> Anyway, getting back to K'kree, beside the fact that being intelligent<BR>
> let's them decide to *ignore* instinctive reactions, the odds are<BR>
> against any carnivores they are fighting having a "i give up" that's<BR>
> similar enough to recognize.<BR>
<BR>
I have always assumed that the K'kree surrender mechanism<BR>
is, like most K'kree behavior largely scent based.<BR>
<BR>
I think you can plausibly explain _all_ K'kree behavior<BR>
by referring to smells. Everything else is just a <BR>
rationalization.<BR>
<BR>
Examples:<BR>
<BR>
The K'kree are xenophobes because non K'Kree smell wrong.<BR>
<BR>
The K'Kree favor genocide of all carnivores because<BR>
carnivores smell _really_really_really_ wrong.<BR>
<BR>
The K'kree are afraid of being alone because then they<BR>
can't smell other K'kree.<BR>
<BR>
The K'kree are claustrophobic because small spaces make <BR>
things smell funny.<BR>
<BR>
The K'kree exterminated the K'kree whom the Hivers manipulated<BR>
into using meat sauces because they smelled wrong.<BR>
<BR>
The K'kree nobles are dominant because they smell as if <BR>
they should be dominant.<BR>
<BR>
The K'kree females are submissive because they smell<BR>
submissive.<BR>
<BR>
The K'kree prefer to settle on planets much like Kirur<BR>
because different planets smell funny.<BR>
<BR>
The K'kree have a manifest destiny to convert the <BR>
universe to vegetarianism because herbivores smell<BR>
better than non herbivores.<BR>
<BR>
Try it yourself. The form is<BR>
<BR>
The K'kree ________ because ________ smells ________.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
The K'kree should be killed and eaten by Solomani because<BR>
dead chunks of K'kree with barbecue sauce smells delicious.<BR>
<BR>
The K'kree have a secret alliance with the Zhodani to<BR>
destroy the Imperium because the Zhodani diplomats<BR>
smelled trustworthy when they promised to convert the <BR>
Consulate to vegetarianism in return. [Oh wait, forget<BR>
you heard that one. look into the red light please....]<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 11:53:20 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: Heaven & Earth Website<BR>
<BR>
Stuart Ferris wrote:<BR>
> The program isn't quite ready for release yet, but I am now on the<BR>
> final stages of Beta testing.<BR>
<BR>
"The anticipated release date of H&E V1.0.0 is the 1st February 1999."<BR>
- - http://www.downport.com/wbd/H&E_DOWNLOAD.htm<BR>
<BR>
Shouldn't the year be 2000? Just because we don't have any space<BR>
colonies or cyberware we don't need to wait in 1999 forever...<BR>
<BR>
In the screenshots page, the link to screenshot 1 appears to be broken.<BR>
<BR>
Otherwise, I like what I see. How much will you charge for the finished<BR>
product?<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 23:46:47 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
On 20 Jan 00, at 0:26, Evyn MacDude wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> Anthony Jackson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> > Anthropomorphoid serpent-people with<BR>
> > various bad habits (like eating sentients).<BR>
> <BR>
>  !?! That's a Bad Habit?.......<BR>
<BR>
OPH (Eats other sentients), -15 points seems to be the standard <BR>
way of describing this osrt of thing (OPH is short for Odious Personal <BR>
Habit). Note that this is the same number of points as you get for <BR>
Compulsive Lying, Greed and Sadism (among others).<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: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 23:46:47 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: psuedo battleships<BR>
<BR>
On 19 Jan 00, at 19:55, Steven Hudson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>   Some warships (esp. if meson weapons are discounted for some reason) can<BR>
> utilize armour as a sufficient defensive mechanism, although high Agility<BR>
> is nice as well. Freighters can hope for mediocre Agility (~1-2) at best,<BR>
> and nuclear warhead missiles can inflict horrible damage with single<BR>
> attacks against unarmoured targets of any size (a minor glitch in HG2,<BR>
> IMHO, but not one which anyone has seriously proposed fixing).<BR>
<BR>
Well given that HG assumes that missiles are contact or near <BR>
contact fused IMO this isn't unreasonable. Even a million tonner is <BR>
only a few hundred metres long, after all.<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: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 23:46:47 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
On 19 Jan 00, at 17:10, Anthony Jackson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Jory Earl writes:<BR>
> > So what are the stats on the Kaa?  I've never heard of them.<BR>
<BR>
> > ----- Original Message -----<BR>
> > From: "Anthony Jackson" <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
> > To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
> > Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2000 8:00 PM<BR>
> > Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
> > <BR>
> > <BR>
> > > Jory Earl writes:<BR>
> > > > The poor K'kree have been getting a bad rap all these years. <BR>
> > > > They're<BR>
> > just<BR>
> > > > a fun-loving buncha equines just out horsing around.<BR>
> > ><BR>
> > > In my example,its more a case of the K'kree and Kaa sort of deserving<BR>
> > > one<BR>
> > another.<BR>
> <BR>
> A rather cheesy race from GURPS Space.  Anthropomorphoid serpent-people<BR>
> with various bad habits (like eating sentients).<BR>
<BR>
I was always rather partial to the Snee from SpaceMaster (Aliens <BR>
with plasma guns, basically).<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: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 05:52:21 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
<BR>
"Gee, that was worth 45MCr., and our percentage is 30%, so our take<BR>
is..."<BR>
<BR>
darkhstarr<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> At 04:20 PM 1/17/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
> >>    We've hashed out the how and why of pirates pretty clearly,<BR>
> ><BR>
> >>has anyone thought of a drill that the locals use when they<BR>
> >>learn that there's pirates in system?<BR>
> ><BR>
> >B:  "Hey sophs, pirates about; took an inbound fat trader a few<BR>
> >hours ago."<BR>
> ><BR>
>               [amusement snipped]<BR>
> ><BR>
> >Oh, wait, did you mean the defense drill?<BR>
> ><BR>
> >--Glenn<BR>
> <BR>
>         Hi, Glenn!<BR>
> <BR>
>         I am rather of the opinion that there are more than a few<BR>
> back-waters where this is more accurate than the IN would like to discuss...<BR>
> <BR>
>         --Michel<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>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 07:59:50 EST<BR>
From: Kagehira@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Core patches/tshirts, estimated costs<BR>
<BR>
MOUSEMATS<BR>
Code    Description Quantity (Qty:) Price (?UK)<BR>
MMAD    "The Adventure is out There" text on starscape  Qty: 4  $10.00<BR>
MMDR    "You can Dream About the Stars" text on starscape   Qty: 2  $10.00<BR>
MMIS    Imperial starburst logo Qty: 2  $10.00<BR>
MMSS    IISS logo and text  Qty: 2  $10.00<BR>
<BR>
T-SHIRTS<BR>
Code    Description Quantity (Qty:) Price (?UK)<BR>
TSLR    4518 Life Regiment logo "Strike from Space".    Qty: 1  $18.00<BR>
TSDR    Star scene with "Traveller: You can dream about the stars... or you <BR>
can travel to them".    Qty: 1  $18.00<BR>
TSBE    Star scene with "Traveller: This is Free Trader Beowulf...".    Qty: <BR>
1   $18.00<BR>
TSAD    Star scene with "Traveller: The adventure is out there... find it, <BR>
before it finds you".   Qty: 2  $18.00<BR>
TSLF    Creature from 101 Lifeforms with "Promote Interstellar Friendship - <BR>
Cuddle a Cute Alien Today". Qty: 1  $18.00<BR>
TSSB    Imperial Sunburst with "The Imperium Needs You!"    Qty: 2  $18.00<BR>
<BR>
            <BR>
BIPL    IISS 'poni' patches dual pack (4" x 3.5" and 2" x 2")   Qty: 4  $10.00<BR>
BIPM    IISS 'poni' patch (4" x 3.5" only)  Qty: 4  $6.00<BR>
BIPX    IISS 'poni' patch (4" x 3.5" only; top line missing)    Qty: 3  $2.00<BR>
BSCP    IISS patches dual pack: Survey & Census Office (5.5" x 2" and 3.75" x <BR>
1.25")  Qty: 5  $10.00<BR>
BCOP    IISS patches dual pack: Communications Office (5.5" x 2" and 3.75" x <BR>
1.25")  Qty: 4  $10.00<BR>
BEOP    IISS patches dual pack: Exploration Office (5.5" x 2" and 3.75" x <BR>
1.25")  Qty: 2  $10.00<BR>
BEOS    IISS patch: Exploration Office (3.75" x 1.25" only) Qty: 2  $4.00<BR>
BSBM    IISS red Sunburst, 3" diameter. Qty: 7  $4.00<BR>
BWSM    IISS winged serpent, 3" diameter.   Qty: 6  $4.00<BR>
BLRM    4518 Lift Regiment, 3" diameter.    Qty: 4  $6.00<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
    Estimated mailing costs about $3.20 for the T-shirts. $.75 for the <BR>
patches. Plus $2.00(?) for covering an International Money Order.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Bryan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 08:41:22 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Dixon" <cdixon@airfoiltech.com><BR>
Subject: CT Campaign Background (Longish)<BR>
<BR>
Hello Travellers!<BR>
<BR>
I've been lurking on the TML for several months and I have to say that<BR>
(flame wars and the occasional whacky tangents aside) that I really<BR>
enjoy the format and I find a majority of the topics useful and<BR>
stimulating.<BR>
<BR>
I am putting together a campaign after a long hiatus from Traveller and<BR>
RPG's in general.  I'm a CT person so T4/Gurps/TNE info will be pretty<BR>
lost on me.  I seem to recall having purchased MT which brings me to my<BR>
question.<BR>
<BR>
I.    Has anyone developed a Task System like MT for CT.  I like the<BR>
universe the way it was before the rebellion thank you very much, but I<BR>
also really like the idea of a task system and maybe an experience<BR>
system for improving skills.<BR>
<BR>
II.    Are there any star charts for the sector due south of the<BR>
Solomani Rim (Aldebaran I believe)<BR>
<BR>
III.    Does anyone have a good method for adjusting world creation for<BR>
the Rule of Man years - I want to start my campaign at "First Contact"<BR>
<BR>
IV.    Besides Andrew Moffatt-Valance's simply amazing "Prometheus<BR>
Rising" project <http://www.downport.com/amv/> has anyone got anything<BR>
more on the Villani Empire or the Terran Confederation.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks in advance!<BR>
<BR>
Chris Dixon<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:08:18 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: Core patches/tshirts, estimated costs<BR>
<BR>
Kagehira@aol.com wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> MOUSEMATS<BR>
> Code    Description Quantity (Qty:) Price<BR>
<snip><BR>
<BR>
I am sure there was an URL with pictures, but I lost it... I would like<BR>
to view the products, and perhaps buy a few of them...<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 09:19:50 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy \(Colin Michael\)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Re: CT Campaign Background (Longish)<BR>
<BR>
The MT task system *is* the CT task system.  DGP published their system in<BR>
the Travellers Digest beginning in 1985.  If you have an old copy of the<BR>
Digest, issues 1 thru 9, then you have the system already.  Oh, and welcome<BR>
back :-)<BR>
<BR>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>
Colin Michael, WebDev<BR>
www.downport.com<BR>
The Traveller Domain<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: "Chris Dixon" <cdixon@airfoiltech.com><BR>
> I.    Has anyone developed a Task System like MT for CT.  I like the<BR>
> universe the way it was before the rebellion thank you very much, but I<BR>
> also really like the idea of a task system and maybe an experience<BR>
> system for improving skills.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 01:50:00 +1100<BR>
From: David Healey <dhealey@giant.net.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Ethically-challenged organ traders<BR>
<BR>
On 19/1/99, Leonard said :<BR>
<BR>
>But regen is *by definition* making *your* body regow the missing<BR>
>parts. Transplants are sticking somebody else's tissues into your body,<BR>
>and trying to *fool* your body into not rejecting these "alien" tissues.<BR>
<BR>
Fair enough.  I hadna thought about that part.  I 'spose doing the regen<BR>
thing is probably the way the 3I does it, rather than a roaring trade in<BR>
'donated' organs.  How do you see them doing trauma cases tho' ?  Like, we<BR>
need a heart, now.  Not in three weeks (or whatever it'll take to grow),<BR>
now.  Would they just stick 'em in Low Berth until one could be grown, or<BR>
flash-freeze 'em or something ?<BR>
<BR>
>If transplants were common among the rich, then a favored assassination<BR>
>technique would be slipping them something that revived their body's<BR>
>immune response to the transplanted organs. Done properly, death could<BR>
>occur in *minutes* due to massive anaphylactic shock (extreme allergic<BR>
>reaction to the foreign tissue).<BR>
<BR>
That's not a bad idea.  One the players are sure to miss.  Mind if I pinch<BR>
it ?  ( Side-note to Andrew : not that this is going to happen in our<BR>
campaign).<BR>
<BR>
Dave<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 09:46:52 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
I doubt that this a a question we can answer yet, but...<BR>
<BR>
What's the minimum body size for a creature to support a brain<BR>
comparable in capability to that of a human? Monkey-sized?<BR>
Squirrel-sized? Hamster-sized? <BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 10:26:09 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Scientific American<BR>
<BR>
Thing writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>Apparently they are building a model for NASA for application as<BR>
>a launching system to reduce the cost of launching satellites and<BR>
>such.<BR>
>I was wondering if such a system might be of use in the rail gun<BR>
>arena?<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>And could such a launching array be mistaken by a visiting craft<BR>
>for a weapons system?<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	What do you mean, mistaken?<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 16:04:50 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith asked:<BR>
>I doubt that this a a question we can answer yet, but...<BR>
<BR>
and that should stop the TML trying?<BR>
<BR>
>What's the minimum body size for a creature to support a brain<BR>
>comparable in capability to that of a human? Monkey-sized?<BR>
>Squirrel-sized? Hamster-sized? <BR>
<BR>
I haven't heard of anything that relates intellignece to head size<BR>
or body size in humans (ie people I've met with small heads seem<BR>
to have the same range of intelligence as normal, ditto for body<BR>
size) only to age (ie the brain needs a couple of years of development).<BR>
<BR>
So I'd guess that someone standing 3' tall would have no effect,<BR>
possibly little impact at 2'. Not sure for sizes below that.<BR>
<BR>
However the proportions are different and I think short people<BR>
weigh a lot more than monkeys of a similar height.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 11:11:58 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
Phil Kitching wrote:<BR>
>So I'd guess that someone standing 3' tall would have no effect,<BR>
>possibly little impact at 2'. Not sure for sizes below that.<BR>
<BR>
>However the proportions are different and I think short people<BR>
>weigh a lot more than monkeys of a similar height.<BR>
<BR>
Of course, we're not talking about (human) people or monkeys, so the<BR>
relative proportions of the won't matter as much. <BR>
<BR>
I don't think you could fit a human-comparable intellect into a brain<BR>
analogue the size of a walnut, unless the efficiency was much better<BR>
than terran neural tissue came up with. Of course, there are terran<BR>
animals with brains our size or larger that don't appear to be as intelligent<BR>
as we are. It's not even all a matter of brain size as a percentage of<BR>
body mass.<BR>
<BR>
Small size is an evolutionary path with certain, specific advantages.<BR>
Losing your shot at developing intelligence may be an opportunity cost of<BR>
being very small, and a certain minimum body size may be a requirement<BR>
for supporting the costs of developing a sophont's brain.<BR>
<BR>
It may go the other direction as well. Is there a maximum size for a<BR>
sophont?<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 16:35:46 +0000<BR>
From: Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk<BR>
Subject: Re: Elite<BR>
<BR>
> hehehehehehehe....just giggling to myself as a referee knowing the fun<BR>
I'm<BR>
> going to have making my PCs dock their ship manually at those low TL<BR>
> revolving space stations (the ones with spin to simulate gravity because<BR>
> g-plates are too expensive at that TL) if the docking computer conks....<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
My brother - who played the game far more than I ever did - had a nice line<BR>
in 'hands free' docking.  He'd line himself up some distance from the<BR>
station so that he could thrust straight for the port on the entrance axis<BR>
and then steadfastly *not* use the joystick to get his ship rotating with<BR>
the letterbox slot.  He would still dock successfully.<BR>
<BR>
Scary.<BR>
<BR>
When he started doing it at high speed as well I really did think<BR>
possession had taken hold!<BR>
<BR>
tc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 16:39:45 +0000<BR>
From: Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk<BR>
Subject: Small change [was:Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1754]<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow) wrote:<BR>
>And yes, that's another often overlooked point. In low TL societies,<BR>
>*you* have to come up with change much of the time. If you've got a<BR>
>large coin and a merchant doesn't have change, you'll have to go to a<BR>
>money changer and get change. And he'll keep part of the money as a<BR>
>fee. Given that there aren't banks of the sort we are used to, you have<BR>
>to live with this, or else put yourself to the expense of keeping all<BR>
>those small coins on hand.<BR>
<BR>
>Players will *not* be happy the first time they encounter this. :-)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
And is it just me or there an increasing dichotomy between what the bank<BR>
machines give you and what small traders are willing to accept?<BR>
<BR>
Here in the UK hole-in-the-wall machines tend to dole out #20 notes.<BR>
(About $32)  Now I can appreciate that bus drivers might not be able to<BR>
change that easily but I do get fed up with smallish shops moaning about<BR>
it.  I mean someone's got to take it for me to get smaller stuff....    I<BR>
think next time I'll point out the phrase printed on them that says: "I<BR>
promise to pay the bearer..."<BR>
<BR>
tc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 11:50:44 -0500<BR>
From: "Charles Prevatte" <prevattec@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: RE: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
> -----Original Message-----<BR>
> From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> [mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Walter Smith<BR>
> Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2000 9:47 AM<BR>
> To: 'TML'<BR>
> Subject: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> I doubt that this a a question we can answer yet, but...<BR>
><BR>
> What's the minimum body size for a creature to support a brain<BR>
> comparable in capability to that of a human? Monkey-sized?<BR>
> Squirrel-sized? Hamster-sized?<BR>
><BR>
> Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
I don't think volume (size) will be the limiting factor.  Mass, yes: but not<BR>
size.  If intelegence is directly or closely related to neuron count then<BR>
size becomes dependent on the neuron count limit AND the neuron density.  A<BR>
very small intelegent being would be posible but it might be fairly massive.<BR>
<BR>
If you use the weight of a human brain as a yard stick and add a minimal<BR>
body you could get an inteligent being in the 15 to 20 pound range as a<BR>
'reasonable low end' but it would be fairly 'breakable' if it is based on a<BR>
mamailian model.  (A brainy cat/spider/monkey with 30% of it's mass as<BR>
'brains')  The problem is the lack of mass for protective structure like<BR>
bones or redundant systems.  Nearly any wound that passed the skin would hit<BR>
something vital.<BR>
<BR>
If you could 'lighten' the brain by using different materials (ones that do<BR>
not require as much weight of support systems as the mamailian brain) you<BR>
might get a 1 pound intelect.<BR>
<BR>
Note that this is just my WAG on the matter.  It is and interesting thought<BR>
though...<BR>
<BR>
Charles L.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 08:41:18 -0800<BR>
From: "Thing" <gduke@telebyte.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Scientific American<BR>
<BR>
On Thursday, January 20, 2000 7:26 AM<BR>
Ian Ferguson said,<BR>
<BR>
> 	What do you mean, mistaken?<BR>
<BR>
Oh come now, good sir.  Except for a few, rare, aberrations and deviants<BR>
it's a friendly & enlightened universe out there.  All of these pulp<BR>
novels and holo dramas featuring marauding bands of pirates and strange,<BR>
hostile aliens are simply a propaganda tool of the giant arms<BR>
manufacturing cartels.<BR>
<BR>
The Imperium (Along with the Solamani, Zhodani and various other ruling<BR>
bodies in known charted space) allows and encourages this type of<BR>
propaganda.  The perception of dangerous and hostile forces at large<BR>
allows for the creation and expansion of the various military forces<BR>
giving purpose and employment to large amounts of the population both<BR>
directly and through secondary industries.  This allows a good measure<BR>
of control over a large portion of the populace that is capable of, and<BR>
willing to deal out violence.  This allows for dealing with any<BR>
remaining militant people as terrorists.<BR>
<BR>
When the population pressures and dissent seem to be growing to greatly<BR>
then they simply have a little war to stir up some pride in the<BR>
government and to trim the population figures back a little.  These wars<BR>
are really run through treaties with the various other governments so<BR>
that once it is determined that a war is necessary, an atrocity or other<BR>
propagating incidence is staged with another government that is getting<BR>
close to the population pressure limits.<BR>
<BR>
Not only does this stir up pride and support for the government, but it<BR>
stimulates the economy and prods the proles off of the dole lists and<BR>
into gainful employment.  Of course if this fails to stir up support for<BR>
the government the current "head" is retired (through a seeming coup,<BR>
assassination, etc.) and a new leadership and vision comes into power.<BR>
<BR>
Now, I know what you are thinking!  This sounds like some sort of Hiver<BR>
manipulation, right?  Well that is the kicker.  The Hivers aren't a real<BR>
race at all.  They are actually a genetically engineered, artificial<BR>
sophont designed to appear like a Major race of manipulators.  That way,<BR>
if anyone starts to see the signs of all of these plots and<BR>
conspiracies, they can be traced back to the "Hivers" and the whole<BR>
process of demonizing, nationalizing, and war can start again.<BR>
<BR>
I had documentation showing all of this, but it was lost in a raid by<BR>
Vargr "pirates".  Don't even get me started on the Vargr!<BR>
<BR>
But I have a plan.  There is a red zone world a few parsecs away.  The<BR>
story is that it was zoned because of hostile native life forms, but it<BR>
really contains the secret base where they breed the Hivers.  Now the<BR>
dangers might be great, but a small talented group of people could get<BR>
in there and expose the whole thing.  Think of it!  Fame, fortune, and<BR>
the chance to liberate all of known space from a conspiracy that has<BR>
been pulling the larma skin over their eyes for who knows how long!<BR>
I've got the ID and schedule for the supply ship that stops in there<BR>
every few months and it just happens to be the same class as yours.<BR>
<BR>
Now are ya in with me?<BR>
<BR>
G.D.D.<BR>
Thing under the stairs,<BR>
Minion of Shechemist & GothBunny,<BR>
Grand Master of the Electron Flow.<BR>
==================================<BR>
"I love power. But it is as an artist that I love it. I love it as a<BR>
musician loves his violin, to draw out its sounds and chords and<BR>
harmonies." - Napoleon Bonaparte<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1783<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1784</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest     Thursday, January 20 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1784<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: CT Campaign Background (Longish)<BR>
Re: Core patches/tshirts, estimated costs<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: Core patches/tshirts, estimated costs<BR>
RE: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: Re Prions<BR>
Galactic 2.4 (was: Re: CT Campaign Background (Longish))<BR>
Re: Elite<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: Small change [was:Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1754]<BR>
Re: Small change [was:Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1754]<BR>
How do PAWs penetrate armor?<BR>
OT: What's that, Skippy?<BR>
Philosophy of Task Systems<BR>
Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1783<BR>
re:  Spacer Wear<BR>
re: small change<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
[BITS] Badges & T-shirts from CORE<BR>
re: Dark Imperium and Delta Green<BR>
re: CT Campaign Background (Longish)<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 11:11:27 -0600 (CST)<BR>
From: "Jason Kemp" <Jason.Kemp@tdh.state.tx.us><BR>
Subject: Re: CT Campaign Background (Longish)<BR>
<BR>
From: "Chris Dixon" <cdixon@airfoiltech.com><BR>
<BR>
> I.    Has anyone developed a Task System like MT for CT.  I like the<BR>
> universe the way it was before the rebellion thank you very much, but I<BR>
> also really like the idea of a task system and maybe an experience<BR>
> system for improving skills.<BR>
<BR>
The Task system found in the old CT Grand Survey and Grand Census is <BR>
the MT task system. You can use that, or the one that is suggested by <BR>
BITS. Dom will post the BITS website info shortly, I'm sure. :)<BR>
<BR>
> II.    Are there any star charts for the sector due south of the<BR>
> Solomani Rim (Aldebaran I believe)<BR>
<BR>
I've looked, and didn't find any. But the star positions can be <BR>
gotten off of the dot maps from the MT screen or any of the alien <BR>
modules that have the star system positions. Check Galactic 2.4, just <BR>
in case.<BR>
<BR>
> III.    Does anyone have a good method for adjusting world creation for<BR>
> the Rule of Man years - I want to start my campaign at "First Contact"<BR>
<BR>
Ask Andrew M-V. He has an incredible wealth of material on the <BR>
Interstellar Wars era.<BR>
<BR>
> IV.    Besides Andrew Moffatt-Valance's simply amazing "Prometheus<BR>
> Rising" project <http://www.downport.com/amv/> has anyone got anything<BR>
> more on the Villani Empire or the Terran Confederation.<BR>
<BR>
I was planning on starting a First Contact game about a year ago,<BR>
but it fell through for various reasons. I have only some meager<BR>
work done, and it's been better covered by others. I did discover<BR>
that your best sources of info for Vilani at that time would be<BR>
Andrew M-V, and for the Terran Confederation would be Rob<BR>
Eaglestone. Both have done extensive work in the time period<BR>
surrounding First Contact.<BR>
<BR>
Hope this helps,<BR>
Jason<BR>
<BR>
=============================<BR>
Jason Kemp, ADS Programmer IV<BR>
(512)458-7111 ext. 3375<BR>
Internet Address:  jason.kemp@tdh.state.tx.us<BR>
<BR>
Most computer virus and email alerts are hoaxes.  For more info, check out:<BR>
http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/culture/beliefs/urbanlegends/library/blhoax.htm<BR>
==============================<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 12:16:17 -0500<BR>
From: Bill Rutherford <worj@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Core patches/tshirts, estimated costs<BR>
<BR>
Right... I sent my just-prior message before reading this one!  Are the <BR>
quantities below the total quantities available?  I'm interested in one <BR>
each of the following (with shirts in XL):<BR>
<BR>
MMAD    "The Adventure is out There" text on starscape  Qty: 4  $10.00<BR>
MMDR    "You can Dream About the Stars" text on starscape   Qty: 2  $10.00<BR>
TSDR    Star scene with "Traveller: You can dream about the <BR>
stars...".    Qty: 1  $18.00<BR>
TSBE    Star scene with "Traveller: This is Free Trader <BR>
Beowulf...".    Qty: 1   $18.00<BR>
<BR>
Which sounds as if it'll cost $52 for merchandise and $7.90 ($3.20 + $3.20 <BR>
+ $.75 + $.75) in shipping, for a total of $59.90.<BR>
<BR>
What's my next move?<BR>
<BR>
Tx!<BR>
<BR>
- - Bill<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
At 07:59 AM 01/20/2000 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>MOUSEMATS<BR>
>Code    Description Quantity (Qty:) Price (?UK)<BR>
>MMAD    "The Adventure is out There" text on starscape  Qty: 4  $10.00<BR>
>MMDR    "You can Dream About the Stars" text on starscape   Qty: 2  $10.00<BR>
>MMIS    Imperial starburst logo Qty: 2  $10.00<BR>
>MMSS    IISS logo and text  Qty: 2  $10.00<BR>
><BR>
>T-SHIRTS<BR>
>Code    Description Quantity (Qty:) Price (?UK)<BR>
>TSLR    4518 Life Regiment logo "Strike from Space".    Qty: 1  $18.00<BR>
>TSDR    Star scene with "Traveller: You can dream about the stars... or you<BR>
>can travel to them".    Qty: 1  $18.00<BR>
>TSBE    Star scene with "Traveller: This is Free Trader Beowulf...".    Qty:<BR>
>1   $18.00<BR>
>TSAD    Star scene with "Traveller: The adventure is out there... find it,<BR>
>before it finds you".   Qty: 2  $18.00<BR>
>TSLF    Creature from 101 Lifeforms with "Promote Interstellar Friendship -<BR>
>Cuddle a Cute Alien Today". Qty: 1  $18.00<BR>
>TSSB    Imperial Sunburst with "The Imperium Needs You!"    Qty: 2  $18.00<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
>BIPL    IISS 'poni' patches dual pack (4" x 3.5" and 2" x 2")   Qty: 4  $10.00<BR>
>BIPM    IISS 'poni' patch (4" x 3.5" only)  Qty: 4  $6.00<BR>
>BIPX    IISS 'poni' patch (4" x 3.5" only; top line missing)    Qty: 3  $2.00<BR>
>BSCP    IISS patches dual pack: Survey & Census Office (5.5" x 2" and 3.75" x<BR>
>1.25")  Qty: 5  $10.00<BR>
>BCOP    IISS patches dual pack: Communications Office (5.5" x 2" and 3.75" x<BR>
>1.25")  Qty: 4  $10.00<BR>
>BEOP    IISS patches dual pack: Exploration Office (5.5" x 2" and 3.75" x<BR>
>1.25")  Qty: 2  $10.00<BR>
>BEOS    IISS patch: Exploration Office (3.75" x 1.25" only) Qty: 2  $4.00<BR>
>BSBM    IISS red Sunburst, 3" diameter. Qty: 7  $4.00<BR>
>BWSM    IISS winged serpent, 3" diameter.   Qty: 6  $4.00<BR>
>BLRM    4518 Lift Regiment, 3" diameter.    Qty: 4  $6.00<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
>     Estimated mailing costs about $3.20 for the T-shirts. $.75 for the<BR>
>patches. Plus $2.00(?) for covering an International Money Order.<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
>Bryan<BR>
<BR>
Bill Rutherford<BR>
worj@home.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 09:19:30 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
Walter Smith writes:<BR>
> I doubt that this a a question we can answer yet, but...<BR>
> <BR>
> What's the minimum body size for a creature to support a brain<BR>
> comparable in capability to that of a human? Monkey-sized?<BR>
> Squirrel-sized? Hamster-sized? <BR>
<BR>
Well, if it uses the same 'technology', a brain comparable in capability to a <BR>
human will also be similar in size (depending on what its controlling, it could<BR>
be a bit smaller).  As such, a 'brain-jellyfish' could probably be a couple<BR>
of pounds (and would need to live in a vat).  A sentient which makes<BR>
evolutionary sense probably has a lower mass limit in the 10-20 kilogram range.<BR>
<BR>
Note that human brains actually use quite a bit of energy, that 10 kilogram<BR>
sentient is going to need a lot of food for its weight.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 12:18:31 -0500<BR>
From: Bill Rutherford <worj@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Core patches/tshirts, estimated costs<BR>
<BR>
Oops!  Previous message with this subject sent by mistake to list - sorry!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Bill Rutherford<BR>
worj@home.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 12:24:43 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
Walter Smith writes:<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>What's the minimum body size for a creature to support a brain<BR>
>comparable in capability to that of a human? Monkey-sized?<BR>
>Squirrel-sized? Hamster-sized? <BR>
<BR>
	A fair question.  You have probably heard the old story<BR>
	about how we use only 10% of our brain, or something like<BR>
	that.  This is at least misleading, given that removing<BR>
	90% of anyone's brain will have serious consequences<BR>
	(well, I can think of one or two politicians who might<BR>
	be exceptions).  One thing to consider is that nerve<BR>
	tissue like that in the brain is energetically expensive<BR>
	to maintain, so it would be surprising if our central<BR>
	nervous system is any larger than necessary.  That being<BR>
	said, there are processes that might result in certain<BR>
	organs evolving to be too big, at least temporarily.<BR>
<BR>
	A lot of our brain is engaged in various activities<BR>
	that depend on our body size, so the size of the brain<BR>
	relative to the body is probably important (whales have<BR>
	huge brains, but do not appear to be as intelligent as<BR>
	humans).  However, there is a limit: an orgaism made up<BR>
	of 100 cells is not going to be intelligent even if 50<BR>
	of those cells are a 'brain.'  Some kinds of intelligence<BR>
	may be more space-efficient as well (intelligence is a<BR>
	pretty broad term).  I would not expect human-like<BR>
	intelligence in anything much smaller than perhaps 25%<BR>
	of our brain, but who knows?<BR>
<BR>
	Of course, more efficient nervous tissue might evolve on<BR>
	another world.  Just how efficient could it be?  You will<BR>
	still, presumably, need some kind of cells interconnecting<BR>
	in complex pathways (unless you want to go 'Star Trek' with<BR>
	some sort of molecular intelligence).  It's hard to imagine<BR>
	anything a lot smaller than what we've got, but it might be<BR>
	easy to have a much more efficient system of connections<BR>
	that make intelligence more compact.  Maybe a brain 10% the<BR>
	size of ours would do.  This is just a WAG.<BR>
<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>It may go the other direction as well. Is there a maximum size for<BR>
>a sophont?<BR>
<BR>
	I would guess that no organism would be too big to be<BR>
	a sophont.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 10:23:58 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Prions<BR>
<BR>
Daniel Phelps wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> Perhaps it is all a vile K'kree plot to destroy all flesh eating Humaniti<BR>
> and Vargr.  Yes, that is it!  Kuru was the orginal test.  Mad Cow and<BR>
> Scrappies were field experiments to see if it would spread to humaniti.<BR>
> I'll bet if we check there is a canine manifestation as well.<BR>
> <BR>
> It is all a K'kree plot, who else might be so clever?<BR>
> <BR>
> Hivers!!!  I should have guessed, it is even worse than we thought, a<BR>
> cowardly but oh so clever Hiver manipulation of the K'kree thus pitting them<BR>
> against Humaniti and Vargr.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Only The Hivers would be able to manipulate the K'Kree into killing<BR>
herbivores with this plot....<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 11:36:29 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Galactic 2.4 (was: Re: CT Campaign Background (Longish))<BR>
<BR>
Jason Kemp wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> From: "Chris Dixon" <cdixon@airfoiltech.com><BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> <BR>
> > II.    Are there any star charts for the sector due south of the<BR>
> > Solomani Rim (Aldebaran I believe)<BR>
> <BR>
> I've looked, and didn't find any. But the star positions can be<BR>
> gotten off of the dot maps from the MT screen or any of the alien<BR>
> modules that have the star system positions. Check Galactic 2.4, just<BR>
> in case.<BR>
<BR>
Which can be downloaded from:<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Starship/8023/<BR>
<BR>
While Galactic 2.4 doesn't have the Aldebaran sector, it has great big<BR>
bunches of outstanding material.  (It runs under DOS.)<BR>
<BR>
<<snip>><BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 17:29:24 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Elite<BR>
<BR>
Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>My brother - who played the game far more than I ever did - had a nice line<BR>
>in 'hands free' docking.  He'd line himself up some distance from the<BR>
>station so that he could thrust straight for the port on the entrance axis<BR>
>and then steadfastly *not* use the joystick to get his ship rotating with<BR>
>the letterbox slot.  He would still dock successfully.<BR>
><BR>
>Scary.<BR>
><BR>
>When he started doing it at high speed as well I really did think<BR>
>possession had taken hold!<BR>
<BR>
Once you were fully inside the station the catch nets would stop you<BR>
safely no matter what your speed.<BR>
<BR>
Since damage depanded in part on how long your ship was scraping<BR>
its hull against the dock, the faster you docked the less damage.<BR>
<BR>
Also, without an anlogue joystick, it was impossible to exactly<BR>
match the rotation rate, so you'd be forever altering rotation with<BR>
a nudge from the manoeuvring thrusters and once you entered the<BR>
dock, you couldn't see anything to indicate the orientation of the dock.<BR>
<BR>
Everyone I knew found that docking success improved once you discovered<BR>
this full speed ahead solution.<BR>
<BR>
ObTrav<BR>
<BR>
A four term computer programmer tries to sign on as your new ship's pilot.<BR>
He has a certificate proving that he is rated "elite"* on some<BR>
ship class you don't recognise**.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
* would you react differently if he was rated "harmless" or "dangerous"?<BR>
<BR>
** and I don't remember :-(<BR>
<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 09:39:30 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
Ian Ferguson writes:<BR>
<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
> >It may go the other direction as well. Is there a maximum size for<BR>
> >a sophont?<BR>
> <BR>
>      I would guess that no organism would be too big to be<BR>
>      a sophont.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, there are some surface-limited factors in how brains are constructed<BR>
(this is why large brains are so rippled and folded), which means there might<BR>
be an upper limit, but then again, there's an upper limit on the size of<BR>
conventional animal life in any case.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 17:37:10 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Small change [was:Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1754]<BR>
<BR>
Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>Here in the UK hole-in-the-wall machines tend to dole out #20 notes.<BR>
>(About $32)  Now I can appreciate that bus drivers might not be able to<BR>
>change that easily but I do get fed up with smallish shops moaning about<BR>
>it.  I mean someone's got to take it for me to get smaller stuff....    I<BR>
>think next time I'll point out the phrase printed on them that says: "I<BR>
>promise to pay the bearer..."<BR>
<BR>
</serious><BR>
<BR>
That promise is signed by the governor of the Bank of England or somesuch.<BR>
Why not send it to him and ask for change?<BR>
<BR>
<serious><BR>
<BR>
What about if they passed on to you the charge that their bank makes for<BR>
handling cash?<BR>
<BR>
50p per 100 IIRC. Of course, banks charge small businesses just to exist,<BR>
never mind actually use any of their services. That's how you get free<BR>
personal banking and free credit on credit cards.<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 09:44:42 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Small change [was:Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1754]<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> What about if they passed on to you the charge that their bank makes for<BR>
> handling cash?<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
They do. It's called the "price."<BR>
<BR>
Actually, the fees for handling cash are small to the charges for credit<BR>
card transactions. The worst are Internet cc transactions. Because they are<BR>
"high-risk" since no signature was obtained at the time of sale, you (i.e.<BR>
the merchant) get charged about 6%.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 09:51:24 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: How do PAWs penetrate armor?<BR>
<BR>
Something I was pondering.  There's basically two reasonable ways to <BR>
construct a PAW to shoot through armor.  One way is to have a highly focused<BR>
beam which bores a hole through armor, similar to a laser (though I believe<BR>
it may be somewhat more efficient).  The other is to simply crank up the<BR>
energy per particle and rely on cascade radiation to punch through armor<BR>
(given that space combat PAWs are apparently near-C, they appear to be at<BR>
least in the GeV/nucleon range).  Any idea which is used in Traveller?  Any<BR>
idea how penetration scales with per-particle energy anyway?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 17:49:50 -0000<BR>
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
Subject: OT: What's that, Skippy?<BR>
<BR>
> The reuse of some object-oriented code had caused tactical<BR>
> headaches for Australia's armed forces.  As virtual reality<BR>
> simulators assume larger roles in helicopter combat training,<BR>
> programmers have gone to great lengths to increase the realism<BR>
> of their scenarios, including detailed landscapes and-in the<BR>
> case of the Northern Territory's Operation Phoenix-herds of<BR>
> kangaroos (since disturbed animals might well give away a<BR>
> helicopter's position).<BR>
><BR>
> The head of the Defense Science & Technology Organization's<BR>
> Land Operations/Simulation division reportedly instructed<BR>
> developers to model the local marsupials' movements and<BR>
> reactions to helicopters.  Being efficient programmers, they<BR>
> just re-appropriated some code originally used to model<BR>
> infantry detachment reactions under the same stimuli, changed<BR>
> the mapped icon from a soldier to a kangaroo, and increased the<BR>
> figures' speed of movement.  Eager to demonstrate their flying<BR>
> skills for some visiting American pilots, the hotshot Aussies<BR>
> "buzzed" the virtual kangaroos in low flight during a<BR>
> simulation. The kangaroos scattered, as predicted, and the<BR>
> visiting Americans nodded appreciatively....then did a<BR>
> double-take as the kangaroos reappeared from behind a hill and<BR>
> launched a barrage of Stinger missiles at the helpless<BR>
> helicopter.  (Apparently the programmers had forgotten to<BR>
> remove THAT part of the infantry coding.)<BR>
><BR>
> The lesson?  Objects are defined with certain attributes, and<BR>
> any new object defined in terms of an old one inherits all the<BR>
> attributes.  The embarrassed programmers had learned to be<BR>
> careful when reusing object-oriented code, and the Yanks left<BR>
> with a newfound respect for Australian wildlife.  Simulator<BR>
> supervisors report that pilots from that point onward have<BR>
> strictly avoided kangaroos, just as they were meant to.<BR>
><BR>
> From June 15, 1999 Defense Science and Technology Organization<BR>
> Lecture series, Melbourne, Australia, and staff reports.  Item<BR>
> taken from Software Testing and Quality Engineering magazine,<BR>
> Volume 1, Issue 6 (November/December 1999)<BR>
<BR>
Regards PLST<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 12:00:25 -0600<BR>
From: "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com><BR>
Subject: Philosophy of Task Systems<BR>
<BR>
So I want to know what people use for task systems.<BR>
<BR>
Let me start by saying what I think of the task<BR>
systems I have seen.<BR>
<BR>
Classic Traveller: the system is a 2D roll against<BR>
an 8, modified by the player's skill and the difficulty.<BR>
I don't like semi-arbitrary DMs and target numbers,<BR>
but it's simple.<BR>
<BR>
MegaTraveller: A series of trade-offs leaves its<BR>
value mixed.  One small step sideways for the game,<BR>
but one giant leap for Task Systems.  Getting rid<BR>
of the '8' is good.  Dividing by 5 is very very bad.<BR>
Codifying tasks into a modular component of the game <BR>
system is very very good.  Making the system more<BR>
complex was inevitable, but still a small bad.<BR>
Therefore, for gameplay no improvement.  For the <BR>
game system a great improvement.<BR>
<BR>
TNE: Gadzooks.  I have to add my skill + stat and<BR>
divide by four.  Same problems as MT, just scaled into<BR>
the TNE/T2K rule system.<BR>
<BR>
GURPS: No division necessary.  Three dice rolled,<BR>
with a target number of your skill level (which<BR>
is related to your stat + training).  Modifiers,<BR>
however, are per Classic Traveller, an ironic twist.<BR>
However, this system is clean, and except for<BR>
having to know the modifiers, there's nothing to<BR>
remember.<BR>
<BR>
T4: Your target number is as GURPS: characteristic<BR>
plus skill level; however, the difficulty determines<BR>
the number of dice rolled.  This pleasantly takes<BR>
away task-difficulty die modifiers, and removes that <BR>
table from the rulebook forever; however, there's that <BR>
annoying probability leap downwards when you go from <BR>
two dice to three dice.  The solution which least impacts<BR>
the game tradition is to have a half-die, so you go <BR>
from 2D -> 2.5D -> 3D.  Nasty thing, that half-die.<BR>
Except for that, I'd say it's wonderful.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Could a Traveller game live with the T4 system,<BR>
except ignoring that half die?<BR>
<BR>
Rob<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 12:59:27 -0500<BR>
From: Glenn Myers <glenn.myers@ansys.com><BR>
Subject: Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
<BR>
Heyo,<BR>
<BR>
Does any canon exist on the color of Hiver skin. I'm finally starting to<BR>
piant my hiver miniature and I realized that I don't have the Hivers alien<BR>
supplement to check background.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks,<BR>
<BR>
Glenn<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 18:02:04 -0000<BR>
From: "Stuart Ferris" <stuart.ferris@virgin.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1783<BR>
<BR>
>Shouldn't the year be 2000? Just because we don't have any space<BR>
>colonies or cyberware we don't need to wait in 1999 forever...<BR>
<BR>
Nobody likes a smartarse. ;-) Of course your right, my stupidity.<BR>
<BR>
>In the screenshots page, the link to screenshot 1 appears to be broken.<BR>
<BR>
This has been fixed.<BR>
<BR>
>Otherwise, I like what I see. How much will you charge for the finished<BR>
>product?<BR>
<BR>
The program like WBD is freeware.<BR>
<BR>
Stuart Ferris<BR>
stuart.ferris@virgin.net<BR>
http://freespace.virgin.net/stuart.ferris/index.htm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 10:19:32 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: re:  Spacer Wear<BR>
<BR>
>From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
<BR>
>I had that opinion too, but from my limited sample it appears <BR>
>that jumpsuit/coverall type clothing isn't going to be popular <BR>
>with half the human population.  I'm opting for shirt and pants<BR>
<BR>
>being more common for normal wear with coveralls and jumpsuits <BR>
>used while doingscut work.<BR>
<BR>
I think more than half the population.  Many men don't like<BR>
coveralls, either (like my father and myself, for a not<BR>
statistically significant example).  <BR>
<BR>
I, too, go with shirts and pants, footwear like slip-on sneakers<BR>
(I love my Nike espadrilles), and headgear appropriate to the<BR>
situation, service, culture, etc.  There's still room for<BR>
variation, even at 20th century standards:  soft cotton like a<BR>
turtleneck or stiff, starched like a button down, or something<BR>
else entirely?<BR>
<BR>
Personnel on navy ships in normal space usually wear a TL 14 or<BR>
TL 15 vacc suit under their regular uniform.  "You can never be<BR>
too close to a vacc suit," as the Old Man said.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 13:20:13 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: re: small change<BR>
<BR>
Timothy Collins wrote:<BR>
>Here in the UK hole-in-the-wall machines tend to dole out #20 notes.<BR>
>(About $32)  Now I can appreciate that bus drivers might not be able to<BR>
>change that easily but I do get fed up with smallish shops moaning about<BR>
>it.  I mean someone's got to take it for me to get smaller stuff....    I<BR>
>think next time I'll point out the phrase printed on them that says: "I<BR>
>promise to pay the bearer..."<BR>
<BR>
I think the promise comes from the government, and is not necessarily<BR>
binding on the shopkeeper. <BR>
<BR>
American legal tender has "This note is legal tender for all debts,<BR>
public and private" printed on it. My take on this is that if I owe you<BR>
US$5, you cannot refuse to allow me to clear the debt if I give you<BR>
a valid five dollar bill - by the terms of the debt, I have presented proper<BR>
tender. If I presented a personal check, you would have every right to<BR>
refuse to accept it, especially if you have doubts about my honesty in<BR>
matters financial.<BR>
<BR>
I don't know if bills in the UK have a similar note. I would say that if I, as<BR>
a shopkeeper, refuse to do business with you, then you do not have the <BR>
opportunity to become indebted to me. Legitimate reasons for refusing<BR>
to do business could include matters of convenience, such as you showing <BR>
up on my doorstep as I'm locking up to go home, or me knowing that if<BR>
I sell you a piece of candy for that very large bill you have, I'll have to close<BR>
my shop for an hour and go get more change.<BR>
<BR>
I recall a short story I read a long time ago, about a couple of rich twits<BR>
who take out a million pounds as a single million-pound note. They then<BR>
give this million-pound note to a homeless man, and somehow keep track<BR>
of him as he tries to spend it. <BR>
<BR>
No one can break the note, but most of the places he goes (especially<BR>
the upscale ones) figure he must be some sort of eccentric millionaire<BR>
and extend him credit.<BR>
<BR>
(I don't know if such a thing as a million-pound note even exists, but it<BR>
made an interesting story.)<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
PS - for more monetary fun, recall the movie "The Mighty Quinn". <BR>
A key part of the story is a large US bill showing up...IIRC it was<BR>
a $50,000 bill. The bills had been printed, but a decision was<BR>
made never to circulate them, they were stacked on a pallet and<BR>
forgotten in a warehouse...so some gov't spooks got the idea that they<BR>
could use this money and no one would notice. Then someone was<BR>
about to notice and they had to get it all back...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 19:48:18 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
Phil Kitching wrote:<BR>
> I haven't heard of anything that relates intellignece to head size<BR>
> or body size in humans (ie people I've met with small heads seem<BR>
> to have the same range of intelligence as normal, ditto for body<BR>
> size) only to age (ie the brain needs a couple of years of<BR>
> development).<BR>
<BR>
The complexity of the brain is far more important than the actual size.<BR>
Developing new "pathways" in the already existing tissue increases the<BR>
capacity of the brain, without increasing size or mass.<BR>
<BR>
> So I'd guess that someone standing 3' tall would have no effect,<BR>
> possibly little impact at 2'. Not sure for sizes below that.<BR>
<BR>
Isn't that just about the size of a penguin?<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 18:26:44 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: [BITS] Badges & T-shirts from CORE<BR>
<BR>
At 18:07 -0500 19/1/00, Kagehira@aol.com wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>    As part of a deal Andy Lilly is sending me a shipment of CORE products.<BR>
<BR>
As published and produced by BITS using BITS UK Limited's licence.<BR>
<BR>
>    As part of the discussion it was mentioned that several people where<BR>
>interested in obtaining CORE patches & T-shirts. However because of the costs<BR>
>involved this was prohibitive.<BR>
<BR>
These are the patches and T-shirts which were produced in limited <BR>
quantities and are detailed on the products page at <BR>
http://www.bits.org.uk/<BR>
<BR>
>    Right now there is the opportunity for a one shot deal for these goods,<BR>
>I'll collect the funds, send him one check (thus spreading the costs), and<BR>
>than redistribute the goods he sends me.<BR>
>    This notice is to see what interest there is before I go through the<BR>
>bother of trying to figure out costs and who owes who what.<BR>
<BR>
This will be the easiest way for any of the people in the US who want <BR>
these products to get hold of them.<BR>
<BR>
The BITS website also explains the difference between BITS (the <BR>
publisher) and CORE (the product development group).<BR>
<BR>
Dom (BITS webmaster)<BR>
<BR>
- -------------Dom Mooney---webmaster@bits.org.uk----------------<BR>
                  BITS - British Isles Traveller Support.<BR>
  http://www.bits.org.uk/              mailto:bits@bits.org.uk<BR>
Traveller is a registered trademark of FarFuture Enterprises.<BR>
GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, Inc.<BR>
BITS and CORE are trademarks of BITS UK Limited.<BR>
All rights reserved.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 18:27:56 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: re: Dark Imperium and Delta Green<BR>
<BR>
At 18:07 -0500 19/1/00,  "Boris Cibic" <kafka47@hotmail.com> wrote:<BR>
>Stargates aside or Gates, I guess would be the more popular usuage of these<BR>
>devices at a lower TL.  I have heard rumours about a great game called<BR>
>"Delta Green"...has anyone played it and incorporated it into their TU?  I<BR>
>believe, the premise is modern believable horror, in the vein of H.P.<BR>
>Lovecraft.  Which would be kinda, cool as I once ran a whole series of<BR>
>adventures in which the players were in the outer edges of chartered space,<BR>
>in a scout craft, called HPL.<BR>
<BR>
Try http://www.delta-green.com/ for more information.<BR>
<BR>
A very good modern day CoC sourcebook.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 18:41:08 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: re: CT Campaign Background (Longish)<BR>
<BR>
At 11:42 -0500 20/1/00, "Chris Dixon" <cdixon@airfoiltech.com> wrote:<BR>
>I am putting together a campaign after a long hiatus from Traveller and<BR>
>RPG's in general.  I'm a CT person so T4/Gurps/TNE info will be pretty<BR>
>lost on me.  I seem to recall having purchased MT which brings me to my<BR>
>question.<BR>
<BR>
CT/MT are near as can be the same game <ducks>. MT is CT with the <BR>
advanced books 4-8 grafted on, the DGP task system and Striker and <BR>
High Guard integrated.<BR>
<BR>
T4 has a different task system, but similar character generation, <BR>
skill levels etc. It also steals from TNE.<BR>
<BR>
I use CT/MT and T4 material pretty much interchangeably.<BR>
<BR>
>I.    Has anyone developed a Task System like MT for CT.  I like the<BR>
>universe the way it was before the rebellion thank you very much, but I<BR>
>also really like the idea of a task system and maybe an experience<BR>
>system for improving skills.<BR>
<BR>
Use the MT system. It works, and was originally developed for CT. The <BR>
T4 system would also work. As would KBv2 (search old digests for the <BR>
Great Task War). MT also has a very basic experience concept.<BR>
<BR>
>IV.    Besides Andrew Moffatt-Valance's simply amazing "Prometheus<BR>
>Rising" project <http://www.downport.com/amv/> has anyone got anything<BR>
>more on the Villani Empire or the Terran Confederation.<BR>
<BR>
The DGP MT sourcebook 'Vilani and Vargr' covered the Vilani in <BR>
detail, and detailed their history. That's quite a rare book though.<BR>
<BR>
The IG T4 book 'Milieu 0' covered the Vilani as well, from the <BR>
perspective of re-contact from the Syleans. This shouldn't be hard to <BR>
get, but buy the Milieu 0 Campaign hardback rather than the softback <BR>
as there is more material.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1784<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1785</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest     Thursday, January 20 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1785<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: Core patches/tshirts, estimated costs<BR>
re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1772<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Philosophy of Task Systems<BR>
RE: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Aldeberan Sector data...<BR>
UWP Extensions | A complete, flexible game system needs...<BR>
Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
re:  Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
Re: CT Campaign Background (Longish)<BR>
Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
Re: Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
RE: Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
RE: Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
Re: CT Campaign Background (Longish)<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
Re: How large can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
Re: Philosophy of Task Systems<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 18:41:58 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Core patches/tshirts, estimated costs<BR>
<BR>
At 11:42 -0500 20/1/00, Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se> wrote:<BR>
>Kagehira@aol.com wrote:<BR>
> ><BR>
> > MOUSEMATS<BR>
> > Code    Description Quantity (Qty:) Price<BR>
><snip><BR>
><BR>
>I am sure there was an URL with pictures, but I lost it... I would like<BR>
>to view the products, and perhaps buy a few of them...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
http://www.bits.org.uk/<BR>
<BR>
Look at the products page.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 13:44:56 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
>It may go the other direction as well. Is there a maximum size for<BR>
>a sophont?<BR>
<BR>
>>	I would guess that no organism would be too big to be<BR>
>>	a sophont.<BR>
<BR>
I think you're right, in that almost anything is *possible* - but I'm also<BR>
thinking that the evolutionary problem that is solved by being really, really<BR>
big might be a very different problem than the one that is solved by<BR>
being really, really smart. Not that something that solved the first <BR>
problem couldn't later be faced with the second problem, due to changing<BR>
environment.<BR>
<BR>
Of course, there is the matter of scale. A critter the size of a minivan<BR>
might be one of the smaller predators in her home planet's ecosystem,<BR>
especially if some environmental effect made big critters common.<BR>
<BR>
Just a tangent regarding size...extreme sexual dimorphism. The <BR>
martian"males" in one of the Xxxenophiles stories (Phil Foglio's excellent <BR>
adult comic) were tiny, semi-intelligent furballs...the martian warrior-women <BR>
thought the first Earth space explorer they met was a female, because he <BR>
was apparently intelligent. This being an adult comic, he soon got to show<BR>
them differently. (About being male, that is, not about being intelligent.)<BR>
<BR>
I know of at least one species of terran fish where the male attaches<BR>
permanently to the female, and degenerates into a blood supply and <BR>
a set of testes, a sexual symbiont. Imagine a sentient species with<BR>
similar sex roles. "That's not an erogenous zone, that's my husband."<BR>
<BR>
- ------------------<BR>
Me: May I touch that?<BR>
<BR>
Alien: That is not an erogenous zone. It is a separate corporeal being<BR>
that has been attached to my body for six hundred years.<BR>
<BR>
Me: It's cute. I wonder if it would let me have sex with it.<BR>
<BR>
Alien: That's exactly what I said six hundred years ago.<BR>
<BR>
	From Scott Adam's _The Dilbert Future_<BR>
- ------------------<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 10:58:19 -0800<BR>
From: "David P. Summers" <summers@alum.mit.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1772<BR>
<BR>
>> Electrons don't orbit. That's an *old* model before they got the<BR>
>> quantum physics worked out. Electrons have "energy levels".<BR>
<BR>
>> Also, in a solid, especially a *metallic* one, the electrons aren't<BR>
>> tied to one atom. They form a "cloud" throughout the solid. Even in<BR>
>> non-metals, the electrons aren't fixed. There's only a *probability* of<BR>
>> any given electron being near any given atom.<BR>
<BR>
> So how does the current "cloud" theory work with regards to ions?<BR>
<BR>
Individual ions are the same as atoms, except the charge tends to<BR>
hold the electrons in a bit closer.  When you form a salt crystal,<BR>
the charges on the ions hold them together electrostatically.<BR>
______________________________<BR>
summers@alum.mit.edu<BR>
(This is the net.  My e-mail address may be in Boston, but I'm in California.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 11:02:08 -0800<BR>
From: "David P. Summers" <summers@alum.mit.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
>Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 06:55:23 -0500<BR>
>From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
<BR>
>You mean the theory of electrons orbiting atoms is false?<BR>
><BR>
>Can you describe to me then, just how individual nuclei and electrons<BR>
>interact, and the relationship between them?<BR>
<BR>
The electons form standing waves around the neucleus(ei).  The<BR>
"core" electrons exist almost entirely around one neucleus. The<BR>
"bonding" electons exist around two or more neuclei.  (Their<BR>
negitive charge holds the postive neuclei together).  If you want<BR>
to consider the electron as a particle, the "clouds"<BR>
people talk about are maps of the probability of finding the<BR>
electron if you look at that spot.<BR>
______________________________<BR>
summers@alum.mit.edu<BR>
(This is the net.  My e-mail address may be in Boston, but I'm in California.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 20:10:27 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: Philosophy of Task Systems<BR>
<BR>
Robert Eaglestone wrote:<BR>
> So I want to know what people use for task systems.<BR>
<BR>
I use a different, homegrown system. It uses parts from some other<BR>
systems, but modified and molded together. Some parts are completely my<BR>
own design.<BR>
<BR>
* Take the stat value that goes with what you want to do.<BR>
<BR>
* Roll a number of dice equal to your skill level.<BR>
<BR>
* If all the rolled dice (in this first roll only) come up as '1', you<BR>
fumble (absolute failure). This way it is harder for a really skilled<BR>
person to fumble.<BR>
<BR>
* Otherwise, replace all '6's rolled with two new dice. Repeat for as<BR>
long as neccessary. When you're finished, there are no '6's on the<BR>
table.<BR>
<BR>
* If you rolled two or more '6's during your skill roll, you have an<BR>
absolute success. This is easier for really skilled characters to<BR>
accomplish (a character with a skill level of 1 needs to roll a '6',<BR>
then at least one '6' in the extended rolls).<BR>
<BR>
* Unskilled attempts (when allowed) are rolled with one die without<BR>
rerolling '6's. Absolute success is not possible for unskilled rolls.<BR>
<BR>
* Add the result of the dice roll to your stat value and try to beat the<BR>
difficulty assigned to the roll. I haven't decided on difficulties to<BR>
match the standard difficulty levels yet, but that will change shortly<BR>
(before my campaign starts). A basic task is difficulty 10.<BR>
<BR>
* Jack-of-all-Trades is rolled as an unskilled roll (but with more dice)<BR>
for any skill that would not be allowed unskilled. For other skills it's<BR>
rolled normally, but the stat value is halved before it's added to the<BR>
roll.<BR>
<BR>
EXAMPLE:<BR>
<BR>
A normal skilled roll, stat value 8, skill level 2.<BR>
<BR>
Two dice are rolled, coming up with a '1' and a '6'. The '6' is replaced<BR>
by two dice, resulting in '1' and '1'. This is NOT a fumble, since all<BR>
of the original dice weren't '1's. However, it's still a poor roll of<BR>
3+8=11<BR>
<BR>
ANOTHER EXAMPLE:<BR>
<BR>
An unskilled roll, stat value 9.<BR>
<BR>
The single dice comes up with a '6'. Since the roll is unskilled, this<BR>
is not rerolled, so the final result is 6+9=15<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 11:39:43 -0800<BR>
From: "David P. Summers" <summers@alum.mit.edu><BR>
Subject: RE: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
>Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 14:17:35 -0500<BR>
>From: "Charles Prevatte" <prevattec@worldnet.att.net><BR>
<BR>
>Add to that, the fact that the KKree have no allies and at least one enemy<BR>
>that would ally against them makes it all that much stranger.<BR>
><BR>
>If the 3I where to go after the KKree, they would do so unapposed except by<BR>
>the KKree themselves.  With the KKree limits in ship design and the 3I much<BR>
>larger economy the KKree would be in a tuff spot.<BR>
><BR>
>The only reason I can see for the 3I leaving the KKree alone is the Hivers.<BR>
>The KKree gives the Hivers something else to worry about (and plot against)<BR>
>than the 3I.<BR>
<BR>
I'm not sure why the 3I would ever want to go against the K'Kree.<BR>
Sure they have the genocidal ideology, but the same inefficiency<BR>
that makes it likely the 3I could run over them also means that<BR>
they aren't likely to ever impliment that ideology.  Heck, how<BR>
long has it been since they have been able to do much more than<BR>
hold what they already have?  It sounds like a lot of effort and<BR>
loss of life to neutralize something that isn't a threat.<BR>
______________________________<BR>
summers@alum.mit.edu<BR>
(This is the net.  My e-mail address may be in Boston, but I'm in California.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 13:40:51 -0600 (CST)<BR>
From: "Jason Kemp" <Jason.Kemp@tdh.state.tx.us><BR>
Subject: Aldeberan Sector data...<BR>
<BR>
Chris Dixon (and other interested parties,)<BR>
<BR>
Here's an online resource (specifically, the CORE website) for UWP <BR>
data on the Aldeberan Sector, to rimward of the Solomani Rim, for <BR>
your campaign:<BR>
<BR>
http://members.nova.org/~sol/core/astrogat/jG.htm<BR>
<BR>
Hope this helps,<BR>
Jason<BR>
<BR>
=============================<BR>
Jason Kemp, ADS Programmer IV<BR>
(512)458-7111 ext. 3375<BR>
Internet Address:  jason.kemp@tdh.state.tx.us<BR>
<BR>
Most computer virus and email alerts are hoaxes.  For more info, check out:<BR>
http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/culture/beliefs/urbanlegends/library/blhoax.htm<BR>
==============================<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 13:46:07 -0600<BR>
From: "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com><BR>
Subject: UWP Extensions | A complete, flexible game system needs...<BR>
<BR>
I cruised over to take a peek at the WBS-formatted<BR>
sector files, and realized that there is data that<BR>
the UWP doesn't have, but should, and while we've<BR>
sort of talked about it, there is no consensus about<BR>
what an augmented or superior format would be...<BR>
<BR>
I also remember a few individuals out there who were<BR>
finishing off a draft XML format for Traveller data.<BR>
I was wondering if they had looked at star system<BR>
details?<BR>
<BR>
Traveller really does need a good system for storing<BR>
UWP data plus... plus Xboat links, for instance. <BR>
Useful data such as whether or not the mainworld is<BR>
in orbit around a gas giant; whether or not the<BR>
secondary star is in close orbit, 'normal' orbit, or<BR>
a companion system altogether... and of course<BR>
the format might as well have room to hold the<BR>
details of the other star systems as well.<BR>
<BR>
I'm not sure if we actually want the entire system<BR>
of every system generated for me; however, the ability <BR>
to hold such data according to a standard format is <BR>
useful to further Traveller as a complete and flexible<BR>
game system.<BR>
<BR>
Sorry if this-all has already been solved.  I've<BR>
been out of the loop.  Anyone?<BR>
<BR>
Rob<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 14:55:08 EST<BR>
From: "Roger Barr" <travelergm@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
<BR>
<snip><BR>
Consistency I like - explaining everything I don't. I like the scope<BR>
for the ref to expand things their own way. It's one of my objections<BR>
about the otherwise excellent 'Behind the Claw' for GT. There is now<BR>
a canon (GT) description of every world in the sector which kills<BR>
creativity dead for other authors/GMs. The old GDW material (and DGP<BR>
stuff) was good in that it only detailed key worlds. Sadly, I expect<BR>
that the Solomani Rim book will go the same way, and another<BR>
referee's playground will officially be dead for future large scale<BR>
innovation. Don't get me wrong - I like the work in GT:BTC, but it<BR>
has destroyed something for me by defining the entire frontier way<BR>
beyond a UPP.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<end snip><BR>
<BR>
Dom,<BR>
I have to disagree. I have the new Behind the Claw book and I really liked <BR>
having the previously printed data in one source at my fingertips. I did <BR>
notice that the actual listing of each world has just a tidbit of data, not <BR>
really enough to interfere with my creativity in those systems. (I have been <BR>
using Regina as a home subsector for my campaigns for years...)<BR>
<BR>
(Ummm, does this mean I'm gonna get cut from the credits of the new book by <BR>
disagreeing with the publishers?)<BR>
;)<BR>
<BR>
Roger Barr<BR>
TravelerGM@aol.com (or)<BR>
TravelerGM@hotmail.com<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 11:59:34 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: re:  Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
<BR>
>From: Glenn Myers <glenn.myers@ansys.com><BR>
><BR>
>Heyo,Does any canon exist on the color of Hiver skin. I'm <BR>
>finally starting to piant my hiver miniature and I realized <BR>
>that I don't have the Hivers alien supplement to check <BR>
>background.<BR>
<BR>
It seems to me that it's officially grey. One of the JTAS covers<BR>
shows a Hiver; maybe it's 15? 14?  My then-girlfriend bought it<BR>
for me for my birthday because she liked the picture of a really<BR>
alien looking alien in a very colorful background.<BR>
<BR>
In my Traveller universe, the Hivers use tattoos or other body<BR>
markings to decorate themselves, so just about anything goes.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 14:59:34 EST<BR>
From: Kagehira@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: CT Campaign Background (Longish)<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 1/20/00 10:48:54 AM Pacific Standard Time, <BR>
owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com writes:<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
>  Subject: Re: CT Campaign Background (Longish)<BR>
>  <BR>
>  From: "Chris Dixon" <cdixon@airfoiltech.com><BR>
<BR>
>  <BR>
>  > II.    Are there any star charts for the sector due south of the<BR>
>  > Solomani Rim (Aldebaran I believe)<BR>
<BR>
Possible sites that might have it are either Harold Hale's or Leroy Guatney's.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Bryan<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:14:44 EST<BR>
From: JFZeigler@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 1/20/00 3:00:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, <BR>
travelergm@hotmail.com writes:<BR>
<BR>
> The old GDW material (and DGP<BR>
>  stuff) was good in that it only detailed key worlds. Sadly, I expect<BR>
>  that the Solomani Rim book will go the same way, and another<BR>
>  referee's playground will officially be dead for future large scale<BR>
>  innovation.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, no.  The draft I submitted for the Solomani Rim book does<BR>
include the equivalent of the UWP for every world in the sector, extended<BR>
to cover things like star type and gas giant presence.  That's just a<BR>
summary of the information that appeared in the old Supplement 10 and<BR>
Alien Book 6.<BR>
<BR>
On the other hand, only about 60 out of the sector's 400 worlds have<BR>
any narrative description at all.  Most of those narratives are significantly<BR>
longer and more detailed than those in GT:BtC, though.<BR>
<BR>
I did it this way because I wanted to go more into the history of each<BR>
individual world that I described.  Also, there were some discussions on<BR>
Pyramid suggesting that a significant majority of people preferred the<BR>
approach of detailing only the most critical worlds.<BR>
<BR>
Hopefully the result will give people a framework for the overall history<BR>
of the sector and its key worlds -- which they can then use as a starting<BR>
point for their own creative efforts.<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: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 21:19:29 +0100<BR>
From: "Mark Seemann" <dko3835@vip.cybercity.dk><BR>
Subject: Re: Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
<BR>
Thu, 20 Jan 2000 12:59:27 -0500 Glenn Myers <glenn.myers@ansys.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Does any canon exist on the color of Hiver skin. I'm finally starting to<BR>
> piant my hiver miniature and I realized that I don't have the Hivers alien<BR>
> supplement to check background.<BR>
<BR>
Yes, canon does exist. Alien Module 7: Hivers, p. 4:<BR>
<BR>
"Hiver skin ranges in color from pink to tan, with occasional patches of grey or brown. Aging brings on randomly placed spots of brown."<BR>
<BR>
Mark Seemann<BR>
mark@dk-online.dk (home)<BR>
marks@rainier.com (work)<BR>
20985193@note.sonofon.dk (SMS)<BR>
http://seemann.homepage.dk<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:19:06 -0500<BR>
From: Glenn Myers <glenn.myers@ansys.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
<BR>
I was going to use mottled green, vorlon style. That seemed to be a<BR>
challenging color scheme. Perhaps grey with green and yellow washes woold<BR>
work.<BR>
<BR>
Hmm, tatoos are an idea. I wonder how I could make that work. Maybe my<BR>
Sharpie ultra-fine permanent markers in red, green, and blue would do the<BR>
trick.<BR>
<BR>
Now, what should the tatoos look like? Are there any examples of Hiver<BR>
script published anywhere? <BR>
<BR>
Thanks,<BR>
<BR>
Glenn<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
<BR>
Glenn E. Myers<BR>
ANSYS Inc.                Email: glenn.myers@ansys.com<BR>
275 Technology Drive      Phone: (724) 514-2913<BR>
Canonsburg, PA 15317      Fax:   (724) 514-3118<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
 <BR>
<BR>
> -----Original Message-----<BR>
> From: Glenn Goffin [mailto:gmgoffin@yahoo.com]<BR>
> Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2000 3:00 PM<BR>
> To: traveller mailing aa list<BR>
> Subject: re: Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> >From: Glenn Myers <glenn.myers@ansys.com><BR>
> ><BR>
> >Heyo,Does any canon exist on the color of Hiver skin. I'm <BR>
> >finally starting to piant my hiver miniature and I realized <BR>
> >that I don't have the Hivers alien supplement to check <BR>
> >background.<BR>
> <BR>
> It seems to me that it's officially grey. One of the JTAS covers<BR>
> shows a Hiver; maybe it's 15? 14?  My then-girlfriend bought it<BR>
> for me for my birthday because she liked the picture of a really<BR>
> alien looking alien in a very colorful background.<BR>
> <BR>
> In my Traveller universe, the Hivers use tattoos or other body<BR>
> markings to decorate themselves, so just about anything goes.<BR>
> <BR>
> --Glenn<BR>
> __________________________________________________<BR>
> Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
> Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
> http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:38:08 -0500<BR>
From: Glenn Myers <glenn.myers@ansys.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
<BR>
OK then - I'll go with a greenish grey, yellowish tan washes on the arms, A<BR>
few rust colored ages spots. I assume the insides of the "hands" are pink?<BR>
<BR>
I hate to be retentive about this but I only have one hiver miniature and<BR>
I'd like to paint it correctly.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks all,<BR>
<BR>
Glenn<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
<BR>
Glenn E. Myers<BR>
ANSYS Inc.                Email: glenn.myers@ansys.com<BR>
275 Technology Drive      Phone: (724) 514-2913<BR>
Canonsburg, PA 15317      Fax:   (724) 514-3118<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
 <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> -----Original Message-----<BR>
> From: Mark Seemann [mailto:dko3835@vip.cybercity.dk]<BR>
> Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2000 3:19 PM<BR>
> To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> Subject: Re: Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> Thu, 20 Jan 2000 12:59:27 -0500 Glenn Myers <BR>
> <glenn.myers@ansys.com> wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> > Does any canon exist on the color of Hiver skin. I'm <BR>
> finally starting to<BR>
> > piant my hiver miniature and I realized that I don't have <BR>
> the Hivers alien<BR>
> > supplement to check background.<BR>
> <BR>
> Yes, canon does exist. Alien Module 7: Hivers, p. 4:<BR>
> <BR>
> "Hiver skin ranges in color from pink to tan, with occasional <BR>
> patches of grey or brown. Aging brings on randomly placed <BR>
> spots of brown."<BR>
> <BR>
> Mark Seemann<BR>
> mark@dk-online.dk (home)<BR>
> marks@rainier.com (work)<BR>
> 20985193@note.sonofon.dk (SMS)<BR>
> http://seemann.homepage.dk<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 07:45:27 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: CT Campaign Background (Longish)<BR>
<BR>
>I.    Has anyone developed a Task System like MT for CT.  I like the<BR>
>universe the way it was before the rebellion thank you very much, but I<BR>
>also really like the idea of a task system and maybe an experience<BR>
>system for improving skills.<BR>
>Chris Dixon<BR>
<BR>
    Now that I have the MT erratta (thanks again, Micheal!) I've fallen in<BR>
love with MT again. I'd suggest that instead of a raging gun battle in the<BR>
throne room, Dulinor and Strephon had a toe to toe fist fight which sent a<BR>
shockwave through the Imperium. Instead of open rebellion there is a subtle<BR>
distrust between the various parties. Lucan is trying to get his loyal<BR>
brother Varian to accumilate more power while this is going on and Varian is<BR>
resisting, now he see's that many of his own governors support and report to<BR>
Lucan rather than him. (I've always liked Varian, a tragic figure). The<BR>
Aslan ambassador was mightily insulted during the fracas and the Hierate<BR>
have become rather chilly to the Imperium and the Vargr are just being the<BR>
fun-dogs that they always have been. I don't really know much about<BR>
Margaret, not having the Rebellion Sourcebook. Actually, without that book<BR>
the game plays very like CT.<BR>
    (I did, on the other hand, buy the referees handbook and I still feel<BR>
cheated. The blurb on the cover informs you that you'll know all about the<BR>
alien races and robots and all you get are some very general and in some<BR>
cases misleading essays.)<BR>
    Jim.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 22:48:09 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>At 05:39 PM 01/17/2000 -0500, he wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> >All those companies are johnny-come-latelys anyway.<BR>
>> >Where were they in 1880 when the standard was defined ?<BR>
>> ><grin><BR>
>> ><BR>
>> >Frankie<BR>
>><BR>
>>There's a standard? Devised by which organization?<BR>
>><BR>
>>Personally, I'd rather go with a scale. My 25mm's are about 1/64, which<BR>
>>lets me know how big to make equipment and sets (deckplans etc.)<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
>Hear, hear!!!<BR>
>BTW - If you do Wild West gaming, 1/64th scale is also S scale in model<BR>
>railroading terms - and ERTL/ESCI makes a fair range of wild west<BR>
>snap-together buildings to that scale!  Strangely enough, the plastic<BR>
>painted cowpeople fit in just fine with any of the white metal cowboys on<BR>
>the market...<BR>
<BR>
Thank you, sir.  S scale. Now I know what to look for.  Can you recommend<BR>
any decent catalogue-order places. maybe with Internet-browsable<BR>
catalogues?  (My local hobby shops are pretty firmly set on HO scale.)  And<BR>
what is ERTL/ESCI?  A company?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 12:49:16 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
<BR>
<handwave><BR>
There were a number of problems in constructing the Guide to the Spinward<BR>
Marches. Field correspondents carefully researched each planet, but by the<BR>
time all of the reports had been consolidated and the completed Guide<BR>
distributed, much of the information in it was hopelessly out of date. Some<BR>
of the data is as old as 1050. Things have changed a great deal on some<BR>
planets. Current jump drive technology makes publishing an up to date guide<BR>
impossible. After all, the Guide was published on Capital, right?<BR>
</handwave><BR>
<BR>
> innovation. Don't get me wrong - I like the work in GT:BTC, but it<BR>
> has destroyed something for me by defining the entire frontier way<BR>
> beyond a UPP.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:58:04 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: How large can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
Anthony Jackson writes:<BR>
>Actually, there are some surface-limited factors in how brains are<BR>
>constructed (this is why large brains are so rippled and folded),<BR>
>which means there might be an upper limit, but then again, there's<BR>
>an upper limit on the size of conventional animal life in any case.<BR>
<BR>
	One can always come up with ways to circumvent any surface-<BR>
	area limitations that the brain may have (AFAIK, no such<BR>
	limitation has been demonstrated).  For example, subsidiary<BR>
	'brains' (ganglia) that take care of mundane tasks like<BR>
	maintaining homeostasis in the body, coordinating limb<BR>
	movements, maybe even speach.  I would expect that if you<BR>
	can justify a huge organism's survival, you can probably<BR>
	justify its being intelligent.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 20:56:34 +0000<BR>
From: Andy Gibson <Andy@yarm.demon.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Re: Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
<BR>
Greetings,<BR>
<BR>
Glenn Myers <glenn.myers@ansys.com> wrote:<BR>
>Does any canon exist on the color of Hiver skin. I'm finally starting to<BR>
>piant my hiver miniature and I realized that I don't have the Hivers alien<BR>
>supplement to check background.<BR>
><BR>
The old Aliens Module 7 says that:<BR>
    "Hiver skin ranges in colour from pink to tan, with occasional<BR>
patches of grey or brown.  Ageing brings on randomly placed spots of<BR>
brown."<BR>
<BR>
and:<BR>
<BR>
    "Hivers of early civilisation had a wide variety of coloration on<BR>
their hides; much of that differentiation is now gone.  Hivers routinely<BR>
exchange embassies between worlds to help keep the race homogeneous, and<BR>
as a result coloration is now a consistent tan to pink."<BR>
<BR>
Cheers,<BR>
<BR>
Andy<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 12:59:52 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
<BR>
SD Mooney wrote:<BR>
> CT/MT are near as can be the same game <ducks>. MT is CT with the <BR>
> advanced books 4-8 grafted on, the DGP task system and Striker and <BR>
> High Guard integrated.<BR>
<BR>
Okay, I've been wanting to do this for a while.<BR>
<BR>
<plagiarize source="Emo Phillips" paraphrase="roughly approximate"><BR>
<BR>
So I raaaaan into Dom Mooney the other day, and he was cliiimbing over<BR>
the guardrail of a bridge, and I said "What are you doing?"<BR>
<BR>
Heeeee said "Well, I'm going to end it all, I have nothing to live <BR>
for."<BR>
<BR>
Aaaand I said "Surely that can't be true! Don't you have any hobbies?" <BR>
<BR>
And Dom repliiiiied, "Well, yes, I play Traveller."<BR>
<BR>
Soooo I said "Really, what a coincidence, I play Traveller also! <BR>
What milieu?"<BR>
<BR>
Heeee replied "Milieu 1100." Sooooo I asked, "Milieu 1100 classic or<BR>
Mileu 1100 rebellion?" Aaaaaand he said "Milieu 1100 classic."<BR>
<BR>
Sooooooo I saaaaaid "Me too! Milieu 1100 classic, High Guard ship <BR>
design or milieu 1100 classic, Book 2 ship design?"<BR>
<BR>
He saaaaaid "High Guard."<BR>
<BR>
Soooooooo I said "Me too! Milieu 1100 classic, High Guard ship design,<BR>
basic character generation, or Milieu 1100 classic, High Guard ship<BR>
design, extended character generation?"<BR>
<BR>
Heeeee said "Extended."<BR>
<BR>
Soooooooo I said "Wow, me too! Milieu 1100 classic, High Guard ship <BR>
design, extended character generation, Striker missiles, or <BR>
Milieu 1100 classic, High Guard ship design, extended character <BR>
generation, Special Supplement missiles?"<BR>
<BR>
He saaaaaid "Striker."<BR>
<BR>
Sooooooooooooo I yelled "DIE HERETIC!" and pushed him off the bridge!<BR>
<BR>
</plagiarize><BR>
<BR>
(For those who aren't familiar, Emo Phillips is a standup comic. <BR>
Picture a guy with a Prince Valiant haircut and a voice halfway <BR>
to Ditzie's. The original gag was about Southern Fundamentalist <BR>
Baptist sub-denominations rather than Traveller.)<BR>
<BR>
- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:20:07 -0600<BR>
From: Eris reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Philosophy of Task Systems<BR>
<BR>
Robert Eaglestone wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> So I want to know what people use for task systems.<BR>
<BR>
<bg>  Now you've gone and done it! This is cyclic flamefest number 4<BR>
and it's not even February yet. </bg><BR>
<BR>
> Let me start by saying what I think of the task<BR>
> systems I have seen.<BR>
<BR>
Get thee hence to  www.bits.org.uk go to the Archives and grab a copy<BR>
of the BITS Task System (not only a task system, but a conversion<BR>
chart among all the Traveller versions including GT), you'll be glad<BR>
you did.<BR>
 <BR>
> Classic Traveller: the system is a 2D roll against<BR>
> an 8, modified by the player's skill and the difficulty.<BR>
> I don't like semi-arbitrary DMs and target numbers,<BR>
> but it's simple.<BR>
<BR>
I agree and many of us still fall back on this as a simple "roll and<BR>
shout" task system.<BR>
 <BR>
> MegaTraveller: A series of trade-offs leaves its<BR>
> value mixed.  One small step sideways for the game,<BR>
> but one giant leap for Task Systems.  Getting rid<BR>
> of the '8' is good.  Dividing by 5 is very very bad.<BR>
> Codifying tasks into a modular component of the game<BR>
> system is very very good.  Making the system more<BR>
> complex was inevitable, but still a small bad.<BR>
> Therefore, for gameplay no improvement.  For the<BR>
> game system a great improvement.<BR>
<BR>
Not to mention variants like divide by 3 or 4. The DGP Task System<BR>
predates MT, and is very useable with CT, *but* like you I don't like<BR>
the divide by 5. Frankly, there are some variants out there that are<BR>
better than MT/DGP, IMO. Look at Carlos Alos-Ferrer's system at:<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Station/8772/bte/bte.html <BR>
Specifically, go to<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Station/8772/rules/tasks.html for his<BR>
3-Task System. It works well. I still don't like dividing on every<BR>
task, but frankly, I don't see why there can't be an entry on the<BR>
Character Sheet for Stat and Stat/#, figure it once, enter it and<BR>
leave it alone and handle drops in Stat due to injury between sessions<BR>
(or another way).<BR>
 <BR>
> TNE: Gadzooks.  I have to add my skill + stat and<BR>
> divide by four.  Same problems as MT, just scaled into<BR>
> the TNE/T2K rule system.<BR>
<BR>
<g> It's not that bad. Multiplying and dividing is a good way to<BR>
simulate Task difficulties given a normal distribution of the die, but<BR>
it is a little pita during play. I think Dave Golden has a variant on<BR>
the TNE system that eliminates the multiplying and dividing, and if I<BR>
had his url here I'd check.<g>  <BR>
<BR>
Personally, the */ doesn't bother me nearly as much in TNE, but I have<BR>
extended the Tasks Difficulties...<BR>
<BR>
  x4	Easy<BR>
  x2	Routine<BR>
  x1	Difficult<BR>
  /2	Formidable<BR>
  /4	Staggering<BR>
  /8	Hopeless<BR>
 /16	Impossible<BR>
<BR>
...and although I flirt with GURPS and FUDGE (among other things) I<BR>
tend to come back to this time and again.<BR>
<BR>
>GURPS: No division necessary.  Three dice rolled, with a target number of your skill >level (which is related to your stat + training).  Modifiers, however, are per Classic >Traveller, an ironic twist.  However, this system is clean, and except for  having to >know the modifiers, there's nothing to remember.<BR>
<BR>
Look at the BITS sheet in the GT column. Nice, neat, clean *and* it<BR>
lets us keep using the Traveller style Descriptive Difficulties. Now,<BR>
it's just a matter of remembering to step by 3's with DIFFICULT at 0.  <BR>
<BR>
Its problem is that it breaks at extremely high Stat+Skill.  Forex:<BR>
12+8=20  Easy(26)=99.5%; Average(23)=99.5%; Difficult(20)=99.5%;<BR>
Formidable(17)=99.5%; Staggering(14)=91%; Hopeless(11)=63%;<BR>
Impossible(8)=26%. But if you stay in an asset range of 8 to 16 it<BR>
works well.<BR>
<BR>
The other thing is I like *Traveller* style career character<BR>
generation, I simply don't like what GURPS does, that's a personal<BR>
choice, no comment on the quality of the GURPS system. So, to use a GT<BR>
task system I need to create the characters in a Traveller version and<BR>
then convert...quite doable, but <shrug> I'm not convinced it's worth<BR>
it.<BR>
<BR>
>T4: Your target number is as GURPS: characteristic plus skill level; however, the >difficulty determines the number of dice rolled.  This pleasantly takes away >task-difficulty die modifiers, and removes that table from the rulebook forever; >however, there's that annoying probability leap downwards when you go from two dice to >three dice.  <BR>
<BR>
Yeah, it's a bummer.<BR>
<BR>
>The solution which least impacts the game tradition is to have a half-die, so you go<BR>
>from 2D -> 2.5D -> 3D.  <BR>
<BR>
Never! That half-die is too awful a thing to exist! <gd&r><BR>
<BR>
>Nasty thing, that half-die. Except for that, I'd say it's wonderful.<BR>
<BR>
Well, we agree on THAT, anyway. I truly wish it would go away. <sigh><BR>
<BR>
I think Ken Bearden's KB2.0 has the least impact on game tradition and<BR>
allows you to use whole dice in a T4 type Task System. Here's a<BR>
summary, Ken correct me if I'm wrong...<BR>
<BR>
 Experience = Skill level x 3  (a onetime calculation just before the<BR>
PC enters play)<BR>
 Asset =  Attribute+Experience<BR>
<BR>
Example1:  Hotshot Beginner  Attrib=12, Skill=1, Exp=3,  Asset=15<BR>
Example2:  Grizzled Vet      Attrib=7,  Skill=4, Exp=12, Asset=19<BR>
Example3:  Hopeless Case     Attrib=2,  Skill=2, Exp 4,  Asset=6<BR>
<BR>
			 15	 19	   6<BR>
 Easy		2d   	100%	100%	 42% <BR>
 Average	3d	 95%	100%	  9%<BR>
 Difficult	4d	 66%	 95%	  1%<BR>
 Formidable	5d	 31%	 69%	0.1%  <BR>
 Staggering	6d	 10%	 36%	0.0%<BR>
 Hopeless	7d	  4%	 14%	0.0%<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Could a Traveller game live with the T4 system, except ignoring that half die?<BR>
<BR>
IMO, not without something like KB2 or adding a lot more skill levels.<BR>
<BR>
I *could* go on to talk about using FUDGE for a Traveller Task System<BR>
or how you might use the d6 Task system for Traveller, but I'll<BR>
restrain myself. <g><BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1785<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Thursday, January 20 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1786<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: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
Re: Spacer Wear<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1784<BR>
Re : Transforming Shush (Corridor 0221)<BR>
Re : Organlegging (and tips for budding Burkes and Hares)<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1785<BR>
RE: How large can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: Philosophy of Task Systems<BR>
RE: Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
Re: Small change [was:Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1754]<BR>
Re: Elite<BR>
Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
re: Philosophy of task systems<BR>
The Kaa in Traveller (was Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article)<BR>
Re: CT Campaign Background<BR>
Re: Small change<BR>
Re: The Kaa in Traveller (was Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article)<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 14:23:57 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
<BR>
Tel me, does the thing come with a large label on the front, in friendly<BR>
lettering "Don't Panic" ? ;-)<BR>
<BR>
Luther Martin wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> <handwave><BR>
> There were a number of problems in constructing the Guide to the Spinward<BR>
> Marches. Field correspondents carefully researched each planet, but by the<BR>
> time all of the reports had been consolidated and the completed Guide<BR>
> distributed, much of the information in it was hopelessly out of date. Some<BR>
> of the data is as old as 1050. Things have changed a great deal on some<BR>
> planets. Current jump drive technology makes publishing an up to date guide<BR>
> impossible. After all, the Guide was published on Capital, right?<BR>
> </handwave><BR>
> <BR>
> > innovation. Don't get me wrong - I like the work in GT:BTC, but it<BR>
> > has destroyed something for me by defining the entire frontier way<BR>
> > beyond a UPP.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 14:30:35 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
<BR>
Ouch!<BR>
<BR>
Mountain Dew, meet nasal passages!<BR>
<BR>
That was a 4.0 splort, my good fellow, have  a sticker! ;-)<BR>
<BR>
Russell Bornschlegel wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> SD Mooney wrote:<BR>
> > CT/MT are near as can be the same game <ducks>. MT is CT with the<BR>
> > advanced books 4-8 grafted on, the DGP task system and Striker and<BR>
> > High Guard integrated.<BR>
><BR>
> Okay, I've been wanting to do this for a while.<BR>
><BR>
> <plagiarize source="Emo Phillips" paraphrase="roughly approximate"><BR>
><BR>
> So I raaaaan into Dom Mooney the other day, and he was cliiimbing over<BR>
> the guardrail of a bridge, and I said "What are you doing?"<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:30:13 -0600<BR>
From: Eris reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Spacer Wear<BR>
<BR>
Glenn Goffin wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> >I had that opinion too, but from my limited sample it appears<BR>
> >that jumpsuit/coverall type clothing isn't going to be popular<BR>
> >with half the human population.  I'm opting for shirt and pants<BR>
 <BR>
> >being more common for normal wear with coveralls and jumpsuits<BR>
> >used while doingscut work.<BR>
 <BR>
> I think more than half the population.  Many men don't like<BR>
> coveralls, either (like my father and myself, for a not<BR>
> statistically significant example).<BR>
<BR>
Oh, Glen!  I *never* said the "half the population" that wouldn't like<BR>
jumpsuits was female, I was just making an estimate from my limited<BR>
sample.  You're showing your sexist tendencies. ;-p <BR>
 <BR>
<snipped section that I agree with><BR>
<BR>
Eris,<BR>
	PC when it doesn't count! <g><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 14:29:09 -0700<BR>
From: scharlto@ifsna.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1784<BR>
<BR>
There was a JTAS (small format) with a Hiver on the cover;<BR>
yellow hide with brownish highlights.<BR>
<BR>
Glenn Myers <glenn.myers@ansys.com> asks:<BR>
<BR>
Does any canon exist on the color of Hiver skin. I'm finally<BR>
starting to<BR>
piant my hiver miniature and I realized that I don't have the<BR>
Hivers alien<BR>
supplement to check background.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Steven Charlton<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 08:39:03 +1100<BR>
From: "Robert O'Connor" <robocon@ozemail.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re : Transforming Shush (Corridor 0221)<BR>
<BR>
Sorry about this ; I'm catching up with a backlog of over 100 digests...<BR>
<BR>
Rob Eaglestone wrote :-<BR>
> Shush is a non-aligned world right on the Rift in the Corridor<BR>
> sector.  It has a diameter of 6,000 miles, an untainted, <BR>
> breathable atmosphere, 20% surface water...<BR>
<snip><BR>
> This world has great potential.  It has plentiful system<BR>
> resources, and a habitable world.<BR>
> <BR>
> There is a lot of ice locked in the planetoid belts.  A lot.<BR>
> Enough to increase the amount of water on Shush significantly.<BR>
<BR>
There is a lot of water locked up in Shush's ice caps and under the<BR>
surface, too - if it is a typical 'terrestrial' type world. Given<BR>
typical Traveller tech though, it might be easier to use ice and<BR>
chondrite asteroids to increase the hydro percentage. <BR>
<BR>
However, I'm worried about the adverse effects of dropped icebergs on<BR>
the local ecology, which Shush must have given the presence of a<BR>
standard nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere. Such a program would probably<BR>
induce a round of mass extinctions in the Shushuan biosphere.<BR>
<BR>
> IV. An idea terraforming solution<BR>
> <BR>
> The ideal solution, of course, is to have biological critters in<BR>
> the belt system that can be tamed and trained to do all this for<BR>
> me.<BR>
Robots are far more plausible. If these critters existed, all belters<BR>
might<BR>
just be a bunch of 'scruffy nerf herders'.<BR>
<BR>
For the sake of discussion, let's assume that they exist.<BR>
I'd go with a vacuum flower as the base of the food web -<BR>
an ergovore reliant on either starlight, or thermal gradients between<BR>
the deep 'soil' and the surface.<BR>
<BR>
Pushing/manipulator creatures could be primary consumers which boast<BR>
silicate exoskeletons. They are carbon based, but use an odd solvent and<BR>
respiratory cycle (ammonia? ; methane-> hydrogen) which enables<BR>
propulsion by venting waste gas... <BR>
<BR>
The flowers are planted on the target iceballs, and the lobster like<BR>
critters released... but they are going to work slowly, due to the<BR>
vagiaries of their biochemistry (metabolic rate scales with fourth power<BR>
of absolute temperature). Given that typical terraforming projects<BR>
operate in century or millenium long phases, perhaps this isn't an<BR>
obstacle.<BR>
<BR>
Robert O'Connor<BR>
Medico, Gamer<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 08:39:30 +1100<BR>
From: "Robert O'Connor" <robocon@ozemail.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re : Organlegging (and tips for budding Burkes and Hares)<BR>
<BR>
Jason Barnabas wrote :-<BR>
> Then, by some miracle (ala any number<BR>
> of telemovies and schlock), they miraculously recover and spring up.  Isn't<BR>
> there some disease/condition that slow down the metabolism to a near-death<BR>
> rate?<BR>
><BR>
> Someone suffering from a sever case of hypothermia (sp?) might be mistaken<BR>
> for dead.<BR>
<BR>
The causes of hypothermia is one of those middling lists inflicted on<BR>
medical undergraduates (hypothyroidism, hypoadrenalism, overwhelming<BR>
sepsis, post anaesthetic/cardio-pulmonary bypass, etc.). Some<BR>
intoxications could lead to one looking like a fresh corpse, also<BR>
('Zombies' were carefully prepared with a hypnosedative mixture).<BR>
<BR>
That's why we TL 8 medics currently have the maxim that 'you aren't dead<BR>
until you are warm and dead.'<BR>
<BR>
As medical tech advances, the criteria will be pushed further and<BR>
further back. Ultimately, only overwhelming brain damage will prevent<BR>
someone being restored to their pre-morbid state.<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote :-<BR>
> If transplants were common among the rich, then a favored assassination<BR>
> technique would be slipping them something that revived their body's<BR>
> immune response to the transplanted organs. Done properly, death could<BR>
> occur in *minutes* due to massive anaphylactic shock (extreme allergic<BR>
> reaction to the foreign tissue).<BR>
<BR>
The pharmacodynamics of today's immunosuppressants would give you a<BR>
couple of days to escape the scene of the crime before (hyper)acute<BR>
rejection syndrome kicked in.<BR>
<BR>
True anaphylaxis (Gell and Coombs type 1, relying on elaboration of high<BR>
levels of immunoglobulins E and G) would require a customised agent -<BR>
and presensitisation to some antigen, as does any 'allergic' reaction.<BR>
<BR>
[Useless] info-chunk #1 - the other types of immune hypersensitivity<BR>
under this classification are :-<BR>
2. antibody mediated cell cytotoxicity e.g. haemolytic anaemia of the<BR>
newborn (maternal antibodies vs. Rh factors on foetal blood cells) ;<BR>
3. immune complex deposition e.g. 'serum sickness' where the recipient<BR>
of pooled horse antibodies (e.g. snake antivenom) generates an antibody<BR>
response to the foreign protein ; and<BR>
4. delayed type hypersensitivity e.g. T-cell and macrophage response to<BR>
purified protein deriviative 48-72hrs after inoculation - the Mantoux<BR>
test for tuberculosis.  <BR>
<BR>
Given likely developments in pharmacology and pharmacogenetics over the<BR>
next century (~TTL 9-10), such exotic toxins would be possible, but<BR>
difficult to synthesise. I would not allow my genetic sequence to be<BR>
held in a easily accessible database in this sort of environment.  <BR>
<BR>
Useless info chunk #2 :-<BR>
The simplest way to kill a human, if you have intravenous access, is<BR>
with 1cc/kilo body weight of air. Some days will be required for the air<BR>
bubbles to be lost in the gas evolving in decomposing tissue.<BR>
<BR>
A better method, if you only have half an hour up your sleeve, is to<BR>
administer a mixture of insulin, potassium salts and adrenaline<BR>
(epinephrine for those living under the U.S. Pharmacopoeia). Dr.<BR>
Kevorkian (and your local vet, for that matter) used/uses a mixture of<BR>
barbiturate, potassium and adrenaline for euthanasia.<BR>
<BR>
Barbiturates can be detected with standard 'drug screens'. The other<BR>
stuff can't.<BR>
<BR>
If one can't get at a vein, suffocate your victim. A large Ziploc(TM)<BR>
bag over the head is very effective. Ten minutes should suffice. Using a<BR>
plastic bag leaves none of the usual stigmata of asphyxiation (congested<BR>
neck veins and face, little skin haemorrhages, etc.)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Robert O'Connor<BR>
Medico, Gamer<BR>
- -------------------<BR>
100+ digests in the last week! Good grief...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 21:44:26 -0000<BR>
From: "Stuart Ferris" <stuart.ferris@virgin.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1785<BR>
<BR>
>I cruised over to take a peek at the WBS-formatted<BR>
>sector files, and realized that there is data that<BR>
>the UWP doesn't have, but should, and while we've<BR>
>sort of talked about it, there is no consensus about<BR>
>what an augmented or superior format would be...<BR>
<BR>
>I also remember a few individuals out there who were<BR>
>finishing off a draft XML format for Traveller data.<BR>
>I was wondering if they had looked at star system<BR>
>details?<BR>
<BR>
>Traveller really does need a good system for storing<BR>
>UWP data plus... plus Xboat links, for instance.<BR>
>Useful data such as whether or not the mainworld is<BR>
>in orbit around a gas giant; whether or not the<BR>
>secondary star is in close orbit, 'normal' orbit, or<BR>
>a companion system altogether... and of course<BR>
>the format might as well have room to hold the<BR>
>details of the other star systems as well.<BR>
<BR>
>I'm not sure if we actually want the entire system<BR>
>of every system generated for me; however, the ability<BR>
>to hold such data according to a standard format is<BR>
>useful to further Traveller as a complete and flexible<BR>
>game system.<BR>
<BR>
>Sorry if this-all has already been solved.  I've<BR>
>been out of the loop.  Anyone?<BR>
<BR>
As well as the WBS files used in WBD & H&E a few others (Derrick Jones/Tom<BR>
Bont) and myself developed an Extended World Profile (EWP) and Extended<BR>
System Profile (ESP) file formats for both programs.<BR>
<BR>
This file contains all of the data generated during the world building<BR>
process laid out in a reasonably simple to follow format.<BR>
<BR>
Stuart Ferris<BR>
stuart.ferris@virgin.net<BR>
http://freespace.virgin.net/stuart.ferris/index.htm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 17:09:02 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: RE: How large can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
Walter Smith writes:<BR>
Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
>>	I would guess that no organism would be too big to be<BR>
>>	a sophont.<BR>
>I think you're right, in that almost anything is *possible*<BR>
>- but I'm also thinking that the evolutionary problem that is<BR>
>solved by being really, really big might be a very different<BR>
>problem than the one that is solved by being really, really<BR>
>smart. Not that something that solved the first problem couldn't<BR>
>later be faced with the second problem, due to changing<BR>
>environment.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	You may be right, but we have no particular reason to<BR>
	believe that this would be so.  I am just saying that a<BR>
	biologist like myself would not try to tell you that a<BR>
	100 ton sophont is unreasonable.  I would suggest that a<BR>
	100 g sophont would be pushing it.<BR>
<BR>
>Just a tangent regarding size...extreme sexual dimorphism. The<BR>
>martian"males" in one of the Xxxenophiles stories (Phil Foglio's<BR>
>excellent adult comic) were tiny, semi-intelligent furballs...<BR>
<snipped><BR>
>I know of at least one species of terran fish where the male<BR>
>attaches permanently to the female, and degenerates into a blood<BR>
>supply and a set of testes, a sexual symbiont.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	Some species of anglerfish do this, and some barnacles as<BR>
	well IIRC.  It should be noted that females are larger<BR>
	than males in most animal species, though not typically<BR>
	to this extreme.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 14:07:32 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Philosophy of Task Systems<BR>
<BR>
> So I want to know what people use for task systems.<BR>
<BR>
The "cinematic task system" (CTS).<BR>
<BR>
In this system, you roll dice, with modifiers based upon how much the<BR>
referee really wants the event to happen. You get this fuzzy grey area with<BR>
rolls which are not too high or too low which makes you worry a bit, though.<BR>
If the plot is the main consideration, however, a few small glitches are OK.<BR>
<BR>
<opinion comment="Opinions are like old copies of Fifth Frontier War:<BR>
everyone has one."><BR>
<BR>
A better way entirely is to dump the d6 convention in favor of purely d100.<BR>
Why?<BR>
<BR>
First, everyone understands d100 probabilities. Many players who don't<BR>
really care too much about probability or statistics probably don't really<BR>
know the difference in probability between 9+ and 10+ on 2d6. The d100<BR>
system is understandible by everyone. It's also much easier to understand<BR>
the effects of combined DMs, say in ship combat. Using 2d6, the effects of a<BR>
+2 DM depend greatly upon the other modifiers. Using d100, you can easily<BR>
understand what's going on.<BR>
<BR>
Next, tradition is not always a good thing. When I studied martial arts<BR>
years ago, I had a realization one day that our training techniques were the<BR>
same ones used in Korea (or wherever, no precision intended here)  2000<BR>
years ago. Better techniques have been invented since which give better<BR>
effectiveness at a lower chance of injury. Similarly, maybe the traditional<BR>
d6-based rolls are in this class. They were great for their time (late<BR>
70's), but maybe their time has passed. Go for the d100.<BR>
<BR>
</opinion><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 14:16:43 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Glenn Goffin <gmgoffin@yahoo.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
<BR>
>From: Glenn Myers <glenn.myers@ansys.com><BR>
<BR>
>Hmm, tatoos are an idea. I wonder how I could make that work. <BR>
>Maybe my Sharpie ultra-fine permanent markers in red, green, <BR>
>and blue would do the trick.<BR>
<BR>
That's a nice approach.  I'll have to try it.<BR>
<BR>
>Now, what should the tatoos look like? Are there any examples <BR>
>of Hiver script published anywhere? <BR>
<BR>
I think that this is a situation lending itself to the<BR>
expression of unbounded creativity.  You might find anything on<BR>
a Hiver's tattoo.  Remember that Hivers communicate by moving,<BR>
touching, and writing, all at once.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
__________________________________________________<BR>
Do You Yahoo!?<BR>
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.<BR>
http://im.yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 11:18:16 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: Small change [was:Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1754]<BR>
<BR>
On 20 Jan 00, at 17:37, Phil Kitching wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> 50p per 100 IIRC. Of course, banks charge small businesses just to exist,<BR>
> never mind actually use any of their services. That's how you get free<BR>
> personal banking and free credit on credit cards<BR>
<BR>
Some people have it os easy - we have charges on small <BR>
businesses, and personal bank charges, fees, etc.<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: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 11:18:16 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: Elite<BR>
<BR>
On 20 Jan 00, at 16:35, Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.u wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> > hehehehehehehe....just giggling to myself as a referee knowing the fun<BR>
> I'm<BR>
> > going to have making my PCs dock their ship manually at those low TL<BR>
> > revolving space stations (the ones with spin to simulate gravity because<BR>
> > g-plates are too expensive at that TL) if the docking computer conks....<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> My brother - who played the game far more than I ever did - had a nice<BR>
> line in 'hands free' docking.  He'd line himself up some distance from the<BR>
> station so that he could thrust straight for the port on the entrance axis<BR>
> and then steadfastly *not* use the joystick to get his ship rotating with<BR>
> the letterbox slot.  He would still dock successfully.<BR>
> <BR>
> Scary.<BR>
> <BR>
> When he started doing it at high speed as well I really did think<BR>
> possession had taken hold!<BR>
<BR>
I used to do that, too. It's just a matter of having everything nicely <BR>
lined up.<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: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 14:32:24 -0800<BR>
From: "James W. Lindsay" <jlindsay@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
<BR>
On Thu, 20 Jan 2000 14:55:08 EST, Roger Barr wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> <snip><BR>
> Consistency I like - explaining everything I don't. I like the scope<BR>
> for the ref to expand things their own way. It's one of my objections<BR>
> about the otherwise excellent 'Behind the Claw' for GT. There is now<BR>
> a canon (GT) description of every world in the sector which kills<BR>
> creativity dead for other authors/GMs. The old GDW material (and DGP<BR>
> stuff) was good in that it only detailed key worlds. Sadly, I expect<BR>
> that the Solomani Rim book will go the same way, and another<BR>
> referee's playground will officially be dead for future large scale<BR>
> innovation. Don't get me wrong - I like the work in GT:BTC, but it<BR>
> has destroyed something for me by defining the entire frontier way<BR>
> beyond a UPP.<BR>
> <BR>
> Dom<BR>
> <end snip><BR>
> <BR>
> Dom,<BR>
> I have to disagree. I have the new Behind the Claw book and I really liked <BR>
> having the previously printed data in one source at my fingertips. I did <BR>
> notice that the actual listing of each world has just a tidbit of data, not <BR>
> really enough to interfere with my creativity in those systems. (I have been <BR>
> using Regina as a home subsector for my campaigns for years...)<BR>
<BR>
I agree with Roger on this one.  Worlds are very, VERY big and you simply<BR>
cannot sum things up with a single paragraph or two.  IOW, I wouldn't use<BR>
the words "kills creativity dead".  Besides, if you don't like it, wipe the<BR>
slate clean and make up something that *you* like :)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
James W. Lindsay             Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada<BR>
http://members.home.net/jlindsay                    ICQ:#7521644<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 17:40:03 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: re: Philosophy of task systems<BR>
<BR>
Luther Martin wrote:<BR>
>Similarly, maybe the traditional<BR>
>d6-based rolls are in this class. They were great for their time (late<BR>
>70's), but maybe their time has passed. Go for the d100.<BR>
<BR>
d100. We have a heretic folks, get the thumbscrews!  :-)<BR>
<BR>
Yep, percentile-based RPG's are a new innovation, the wave of the future.<BR>
<BR>
Oh, wait, didn't Chaosium release RuneQuest in the late 1970's?  ;-)<BR>
<BR>
Sorry, couldn't resist...<BR>
<BR>
"Percentile=Modern" makes about as much sense as "Primitive=Stupid".<BR>
Multi-die systems are intended to model different probability than percentile <BR>
systems do, unless you tweak numbers to make the percentiles match the <BR>
outcomes of the multi-die system. In that case, it would be simpler to keep <BR>
the multi-die system. <BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 18:19:36 -0500<BR>
From: Jeff Zeitlin <jzeitlin@cyburban.com><BR>
Subject: The Kaa in Traveller (was Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article)<BR>
<BR>
On Wed, 19 Jan 2000 22:06:41 -0500 (EST), "Jory Earl"<BR>
<j-man@iname.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Ever think about doing a write-up of them to stick in the traveller universe<BR>
>somewhere?  Or are they so removed from 'canon' that its not do-able?<BR>
<BR>
I was able to visualize _most_ of the GURPS Aliens races in a<BR>
Traveller setting, although some were a better fit (e.g. the An<BR>
Phar or the Gerodeans) than others (e.g. the Kaa, the Cimi, or<BR>
the Markanns), and a few (e.g. Auroras, Glowworms, Xenomorphs)<BR>
just seemed a little too far outside the pale.<BR>
<BR>
However, if anyone feels they can do a good Traveller writeup of<BR>
_any_ GURPS Aliens race - or any alien race from SF - I'll give<BR>
it a home in the "Unauthorized Alien" section that I posted a<BR>
solicitation for just recently.  Even though GURPS Aliens aliens<BR>
would actually be "semi-authorized".<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
Jeff Zeitlin<BR>
jzeitlin@cyburban.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 10:19:36 +1000<BR>
From: david.d.jaques-watson@centrelink.gov.au<BR>
Subject: Re: CT Campaign Background<BR>
<BR>
Dear Folks -<BR>
<BR>
>> III.    Does anyone have a good method for adjusting world creation for<BR>
>> the Rule of Man years - I want to start my campaign at "First Contact"<BR>
><BR>
>Ask Andrew M-V. He has an incredible wealth of material on the<BR>
>Interstellar Wars era.<BR>
<BR>
And Mick Bailey <mickb@iinet.net.au> who detailed the history of the Emperors of<BR>
the RoM.<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
David "Hyphen" Jaques-Watson        Beowulf Down (Tavonni/Vilis/SM 1520)<BR>
http://www.tip.net.au/~davidjw                       davidjw@pcug.org.au<BR>
"I file things in historical order, with a hashing algorithm of gravity"<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
REQ'D DISCLAIMER - material & opinions contained within are solely those<BR>
of the author and do not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the<BR>
position of Centrelink or any other Commonwealth Government agency.<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 10:36:17 +1000<BR>
From: david.d.jaques-watson@centrelink.gov.au<BR>
Subject: Re: Small change<BR>
<BR>
Dear Folks -<BR>
<BR>
Phil said:<BR>
>50p per ?100 IIRC. Of course, banks charge small businesses just to exist,<BR>
>never mind actually use any of their services. That's how you get free<BR>
>personal banking and free credit on credit cards.<BR>
<BR>
Phil, almost _no-one_ gets free personal banking anymore, they charge for<BR>
EVERYTHING. The latest news report had a leaked document from the National<BR>
Australia Bank (NAB) saying they were going to scrap the number of free<BR>
over-the-counter transactions you could make. The fee for these is AU$2.50.<BR>
<BR>
I have an account free of bank fees, but only because it is linked to my home<BR>
loan account (I don't get any interest, either). I still have to pay the state<BR>
govt deposit tax, and on my cheque account I have to pay deposit tax, withdrawal<BR>
tax, AND a monthly fee that has just been raised to AU$6 (which is why it is<BR>
soon to be closed!).<BR>
<BR>
Banks here are going the way of US banks, which is to say they don't want to<BR>
know you unless your balance is consistently over $10,000 (my understanding is<BR>
that local US banks will take you, but nationwide banks don't like small<BR>
accounts).<BR>
<BR>
BTW, when you talk about free credit, what do you mean? We seem to have 2<BR>
options with credit cards: no annual fee but no interest-free period, OR an<BR>
annual fee but up to 55 days interest-free. Admittedly, that latter option used<BR>
to have no annual fee, but they changed it recently.<BR>
<BR>
It's no wonder they regulary make profits of $2 billion per year.<BR>
<BR>
(Sorry, that's one of my "hot" buttons; you can't avoid the banks, because work<BR>
will only pay electronically to bank a/c's, but you get charged tax on deposits,<BR>
fees, etc - and that's AFTER already paying PAYE income tax!  Guaranteed income<BR>
for the banks & govt or what!!)<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
David "Hyphen" Jaques-Watson        Beowulf Down (Tavonni/Vilis/SM 1520)<BR>
http://www.tip.net.au/~davidjw                       davidjw@pcug.org.au<BR>
"I file things in historical order, with a hashing algorithm of gravity"<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
REQ'D DISCLAIMER - material & opinions contained within are solely those<BR>
of the author and do not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the<BR>
position of Centrelink or any other Commonwealth Government agency.<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:47:48 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: The Kaa in Traveller (was Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article)<BR>
<BR>
- --0-2078917053-948412069=:1293<BR>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII<BR>
<BR>
Jeff Zeitlin writes:<BR>
> I was able to visualize _most_ of the GURPS Aliens races in a<BR>
> Traveller setting, although some were a better fit (e.g. the An<BR>
> Phar or the Gerodeans) than others (e.g. the Kaa, the Cimi, or<BR>
> the Markanns), and a few (e.g. Auroras, Glowworms, Xenomorphs)<BR>
> just seemed a little too far outside the pale.<BR>
<BR>
Hm..that wasn't quite my list of 'races which don't fit well'.  Here's the<BR>
basics of what I wrote (in HTML).  Its hardly complete, but...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- --0-2078917053-948412069=:1293<BR>
Content-Type: TEXT/html; CHARSET=US-ASCII<BR>
Content-Description: ar.htm<BR>
<BR>
</FONT><FONT  SIZE=5 PTSIZE=16><BR>
<BR>
<B><center>GURPS Aliens for GURPS Traveller</center><BR>
<BR>
</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
While none of the races in GURPS Aliens are canonical for Traveller, many <BR>
of them could reasonably be placed within the setting.  Some of them work<BR>
as minor races, some of them work as threats... and some of them would have<BR>
to be counted as major races, and could have dramatic effects on the <BR>
campaign.  Still, I don't see any races which are truly unusable...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
To reflect this, I've divided them into three groups:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
The majority of the races can be used as minor races with little or no<BR>
changes, particularly if placed in Vargr space.  The following races are<BR>
suitable for use as minor races with no notable changes:<BR>
<ul><BR>
<li>An Phar<BR>
<li>Fasanni: should probably be recent in space.<BR>
<li>Gormelites: put them in Vargr territory.<BR>
<li>Irari<BR>
<li>Jaril<BR>
<li>Pachekki<BR>
<li>Sparrial<BR>
<li>Treefolk<BR>
</ul><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Another significant group can be used as written, but will probably require<BR>
some adjustment, and may have undesireable campaign effects.  However, they<BR>
can still reasonably used without being the focus of a plot, being instead<BR>
background color.<BR>
<ul><BR>
<li>Cidi: There are serious realism problems with the Cidi; it is rather<BR>
hard to manage organic sentience in a body as small as a Cidi.  If used,<BR>
the Cidi are a good choice for a minor race to populate some of the more<BR>
ridiculously overpopulated worlds, such as Algine.<BR>
<li>Gerodian: As written, the Gerodians should probably be an extremely<BR>
deviant human minor race.  However, I recommend against using them at all,<BR>
the disruptive effect of such an intelligent race is potentially extreme.<BR>
<li>Banduch: To a large degree, the role of 'mysterious psionic alien race<BR>
which appears in oddly separated places' role is covered by the Droyne. <BR>
Still, having the Banduch appear spread across some small set of worlds<BR>
is possible enough, though they would probably have to be in some sector<BR>
with no canonical data, such as Foreven.<BR>
<li>Kronin: should probably be an extremely variant human race.  A race<BR>
of psionic warriors is likely to draw Imperial attention...<BR>
<li>Memer and Saret: these work best as an engineered race, and are probably<BR>
fairly rare.  Discovering one working as an engineer is, however, more<BR>
like color than a particular plot.<BR>
<li>Purulu: there are very few areas in the Traveller setting which would<BR>
be likely to put up with the Purulu; they should probably be confined to<BR>
a single fairly uninhabitable world.<BR>
</ul><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
The third group is races which are basically encounter bait.  By and large,<BR>
they are not suitable as minor races; either they're oddities, or they<BR>
should have the power of a major race.<BR>
<dl><BR>
<dt>Aurora<BR>
<dd>Aurora are, of course, your basic plot device; mysterious aliens of<BR>
immense power.  One which showed up in Traveller space would be a mystery<BR>
which would demand explanation, and which would likely concern the Imperial<BR>
authorities greatly.  A typical aurora writeup might be as follows:<BR>
<dd>Attributes: ST 1,000 (264), DX 13(30), IQ 20(175), HT 17(100)<BR>
<dd>Advantages(635): vacuum support(40), invulnerability/physical (300),<BR>
invulnerability/energy (150), unaging (15), immunity/disease (10), <BR>
immunity/poison(15), growth-10, always on (40), regeneration, rapid,<BR>
affects fatigue (65).<BR>
<dd>Psionic Abilities: electrokinesis-30(150), ESP-50(150) (650 AU),<BR>
telekinesis-40 per Basic (4,000,000 tons;200), telepathy-50(250), teleport-50,<BR>
costs 10 fatigue (125; including recovering fatigue, can move roughly 1<BR>
pc/day).<BR>
<dd>Psionic Skills: 1 point in all applicable psi skills (41).<BR>
<dd>Other: add 880 points in skills and other abilities.<BR>
<dt>Crystal Computer<BR>
<dd>The crystal computers can be used essentially as written.  They could<BR>
easily be used as a writeup of the Viji (0919 Zeta 2, Spinward Marches),<BR>
or for more confusion, the Viji could be remote drones controlled by the<BR>
crystal computers, which the Imperium mistakes for rocks.  Of course, the<BR>
crystal computers do not have any levels of primitive, and should thus<BR>
be interpreted as TL 10+.  Consider giving them exotic weaponry suited to<BR>
fighting their own kind, such as screamers.  Crystal computers are <BR>
optionally usable as components for high tech computers; a standard<BR>
crystal computer is a complexity 7 AI, roughly matching the stats of<BR>
a TL 11 hardened microframe.<BR>
<dt>Engai<BR>
<dd>You would think that having a race with a living memory going back to<BR>
the times of the Ancients would be a very notable feature in the Imperium.<BR>
You would probably be wrong -- the Imperium is frequently remarkably blind<BR>
to such things (look how long it took to identify the Droyne/Chirper link),<BR>
and the Engai would not bother to tell anyone of what they know.  As far as<BR>
any imperial knows, the Engai are just a fairly advanced minor race, which<BR>
seems perfectly comfortable sitting on their own small world, selling <BR>
anagathics to the Imperium.<BR>
<dd>Eventually, of course, someone will get suspicious.  All it really<BR>
takes is someone going through old bureaucratic records, and discovering<BR>
that for the last seven centuries, the same name has been on certain <BR>
pieces of bureaucracy.  A bit more checking, and the discovery that <BR>
no-one there ever changes might be enough to bring in a team to investigate.<BR>
<dd>If you ask an Engai how old he/she is, most Engai will answer vaguely<BR>
if at all; this is for two reasons.  First of all, it's rude.  Secondly,<BR>
most of them don't remember anyway.  However, if you ask an Engai about<BR>
events long ago, they will respond if the event was memorable, though<BR>
frequently they won't be able to give exact responses -- the Engai sense<BR>
of time is a bit lacking, and their memories are not unlimited in any<BR>
case.  Many Engai have memories running all the way back to the Ancients,<BR>
but they will be <U>very</U> reluctant to talk about this.  For all of <BR>
this, you should remember than Engai are by and large utterly unafraid<BR>
of personal death, they will be cloned and restored within a century or<BR>
two.<BR>
<dd>The Engai are currently TL 12, with TL 12-13 biotech (as opposed to the<BR>
average Imperial level, which is TL 8-9).  They are net outporters of<BR>
biologicals, importers of luxuries and other technologies.  They do not<BR>
sell their techologies offworld, only the products of those technologies.<BR>
Engai ships are enduring even by Imperial standards; ships of Engai<BR>
manufacture should be considered Fine or Very Fine quality (and the<BR>
cost would be increased proportionately).  Almost all labor on their <BR>
homeworld is done by robots.<BR>
<dt>Gloworm<BR>
<dd>Gloworms make the most sense as a strange alien encounter on some world.<BR>
Having a gloworm just randomly appear and harass the party is not the best<BR>
way to use this race; instead, place them on some moderately low-tech world,<BR>
where they have caused problems with the locals.  To be particularly odd,<BR>
consider making the way gloworms feed somewhat addictive.  It should come<BR>
as a surprise (and a nice ethical test for your players) that these creatures<BR>
are, in fact, sentient.<BR>
<dt>Kaa<BR>
<dd>The Kaa are not the kind of race the Imperium would put up with,<BR>
nor would any of their neighbors.  They might be able to survive in the <BR>
Vargr reaches, but almost any of the other major races would simply wipe<BR>
them out as being too annoying to live.  The only way around this is if<BR>
they have enough power that they can defend themselves.  One of the best<BR>
options here is to assume that they are puppets of the Markaan.<BR>
<dt>Liook Sujan<BR>
<dd>Tremendously powerful psionic rocks, which think too <BR>
slowly to interact with other races.  If discovered, they would make for<BR>
an instant red-zone; of course, they might not be discovered, most people<BR>
are not looking for psionically active boulders, and the Liook Suijan <BR>
might take a century or more to draw attention to themselves.  Having them<BR>
be discovered on some relatively recently colonized world (such as Forboldn)<BR>
would have the potential for chaos.  Unlike the Engai, no individual Liook<BR>
Suijan would have met the Ancients, but with their metabolic rate and<BR>
psychometric powers they are still within verbal memory.<BR>
<dt>Markann<BR>
<dd>The Markann, as defined, are simply not a minor race.  They're<BR>
a TL 14 major race with hostile intentions towards all the known races.<BR>
The Markaan should be from somewhere far outside the Imperium; they have<BR>
not been detected in part due to their advanced technology, in part due<BR>
to their basic paranoia.  Markaan ships should be mystery craft, spotted<BR>
in various systems.<BR>
<dd>A key question, of course, is what technologies the Markaan would have.<BR>
Based on other traveller sources, I would give them matter conversion<BR>
engines, relatively standard jump drives, and the ability to create<BR>
jump portals, which use the stats for a Vehicles jump gate drive; this<BR>
has the benefit of giving a natural target for PCs involved in dealing<BR>
with a Markaan plot, since jump gates would need to be destroyed, or <BR>
prevented from being built.  Markaan ships would have standard force <BR>
screens, or 'white globes' in traveller terminology; note that force<BR>
screens are effective against meson weapons.  Technologies which are not<BR>
normally used in the Imperium, such as psychotronic devices and advanced<BR>
biotech, should be around TL 10-11.<BR>
<dt>Mmm<BR>
<dd>The Mmm are an appallingly dangerous race, depending somewhat on how<BR>
you choose to define them.<BR>
<dt>Rider<BR>
<dt>Trader<BR>
<dt>Verm<BR>
<dt>Xenomorph<BR>
<BR>
- --0-2078917053-948412069=:1293--<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1786<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Thursday, January 20 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1787<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: Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU<BR>
Fw: AM2 K'Kree<BR>
Re: Scientific American<BR>
Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
Re : Organlegging<BR>
Re: Scientific American<BR>
Re: Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU<BR>
Long Way Home - IG edition<BR>
Re: Long Way Home - IG edition<BR>
RE: Philosophy of Task Systems<BR>
RE: How large can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
Re: AM2 K'Kree<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: Small change [was:Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1754]<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1786<BR>
Re: How large can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:49:28 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU<BR>
<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
<BR>
> Jason T. Barnabas wrote:<BR>
> ><BR>
> > I have been following the DITU threads and have a couple of<BR>
> > thoughts and some past history to add to the discussion.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > There are four major areas that I noted during previous<BR>
> > posts: darker ancients; dark secret organizations; mythical<BR>
> > elements and star gates.  As to the first two, I have no<BR>
> > opinions or suggestions to offer.<BR>
><BR>
> Wow, some nice ideas in there...definitely into the TML keeper file...<BR>
<BR>
Thanks Bruce.  One of the things I liked most about the<BR>
JumpGates I described is that they do not violate cannon.<BR>
Those JumpGates have been there all along, but who does<BR>
anything out beyond 1,000 A.U. where they live, huh?<BR>
<BR>
Even if there were ops out that far and even if you were in a<BR>
system with 6 JumpGates in it and even if the were all in the<BR>
same plain (the one depicted in all those cannon flat maps of<BR>
known space so that you knew where that plain was) there<BR>
would still be over 157e9 km between them.  Further, even if<BR>
the JumpGate was 150 meters in diameter, they would only<BR>
have an apparent arc of c. 3.28312e-8 seconds.  So what are<BR>
the chances of accidentally finding one?  Astronomical!<BR>
<BR>
While I was writing my original post in this thread, I tried to<BR>
figure out how you could stumble across one of these.  I<BR>
thought, you can't really see them, I mean they are basically<BR>
something that isn't there.  Oh, yes, they have a ring of matter<BR>
that surrounds them, but it's smaller than a 2,000 Td ship,<BR>
even if you include the empty space inside.  So how are you<BR>
going to find one?<BR>
<BR>
As you will note, in my original post, I didn't offer any<BR>
suggestions.  However; since that post I have started reading<BR>
_Contact_ by Carl Sagan.  I had no idea what it was about,<BR>
but I figured for $0.50 (US), what have I got to loose?<BR>
<BR>
Anyway, I got a copy at a local thrift store and started reading<BR>
it.  It is about SETI and what happens when it is successful.<BR>
<BR>
I was inspired by that book with a method of finding a<BR>
JumpGate.  An astronomer might stumble across one while<BR>
observing a star that crosses behind the JumpGate.  When<BR>
it reappears, they will have an idea of where the object is,<BR>
but not what.<BR>
<BR>
Scientists being the curious creatures that they are, they<BR>
might be more fascinated by what happened than what they<BR>
were originally researching.  Or maybe they would just pass<BR>
the data on and another scientist (or group of scientists)<BR>
would follow up on it.  The first and second scientist(s) might<BR>
even be separated by centuries of time.  You know, some<BR>
brash young astrophysicist runs across a mention in a dusty<BR>
old journal and decides to try to figure out what could have<BR>
caused it.<BR>
<BR>
Anyway, that is one method that their existence might come<BR>
to light.  A patron (the scientist or a scientific society or a<BR>
government) could then hire the PCs to find just what is<BR>
causing the phenomena.  With this scenario, the PCs would<BR>
know exactly where the object is located.  All they have to do<BR>
is go and investigate it.  Or if you have PCs who like to dig<BR>
into old data for possible sources of income (or reasons of<BR>
their own), you could have them find the data.<BR>
<BR>
Oh, don't worry, if they keep it a secret, it won't be long<BR>
before someone figures out they have an edge and ask them<BR>
to share.  If they still won't share a MegaCorp will just follow<BR>
their ship at a distance and find it for themselves.  What with<BR>
corporate intrigue being what it is, it won't be long until<BR>
everyone knows about them.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 00:07:18 -0000<BR>
From: "Matthew Bond" <mgb@akira.swinternet.co.uk><BR>
Subject: Fw: AM2 K'Kree<BR>
<BR>
No response to this for a couple of days, so I'll ask again...<BR>
<BR>
Matt<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: Matthew Bond <mgb@akira.swinternet.co.uk><BR>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Date: 19 January 2000 01:30<BR>
Subject: AM2 K'Kree<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>While hunting through my early GDW stuff looking for the K'Kree reference<BR>
we<BR>
>were all hunting for (JTAS 21 it seems, hmmm... must go shopping <g>) I was<BR>
>looking through my recently acquired AM2 when I noticed that pp5-8 and<BR>
>pp33-36 are missing, and I have duplicates of pp9-12 and 29-32.<BR>
><BR>
>Does anyone else have this problem?<BR>
><BR>
>If not, could some kindly sophont scan/photocopy the 'missing' pages and<BR>
>contact me offlist.<BR>
><BR>
>TIA,<BR>
><BR>
>Matt<BR>
><BR>
>Matthew Bond<BR>
>mgb@akira.swinternet.co.uk<BR>
>www.akira.swinternet.co.uk/strom.html<BR>
>--------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
>"To strike a man who insults you is one thing...<BR>
>...To run him through with a sword is quite another!"<BR>
>--------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
><BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 05:41:47 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Scientific American<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Has anyone looked at the January 2000 issue of Scientific American?<BR>
><BR>
> Besides having a nice little article describing using negative energy to<BR>
> balance equations for wormholes and some FTL drive possibilities there<BR>
> is an article about the LLNL maglev design using Halbach arrays of<BR>
> permanent room-temperature magnets instead of electro magnets.<BR>
> Apparently they are building a model for NASA for application as a<BR>
> launching system to reduce the cost of launching satellites and such.<BR>
><BR>
> I was wondering if such a system might be of use in the rail gun arena?<BR>
> You probably couldn't do a traditional railgun as you would need a<BR>
> cart/basket with the Halbach arrays for the magnetic induction, but then<BR>
> you could launch non-ferrous objects.  I would guess that the distance<BR>
> needed for proper acceleration would be to long for anything remotely<BR>
> man-portable.<BR>
<BR>
Actually a *rail* gun *does* use a *static* magnetic field, and *can*<BR>
launch non-ferrous projectiles. A *coil* gun is the monstrosity with<BR>
the fields being changed swiftly. <BR>
<BR>
Rail guns in essence have a pair of magnetic "plates" (or<BR>
electromagnets) above and below the "barrel". There are a pair of<BR>
conductive "rails" running the length of the barrel. The conductive<BR>
projectile gets placed across the rails. The current flows from one<BR>
rail to the other *thru* the projectile. The current, being at right<BR>
angles to the magnetic field generates a reactive force (JxB force) at<BR>
right angles to *both* the field *and* the current.<BR>
<BR>
So the projectile heads down the barrel at a constant *high*<BR>
acceleration. With nothing but some magnets and DC current.<BR>
<BR>
Rail guns are preferred for weapons because they are so damn simple and<BR>
don't require synchronized switching of field coils the way the "coil<BR>
guns" do. Most of the smaller reasearch "guns" are rail guns.<BR>
<BR>
"Coil guns" aka "mass drivers" are better suited for *big installations<BR>
for launching *large* payloads. The switching times are longer, because<BR>
the driver coils are a lot farther apart. <BR>
<BR>
The gizmo in the Scientific American is just a sort mass driver with<BR>
maglev suspension. It's still (like the more standard version) a form<BR>
of "linear electric motor".<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: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 18:07:24 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
<BR>
1. If information is verifiable, and not rumor, send patrol vessels (or<BR>
SDB's) to the area.  Fighters would also be very valuable (with a tender<BR>
or other military vessel as mothership) in a definitive S&D.<BR>
2. Debrief crews of vessels who have encoutered the said pirate vessels.<BR>
Even false data from pirate EMM may tell a story.  Also the verify that<BR>
the 'traders' you are debriefing are not pirates themselves.  Use<BR>
bribery or threats (the former may work better) to loosen the tongues of<BR>
suspect traders or ship crew.  Let victims view possible pirates-the<BR>
pirates may have slipped up.  Check your own personnel for treasonable<BR>
collusion with pirates.  If you find someone helping the pirates-turn<BR>
them and feed false info to the pirates(lead them into a trap or a<BR>
minefield)<BR>
3. Set whatever intelligence network to work, checking on legitimate<BR>
traders in port. They might be the pirates you are looking for. Also<BR>
check ship papers.  Suspect papers may trip up pirates who can maintain<BR>
a cover.  Place surveilance devices on suspect vessels if you cannot<BR>
find any law to detain them.<BR>
4. If you have a gas giant, install a strong patrol there.  If there is<BR>
already a patrol, strengthen it.  If they don't carry extra tanks or<BR>
possess a tanker-they may need to re-fuel.<BR>
5. Hire merc ships to beef up patrols.<BR>
6. If your government or navy has a 'friendly' pirate connection, touch<BR>
it for information-your suspects may be a rival concern.<BR>
7. Lace asteroid belts (or other pirate conceal areas normal traffic<BR>
doesn't go) with gravitic or other types of mines-a cheap alternative to<BR>
large numbers of patrol vessels.  Also mine the gas giant.<BR>
8. Place large bounties on pirate ships.<BR>
9. Build a lot of sensor satellites to monitor shipping activity.<BR>
<BR>
darkhstarr<BR>
<BR>
Jim & Peta Lawrie wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
>     We've hashed out the how and why of pirates pretty clearly, has anyone<BR>
> thought of a drill that the locals use when they learn that there's pirates<BR>
> in system?<BR>
>     Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 11:21:08 +1000<BR>
From: david.d.jaques-watson@centrelink.gov.au<BR>
Subject: Re : Organlegging<BR>
<BR>
Dear Folks -<BR>
<BR>
Robert said:<BR>
>As medical tech advances, the criteria will be pushed further and<BR>
>further back. Ultimately, only overwhelming brain damage will prevent<BR>
>someone being restored to their pre-morbid state.<BR>
<BR>
Well. Now you've got me thinking. In fact, I've thought of about three different<BR>
jokes based on this paragraph alone...<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
David "Hyphen" Jaques-Watson        Beowulf Down (Tavonni/Vilis/SM 1520)<BR>
http://www.tip.net.au/~davidjw                       davidjw@pcug.org.au<BR>
"I file things in historical order, with a hashing algorithm of gravity"<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
REQ'D DISCLAIMER - material & opinions contained within are solely those<BR>
of the author and do not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the<BR>
position of Centrelink or any other Commonwealth Government agency.<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 16:24:44 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Thing <gduke@kendaco.telebyte.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Scientific American<BR>
<BR>
On Thu, 20 Jan 2000, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Actually a *rail* gun *does* use a *static* magnetic field, and *can*<BR>
> launch non-ferrous projectiles. A *coil* gun is the monstrosity with<BR>
> the fields being changed swiftly. <BR>
<Snippage><BR>
> "Coil guns" aka "mass drivers" are better suited for *big installations<BR>
> for launching *large* payloads. The switching times are longer, because<BR>
> the driver coils are a lot farther apart. <BR>
<BR>
Thanks.<BR>
<BR>
I keep getting the labels switched in my head.  I find that is a problem<BR>
with alot of things I learned.  I remember all sorts of theories,<BR>
formulas, algorythms, etc., but I tend to mess up the names of each.<BR>
<BR>
That is what really killed my science grades.  My teachers that asked<BR>
questions on tests that associated the name of someone who is attributed<BR>
with a theory, or to describe a process given its names where amazed when<BR>
I would fail tests, but I could always apply the knowledge during labs and<BR>
in field practice.<BR>
<BR>
G.D.D.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 17:32:51 -0700<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
Subject: Re: Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU<BR>
<BR>
Jason T. Barnabas wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Thanks Bruce.  One of the things I liked most about the<BR>
> JumpGates I described is that they do not violate cannon.<BR>
> Those JumpGates have been there all along, but who does<BR>
> anything out beyond 1,000 A.U. where they live, huh?<BR>
> <BR>
> Even if there were ops out that far and even if you were in a<BR>
> system with 6 JumpGates in it and even if the were all in the<BR>
> same plain (the one depicted in all those cannon flat maps of<BR>
> known space so that you knew where that plain was) there<BR>
> would still be over 157e9 km between them.  Further, even if<BR>
> the JumpGate was 150 meters in diameter, they would only<BR>
> have an apparent arc of c. 3.28312e-8 seconds.  So what are<BR>
> the chances of accidentally finding one?  Astronomical!<BR>
<BR>
Accidentally finding them would be very difficult, but >1000 AU is in<BR>
the Oort cloud region. There has been some speculation in the past that<BR>
that region might be useful for some sort of rare asteroid mining ops. <BR>
In such systems these spaces are going to be pretty thoroughly examined<BR>
with some high powered sensors. They may well pop up then.<BR>
<BR>
Another scenario. The Oort cloud is where comets come from. Comets are<BR>
dinokillers...if you have a society with a high enough tech level,<BR>
they'll be monitored and mapped to some extent, at least as far as<BR>
knowing where the major bodies are, as a matter of prudence. Again, this<BR>
involves some serious sensors work that'll possibly turn the things up.<BR>
<BR>
Misjumps, particularly in a TNE universe that depends on fuel for<BR>
thrust, will cause stranded people to look really hard for icy bodies<BR>
out there that they can use to get themselves home, This would be the<BR>
likeliest scenario to run some PC's into a gate.<BR>
<BR>
Of course, in the OTU, as Ancient Artifacts they'll be redzoned<BR>
immediately; an appropriate cover story, such as deepspace astronomical<BR>
and astrophysical work will be put out.<BR>
<BR>
It even makes sense, in a way. Regular jump drives have a problem at <<BR>
100 diameters. It would be at all far fetched that Imperial researchers<BR>
would be playing around with stuff waaaaay out, in case it unlocks<BR>
things like Jump 7 or 10. This, btw, isn't at all ruled out by canon. <BR>
<BR>
It may simply be that since thrusters don't work out there, and using<BR>
Heplar to drive in to where thrusters do work is prohibitively expensive<BR>
in terms of fuel tankage, means that research into the behavior of jump<BR>
drives in significantly 'flatter' areas of space is going to be quite<BR>
limited, especially since the common assumption is "jump fuel = 10% of<BR>
the volume per number" Jump 7+ is considered impractical anyway, since<BR>
so little of the ship is left to hold everything else.<BR>
<BR>
What if, waaay out there, you need less fuel to jump farther...this<BR>
could be a _great_ macguffin for a group of PC's or patrons.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Bruce Johnson<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
College of Pharmacy<BR>
Information Technology Group<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 02:02:16 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Long Way Home - IG edition<BR>
<BR>
I am trying to get my filthy hands on "Long Way Home" (The Imperium<BR>
Games edition, not BITS). I managed to find "Gateway" at a convention,<BR>
but I feel that I need the first book as well. It would make a great<BR>
campaign for players new to Traveller (I have a bunch of those).<BR>
<BR>
Is there anyone who has that book and is willing to part with it? I<BR>
don't have any old Traveller material for trades, so I am looking for a<BR>
cash offer. I don't really care if the book is a bit worn, as long as<BR>
everything is still there, readable and useable.<BR>
<BR>
Please reply by private mail. Thank you.<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
 (who will soon be introducing new recruits to Traveller)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 19:11:15 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Long Way Home - IG edition<BR>
<BR>
Jens Rydholm wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> I am trying to get my filthy hands on "Long Way Home" (The Imperium<BR>
> Games edition, not BITS). I managed to find "Gateway" at a convention,<BR>
> but I feel that I need the first book as well. It would make a great<BR>
> campaign for players new to Traveller (I have a bunch of those).<BR>
> <BR>
> Is there anyone who has that book and is willing to part with it? I<BR>
> don't have any old Traveller material for trades, so I am looking for a<BR>
> cash offer. I don't really care if the book is a bit worn, as long as<BR>
> everything is still there, readable and useable.<BR>
<BR>
While I don't recall whether _Long Way Home_ is one of the books left,<BR>
my FLGS has just put several T4 books on clearance.  Go to:<BR>
<BR>
http://www.littlewars.com<BR>
<BR>
to contact the store.  I _do_ know that, as of this past Monday, they<BR>
had the M:0 books, including one copy of the hardback M:0 Campaign.<BR>
<BR>
(In other words, I have all the T4 books _I_ want.... ;-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 17:14:18 -0800<BR>
From: "Tsykoduk" <tsykoduk@bigfoot.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Philosophy of Task Systems<BR>
<BR>
<delurk><BR>
<BR>
OOh good lord - you let the cat-like-sophont out of the bag now!<BR>
<BR>
:)<BR>
<BR>
Ok -<BR>
<BR>
Here is my take on it. Take it or leave it.<BR>
<BR>
I started with the classic system, moved to MT, then TNE, and then back to<BR>
MT. Then I had an inspiration.<BR>
<BR>
Stat Bonuses are STAT/2.5.<BR>
<BR>
Skill effect is Skill x 2. Skill 'effect' corresponds roughly with 1 year of<BR>
college level classes or training on the subject. (I use skill directly, and<BR>
simply double the # of skill rolls the character gets).<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Use a D20 system (I like the d20 system)<BR>
<BR>
Easy 		Total X4<BR>
Average	Total X3<BR>
Difficult	Total X2<BR>
Formidable	Total X1<BR>
Impossible	Total X.5<BR>
<BR>
All of this is directly figured in the character sheet (a nice XL2000<BR>
spreadsheet at this time).<BR>
<BR>
So - Average human, 4 years of college:<BR>
<BR>
Diff		Roll	% of success<BR>
Easy		16	80%<BR>
Average	12	60%<BR>
Difficult	8	40%<BR>
Formidable	4	20%<BR>
Impossible	2	10%<BR>
<BR>
Modifiers are given to the diff level, and the roll.<BR>
<BR>
I am going to look over the other ones tho.. Always can use ideas!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
[mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Robert<BR>
Eaglestone<BR>
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2000 10:00 AM<BR>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
Subject: Philosophy of Task Systems<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
So I want to know what people use for task systems.<BR>
<BR>
Let me start by saying what I think of the task<BR>
systems I have seen.<BR>
<BR>
Classic Traveller: the system is a 2D roll against<BR>
an 8, modified by the player's skill and the difficulty.<BR>
I don't like semi-arbitrary DMs and target numbers,<BR>
but it's simple.<BR>
<BR>
MegaTraveller: A series of trade-offs leaves its<BR>
value mixed.  One small step sideways for the game,<BR>
but one giant leap for Task Systems.  Getting rid<BR>
of the '8' is good.  Dividing by 5 is very very bad.<BR>
Codifying tasks into a modular component of the game<BR>
system is very very good.  Making the system more<BR>
complex was inevitable, but still a small bad.<BR>
Therefore, for gameplay no improvement.  For the<BR>
game system a great improvement.<BR>
<BR>
TNE: Gadzooks.  I have to add my skill + stat and<BR>
divide by four.  Same problems as MT, just scaled into<BR>
the TNE/T2K rule system.<BR>
<BR>
GURPS: No division necessary.  Three dice rolled,<BR>
with a target number of your skill level (which<BR>
is related to your stat + training).  Modifiers,<BR>
however, are per Classic Traveller, an ironic twist.<BR>
However, this system is clean, and except for<BR>
having to know the modifiers, there's nothing to<BR>
remember.<BR>
<BR>
T4: Your target number is as GURPS: characteristic<BR>
plus skill level; however, the difficulty determines<BR>
the number of dice rolled.  This pleasantly takes<BR>
away task-difficulty die modifiers, and removes that<BR>
table from the rulebook forever; however, there's that<BR>
annoying probability leap downwards when you go from<BR>
two dice to three dice.  The solution which least impacts<BR>
the game tradition is to have a half-die, so you go<BR>
from 2D -> 2.5D -> 3D.  Nasty thing, that half-die.<BR>
Except for that, I'd say it's wonderful.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Could a Traveller game live with the T4 system,<BR>
except ignoring that half die?<BR>
<BR>
Rob<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 14:34:00 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: How large can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
On 20 Jan 00, at 17:09, Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>  Some species of anglerfish do this, and some barnacles as<BR>
>  well IIRC.  It should be noted that females are larger<BR>
>  than males in most animal species, though not typically<BR>
>  to this extreme.<BR>
<BR>
Except those found in roleplaying game, where almost no species <BR>
have females bigger than males. I long since came to the conclusion <BR>
that most game writers have never really had a good look at the life <BR>
that exists around us, let alone the posibilities.<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: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 18:07:33 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
<BR>
From: <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
> On 01/20/00 at 01:36 PM,  "Hughes, Michael"<BR>
<Michael.Hughes@cbr.defence.gov.au> said:<BR>
> >I see Spacer's, even Navy, wearing the same sort of<BR>
> >coverall/overall/jumpsuity thing as sub crews do (no reason, I just think<BR>
> >it is cool). In the case of a breech (or combat alert) the arm and leg<BR>
> >cuffs, being from a high tech outfit, automatically contract to form a<BR>
> >snug but comfortable fit at ankle and wrist for ease of suiting up<BR>
> >(probably linked to the ship's computer so this is automatic when said<BR>
> >alert is activated).<BR>
><BR>
> I had that opinion too, but from my limited sample it appears that<BR>
> jumpsuit/coverall type clothing isn't going to be popular with half<BR>
> the human population.  I'm opting for shirt and pants being more<BR>
> common for normal wear with coveralls and jumpsuits used while doing<BR>
> scut work.<BR>
<BR>
:-)  I sit here in my nice comfy coveralls and wonder, "Why?"<BR>
<BR>
Could someone from the other half of humaniti explain what<BR>
might be wrong with coveralls, or at least confirm Eris's<BR>
contention?  Kiri maybe?  You seem to be fairly brave about<BR>
this sort of thing and I really don't understand.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
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Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 18:23:10 -0800<BR>
From: "Wayne Ewart" <wewart@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: AM2 K'Kree<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> >While hunting through my early GDW stuff looking for the K'Kree reference<BR>
> we<BR>
> >were all hunting for (JTAS 21 it seems, hmmm... must go shopping <g>) I<BR>
was<BR>
> >looking through my recently acquired AM2 when I noticed that pp5-8 and<BR>
> >pp33-36 are missing, and I have duplicates of pp9-12 and 29-32.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >Does anyone else have this problem?<BR>
> ><BR>
> >If not, could some kindly sophont scan/photocopy the 'missing' pages and<BR>
> >contact me offlist.<BR>
> ><BR>
Sorry I don't have AM2 K'Kree, so I can't help you with the 'missing' pages.<BR>
But I did have a similar problem with the first copy of AM8 Darrians, pp.<BR>
17-32 are missing with duplicates of pp. 1-16 and 33-48. It seem quality<BR>
control slipped at the printers during the AM 1-8 run.<BR>
<BR>
Wayne<BR>
wewart@home.com<BR>
icq22113294<BR>
http://www.members.home.net/wewart/wewart/traveller/<BR>
<BR>
Eric: Where are we going to run to?<BR>
Rincewind: From. The important word is from.<BR>
- - Eric and Rincewind, Eric<BR>
(Terry Pratchett)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 21:36:36 EST<BR>
From: GDWGAMES@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
I would be amazed if one of Asimov's essays didn't deal with this question. <BR>
ISTR that Willey Ley once determined that 20-40 pounds was the minimum size <BR>
for intelligence on the human level, but that was in the late 50s, and I have <BR>
no clue what his reasoning was.<BR>
<BR>
Loren Wiseman<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 18:44:15 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Small change [was:Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1754]<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
<snip><BR>
> <serious><BR>
><BR>
> What about if they passed on to you the charge that their bank makes for<BR>
> handling cash?<BR>
<BR>
Umm, not to be too pedantic, but they *do* pass on those charges.<BR>
<BR>
> 50p per 100 IIRC. Of course, banks charge small businesses just to exist,<BR>
> never mind actually use any of their services. That's how you get free<BR>
> personal banking and free credit on credit cards.<BR>
<BR>
Kind of funny when you stop to think of it.  Pay now or pay later,<BR>
TANSTAAFL.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
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------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 20:37:45 -0700<BR>
From: "Joseph Kimball" <jekimball@prodigy.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1786<BR>
<BR>
I am already listed as a (an?) heretic for exactly this heresy.  I use the<BR>
RuneQuest D100 system for most combat and skill tasks.  Because of my<BR>
personal history I acutally have more experience using the D100 system and<BR>
feel more comfortable with it.  I even have a (partial) conversion table<BR>
between CT skill levels and RuneQuest style D100 skill levels.<BR>
http://pages.prodigy.net/jekimball/skill.htm<BR>
- - Joseph<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
> Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 17:40:03 -0500<BR>
> From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
> Subject: re: Philosophy of task systems<BR>
><BR>
> Luther Martin wrote:<BR>
> >Similarly, maybe the traditional<BR>
> >d6-based rolls are in this class. They were great for their time (late<BR>
> >70's), but maybe their time has passed. Go for the d100.<BR>
><BR>
> d100. We have a heretic folks, get the thumbscrews!  :-)<BR>
><BR>
> Yep, percentile-based RPG's are a new innovation, the wave of the future.<BR>
><BR>
> Oh, wait, didn't Chaosium release RuneQuest in the late 1970's?  ;-)<BR>
><BR>
> Sorry, couldn't resist...<BR>
><BR>
> "Percentile=Modern" makes about as much sense as "Primitive=Stupid".<BR>
> Multi-die systems are intended to model different probability than<BR>
percentile<BR>
> systems do, unless you tweak numbers to make the percentiles match the<BR>
> outcomes of the multi-die system. In that case, it would be simpler to<BR>
keep<BR>
> the multi-die system.<BR>
><BR>
> Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 20:42:22 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: How large can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
From: Rupert Boleyn <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> On 20 Jan 00, at 17:09, Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> >  Some species of anglerfish do this, and some barnacles as<BR>
> >  well IIRC.  It should be noted that females are larger<BR>
> >  than males in most animal species, though not typically<BR>
> >  to this extreme.<BR>
><BR>
> Except those found in roleplaying game, where almost no species<BR>
> have females bigger than males. I long since came to the conclusion<BR>
> that most game writers have never really had a good look at the life<BR>
> that exists around us, let alone the posibilities.<BR>
<BR>
In every Terrestrial species that might even possibly be<BR>
sentient, with the exception of dolphins, the male is larger<BR>
than the female.  AFAIK, dolphins are the same size<BR>
regardless of sex.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1787<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1788</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 21 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1788<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: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
re: small change<BR>
Re: CT Campaign Background (Longish)<BR>
Re: Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU<BR>
Re: Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: Clones<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: Philosophy of Task Systems<BR>
Re: Scientific American<BR>
RE: Re Prions<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: Re Fuel Scoops<BR>
RE: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: Re Fuel Scoops<BR>
Macguffin? (was: Re: Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU)<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
RE: Small change [was:Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1754]<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: Aldeberan Sector data...<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 22:46:07 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
On 01/20/00 at 09:19 AM,  Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>Well, if it uses the same 'technology', a brain comparable in capability<BR>
>to a  human will also be similar in size (depending on what its<BR>
>controlling, it could be a bit smaller).  As such, a 'brain-jellyfish'<BR>
>could probably be a couple of pounds (and would need to live in a vat). <BR>
>A sentient which makes evolutionary sense probably has a lower mass limit<BR>
>in the 10-20 kilogram range.<BR>
<BR>
So, how do we define sentient?  There are several <10 kg animals here<BR>
on earth that are quite cunning, highly trainable, and who can<BR>
communicate with each other to a limited degree.  Heck, an alley cat<BR>
with opposable thumbs or a slightly more advanced cerebellum might<BR>
very well qualify as sentient.<BR>
<BR>
>Note that human brains actually use quite a bit of energy, that 10<BR>
>kilogram sentient is going to need a lot of food for its weight.<BR>
<BR>
Right, and meat is a more compact form of energy than foliage.  I<BR>
think we will find that herbivores will very seldom rise to<BR>
intelligence.  Perhaps it's a conceit, but I think intelligence belongs<BR>
to the meat eaters. <BR>
<BR>
Eris,<BR>
    who just finished a steak <g><BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 22:55:52 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: re: small change<BR>
<BR>
On 01/20/00 at 01:20 PM,  Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU> said:<BR>
<BR>
>I recall a short story I read a long time ago, about a couple of rich<BR>
>twits who take out a million pounds as a single million-pound note. They<BR>
>then give this million-pound note to a homeless man, and somehow keep<BR>
>track of him as he tries to spend it. <BR>
<BR>
>No one can break the note, but most of the places he goes (especially the<BR>
>upscale ones) figure he must be some sort of eccentric millionaire and<BR>
>extend him credit.<BR>
<BR>
>(I don't know if such a thing as a million-pound note even exists, but it<BR>
>made an interesting story.)<BR>
<BR>
There was a movie based on that story. I remember seeing part of it a few years ago.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 21:59:14 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: CT Campaign Background (Longish)<BR>
<BR>
>II.    Are there any star charts for the sector due south of the<BR>
>Solomani Rim (Aldebaran I believe)<BR>
<BR>
I have created the Aldebaran sector on my copy of Galactic, the software<BR>
that no Traveller GM or serious player should be without. I have recently<BR>
discovered how to export the sector into a .sar (Sector Archive) file --<BR>
it's yours if you want it. It has the rimward edge of the Solomani<BR>
Confederacy along with four subsectors (the rimward 4) of unaligned space,<BR>
some of which is inhabited, including one independent star grouping.<BR>
Anyone who wants a copy, let me know -- if I get a lot of requests, <BR>
I'll post it on my own Traveller campaign web page (even though the<BR>
setting is nowhere *near* Aldebaran).<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: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 21:03:01 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU<BR>
<BR>
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<snip><BR>
> It may simply be that since thrusters don't work out there, and using<BR>
> Heplar to drive in to where thrusters do work is prohibitively expensive<BR>
> in terms of fuel tankage, means that research into the behavior of jump<BR>
> drives in significantly 'flatter' areas of space is going to be quite<BR>
> limited, especially since the common assumption is "jump fuel = 10% of<BR>
> the volume per number" Jump 7+ is considered impractical anyway, since<BR>
> so little of the ship is left to hold everything else.<BR>
><BR>
> What if, waaay out there, you need less fuel to jump farther...this<BR>
> could be a _great_ macguffin for a group of PC's or patrons.<BR>
<BR>
Err, what is a macguffin?<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
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<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 22:06:24 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Hiver skin color? Any canon?<BR>
<BR>
>Does any canon exist on the color of Hiver skin. I'm finally starting to<BR>
>piant my hiver miniature and I realized that I don't have the Hivers alien<BR>
>supplement to check background.<BR>
<BR>
This is direct from Aliens of the Rim: Hivers and Ithklur<BR>
<BR>
"Hiver skin colors range from pink to tan, with occasional<BR>
patches of gray or brown (aging brings out randomly placed<BR>
splotches of brown), and the so-called 'larval orange' which<BR>
is really a subdued brownish-orange."<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: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 21:11:26 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>   Alright, any more anti-K'kree jokes and they begin phase two of Kirur-<BR>
> forming Australia. And you thought that the rabbits were bad enough...<BR>
<BR>
Not to worry. The Tri-Lateral Commission is negotiating to give the<BR>
K'kree their own problems and at the same time, eliminate some future<BR>
problems for us. Something about Chtorr-forming the 2000 worlds?<BR>
<BR>
<can't you just *see* the K'Kree *trying* to fight off that sort of<BR>
ecological attack?><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: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 21:20:59 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Clones<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> There's been talk of clones, and their rights. Now of<BR>
> course a clone is nothng more than a twin<BR>
> brother/sister of the orginal, so if implanted in<BR>
> vitro and grown up normally will have the same legal<BR>
> rights as anyone normally concieved.<BR>
><BR>
> BUT - what about if they are "force-grown", in tanks,<BR>
> to, say, 21 years old physically, in just 100 days?<BR>
> They have the mind of a newborn, but the body of an<BR>
> adult. What then?<BR>
<BR>
You'll be liable for "child abuse" and the court will appoint a<BR>
guardian for the period until trhey become legally compotent.<BR>
<BR>
> Then there is the question of the good old<BR>
> "braintaping", recording a person's whole personality<BR>
> on disk. If you have this technology, you can download<BR>
> it onto a computer, then onto any number of clones you<BR>
> wish, or even on variations. (Presumably they must be<BR>
> human, I imagine trying to put a human personality<BR>
> into a fish is a real square peg in round hole<BR>
> problem!) Is this desirable? Doubtless it appeals to a<BR>
> few military scientists, armies of clone soldiers and<BR>
> all that, all with the personality of a crusty old<BR>
> platoon sergeant who's recently retired but happy to<BR>
> donate his genetic and mental materal to his<BR>
> country...<BR>
<BR>
Legally, downloading into a clone is no different than grabbing a bum<BR>
out of an alley and downloading into him. You can get away with either<BR>
while the technology is new. After that, both would be captial crimes<BR>
"Destruction of personality" or some such. AKA "Mindwipe". Note that<BR>
the crime *isn't* so much dumping a new "person" into the body as it is<BR>
"killing" the old one.<BR>
<BR>
Also, sooner or later any technology that can get at memory will also<BR>
allow transfers of *recent* memory and senosory impressions. Say, a<BR>
split second ago. You now have the "mechanical" equivalent of<BR>
telepathy. <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: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 21:15:08 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
><BR>
>> The K'kree, expanding to spinward? Anti-spinward? Whichever direction<BR>
>> is *away* from the imperium run into something like Niven's Protectors.<BR>
><BR>
> Hm..personally, I was running through a list of races in GURPS Space, and <BR>
> decided that that would be a good place to put the Kaa (who would, of course,<BR>
> confirm all the worst beliefs of the K'kree, since they would consider the <BR>
> K'kree to be 'food').<BR>
<BR>
Nah, grab a copy of the "War Against the Chtorr" Sourcebook. The worms<BR>
(to say nothing of the ecology that comes with them) will keep even<BR>
genocidal maniacs like the K'kree in line.<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: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 23:56:41 -0600<BR>
From: Kenneth Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions <dreamer@brokersys.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Philosophy of Task Systems<BR>
<BR>
Eris reddoch wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> I think Ken Bearden's KB2.0 has the least impact on game tradition and<BR>
> allows you to use whole dice in a T4 type Task System. Here's a<BR>
> summary, Ken correct me if I'm wrong...<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
That's pretty much it.  For the full write up, check Freelance Traveller.  It was still there the last time I looked.<BR>
<BR>
Kenneth.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 23:44:49 -0600<BR>
From: Bolie Williams IV <bolie@io.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Scientific American<BR>
<BR>
At 5:41 AM -0800 1/20/2000, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
>Rail guns in essence have a pair of magnetic "plates" (or<BR>
>electromagnets) above and below the "barrel". There are a pair of<BR>
>conductive "rails" running the length of the barrel. The conductive<BR>
>projectile gets placed across the rails. The current flows from one<BR>
>rail to the other *thru* the projectile. The current, being at right<BR>
>angles to the magnetic field generates a reactive force (JxB force) at<BR>
>right angles to *both* the field *and* the current.<BR>
<BR>
Actually, you don't need extra magnets... the two conductive rails<BR>
generate a strong magnetic field which is in just the right direction<BR>
between them to accelerate the projectile.  And you are correct...<BR>
any conductor can be used to launch projectiles.  In fact, I've<BR>
seen aluminum sabots with sub-caliber tunsgten carbide darts.<BR>
<BR>
>Rail guns are preferred for weapons because they are so damn simple and<BR>
>don't require synchronized switching of field coils the way the "coil<BR>
>guns" do. Most of the smaller reasearch "guns" are rail guns.<BR>
<BR>
This is true, but if you can time your pulse so that it ramps down<BR>
to 0 just as the projectile leaves the barrel, you eliminate the<BR>
muzzle flash of a powerful electric arc and reduce electrical erosion<BR>
of the barrel ends.<BR>
<BR>
>"Coil guns" aka "mass drivers" are better suited for *big installations<BR>
>for launching *large* payloads. The switching times are longer, because<BR>
>the driver coils are a lot farther apart.<BR>
<BR>
You can do coil guns fairly efficiently and they switching required<BR>
is well within the capabilities of modern electronics.  If your<BR>
projectile is in a conductive loop or is wrapped by a conductive<BR>
loop, you an use induction to launch.<BR>
<BR>
My professor predicted a maximum of 50% energy efficiency for<BR>
railguns and 80% for coilguns.<BR>
<BR>
Bolie IV<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Bolie Williams IV<BR>
bolie@io.com<BR>
http://www.io.com/~bolie/<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 19:16:31 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Re Prions<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Daniel Phelps<BR>
<BR>
> Perhaps it is all a vile K'kree plot to destroy all flesh eating Humaniti<BR>
> and Vargr.  Yes, that is it!  Kuru was the orginal test.  Mad Cow and<BR>
> Scrappies were field experiments to see if it would spread to humaniti.<BR>
> I'll bet if we check there is a canine manifestation as well.<BR>
<BR>
So whose responsioble for them flesh-eating diseases, huh ?<BR>
(Y'know necrotizing facetiousness, or whatever it's called) <BR>
<BR>
Especially if it was intelligent like the Vang.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 22:08:50 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>> Only a bit? You forget the whole concept of the 3I is slow propagation of<BR>
>>> news.<BR>
>><BR>
>>As long as the gates are *scarce*, they only speed up a *few* comm links.<BR>
><BR>
> IMTU, they exist, and they don't cause any real trouble with the canon<BR>
> setting, for the simple fact they only one that I know of existing in<BR>
> charted space is far out on the edge, and it's not been discovered.<BR>
> Several years ago I did up a campaign, where Stargates would have played an<BR>
> important part, unfortunatly the game died before it really got off the<BR>
> ground (blasted Navy was at fault there).<BR>
><BR>
> The gates IMTU are old, and abandoned, but they're newer than the Ancients.<BR>
> The entire race that created them is dead, and no one knows they exist, or<BR>
> how to operate them.<BR>
><BR>
> I figure that stargates in the Traveller universe would be sort of like<BR>
> Wormwholes in the "Honor Harrington" universe.  In other words great for<BR>
> getting between the rather separtated systems that have them, (and there is<BR>
> a good reason they're very separated IMTU), but you've still got to use<BR>
> conventional Jump Drive to get to most systems.<BR>
<BR>
Yeah. In Weber's universe the "wormholes" *complicate* strategy more<BR>
than they help it. :-)<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: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 22:04:14 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re Fuel Scoops<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>I've considered forcing my players to leave a base and scoop fuel from a gas<BR>
>>giant in *real time*. I wonder how many would scoop fuel to shave a few<BR>
>>credits off of each run after that. :)<BR>
>><BR>
> I did that to a player group... ONCE. I was just running along nicely,<BR>
> until someone blew a piloting roll REALLY badly (was using TNE) - A Natural<BR>
> 20. Not just once, versus his 12 asset, but three times running. 2hours of<BR>
> play later, one of the guys was furiously looking for a CD with Taps on<BR>
> it... as the cutter kept getting colder and colder, and then started to<BR>
> groan... and heat up again... then implode, All the while the PC was<BR>
> desperately trying to undo his crit fails (The player genuinely rolled 17<BR>
> 20's and 7 1's of 30 rolls that session... and with a different die each<BR>
> 3rd roll, rolling on s shoebox lid on the floor in the middle of the room,<BR>
> tossing the die from the couch....). The tension level was high, the<BR>
> ending, anticlimactic. It also spelled doom for the campaign, as the ship<BR>
> was down to PP fuel, having spent the last 1/6th G-hour of thrustfor an OI<BR>
> burn... Everyone drank a toast to the portrayal of a tragic death in the<BR>
> best anime-melodrama traditions (Both Players and Characters), and then the<BR>
> rest of the party started trying to figure out how to get help. Without<BR>
> attracting the vampire they had originally set out to study.<BR>
<BR>
Which is when you roll a "non-random" random ship encounter...<BR>
<BR>
Say an exploration ship from D.e.M. Corp. (D.e.M. = Deus ex Machina :-)<BR>
 <BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 19:32:51 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
> -----Original Message-----<BR>
> From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> [mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Walter Smith<BR>
> Sent: Friday, 21 January 2000 03:47<BR>
> To: 'TML'<BR>
> Subject: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> I doubt that this a a question we can answer yet, but...<BR>
><BR>
> What's the minimum body size for a creature to support a brain<BR>
> comparable in capability to that of a human? Monkey-sized?<BR>
> Squirrel-sized? Hamster-sized?<BR>
<BR>
In science fiction, as small as you like.<BR>
<BR>
Y'know, like those mice who commissioned the earth were merely a pseudopodic<BR>
extension into this universe of a pan-dimensional hyper-intelligent race.<BR>
<BR>
Otherwise, I suspect that as intelligence is a factor of the number of<BR>
'bits' and the ccomplexity of interconnections between them, you won't find<BR>
any 'individual' sentients much smaller than a largish bird.<BR>
<BR>
But that's merely a guess, as 'our' form of intelligence may not be the most<BR>
efficient.<BR>
<BR>
If you bring in "hive-minds", then your smallest component could be pretty<BR>
small...<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 00:35:23 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Fuel Scoops<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> <BR>
> Which is when you roll a "non-random" random ship encounter...<BR>
> <BR>
> Say an exploration ship from D.e.M. Corp. (D.e.M. = Deus ex Machina :-)<BR>
<BR>
Of course, you tell the _players_ that DeM stands for Delacroix et<BR>
Mitterand LIC, a local ship chartering firm.  Then give them the<BR>
role-playing opportunity to convince a group of normally desk-bound<BR>
researchers to risk both their lives (since they aren't adventuring<BR>
types, their lives are more important to them than money) and a<BR>
chartered ship (that they would have to pay for, if it gets damaged or<BR>
destroyed) to save their hides.  (You _don't_ want your players to think<BR>
that you'll bail them out of any jam....)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 00:45:16 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Macguffin? (was: Re: Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU)<BR>
<BR>
"Jason T. Barnabas" wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> ><BR>
> > What if, waaay out there, you need less fuel to jump farther...this<BR>
> > could be a _great_ macguffin for a group of PC's or patrons.<BR>
> <BR>
> Err, what is a macguffin?<BR>
<BR>
IIRC, the term "macguffin" [spelling?] was coined by Hitchcock to<BR>
describe an unusual object used as a "plot-pull" device.  (A possible<BR>
example would be Hammett's Maltese Falcon.)  Bottom line, a macguffin<BR>
should be a unique item that would enable its owner to do something both<BR>
desirable and spectacular.  Such as a deep-space jump drive that<BR>
requires less fuel per parsec....<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 00:48:57 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> <BR>
> Nah, grab a copy of the "War Against the Chtorr" Sourcebook. The worms<BR>
> (to say nothing of the ecology that comes with them) will keep even<BR>
> genocidal maniacs like the K'kree in line.<BR>
<BR>
I have no doubt that Chtorriforming K'kree worlds would keep the K'kree<BR>
in check.<BR>
<BR>
The problem is, how do you _keep_ the Chtorr pointed downrange, rather<BR>
than coming back toward you?<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 19:51:21 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Small change [was:Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1754]<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Phil Kitching<BR>
<BR>
> What about if they passed on to you the charge that their bank makes for<BR>
> handling cash?<BR>
><BR>
> 50p per 100 IIRC. Of course, banks charge small businesses just to exist,<BR>
> never mind actually use any of their services. That's how you get free<BR>
> personal banking and free credit on credit cards.<BR>
<BR>
How do you get free personal banking and free credit cards ?<BR>
<BR>
The only reason I don't pay a whole pile of bank fees, is that I'm paying<BR>
the bank so much more thatn the fees in interest each month, they waive the<BR>
fees !<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 00:56:27 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> <BR>
> Right, and meat is a more compact form of energy than foliage.  I<BR>
> think we will find that herbivores will very seldom rise to<BR>
> intelligence.  Perhaps it's a conceit, but I think intelligence belongs<BR>
> to the meat eaters.<BR>
<BR>
That makes sense, from an evolutionary standpoint.  After all, it<BR>
doesn't take all that much intelligence to stalk a wild stalk.  OTOH,<BR>
omnivores, even more than carnivores, have to figure out how to get<BR>
enough food, both vegetable and animal, when said omnivores are not<BR>
optimized to obtain one type of food or the other.<BR>
<BR>
BTW, in response to the title question of this thread, ISTR that<BR>
artificially- induced sentience can be achieved in very small<BR>
(rodent-sized) creatures, by running them through an Acme [tm] Gene<BR>
Splicer and Bagel Warmer....<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 01:53:11 -0500<BR>
From: Bill Rutherford <worj@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Aldeberan Sector data...<BR>
<BR>
At 01:40 PM 01/20/2000 -0600, Jason wrote:<BR>
>Chris Dixon (and other interested parties,)<BR>
><BR>
>Here's an online resource (specifically, the CORE website) for UWP<BR>
>data on the Aldeberan Sector, to rimward of the Solomani Rim, for<BR>
>your campaign:<BR>
><BR>
>http://members.nova.org/~sol/core/astrogat/jG.htm<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
++Good!  Just went there; yellow on black is surprisingly easy to read!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Bill Rutherford<BR>
worj@home.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 18:08:55 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
>> Right, and meat is a more compact form of energy than foliage.  I<BR>
>> think we will find that herbivores will very seldom rise to<BR>
>> intelligence.  Perhaps it's a conceit, but I think intelligence belongs<BR>
>> to the meat eaters.<BR>
><BR>
>That makes sense, from an evolutionary standpoint.  After all, it<BR>
>doesn't take all that much intelligence to stalk a wild stalk.  OTOH,<BR>
>omnivores, even more than carnivores, have to figure out how to get<BR>
>enough food, both vegetable and animal, when said omnivores are not<BR>
>optimized to obtain one type of food or the other.<BR>
<BR>
    The most curious animal in the world is a cow. Don't leave the survey<BR>
gear unattended because all the little Jersey's come over and knock it down<BR>
while having a snoop, they stick their noses over your shoulder while your<BR>
working and generaly love a good enquire.<BR>
    Herbivores have to be large because their food requires a long digestion<BR>
process, you can have big herbivores with a lot of time on their hands to<BR>
snoop about while getting lunch through their digestive tract but they need<BR>
a rich food supply that they can unconsciouly ingest.<BR>
    Like a whale.<BR>
    Jim<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 22:25:38 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@pharmacy.arizona.edu><BR>
><BR>
>> Jason T. Barnabas wrote:<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> > I have been following the DITU threads and have a couple of<BR>
>> > thoughts and some past history to add to the discussion.<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> > There are four major areas that I noted during previous<BR>
>> > posts: darker ancients; dark secret organizations; mythical<BR>
>> > elements and star gates.  As to the first two, I have no<BR>
>> > opinions or suggestions to offer.<BR>
>><BR>
>> Wow, some nice ideas in there...definitely into the TML keeper file...<BR>
><BR>
> Thanks Bruce.  One of the things I liked most about the<BR>
> JumpGates I described is that they do not violate cannon.<BR>
> Those JumpGates have been there all along, but who does<BR>
> anything out beyond 1,000 A.U. where they live, huh?<BR>
><BR>
> Even if there were ops out that far and even if you were in a<BR>
> system with 6 JumpGates in it and even if the were all in the<BR>
> same plain (the one depicted in all those cannon flat maps of<BR>
> known space so that you knew where that plain was) there<BR>
> would still be over 157e9 km between them.  Further, even if<BR>
> the JumpGate was 150 meters in diameter, they would only<BR>
> have an apparent arc of c. 3.28312e-8 seconds.  So what are<BR>
> the chances of accidentally finding one?  Astronomical!<BR>
<BR>
<snip><BR>
<BR>
> I was inspired by that book with a method of finding a<BR>
> JumpGate.  An astronomer might stumble across one while<BR>
> observing a star that crosses behind the JumpGate.  When<BR>
> it reappears, they will have an idea of where the object is,<BR>
> but not what.<BR>
><BR>
> Scientists being the curious creatures that they are, they<BR>
> might be more fascinated by what happened than what they<BR>
> were originally researching.  Or maybe they would just pass<BR>
> the data on and another scientist (or group of scientists)<BR>
> would follow up on it.  The first and second scientist(s) might<BR>
> even be separated by centuries of time.  You know, some<BR>
> brash young astrophysicist runs across a mention in a dusty<BR>
> old journal and decides to try to figure out what could have<BR>
> caused it.<BR>
<BR>
Also note that it's far more likely to be an *amateur* astronomer<BR>
making the discovery. Because by this time the "serious" astronomers<BR>
will be using facilities as far from the plane of the ecliptic as they<BR>
can get, specificly to *avoid* things in the "plane of the system"<BR>
getting in the way!<BR>
<BR>
Also, folks interested in the actual system, as opposed to distant<BR>
stars and even more distant galaxies, are likely to splist off from the<BR>
mainstream of astronomy. Even now "planetary astronomers" are a sort of<BR>
second class citizen in the astronomical community. I'd not be<BR>
surprised to have them split of into a "new" specialty, call it<BR>
"planetographers". <BR>
<BR>
So once it becomes clear that the occulation was caused by something<BR>
"inside" the system (because the occultation was only seen in a limited<BR>
area), the "astronomers" will pass the data to the "planetographers"<BR>
who, because they are likely more interested in the larger and closer<BR>
bodies will pass it off the the amateurs.<BR>
<BR>
> Anyway, that is one method that their existence might come<BR>
> to light.  A patron (the scientist or a scientific society or a<BR>
> government) could then hire the PCs to find just what is<BR>
> causing the phenomena.  With this scenario, the PCs would<BR>
> know exactly where the object is located.  All they have to do<BR>
> is go and investigate it.  Or if you have PCs who like to dig<BR>
> into old data for possible sources of income (or reasons of<BR>
> their own), you could have them find the data.<BR>
<BR>
Or, one of the PCs (or an NPC friend) could be an amateur who wants to<BR>
be the first to get a precise orbit for whatever it is (giving him the<BR>
right to suggest a name for it).<BR>
<BR>
He could ask the group for help. <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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1788<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1789</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 21 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1789<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: Encryption Frequency<BR>
Re: Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
Re: psuedo battleships<BR>
Re: Small change (with Traveller stuff)<BR>
Re: Macguffin? (was: Re: Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU)<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: Magnetic Anomaly Detectors<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: Small change<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: How large can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
Re: How do PAWs penetrate armor?<BR>
Re: Aldeberan Sector data...<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 22:43:10 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Encryption Frequency<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Someone asked about letter frequency some time back and I never saw a<BR>
> response, so I decide to do a little counting.  I don't get my<BR>
> subscription in digest form so I decide to use one of my email<BR>
> folders.  I copied it to the desktop and opened it to see what it<BR>
> looked like.  I found several attached images and knew those would<BR>
> definitely skew the data, so I tried  to think of any other source of<BR>
> English usage that I might have in an electronic format.  I realized<BR>
> that I had several copies of the Bible that could be used and decided<BR>
> to do a letter count on one of them.<BR>
<BR>
> The text of the NAS Bible contains 4,070,478 characters.  This does not<BR>
> include the titles of the books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, etc.) nor<BR>
> chapter and verse numbers.  The alphabetic characters are detailed<BR>
> separately below.<BR>
><BR>
> * * * * * * * *   All Characters   * * * * * * * *<BR>
<BR>
<Snip><BR>
<BR>
Table below re-arranged:<BR>
<BR>
> * * * * * * * *   Alphabetic Characters   * * * * * * * *<BR>
> E 392,185 12.438%<BR>
> T 274,525  8.706%<BR>
> O 268,585  8.518%<BR>
> A 252,560  8.010%<BR>
> H 239,555  7.597%<BR>
> N 208,302  6.606%<BR>
> I 200,761  6.367%<BR>
> S 196,976  6.247%<BR>
> R 176,796  5.607%<BR>
> D 147,337  4.673%<BR>
> L 131,515  4.171%<BR>
> U  84,862  2.691%<BR>
> M  80,880  2.565%<BR>
> F  80,803  2.563%<BR>
> W  73,769  2.339%<BR>
> Y  68,913  2.185%<BR>
> G  58,918  1.869%<BR>
> C  54,946  1.743%<BR>
> B  48,317  1.532%<BR>
> P  42,792  1.357%<BR>
> V  31,173  0.989%<BR>
> K  23,030  0.730%<BR>
> J   9,303  0.295%<BR>
> Z   3,531  0.112%<BR>
> X   1,801  0.057%<BR>
> Q   1,076  0.034%<BR>
<BR>
Some notable differences from the standard lists (as I recall them),<BR>
but nothing earth-shattering. <BR>
<BR>
The next step is to generate a couple of arrays. Basicly, you want to<BR>
know how often a given character is *followed* by each character<BR>
(including itself), and how often it is *preceeded* by each character. <BR>
<BR>
Normal crypto tables do this with a table of how often a letter *starts<BR>
a word, how often it *ends* a word, and one of how often a letter is<BR>
followed by another letter.<BR>
<BR>
Either way that lets you generate random "words" that sound a *lot*<BR>
more like english (I've got such a program somewhere, but it's on disks<BR>
for a system I don't have set up right now.)<BR>
<BR>
For even *better* results, you go with a table of character *pairs* and<BR>
the frequency with which characters follow them.<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: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 22:10:07 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Mythical elements can make an interesting addition to a TU.<BR>
> After all, they are already known quantities, or are they?<BR>
> When I think of FRPGs, one of the first elements that I think<BR>
> of is elves.  There are all kind of models for elves.  I have an<BR>
> image of what elves are that has been influenced by many<BR>
> sources.  One of the strongest is Tolkien's writings and the<BR>
> adaptation of those concepts by D&D and other FRPGs.<BR>
> However, the original mythical elves were painted with a<BR>
> much darker palette.  They were devious and mean spirited.<BR>
> While they did have a sense of humor, it was a dangerous<BR>
> thing to be a part of their jesting.  People and animals died<BR>
> from their jokes.  Dwarves and the other humanoid (demi-<BR>
> human) creatures offer similar possibilities.<BR>
<BR>
Check Poul Anderson's *Fantasy* works. Especially "The Broken Sword"<BR>
and "Three Hearts and Three Lions". Those elves are *not* "cute". And<BR>
some of the stuff in 3H&3L gives a nice "scientific" basis for a lot of<BR>
their vulnerabilities. <BR>
<BR>
Stealing those, plus a bit of my own ideas given us this:<BR>
<BR>
1. They avoid (Terran) sunlight because their homeworld orbits a red<BR>
   dwarf. They are unable to tolerate UV. Normal sunlight will give<BR>
   them *massive* second degree burns from the UV, verging on third<BR>
   degree (ie blisters, weeping sores and some "charring" (actually<BR>
   "tissue destruction"))<BR>
2. Their sensitivity to iron is because their world formed around a<BR>
   *second* generation star. Iron is practically unknown in the crust,<BR>
   and there isn't even much of a core. Metabolicly, this means that to<BR>
   them iron is a "heavy metal" and because of its reactivity, *more*<BR>
   toxic to them than lead or arsenic are to us. Skin contact tends to<BR>
   cause minor chemical burns. Which are a lot worse on prolonged<BR>
   contact. Contact with an open wound (blood, raw flesh, etc) causes a<BR>
   rapid reaction, that could be mistaken for burning.<BR>
3. #2 means that their *species* is the product of *billions* of years<BR>
   of evolution more than ours. Their civilization may not be that old,<BR>
   but it's still ancient. Which explains "magic" as hi-tek and psi. :-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 02:21:52 -0500<BR>
From: Bill Rutherford <worj@home.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
At 10:48 PM 01/19/2000 -0500, Robert wrote:<BR>
><SNIP><BR>
>Thank you, sir.  S scale. Now I know what to look for.  Can you recommend<BR>
>any decent catalogue-order places. maybe with Internet-browsable<BR>
>catalogues?  (My local hobby shops are pretty firmly set on HO scale.)  And<BR>
>what is ERTL/ESCI?  A company?<BR>
<BR>
Go to www.ertltoys.com, ERTL's home page.  ERTL owns ESCI (who make - or <BR>
made - a wide range of plastic models and 1/72nd scale miniatures)<BR>
<BR>
Drill down until you find farmtoys and find farmtoy playsets...  What's in <BR>
production varies over time, but they advertise a barn, a cabin, and <BR>
several accessory sets.  Not listed there, but available in toystores and <BR>
train shops is 4233 "Vintage Building Set", which includes a barn, a coop, <BR>
and a storage shed (along with chickens, a couple of modern-looking <BR>
farmers, and other accessories)and sells/sold for about $25 or so, and 4421 <BR>
"Cow Town", which includes a Wild West hotel, jail, livery stable, and LOTS <BR>
of accessories (windmill, cattle, townsfolk water troughs - that sort of <BR>
thing), which sells/sold for about $40...  Considering the size of the <BR>
buildings, etc., these are pretty reasonable prices.<BR>
<BR>
See if you can't locate a recent copy of SN3 Modeler - a narrow gauge <BR>
modeling magazine for S scale; your local shop should be able to locate it <BR>
in their magazine lists...  It's full of adverts for S scale stuff...<BR>
<BR>
Good luck!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Bill Rutherford<BR>
worj@home.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 23:26:38 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: psuedo battleships<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
>Subject: Re: psuedo battleships<BR>
...<BR>
>> and nuclear warhead missiles can inflict horrible damage with single<BR>
>> attacks against unarmoured targets of any size (a minor glitch in HG2,<BR>
>> IMHO, but not one which anyone has seriously proposed fixing).<BR>
><BR>
>Well given that HG assumes that missiles are contact or near <BR>
>contact fused IMO this isn't unreasonable. Even a million tonner is <BR>
>only a few hundred metres long, after all.<BR>
<BR>
  But there's also nothing to prevent anyone from (re-?)interpreting<BR>
HG/CT to read as though the tech made at least as much sense as the<BR>
later versions - i.e., missile warheads are either chemically-generated <BR>
or nuclear-pumped lasers as appropriate, etc.<BR>
<BR>
  But we shouldn't discuss M-drives :)<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 23:23:18 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Small change (with Traveller stuff)<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> How do you get free personal banking and free credit cards ?<BR>
><BR>
> The only reason I don't pay a whole pile of bank fees, is that I'm paying<BR>
> the bank so much more thatn the fees in interest each month, they waive<BR>
the<BR>
> fees !<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
There are a number of Internet banks which charge no fees. These banks are<BR>
typically subsidiaries of other banks, so you get the FDIC insurance, etc.<BR>
Examples are Wingspan Bank (www.wingspanbank.com) and X.com (yes, the URL is<BR>
www.x.com). No fees. In fact, you can get $20 in *actual money* just by<BR>
signing up for an account at X.com. The Internet banks also offer lots of<BR>
other useful services for free, like on-line bill paying.<BR>
<BR>
Besides Internet banks, both of my other banks charge me nothing. No fees,<BR>
free checking, etc. One even (USAA Savings Bank) reimburses me for up to 10<BR>
foreign ATM fees per month.<BR>
<BR>
If you are paying for banking services then you either haven't looked around<BR>
enough, or even worse, don't live in the U.S.<BR>
<BR>
Now how do we relate this to Traveller?<BR>
<BR>
Well, here I am, in the center of civilization as we know it (Silicon<BR>
Valley), and I get lots of stuff over the Internet. I get groceries from<BR>
Webvan.com cheaper than I can get them in the grocery store. I get books<BR>
from Amazon.com cheaper than I can get them in a book store. I get hardware<BR>
from NECX cheaper than I can get it a retail store. I am now actually trying<BR>
to remember the last time I bought something at a store, and I can't do it.<BR>
It's been months. I even print out stamps from my PC to send letters with.<BR>
You print a 2D barcode on the envelopes which the Post Office scans and can<BR>
recognize as valid postage. (If anyone is really curious, e-mail me off list<BR>
and I can send you a letter with the barcode stamp on it. It may only work<BR>
in the U.S., but I'm not sure.)<BR>
<BR>
This trend will probably continue in the future. How will networks and<BR>
pervasive computing change high TL cultures? Electronic commerce is probably<BR>
one big way. Remember that all of this electronic commerce stuff has just<BR>
started to happen. How long has it been? Maybe five years? How will things<BR>
change over the next hundred years? In ways which I can't begin to imagine,<BR>
but it will certainly be a major part of many high TL civilizations in the<BR>
3I. At what TL does electronic commerce (if ever) become most of the<BR>
economy? TL9? TL10?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 01:36:55 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Macguffin? (was: Re: Some thoughts on a Dark Imperium type TU)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/21/00 at 12:45 AM,  Black ICE <wombat@premier.net> said:<BR>
<BR>
>> Err, what is a macguffin?<BR>
<BR>
>IIRC, the term "macguffin" [spelling?] was coined by Hitchcock to<BR>
>describe an unusual object used as a "plot-pull" device.  (A possible<BR>
>example would be Hammett's Maltese Falcon.)  Bottom line, a macguffin<BR>
>should be a unique item that would enable its owner to do something both<BR>
>desirable and spectacular.  Such as a deep-space jump drive that requires<BR>
>less fuel per parsec....<BR>
<BR>
It doesn't have to be unique, just something that the characters<BR>
really, *really* want, and they have to find, pursue, and/or compete<BR>
with others to acquire it.  It's often simply a catalyst to pull<BR>
the characters through a story.<BR>
<BR>
In my Akus game getting to, and finding, the inherited ship, the Mae<BR>
Lee, was the MacGuffin that pulled the characters from where they<BR>
were to where the ship was located.  Yes, it was (and is) important<BR>
to *them* to have the ship, but creating a group from individuals<BR>
and putting them into position for further adventures was what was<BR>
really important.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 00:08:24 -0800<BR>
From: Evyn MacDude <wmacdude@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
Rupert Boleyn wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> On 20 Jan 00, at 0:26, Evyn MacDude wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> ><BR>
> ><BR>
> > Anthony Jackson wrote:<BR>
> ><BR>
> > > Anthropomorphoid serpent-people with<BR>
> > > various bad habits (like eating sentients).<BR>
> ><BR>
> >  !?! That's a Bad Habit?.......<BR>
><BR>
> OPH (Eats other sentients), -15 points seems to be the standard<BR>
> way of describing this osrt of thing (OPH is short for Odious Personal<BR>
> Habit). Note that this is the same number of points as you get for<BR>
> Compulsive Lying, Greed and Sadism (among others).<BR>
<BR>
Honest officer, it was road kill when I got here.....<BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
The theme of the whole thing is clear. We have to be careful with wisdom. We<BR>
have to make certain we're ready for it when it comes knocking on our door.<BR>
Knowledge isn't always a blessing;<BR>
    sometimes, it's damnation.<BR>
Play Dirty: Let's All Go to the Movies!, by John Wick<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 00:07:17 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Magnetic Anomaly Detectors<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
><BR>
>> "Coil" type guns (ie "mass drivers") would do this. I'm not sure "rail"<BR>
>> type guns would do this. <BR>
><BR>
> They would (in any case where you have a substantial current moving<BR>
> you'll get radio waves).<BR>
<BR>
Damn! You're right. I'd forgotten how *short* the current pulse would<BR>
be. Blast.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 00:25:14 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
>From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
>Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
...<BR>
>>   Alright, any more anti-K'kree jokes and they begin phase two of Kirur-<BR>
>> forming Australia. And you thought that the rabbits were bad enough...<BR>
><BR>
>Not to worry. The Tri-Lateral Commission is negotiating to give the<BR>
>K'kree their own problems and at the same time, eliminate some future<BR>
>problems for us. Something about Chtorr-forming the 2000 worlds?<BR>
><BR>
><can't you just *see* the K'Kree *trying* to fight off that sort of<BR>
>ecological attack?><BR>
<BR>
  They might have one heck of an advantage if their colony is widely<BR>
established first (trying to colonize such a world would be something<BR>
else again, but see below) - they might very well detect it long before<BR>
it got really bad. And any Trav culture that has the medical tech to <BR>
prevent the plagues that the novels require would be well ahead of things.<BR>
<BR>
  Plus, the K'kree have _lots_ of experience with the side-effects of <BR>
genocidal warfare techniques on planetary ecologies :><BR>
<BR>
Or, what's wrong with this definition of planetform? <BR>
  Kirurform (def'n) - application of massive thermo-nuclear and cobalt <BR>
  weapon bombardment to a planet inhabited by sapient carnivores in a <BR>
  traditional K'kree cultural context. Wait 500 years, seed, mow, and <BR>
  colonize.<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 22:56:22 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: Small change<BR>
<BR>
On 21 Jan 00, at 10:36, david.d.jaques-watson@centrel wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> (Sorry, that's one of my "hot" buttons; you can't avoid the banks, because<BR>
> work will only pay electronically to bank a/c's, but you get charged tax<BR>
> on deposits, fees, etc - and that's AFTER already paying PAYE income tax! <BR>
> Guaranteed income for the banks & govt or what!!)<BR>
<BR>
What gets me is that (here in NZ, anyway) all WINZ payments <BR>
(unemployment benefit, sickness benefit, superannuation, etc, etc) <BR>
are direct credited to a bank account - no exceptions. Aside from <BR>
one bank (I think) all banks charge fees that can run up to $20 a <BR>
month, or more, with the result that those at the bottom of the heap <BR>
have quite a substantial extra tax/fee burden that they cannot avoid.<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: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 22:56:22 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
On 20 Jan 00, at 22:46, eris@pcola.gulf.net wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Right, and meat is a more compact form of energy than foliage.  I<BR>
> think we will find that herbivores will very seldom rise to<BR>
> intelligence.  Perhaps it's a conceit, but I think intelligence belongs to<BR>
> the meat eaters. <BR>
<BR>
OTOH there are a number of fairly cunning herbivores. Apparently <BR>
hunting Cape Buffalo that know you're out there somewhere can be <BR>
um.. exciting. And then there are Elephants, which are reasonably <BR>
bright.<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: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 22:56:22 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: How large can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
On 20 Jan 00, at 20:42, Jason T. Barnabas wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> In every Terrestrial species that might even possibly be<BR>
> sentient, with the exception of dolphins, the male is larger<BR>
> than the female.  AFAIK, dolphins are the same size<BR>
> regardless of sex.<BR>
<BR>
Thats' probably because they're all larger mammals, where males <BR>
being larger than females is the norm. But why would this apply to <BR>
non-Terran animals?<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: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 22:56:22 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
<BR>
On 20 Jan 00, at 18:07, Jason T. Barnabas wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> :-)  I sit here in my nice comfy coveralls and wonder, "Why?"<BR>
> <BR>
> Could someone from the other half of humaniti explain what<BR>
> might be wrong with coveralls, or at least confirm Eris's<BR>
> contention?  Kiri maybe?  You seem to be fairly brave about<BR>
> this sort of thing and I really don't understand.<BR>
<BR>
IME (which only extends to cheap work things) they only fit one body <BR>
shape, and certainly don't fit (this is from observation) those with non-<BR>
average limb length/torso length ratios. Maybe more expensive types <BR>
come in different shapes, but I've never met any. Another thing is that <BR>
they tend to bind under the arms.<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: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 10:13:51 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: How do PAWs penetrate armor?<BR>
<BR>
Anthony Jackson wrote:<BR>
>Something I was pondering.  There's basically two reasonable ways to <BR>
>construct a PAW to shoot through armor.  One way is to have a highly focused<BR>
>beam which bores a hole through armor, similar to a laser (though I believe<BR>
>it may be somewhat more efficient).  The other is to simply crank up the<BR>
>energy per particle and rely on cascade radiation to punch through armor<BR>
>(given that space combat PAWs are apparently near-C, they appear to be at<BR>
>least in the GeV/nucleon range).  Any idea which is used in Traveller?  Any<BR>
>idea how penetration scales with per-particle energy anyway?<BR>
<BR>
I think the confusing here is like trying to model a gas explosion by watching<BR>
a gas fire.<BR>
<BR>
The PAW or laser can't cut through the armour - that would take too long and<BR>
the beam will only be resting on a single point for a few microseconds at<BR>
most.<BR>
<BR>
Similarly, the particles have nothing like the energy required to pass through<BR>
even 20cm of steel in any quantity - for that you use Mesons. :-)<BR>
<BR>
Instead think of the energy released in a single weapon pulse (100 MJ or more)<BR>
and treat it like an explosion on the surface of the ship.<BR>
<BR>
A shockwave passes through the hull and bits of it break off to form fast<BR>
moving debris on the inside (This suggests that some sort of spaced armour<BR>
might be appropriate.) A careful design of the beam**, possibly with energy<BR>
being received by the edges a bit earlier, might allow a plasma penetrator**<BR>
to be formed, propelled by the rest of the hull exploding away from the ship,<BR>
to penetrate thicker armours.<BR>
<BR>
[** you might note a flicker in the technobabble handwave detector** at<BR>
these points.]<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 13:01:07 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: Aldeberan Sector data...<BR>
<BR>
Bill Rutherford wrote:<BR>
> Good!  Just went there; yellow on black is surprisingly easy to read!<BR>
<BR>
Actually it's the easiest color combination to read. Easier than white<BR>
on black (which is too sharp a contrast to be comfortable).<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 08:18:22 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
At 10:56 PM 1/21/00 +1300, you wrote:<BR>
>On 20 Jan 00, at 22:46, eris@pcola.gulf.net wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> Right, and meat is a more compact form of energy than foliage.  I<BR>
>> think we will find that herbivores will very seldom rise to<BR>
>> intelligence.  Perhaps it's a conceit, but I think intelligence belongs to<BR>
>> the meat eaters. <BR>
><BR>
>OTOH there are a number of fairly cunning herbivores. Apparently <BR>
>hunting Cape Buffalo that know you're out there somewhere can be <BR>
>um.. exciting. And then there are Elephants, which are reasonably <BR>
>bright.<BR>
>--<BR>
>Rupert Boleyn <paradise.net.nz><BR>
>Wellington, New Zealand<BR>
<BR>
        A friend of mine who bow-hunts in Newfoundland tells me has had good<BR>
experience with bull moose who have hunted *BACK*...  much to the<BR>
consternation of the three lads with the longbows...<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
        Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 12:30:00 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
<BR>
Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>7. Lace asteroid belts (or other pirate conceal areas normal traffic<BR>
>   doesn't go) with gravitic or other types of mines-a cheap alternative to<BR>
>   large numbers of patrol vessels.  Also mine the gas giant.<BR>
<BR>
Mines aren't cheap. Without million kilometer ranges, you'd need a million<BR>
for our asteroid belt alone, just at one per asteroid.<BR>
 (ref Leonard's recent post)<BR>
<BR>
If you want mines, putting them *near* where merchants go would be a better<BR>
bet,<BR>
but that depends on if IYTU ships head off in different directions to<BR>
ensure they<BR>
jump as far apart as possible or if they head in preferred directions for each<BR>
destination to optimise the normal space accel/decel before an after the jump.<BR>
<BR>
OTOH, I think you would lose far more merchants to mines than pirates due to<BR>
random exit from jump.<BR>
<BR>
>9. Build a lot of sensor satellites to monitor shipping activity.<BR>
<BR>
A couple of factor 14+ (T4) passive sensor arrays near each major planet<BR>
isn't cheap but the equivalent is millions of "cheap" satellites, which would<BR>
cost much more.<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 12:58:18 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
"David P. Summers" <summers@alum.mit.edu> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>>From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
><BR>
>>You mean the theory of electrons orbiting atoms is false?<BR>
>><BR>
>>Can you describe to me then, just how individual nuclei and electrons<BR>
>>interact, and the relationship between them?<BR>
><BR>
>The electons form standing waves around the neucleus(ei).  The<BR>
>"core" electrons exist almost entirely around one neucleus. The<BR>
>"bonding" electons exist around two or more neuclei.  (Their<BR>
>negitive charge holds the postive neuclei together).  If you want<BR>
>to consider the electron as a particle, the "clouds"<BR>
>people talk about are maps of the probability of finding the<BR>
>electron if you look at that spot.<BR>
<BR>
To find the force from an individual electron, use the wave equation<BR>
to find the probability of the electron "being" at each point<BR>
in the universe and multiply each of those probabilities by the<BR>
force the electron would cause if it was there. Then integrate over<BR>
the whole universe to find the total force.<BR>
<BR>
It's not quite that simple because you also have to do the same for<BR>
each of the nucleii being attracted and each of the electrons "orbiting"<BR>
them, plus the interactions are exchanges of virtual photons which are<BR>
complicated because they can form virtual particle/anti-particle pairs<BR>
en route - the ever popular uncertainty principle.<BR>
<BR>
IIRC, a solution to all this is part of Quantum Electrodynamics.<BR>
This is what earned Richard Feynman <sp?> his Nobel prize.<BR>
(Presumably along with others whose names I don't recall.)<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 01:25:35 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> I doubt that this a a question we can answer yet, but...<BR>
><BR>
> What's the minimum body size for a creature to support a brain<BR>
> comparable in capability to that of a human? Monkey-sized?<BR>
> Squirrel-sized? Hamster-sized? <BR>
<BR>
Best guess is that what matters is the number of neurons. So, you have<BR>
two things to consider. First, ratio of body mass to brain mass. It<BR>
takes a fairly constant amount of brain to control a given amount of<BR>
body. So a critter that masses ten times what we do, would *need* ten<BR>
times the brain just to control the body. And BTW, ten times the *mass*<BR>
means only 215% bigger!<BR>
<BR>
So, beyond the amount of brain needed to control the body, you need<BR>
about as many "excess" neurons as a human has to be as smart as a<BR>
human. <BR>
<BR>
So unless there's a way to make "cells" a *lot* smaller than ours, you<BR>
aren't going to get an "intelligent" creature much smaller than a human<BR>
child. <BR>
<BR>
So, for example, H. Beam Piper's "fuzzies, who were about a third our<BR>
size (2 feet tall at a guess) would only have one-ninth the brain mass<BR>
unless their heads were larger in proportion. And that would make<BR>
pregnancy a nightmare. We have enough problems as it is. <BR>
<BR>
So they are likely *really* no brighter than a bright child.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 01:36:10 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Phil Kitching wrote:<BR>
>> I haven't heard of anything that relates intellignece to head size<BR>
>> or body size in humans (ie people I've met with small heads seem<BR>
>> to have the same range of intelligence as normal, ditto for body<BR>
>> size) only to age (ie the brain needs a couple of years of<BR>
>> development).<BR>
><BR>
> The complexity of the brain is far more important than the actual size.<BR>
> Developing new "pathways" in the already existing tissue increases the<BR>
> capacity of the brain, without increasing size or mass.<BR>
><BR>
>> So I'd guess that someone standing 3' tall would have no effect,<BR>
>> possibly little impact at 2'. Not sure for sizes below that.<BR>
><BR>
> Isn't that just about the size of a penguin?<BR>
<BR>
I seem to recall a discussion somewhere where it was pointed out that<BR>
birds (at least the ones that can actually *fly*) have been subjected<BR>
to *extreme* evolutionary pressures to make tissues smaller/lighter so<BR>
they can fly better. And when you stop and think about it, their brains<BR>
*have* to be a lot more efficient than ours. <BR>
<BR>
Consider the various birds that can learn to mimic speech. Then<BR>
consider that some of the larger ones are *easily* as smart as primates<BR>
many times their size. Then consider that some of them may be doing<BR>
more than "merely" mimicking speech. <BR>
<BR>
So I'll revise my estimate downwards. I'd say that with "avian brain<BR>
efficiency" you could get a human brain a third the size. Maybe less.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 01:45:31 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> <handwave><BR>
> There were a number of problems in constructing the Guide to the Spinward<BR>
> Marches. Field correspondents carefully researched each planet, but by the<BR>
> time all of the reports had been consolidated and the completed Guide<BR>
> distributed, much of the information in it was hopelessly out of date. Some<BR>
> of the data is as old as 1050. Things have changed a great deal on some<BR>
> planets. Current jump drive technology makes publishing an up to date guide<BR>
> impossible. After all, the Guide was published on Capital, right?<BR>
> </handwave><BR>
<BR>
That's why I *like* that "Snowball Earth" bit from Scientific American.<BR>
Less than a thousand years to go from normal to iceball. Less than 400<BR>
to go from Iceball (with *hideously* high CO2 levels) to jungle hell,<BR>
and a few hundred more years to setlle back to normal.<BR>
<BR>
Only the 10 million or so years it spends while the CO2 accumulates<BR>
until there's enough for a thaw is too long for "historical". <BR>
<BR>
Cant't you just *see* the PCs going to vist some planet to check out<BR>
the Ancient ruins (or whatever) and discovering that the planet is now<BR>
an iceball and the ruins (on the equator!) are under a couple of km of<BR>
glacial ice? <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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1789<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 21 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1790<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: Ethically-challenged organ traders<BR>
Re: Re : Organlegging (and tips for budding Burkes and Hares)<BR>
Re: How large can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: Scientific American<BR>
Re: Scientific American<BR>
Re: Scientific American<BR>
Re: Core patches/tshirts, estimated costs<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: How large can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: Badges & T-shirts from CORE<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 01:58:44 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Ethically-challenged organ traders<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On 19/1/99, Leonard said :<BR>
><BR>
>>But regen is *by definition* making *your* body regow the missing<BR>
>>parts. Transplants are sticking somebody else's tissues into your body,<BR>
>>and trying to *fool* your body into not rejecting these "alien" tissues.<BR>
><BR>
> Fair enough.  I hadna thought about that part.  I 'spose doing the regen<BR>
> thing is probably the way the 3I does it, rather than a roaring trade in<BR>
> 'donated' organs.  How do you see them doing trauma cases tho' ?  Like, we<BR>
> need a heart, now.  Not in three weeks (or whatever it'll take to grow),<BR>
> now.  Would they just stick 'em in Low Berth until one could be grown, or<BR>
> flash-freeze 'em or something ?<BR>
<BR>
Low berth is possible, except that what hospitals use is much higher<BR>
maintenance (and totally unsuited for shipboard use) and doesn't have<BR>
the 10% chance of death (maybe 1%?).<BR>
<BR>
Though it'd be just as easy to hook them up to the TL-12 (-15,<BR>
whatever) equivalent of a heart lung machine. That's what we do *now*<BR>
for some cases. <BR>
<BR>
By then, the artifical heart ought to be small enough and "gentle"[1]<BR>
enough, that you can return to limited activity the next *day*. <BR>
<BR>
>>If transplants were common among the rich, then a favored assassination<BR>
>>technique would be slipping them something that revived their body's<BR>
>>immune response to the transplanted organs. Done properly, death could<BR>
>>occur in *minutes* due to massive anaphylactic shock (extreme allergic<BR>
>>reaction to the foreign tissue).<BR>
><BR>
> That's not a bad idea.  One the players are sure to miss.  Mind if I pinch<BR>
> it ?  ( Side-note to Andrew : not that this is going to happen in our<BR>
> campaign).<BR>
<BR>
Go ahead. Do note that even *higher* doses, or doses of *different*<BR>
chemicals can have similar effects on normal people. The "trick" here<BR>
is that this wouldn't *hurt* "normal" people, so unless his security<BR>
folks were medically trained (and* had thought of it) any "food<BR>
sniffer" gizmos won't be set to catch it!<BR>
<BR>
Another nasty just occured to me. Assume that "regen" is accomplished<BR>
as "easily" as in the Lensman stories (basicly, once you know how you<BR>
"zap" the pituitary with the right sort of radiation). So a cunning<BR>
enemy might manage to "zap" the rich guy just before a trip by jump.<BR>
<BR>
So, depending on how regen works, his body could be trying to grow a<BR>
replacement for the transplanted organ(s). Or the transplanted organ(s)<BR>
could be trying to regrow a body. Or both!<BR>
<BR>
In any of the above cases, sheer *crowding* is going to cause problems<BR>
within a few days (assuming regen is "faster" than normal growth). And<BR>
the ship's sick bay may not be equippped to deal with the problem. :-)<BR>
<BR>
[1] current heart replacements mangle *way* too high a percentage of<BR>
the blood cells passing through. Mainly in the valves.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 02:11:32 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re : Organlegging (and tips for budding Burkes and Hares)<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard Erickson wrote :-<BR>
>> If transplants were common among the rich, then a favored assassination<BR>
>> technique would be slipping them something that revived their body's<BR>
>> immune response to the transplanted organs. Done properly, death could<BR>
>> occur in *minutes* due to massive anaphylactic shock (extreme allergic<BR>
>> reaction to the foreign tissue).<BR>
><BR>
> The pharmacodynamics of today's immunosuppressants would give you a<BR>
> couple of days to escape the scene of the crime before (hyper)acute<BR>
> rejection syndrome kicked in.<BR>
<BR>
I'm assuming that they'll have found a way to "retrain" the immune<BR>
system to treat the transplant as "self" rather than requiring a<BR>
lifetime regimen of immunosuppresant drugs.<BR>
<BR>
Thus, the victim has an *active*, healthy immune system. Which<BR>
"suddenly" discovers that large mass of "foreign" tissue. <BR>
<BR>
> True anaphylaxis (Gell and Coombs type 1, relying on elaboration of high<BR>
> levels of immunoglobulins E and G) would require a customised agent -<BR>
> and presensitisation to some antigen, as does any 'allergic' reaction.<BR>
<BR>
<snip><BR>
<BR>
My thought is perhaps something tailored to look harmless until it<BR>
enocounters the transplanted tissue, at which point it bonds with the<BR>
surface antigens, resulting in *new* antigens which are very much<BR>
"non-self". <BR>
<BR>
> Given likely developments in pharmacology and pharmacogenetics over the<BR>
> next century (~TTL 9-10), such exotic toxins would be possible, but<BR>
> difficult to synthesise. I would not allow my genetic sequence to be<BR>
> held in a easily accessible database in this sort of environment.  <BR>
<BR>
Alas, all you need is a tissue sample and even some kinds of *blood*<BR>
sample will work. If the person has been in for a transplant, all you<BR>
need to do is intercept the old organ between the path lab and the<BR>
"incinerator".<BR>
<BR>
And I agree about the developments. Things like being able to tailor an<BR>
organism or a virus to a *specific* genetic code. So only the target<BR>
and any twins/clones will be affected. Or, as a better cover, everybody<BR>
else gets a "bad cold". He dies of "the flu". Pity.<BR>
<BR>
> Useless info chunk #2 :-<BR>
> The simplest way to kill a human, if you have intravenous access, is<BR>
> with 1cc/kilo body weight of air. Some days will be required for the air<BR>
> bubbles to be lost in the gas evolving in decomposing tissue.<BR>
<BR>
> A better method, if you only have half an hour up your sleeve, is to<BR>
> administer a mixture of insulin, potassium salts and adrenaline<BR>
> (epinephrine for those living under the U.S. Pharmacopoeia). Dr.<BR>
> Kevorkian (and your local vet, for that matter) used/uses a mixture of<BR>
> barbiturate, potassium and adrenaline for euthanasia.<BR>
><BR>
> Barbiturates can be detected with standard 'drug screens'. The other<BR>
> stuff can't.<BR>
<BR>
If you are in the "right place", get him "mis-typed" before an<BR>
emergency transfusion.  This may require swapping labels on a pair of<BR>
blood samples, which may (depending on the types involved) kill another<BR>
patient in the ER. A pro will regret this "necessity".<BR>
<BR>
If I recall correctly, if he's O-, then the mistake may not even hurt<BR>
the other patient.<BR>
<BR>
Of course, odds are the ER staff can save him anyway...<BR>
<BR>
> If one can't get at a vein, suffocate your victim. A large Ziploc(TM)<BR>
> bag over the head is very effective. Ten minutes should suffice. Using a<BR>
> plastic bag leaves none of the usual stigmata of asphyxiation (congested<BR>
> neck veins and face, little skin haemorrhages, etc.)<BR>
<BR>
Or just spray a bit of nerve gas into the respirator...<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 01:53:52 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: How large can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Anthony Jackson writes:<BR>
>>Actually, there are some surface-limited factors in how brains are<BR>
>>constructed (this is why large brains are so rippled and folded),<BR>
>>which means there might be an upper limit, but then again, there's<BR>
>>an upper limit on the size of conventional animal life in any case.<BR>
><BR>
>         One can always come up with ways to circumvent any surface-<BR>
>         area limitations that the brain may have (AFAIK, no such<BR>
>         limitation has been demonstrated).  For example, subsidiary<BR>
>         'brains' (ganglia) that take care of mundane tasks like<BR>
>         maintaining homeostasis in the body, coordinating limb<BR>
>         movements, maybe even speach.  I would expect that if you<BR>
>         can justify a huge organism's survival, you can probably<BR>
>         justify its being intelligent.<BR>
<BR>
Mammalian brains are surface limited, because the cells that "do the<BR>
thinking" are restricted to the surface layer of the brain. Thus, to<BR>
get more intelligence, you need more surface area. Which is why the<BR>
surface of the brain is so convoluted.<BR>
<BR>
Avain brains do something different. Don't ask me what.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 01:10:00 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Scientific American<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Thing writes:<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
>>Apparently they are building a model for NASA for application as<BR>
>>a launching system to reduce the cost of launching satellites and<BR>
>>such.<BR>
>>I was wondering if such a system might be of use in the rail gun<BR>
>>arena?<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
>>And could such a launching array be mistaken by a visiting craft<BR>
>>for a weapons system?<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
><BR>
>         What do you mean, mistaken?<BR>
<BR>
Agreed! I should have caught that myself. <BR>
<BR>
Any such launcher *is* a "weapons system". Or at least part of one.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 01:11:56 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Scientific American<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On Thursday, January 20, 2000 7:26 AM<BR>
> Ian Ferguson said,<BR>
><BR>
>>       What do you mean, mistaken?<BR>
><BR>
> Oh come now, good sir.  Except for a few, rare, aberrations and deviants<BR>
> it's a friendly & enlightened universe out there.  All of these pulp<BR>
> novels and holo dramas featuring marauding bands of pirates and strange,<BR>
> hostile aliens are simply a propaganda tool of the giant arms<BR>
> manufacturing cartels.<BR>
><BR>
> The Imperium (Along with the Solamani, Zhodani and various other ruling<BR>
> bodies in known charted space) allows and encourages this type of<BR>
> propaganda.  The perception of dangerous and hostile forces at large<BR>
> allows for the creation and expansion of the various military forces<BR>
> giving purpose and employment to large amounts of the population both<BR>
> directly and through secondary industries.  This allows a good measure<BR>
> of control over a large portion of the populace that is capable of, and<BR>
> willing to deal out violence.  This allows for dealing with any<BR>
> remaining militant people as terrorists.<BR>
><BR>
> When the population pressures and dissent seem to be growing to greatly<BR>
> then they simply have a little war to stir up some pride in the<BR>
> government and to trim the population figures back a little.  These wars<BR>
> are really run through treaties with the various other governments so<BR>
> that once it is determined that a war is necessary, an atrocity or other<BR>
> propagating incidence is staged with another government that is getting<BR>
> close to the population pressure limits.<BR>
><BR>
> Not only does this stir up pride and support for the government, but it<BR>
> stimulates the economy and prods the proles off of the dole lists and<BR>
> into gainful employment.  Of course if this fails to stir up support for<BR>
> the government the current "head" is retired (through a seeming coup,<BR>
> assassination, etc.) and a new leadership and vision comes into power.<BR>
><BR>
> Now, I know what you are thinking!  This sounds like some sort of Hiver<BR>
> manipulation, right?  Well that is the kicker.  The Hivers aren't a real<BR>
> race at all.  They are actually a genetically engineered, artificial<BR>
> sophont designed to appear like a Major race of manipulators.  That way,<BR>
> if anyone starts to see the signs of all of these plots and<BR>
> conspiracies, they can be traced back to the "Hivers" and the whole<BR>
> process of demonizing, nationalizing, and war can start again.<BR>
><BR>
> I had documentation showing all of this, but it was lost in a raid by<BR>
> Vargr "pirates".  Don't even get me started on the Vargr!<BR>
><BR>
> But I have a plan.  There is a red zone world a few parsecs away.  The<BR>
> story is that it was zoned because of hostile native life forms, but it<BR>
> really contains the secret base where they breed the Hivers.  Now the<BR>
> dangers might be great, but a small talented group of people could get<BR>
> in there and expose the whole thing.  Think of it!  Fame, fortune, and<BR>
> the chance to liberate all of known space from a conspiracy that has<BR>
> been pulling the larma skin over their eyes for who knows how long!<BR>
> I've got the ID and schedule for the supply ship that stops in there<BR>
> every few months and it just happens to be the same class as yours.<BR>
><BR>
> Now are ya in with me?<BR>
<BR>
The staff wishes to apologize for the above. Mr. Ferguson had been<BR>
behaving *so* well. But he snuck out of the activities room into a<BR>
staff member's office and posted his little paranoid fantasy.<BR>
<BR>
We've revised his <fnord> meds and he's <fnord> resting comfortably. <BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 01:14:49 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Scientific American<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On Thu, 20 Jan 2000, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> Actually a *rail* gun *does* use a *static* magnetic field, and *can*<BR>
>> launch non-ferrous projectiles. A *coil* gun is the monstrosity with<BR>
>> the fields being changed swiftly. <BR>
> <Snippage><BR>
>> "Coil guns" aka "mass drivers" are better suited for *big installations<BR>
>> for launching *large* payloads. The switching times are longer, because<BR>
>> the driver coils are a lot farther apart. <BR>
><BR>
> Thanks.<BR>
><BR>
> I keep getting the labels switched in my head.  I find that is a problem<BR>
> with alot of things I learned.  I remember all sorts of theories,<BR>
> formulas, algorythms, etc., but I tend to mess up the names of each.<BR>
<BR>
Just think of the two parallel conductors as "rails" (as in railroad).<BR>
That's *how* they got the name in the first place. And the other kind<BR>
has lots and lots of "coils" of wire.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 01:17:52 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Core patches/tshirts, estimated costs<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> MOUSEMATS<BR>
> MMIS    Imperial starburst logo Qty: 2  $10.00<BR>
> MMSS    IISS logo and text  Qty: 2  $10.00<BR>
<BR>
I'll take one each.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> T-SHIRTS<BR>
> TSLR    4518 Life Regiment logo "Strike from Space".    Qty: 1  $18.00<BR>
<BR>
What *size* is it?<BR>
<BR>
> TSBE    Star scene with "Traveller: This is Free Trader Beowulf...".    Qty: <BR>
> 1   $18.00<BR>
<BR>
What size?<BR>
<BR>
> TSLF    Creature from 101 Lifeforms with "Promote Interstellar Friendship - <BR>
> Cuddle a Cute Alien Today". Qty: 1  $18.00<BR>
<BR>
Size?<BR>
<BR>
> TSSB    Imperial Sunburst with "The Imperium Needs You!"    Qty: 2  $18.00<BR>
<BR>
Size?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
        <BR>
> BIPL    IISS 'poni' patches dual pack (4" x 3.5" and 2" x 2")   Qty: 4  <BR>
> $10.00<BR>
<BR>
I'll take a set.<BR>
<BR>
> BSCP    IISS patches dual pack: Survey & Census Office (5.5" x 2" and 3.75" <BR>
> x <BR>
> 1.25")  Qty: 5  $10.00<BR>
<BR>
I'll take one of these.<BR>
<BR>
> BCOP    IISS patches dual pack: Communications Office (5.5" x 2" and 3.75" x <BR>
> 1.25")  Qty: 4  $10.00<BR>
<BR>
And one of these.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> BEOP    IISS patches dual pack: Exploration Office (5.5" x 2" and 3.75" x <BR>
> 1.25")  Qty: 2  $10.00<BR>
<BR>
And one of these.<BR>
<BR>
> BSBM    IISS red Sunburst, 3" diameter. Qty: 7  $4.00<BR>
One of these.<BR>
<BR>
> BWSM    IISS winged serpent, 3" diameter.   Qty: 6  $4.00<BR>
<BR>
One of these.<BR>
<BR>
> BLRM    4518 Lift Regiment, 3" diameter.    Qty: 4  $6.00<BR>
<BR>
One of these.<BR>
<BR>
I'm interested in the T-shirts I asked about the size on.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 00:43:43 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> In message <00114.162547.0u5.rnr.w165w@krypton.rain.com>, Leonard<BR>
> Erickson <shadow@krypton.rain.com> writes<BR>
>><BR>
>>For all practical purposes, more than a few thousand moles per liter is<BR>
>>*really* unlikely. And even then, trying to encode data on individual<BR>
>>atoms is going to be hard. <BR>
><BR>
> Useful/useless rule of thumb - aqueous solutions are never more than 55<BR>
> mole/litre, which is the concentration of water in water.<BR>
<BR>
I was allowing for the possibility of *really* dense materials...<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 01:01:33 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> From: <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
>> I had that opinion too, but from my limited sample it appears that<BR>
>> jumpsuit/coverall type clothing isn't going to be popular with half<BR>
>> the human population.  I'm opting for shirt and pants being more<BR>
>> common for normal wear with coveralls and jumpsuits used while doing<BR>
>> scut work.<BR>
><BR>
> :-)  I sit here in my nice comfy coveralls and wonder, "Why?"<BR>
><BR>
> Could someone from the other half of humaniti explain what<BR>
> might be wrong with coveralls, or at least confirm Eris's<BR>
> contention?  Kiri maybe?  You seem to be fairly brave about<BR>
> this sort of thing and I really don't understand.<BR>
<BR>
I'm not even in the "other half" and *I* can tell you why, because for<BR>
various reasons I won't go into, I sometimes have to operate under the<BR>
same limitation that most females do. <BR>
<BR>
What limitation? <BR>
<BR>
Sitting down to pee. Which means that you have to take off *all* of the<BR>
%^^$#$% coveralls except maybe the part below your knees. And unless<BR>
this is a spotless fresher cubicle, as opposed to a typical public<BR>
restroom, you'll take the *whole* coverall off and hang it from the<BR>
hook that is (hopefully) on the back of the door so none of it gets<BR>
trailed in the "stuff" on the floor. And then you get to try to figure<BR>
out how to put it back on *without* getting any of the "stuff" that's<BR>
sticking to your shoes transferred to the *inside* of your coverall.<BR>
Have fun. <BR>
<BR>
Do this a few times and your opinion of coveralls will be unprintable. <BR>
<BR>
Now, with future tech, it may be possible to make coveralls with a<BR>
resealable *waist* seam. *That* would work. I'm not so sure about a<BR>
"crotch seam".<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 00:13:24 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> My understanding of nuclear physics is all based upon what was readily<BR>
> available during the 60's and 70's when I studied it in earnest.  (kids have<BR>
> LOTS of time on their hands).  Now that I'm an adult I find there are so<BR>
> many other things needing my attention (like work..:) )  so I have fallen<BR>
> behind.  Is there a website I can go to to 'catch up'?<BR>
<BR>
No idea. You might try buying some of the collections of Asimov's<BR>
science essays. Or for that matter, he did a three volume work on physics.<BR>
<BR>
> As for Schrodinger, I've heard there is a "cat" story but never actually<BR>
> read it.  I'm vaguely aware of Heisenburg's Uncertainty Principle (sorry<BR>
> Star Trek :) ) but I am sure there is much more depth to it than saying,<BR>
> "looking at a subatomic particle makes two of it's attributes change in<BR>
> random and unpredictable ways".<BR>
<BR>
That's *not* how the uncertainty principle works. What it says is that<BR>
certain properties are "linked" The more accurately you measure one,<BR>
the *less* accurate your knowledge of the other is. <BR>
<BR>
The two usual pairings are position and momentum, or energy and time. <BR>
<BR>
Asimov gave a good explanation I'll try to summarize. For the first<BR>
pair, look at it like this:<BR>
<BR>
To see a particle, you either have to bounce another particle off of<BR>
it, or it has to emit one. Remember that photons are particles too. The<BR>
higher the energy of the photon, the shorter the wavelength, and thus<BR>
the more closely you can pinpoint the position of what it bounced off<BR>
of. <BR>
<BR>
But that higher energy also means that the very act of bouncing the<BR>
photon off the other particle has made a *major* change in it's<BR>
momentum. It gives a much bigger "kick".<BR>
<BR>
So, you can say "it's somewhere around here" and have a good idea of<BR>
the momentum (velocity). Or you can say "It was 'right here' but I've<BR>
got no idea how fast it is going now."<BR>
<BR>
Measuring actually changes the value you are trying to measure. <BR>
<BR>
For energy vs time, similar things apply. The short the time period,<BR>
the less certain you can be of the energy of the system you are<BR>
observing. <BR>
<BR>
This is where "virtual particles" come from. Over *very* short periods<BR>
of time, uncertainty allows a particle to "appear from nothing" carry<BR>
energy from one place to another and then disappear. It has only<BR>
"virtual" existence. Such particles are how all the forces of the<BR>
universe work. <BR>
<BR>
Two masses are attracted, because virtual gravitons cross the gap<BR>
between them, carrying the force. Electromagnetic forces use virtual<BR>
photons. And the strong and weak nuclear forces are so short ranged<BR>
because they are carried by *massive* (very high energy) particles.<BR>
Because of the high energies, they can exist as "virtual" particles for<BR>
only tiny fractions of a second. Just enough time to cross a large<BR>
nucleus. <BR>
<BR>
This also is behind the "vacuum energy" stuff. In a vacuum, particle<BR>
anti-particle pairs are continously appearing from nothing (living on<BR>
"borrowed" energy) and disappearing (paying back the "loan" before the<BR>
laws of nature foreclose). <BR>
<BR>
That last *sounds* crazy, but they can actually *measure* the vacuum<BR>
energy! If you place a pair of conductive plates in a vacuum, for<BR>
various reason (that I don't understand) they limit the possible energy<BR>
states between them. Thus the vacuum between them has less energy than<BR>
the rest of the vacuum. Which means the higher energy vacuum exerts a<BR>
pressure pushing the plates together. And the closer they get, the<BR>
stronger the pressure. They can *measure* this.<BR>
<BR>
But *all* of quantum physics rests on the uncertainty principle. It's<BR>
the cornerstone. It's also why we *can't* use everyday examples to<BR>
reason about events at the quantum level. <BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 00:52:19 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 06:55:23 -0500<BR>
>>From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
><BR>
>>You mean the theory of electrons orbiting atoms is false?<BR>
>><BR>
>>Can you describe to me then, just how individual nuclei and electrons<BR>
>>interact, and the relationship between them?<BR>
><BR>
> The electons form standing waves around the neucleus(ei).  The<BR>
> "core" electrons exist almost entirely around one neucleus.<BR>
<BR>
Yes.<BR>
<BR>
> The "bonding" electons exist around two or more neuclei.  (Their<BR>
> negitive charge holds the postive neuclei together).<BR>
<BR>
No. that theory went out in the 30s. It's the strong and weak nuclear<BR>
forces that hold the nucleus together. They are so shortranged that<BR>
they have trouble getting all the way across a large nucleus. But<BR>
within their range they are *very* strong. <BR>
<BR>
They just have a range beyond which they *can't* work. Which is why<BR>
large nuclei are unstable. The particles on one "side" can't "bond" to<BR>
particles on the far side. <BR>
<BR>
> If you want<BR>
> to consider the electron as a particle, the "clouds"<BR>
> people talk about are maps of the probability of finding the<BR>
> electron if you look at that spot.<BR>
<BR>
Yes and no. Now that the "hidden variables" theory is essentially dead<BR>
due to things like the "Bell inequality" experiments, we have to accept<BR>
the idea that the electron "really is" spread out all over the place. <BR>
<BR>
So it's "mostly here", "sort of there", and "a little bit *way* over<BR>
there". <BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 03:49:06 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
>> <BR>
> <<snip>><BR>
>> <BR>
>> Nah, grab a copy of the "War Against the Chtorr" Sourcebook. The worms<BR>
>> (to say nothing of the ecology that comes with them) will keep even<BR>
>> genocidal maniacs like the K'kree in line.<BR>
><BR>
> I have no doubt that Chtorriforming K'kree worlds would keep the K'kree<BR>
> in check.<BR>
><BR>
> The problem is, how do you _keep_ the Chtorr pointed downrange, rather<BR>
> than coming back toward you?<BR>
<BR>
Introduce them to the Darrian Star Trigger? It's kinda hard for even<BR>
Chtorrans to survive a few Maghiz hits. :-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 03:47:46 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: How large can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> From: Rupert Boleyn <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
><BR>
><BR>
>> On 20 Jan 00, at 17:09, Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
>><BR>
>> >  Some species of anglerfish do this, and some barnacles as<BR>
>> >  well IIRC.  It should be noted that females are larger<BR>
>> >  than males in most animal species, though not typically<BR>
>> >  to this extreme.<BR>
>><BR>
>> Except those found in roleplaying game, where almost no species<BR>
>> have females bigger than males. I long since came to the conclusion<BR>
>> that most game writers have never really had a good look at the life<BR>
>> that exists around us, let alone the posibilities.<BR>
><BR>
> In every Terrestrial species that might even possibly be<BR>
> sentient, with the exception of dolphins, the male is larger<BR>
> than the female.  AFAIK, dolphins are the same size<BR>
> regardless of sex.<BR>
<BR>
Tell that to the next bear you meet. :-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 00:58:11 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Badges & T-shirts from CORE<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>     As part of a deal Andy Lilly is sending me a shipment of CORE products.<BR>
>     As part of the discussion it was mentioned that several people where <BR>
> interested in obtaining CORE patches & T-shirts. However because of the <BR>
> costs involved this was prohibitive.<BR>
>     Right now there is the opportunity for a one shot deal for these goods, <BR>
> I'll collect the funds, send him one check (thus spreading the costs), and <BR>
> than redistribute the goods he sends me.<BR>
<BR>
Ok, what's on the shirts and patches? And how big are the T-Shirts (I<BR>
need XXL...)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 03:50:56 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> eris@pcola.gulf.net wrote:<BR>
>> <BR>
> <<snip>><BR>
>> <BR>
>> Right, and meat is a more compact form of energy than foliage.  I<BR>
>> think we will find that herbivores will very seldom rise to<BR>
>> intelligence.  Perhaps it's a conceit, but I think intelligence belongs<BR>
>> to the meat eaters.<BR>
><BR>
> That makes sense, from an evolutionary standpoint.  After all, it<BR>
> doesn't take all that much intelligence to stalk a wild stalk. <BR>
<BR>
Someone pointed out the error in Niven's logic. It doesn't take<BR>
intelligence to sneak up on grass (or if it *does*, *I* ain't gonna<BR>
want to live there!). But it *does* (or *can*, anyway) take<BR>
intelligence to *avoid* being snuck up on. <BR>
<BR>
> BTW, in response to the title question of this thread, ISTR that<BR>
> artificially- induced sentience can be achieved in very small<BR>
> (rodent-sized) creatures, by running them through an Acme [tm] Gene<BR>
> Splicer and Bagel Warmer....<BR>
<BR>
Nah, just pull a raid on Watership Down... :-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 03:54:03 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> If you bring in "hive-minds", then your smallest component could be pretty<BR>
> small...<BR>
<BR>
But depending on the linkage mechanism, the "swarm" can't spread out<BR>
much. Vinge did a *good* job on the Tynes.<BR>
<BR>
It takes 3-10 of them to form a "person", and the link is high<BR>
bandwidth ultrasound. So they can't get too far apart or time lag does<BR>
weird things to the mind. Likewise, persons can't get too close to each<BR>
other, as that tends to cause *really* weird effects as their<BR>
"thoughts" start interfering.<BR>
<BR>
There are a number of other interestung things you can do with this<BR>
sort of "groupmind". But most of them would spoil the story. <BR>
<BR>
Once they got radio, they were *dangerous*. A "squadron" of Tyne<BR>
fighters is *one* mind. Individuals, no matter *how* well trained as a<BR>
team just can't match that.<BR>
<BR>
The comm link is a vulnerability, but given modern encryption, and the<BR>
fact it's *already* almost "spread spectrum", makes it *really rugged,<BR>
and hard to jam. <BR>
<BR>
And with proper "filters" on them, they can restrict "thought" to<BR>
individual radio links, and be able to speak to each other (normal<BR>
audio frequencies) anyway. Which means persons can *intermingle*. You<BR>
can get more than one person in a room!<BR>
<BR>
Tynes (after the end of the book, say several generations or more)<BR>
would make an interesting Traveller race. <BR>
<BR>
BTW, *bodies* die. But as long as only one (or two in larger groups) is<BR>
lost at a time the "person" goes on. They just grab a new body that<BR>
"feels right" to the group. The personality changes every time this<BR>
happens, but it usually stays much the same (memories and intellectual<BR>
skills tend to be "spread out" over several bodies, physical skills and<BR>
some "attitudes" tend to be more body centered)<BR>
<BR>
In an emergency, *any* nearby unclaimed body can be adopted.<BR>
<BR>
So mentally they are alien. With the capacity for becoming *really*<BR>
alien (via tricks from the story). I think they'd give hivers a<BR>
headache. <BR>
<BR>
I don't recall if they are herbivores, carnivores or omnivores. I<BR>
*think* they aren't herbivores but I won't swear to it. So it's<BR>
*likely* that the K'kree won't like them, but they can outfight any<BR>
K'kree ever born in space or "hand to hand".<BR>
<BR>
Vargr and human will have more varied reactions. <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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1790<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 21 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1791<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: Re Fuel Scoops<BR>
Re: small change<BR>
Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
Re: Scientific American<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Re: McGuffin<BR>
Clothing Issues<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
Re: Small change<BR>
Re: How do PAWs penetrate armor?<BR>
Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
More on Aldeberan...<BR>
Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 04:14:25 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Re Fuel Scoops<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
>> <BR>
> <<snip>><BR>
>> <BR>
>> Which is when you roll a "non-random" random ship encounter...<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Say an exploration ship from D.e.M. Corp. (D.e.M. = Deus ex Machina :-)<BR>
><BR>
> Of course, you tell the _players_ that DeM stands for Delacroix et<BR>
> Mitterand LIC, a local ship chartering firm.  Then give them the<BR>
> role-playing opportunity to convince a group of normally desk-bound<BR>
> researchers to risk both their lives (since they aren't adventuring<BR>
> types, their lives are more important to them than money) and a<BR>
> chartered ship (that they would have to pay for, if it gets damaged or<BR>
> destroyed) to save their hides.  (You _don't_ want your players to think<BR>
> that you'll bail them out of any jam....)<BR>
<BR>
Well, back when I GMed it was quite clear that I was perfectly willing<BR>
to let stupidity and *mistakes* be fatal. On the other hand, I might<BR>
"bend" a roll if there was a truly Insane* run on undeserved luck. Note<BR>
that I didn't limit that to *bad* luck. Not after watching a friend<BR>
wind up with a "super character" by managing a 1 in a million set of<BR>
rolls. He never abused the "hidden abilities". But it taught *me* a<BR>
lesson.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 04:18:03 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: small change<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> On 01/20/00 at 01:20 PM,  Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU> said:<BR>
><BR>
>>I recall a short story I read a long time ago, about a couple of rich<BR>
>>twits who take out a million pounds as a single million-pound note. They<BR>
>>then give this million-pound note to a homeless man, and somehow keep<BR>
>>track of him as he tries to spend it. <BR>
><BR>
>>No one can break the note, but most of the places he goes (especially the<BR>
>>upscale ones) figure he must be some sort of eccentric millionaire and<BR>
>>extend him credit.<BR>
><BR>
>>(I don't know if such a thing as a million-pound note even exists, but it<BR>
>>made an interesting story.)<BR>
><BR>
> There was a movie based on that story. I remember seeing part of it a few <BR>
> years ago.<BR>
<BR>
There's a Mark Twain story with that plot. Check Project Gutenberg. I<BR>
think it's something like the "100,000 Pound Note" or some such. I<BR>
expect that the others are rewrites and updating.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 13:05:14 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
<BR>
Bruce Johnson wrote:<BR>
>Tel me, does the thing come with a large label on the front, in friendly<BR>
>lettering "Don't Panic" ? ;-)<BR>
<BR>
BtC doesn't have a lot of pages considering the number of planets.<BR>
<BR>
Most of the paragraph is just the UWP written out in words (and we've had that<BR>
data for decades) and a description which essentially classifies the TAS green<BR>
worlds into:<BR>
<BR>
	"Harmless"<BR>
	"Mostly Harmless"<BR>
<BR>
;-)<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 04:19:56 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Scientific American<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> At 5:41 AM -0800 1/20/2000, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
>>Rail guns in essence have a pair of magnetic "plates" (or<BR>
>>electromagnets) above and below the "barrel". There are a pair of<BR>
>>conductive "rails" running the length of the barrel. The conductive<BR>
>>projectile gets placed across the rails. The current flows from one<BR>
>>rail to the other *thru* the projectile. The current, being at right<BR>
>>angles to the magnetic field generates a reactive force (JxB force) at<BR>
>>right angles to *both* the field *and* the current.<BR>
><BR>
> Actually, you don't need extra magnets... the two conductive rails<BR>
> generate a strong magnetic field which is in just the right direction<BR>
> between them to accelerate the projectile.  And you are correct...<BR>
> any conductor can be used to launch projectiles.  In fact, I've<BR>
> seen aluminum sabots with sub-caliber tunsgten carbide darts.<BR>
<BR>
No, you *do* need the field. At least for JxB force. Eddy currents<BR>
*might* work, but it'd be a *hell* of a lot less efficient. <BR>
<BR>
>>Rail guns are preferred for weapons because they are so damn simple and<BR>
>>don't require synchronized switching of field coils the way the "coil<BR>
>>guns" do. Most of the smaller reasearch "guns" are rail guns.<BR>
><BR>
> This is true, but if you can time your pulse so that it ramps down<BR>
> to 0 just as the projectile leaves the barrel, you eliminate the<BR>
> muzzle flash of a powerful electric arc and reduce electrical erosion<BR>
> of the barrel ends.<BR>
<BR>
Use a sensor to detect the front end of the projectile and chop the power.<BR>
<BR>
>>"Coil guns" aka "mass drivers" are better suited for *big installations<BR>
>>for launching *large* payloads. The switching times are longer, because<BR>
>>the driver coils are a lot farther apart.<BR>
><BR>
> You can do coil guns fairly efficiently and they switching required<BR>
> is well within the capabilities of modern electronics.  If your<BR>
> projectile is in a conductive loop or is wrapped by a conductive<BR>
> loop, you an use induction to launch.<BR>
<BR>
Alas, the "muzzle velocity" is determined by max switch rate *or* max<BR>
projectile weight, whichever gives a *lower* velocity.<BR>
<BR>
> My professor predicted a maximum of 50% energy efficiency for<BR>
> railguns and 80% for coilguns.<BR>
<BR>
But for *ruggedness* I'd go with a rail-gun. Only moving parts are the<BR>
trigger and ammo feed mechanism (well, maybe a relay, too). And the<BR>
ammo should be easier to "scrounge". <BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 15:09:41 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> I seem to recall a discussion somewhere where it was pointed out that<BR>
> birds (at least the ones that can actually *fly*) have been subjected<BR>
> to *extreme* evolutionary pressures to make tissues smaller/lighter<BR>
> so they can fly better. And when you stop and think about it, their<BR>
> brains *have* to be a lot more efficient than ours.<BR>
<BR>
Small birds (the size that would fit in your hand) have (if my sources<BR>
are correct) been known to use tools, small branches, to make holes in<BR>
paper/plastic coverings of milk bottles, in order to reach the milk<BR>
inside.<BR>
<BR>
Can anyone confirm (or not, as it might be) this?<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 08:38:21 -0600<BR>
From: "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com><BR>
Subject: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
Ken Bearden, you may be on to something.<BR>
Thank you, Eris, Ken's task system is interesting.<BR>
<BR>
>  Experience = Skill level x 3<BR>
Asset = Attribute (Strength, Dexterity, whatever) + Experience<BR>
<BR>
This implies that older characters are still worth a lot.<BR>
Double plus good!  Again, pity about having to multiply<BR>
by 3.<BR>
                          ------- Asset ------<BR>
                           15      19        6<BR>
>  Easy           2d      100%    100%     42%<BR>
>  Average        3d       95%    100%      9%<BR>
>  Difficult      4d       66%     95%      1%<BR>
>  Formidable     5d       31%     69%    0.1%<BR>
>  Staggering     6d       10%     36%    0.0%<BR>
>  Hopeless       7d        4%     14%    0.0%<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> I *could* go on to talk about using FUDGE for a Traveller Task System<BR>
> or how you might use the d6 Task system for Traveller, but I'll<BR>
> restrain myself. <g><BR>
<BR>
Eris, is this the system used in Shadowrun?  Or, could you<BR>
go ahead and explain?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
One last question: didn't Marc Miller expect to expand the<BR>
range of skill levels?  For instance, in Classic Traveller<BR>
skill levels more or less ranged from 1 to 6; I vaguely<BR>
remember that T4+ skills would range from 1 to 15+.  THAT<BR>
would fix the "Skill level x 3" problem once and for all.<BR>
<BR>
Rob<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 07:32:55 -0700<BR>
From: Glenn St-Germain <cos90@powersurfr.com><BR>
Subject: Re: McGuffin<BR>
<BR>
>IIRC, the term "macguffin" [spelling?] was coined by Hitchcock to<BR>
>describe an unusual object used as a "plot-pull" device.  (A possible<BR>
>example would be Hammett's Maltese Falcon.)  Bottom line, a macguffin<BR>
>should be a unique item that would enable its owner to do something both<BR>
>desirable and spectacular.  Such as a deep-space jump drive that<BR>
>requires less fuel per parsec....<BR>
<BR>
Actually, a McGuffin, as coined by Hitchcock, is the object that people<BR>
want, which drives the plot. It doesn't really matter *what* the McGuffin<BR>
is -- the fact that there are people who want it is sufficient. A great<BR>
example is in the film Ronin from a couple of years back (starring Robert<BR>
deNiro), in which the McGuffin is a silver-coloured briefcase which he<BR>
and a bunch of other mercenary ex-spy types are hired to swipe from the<BR>
man who has it. This drives the plot of one of the best movies of that<BR>
year -- and we never find out just what is *in* that briefcase!<BR>
<BR>
Back to Traveller -- sure, a jump drive that requires less fuel is something<BR>
that people would chase after, but the device itself could also unbalance<BR>
the game universe. Pictures of a local noble caught cheating on his spouse<BR>
could also serve as a McGuffin in an adventure.<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, 21 Jan 2000 11:03:41 EST<BR>
From: "Roger Barr" <travelergm@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Clothing Issues<BR>
<BR>
<snip><BR>
What limitation?<BR>
<BR>
Sitting down to pee. Which means that you have to take off *all* of the<BR>
%^^$#$% coveralls except maybe the part below your knees. And unless<BR>
this is a spotless fresher cubicle, as opposed to a typical public<BR>
restroom, you'll take the *whole* coverall off and hang it from the<BR>
hook that is (hopefully) on the back of the door so none of it gets<BR>
trailed in the "stuff" on the floor. And then you get to try to figure<BR>
out how to put it back on *without* getting any of the "stuff" that's<BR>
sticking to your shoes transferred to the *inside* of your coverall.<BR>
Have fun.<BR>
<BR>
Do this a few times and your opinion of coveralls will be unprintable.<BR>
<BR>
Now, with future tech, it may be possible to make coveralls with a<BR>
resealable *waist* seam. *That* would work. I'm not so sure about a<BR>
"crotch seam".<BR>
<BR>
<end snip><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
My 15 month old son has a big crotch seam in his overalls. Works fine for <BR>
us...<BR>
<grin><BR>
<BR>
Roger Barr<BR>
TravelerGM@hotmail.com<BR>
TravelerGM@aol.com<BR>
<BR>
Never Surrender, Never Give Up!<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 11:34:53 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
Thanks Leonard, I find this stuff immensely fascinating.  Your explanations<BR>
are clear and concise.<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: "Leonard Erickson" <shadow@krypton.rain.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2000 3:13 AM<BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
><BR>
> > My understanding of nuclear physics is all based upon what was readily<BR>
> > available during the 60's and 70's when I studied it in earnest.  (kids<BR>
have<BR>
> > LOTS of time on their hands).  Now that I'm an adult I find there are so<BR>
> > many other things needing my attention (like work..:) )  so I have<BR>
fallen<BR>
> > behind.  Is there a website I can go to to 'catch up'?<BR>
><BR>
> No idea. You might try buying some of the collections of Asimov's<BR>
> science essays. Or for that matter, he did a three volume work on physics.<BR>
><BR>
> > As for Schrodinger, I've heard there is a "cat" story but never actually<BR>
> > read it.  I'm vaguely aware of Heisenburg's Uncertainty Principle (sorry<BR>
> > Star Trek :) ) but I am sure there is much more depth to it than saying,<BR>
> > "looking at a subatomic particle makes two of it's attributes change in<BR>
> > random and unpredictable ways".<BR>
><BR>
> That's *not* how the uncertainty principle works. What it says is that<BR>
> certain properties are "linked" The more accurately you measure one,<BR>
> the *less* accurate your knowledge of the other is.<BR>
><BR>
> The two usual pairings are position and momentum, or energy and time.<BR>
><BR>
> Asimov gave a good explanation I'll try to summarize. For the first<BR>
> pair, look at it like this:<BR>
><BR>
> To see a particle, you either have to bounce another particle off of<BR>
> it, or it has to emit one. Remember that photons are particles too. The<BR>
> higher the energy of the photon, the shorter the wavelength, and thus<BR>
> the more closely you can pinpoint the position of what it bounced off<BR>
> of.<BR>
><BR>
> But that higher energy also means that the very act of bouncing the<BR>
> photon off the other particle has made a *major* change in it's<BR>
> momentum. It gives a much bigger "kick".<BR>
><BR>
> So, you can say "it's somewhere around here" and have a good idea of<BR>
> the momentum (velocity). Or you can say "It was 'right here' but I've<BR>
> got no idea how fast it is going now."<BR>
><BR>
> Measuring actually changes the value you are trying to measure.<BR>
><BR>
> For energy vs time, similar things apply. The short the time period,<BR>
> the less certain you can be of the energy of the system you are<BR>
> observing.<BR>
><BR>
> This is where "virtual particles" come from. Over *very* short periods<BR>
> of time, uncertainty allows a particle to "appear from nothing" carry<BR>
> energy from one place to another and then disappear. It has only<BR>
> "virtual" existence. Such particles are how all the forces of the<BR>
> universe work.<BR>
><BR>
> Two masses are attracted, because virtual gravitons cross the gap<BR>
> between them, carrying the force. Electromagnetic forces use virtual<BR>
> photons. And the strong and weak nuclear forces are so short ranged<BR>
> because they are carried by *massive* (very high energy) particles.<BR>
> Because of the high energies, they can exist as "virtual" particles for<BR>
> only tiny fractions of a second. Just enough time to cross a large<BR>
> nucleus.<BR>
><BR>
> This also is behind the "vacuum energy" stuff. In a vacuum, particle<BR>
> anti-particle pairs are continously appearing from nothing (living on<BR>
> "borrowed" energy) and disappearing (paying back the "loan" before the<BR>
> laws of nature foreclose).<BR>
><BR>
> That last *sounds* crazy, but they can actually *measure* the vacuum<BR>
> energy! If you place a pair of conductive plates in a vacuum, for<BR>
> various reason (that I don't understand) they limit the possible energy<BR>
> states between them. Thus the vacuum between them has less energy than<BR>
> the rest of the vacuum. Which means the higher energy vacuum exerts a<BR>
> pressure pushing the plates together. And the closer they get, the<BR>
> stronger the pressure. They can *measure* this.<BR>
><BR>
> But *all* of quantum physics rests on the uncertainty principle. It's<BR>
> the cornerstone. It's also why we *can't* use everyday examples to<BR>
> reason about events at the quantum level.<BR>
><BR>
> --<BR>
> Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
>  shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
> leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 16:35:27 +0000<BR>
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Small change<BR>
<BR>
david.d.jaques-watson@centrelink.gov.au wrote:<BR>
>Dear Folks -<BR>
><BR>
>Phil said:<BR>
>>50p per ?100 IIRC. Of course, banks charge small businesses just to exist,<BR>
>>never mind actually use any of their services. That's how you get free<BR>
>>personal banking and free credit on credit cards.<BR>
><BR>
>Phil, almost _no-one_ gets free personal banking anymore, they charge for<BR>
>EVERYTHING. The latest news report had a leaked document from the National<BR>
>Australia Bank (NAB) saying they were going to scrap the number of free<BR>
>over-the-counter transactions you could make. The fee for these is AU$2.50.<BR>
<BR>
You must be living in the wrong country. The original poster had a .uk<BR>
address and over here, individuals do not expect to pay any charges whilst<BR>
in credit.<BR>
<BR>
>I have an account free of bank fees, but only because it is linked to my home<BR>
>loan account (I don't get any interest, either). I still have to pay the<BR>
state<BR>
>govt deposit tax, and on my cheque account I have to pay deposit tax,<BR>
withdrawal<BR>
>tax, AND a monthly fee that has just been raised to AU$6 (which is why it is<BR>
>soon to be closed!).<BR>
><BR>
>Banks here are going the way of US banks, which is to say they don't want to<BR>
>know you unless your balance is consistently over $10,000 (my<BR>
understanding is<BR>
>that local US banks will take you, but nationwide banks don't like small<BR>
>accounts).<BR>
<BR>
There is talk of a trend that way here.<BR>
<BR>
>BTW, when you talk about free credit, what do you mean? We seem to have 2<BR>
>options with credit cards: no annual fee but no interest-free period, OR an<BR>
>annual fee but up to 55 days interest-free. Admittedly, that latter option<BR>
used<BR>
>to have no annual fee, but they changed it recently.<BR>
<BR>
I have three cards, each with an interest free period *and* no annual fee.<BR>
One (perhaps two) have a requirement that the cards is used 10 times per year,<BR>
but the other is guaranteed free.<BR>
Phil Kitching<BR>
- --<BR>
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 09:22:56 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: How do PAWs penetrate armor?<BR>
<BR>
Phil Kitching writes:<BR>
> I think the confusing here is like trying to model a gas explosion by<BR>
> watching a gas fire.<BR>
> <BR>
> The PAW or laser can't cut through the armour - that would take too long<BR>
> and the beam will only be resting on a single point for a few microseconds<BR>
> at most.<BR>
<BR>
It's as able to do so as lasers are.<BR>
> <BR>
> Similarly, the particles have nothing like the energy required to pass<BR>
> through even 20cm of steel in any quantity - for that you use Mesons. :-)<BR>
<BR>
Actually, it isn't that hard to punch radiation through 20cm of steel.  Given<BR>
how meson accelerators supposedly work (with substantial relativistic effect<BR>
on meson) PAWs are going to be in the multi-gigajoule range, which is enough<BR>
for substantial cascade radiation when they hit armor.<BR>
> <BR>
> Instead think of the energy released in a single weapon pulse (100 MJ or<BR>
> more) and treat it like an explosion on the surface of the ship.<BR>
<BR>
Well, that's not going to punch through much steel either.  A reasonable TL 5 battleship can ignore 100 MJ in a single-point explosion above the waterline.<BR>
In addition, if you want actual high explosive effect you'll need to deliver<BR>
the full pulse energy in something like 10 microseconds (or it will just be<BR>
a low explosive, and won't generate a useful shockwave).<BR>
> <BR>
> A shockwave passes through the hull and bits of it break off to form fast<BR>
> moving debris on the inside (This suggests that some sort of spaced armour<BR>
> might be appropriate.) A careful design of the beam**, possibly with energy<BR>
> being received by the edges a bit earlier, might allow a plasma<BR>
> penetrator** to be formed, propelled by the rest of the hull exploding<BR>
> away from the ship, to penetrate thicker armours.<BR>
<BR>
Hm...that's pretty horrible technobabble.  To be honest, given the scale of<BR>
traveller warships, spaced armor is useful against a wide variety of attacks.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 09:25:28 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kiri Aradia Morgan <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 21 Jan 2000, Rupert Boleyn wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> On 20 Jan 00, at 18:07, Jason T. Barnabas wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> > :-)  I sit here in my nice comfy coveralls and wonder, "Why?"<BR>
> > <BR>
> > Could someone from the other half of humaniti explain what<BR>
> > might be wrong with coveralls, or at least confirm Eris's<BR>
> > contention?  Kiri maybe?  You seem to be fairly brave about<BR>
> > this sort of thing and I really don't understand.<BR>
> <BR>
> IME (which only extends to cheap work things) they only fit one body <BR>
> shape, and certainly don't fit (this is from observation) those with non-<BR>
> average limb length/torso length ratios. Maybe more expensive types <BR>
> come in different shapes, but I've never met any. Another thing is that <BR>
> they tend to bind under the arms.<BR>
> <BR>
1)  The size of a woman's upper half is not likely to match the size of<BR>
her lower half predictably.  Most women are a different size for tops than<BR>
bottoms.<BR>
<BR>
2)  If you are female, in Western society, uncovering your breasts is<BR>
revealing your "nakedness" and you don't like having to basically<BR>
completely undress to go to the bathroom.  Women can't pee out of their<BR>
flies.  And snap crotches are very difficult to fasten if you have<BR>
appreciable curves.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
<BR>
******************************************************************************<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan                                  93!  Thou Art God<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"If time passes, everything turns into beauty<BR>
If the rains stop, tears clean the scars of memory away<BR>
Everything starts wearing fresh colors<BR>
Every sound begins playing a heartfelt melody<BR>
Jealousy embellishes a page of the epic<BR>
Desire is embraced in a dream..."              -- X-JAPAN<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 09:31:03 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
<BR>
> > The "bonding" electons exist around two or more neuclei.  (Their<BR>
> > negitive charge holds the postive neuclei together).<BR>
> <BR>
> No. that theory went out in the 30s. It's the strong and weak nuclear<BR>
> forces that hold the nucleus together. They are so shortranged that<BR>
> they have trouble getting all the way across a large nucleus. But<BR>
> within their range they are *very* strong. <BR>
<BR>
I think he's talking about covalent bonds, not nuclear bonds.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 11:30:46 -0600 (CST)<BR>
From: "Jason Kemp" <Jason.Kemp@tdh.state.tx.us><BR>
Subject: More on Aldeberan...<BR>
<BR>
Greetings, Fellow Travellers,<BR>
<BR>
Here's some more info for Chris Dixon and his upcoming campaign set<BR>
in the Aldeberan Sector. I hope you find this helpful, Chris.<BR>
<BR>
Check out the link for the Solomani in Aldeberan:<BR>
http://users.chello.no/mroger/HIWG/archive.html<BR>
<BR>
Enjoy,<BR>
Jason<BR>
<BR>
=============================<BR>
Jason Kemp, ADS Programmer IV<BR>
(512)458-7111 ext. 3375<BR>
Internet Address:  jason.kemp@tdh.state.tx.us<BR>
<BR>
Most computer virus and email alerts are hoaxes.  For more info, check out:<BR>
http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/culture/beliefs/urbanlegends/library/blhoax.htm<BR>
==============================<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 11:35:25 -0600<BR>
From: Kenneth Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions <dreamer@brokersys.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
Robert Eaglestone wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Ken Bearden, you may be on to something.<BR>
> Thank you, Eris, Ken's task system is interesting.<BR>
><BR>
> Again, pity about having to multiply<BR>
> by 3.<BR>
<BR>
I agree.  But, you've got to do something to increase the weight of skills.<BR>
<BR>
There are two schools of thought on this:  (1)  Most of a character's<BR>
ability to do something comes from his innate characteristics<BR>
(Dex/Str/etc), and all a skill does is fine tune that innate ability.<BR>
<BR>
This is the school of thought that T4 is governed by.<BR>
<BR>
My thinking resides with the second school of thought (2) that the chance<BR>
of success for a character to do something is 1 part learned knowledge and<BR>
experience (skill level) and 1 part innate ability.<BR>
<BR>
The reason I think this can be defined with the following argument.<BR>
<BR>
You're walking down the street one day.  You clutch at your heart and fall<BR>
to your knees.  You've had a heart attack.<BR>
<BR>
One of the bystanders standing next to you has been a little interested in<BR>
medicine through the years and has read some techinical journals.  This was<BR>
enough to give him Medical-1.  His innate ability in the area is Edu-9.<BR>
<BR>
So, you've got a character with a very low skill level (Med-1) and a decent<BR>
characteristic score (Edu-9  good, but not unheard of).<BR>
<BR>
Now, the ambulance takes you to the hospital, and you are attended by a<BR>
doctor.  Obviously, he has Medical-3.  This guy is just average in the<BR>
innate ability department, with a Edu-6.<BR>
<BR>
Who would you rather be treated by?<BR>
<BR>
In real life, it would be the doctor, hands down.  In T4, the guy on the<BR>
street with the Medical-1 skill is much better than the doctor with a<BR>
Medical-3 skill.<BR>
<BR>
Target number for the guy on the street (under T4):  10<BR>
<BR>
Target number for the doctor (under T4):  9<BR>
<BR>
Statistics-wise, under Marc's revised T4 task system, the guy on the street<BR>
has a 71.296% of success in helping you (Difficult throw of 2.5D).  The<BR>
doctor, on the other hand, only has a 57.407% (same difficulty throw of<BR>
2.5D).<BR>
<BR>
That just doesn't sit well with me.<BR>
<BR>
So, I created KBv2.0, and under this system, skills have more weight--they<BR>
are weighted about as much as stats.<BR>
<BR>
An average stat is 7, right?  An average skill is 2, agreed?<BR>
<BR>
In KBv2.0, a stat 7 is about as much as an experience level of 6 (skill<BR>
level 2 x 3).<BR>
<BR>
I'm not fond of the mulitplication by three either, but as Eris said, it is<BR>
a one time deal.  You create the character and write his skills on his<BR>
sheet.  Next to that, you start a new column--one called "Experience".<BR>
Multiply all skill levels by 3 and write this number in the box.<BR>
<BR>
When you go to do a task, instead of adding skill level plus stat, you<BR>
replace the skill level component with the Experience component--it's the<BR>
same calculation as you are doing now.  There's no mulitplication during<BR>
play.<BR>
<BR>
When a character improves his skill, you change the Experience when you<BR>
write in the new skill.  Other than that, the game goes on.  Wounds still<BR>
reduce a character's stats, and the target number is still effected the<BR>
same way as before.<BR>
<BR>
Under KBv2.0, the guy on the street above will have a 33.565% chance of<BR>
success on a Difficult Medical throw (KBv2.0 Difficult throws are made with<BR>
4D, the guy's KBv2.0 target number is 12), and the doctor will have a<BR>
66.435% chance of success on the same throw (the doc's target number under<BR>
KBv2.0 is 15).<BR>
<BR>
That seems to model real life a lot more realistically--to me anyway.  Many<BR>
people disagree.<BR>
<BR>
Notice that the percentage numbers for KBv2.0 are a lot lower than the ones<BR>
for T4.  That's by design.  The whole reason I started looking at new task<BR>
systems when I started playing T4 was because the T4 success rate was too<BR>
high--across the board.  I needed to bring down the chance of success for<BR>
in the difficutly categories.<BR>
<BR>
I also got rid of the pesky half die.  KBv2.0 only uses whole die.<BR>
<BR>
Anyway, if you want to see the write up on my system, check Freelance<BR>
Traveller.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks,<BR>
<BR>
Kenneth.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 09:50:08 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
Kenneth Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions writes:<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> So, I created KBv2.0, and under this system, skills have more weight--they<BR>
> are weighted about as much as stats.<BR>
> <BR>
> An average stat is 7, right?  An average skill is 2, agreed?<BR>
> <BR>
> In KBv2.0, a stat 7 is about as much as an experience level of 6 (skill<BR>
> level 2 x 3).<BR>
> <BR>
> I'm not fond of the mulitplication by three either, but as Eris said, it is<BR>
> a one time deal.  You create the character and write his skills on his<BR>
> sheet.  Next to that, you start a new column--one called "Experience".<BR>
> Multiply all skill levels by 3 and write this number in the box.<BR>
<BR>
Well, if you want, you can replace 'multiply by 3' with 'X dice'.  Make the<BR>
task system something like 'skill+1 dice plus stat' against a target based on<BR>
the difficulty.  So, the PC with EDU-9 skill-1 rolls 2d+9, while the <BR>
professional rolls 4d+6.  It works out to a similar 'weight' for skills as<BR>
multiplying by 3.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 23:06:42 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
<BR>
At 16:21 -0500 20/1/00, "Roger Barr" <travelergm@hotmail.com> wrote:<BR>
>I have to disagree. I have the new Behind the Claw book and I really liked<BR>
>having the previously printed data in one source at my fingertips. I did<BR>
>notice that the actual listing of each world has just a tidbit of data, not<BR>
>really enough to interfere with my creativity in those systems. (I have been<BR>
>using Regina as a home subsector for my campaigns for years...)<BR>
<BR>
I think that my answer here has to be 'YMMV'. IMNSHO I find the full <BR>
descriptions annoying. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>(Ummm, does this mean I'm gonna get cut from the credits of the new book by<BR>
>disagreeing with the publishers?)<BR>
>;)<BR>
><BR>
>Roger Barr<BR>
<BR>
Who?<BR>
<BR>
;-)<BR>
<BR>
Dom (who acknowledges Roger as one of the contributors of the <BR>
forthcoming 101 Patrons)<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1791<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 21 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1792<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: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
RE: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
RE: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
Dune: House Atredies<BR>
Chock full of Task System Goodness<BR>
Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: How large can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
1) Hi Ethan 2) Traveller without psionics<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 23:14:20 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
<BR>
At 16:21 -0500 20/1/00, Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Okay, I've been wanting to do this for a while.<BR>
><BR>
><plagiarize source="Emo Phillips" paraphrase="roughly approximate"><BR>
><BR>
>So I raaaaan into Dom Mooney the other day, and he was cliiimbing over<BR>
>the guardrail of a bridge, and I said "What are you doing?"<BR>
><BR>
>Heeeee said "Well, I'm going to end it all, I have nothing to live<BR>
>for."<BR>
><BR>
>Aaaand I said "Surely that can't be true! Don't you have any hobbies?"<BR>
><BR>
>And Dom repliiiiied, "Well, yes, I play Traveller."<BR>
<BR>
<snip><BR>
<BR>
>Soooooooo I said "Wow, me too! Milieu 1100 classic, High Guard ship<BR>
>design, extended character generation, Striker missiles, or<BR>
>Milieu 1100 classic, High Guard ship design, extended character<BR>
>generation, Special Supplement missiles?"<BR>
><BR>
>He saaaaaid "Striker."<BR>
><BR>
>Sooooooooooooo I yelled "DIE HERETIC!" and pushed him off the bridge!<BR>
<BR>
I think you just broke me.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I'll give you a 5.0 for that... I'm so glad that I didn't have a <BR>
mouthful then... I feel badly enough incapacitated without a keyboard <BR>
ruined.<BR>
<BR>
I've just been declared a heretic!<BR>
<BR>
Eris! Is it warm in there? Can I come and play now? Pleeeaaaaasssee.....<BR>
<BR>
More seriously: T4.1 with High Guard, CT/MT/T4 equipment <BR>
interchangeable, M1100 to 1129 and M0, Infini-V (ie CSC) and a <BR>
willingness to steal from all Traveller editions.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 10:01:36 -0800<BR>
From: "Thing" <gduke@telebyte.com><BR>
Subject: RE: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
On Friday, January 21, 2000 9:35 AM<BR>
Kenneth Bearden said,<BR>
<BR>
> That just doesn't sit well with me.<BR>
><BR>
> So, I created KBv2.0, and under this system, skills have more<BR>
weight--they<BR>
> are weighted about as much as stats.<BR>
<BR>
I like you system.<BR>
<BR>
The weight of stats always bothered me in T4.  One of the things that<BR>
pointed it out to me was a character that had a Dex of 4.  In my book<BR>
that made her a bit of a kluts being 3 points below average dexterity.<BR>
I played with stats being a + or - DM in order to show this.  I would<BR>
give 1pt for every 2 points away from the median stat.  I guess giving a<BR>
negative works out the same as just giving less for low stats but<BR>
something in my mind made me want the penalties to show up as a<BR>
negative.<BR>
<BR>
G.D.D.<BR>
======<BR>
"Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or<BR>
predecessors. Try to be better than yourself."  --William Faulkner<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 12:07:39 -0600<BR>
From: ehenry@newberlin.org (Eric Henry)<BR>
Subject: Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
<BR>
Okay i give.  What are the special supplement missiles?  what's the<BR>
difference between these and striker?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>>Soooooooo I said "Wow, me too! Milieu 1100 classic, High Guard ship<BR>
>>design, extended character generation, Striker missiles, or<BR>
>>Milieu 1100 classic, High Guard ship design, extended character<BR>
>>generation, Special Supplement missiles?"<BR>
>><BR>
>>He saaaaaid "Striker."<BR>
>><BR>
>>Sooooooooooooo I yelled "DIE HERETIC!" and pushed him off the bridge!<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 10:06:57 -0800<BR>
From: "Thing" <gduke@telebyte.com><BR>
Subject: RE: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
<BR>
On Friday, January 21, 2000 9:25 AM<BR>
iri Aradia Morgan said,<BR>
<BR>
<Snippage><BR>
> flies.  And snap crotches are very difficult to fasten if you have<BR>
> appreciable curves.<BR>
<BR>
That is why you must go for that oh so fashionable full bottom flap that<BR>
they always show some guy running around in long johns with in westerns.<BR>
<BR>
G.D.D.<BR>
======<BR>
"Women and cats will do as they please.  And men and dogs should relax<BR>
and get used to the idea."  -Robert Heinlein<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 10:43:13 PST<BR>
From: "will richards" <willrichards@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
<BR>
I just wanted to let the list know about this new book by Kevin J. Anderson <BR>
and Brian Herbert.<BR>
  At first I was skeptical about it as the sequels to Dune where rather <BR>
well.. hard to read. But Happily the Dune Prequel is a good read (So far).<BR>
IMHO this book has a very strong Traveller feel to it, Especially with <BR>
regards to Nobles and intrigue. It goes in to some detail about the plots <BR>
and counter plots within the Imperial court with out getting bogged down. <BR>
Also the description of the machine planet IX is very unique.<BR>
The book might make reading Dune itself a little easier as it sets up and <BR>
explains the plots that did not get adequately explained in the first book.<BR>
<BR>
Will<BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 13:48:15 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Dixon" <cdixon@airfoiltech.com><BR>
Subject: Chock full of Task System Goodness<BR>
<BR>
I just wanted to send a quick thanks to the many posters who've helped<BR>
me out with tasks, Solomani history, etc.<BR>
<BR>
You know who you are!<BR>
<BR>
Cheers,<BR>
<BR>
Chris Dixon<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 14:51:59 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
At 09:50 AM 1/21/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
        [snip]<BR>
>> I'm not fond of the mulitplication by three either, but as Eris said, it is<BR>
>> a one time deal.  You create the character and write his skills on his<BR>
>> sheet.  Next to that, you start a new column--one called "Experience".<BR>
>> Multiply all skill levels by 3 and write this number in the box.<BR>
><BR>
>Well, if you want, you can replace 'multiply by 3' with 'X dice'.  Make the<BR>
>task system something like 'skill+1 dice plus stat' against a target based on<BR>
>the difficulty.  So, the PC with EDU-9 skill-1 rolls 2d+9, while the <BR>
>professional rolls 4d+6.  It works out to a similar 'weight' for skills as<BR>
>multiplying by 3.<BR>
><BR>
        Have you guys looked at using the dice engine from XIDCreative's<BR>
_Providence_ RPG?<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>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 13:55:29 -0500 (EST)<BR>
From: Michael Houghton <herveus@Radix.Net><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
Howdy!<BR>
<BR>
Ken wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
[snip]<BR>
> One of the bystanders standing next to you has been a little interested in<BR>
> medicine through the years and has read some techinical journals.  This was<BR>
> enough to give him Medical-1.  His innate ability in the area is Edu-9.<BR>
> <BR>
> So, you've got a character with a very low skill level (Med-1) and a decent<BR>
> characteristic score (Edu-9  good, but not unheard of).<BR>
> <BR>
> Now, the ambulance takes you to the hospital, and you are attended by a<BR>
> doctor.  Obviously, he has Medical-3.  This guy is just average in the<BR>
> innate ability department, with a Edu-6.<BR>
> <BR>
> Who would you rather be treated by?<BR>
> <BR>
> In real life, it would be the doctor, hands down.  In T4, the guy on the<BR>
> street with the Medical-1 skill is much better than the doctor with a<BR>
> Medical-3 skill.<BR>
> <BR>
> Target number for the guy on the street (under T4):  10<BR>
> <BR>
> Target number for the doctor (under T4):  9<BR>
> <BR>
> Statistics-wise, under Marc's revised T4 task system, the guy on the street<BR>
> has a 71.296% of success in helping you (Difficult throw of 2.5D).  The<BR>
> doctor, on the other hand, only has a 57.407% (same difficulty throw of<BR>
> 2.5D).<BR>
> <BR>
> That just doesn't sit well with me.<BR>
> <BR>
If I recall correctly, T4.1 includes the "it'sharder than you think"<BR>
stipulation. I think the effective difficulty goes up one level for<BR>
each die the base difficulty requires over your skill level.<BR>
<BR>
In this case, Good Samaritan gets to roll a couple extra dice to<BR>
account for his lack of skill. A target of 10 on 4D is much tougher.<BR>
<BR>
I may have mangled the details, but I know this example is not valid<BR>
under T4.1<BR>
<BR>
yours,<BR>
Michael<BR>
- -- <BR>
Michael and MJ Houghton   | Herveus d'Ormonde and Megan O'Donnelly<BR>
herveus@radix.net         | White Wolf and the Phoenix<BR>
Bowie, MD, USA            | Tablet and Inkle bands, and other stuff<BR>
                          | http://www.radix.net/~herveus/<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 14:00:33 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
>I seem to recall a discussion somewhere where it was pointed out<BR>
>that birds (at least the ones that can actually *fly*) have been<BR>
>subjected to *extreme* evolutionary pressures to make tissues<BR>
>smaller/lighter so they can fly better. And when you stop and<BR>
>think about it, their brains *have* to be a lot more efficient<BR>
>than ours.<BR>
<BR>
	I'm not sure about *have,* but there are certainly ways to<BR>
	save on space that don't automatically require more compact<BR>
	intelligence.  For example, reduce the olfactory (smell)<BR>
	parts, develop "intelligence" in certain crucial areas but<BR>
	not in others, reduce flexibility in certain behaviours.<BR>
<BR>
>Consider the various birds that can learn to mimic speech. Then<BR>
>consider that some of the larger ones are *easily* as smart as<BR>
>primates many times their size.<BR>
<BR>
	This sort of evaluation will depend very much on how you<BR>
	are quantifying "smart," among other things.<BR>
<BR>
>Then consider that some of them may be doing more than "merely"<BR>
>mimicking speech.<BR>
<BR>
	And gorillas may be doing calculus in their heads.   :)<BR>
<BR>
>So I'll revise my estimate downwards. I'd say that with "avian<BR>
>brain efficiency" you could get a human brain a third the size.<BR>
>Maybe less.<BR>
<BR>
	This is quite reasonable.<BR>
<BR>
Jens Rydholm writes:<BR>
>Small birds (the size that would fit in your hand) have (if my<BR>
>sources are correct) been known to use tools, small branches,<BR>
>to make holes in paper/plastic coverings of milk bottles, in<BR>
>order to reach the milk inside.<BR>
>Can anyone confirm (or not, as it might be) this?<BR>
<BR>
	There was a study of great tits (a bird, lets keep this<BR>
	civil) in the UK that found some populations that had<BR>
	learned to open milk bottle lids to get at the milk.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 14:02:37 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: How large can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
>>In every Terrestrial species that might even possibly be<BR>
>>sentient, with the exception of dolphins, the male is larger<BR>
>>than the female.  AFAIK, dolphins are the same size<BR>
>>regardless of sex.<BR>
>Tell that to the next bear you meet. :-)<BR>
<BR>
	AFAIK, male bears are generally larger than females, but I<BR>
	could be wrong.<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 14:07:22 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
>>That makes sense, from an evolutionary standpoint.  After all, it<BR>
>>doesn't take all that much intelligence to stalk a wild stalk. <BR>
>Someone pointed out the error in Niven's logic. It doesn't take<BR>
>intelligence to sneak up on grass (or if it *does*, *I* ain't gonna<BR>
>want to live there!). But it *does* (or *can*, anyway) take<BR>
>intelligence to *avoid* being snuck up on.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	Arguably, it takes more intelligence to catch something than<BR>
	it does to get away, but in any event the carnivore is (on<BR>
	average) more dependant on catching prey than the prey is<BR>
	on escaping: the prey will only have to escape occasionally<BR>
	while the predator will have to catch prey pretty much<BR>
	every time it wants to eat.  It can also be argued that<BR>
	there are more options available to the herbivore, such as<BR>
	larger size, than are available to the carnivore (large<BR>
	size may help subduing the prey, but you still have to<BR>
	catch it).<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 14:22:48 -0500<BR>
From: "Alvin" <aplummer@idirect.com><BR>
Subject: 1) Hi Ethan 2) Traveller without psionics<BR>
<BR>
>Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 08:58:52 -0500<BR>
>From: Ethan Henry <egh@klg.com><BR>
>Subject: Re: Testing....<BR>
<BR>
>"Alvin" <aplummer@idirect.com> wrote:<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Just testing if I got the new address right....<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Alvin Plummer<BR>
<BR>
>Hey, welcome back Alvin!<BR>
>- --<BR>
>Ethan Henry                                        egh@klg.com<BR>
<BR>
Hi Ethan!  It's good to "see" you again....<BR>
<BR>
*************************************<BR>
<BR>
Traveller Without Psionics<BR>
<BR>
There may be some folk who would like the<BR>
Traveller universe, but - for scientific or<BR>
religious reasons - don't care for the psionics.<BR>
However, there is a two large player within<BR>
the Traveller universe who's very existance <BR>
mandates the existance of psionics.  Moreover, <BR>
there is this thing called "The Psionic<BR>
Suppressions Act" in the Imperium. So there<BR>
doesn't seem to be any prtatical way to get rid of it.<BR>
<BR>
Or is there....?<BR>
<BR>
Instead of defining psionics as "the powers of<BR>
the mind", let's define it as "the physical <BR>
*manipulation* of the mind", and make the Zhodani the<BR>
major practitioners of mental manipulation<BR>
via chemical and electronic means.  (The Hivers<BR>
are more social engineers than physical manipulators,<BR>
when it comes to mental control.)  And let's fold<BR>
in the Droyne, as they - in a world without<BR>
mysterious mental powers - use chemical sprays and<BR>
electronic organs to cloud the minds of men.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
 * First, the Zhodani *<BR>
<BR>
The key question is: what is psionics used for<BR>
in the Consulate, and is any tool than can replace it?<BR>
<BR>
Psionics is primarily used for the following reasons:<BR>
<BR>
1) Social control (Cheap mindreading, mental<BR>
control of the populance, and mental therapy)<BR>
<BR>
2) Teleportation in tatical situations.<BR>
<BR>
3) Class differentation between the Zhodani Nobility<BR>
and the Proles.<BR>
<BR>
4) Theological purposes: The more psionic you are,<BR>
the more spiritually pure you are.<BR>
<BR>
In a world ithout any special mental powers, <BR>
we'll define psionics as the physical control of<BR>
minds. Assume that the Zhodani culture is a <BR>
theraputic culture: there is no right or wrong, <BR>
just healthy and unhealthy, happy and unhappy.  <BR>
Nobles are the "physicans of the culture": <BR>
decended from those immune to the control drugs<BR>
widely availabe within the Zhodani bopsphere.<BR>
They are effectively a caste of priest-kings, <BR>
with a deep reverence of social dynamics rather <BR>
than spiritual deities.  Election into their ranks<BR>
depends on demonstrated mastery of Zhodani<BR>
social theory and health sciences, both physical<BR>
and mental: because of the raw amont of material<BR>
that need's to be mastered, training begins <BR>
at a very young age.<BR>
<BR>
The Zhodani Olympiad is a year-long <BR>
battery of tests held every three years that <BR>
determines who is admitted into the Noble <BR>
class, and their initial rank within that class.<BR>
These tests are not just paperwork, but also<BR>
deliberately set-up social situations (both real-time<BR>
and virtual reality) that test's not just the social<BR>
skills of the subject, but how he uses these skills<BR>
under stress: with the aim of allowing only those<BR>
with the best command of social dynamics<BR>
and the deepest understanding of their fellow man<BR>
into the Noble class.<BR>
<BR>
Local Zhodani lifeforms provided substances<BR>
that even TL 0 societies could easily use for <BR>
chemically controlling a large population: religious <BR>
rites and state ceremonies were the usual vector<BR>
to administer these drugs, while the priests-kings<BR>
were people who had a genetic immunity to these<BR>
drugs.  As Zhodani culture developed <BR>
technologically, the use of these drugs became <BR>
more sophisticated and potent: however, they <BR>
also began to take a heavier toll on the health <BR>
of the general population.  At about  -6000 <BR>
Imperial there was a civil war within the Noble <BR>
classes in the largest Zhodani state: the victorious <BR>
side began to stress the healthful, benefical aspects<BR>
of chemical therapy.  Over time, all of Zhodani<BR>
culture began to follow the new way of thinking,<BR>
with the added belief that the Proles have the<BR>
inalienable *right* to healthful, happy living.<BR>
<BR>
With the rise of high-capasity computation and<BR>
survellance technology came the ability of the<BR>
State to continually watch all the people, all the time.<BR>
Largely, this was not needed to suppress revolts:<BR>
very few revolts even get started by this point in <BR>
time.  This is more of a feedback mechanism, to see if <BR>
current Noble policies are having their desired effect.<BR>
Observation devices can be as small as a<BR>
millimeter, and different devices can<BR>
sence visual, heat, sound, and other stimuli, and <BR>
transmit their data to a central comptuer.<BR>
<BR>
At about -5000 Imperial, the Zhodani became a <BR>
unified world state, and by -4500 they have <BR>
developed not only a deep understanding on <BR>
how the brain functions, but implanted electric <BR>
"social control managers" that provide a more <BR>
detailed way to control behavour than the usual <BR>
drug cocktail, and with much smaller side effects.  <BR>
At about the same time, they begain "brave new <BR>
world" genetic experiments on developing a way <BR>
to make the Prole mind more suspectible to <BR>
external control.<BR>
<BR>
By -4000 Jump drive was developed, and the Zhodani<BR>
began their slow but steady expansion from their <BR>
homeworld.  At around -2500 the Consulate hit<BR>
it's present size, and the central government <BR>
called a halt: any more, and the sheer scale of <BR>
territory would fatally weaken the central government's <BR>
ability to control it's population.<BR>
<BR>
There is an unusually large amount of working<BR>
Ancient artifacts available to the Zhodani, <BR>
including time-manipulation devices, long-distance <BR>
sensory rings and five workable jumpgates.  <BR>
Zhodani science has been able to develop and <BR>
reproduce man-portable teleportation grids, <BR>
which are suitable for use in a military situation: <BR>
however, they are quite fragile, require expert <BR>
training in their use, and burns out after two uses.  [1]<BR>
The Imperium has been able to obtain a few <BR>
units during the various Frontier Wars, but lack <BR>
the Ancient technology to either maintain them <BR>
or build more.  Even the Zhodani are mainly just <BR>
copying exactly what the Ancients left behind:<BR>
they have an even weaker technical understanding <BR>
of Ancient tech than the Imperium has (although,<BR>
with Droyne assistance, they have a better grasp <BR>
in how to use Ancient tools...)<BR>
<BR>
* Next, the Droyne *<BR>
<BR>
In a universe without paranormal mental powers, <BR>
the Droyne social use of psionics (coynes, etc) is <BR>
just a form of mystical ritualism.  They *do* have the<BR>
genetic ability to "blend" in with their <BR>
surroundings and "cloud men's minds", <BR>
but that's more to do with chemicals and<BR>
certain chemicals and  "bioelectric organs" which, <BR>
instead of shocking a man like the electric eel, interact<BR>
with the electric pocessses of the brain, making<BR>
comprehension difficult.<BR>
<BR>
Their technician caste is extremely gifted, <BR>
and are able to build remarkable high-tech materials<BR>
at very low tech levels.  For example, they could<BR>
construct workable machine-guns by hand at <BR>
Roman Empire tech levels, lasers at the Italian <BR>
Renaissance, artigrav vehicles at World War One, <BR>
etc.  The Zhodani have a close working relationship <BR>
with the Droyne, and - along with their much<BR>
larger numbers in the Consulate - provide most of<BR>
the technical support for Zhodani's ancient artifiacts.<BR>
(Zhodani Droyne don't fear Ancient artifacts the<BR>
way other Droyne do, and are willing to use such<BR>
artifacts when commanded to do so by the government.)<BR>
<BR>
Most Imperials detest the Droyne, claming that <BR>
they are using "psionics" to steal ideas and control<BR>
the minds of men.  In reality, they just don't<BR>
like the idea of anyone tampering with their minds<BR>
without their say so.  Moreover, the racial pride<BR>
of the Solomani dislikes the idea of anyone with better<BR>
technological skills than they have, while the<BR>
Vilani absolutely *hates* the idea of an race that<BR>
can invent anything "of the cuff", as it were.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
* Finally, the Imperium itself *<BR>
<BR>
The main issue is the Psionic Suppression Orders: <BR>
why would the Imperial government order the<BR>
suppression of nonexistant mental powers?<BR>
<BR>
The main reason is the Psionic Institutes itself.<BR>
While promising "hidden psionic knowledge", they were<BR>
actually a cover for electronically networking <BR>
human minds, trying to create a superior groupmind<BR>
and "take the next step in human evolution".<BR>
<BR>
The Imperium didn't pay any attention - until<BR>
reports came in claiming that the Institutes<BR>
had not only succeded, but were planning to <BR>
dispose of the Imperial government and replace it<BR>
with their own.<BR>
<BR>
Immediately the Psionic Suppression Orders <BR>
were shipped out, and an ugly purge of the<BR>
Institutes was carried out.  New information<BR>
presenting evidence of Zhodani involvement<BR>
spured on the Imperium in it's enforcement<BR>
of the Institutes, and left a bad taste in the<BR>
mouths of the general popualtion, as well.<BR>
<BR>
Much later, the Imperium decided to set up<BR>
it's own Institutes, but has done so secretly:<BR>
hatred of this kind of mental experimentation<BR>
has become hardened throughout the Imperium.<BR>
<BR>
******************<BR>
<BR>
Alternative ways to phsically control the <BR>
thoughts of large populations - besides the <BR>
chemical tools (ingested, injected and airborne) <BR>
electronic managers implanted into the brain,<BR>
and electronic networks outlined above - <BR>
include <BR>
<BR>
Babylon-5 style "keepers" stuck at the base<BR>
    of the neck: these animals may be <BR>
    natural or synthetic<BR>
Eletronic devices, that radiate "fear",<BR>
    "happiness", "hunger", and<BR>
    other basic emotions<BR>
Genetic manipulation of people,<BR>
    to have build-in organs<BR>
    that will manage their thoughts<BR>
Same as above, but with airborne chemical<BR>
    management to control thoughts<BR>
    (Draka-race style)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
*******************<BR>
<BR>
[1] The reason why they are not in common use in the Consulate<BR>
is due to problems in operation.  The devices do use<BR>
some convoluted, Ancient-tech way to both obtain the needed<BR>
energy and dispose of surplus heat: however, it seems that the<BR>
loal region of the galaxy will only handle a few thousand units<BR>
in operation at any one time: additional units just don't <BR>
go anywhere.<BR>
<BR>
Alvin Plummer<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 14:19:09 -0500<BR>
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
Eris writes:<BR>
>So, how do we define sentient?<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	This is a rather important question here.<BR>
<BR>
>Right, and meat is a more compact form of energy than foliage.<BR>
>I think we will find that herbivores will very seldom rise to<BR>
>intelligence.  Perhaps it's a conceit, but I think intelligence<BR>
>belongs to the meat eaters. <BR>
<BR>
	I suspect that it is a conceit.  As it happens, the most<BR>
	sentient species that we know of on Terra is not a<BR>
	carnivore.<BR>
<BR>
Jim Lawrie writes:<BR>
>The most curious animal in the world is a cow.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	Also thought by some to be among the worlds dumbest<BR>
	mammals.  This goes back to the question about what is<BR>
	a sophont.<BR>
<BR>
>Herbivores have to be large because their food requires a long<BR>
>digestion process,<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	Don't tell that to termites, aphids, etc.   :)<BR>
<BR>
Rupert Boleyn writes:<BR>
>OTOH there are a number of fairly cunning herbivores.<BR>
<snipped><BR>
<BR>
	Again, we should define sophoncy (you first ;))<BR>
<BR>
Peez<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 11:19:50 -0800<BR>
From: "Zane H. Healy" <healyzh@aracnet.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
<BR>
>I just wanted to let the list know about this new book by Kevin J. Anderson<BR>
>and Brian Herbert.<BR>
>  At first I was skeptical about it as the sequels to Dune where rather<BR>
>well.. hard to read. But Happily the Dune Prequel is a good read (So far).<BR>
>IMHO this book has a very strong Traveller feel to it, Especially with<BR>
>regards to Nobles and intrigue. It goes in to some detail about the plots<BR>
>and counter plots within the Imperial court with out getting bogged down.<BR>
>Also the description of the machine planet IX is very unique.<BR>
>The book might make reading Dune itself a little easier as it sets up and<BR>
>explains the plots that did not get adequately explained in the first book.<BR>
<BR>
If you can find a copy, you might enjoy the "Dune Encyclopedia".  It's<BR>
about the size of one of the Dune Hardbacks, but I believe it's thicker.<BR>
Wish I knew where I had my copy stuffed.  It would make a good RPG<BR>
Supplement, and has TONS of background info!  I don't remember who the<BR>
other was.<BR>
<BR>
				Zane<BR>
| Zane H. Healy                    | UNIX Systems Adminstrator  |<BR>
| healyzh@aracnet.com (primary)    | Linux Enthusiast           |<BR>
| healyzh@holonet.net (alternate)  | Classic Computer Collector |<BR>
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+<BR>
|     Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing,    |<BR>
|                   and Zane's Computer Museum.                 |<BR>
|                 http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/              |<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 11:26:28 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
>From: Bill Rutherford <worj@home.com><BR>
>Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
...<BR>
>Go to www.ertltoys.com, ERTL's home page.  ERTL owns ESCI (who make - or <BR>
>made - a wide range of plastic models and 1/72nd scale miniatures)<BR>
<BR>
  FWIW, the ERTL site should (IIRC) have their line of Star Wars models,<BR>
e.g. the AMT/ ERTL SW: The Empire Strikes Back "Rebel Base". Quality is<BR>
poor overall, but for $15-16 US you get lots of junk to give away, and <BR>
you end up left with 3 X-Wings (OK, ~3cm long), 4 snowspeeders (OK, ~2cm),<BR>
3 Y-Wings (ugly, waiting to be converted to in-system cargo craft, ~3cm),<BR>
the Millenium Falcon (OK, ~3.5"x4.5") and the Rebel Transport (OK if a bit<BR>
light on detail, ~7-8" long).<BR>
<BR>
  Considering what even a single small ship from the Full Thrust, B5, or<BR>
Starblazers ranges cost, this is a good place to start a small collection<BR>
of ship models for Traveller.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 11:32:10 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> In mail you write:<BR>
> <BR>
> > eris@pcola.gulf.net wrote:<BR>
> >> <BR>
> > <<snip>><BR>
> >> <BR>
> >> Right, and meat is a more compact form of energy than foliage.  I<BR>
> >> think we will find that herbivores will very seldom rise to<BR>
> >> intelligence.  Perhaps it's a conceit, but I think intelligence belongs<BR>
> >> to the meat eaters.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > That makes sense, from an evolutionary standpoint.  After all, it<BR>
> > doesn't take all that much intelligence to stalk a wild stalk. <BR>
> <BR>
> Someone pointed out the error in Niven's logic. It doesn't take<BR>
> intelligence to sneak up on grass (or if it *does*, *I* ain't gonna<BR>
> want to live there!). But it *does* (or *can*, anyway) take<BR>
> intelligence to *avoid* being snuck up on. <BR>
<BR>
I think it was Niven, in fact, who pointed out the error in Niven's<BR>
logic. :)<BR>
<BR>
IIRC, "how much intelligence does it take to sneak up on a leaf?" was <BR>
Speaker-to-Animals' (or some other Kzin's) line. Niven's Puppeteers, <BR>
while not "abstractly curious" to the degree that humans are, were<BR>
highly <BR>
and deviously intelligent. I believe that there was some speculation <BR>
that paranoia, rather than curiosity, was what drove the evolution of <BR>
herbivore intelligence.<BR>
<BR>
- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1792<BR>
***********************************<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1793</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 21 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1793<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>
looking for research assistance?<BR>
Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
Re: special supplement missiles<BR>
missiles on merchants<BR>
Re: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
CT Reprints<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
re: small change<BR>
Armed Kangeroo's<BR>
Re: CT Reprints<BR>
Re Profitability<BR>
Re Imperiums<BR>
[none]<BR>
Imperium 2000<BR>
Re CT Task System<BR>
Re Tasks<BR>
Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
Re Banking<BR>
Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 14:41:15 EST<BR>
From: "Roger Barr" <travelergm@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: looking for research assistance?<BR>
<BR>
  > >Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 23:06:42 +0000<BR>
>From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
>Subject: re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
<BR>
>I think that my answer here has to be 'YMMV'. IMNSHO I find the full<BR>
>descriptions annoying. ;-)<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
<BR>
Okay, I now have to ask for help from the numerous gentle sophonts on the <BR>
list:<BR>
I am planning on using the Regina subsector for my next campaign. I am <BR>
looking to see if I can get a list of all canon documents that provide <BR>
details on this subsector. I am speaking primarily about <BR>
modules/adventures/supplements that give a good bit of data above the UPP. <BR>
The Behind the Claw book was pretty good in mentioning a few things here and <BR>
there, but I am trying to insure that I do not make any radical changes to <BR>
the area.<BR>
If anyone has the time, I'd appreciate the help.<BR>
<BR>
Roger Barr<BR>
TravelerGM@aol.com (or)<BR>
TravelerGM@hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
"All those imperial citizens who believe in telekinesis, raise my hand."<BR>
<quote from an anonymous Imperial Bureau of Internal Security Officer at a <BR>
new year's party><BR>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 12:00:32 -0800<BR>
From: Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
<BR>
> I think you just broke me.<BR>
> <BR>
> I'll give you a 5.0 for that... I'm so glad that I didn't have a <BR>
> mouthful then... I feel badly enough incapacitated without a keyboard <BR>
> ruined.<BR>
> <BR>
> I've just been declared a heretic!<BR>
<BR>
Nah, you just got between me and a bad joke. You're only a pretend <BR>
heretic.<BR>
<BR>
> More seriously: T4.1 with High Guard, CT/MT/T4 equipment <BR>
> interchangeable, M1100 to 1129 and M0, Infini-V (ie CSC) and a <BR>
> willingness to steal from all Traveller editions.<BR>
<BR>
I don't even think I can specify mine this precisely. Homebrew task <BR>
system, CT/MT character generation with Central Casting as an option, <BR>
non-3I-related milieu, homebrew ship design system (though I may punt<BR>
to a modified High Guard at some point), willingness to steal from <BR>
*anything*. <BR>
<BR>
- -Russell B<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 12:05:29 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: special supplement missiles<BR>
<BR>
>From: ehenry@newberlin.org (Eric Henry)<BR>
>Subject: Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
><BR>
>Okay i give.  What are the special supplement missiles?  what's the<BR>
>difference between these and striker?<BR>
<BR>
  SS3: Missiles is basically a CT(B:2, _not_ HG2) & Mayday -compatible<BR>
design sequence booklet originally inside JTAS #21. It's neat to read.<BR>
<BR>
  Striker doesn't have spaceship combat missile rules. Not really. _But_,<BR>
you could design them using the aircraft (pick an airframe, any airframe, <BR>
it hardly matters...) or vehicle design rules (in which case you may have<BR>
to finesse the volume requirements on the rocket engine that you're to<BR>
hook up to your power plant - the default of 1m^3 per 1000kg is good).<BR>
<BR>
  Luckily they already have rocket stats _and_ rules for air-breathing<BR>
powerplants in vacuum :><BR>
<BR>
  And no, the tac missile design sequence isn't suitable :(<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
The CT Creed: "There is no Game but Traveller, and High Guard is its Product"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 12:21:27 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: missiles on merchants<BR>
<BR>
>From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
>Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
...<BR>
>        We opted for missles because no energy requirement, meaning the<BR>
>powerplant stayed cheap.  A couple of taps from that would screw up just<BR>
>about *any* pirate's day.  Even the piracy-optimized Lamprey wouldn't last<BR>
long.<BR>
<BR>
  There's at least a false economy here as there's no need for the<BR>
bay to be loaded - it need only be installed at construction (p. 30).<BR>
And laser turrets are still going to be the first load-out of choice<BR>
for all but the saddest hulks, as the difference between J# and G's<BR>
of maneuver dictates an EP surplus of (0.01*Dt per J-G) - more than<BR>
adequate to put several very substantial laser batteries on a 10+Kt<BR>
megacorp freighter.<BR>
<BR>
  Further, although near ideal (at least against anything except large<BR>
high-tech raiders - and expecting armed civs to fight those is absurd)<BR>
in many respects, loading hundreds of nuclear armed missiles onto all<BR>
sorts of freighters (some of which will never be seen again for sundry<BR>
reasons) would make me a little bit nervous.<BR>
<BR>
        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 15:45:36 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
<BR>
I have the Dune Encyclopedia.  Great book!<BR>
<BR>
Compiled by :  Dr. Willis E. McNelly<BR>
<BR>
ISBN : 0-425-06813-7<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: "Zane H. Healy" <healyzh@aracnet.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2000 2:19 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> >I just wanted to let the list know about this new book by Kevin J.<BR>
Anderson<BR>
> >and Brian Herbert.<BR>
> >  At first I was skeptical about it as the sequels to Dune where rather<BR>
> >well.. hard to read. But Happily the Dune Prequel is a good read (So<BR>
far).<BR>
> >IMHO this book has a very strong Traveller feel to it, Especially with<BR>
> >regards to Nobles and intrigue. It goes in to some detail about the plots<BR>
> >and counter plots within the Imperial court with out getting bogged down.<BR>
> >Also the description of the machine planet IX is very unique.<BR>
> >The book might make reading Dune itself a little easier as it sets up and<BR>
> >explains the plots that did not get adequately explained in the first<BR>
book.<BR>
><BR>
> If you can find a copy, you might enjoy the "Dune Encyclopedia".  It's<BR>
> about the size of one of the Dune Hardbacks, but I believe it's thicker.<BR>
> Wish I knew where I had my copy stuffed.  It would make a good RPG<BR>
> Supplement, and has TONS of background info!  I don't remember who the<BR>
> other was.<BR>
><BR>
> Zane<BR>
> | Zane H. Healy                    | UNIX Systems Adminstrator  |<BR>
> | healyzh@aracnet.com (primary)    | Linux Enthusiast           |<BR>
> | healyzh@holonet.net (alternate)  | Classic Computer Collector |<BR>
> +----------------------------------+----------------------------+<BR>
> |     Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing,    |<BR>
> |                   and Zane's Computer Museum.                 |<BR>
> |                 http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/              |<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 16:26:00 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Dixon" <cdixon@airfoiltech.com><BR>
Subject: CT Reprints<BR>
<BR>
I've heard that the CT reprints have been sent to the printers.<BR>
<BR>
Has anyone heard when the individual orders will actually ship out?<BR>
<BR>
- -C<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 16:55:53 -0500<BR>
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
At 02:07 pm 1/21/00 -0500, you wrote:<BR>
>Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
>>>That makes sense, from an evolutionary standpoint.  After all, it<BR>
>>>doesn't take all that much intelligence to stalk a wild stalk. <BR>
>>Someone pointed out the error in Niven's logic. It doesn't take<BR>
>>intelligence to sneak up on grass (or if it *does*, *I* ain't gonna<BR>
>>want to live there!). But it *does* (or *can*, anyway) take<BR>
>>intelligence to *avoid* being snuck up on.<BR>
><snipped><BR>
><BR>
>	Arguably, it takes more intelligence to catch something than<BR>
>	it does to get away, but in any event the carnivore is (on<BR>
>	average) more dependant on catching prey than the prey is<BR>
>	on escaping: the prey will only have to escape occasionally<BR>
>	while the predator will have to catch prey pretty much<BR>
>	every time it wants to eat.  It can also be argued that<BR>
<BR>
	Er, I'd figure it exactly the other way around ... the herbivore has<BR>
to escape EVERY time or it's dead, while the carnivore only has to<BR>
catch occasionally. Most wild cats, for example, have a lousy average<BR>
... but the one time in X they catch something, it provides enough<BR>
nourishment to make up for the X-1 times they wasted energy trying.<BR>
<BR>
- -- Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with your Microsoft<BR>
product.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 16:47:40 -0500<BR>
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
Subject: re: small change<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
>> There was a movie based on that story. I remember seeing part of it a >few <BR>
>> years ago.<BR>
<BR>
>There's a Mark Twain story with that plot. Check Project Gutenberg. I<BR>
>think it's something like the "100,000 Pound Note" or some such. I<BR>
>expect that the others are rewrites and updating.<BR>
<BR>
I think the "rewrites and updating" were my faulty memory about the<BR>
size of the note in question. It probably was a 100,000 Pound Note,<BR>
especially considering what such a note was worth when Twain was<BR>
writing.<BR>
<BR>
Walt Smith<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 16:36:12 -0500<BR>
From: "Alvin" <aplummer@idirect.com><BR>
Subject: Armed Kangeroo's<BR>
<BR>
>Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 17:49:50 -0000<BR>
>From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com><BR>
>Subject: OT: What's that, Skippy?<BR>
<BR>
< snip ><BR>
<BR>
>  Eager to demonstrate their flying<BR>
> skills for some visiting American pilots, the hotshot Aussies<BR>
> "buzzed" the virtual kangaroos in low flight during a<BR>
> simulation. The kangaroos scattered, as predicted, and the<BR>
> visiting Americans nodded appreciatively....then did a<BR>
> double-take as the kangaroos reappeared from behind a hill and<BR>
> launched a barrage of Stinger missiles at the helpless<BR>
> helicopter.  (Apparently the programmers had forgotten to<BR>
> remove THAT part of the infantry coding.)<BR>
<BR>
You *KNOW* that there is some Imperial world where<BR>
this lesson is fine "as is".<BR>
<BR>
Alvin Plummer<BR>
(Uplifted kangeroo's, anyone?)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 17:01:48 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy \(Colin Michael\)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Re: CT Reprints<BR>
<BR>
Just a guess, but probably after they come back from the printer.  :-p<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message ----- <BR>
From: "Chris Dixon" <cdixon@airfoiltech.com><BR>
> I've heard that the CT reprints have been sent to the printers.<BR>
> <BR>
> Has anyone heard when the individual orders will actually ship out?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 19:59:11 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Profitability<BR>
<BR>
>There are a few things I have NEVER done..like come up with profitability.<BR>
>How did you figure out how to do that?<BR>
>BTW, thanks for the run-down. I was almost sure I had been doing it wrong<BR>
>all these years.  As far as services go, I think the book 3 are pretty easy<BR>
>to figure out but I know I have been doing Mercenary and High Guard wrong.<BR>
<BR>
I use the following IMTU, using standard rates from CT/MT:<BR>
<BR>
Useing the two week model<BR>
Costs:<BR>
	Monthly Payment<BR>
	2 Full loads of Fuel (refined unless FPP mounted)<BR>
	Cr1000 per Stateroom<BR>
	ship's annual maintenance costs/12<BR>
	Crew Salries<BR>
Incomes:<BR>
	Cr1800 per ton of cargo (this assumes 90% occupancy)<BR>
	Cr7100 per LSR devoted to passengers [1]<BR>
	Cr100 per LB (assumes really low occupancy)<BR>
	nothing for Emergency Low Berths, Small Staterooms, etc.<BR>
Expected monthly profit: Income-costs<BR>
<BR>
[1]this assumes 50% occupancy at mid passage, and includes a reduction in<BR>
income for the unavailable cargo space required... 1 ton per Passenger.<BR>
<BR>
This is a very rough estimate process. It's probably simpler but similar to<BR>
other people's methods. It is based upon the two week cycle 12 of 13 months<BR>
per year, with annual maintenance and annual leave in the 13th month. The<BR>
two week cycle assumes 1 week in system, 1 in jump. In practice, it's not<BR>
QUITE long enough with the canonical 28 day month.<BR>
<BR>
I use it to justify<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 20:00:52 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Imperiums<BR>
<BR>
>> > > This is not all that surprising, the<BR>
>> > > number of SF universes in which the<BR>
>> > > empire's capital is called Capitol<BR>
>> > > is probably quite high.<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> > I didn't realize that it was that common. It hasn't been common in my<BR>
>> > experience.<BR>
>><BR>
>> Er, from memory, Games Workshops Warhammer 40K, E.E.Smith's d'Alembert<BR>
>> series, several of Poul Andersen's books, Chris BeeBee's books, Alan Dean<BR>
>> Foster's Flinx series, the Nemesis series in 2000AD....<BR>
<BR>
Uh, WH40K uses earth, not capitol. At least in RT and the 2rd ed boxed set.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 20:11:38 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: [none]<BR>
<BR>
>> > Jory Earl writes:<BR>
>> > > The poor K'kree have been getting a bad rap all these years.  They're<BR>
>> just<BR>
>> > > a fun-loving buncha equines just out horsing around.<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> > In my example,its more a case of the K'kree and Kaa sort of deserving one<BR>
>> another.<BR>
><BR>
>A rather cheesy race from GURPS Space.  Anthropomorphoid serpent-people with<BR>
>various bad habits (like eating sentients).<BR>
<BR>
Which appear to have been a rip-off from the Sathar of Star Frontiers... at<BR>
least until the artist drew them...<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 17:26:04 -0500<BR>
From: Bill Rutherford <worj@home.com><BR>
Subject: Imperium 2000<BR>
<BR>
I was just at the Avalanche Press website (they make military board games) <BR>
at http://www.avalanchepress.com/ and found pictures of the boxtop, some <BR>
counters, and the game map from Imperium 2000, which I seem to recall <BR>
hearing discussed on the TML a bit ago...<BR>
<BR>
Bill Rutherford<BR>
worj@home.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 13:20:43 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re CT Task System<BR>
<BR>
>I.    Has anyone developed a Task System like MT for CT.  I like the<BR>
>universe the way it was before the rebellion thank you very much, but I<BR>
>also really like the idea of a task system and maybe an experience<BR>
>system for improving skills.<BR>
<BR>
The MT Task system was a direct lift from DGP's task system for CT. Use it<BR>
as it appears in MT, you'll do just fine.<BR>
<BR>
The MT experience system works OK...<BR>
[snipped due to lack of answers]<BR>
>Thanks in advance!<BR>
><BR>
>Chris Dixon<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 13:47:42 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Tasks<BR>
<BR>
> I still don't like dividing on every<BR>
>task, but frankly, I don't see why there can't be an entry on the<BR>
>Character Sheet for Stat and Stat/#, figure it once, enter it and<BR>
>leave it alone and handle drops in Stat due to injury between sessions<BR>
>(or another way).<BR>
><BR>
That is precicesly what you are SUPPOSED to do with MT.<BR>
<BR>
Note that MT's damage system converts to CT style damage post-combat; at<BR>
that point you figure your "Wounded DM's".<BR>
<BR>
It just was poorly worded in the books.<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
>I *could* go on to talk about using FUDGE for a Traveller Task System<BR>
>or how you might use the d6 Task system for Traveller, but I'll<BR>
>restrain myself. <g><BR>
><BR>
>Eris<BR>
<BR>
Say, Eris, have you written up the FUDGE mechanics specific to Traveller?<BR>
BTW, where can I find the FUDGE rules?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 16:09:37 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
<BR>
><snip><BR>
>Consistency I like - explaining everything I don't. I like the scope<BR>
>for the ref to expand things their own way. It's one of my objections<BR>
>about the otherwise excellent 'Behind the Claw' for GT. There is now<BR>
>a canon (GT) description of every world in the sector which kills<BR>
>creativity dead for other authors/GMs. The old GDW material (and DGP<BR>
>stuff) was good in that it only detailed key worlds. Sadly, I expect<BR>
>that the Solomani Rim book will go the same way, and another<BR>
>referee's playground will officially be dead for future large scale<BR>
>innovation. Don't get me wrong - I like the work in GT:BTC, but it<BR>
>has destroyed something for me by defining the entire frontier way<BR>
>beyond a UPP.<BR>
><BR>
>Dom<BR>
><end snip><BR>
<BR>
Dom, you're in luck. Unless his plans have changed, Jon is doing the<BR>
Solomani Rim as bare stats plus detailed major worlds.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>Dom,<BR>
>I have to disagree. I have the new Behind the Claw book and I really liked<BR>
>having the previously printed data in one source at my fingertips. I did<BR>
>notice that the actual listing of each world has just a tidbit of data, not<BR>
>really enough to interfere with my creativity in those systems. (I have been<BR>
>using Regina as a home subsector for my campaigns for years...)<BR>
<BR>
The stats are one thing, but I disliked the thumbnail descriptions. I found<BR>
them too short to be of much use, detailed enough that they interfered with<BR>
my creativity, and not always matching previous canon into the bargain.<BR>
(Best example: the world of Craw was detailed in two complete articles by<BR>
the Keith brothers, complete with map. All of that excellent work was<BR>
ignored in the description in BtC.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 14:03:10 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Banking<BR>
<BR>
>Phil said:<BR>
>>50p per ?100 IIRC. Of course, banks charge small businesses just to exist,<BR>
>>never mind actually use any of their services. That's how you get free<BR>
>>personal banking and free credit on credit cards.<BR>
><BR>
>Phil, almost _no-one_ gets free personal banking anymore, they charge for<BR>
>EVERYTHING. The latest news report had a leaked document from the National<BR>
>Australia Bank (NAB) saying they were going to scrap the number of free<BR>
>over-the-counter transactions you could make. The fee for these is AU$2.50.<BR>
<BR>
Funny, I get PAID to put money into my banking establishment's coffers.<BR>
Checking account costs are nil provided I maintain $500 in the account<BR>
ledgers (Theirs, not mine) minimum. Savings account minimum to avoid fees<BR>
is $50. I pay for the physical checks. I pay interest on any monies they<BR>
lend me. My accounts are identical in fee structure to a friends small<BR>
buisiness account with the same institution.<BR>
<BR>
In the US model, banks, credit unions, and Savings and Loans are all very<BR>
similar phenomena, and all make their monies by loaning out the principle<BR>
at an interest rate higher than is paid to those putting said principle<BR>
into said institution as a motivator for them to provide the principle for<BR>
loans. Fees are  typically noteable at banks, which are for profit. Credit<BR>
Unions are typically Non-Profit, and have restricted memberships, and fees<BR>
only when the account is not big enough to pay for its expenses. I've<BR>
little clue about S&L's...<BR>
<BR>
Ob Trav: I suspect any financial transfer instruments used inter-system<BR>
will be expensive.... IMTU, the scouts charge 1%, and "Wire" via X-mail.<BR>
HEC charges 2%, but has guarantees in excess of the IISS.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 17:06:57 -0600<BR>
From: Kenneth Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions <dreamer@brokersys.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
Anthony Jackson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Well, if you want, you can replace 'multiply by 3' with 'X dice'.  Make the<BR>
> task system something like 'skill+1 dice plus stat' against a target based on<BR>
> the difficulty.  So, the PC with EDU-9 skill-1 rolls 2d+9, while the<BR>
> professional rolls 4d+6.  It works out to a similar 'weight' for skills as<BR>
> multiplying by 3.<BR>
<BR>
I believe that was my idea for KBv3.0, taking a que from the Star Wars D6 system,<BR>
which I posted to the list almost a year ago.<BR>
<BR>
I never worked out the details though.<BR>
<BR>
Kenneth.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 17:10:07 -0600<BR>
From: Kenneth Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions <dreamer@brokersys.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
Michael Houghton wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> If I recall correctly, T4.1 includes the "it'sharder than you think"<BR>
> stipulation. I think the effective difficulty goes up one level for<BR>
> each die the base difficulty requires over your skill level.<BR>
><BR>
> In this case, Good Samaritan gets to roll a couple extra dice to<BR>
> account for his lack of skill. A target of 10 on 4D is much tougher.<BR>
><BR>
> I may have mangled the details, but I know this example is not valid<BR>
> under T4.1<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Let me say that I love...LOVE....the "harder than you think rule".  It's simple,<BR>
elegant, and fixes some problems with T4.  I know someone on the list devised it,<BR>
but I'm not sure who.<BR>
<BR>
I know that the person deserves a medal though.<BR>
<BR>
Kenneth.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 12:12:34 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
On 21 Jan 00, at 14:19, Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Jim Lawrie writes:<BR>
> >The most curious animal in the world is a cow.<BR>
> <snipped><BR>
> <BR>
>  Also thought by some to be among the worlds dumbest<BR>
>  mammals.  This goes back to the question about what is<BR>
>  a sophont.<BR>
<BR>
Anyone who thinks that hasn't had much contact with domestic <BR>
sheep. Though IMO a lot of this is because cows and sheep aren't <BR>
very expressive (unlike horses, which IME are probably at least as <BR>
thick) and don't _do_ much.<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: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 12:12:34 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
On 21 Jan 00, at 3:54, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> But depending on the linkage mechanism, the "swarm" can't spread out<BR>
> much. Vinge did a *good* job on the Tynes.<BR>
> <BR>
> It takes 3-10 of them to form a "person", and the link is high<BR>
> bandwidth ultrasound. So they can't get too far apart or time lag does<BR>
> weird things to the mind. Likewise, persons can't get too close to each<BR>
> other, as that tends to cause *really* weird effects as their "thoughts"<BR>
> start interfering.<BR>
<BR>
IIRC more than five or (with careful design) six members tends to <BR>
make the "person" unstable.<BR>
<BR>
> BTW, *bodies* die. But as long as only one (or two in larger groups) is<BR>
> lost at a time the "person" goes on. They just grab a new body that "feels<BR>
> right" to the group. The personality changes every time this happens, but<BR>
> it usually stays much the same (memories and intellectual skills tend to<BR>
> be "spread out" over several bodies, physical skills and some "attitudes"<BR>
> tend to be more body centered)<BR>
<BR>
The weakness is that if the "person's" number of bodies drops to <BR>
three they become only semisentient, and below that they're non-<BR>
sentient.<BR>
<BR>
> In an emergency, *any* nearby unclaimed body can be adopted.<BR>
> <BR>
> So mentally they are alien. With the capacity for becoming *really*<BR>
> alien (via tricks from the story). I think they'd give hivers a<BR>
> headache. <BR>
> <BR>
> I don't recall if they are herbivores, carnivores or omnivores. I<BR>
> *think* they aren't herbivores but I won't swear to it. So it's<BR>
> *likely* that the K'kree won't like them, but they can outfight any<BR>
> K'kree ever born in space or "hand to hand".<BR>
<BR>
IIRC they were carnivores.<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: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 12:12:34 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
On 21 Jan 00, at 3:50, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> > That makes sense, from an evolutionary standpoint.  After all, it<BR>
> > doesn't take all that much intelligence to stalk a wild stalk. <BR>
> <BR>
> Someone pointed out the error in Niven's logic. It doesn't take<BR>
> intelligence to sneak up on grass (or if it *does*, *I* ain't gonna<BR>
> want to live there!). But it *does* (or *can*, anyway) take<BR>
> intelligence to *avoid* being snuck up on. <BR>
<BR>
IIRC it was Speaker to Animals who said this. What else can you <BR>
expect from a Kzin? As the Pupeteers are the most intelligent <BR>
species in Known Space it would appear that Niven's opinion is not <BR>
the same as Speaker's.<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: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 13:52:38 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
>>Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
> ...<BR>
>>>   Alright, any more anti-K'kree jokes and they begin phase two of Kirur-<BR>
>>> forming Australia. And you thought that the rabbits were bad enough...<BR>
>><BR>
>>Not to worry. The Tri-Lateral Commission is negotiating to give the<BR>
>>K'kree their own problems and at the same time, eliminate some future<BR>
>>problems for us. Something about Chtorr-forming the 2000 worlds?<BR>
>><BR>
>><can't you just *see* the K'Kree *trying* to fight off that sort of<BR>
>>ecological attack?><BR>
><BR>
>   They might have one heck of an advantage if their colony is widely<BR>
> established first (trying to colonize such a world would be something<BR>
> else again, but see below) - they might very well detect it long before<BR>
> it got really bad. And any Trav culture that has the medical tech to <BR>
> prevent the plagues that the novels require would be well ahead of things.<BR>
><BR>
>   Plus, the K'kree have _lots_ of experience with the side-effects of <BR>
> genocidal warfare techniques on planetary ecologies :><BR>
><BR>
> Or, what's wrong with this definition of planetform? <BR>
>   Kirurform (def'n) - application of massive thermo-nuclear and cobalt <BR>
>   weapon bombardment to a planet inhabited by sapient carnivores in a <BR>
>   traditional K'kree cultural context. Wait 500 years, seed, mow, and <BR>
>   colonize.<BR>
<BR>
The fact that the die off will have led to a *crash* in CO2 levels,<BR>
resulting in a planetwide iceage... See the Jan 2000 Scientific<BR>
American, under "Snowball Earth". <BR>
<BR>
By 500 years the ice age will be *well* underway, and probably beyond<BR>
stopping with any practical tech level. You get to either wait a few<BR>
million years for natural CO2 (from volcanos) to thaw the iceball, or<BR>
else try importing tonnages of CO2 that are truly astronomical (and<BR>
risk overshooting and creating a Venus-type planet)<BR>
<BR>
I predict that there are a few well frozen planets in the 2000 worlds<BR>
where the K'kree learned this the hard way. And a few more where they<BR>
are losing the battle to keep them from freezing. As well as a few<BR>
where they succeeded in reversing the ice age, and are now fighting to<BR>
prevent the greenhouse effect from running away (which gets you a<BR>
"venus" type planet). <BR>
<BR>
This *massive waste of resources, especially living space, is likely to<BR>
have made K'kree policy to stomp flat anyone who suggests *anything*<BR>
that can involve massive ecologiocal/climatological changes. <BR>
<BR>
Killing the intelligent carnivores (and just the intelligent ones) will<BR>
be acceptable, since intelligent species tend to mangle eco-systems<BR>
just by existing. But the allowable means will be those that don't mess<BR>
up the planet too badly.<BR>
<BR>
BTW, even if it *wasn't* for the climate effects, sterilizing a planet<BR>
that way makes <whatever>forming it a real problem. <BR>
<BR>
To start with, unless you get your plants in *fast*, the oxygen levels<BR>
will crash because of all the organics decomposing, and various<BR>
materials rusting or otherwise oxidizing. O2 atmospheres are *not*<BR>
stable over even "short" (a few decades to centuries) period without an<BR>
ecology. <BR>
<BR>
Also, your plants need compatible microbes and other soil<BR>
organisms. As well as some animals to help maintain a balance (ie<BR>
provide CO2, and remove O2).<BR>
<BR>
Finally, even the sort of "nuke 'em till they glow, shoot 'em in the<BR>
dark" attack you describe *won't* kill more than a fraction of the<BR>
native lifeforms. <BR>
<BR>
Deep ocean creatures won't be affected for decades as it takes that<BR>
long for the deep ocean waters to be exchanged with the surface waters.<BR>
And the deep ocean vent chemosynthesis based ecosystems might *never*<BR>
notice. <BR>
<BR>
Also, as we've recently discovered on earth, the crust ci\ontains<BR>
bacteria living via chemosynthesis in the cracks of rocks all the way<BR>
down to the depths where the rock is too hot. They'll have hundred to<BR>
*thousands* of meters of shielding from the radiation. And in terms of<BR>
sheer *mass* they outweigh the rest of the eco-system!!<BR>
<BR>
So there will be at least two sources for "re-infection" by the<BR>
original ecosystem. The deep rock critters will take a while (about as<BR>
long as it takes to xxx-form the planet) to work up thru the sterilized<BR>
rock (using their dead relatives/ancestors as a food source) because<BR>
they live slowly. <BR>
<BR>
The seabottom critters will re-colonize the oceans rather more quickly,<BR>
since they live at more normal rates. The high radiation levels will<BR>
just ensure lots of mutations among the bacteria as they try to spread<BR>
out away from the vents. The higher organisms (tube worms, crabs, etc)<BR>
will take longer because they have *much* longer generations. So it'll<BR>
take them longer to adapt to new niches. But they *will*.<BR>
<BR>
So it'll be a race between the new ecology and the old one to see who<BR>
colonizes various "fringe" niches first. What effect this "mix will<BR>
have depends on how "compatible" the ecologies are. <BR>
<BR>
At the bacterial level, handedness differences are merely a minor<BR>
nuisance. It takes a bit more energy to "flip" a sugar or amino acid<BR>
than to merely incorporate one of the correct handedness. <BR>
<BR>
At the higher levels, having a "background" of wrong-handed chemicals<BR>
is going to throw a wrench in the works. It'll make surviving a *lot*<BR>
harder and require mechanisms to deal with all the wrong handed<BR>
materials that need to be disposed of. <BR>
<BR>
Consider that if merely a quarter of your food intake is "wrong" you'll<BR>
have to eat 133% as much as you would if it was all "correct". Also,<BR>
that extra 33% in your nice warm, secure digestive tract is an open<BR>
invitation to bacteria who *can* metabolize it. And while some of their<BR>
products may be stuff you *can* digest (rather like cows rely on<BR>
intestinal bacteria to turn indegistible cellulose into digestible<BR>
starches) just as many if not more may be not merely indigestible, but<BR>
toxic. And fighting such infestations is harder *because* the bacteria<BR>
(and larger parasites) *aren't* the same handedness you are. <BR>
<BR>
This is a problem that requires genetic engineering, evolution or both<BR>
to solve. <BR>
<BR>
Even if there aren't any handedness problems, there will likely be<BR>
problems with things like differing sets of amino acids. Basicly, some<BR>
of the low level nutrients in the ecosystem will be turned into higher<BR>
level ones that *aren't* necessarily useful to one or the other "set"<BR>
of creatures without being broken down to low level and re-assembled.<BR>
<BR>
Which both takes energy (you have to eat more to get the same benefit)<BR>
and takes specialized metabolic pathways which weren't needed on the<BR>
old planets. <BR>
<BR>
So such "survivors", even "low" numbers can in the long run result in<BR>
the *new* ecosystem being quite different from the old.<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>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1793<BR>
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Traveller-digest      Friday, January 21 2000      Volume 1999 : Number 1794<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 Banking<BR>
Re: Ethically-challenged organ traders<BR>
Re : Organlegging (and tips for budding Burkes and Hares)<BR>
Reference Material for G:T Aliens 4<BR>
Re : Traveller without psionics (longish)<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
MacGuffin<BR>
Re Small Sophonts<BR>
Dimorphism<BR>
Re: special supplement missiles<BR>
Re: Re Small Sophonts<BR>
Re: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
Re: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
Re: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
RE: Miniatures<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1793<BR>
RE: Small change<BR>
RE: Small change<BR>
RE: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 12:21:15 +1300<BR>
From: "Rupert Boleyn" <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
Subject: Re Banking<BR>
<BR>
On 21 Jan 00, at 14:03, William F. Hostman wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> In the US model, banks, credit unions, and Savings and Loans are all very<BR>
> similar phenomena, and all make their monies by loaning out the principle<BR>
> at an interest rate higher than is paid to those putting said principle<BR>
> into said institution as a motivator for them to provide the principle for<BR>
> loans. Fees are  typically noteable at banks, which are for profit. Credit<BR>
> Unions are typically Non-Profit, and have restricted memberships, and fees<BR>
> only when the account is not big enough to pay for its expenses. I've<BR>
> little clue about S&L's...<BR>
<BR>
In NZ bakns makes lots of money from lending, and then make even <BR>
more by charging fees (and often won't pay out interest unless you've <BR>
got $300+ on deposit). They seem to have decided that there's no <BR>
reason to go with the high interest differential/no fees model or the <BR>
low differential with fees model when you can have both.<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: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 10:24:26 +1100<BR>
From: "Robert O'Connor" <robocon@ozemail.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Ethically-challenged organ traders<BR>
<BR>
'Twas written :-<BR>
> > How do you see them doing trauma cases tho' ?  Like, we<BR>
> > need a heart, now.  Not in three weeks (or whatever it'll take to grow),<BR>
> > now.  Would they just stick 'em in Low Berth until one could be grown, or<BR>
> > flash-freeze 'em or something ?<BR>
<BR>
Trauma (i.e. blunt or penetrating wounds) may well be the only<BR>
indication for urgent cardiac surgery after<BR>
TL 10. In the RW, the cardiothoracic surgeon's trade has fallen off<BR>
quite a bit with the advent of balloon angioplasty and medication to<BR>
control serum lipid levels and blood pressure over the last decade.<BR>
	Once regeneration techniques are perfected [ca.~TL13], cardiopulmonary<BR>
bypass and cautious monitoring would be all that's required (encourage<BR>
the damaged heart to 'fix itself'.)<BR>
<BR>
I agree with Leonard that hospital level low berthing should be very<BR>
safe, at least as good as cardiopulmonary bypass is now (~1:10000 prompt<BR>
death rate, other major complications e.g. stroke, refractory<BR>
cardiogenic shock, etc. occurring up to 10% of the time in some case<BR>
series).<BR>
	However, the field low berth units the retrieval team use when they<BR>
scoop you up are probably identical to the starship models, or possibly<BR>
even less reliable (gulp). <BR>
	Given the current dismal statistics associated with out of hospital<BR>
cardiac arrests at TL 8, I would have a low threshold for putting *any*<BR>
grossly unstable patients 'on ice', as a TL 9+ paramedic.<BR>
	I also agree that advanced devices should be small enough to permit<BR>
limited activity. The concept originally mentioned in the 'Medical<BR>
Digest' column of TD of the 'life support suit' is a good one.<BR>
Heaven forbid that the pulmonary or aortic conduits get disconnected,<BR>
though.<BR>
<BR>
Robert O'Connor<BR>
Medico, Gamer<BR>
(a TL8 Intensive Care trainee)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 10:24:33 +1100<BR>
From: "Robert O'Connor" <robocon@ozemail.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re : Organlegging (and tips for budding Burkes and Hares)<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote most of the quoted bits :-<BR>
> My thought is perhaps something tailored to look harmless until it<BR>
> enocounters the transplanted tissue, at which point it bonds with the<BR>
> surface antigens, resulting in *new* antigens which are very much<BR>
> "non-self".<BR>
<BR>
This superficially looks like a variation on Gell and Coombs type two,<BR>
posted earlier. <BR>
	Refining your thought, the trick would be to form 'superantigens' which<BR>
simultaneously stimulate many different idiotype specific B and T cells.<BR>
This approach would combine the rapid, yet insidious onset of<BR>
anaphylactic shock with a delayed sustained response, similar to a<BR>
lethal case of toxic shock syndrome.<BR>
	Sorry ; I should have mentioned superantigens in my previous post.<BR>
<BR>
> I would not allow my genetic sequence to be<BR>
> > held in a easily accessible database in this sort of environment.  <BR>
> <BR>
> Alas, all you need is a tissue sample and even some kinds of *blood*<BR>
> sample will work. If the person has been in for a transplant, all you<BR>
> need to do is intercept the old organ between the path lab and the<BR>
> "incinerator".<BR>
<BR>
Tissue typing requires at least 50cc of whole blood with current<BR>
technology. The current transplantation protocols require almost double<BR>
this. <BR>
	Ultimately, it depends on what chunk of genome or gene product you want<BR>
to target. The logical extreme would be nanogram quantities of DNA/RNA<BR>
for massive polymerase chain reaction amplification (reverse<BR>
transcriptase to RNA->DNA first). Contamination during sampling is<BR>
almost certain, though, especially with bits of human. <BR>
<BR>
> If you are in the "right place", get him "mis-typed" before an<BR>
> emergency transfusion.  This may require swapping labels on a pair of<BR>
> blood samples, which may (depending on the types involved) kill another<BR>
> patient in the ER. A pro will regret this "necessity".<BR>
> <BR>
> If I recall correctly, if he's O-, then the mistake may not even hurt<BR>
> the other patient.<BR>
<BR>
Correct. But this is easily traceable. Health care professionals take<BR>
great care in checking blood specimens and products. We don't like<BR>
creating work for ourselves - there's enough to do already!<BR>
<BR>
> Of course, odds are the ER staff can save him anyway...<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
Highly likely. Depends on the ER, tho... <g><BR>
<BR>
> Or just spray a bit of nerve gas into the respirator...<BR>
<BR>
If the forensic pathologists are suspicious (big if), you will be able<BR>
to demonstrate abnormally low (not detectable with the<BR>
really noxious organophosphates) cholinesterase activity<BR>
in a blood, muscle or fat sample taken from the recently deceased (up to<BR>
~24 hours for the solid tissues using current lab techniques). With<BR>
neutron activation or NMR techniques, the agent itself may be detectable<BR>
for months, even years. 'Wet chemical' analysis on a tissue sample is<BR>
possible for a few weeks post mortem.  <BR>
	Instead, have a ventilator<BR>
disconnect, or an unrecognised oesophageal intubation and wait about<BR>
fifteen minutes (just in case the victim is pre-oxygenated).<BR>
	[The latter two problems have kept anaesthetic related death rates in<BR>
the U.S., until the last ten years or so, among the highest in the<BR>
OECD - about 1:20000 general anaesthetics].<BR>
	I.V. potassium and adrenaline/epinephrine are a dynamite combo,<BR>
especially<BR>
when combined with hypoxaemia/hypercarbia. Stick the stuff in a handy<BR>
drip (which any ventilated patient will have) and walk away, leaving no <BR>
incriminating residue behind.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Robert O'Connor<BR>
Medico, Gamer<BR>
- ---------------------<BR>
Sorry folks for the verbiage ; some may find this topic disturbing.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 10:24:53 +1100<BR>
From: "Robert O'Connor" <robocon@ozemail.com.au><BR>
Subject: Reference Material for G:T Aliens 4<BR>
<BR>
Could someone please contact me off list if they can provide me with<BR>
any of the following articles :-<BR>
<BR>
Challenge 39 - Hinterworlds material (and alien races)<BR>
Challenge 56 - Ahetaowa<BR>
Challenge 75 - Peth<BR>
JTAS 16 - Githiaskio<BR>
JTAS 21 - Gifug'kagh<BR>
JTAS 22 - Hlanassi<BR>
Glimmerdrift Reaches - Danin<BR>
Double Adventure 5 - the Chamaxi<BR>
Double Adventure 6 - J'aadje<BR>
The Traveller Adventure - passages dealing with Ebokin, Llellewlowy,<BR>
etc.<BR>
Adventure 10 - Shriekers<BR>
<BR>
N.B. If anyone else on the list has already submitted a successful<BR>
proposal to SJG,<BR>
let me know, so I can stop scribbling and trying to work out who to<BR>
contact to get permission from... <BR>
<BR>
Robert O'Connor<BR>
Medico, Gamer<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 10:25:04 +1100<BR>
From: "Robert O'Connor" <robocon@ozemail.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re : Traveller without psionics (longish)<BR>
<BR>
Alvin Plummer wrote :-<BR>
<more good stuff, which he's been doing on and off for years - Welcome<BR>
back!><BR>
<BR>
Some comments follow :-<BR>
> Nobles are the "physicans of the culture": <BR>
> decended from those immune to the control drugs<BR>
> widely availabe within the Zhodani bopsphere.<BR>
Immunity doesn't have to be a gift from your parents ; pharmacological<BR>
means could well confer lifelong protection. The development of<BR>
tolerance and allergy to the control agents is also something to be<BR>
considered.<BR>
<BR>
> ...implanted electric <BR>
> "social control managers" that provide a more <BR>
> detailed way to control behavour than the usual <BR>
> drug cocktail, and with much smaller side effects...<BR>
Logistically difficult to control large segments of the population this<BR>
way ; and who fits the devices to the neurosurgical teams?<BR>
	A combination of operant conditioning, continual semi-automated<BR>
surveillance (descendants of today's RW gait [and loitering] analysis<BR>
systems), psychotropic agents and well the application of centuries of<BR>
field data, will be far more effective than any surgery.<BR>
<BR>
> At about the same time, they begain "brave new <BR>
> world" genetic experiments on developing a way <BR>
> to make the Prole mind more suspectible to <BR>
> external control.<BR>
Mind rape unto all the subsequent generations. An advertiser's dream.<BR>
<BR>
> Zhodani science has been able to develop and <BR>
> reproduce man-portable teleportation grids, <BR>
> which are suitable for use in a military situation:<BR>
Good idea, and the footnote is a good one.<BR>
<handwave mode><BR>
Quantum mechanics predicts that any particle, or family of particles can<BR>
undergo barrier tunneling type jumps. So-called 'stochastic ooze' is<BR>
very very unlikely, but possible.<BR>
	Telekinesis and teleportation therefore rely on probability<BR>
manipulation. The universe limits the amount of ooze that can take place<BR>
over a given time period within a certain volume, hence the 'network<BR>
jam' phenomenon you describe.<BR>
</handwave mode><BR>
<BR>
Weird Trav meme :- all these starships moving through jumpspace may one<BR>
day cause uncontrolled large scale deformation of the space-time<BR>
continuum, leading to something like Cynthia Higginbotham's alternate<BR>
collapse. Restrict access to jumpspace!<BR>
<BR>
Now the Droyne :-<BR>
> certain chemicals and  "bioelectric organs" which, <BR>
> instead of shocking a man like the electric eel, interact<BR>
> with the electric pocessses of the brain, making<BR>
> comprehension difficult.<BR>
Problems with the organic 'cortical stimulator' - the skull has a very<BR>
high electrical resistance, so you are more likely to defibrillate your<BR>
target than directly mess with their mind.<BR>
	Range will be limited to contact.<BR>
	Electromagnets may be more efficacious and safe in this role than<BR>
electric current (electroconvulsive therapy is so named for a very good<BR>
reason). Natural electromagnets are difficult to evolve given the<BR>
materials available to carbon based life.<BR>
<BR>
> Alternative ways to phsically control the <BR>
> thoughts of large populations... include<BR>
> Babylon-5 style "keepers" stuck at the base<BR>
>     of the neck:<BR>
These and the auxiliary organs mentioned later can be fitted under the<BR>
same heading.<BR>
<BR>
Chemical control (hormones, neurotransmitters, pharmaceuticals) -<BR>
modified human tissue, other species, pharmaceuticals ; implant vs.<BR>
explant, route of administration for drugs.<BR>
Problems - infection, allergy, idiosyncratic drug reactions.<BR>
<BR>
Neural manipulation via sensory pathways - subliminal messages don't<BR>
seem to work very well. In combination with other environmental cues,<BR>
maybe - so this is an adjunct to operant conditioning.<BR>
<BR>
Cortical function manipulation : electromagnetism. A 'mood maintenance<BR>
helmet' or direct cortical reticulation (wrap the brain in conductors)<BR>
type setup. Problems with power supply, implantation, etc.<BR>
<BR>
Robert O'Connor<BR>
Medico, Gamer<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 19:50:49 -0500<BR>
From: Thom Jones-Low <tjoneslo@together.net><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
> <BR>
> Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 15:09:41 +0100<BR>
> From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
> Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
> <BR>
> Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> > I seem to recall a discussion somewhere where it was pointed out that<BR>
> > birds (at least the ones that can actually *fly*) have been subjected<BR>
> > to *extreme* evolutionary pressures to make tissues smaller/lighter<BR>
> > so they can fly better. And when you stop and think about it, their<BR>
> > brains *have* to be a lot more efficient than ours.<BR>
> <BR>
> Small birds (the size that would fit in your hand) have (if my sources<BR>
> are correct) been known to use tools, small branches, to make holes in<BR>
> paper/plastic coverings of milk bottles, in order to reach the milk<BR>
> inside.<BR>
> <BR>
> Can anyone confirm (or not, as it might be) this?<BR>
> <BR>
> /Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
> <BR>
<BR>
	This is true. There have been studies done on small birds (Thurshes I<BR>
think) which are very adept at tool use. There was a game/study done in<BR>
England to see how may steps would a bird go through to get food. The<BR>
record was something over 15. Steps including removing matchsticks which<BR>
were blocking a tube, lifting gates, etc. <BR>
	The little birds that managed to do this were herbivores, but their<BR>
diet required them to hunt for their food. The seeds they ate were<BR>
generally found only on the forest floor, buried under leaves and such.<BR>
	A great deal of the question comes down to what do you consider<BR>
Sentient/Intelligent. There is the build-tools/use-fire rule. I prefer<BR>
to view it as much more of a spectrum. Great apes (including humans),<BR>
Elephants and dolphins near the top, followed by several bird species,<BR>
most mammals, and a few reptiles, then the remaining birds and reptiles,<BR>
and so on. <BR>
	I suppose the real breakpoint would be a specific complexity of<BR>
language and tool use. I would say Chimpanzees have the complexity of<BR>
thought, language and tool use to be sentient.<BR>
<BR>
	Hey, thats what really happend with the Ancients. When the Ancients<BR>
came to earth, the found a thriving civilization of Chimpanzees (Planet<BR>
of the Apes anyone). The Chimps traded their pets (the proto-humans and<BR>
dogs) to the ancients for some inconsequential things. Then 500ky later,<BR>
humans are dominate and Chimp are trying to regain their rightful place<BR>
in the universe. <BR>
<BR>
- --<BR>
	Thomas Jones-Low<BR>
	tjoneslo@together.net<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 14:27:11 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: MacGuffin<BR>
<BR>
>> What if, waaay out there, you need less fuel to jump farther...this<BR>
>> could be a _great_ macguffin for a group of PC's or patrons.<BR>
><BR>
>Err, what is a macguffin?<BR>
<BR>
The term orinated, according to Ron Crawford, Chair of the UAA History &<BR>
Geogrphay deprtment and the film history prof, with Alfred Hitchcock. It is<BR>
a thematic element designed to throw one off from the real solution of a<BR>
mystery, and is usually not fully resolved in the story.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 14:37:17 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Small Sophonts<BR>
<BR>
>So, for example, H. Beam Piper's "fuzzies, who were about a third our<BR>
>size (2 feet tall at a guess) would only have one-ninth the brain mass<BR>
>unless their heads were larger in proportion. And that would make<BR>
>pregnancy a nightmare. We have enough problems as it is.<BR>
><BR>
>So they are likely *really* no brighter than a bright child.<BR>
<BR>
There have been many articles in various places that point out that, if<BR>
selecting for ability to increase brain size, marsupials have it all over<BR>
internal-gestation or egg-laying: Marsupials don't need the up front<BR>
investment of egg layers, nor do their young have to develope full brain<BR>
size in utero. Their your externally "Gestate" once the basic body systems<BR>
begin... and head size is one of those factors where marsupials could, if<BR>
sufficient selection pressures occur, far outpace internal-gestating<BR>
mamallians.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 14:53:05 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Dimorphism<BR>
<BR>
>Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
>>>In every Terrestrial species that might even possibly be<BR>
>>>sentient, with the exception of dolphins, the male is larger<BR>
>>>than the female.  AFAIK, dolphins are the same size<BR>
>>>regardless of sex.<BR>
>>Tell that to the next bear you meet. :-)<BR>
><BR>
>	AFAIK, male bears are generally larger than females, but I<BR>
>	could be wrong.<BR>
><BR>
>Peez<BR>
<BR>
And is wrong, at least for the Kodiak Grizzly and the Polar. Dimorphism<BR>
ammongst Grizzly populations shows males tend to be no larger than females<BR>
in general, but the largets females are larger than the largest males...<BR>
Polar bears have clear male dimorphism according to the show "The Ultimate<BR>
Guide to Bears" as well as the local Zoo... Home of Binkey the Brit Eater.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 19:56:54 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: special supplement missiles<BR>
<BR>
At 12:05 PM 1/21/00 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>>From: ehenry@newberlin.org (Eric Henry)<BR>
>>Subject: Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
>><BR>
>>Okay i give.  What are the special supplement missiles?  what's the<BR>
>>difference between these and striker?<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
        Well, _Striker_ wouldn't be crazy enough to let you build one of these:<BR>
<BR>
TL 11 (TNEC)  StarLance (SSTH-ASM)<BR>
Actual Performance:             20G68<BR>
Descriptive Paragraph:          20G68 Discretionary Burning Motor, Neutrino<BR>
Homing Guidance, 'Smart' Fused , 10Kton yeild Fusion Warhead, 738kg Cr98 247 700<BR>
Damage Effects:                 The TL 11 Star Lance does a minimum of 1000<BR>
Hits plus 200 Radiation Hits on detonation.<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
        (who is the nut behind that design)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Michel R. Vaillancourt	misha@atlantic-online.ns.ca<BR>
				ICQ # 31172292<BR>
	"Reality Error in Progress....<BR>
			       ....Do Not Adjust Your Penguin"	<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Cyberpunk:  	http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/cp2020<BR>
	Traveller:		http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/traveller<BR>
	AD&D:		http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/adnd_eurania<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	    ***REMEMBER - Always virus-check your emails ***<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 16:06:46 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Re Small Sophonts<BR>
<BR>
I would say that humans externally gestate also. Maybe not in some technical<BR>
sense (after all, all *I* know is engineering and math), but in a practical<BR>
sense. To overcome the constraints on the brain size (female anatomy), we<BR>
essentially have 40 weeks inside and an additional 40 weeks or more outside,<BR>
during which time the body still significantly develops.  If you have<BR>
children, do you remember what they were like when they were born? What<BR>
about after six months?<BR>
<BR>
Most animals are capable of zipping around and doing their thing shortly<BR>
after birth. But not humans. It's because we are still in this external<BR>
gestation period. It's the price we pay for the large brains.<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> There have been many articles in various places that point out that, if<BR>
> selecting for ability to increase brain size, marsupials have it all over<BR>
> internal-gestation or egg-laying: Marsupials don't need the up front<BR>
> investment of egg layers, nor do their young have to develope full brain<BR>
> size in utero. Their your externally "Gestate" once the basic body systems<BR>
> begin... and head size is one of those factors where marsupials could, if<BR>
> sufficient selection pressures occur, far outpace internal-gestating<BR>
> mamallians.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 16:48:11 -0800 (PST)<BR>
From: Kiri Aradia Morgan <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 21 Jan 2000, will richards wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> I just wanted to let the list know about this new book by Kevin J. Anderson <BR>
> and Brian Herbert.<BR>
>   At first I was skeptical about it as the sequels to Dune where rather <BR>
> well.. hard to read. But Happily the Dune Prequel is a good read (So far).<BR>
> IMHO this book has a very strong Traveller feel to it, Especially with <BR>
> regards to Nobles and intrigue. It goes in to some detail about the plots <BR>
> and counter plots within the Imperial court with out getting bogged down. <BR>
> Also the description of the machine planet IX is very unique.<BR>
> The book might make reading Dune itself a little easier as it sets up and <BR>
> explains the plots that did not get adequately explained in the first book.<BR>
> <BR>
Oh good!  I used to be a huge Dune geek and our old group always thought<BR>
of Dune when we played Traveller...<BR>
<BR>
I liked the sequels but I think I'm one of four people on the planet who<BR>
did.<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
<BR>
******************************************************************************<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan                                  93!  Thou Art God<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"If time passes, everything turns into beauty<BR>
If the rains stop, tears clean the scars of memory away<BR>
Everything starts wearing fresh colors<BR>
Every sound begins playing a heartfelt melody<BR>
Jealousy embellishes a page of the epic<BR>
Desire is embraced in a dream..."              -- X-JAPAN<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 19:14:16 -0600<BR>
From: "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
<BR>
Make that 5, at least for some of the sequels.<BR>
I think House Atriedes does give a good view into Imperial Court Politics.<BR>
Might be a decent read for some. I wasn't too impressed, but then again<BR>
Frank Herbert was also a lot darker read than House Atriedes was.<BR>
<BR>
TV<BR>
>I liked the sequels but I think I'm one of four people on the planet who<BR>
>did.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 20:23:49 -0500<BR>
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
<BR>
I loved the sequels too.  God Emperor is sheer genius in some ways.<BR>
Heretics and Chapterhouse are heady but packed with action and intrigue.<BR>
Definitely great books in my opinion.<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: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2000 7:48 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
><BR>
> I liked the sequels but I think I'm one of four people on the planet who<BR>
> did.<BR>
><BR>
> Kiri  =)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 16:16:59 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Miniatures<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Robert Prior<BR>
<BR>
> >Hear, hear!!!<BR>
> >BTW - If you do Wild West gaming, 1/64th scale is also S scale in model<BR>
> >railroading terms - and ERTL/ESCI makes a fair range of wild west<BR>
> >snap-together buildings to that scale!  Strangely enough, the plastic<BR>
> >painted cowpeople fit in just fine with any of the white metal cowboys on<BR>
> >the market...<BR>
<BR>
I do Wild West gaming in 54mm ( 1/32 ) scale using Timpo buildings and<BR>
wagons and mainly Britains figures. Though I should probably put the stuff<BR>
under glass as collector's pieces now.<BR>
<BR>
> Thank you, sir.  S scale. Now I know what to look for.  Can you recommend<BR>
> any decent catalogue-order places. maybe with Internet-browsable<BR>
> catalogues?  (My local hobby shops are pretty firmly set on HO<BR>
> scale.)<BR>
<BR>
>And what is ERTL/ESCI?  A company?<BR>
<BR>
ESCI is an Italian plastic kit and figure manufacturer that makes (made ?)<BR>
real 1/72 scale WWII kits amongst other things.<BR>
<BR>
They branched out into making other period plastic figures when Airfix got<BR>
out of the market. They have some nice Roman (and Picts & Gauls) figures,<BR>
Wild West, ACW, and even Napoleonic. I seem to remember some Egyptian or<BR>
Phoenician figurs as well, though that mght have been Atlantic.<BR>
<BR>
Same style as the Airfix kits only much beter quality mouldings in most<BR>
cases<BR>
<BR>
I'm assuming ERTL was an associated brand name ?<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 19:23:56 -0800<BR>
From: "Fred's Email" <terran_2@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1793<BR>
<BR>
i got my traveller starter set thingy today..its awesome..i can't wait to<BR>
start up the game...now i'm going to start taking in material of my own and<BR>
stuff...alright....the stuff i have so far is the Rules Booklet....the<BR>
tables and charts booklet...the mithrel/shadow adventure...and the maps for<BR>
it<BR>
<BR>
if i need to get anything else...please contact me and tell me what i should<BR>
get to make my traveller experience better...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 17:00:24 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Small change<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Rupert Boleyn<BR>
<BR>
> What gets me is that (here in NZ, anyway) all WINZ payments<BR>
> (unemployment benefit, sickness benefit, superannuation, etc, etc)<BR>
> are direct credited to a bank account - no exceptions.<BR>
<BR>
Hmm, and what do they do for those that don't have any banks within a day's<BR>
walk ?<BR>
<BR>
I know that at least up until 1985 there was actually a legal _requirement_<BR>
for all organizations paying money (i.e employers, tax departments, the<BR>
equivalent of WINZ, etc) that people be paid in cash if they _asked_ for it.<BR>
<BR>
Cheques didn't count as cash, either.<BR>
<BR>
I know this because I insisted on being paid in cash for many years beyond<BR>
the point at which the RNZAF wanted to pay me in cash. In the end, as my<BR>
wife was working in a bank, it became easier to let them pay it into the<BR>
bank.<BR>
<BR>
> Aside from one bank (I think) all banks charge fees that can run up to $20<BR>
a<BR>
> month, or more, with the result that those at the bottom of the heap<BR>
> have quite a substantial extra tax/fee burden that they cannot avoid.<BR>
<BR>
I recently had an argument with Westpac because they had charged me fees on<BR>
a bank acount which had been closed around five years ago when it was still<BR>
a Trustbank account.<BR>
<BR>
There was (obviously) no money in it, and they wanted me to pay them $75-odd<BR>
in account fees, which was something like $2.50 a month since they started<BR>
charging account fees on it.<BR>
<BR>
I just told them to piss off.<BR>
<BR>
A month or so ago I got a letter saying that they had closed my account, and<BR>
credited me the charges. Still refused to admit they stuffed up in the first<BR>
place.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 17:00:24 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Small change<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Rupert Boleyn<BR>
<BR>
> What gets me is that (here in NZ, anyway) all WINZ payments<BR>
> (unemployment benefit, sickness benefit, superannuation, etc, etc)<BR>
> are direct credited to a bank account - no exceptions.<BR>
<BR>
Hmm, and what do they do for those that don't have any banks within a day's<BR>
walk ?<BR>
<BR>
I know that at least up until 1985 there was actually a legal _requirement_<BR>
for all organizations paying money (i.e employers, tax departments, the<BR>
equivalent of WINZ, etc) that people be paid in cash if they _asked_ for it.<BR>
<BR>
Cheques didn't count as cash, either.<BR>
<BR>
I know this because I insisted on being paid in cash for many years beyond<BR>
the point at which the RNZAF wanted to pay me in cash. In the end, as my<BR>
wife was working in a bank, it became easier to let them pay it into the<BR>
bank.<BR>
<BR>
> Aside from one bank (I think) all banks charge fees that can run up to $20<BR>
a<BR>
> month, or more, with the result that those at the bottom of the heap<BR>
> have quite a substantial extra tax/fee burden that they cannot avoid.<BR>
<BR>
I recently had an argument with Westpac because they had charged me fees on<BR>
a bank acount which had been closed around five years ago when it was still<BR>
a Trustbank account.<BR>
<BR>
There was (obviously) no money in it, and they wanted me to pay them $75-odd<BR>
in account fees, which was something like $2.50 a month since they started<BR>
charging account fees on it.<BR>
<BR>
I just told them to piss off.<BR>
<BR>
A month or so ago I got a letter saying that they had closed my account, and<BR>
credited me the charges. Still refused to admit they stuffed up in the first<BR>
place.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 17:12:49 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
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<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Jens Rydholm<BR>
> <BR>
> Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> > I seem to recall a discussion somewhere where it was pointed out that<BR>
> > birds (at least the ones that can actually *fly*) have been subjected<BR>
> > to *extreme* evolutionary pressures to make tissues smaller/lighter<BR>
> > so they can fly better. And when you stop and think about it, their<BR>
> > brains *have* to be a lot more efficient than ours.<BR>
> <BR>
> Small birds (the size that would fit in your hand) have (if my sources<BR>
> are correct) been known to use tools, small branches, to make holes in<BR>
> paper/plastic coverings of milk bottles, in order to reach the milk<BR>
> inside.<BR>
><BR>
> Can anyone confirm (or not, as it might be) this?<BR>
<BR>
I've seen video evidence of this on a BBC nature programme. <BR>
 <BR>
There are even theories that _we_ are descended from "proto-birds". This is<BR>
based on the reason for our intelligence being the processing power required<BR>
for using our eyes<BR>
<BR>
Octopi, also with fancy visual apparatus, are very smart as well. <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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AAAAlBA=<BR>
<BR>
- ------=_NextPart_000_0002_01BF64FB.E92BE480--<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1794<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 22 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1795<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: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
Re: Reference Material for G:T Aliens 4<BR>
RE: Armed Kangeroo's<BR>
Re: Scientific American<BR>
Railguns<BR>
Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Traveller without psionics<BR>
RE: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
RE: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
Traveller varients of Christianity<BR>
Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
RE: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Re: MacGuffin<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 17:26:35 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
<BR>
> -----Original Message-----<BR>
> From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> [mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Kiri Aradia<BR>
> Morgan<BR>
> Sent: Saturday, 22 January 2000 13:48<BR>
> To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
> Subject: Re: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
> On Fri, 21 Jan 2000, will richards wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> > I just wanted to let the list know about this new book by Kevin<BR>
> J. Anderson<BR>
> > and Brian Herbert.<BR>
> >   At first I was skeptical about it as the sequels to Dune where rather<BR>
> > well.. hard to read. But Happily the Dune Prequel is a good<BR>
> read (So far).<BR>
> > IMHO this book has a very strong Traveller feel to it, Especially with<BR>
> > regards to Nobles and intrigue. It goes in to some detail about<BR>
> the plots<BR>
> > and counter plots within the Imperial court with out getting<BR>
> bogged down.<BR>
> > Also the description of the machine planet IX is very unique.<BR>
> > The book might make reading Dune itself a little easier as it<BR>
> sets up and<BR>
> > explains the plots that did not get adequately explained in the<BR>
> first book.<BR>
> ><BR>
> Oh good!  I used to be a huge Dune geek and our old group always thought<BR>
> of Dune when we played Traveller...<BR>
><BR>
> I liked the sequels but I think I'm one of four people on the planet who<BR>
> did.<BR>
<BR>
Personally, I prefer 'God-Emperor' to the earlier books.<BR>
<BR>
The ones after God-Emperor suffered from 'escalation', in the same way a bad<BR>
D&D game does.<BR>
<BR>
However, I enjoyed the descriptions of multi-level conflicts The only big<BR>
let down was the revelation about the Tleilaxu in Chapter House.<BR>
<BR>
I'm glad they're writing prequels.<BR>
<BR>
If you've seen the "Dune Encyclopedia" there is _heaps_ of info in that on<BR>
the early history. The description of the ornithopters is great too.<BR>
<BR>
I have a feeling that Jehanne Butler's story would work great as a novel.<BR>
<BR>
(In case people don't know, Jehanne Butler is the lady responsible for the<BR>
'Butlerian Jihad', that resulted in the virtual elimination of computer<BR>
technology from the Dune universe)<BR>
<BR>
The guy who invented their star-drive would make a good story too.<BR>
(he was finaly killed by the Jihad, because his drive used computers, not<BR>
Guild navigators)<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 23:20:15 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Reference Material for G:T Aliens 4<BR>
<BR>
From: Robert O'Connor <robocon@ozemail.com.au><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> JTAS 16 - Githiaskio<BR>
<BR>
These guys already appeared in Pyramid. The article was written by Phil<BR>
Masters, if my memory serves me.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 17:36:36 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Armed Kangeroo's<BR>
<BR>
Y'know, I'm sure this was posted to the TML several months ago as well, <BR>
I used it as an example in my OO analysis and design course last year. <BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Alvin<BR>
><BR>
> >  Eager to demonstrate their flying<BR>
> > skills for some visiting American pilots, the hotshot Aussies<BR>
> > "buzzed" the virtual kangaroos in low flight during a<BR>
> > simulation. The kangaroos scattered, as predicted, and the<BR>
> > visiting Americans nodded appreciatively....then did a<BR>
> > double-take as the kangaroos reappeared from behind a hill and<BR>
> > launched a barrage of Stinger missiles at the helpless<BR>
> > helicopter.  (Apparently the programmers had forgotten to<BR>
> > remove THAT part of the infantry coding.)<BR>
> <BR>
> You *KNOW* that there is some Imperial world where<BR>
> this lesson is fine "as is".<BR>
<BR>
> (Uplifted kangeroo's, anyone?)<BR>
<BR>
Crocodile Dundee ?<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 22:46:31 -0600<BR>
From: Bolie Williams IV <bolie@io.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Scientific American<BR>
<BR>
At 1:14 AM -0800 1/21/2000, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
>Just think of the two parallel conductors as "rails" (as in railroad).<BR>
>That's *how* they got the name in the first place. And the other kind<BR>
>has lots and lots of "coils" of wire.<BR>
<BR>
In fact, you can make a working rail gun with HO railroad track, a metal<BR>
bar, a car batter, jumper cables, and a starter solenoid...<BR>
<BR>
Bolie IV<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Bolie Williams IV<BR>
bolie@io.com<BR>
http://www.io.com/~bolie/<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 22:57:51 -0600<BR>
From: Bolie Williams IV <bolie@io.com><BR>
Subject: Railguns<BR>
<BR>
At 4:19 AM -0800 1/21/2000, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
>> Actually, you don't need extra magnets... the two conductive rails<BR>
>> generate a strong magnetic field which is in just the right direction<BR>
>> between them to accelerate the projectile.  And you are correct...<BR>
>> any conductor can be used to launch projectiles.  In fact, I've<BR>
>> seen aluminum sabots with sub-caliber tunsgten carbide darts.<BR>
><BR>
>No, you *do* need the field. At least for JxB force. Eddy currents<BR>
>*might* work, but it'd be a *hell* of a lot less efficient.<BR>
<BR>
All of the railguns I've seen (at least 4 different working models)<BR>
did not use any magnets other than the rails themselves.  The biggest<BR>
railgun I've seen has a 10 meter barrel and sucks up 9 MA at around<BR>
100 Volts generating an enormous current.  It is aimed straight down<BR>
into a hole because no one trusted any backstop...  I've seen a 35mm<BR>
railgun with a round barrel consisting of quadrants, 2 copper and<BR>
2 of a fiberglass like composite material.  It also used the magnetic<BR>
field generated by the current in the rails.  Another one I've seen<BR>
is equivalent to a .50 cal machine gun and also used the current<BR>
generated by the rails.  All used very high current at very low<BR>
voltage and were being developed as viable replacements for various<BR>
chemical guns used currently.<BR>
<BR>
Check out http://www.utexas.edu/research/cem/rd/rd02/02.html<BR>
for more information on real military railgun development.<BR>
<BR>
>>>Rail guns are preferred for weapons because they are so damn simple and<BR>
>>>don't require synchronized switching of field coils the way the "coil<BR>
>>>guns" do. Most of the smaller reasearch "guns" are rail guns.<BR>
>><BR>
>> This is true, but if you can time your pulse so that it ramps down<BR>
>> to 0 just as the projectile leaves the barrel, you eliminate the<BR>
>> muzzle flash of a powerful electric arc and reduce electrical erosion<BR>
>> of the barrel ends.<BR>
><BR>
>Use a sensor to detect the front end of the projectile and chop the power.<BR>
<BR>
You try suddenly chopping a couple of mega amps... you really want to<BR>
be able ramp down at the last second in anticipation<BR>
><BR>
>>>"Coil guns" aka "mass drivers" are better suited for *big installations<BR>
>>>for launching *large* payloads. The switching times are longer, because<BR>
>>>the driver coils are a lot farther apart.<BR>
>><BR>
>> You can do coil guns fairly efficiently and they switching required<BR>
>> is well within the capabilities of modern electronics.  If your<BR>
>> projectile is in a conductive loop or is wrapped by a conductive<BR>
>> loop, you an use induction to launch.<BR>
><BR>
>Alas, the "muzzle velocity" is determined by max switch rate *or* max<BR>
>projectile weight, whichever gives a *lower* velocity.<BR>
<BR>
True...<BR>
<BR>
>> My professor predicted a maximum of 50% energy efficiency for<BR>
>> railguns and 80% for coilguns.<BR>
><BR>
>But for *ruggedness* I'd go with a rail-gun. Only moving parts are the<BR>
>trigger and ammo feed mechanism (well, maybe a relay, too). And the<BR>
>ammo should be easier to "scrounge".<BR>
<BR>
I would if i had to carry it around, but if it's on a tank, complexity<BR>
isn't as big an issue given the complexity of modern tanks as is.<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Bolie Williams IV<BR>
bolie@io.com<BR>
http://www.io.com/~bolie/<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 23:18:51 -0600<BR>
From: Eris Reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
Michel Vaillancourt wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>         Have you guys looked at using the dice engine from XIDCreative's<BR>
> _Providence_ RPG?<BR>
<BR>
I don't know anything about it. Could you give me a summary?<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 23:26:17 -0600<BR>
From: Eris Reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
Michael Houghton wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> If I recall correctly, T4.1 includes the "it'sharder than you think"<BR>
> stipulation. I think the effective difficulty goes up one level for<BR>
> each die the base difficulty requires over your skill level.<BR>
><BR>
> In this case, Good Samaritan gets to roll a couple extra dice to<BR>
> account for his lack of skill. A target of 10 on 4D is much tougher.<BR>
><BR>
> I may have mangled the details, but I know this example is not valid<BR>
> under T4.1<BR>
<BR>
Last I saw Marc was going to use the "it's harder" rule, and I agree that's<BR>
great, *but* it doesn't deal with the darn half die. It's not even the idea of a<BR>
d3 that bugs me, just that it shows up in that *one* place in the task system.<BR>
IMO, it just sticks out like a sore thumb.  I guess I'm in the minority on that<BR>
though. <shrug><BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 00:36:20 -0500<BR>
From: "Alvin" <aplummer@idirect.com><BR>
Subject: Traveller without psionics<BR>
<BR>
  > Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 10:25:04 +1100<BR>
> From: "Robert O'Connor" <robocon@ozemail.com.au><BR>
> Subject: Re : Traveller without psionics (longish)<BR>
> <BR>
> Alvin Plummer wrote :-<BR>
> <more good stuff, which he's been doing on and off for years - Welcome<BR>
> back!><BR>
 <BR>
Glad to be here!<BR>
<BR>
I just read what I sent to TML: I can't believe that I<BR>
sent so many spelling and grammatical error's in<BR>
public email! My apologies....<BR>
<BR>
To continue...<BR>
<BR>
>> Nobles are the "physicans of the culture": <BR>
>> decended from those immune to the control drugs<BR>
>> widely availabe within the Zhodani bopsphere.<BR>
>Immunity doesn't have to be a gift from your parents ; pharmacological<BR>
>means could well confer lifelong protection. The development of<BR>
>tolerance and allergy to the control agents is also something to be<BR>
>considered.<BR>
<BR>
True, and interesting.... What circumstances would the<BR>
Zhodani nobility give immunity from their control?  It's <BR>
probably a reward for astonishing achievement in the<BR>
service of the Consulate.<BR>
<BR>
>> ...implanted electric <BR>
>> "social control managers" that provide a more <BR>
>> detailed way to control behavour than the usual <BR>
>> drug cocktail, and with much smaller side effects...<BR>
>Logistically difficult to control large segments of the population this<BR>
>way ; and who fits the devices to the neurosurgical teams?<BR>
>A combination of operant conditioning, continual semi-automated<BR>
>surveillance (descendants of today's RW gait [and loitering] analysis<BR>
>systems), psychotropic agents and well the application of centuries of<BR>
>field data, will be far more effective than any surgery.<BR>
<BR>
Sounds good: I didn't know that conditioning would be<BR>
more effective than surgery!  Wow!<BR>
<BR>
>Now the Droyne :-<BR>
>> certain chemicals and  "bioelectric organs" which, <BR>
>> instead of shocking a man like the electric eel, interact<BR>
>> with the electric pocessses of the brain, making<BR>
>> comprehension difficult.<BR>
>Problems with the organic 'cortical stimulator' - the skull has a very<BR>
>high electrical resistance, so you are more likely to defibrillate your<BR>
>target than directly mess with their mind.<BR>
>Range will be limited to contact.<BR>
>Electromagnets may be more efficacious and safe in this role than<BR>
>electric current (electroconvulsive therapy is so named for a very good<BR>
>reason). Natural electromagnets are difficult to evolve given the<BR>
>materials available to carbon based life.<BR>
<BR>
OK, so out with the electricity.  Electromagnetics look to be<BR>
good: I don't know if the Droyne would be able to generate<BR>
chemicals to have the same general effect across a range of<BR>
species.  I don't really want to give them chameleon qualities:<BR>
maybe they are just very good at hiding?<BR>
<BR>
Alvin Plummer<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 18:28:09 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
<BR>
>On Behalf Of Kiri Aradia Morgan<BR>
> ><BR>
> > IME (which only extends to cheap work things) they only fit one body<BR>
> > shape, and certainly don't fit (this is from observation) those<BR>
> > with non-average limb length/torso length ratios. Maybe more expensive<BR>
types<BR>
> > come in different shapes, but I've never met any.<BR>
<BR>
Even cheap overalls come in different body shapes, probably more than most<BR>
casual clothes do.<BR>
<BR>
Most overalls manufacturers also do several different styles, such as 40"<BR>
LARGE, or 40" SMALL, usually abbreviated to 40R 40S, or 40M<BR>
<BR>
> Another thing is that they tend to bind under the arms.<BR>
<BR>
Hmm, binding under the arms implies _very_ poor manufacture.<BR>
<BR>
Any decent set of overalls is designed like a shirt to have excess flap<BR>
material in the back in a sort of pleat that will expand as you move your<BR>
arms round.<BR>
<BR>
 > 1)  The size of a woman's upper half is not likely to match the size of<BR>
> her lower half predictably.  Most women are a different size for tops than<BR>
> bottoms.<BR>
<BR>
Just wear the size that fit's your biggest half. Overalls are not meant to<BR>
be form-fitting, in fact they are supposed to be big enough to wear over<BR>
other clothes.<BR>
<BR>
> 2)  If you are female, in Western society, uncovering your breasts is<BR>
> revealing your "nakedness" and you don't like having to basically<BR>
> completely undress to go to the bathroom.<BR>
<BR>
When i was in the airforce, most people (both male & female) wore T-shirts<BR>
under their overalls (you need something to soak the sweat, overalls just<BR>
don't soak sweat) thus neither males nor females would be uncovering their<BR>
breasts when going to the toliet.<BR>
<BR>
When hot, and not actually working, both sexes would roll down the tops and<BR>
tie the arms around their waists.<BR>
<BR>
Oh, and for whoever spoke about taking them off to go to the toilet. I never<BR>
did that, I'd unzip them, sort of 'roll' them down and tie the arms around<BR>
my knees if I was worried about the state of the floor.<BR>
<BR>
> Women can't pee out of their flies.<BR>
<BR>
While I agree in general, I know at least one grrl who made it a habit to do<BR>
this.<BR>
<BR>
Of course, she could also out arm-wrestle most men, open a beer bottle with<BR>
her eye lid, and had a greater tolerance for tequila as well.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 18:28:09 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Spacer Wear<BR>
<BR>
>On Behalf Of Kiri Aradia Morgan<BR>
> ><BR>
> > IME (which only extends to cheap work things) they only fit one body<BR>
> > shape, and certainly don't fit (this is from observation) those<BR>
> > with non-average limb length/torso length ratios. Maybe more expensive<BR>
types<BR>
> > come in different shapes, but I've never met any.<BR>
<BR>
Even cheap overalls come in different body shapes, probably more than most<BR>
casual clothes do.<BR>
<BR>
Most overalls manufacturers also do several different styles, such as 40"<BR>
LARGE, or 40" SMALL, usually abbreviated to 40R 40S, or 40M<BR>
<BR>
> Another thing is that they tend to bind under the arms.<BR>
<BR>
Hmm, binding under the arms implies _very_ poor manufacture.<BR>
<BR>
Any decent set of overalls is designed like a shirt to have excess flap<BR>
material in the back in a sort of pleat that will expand as you move your<BR>
arms round.<BR>
<BR>
 > 1)  The size of a woman's upper half is not likely to match the size of<BR>
> her lower half predictably.  Most women are a different size for tops than<BR>
> bottoms.<BR>
<BR>
Just wear the size that fit's your biggest half. Overalls are not meant to<BR>
be form-fitting, in fact they are supposed to be big enough to wear over<BR>
other clothes.<BR>
<BR>
> 2)  If you are female, in Western society, uncovering your breasts is<BR>
> revealing your "nakedness" and you don't like having to basically<BR>
> completely undress to go to the bathroom.<BR>
<BR>
When i was in the airforce, most people (both male & female) wore T-shirts<BR>
under their overalls (you need something to soak the sweat, overalls just<BR>
don't soak sweat) thus neither males nor females would be uncovering their<BR>
breasts when going to the toliet.<BR>
<BR>
When hot, and not actually working, both sexes would roll down the tops and<BR>
tie the arms around their waists.<BR>
<BR>
Oh, and for whoever spoke about taking them off to go to the toilet. I never<BR>
did that, I'd unzip them, sort of 'roll' them down and tie the arms around<BR>
my knees if I was worried about the state of the floor.<BR>
<BR>
> Women can't pee out of their flies.<BR>
<BR>
While I agree in general, I know at least one grrl who made it a habit to do<BR>
this.<BR>
<BR>
Of course, she could also out arm-wrestle most men, open a beer bottle with<BR>
her eye lid, and had a greater tolerance for tequila as well.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 00:40:46 -0500<BR>
From: "Alvin" <aplummer@idirect.com><BR>
Subject: Traveller varients of Christianity<BR>
<BR>
This was originally posted in the CGG<BR>
mailing group at egroups: the author<BR>
is Mark Harcourt, not me.<BR>
   - Alvin Plummer<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: merora-@netscape.net [mailto:merora-@netscape.net]<BR>
Sent: Friday, July 09, 1999 1:19 PM<BR>
To: cgg@egroups.com<BR>
Subject: [CGG][RPG] GURPS Traveller Religions<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I recently bought GURPS Traveller and the Behind the Claw supplement. <BR>
I have created two characters for use in the game.  One of them I have<BR>
planned as a medical missionary.  The religions outlined in the game<BR>
stink.  (Surprise!  Surprise!)  I've thought about it a bit and come up<BR>
with the following ideas and would appreciate some thoughts from you<BR>
about the ideas.<BR>
<BR>
The Stellar Baptist Convention - Basicially Evangelical beliefs as<BR>
recently spelled out in the Call to Evangelical Unity announcement (see<BR>
http://www.christianity.net/ct/9T7/9T7049.html .)  Aimed at Humaniti<BR>
only.<BR>
<BR>
The Catholic Reformed Church - Based on extentions to the Joint<BR>
Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification recently approved, it<BR>
would be basically an episcopal church headquartered in New Rome (which<BR>
planet?) in the Solomani Rim Sector.  The CRC take a *very* broad<BR>
definition of who Christ died for and extend it to any intelligent life<BR>
forms.  The Vow of Celibacy is not required, though it carries a more<BR>
significant weight with the Bishops and Cardinals.<BR>
<BR>
The Rule of God Church - Similar to the Stellar Baptist Convention in<BR>
beliefs, but with a lot of legalistic "baggage," the RoGC was formed<BR>
during the Rule of Man as a reaction to the moral failures evidenced<BR>
among rulers and leaders of the Rule of man empire.  Aimed solely at<BR>
Solomani.  Other Humaniti are victims of bigotry.<BR>
<BR>
The Celestial Church of the Messiah - A syncretism of Reformed and<BR>
Charasmatic traditions and beliefs, the church is an odd mixture of<BR>
local congregationalism and clerical episcopalianism.  Welcomes all<BR>
Humaniti.<BR>
<BR>
And for some spice, a few cults...<BR>
<BR>
The Church of the Antichrist - Satanism mixed with a heavy dose of<BR>
illegal drugs, psionics and terrorism, this "church" is proscribed in<BR>
areas where the Imperium has sway.  Aliens, especially any that can be<BR>
in any way viewed as literal incarnations of evil creatures in the<BR>
Bible, are venerated as "saints".<BR>
(Ick!)<BR>
<BR>
The Church of the Son of Man - Humaniti oriented psionic cult popular<BR>
in the Zhodani Consulate, they believe that Jesus was no more than a <BR>
mortal man who used Psionics for his "miracles" and sought to teach <BR>
others to do the same within a moral framework.<BR>
<BR>
The Church of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - A monotheistic non-trinitarian<BR>
cult which advocates and practices polygamy.  Both males and females<BR>
are allowed polygamous marriages.<BR>
<BR>
The Jihad of God - A secrative Solomani supremacist cult which blends<BR>
elements of Shintaoism (ancestor worship) and Bushido with monotheistic<BR>
ideas drawn from Islam.  This cult is not exactly proscribed in the<BR>
Imperium, but it is definitely watched as being a place from which<BR>
rebels are likely to arise.<BR>
<BR>
Well, whatcha think?<BR>
<BR>
Mark Harcourt<BR>
<BR>
- ---- end quote -----<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 00:20:37 -0600<BR>
From: Eris Reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
Anthony Jackson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Well, if you want, you can replace 'multiply by 3' with 'X dice'.  Make the<BR>
> task system something like 'skill+1 dice plus stat' against a target based on<BR>
> the difficulty.  So, the PC with EDU-9 skill-1 rolls 2d+9, while the<BR>
> professional rolls 4d+6.  It works out to a similar 'weight' for skills as<BR>
> multiplying by 3.<BR>
<BR>
This is the idea behind what I call the d6 conversion. <g><BR>
<BR>
1.  After you finish creating the character convert the Attributes from a fixed<BR>
number into dice and pips.  Divide Attribute/3, retain remainder as pips.<BR>
<BR>
Example:   Attrib    Dice<BR>
            Str 7     2d+1<BR>
            Dex 9     3d<BR>
            Int 6     2d<BR>
            Edu 14    4d+2<BR>
<BR>
2.  Each Skill Level is a d6<BR>
<BR>
3.  Assets are Attrib dice + Skill Level dice<BR>
<BR>
4.  Task success is Roll Asset >= Task number *perhaps* as below.<BR>
<BR>
Easy        5<BR>
Routine    10<BR>
Difficult  15<BR>
Formidable 20<BR>
Staggering 25<BR>
Hopeless   30<BR>
Impossible 35<BR>
<BR>
Lou Loser:    Attrib 4 (1d+1), Skill 1d, Asset 2d+1<BR>
Jo Generio:   Attrib 7 (2d+1), Skill 2d, Asset 4d+1<BR>
Sam Superior: Attrib 13 (4d+1), Skill 4d, Asset 8d+1<BR>
<BR>
With or without the "Wild Die" it looks like you could convert over without too<BR>
much trouble. Anyone that likes rolling large handfuls of dice should be thrilled<BR>
by this system.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 00:33:12 -0600<BR>
From: Eris Reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
Robert Eaglestone wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> > I *could* go on to talk about using FUDGE for a Traveller Task System<BR>
> > or how you might use the d6 Task system for Traveller, but I'll<BR>
> > restrain myself. <g><BR>
><BR>
> Eris, is this the system used in Shadowrun?  Or, could you<BR>
> go ahead and explain?<BR>
<BR>
d6 is the system inside WEG Starwars. I wrote about it in another post.<BR>
<BR>
FUDGE is a meta-system that you can get off the web free. It stands for<BR>
Freeform Universal Do-It-Yourself Gaming Engine, and is meant to be<BR>
customized as needed by GM's and/or game designers.   Several folks here on<BR>
the TML have FUDGE/Traveller conversions.  I'm absolutely convinced that<BR>
Marc could (should) get a no-cost license to FUDGE (anyone can, just by<BR>
asking) and make it the basis for T5.<BR>
<BR>
> One last question: didn't Marc Miller expect to expand the<BR>
> range of skill levels?  For instance, in Classic Traveller<BR>
> skill levels more or less ranged from 1 to 6; I vaguely<BR>
> remember that T4+ skills would range from 1 to 15+.  THAT<BR>
> would fix the "Skill level x 3" problem once and for all.<BR>
<BR>
I've asked about that several times on the list and my conclusion is that<BR>
the number of skill levels a PC will have will be about 4.5 x number of<BR>
terms. I'd say 20 to 40 for almost all PC's. If the PC has 10 skills then<BR>
you'll have an average of 2 to 4.  Given that I don't think many skills<BR>
will make it to double digits, although it's possible *some* will.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 00:54:33 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/20/00 at 11:14 PM,  SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>I've just been declared a heretic!<BR>
<BR>
>Eris! Is it warm in there? Can I come and play now? Pleeeaaaaasssee.....<BR>
<BR>
Why sure!  We're all heretics in one way or another, and the water's<BR>
just the right temperature, too.  <BR>
<BR>
>More seriously: T4.1 with High Guard, CT/MT/T4 equipment <BR>
>interchangeable, M1100 to 1129 and M0, Infini-V (ie CSC) and a <BR>
>willingness to steal from all Traveller editions.<BR>
<BR>
I play Traveller. <g><BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 01:07:45 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: RE: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
On 01/21/00 at 10:01 AM,  "Thing" <gduke@telebyte.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>The weight of stats always bothered me in T4.  One of the things that<BR>
>pointed it out to me was a character that had a Dex of 4.  In my book<BR>
>that made her a bit of a kluts being 3 points below average dexterity. I<BR>
>played with stats being a + or - DM in order to show this.  I would give<BR>
>1pt for every 2 points away from the median stat.  I guess giving a<BR>
>negative works out the same as just giving less for low stats but<BR>
>something in my mind made me want the penalties to show up as a negative.<BR>
<BR>
Centering values around zero makes a lot of sense, FUDGE does it that way too.<BR>
<BR>
Here's an idea that's half way between FUDGE and CT...<BR>
<BR>
1.  Take the Characteristic, subtract 7, divide by 2 rounding<BR>
*toward* zero.  You get the following...<BR>
<BR>
Stat  (S-7)/2  Description<BR>
  1     -3       Terrible<BR>
  2     -2       Poor<BR>
  3     -2       Poor<BR>
  4     -1       Mediocre<BR>
  5     -1       Mediocre<BR>
  6      0       Fair<BR>
  7      0       Fair<BR>
  8      0       Fair<BR>
  9      1       Good<BR>
 10      1       Good<BR>
 11      2       Great<BR>
 12      2       Great<BR>
 13      3       Superb<BR>
 14      3       Superb<BR>
 15      4       Legendary<BR>
  <BR>
...this is the Characteristic Modifier for Assets.<BR>
<BR>
2.  Asset = 2d6 + Skill Level + Characteristic Modifier<BR>
<BR>
3.  Task success = Asset >= Difficult level <BR>
<BR>
  Easy          4<BR>
  Routine       6<BR>
  Difficult     8<BR>
  Formidable   10<BR>
  Staggering   12<BR>
  Hopeless     14<BR>
  Impossible   16<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 02:17:55 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: MacGuffin<BR>
<BR>
From: William F. Hostman <aramis@gci.net><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> The term orinated, according to Ron Crawford, Chair of the UAA<BR>
> History & Geogrphay deprtment and the film history prof, with Alfred<BR>
> Hitchcock.<BR>
<BR>
Alfred Hitchcock himself said that he did not know who actually coined the<BR>
term (from the Truffaut interviews in the book "Hitchcock"). He claimed that<BR>
he had picked up the term from Angus MacPhail, who was a scenario editor who<BR>
he had known and worked with since the 1920s (told to Peter Bogdanovich, I<BR>
forget the name of the book at the moment).<BR>
<BR>
>It is a thematic element designed to throw one off from the real<BR>
> solution of a mystery, and is usually not fully resolved in the story.<BR>
<BR>
Well, no, at least not according to Hitchcock, who popularized the term.<BR>
It's an excuse for the narrative to take place. In a plot, it's the mystery<BR>
or enigma which the characters are after. It doesn't matter what it is, just<BR>
as long as it's important to the characters. It doesn't throw anybody off of<BR>
the real solution, as the entire plot is centered around the MacGuffin.<BR>
<BR>
Hitchcock himself thought that the best MacGuffins were empty and absurd.<BR>
<BR>
The example he frequently gave, which he claimed was the origin of the term,<BR>
goes something like this:<BR>
<BR>
Two men are on a train, and there's a package on the luggage rack above the<BR>
second man's head. The first guy says, "Hey, what's that package up there on<BR>
the leggage rack?" The other responds, "Oh that? It's a MacGuffin." The<BR>
first guy asks, "What's a MacGuffin?" "Well," the other responds, "it's used<BR>
to catch lions in the Scottish Highlands." "But," the first fellow says,<BR>
"there aren't any lions in the Scottish Highlands!" The second guy says,<BR>
"Well then, that's no MacGuffin!"<BR>
<BR>
Hitchcock always ended the story with how the MacGuffin is downright absurd.<BR>
The story appears to be nothing more than a nonsense narrative, but it's<BR>
not. It's actually a very short, and extremely pure MacGuffin.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1795<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1796</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 22 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1796<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: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Re: CT Reprints<BR>
Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
Dune<BR>
Re: Armed Kangeroos<BR>
hi<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
FUDGE/Traveller<BR>
Re: hi<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions) <BR>
Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
Re: hi <BR>
Re Dune<BR>
Re Welcome<BR>
[none]<BR>
Re: Traveller varients of Christianity<BR>
Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
Official Missile Debate Thread for 2000<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 02:19:29 -0500<BR>
From: Glenn Grant <neo@total.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
Kenneth Bearden <dreamer@brokersys.com> sez,<BR>
><BR>
>Michael Houghton wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> If I recall correctly, T4.1 includes the "it'sharder than you think"<BR>
>> stipulation. I think the effective difficulty goes up one level for<BR>
>> each die the base difficulty requires over your skill level.<BR>
<BR>
>Let me say that I love...LOVE....the "harder than you think rule".  It's<BR>
>simple,<BR>
>elegant, and fixes some problems with T4.  I know someone on the list<BR>
>devised it,<BR>
>but I'm not sure who.<BR>
><BR>
>I know that the person deserves a medal though.<BR>
<BR>
And the medal goes to... [drum roll...]<BR>
<BR>
Marc Miller.<BR>
<BR>
Unsurprisingly... ;)<BR>
<BR>
Personally, I like the T5 system *a lot*, and plan to use it some day [he<BR>
said whistfully] when and if I ever run a game.  I still find the task roll<BR>
probabilites on the "easy" side, but getting rid of the half-die and going<BR>
with whole dice solves that problem well enough for me.<BR>
<BR>
Best,<BR>
<BR>
  + GMG +<BR>
<BR>
   ------------------------Glenn Grant------------------------<BR>
                         <neo@total.net><BR>
    "Sex times Technology equals The Future." -- J.G. Ballard<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 02:22:35 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
From: Eris Reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> Last I saw Marc was going to use the "it's harder" rule, and I agree<BR>
> that's great, *but* it doesn't deal with the darn half die. It's not even<BR>
> the idea of a d3 that bugs me, just that it shows up in that *one*<BR>
> place in the task system. IMO, it just sticks out like a sore thumb.  I<BR>
> guess I'm in the minority on that though. <shrug><BR>
<BR>
Okay, a disclaimer: I don't want a flamewar, so folks, behave!<BR>
<BR>
I already suspect you will, Eris, so that doesn't apply to you :)<BR>
<BR>
What is it about the half die which seems to bother folks? I used it for<BR>
quite some time in my T4 campaign, and it didn't seem to gum up the works or<BR>
anything. What's the big deal?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 01:26:06 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: CT Reprints<BR>
<BR>
On 01/21/00 at 04:26 PM,  "Chris Dixon" <cdixon@airfoiltech.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>I've heard that the CT reprints have been sent to the printers.<BR>
<BR>
>Has anyone heard when the individual orders will actually ship out?<BR>
<BR>
The "end of the month" has been bandied about, but I guess it just<BR>
depends on how things go.  I certainly am anxiously awaiting my<BR>
order. <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 02:00:03 -0600<BR>
From: Kenneth Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions <dreamer@brokersys.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
Eris Reddoch wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>  It's not even the idea of a<BR>
> d3 that bugs me, just that it shows up in that *one* place in the task system.<BR>
> IMO, it just sticks out like a sore thumb.  I guess I'm in the minority on that<BR>
> though. <shrug><BR>
<BR>
No your not.  You're in a minority of two--count me in too.<BR>
<BR>
Kenneth.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 02:27:26 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/22/00 at 02:22 AM,  "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net> said:<BR>
<BR>
>From: Eris Reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
<BR>
>> Last I saw Marc was going to use the "it's harder" rule, and I agree<BR>
>> that's great, *but* it doesn't deal with the darn half die. It's not even<BR>
>> the idea of a d3 that bugs me, just that it shows up in that *one*<BR>
>> place in the task system. IMO, it just sticks out like a sore thumb.  I<BR>
>> guess I'm in the minority on that though. <shrug><BR>
<BR>
>Okay, a disclaimer: I don't want a flamewar, so folks, behave!<BR>
<BR>
>I already suspect you will, Eris, so that doesn't apply to you :)<BR>
<BR>
No flames from me. <g> <BR>
<BR>
>What is it about the half die which seems to bother folks? I used it for<BR>
>quite some time in my T4 campaign, and it didn't seem to gum up the works<BR>
>or anything. What's the big deal?<BR>
<BR>
I don't have a problem with d3's, in general...except for the fact<BR>
that they don't seem to exist and you have to make your own or do a<BR>
division, and I've already complained about that.  <g> What bothers<BR>
me about the d3 in T4.1 is that it is the one, lone, single,<BR>
solitary d3 in the whole mixture, and that simply feels like a<BR>
kludge to me.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 03:34:22 EST<BR>
From: GypsyComet@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Dune<BR>
<BR>
>I liked the sequels but I think I'm one of four people on the planet who<BR>
>did.<BR>
<BR>
 While I found God-Emperor slow going it was still interesting (just not <BR>
FAST), and I quite like ALL the rest. So books 2 & 3 aren't "up to the <BR>
genius" of the original Dune. They are still among the best SF out there <BR>
within their context (ie. don't read Messiah without having read Dune)...<BR>
<BR>
GC<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 03:36:42 EST<BR>
From: GypsyComet@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Armed Kangeroos<BR>
<BR>
>> On Behalf Of Alvin<BR>
>><BR>
>> >  Eager to demonstrate their flying<BR>
>> > skills for some visiting American pilots, the hotshot Aussies<BR>
>> > "buzzed" the virtual kangaroos in low flight during a<BR>
>> > simulation. The kangaroos scattered, as predicted, and the<BR>
>> > visiting Americans nodded appreciatively....then did a<BR>
>> > double-take as the kangaroos reappeared from behind a hill and<BR>
>> > launched a barrage of Stinger missiles at the helpless<BR>
>> > helicopter.  (Apparently the programmers had forgotten to<BR>
>> > remove THAT part of the infantry coding.)<BR>
>> <BR>
>> You *KNOW* that there is some Imperial world where<BR>
>> this lesson is fine "as is".<BR>
><BR>
>> (Uplifted kangeroo's, anyone?)<BR>
><BR>
>Crocodile Dundee ?<BR>
<BR>
 Nah. Tank Girl.<BR>
<BR>
GC<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 01:23:35 PST<BR>
From: "Micah Borer" <azash_master@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: hi<BR>
<BR>
hello I am a new MT GM and I would very much appreciate any advice you all <BR>
could give me on a good start up for a campaign.  My players are mostly <BR>
unfamiliar and, quite frankly so am I, with the system.<BR>
<BR>
Thank you<BR>
<BR>
Micah<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 01:24:34 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
From: Rupert Boleyn <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> On 21 Jan 00, at 14:19, Ian Ferguson wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> > Jim Lawrie writes:<BR>
> > >The most curious animal in the world is a cow.<BR>
> > <snipped><BR>
> ><BR>
> >  Also thought by some to be among the worlds dumbest<BR>
> >  mammals.  This goes back to the question about what is<BR>
> >  a sophont.<BR>
><BR>
> Anyone who thinks that hasn't had much contact with domestic<BR>
> sheep. Though IMO a lot of this is because cows and sheep aren't<BR>
> very expressive (unlike horses, which IME are probably at least as<BR>
> thick) and don't _do_ much.<BR>
<BR>
Reminds me of a story I heard as a boy.  A farm riddle it<BR>
was.  "A farmer forgets to secure the corn crib and goes to<BR>
town.  While he is gone, his horse and his mule get into the<BR>
crib.  What does he find when he gets back from town?"<BR>
[Answer below .sig]<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
V<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
 |<BR>
V<BR>
A dead horse and a contented mule.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 03:22:06 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: FUDGE/Traveller<BR>
<BR>
I've been using CT or MT Advanced Character Generation to test these<BR>
rules.  It's important to keep the skill levels down where 4 really<BR>
is an exceptionally well trained person. <BR>
<BR>
Create the character as per normal.<BR>
<BR>
Characteristics<BR>
<BR>
Take the Characteristic, subtract 7, divide by 2 rounding<BR>
*toward* zero.  You get the following...<BR>
<BR>
Stat  (S-7)/2  Description<BR>
  1     -3       Terrible<BR>
  2     -2       Poor<BR>
  3     -2       Poor<BR>
  4     -1       Mediocre<BR>
  5     -1       Mediocre<BR>
  6      0       Fair<BR>
  7      0       Fair<BR>
  8      0       Fair<BR>
  9      1       Good<BR>
 10      1       Good<BR>
 11      2       Great<BR>
 12      2       Great<BR>
 13      3       Superb<BR>
 14      3       Superb<BR>
 15      4       Legendary<BR>
  <BR>
List your Characteristic description next to each characteristic.<BR>
<BR>
Skills<BR>
<BR>
Find description on this table...<BR>
<BR>
               Skill<BR>
               Level<BR>
 -3 Terrible    -2<BR>
 -2 Poor        -1<BR>
 -1 Mediocre     0<BR>
  0 Fair         1<BR>
 +1 Good         2<BR>
 +2 Great        3<BR>
 +3 Superb       4<BR>
 +4 Legendary    5+<BR>
<BR>
Default (0 level) skills are Mediocre<BR>
Tasks a PC can attempt even with No skill should be Poor or Terrible<BR>
There will be tasks a PC won't be allowed to attempt with No skill<BR>
<BR>
Option:  Attributes and Skills don't interconnect in FUDGE (sort of<BR>
like CT), but there are a couple of things you can do if you really<BR>
want to connect them.<BR>
<BR>
  1.  Each Skill has a controlling Attribute, if that Attribute is<BR>
      Great or better add 1 to that Skill and if the Attribute is<BR>
      Poor or less subtract 1 from the Skill.<BR>
      <BR>
  2.  Instead of rolling for Attributes, average the Skill connected<BR>
      with each Attribute to determine the final Attribute level.<BR>
      <BR>
<BR>
Tasks<BR>
<BR>
Rate Tasks for their difficulty as follows<BR>
<BR>
  Terrible  -3 Automatic<BR>
  Poor      -2 Easy<BR>
  Mediocre  -1 Routine<BR>
  Fair       0 Difficult<BR>
  Good      +1 Formidable<BR>
  Great     +2 Staggering<BR>
  Superb    +3 Hopeless<BR>
  Legendary +4 Impossible<BR>
<BR>
You can say a Task is Formidable or that it will take a Good effort<BR>
to succeed and mean the same thing.<BR>
  <BR>
Example:  If a Fair skill attempts a Staggering task, you put your<BR>
finger on Fair and slide it down to Staggering...+2...so you need to<BR>
roll +2 or better on 4df.<BR>
<BR>
df are six sided dice with - on two sides, 0 on two sides and + on<BR>
two sides.  You can buy them from various sources.  Roll the 4df and<BR>
sum them, actually you can match the +'s and -'s removing them then<BR>
sum the remaining dice.<BR>
<BR>
Here are the odds...<BR>
<BR>
  +4   1.2%<BR>
  +3   6.2%<BR>
  +2  18.5%<BR>
  +1  38.3%<BR>
   0  61.7%<BR>
  -1  81.5%<BR>
  -2  93.8%<BR>
  -3  98.8%<BR>
  -4 100.0%<BR>
<BR>
So, our Fair skilled person has an 18.5% chance of success at a<BR>
Staggering task.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
How's that for a start?<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 20:48:45 +1100<BR>
From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" <jimpeta@primus.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: hi<BR>
<BR>
>hello I am a new MT GM and I would very much appreciate any advice you all<BR>
>could give me on a good start up for a campaign.  My players are mostly<BR>
>unfamiliar and, quite frankly so am I, with the system.<BR>
>Thank you<BR>
>Micah<BR>
<BR>
    MT!? Your one of the Chosen! With such great taste you can't go wrong!<BR>
    Jim<BR>
    PS, there is a substantial amount of erratta for the game, if you need a<BR>
copy I can send it to you in word97 format.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 03:37:23 -0700<BR>
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@ctaz.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions) <BR>
<BR>
> >> Only a bit? You forget the whole concept of the 3I is slow propagation of<BR>
> >> news.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >As long as the gates are *scarce*, they only speed up a *few* comm links.<BR>
> <BR>
> IMTU, they exist, and they don't cause any real trouble with the canon<BR>
> setting, for the simple fact they only one that I know of existing in<BR>
> charted space is far out on the edge, and it's not been discovered.<BR>
> Several years ago I did up a campaign, where Stargates would have played an<BR>
> important part, unfortunatly the game died before it really got off the<BR>
> ground (blasted Navy was at fault there).<BR>
> <BR>
> The gates IMTU are old, and abandoned, but they're newer than the Ancients.<BR>
> The entire race that created them is dead, and no one knows they exist, or<BR>
> how to operate them.<BR>
> <BR>
> I figure that stargates in the Traveller universe would be sort of like<BR>
> Wormwholes in the "Honor Harrington" universe.  In other words great for<BR>
> getting between the rather separtated systems that have them, (and there is<BR>
> a good reason they're very separated IMTU), but you've still got to use<BR>
> conventional Jump Drive to get to most systems.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, jump gates are few and far apart, due to the fact that the race that built them ran into opposition while they expanded.  They never developed jump drive, and ran into the first race that did.<BR>
<BR>
I'd say more, but some of my players read the TML.  (Shut up, Eris)<BR>
<BR>
Keven<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
tc++ tm+ tn+ t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure<BR>
                                                     In Reavers' Deep<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 02:45:24 -0800<BR>
From: shudson@lightspeed.bc.ca (Steven Hudson)<BR>
Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
<BR>
>From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
>Subject: Re: REF: K'Kree JTAS article<BR>
...<BR>
>> Or, what's wrong with this definition of planetform? <BR>
>>   Kirurform (def'n) - application of massive thermo-nuclear and cobalt <BR>
>>   weapon bombardment to a planet inhabited by sapient carnivores in a <BR>
>>   traditional K'kree cultural context. Wait 500 years, seed, mow, and <BR>
>>   colonize.<BR>
><BR>
>The fact that the die off will have led to a *crash* in CO2 levels,<BR>
>resulting in a planetwide iceage... See the Jan 2000 Scientific<BR>
>American, under "Snowball Earth". <BR>
<BR>
  Well, the above was first posted under the title of "Terrorforming :)"<BR>
so the intent might be guessed at...<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 03:46:01 -0700<BR>
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@ctaz.com><BR>
Subject: Re: hi <BR>
<BR>
> hello I am a new MT GM and I would very much appreciate any advice you all <BR>
> could give me on a good start up for a campaign.  My players are mostly <BR>
> unfamiliar and, quite frankly so am I, with the system.<BR>
<BR>
First off, don't freak out.  There was a first time for all of us, and *we* lived through it.  (Shut *UP*, Eris!!!)  Don't sweat the rules too much.  If you need help in understanding them, don't be afraid to ask for help.<BR>
<BR>
Also, don't feel like you have to be married to the milleu or the setting.  You can set up your own little campaign out in the middle of nowhere if you want, and nobody can tell you not to.  Don't be afraid to experiment.<BR>
<BR>
Read lots of 'hard' sci fi and mine it for ideas.  Get the errata for it; it'll help you make sense out of things a lot easier.<BR>
<BR>
And don't forget, *HAVE FUN*.<BR>
<BR>
Keven<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
tc++ tm+ tn+ t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy<BR>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure<BR>
                                                     In Reavers' Deep<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 01:50:50 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Dune<BR>
<BR>
>Oh good!  I used to be a huge Dune geek and our old group always thought<BR>
>of Dune when we played Traveller...<BR>
><BR>
>I liked the sequels but I think I'm one of four people on the planet who<BR>
>did.<BR>
><BR>
>Kiri  =)<BR>
<BR>
I'm also a Dune fan (Read all the way to Chapterhouse). And I know a guy<BR>
who did a GURPS Dune for his personal use. And the Dune RPG is coming out.<BR>
Hmm... maybe it's time to do an Icon Traveller crossover... (JFR: Icon is<BR>
Last Unicorn Games TM for their set of system mechanics shared by their<BR>
Star Trek games and their Dune Game. Uses highest single die of (Att)d6,<BR>
plus skill level vs Target Number, and could easily be adapted. The ST CGen<BR>
is very travelleresque. Dune, AFAIK is not yet out, but is in playtest.)<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 02:11:44 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: Re Welcome<BR>
<BR>
>From: "Fred's Email" <terran_2@hotmail.com><BR>
>Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1793<BR>
><BR>
>i got my traveller starter set thingy today..its awesome..i can't wait to<BR>
>start up the game...now i'm going to start taking in material of my own and<BR>
>stuff...alright....the stuff i have so far is the Rules Booklet....the<BR>
>tables and charts booklet...the mithrel/shadow adventure...and the maps for<BR>
>it<BR>
<BR>
Welcome to the world of Traveller. What you have is a "Classic Traveller<BR>
ruleset", and depending upon printing may or may not be a full equivalent<BR>
to the Books 1-3 of other CT basic sets. Since you have a Classic Traveller<BR>
(CT) set, you might want to look at the following products, if you can find<BR>
them:<BR>
<BR>
TNE: Regency Sourcebook by GDW. OOP. Covers 4 sectors with UWP's and some<BR>
library Data. While a Traveller: The New Era product, is fully compatable<BR>
with CT for the data and maps. GRAB it if you find it for cover or less<BR>
($20), as you'll prolly be able to sell it for what you paid for it if you<BR>
don't like it.<BR>
<BR>
Supplements 8 & 11 *OR* MT Imperial Encyclopedia, all by GDW. OOP.: Lots of<BR>
Library Data.<BR>
<BR>
Supplement 4 *OR* The Spinward Marches Campaign: Citizens of the Imperium.<BR>
Additional Character Generation. Supp-4 also includes 40 pregenerated<BR>
charaters of each of the 12 careers. SMC is a campaign sourcebook, which<BR>
just has the same tables, in an 8.5x11 rather than the 5x8 of Supp 4.<BR>
<BR>
Any issues of JTAS you find in 5x8's (the 8x11's are by IG, and are prolly<BR>
not worth the money at cover price, let alon collection prices). Any issues<BR>
of Challenge and Travellers digest at prices you can afford are also good<BR>
(Challenge I'd suggest limitng yourself to 2x Cover, and TD I'd say<BR>
5xCover, but I really liked TD.)<BR>
<BR>
Alien Modules 1-8: If you want the official Aliens. Or, you can get less<BR>
fully developed aliens in Adventure 3 (Droyne), The Traveller Adventure<BR>
(Vargr), Adventure 0 (Zhodani, NPC Aslan), Adv (??) (Signal GK. Has the<BR>
Cymbeline Chips), Best of JTAS (All have some aliens). All OOP. Soon to be<BR>
reprinted in an omnibus reprint by FFE.<BR>
<BR>
Reprints of CT: Books 0-8: The "Full" version of the rules. Available from<BR>
Far Future Enterprises via Mail Order.<BR>
Reprints of CT: Supplements 1-13: All 13 GDW supplements. Soon to be<BR>
available from FFE.<BR>
<BR>
Striker and Azhanti High Lightning: An alternate personal combat system...<BR>
Striker is the CT miniatures rules, and is useable for CT as an alternate<BR>
combat system and vehicle design system. AHL is a grid and counters version<BR>
of Striker which works great for boardings and personal combats. Both OOP<BR>
and often expensive to get.<BR>
<BR>
Some other notes: Basically, any MT material is somewhat useable with CT.<BR>
TNE material other than worlds will require extensive tweaking; even then<BR>
the non-regency world data may have diffferent meanings for the world UPP.<BR>
T4 is sort of a cross between CT and TNE... world data is compatable,<BR>
characters have far more skills than CT provides, and vehicles are more<BR>
like TNE.<BR>
<BR>
In any case, the background materials are often interchangeable, but<BR>
character writeups are not.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 02:26:56 -0900<BR>
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net><BR>
Subject: [none]<BR>
<BR>
>> 2)  If you are female, in Western society, uncovering your breasts is<BR>
>> revealing your "nakedness" and you don't like having to basically<BR>
>> completely undress to go to the bathroom.<BR>
><BR>
>When i was in the airforce, most people (both male & female) wore T-shirts<BR>
>under their overalls (you need something to soak the sweat, overalls just<BR>
>don't soak sweat) thus neither males nor females would be uncovering their<BR>
>breasts when going to the toliet.<BR>
<BR>
Having worn US Military Flight Suits (Basically, a nomex jumpsuit with a<BR>
twin pull zipper front), and having seen many males and females in them,<BR>
most fit whichever is bigger, and use the built in tightening strips to<BR>
adjust for waist line. And T-shirts were required wear by reg... The<BR>
hardest fit problem was for guys with musclebound arms, and gals with huge<BR>
thighs or short waists.<BR>
<BR>
>When hot, and not actually working, both sexes would roll down the tops and<BR>
>tie the arms around their waists.<BR>
<BR>
Seen a lot of that. Or, in extra cold weather, put sweats on underneath.<BR>
<BR>
>Oh, and for whoever spoke about taking them off to go to the toilet. I never<BR>
>did that, I'd unzip them, sort of 'roll' them down and tie the arms around<BR>
>my knees if I was worried about the state of the floor.<BR>
><BR>
>> Women can't pee out of their flies.<BR>
<BR>
My Civil Air Patrol squadron kept the Funnel from a "Little John" In Flight<BR>
Relief Bottle in the restroom, for use by males who couldn't aim and any<BR>
females, so that they didn't have to strip down the flight suit.<BR>
<BR>
Another solution (I saw this in a catalog for pilots equipment, but know<BR>
not which one) is a flight suit with a back flap, ala "Western Style Long<BR>
Underwear" (which is essentially a jumpsuit). The flap secures in back at<BR>
or above the waist, and allows one to, while sitting and leaning forward,<BR>
expose the buttocks and crotch to the commode without removing anything.<BR>
You undo the flap, sit down, and then pull the flap forward between your<BR>
knees.<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click<BR>
interface!"<BR>
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-<BR>
533<BR>
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis mailto:wilh@alaska.com<BR>
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+<BR>
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls<BR>
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 14:06:47 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller varients of Christianity<BR>
<BR>
Marc Harcourt wrote (on the CGG mailing group at egroups):<BR>
> I recently bought GURPS Traveller and the Behind the Claw supplement.<BR>
> I have created two characters for use in the game.  One of them I<BR>
> have planned as a medical missionary.  The religions outlined in the<BR>
> game stink.  (Surprise!  Surprise!)  I've thought about it a bit and<BR>
> come up with the following ideas and would appreciate some thoughts<BR>
> from you about the ideas.<BR>
<BR>
Alvin Plummer, could you please point this man in the direction of BITS?<BR>
101 Religions seems to be exactly what he is looking for.<BR>
<BR>
<snip of some variants of Christianity><BR>
<BR>
I think  (please, no flames) that the idea that Christianity should be<BR>
important in the Third Imperium is quite unrealistic. It probably is<BR>
important in the Solomani Sphere, but not in Sylean and Vilani culture.<BR>
Vilani religion would be quite different (ancestor worship?), and much<BR>
more widespread.<BR>
<BR>
I have thought a lot about common elements in the religions of Humaniti,<BR>
though. IMTU, a lot of human (and other) religions include some kind of<BR>
gods/spirits/angels with wings. This is due to the prehistoric influence<BR>
of the Ancients. Don't remember if I read this in a book somewhere... I<BR>
probably did.<BR>
<BR>
This makes for some interesting plot threads... discovering that<BR>
primitive people on different planets spaced widely apart have religions<BR>
that include common elements raises more than a few questions...<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 14:13:06 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
<BR>
Eris wrote:<BR>
> I play Traveller. <g><BR>
<BR>
Are you sure? What EXACTLY do you call Traveller? I am not so sure that<BR>
you follow the standards set by the TML...<BR>
<BR>
:-)<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
 (who will use 3D-mapping in a non-3I related setting shortly)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 08:25:45 -0600<BR>
From: "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com><BR>
Subject: Official Missile Debate Thread for 2000<BR>
<BR>
Is it just me, or has Traveller had way too many <BR>
definitions of space missiles?<BR>
<BR>
Last week, three of us got together and tried out<BR>
some large-scale combat involving orbital, air, <BR>
and ground elements.  On the ground was a missile<BR>
platform that was essentially a hollowed-out 100dton <BR>
hull with a bay attached.<BR>
<BR>
Our forces had to punch through it with fighter<BR>
aircraft.  Alas, the missiles these aircraft have<BR>
are NOT the same as spacecraft missiles... we<BR>
finally decided two things:<BR>
<BR>
1) non-spacecraft missiles are an order of magnitude<BR>
   less powerful than spacecraft missiles<BR>
<BR>
2) heavy infantry weapons [PCMP, PC] are an order of <BR>
   magnitude less powerful than spacecraft lasers.<BR>
<BR>
Thus 10 battledressed Marines can do 1 hull point of <BR>
damage to a starship with their PCMPs.  The same <BR>
goes for 10 generic aircraft missiles.<BR>
<BR>
Anyone else have to deal with these unwritten rules?<BR>
<BR>
Rob<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1796<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1797</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 22 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1797<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: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
Re: missiles on merchants<BR>
Official Rules System War 2000<BR>
Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
FUDGE/Traveller Taskwar Subthread<BR>
Re: psuedo battleships<BR>
Re: Small change (with Traveller stuff)<BR>
Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
Re: Small change (with Traveller stuff)<BR>
Re: Taskwar subthread: Attributes, Skills & Personality<BR>
eFritz email<BR>
Re: hi<BR>
Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
Re: hi<BR>
Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Re: hi<BR>
Re: Official Missile Debate Thread for 2000<BR>
Re: Taskwar subthread: Attributes, Skills & Personality<BR>
Vs: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 08:24:33 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: System Navy vs Pirates<BR>
<BR>
Actually, mines historically are very cheap, alas the problems we have<BR>
with them today, and doubt that will change with time technology. The<BR>
main with mines historically has been production keeping up need.  Of<BR>
course one can produce, cheaper, fake mines that detect as real mines,<BR>
with an occasion real one to keep the enemy honest.  A nice technique<BR>
used by the British navy in two world successfully against the Germans,<BR>
and used successfull today against land opponents.  Sometimes the fear<BR>
of mines are more effective than the reality.<BR>
<BR>
As for putting mines in the established trade lanes.  I see any traders<BR>
putting up with that, except in war.  Plus minefields in those routes<BR>
tend to channel merchantmen, and create sitting ducks.<BR>
<BR>
Phil Kitching wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com> wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >7. Lace asteroid belts (or other pirate conceal areas normal traffic<BR>
> >   doesn't go) with gravitic or other types of mines-a cheap alternative to<BR>
> >   large numbers of patrol vessels.  Also mine the gas giant.<BR>
> <BR>
> Mines aren't cheap. Without million kilometer ranges, you'd need a million<BR>
> for our asteroid belt alone, just at one per asteroid.<BR>
>  (ref Leonard's recent post)<BR>
> <BR>
> If you want mines, putting them *near* where merchants go would be a better<BR>
> bet,<BR>
> but that depends on if IYTU ships head off in different directions to<BR>
> ensure they<BR>
> jump as far apart as possible or if they head in preferred directions for each<BR>
> destination to optimise the normal space accel/decel before an after the jump.<BR>
> <BR>
> OTOH, I think you would lose far more merchants to mines than pirates due to<BR>
> random exit from jump.<BR>
> <BR>
> >9. Build a lot of sensor satellites to monitor shipping activity.<BR>
> <BR>
> A couple of factor 14+ (T4) passive sensor arrays near each major planet<BR>
> isn't cheap but the equivalent is millions of "cheap" satellites, which would<BR>
> cost much more.<BR>
> Phil Kitching<BR>
> --<BR>
>   http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/<BR>
>   Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.<BR>
>  "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 08:31:33 -0600<BR>
From: Michael Maley <mmaley@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: missiles on merchants<BR>
<BR>
I agree with traders armed with nukes: can you spell hijack?  It's one<BR>
the problem I had with Judges Guild's otherwise nice Singing Star<BR>
liner.  They armed it with a spiral mount meson gun! eek!  I just<BR>
screamed: 'take me'.  I did use it for a adventure where party had to<BR>
help put down such a hijack.  I later deleted the spinal mount and<BR>
changed it into a small craft launch tube for ship boats for both the<BR>
crew & rich/merc passengers.<BR>
<BR>
darkhstarr<BR>
<BR>
Steven Hudson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
> >Subject: Re: Boarding actions<BR>
> ...<BR>
> >        We opted for missles because no energy requirement, meaning the<BR>
> >powerplant stayed cheap.  A couple of taps from that would screw up just<BR>
> >about *any* pirate's day.  Even the piracy-optimized Lamprey wouldn't last<BR>
> long.<BR>
> <BR>
>   There's at least a false economy here as there's no need for the<BR>
> bay to be loaded - it need only be installed at construction (p. 30).<BR>
> And laser turrets are still going to be the first load-out of choice<BR>
> for all but the saddest hulks, as the difference between J# and G's<BR>
> of maneuver dictates an EP surplus of (0.01*Dt per J-G) - more than<BR>
> adequate to put several very substantial laser batteries on a 10+Kt<BR>
> megacorp freighter.<BR>
> <BR>
>   Further, although near ideal (at least against anything except large<BR>
> high-tech raiders - and expecting armed civs to fight those is absurd)<BR>
> in many respects, loading hundreds of nuclear armed missiles onto all<BR>
> sorts of freighters (some of which will never be seen again for sundry<BR>
> reasons) would make me a little bit nervous.<BR>
> <BR>
>         Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 09:01:40 -0600<BR>
From: "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com><BR>
Subject: Official Rules System War 2000<BR>
<BR>
Well, Eris likes FUDGE.  Really, really, likes it a lot.<BR>
So I webbed over to the site and printed the rules out,<BR>
and it's okay.  I see that the rulebook IS 100 pages,<BR>
though... not really so simple, is it?  However, I bet<BR>
it is reasonably consistent, which is important.<BR>
<BR>
It might not work well with rules lawyers, though.  We'd<BR>
have to define everything ourselves, which is not why I'd <BR>
buy a game.  I see we have enough issues to keep us busy<BR>
as it is.<BR>
<BR>
Finally, I don't see FUDGE rules making it much easier<BR>
to play Traveller than the Traveller rules (take your<BR>
pick) or GURPS.  With the more complex games some of<BR>
us would throw out sections wholesale, but that's easier<BR>
than having to graft sections in later because they're<BR>
not there.<BR>
<BR>
So that's my worry.  It might not be enough for what I<BR>
expect from Traveller.  I note that in the computer<BR>
world, there is a tendency to prefer languages with <BR>
built-in function libraries to get jobs done, rather <BR>
than to take a small, ultra-efficient and consistent<BR>
(pure) language and have to roll your own functions<BR>
for things we take for granted nowadays.  I get the<BR>
same feeling with FUDGE.<BR>
<BR>
Sorry Eris, I may be heterodox, but not heretic :)<BR>
<BR>
Rob<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 09:12:19 -0600<BR>
From: "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
Chris Seamans asked:<BR>
<BR>
>What is it about the half die which seems to bother folks? I used it for<BR>
>quite some time in my T4 campaign, and it didn't seem to gum up the works or<BR>
>anything. What's the big deal?<BR>
<BR>
To 'purists' like Eris and I, it's a seemingly arbitrary rule<BR>
that flies out of nowhere, borrowed from no other system,<BR>
just all of a sudden "quirking" a rules system with alienness.<BR>
I haven't modified a d6 to yield d3 values, and I'd have to<BR>
double check tables to make sure I'm rolling a half-die<BR>
when I'm told to.<BR>
<BR>
I won't.  That crosses my threshold of complexity.  The rest<BR>
of the rules are fine, but a half-die won't be used in my<BR>
campaign.  Others in my group have used it, and if they can<BR>
track it, fine.  I just don't want to, and I think I'll just<BR>
bump skill levels up a little and use whole dice.<BR>
<BR>
Rob<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 09:27:41 -0600<BR>
From: "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com><BR>
Subject: FUDGE/Traveller Taskwar Subthread<BR>
<BR>
Eris,<BR>
<BR>
Since it's difficult to keep Travller skill levels so<BR>
low (0 to 4), perhaps it's easier just to multiply<BR>
the skill level and leave the stat alone... as long<BR>
as you're making a FUDGE/Traveller Task Frankenstein...<BR>
<BR>
Rob<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 19:43:29 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: psuedo battleships<BR>
<BR>
>  But we shouldn't discuss M-drives :)<BR>
><BR>
>        Steven Hudson<BR>
<BR>
Nothing to discuss. They are obviously fusion drives, as you can use them<BR>
as fusion guns with a factor equal to the drive's acceleration in Gs.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 19:50:14 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Small change (with Traveller stuff)<BR>
<BR>
>Well, here I am, in the center of civilization as we know it (Silicon<BR>
>Valley), and I get lots of stuff over the Internet. I get groceries from<BR>
>Webvan.com cheaper than I can get them in the grocery store. I get books<BR>
>from Amazon.com cheaper than I can get them in a book store. I get hardware<BR>
>from NECX cheaper than I can get it a retail store. I am now actually trying<BR>
>to remember the last time I bought something at a store, and I can't do it.<BR>
<BR>
I'm curious about shipping: are these items still cheaper when you include<BR>
shipping charges? Amazon.com is only cheaper if I order a _lot_ of books at<BR>
once.  Chapters.ca is better (for me) because they often have free<BR>
shipping, but also because I can hand-carry a book I don't like back to a<BR>
Chapters shop instead of payning to ship it back.<BR>
<BR>
Obviously the social aspect isn't an issue for you when shopping, either.<BR>
I've met quite a few friends in games shops (including my best friend). I<BR>
like talking to people, not filling in web-forms.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 19:57:41 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
<BR>
>BtC doesn't have a lot of pages considering the number of planets.<BR>
><BR>
>Most of the paragraph is just the UWP written out in words (and we've had that<BR>
>data for decades) and a description which essentially classifies the TAS green<BR>
>worlds into:<BR>
><BR>
>	"Harmless"<BR>
>	"Mostly Harmless"<BR>
><BR>
>;-)<BR>
>Phil Kitching<BR>
<BR>
True, but there's enough tidbits to incorporate to be annoying, without<BR>
enough extra data to be worth the bother.<BR>
<BR>
For example, I had written up several worlds and submitted them to Pyramid.<BR>
All were in accordance with the CT world data. Every writeup needed some<BR>
revising after BtC, several almost completely. In my own universe I can<BR>
ignore them, but I resent someone creating 'colour text' that forces me to<BR>
do extra work (as an author) -- especially when some of the entries in BtC<BR>
_contradict_ published Classic Traveller data.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 08:40:50 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Small change (with Traveller stuff)<BR>
<BR>
On-line shopping is generally cheaper than visiting a store, mainly because<BR>
you save the state sales tax (8.25% in California) if you order from a<BR>
merchant out of state. For even one book, this can save you money, even<BR>
before any discounted prices are considered. Say you are getting one book<BR>
for $40 (not unrealistic for computer books). You save about $3.30 in tax,<BR>
but probably pay about $4.00 in postage. But then you have the reduced<BR>
prices you get on-line, the costs of getting to and from the store, etc.<BR>
<BR>
The social aspect is indeed gone from on-line transaction. I also spent many<BR>
hours with people I met at my local game store.  It's perhaps the one place<BR>
in my hometown which I have the most fond memories of. These days, however,<BR>
I am time-constrained rather than resource-constrained. I can afford all of<BR>
the gaming stuff I want, but I just can't find the time to read it it or<BR>
play it.<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2000 4:50 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: Small change (with Traveller stuff)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> >Well, here I am, in the center of civilization as we know it (Silicon<BR>
> >Valley), and I get lots of stuff over the Internet. I get groceries from<BR>
> >Webvan.com cheaper than I can get them in the grocery store. I get books<BR>
> >from Amazon.com cheaper than I can get them in a book store. I get<BR>
hardware<BR>
> >from NECX cheaper than I can get it a retail store. I am now actually<BR>
trying<BR>
> >to remember the last time I bought something at a store, and I can't do<BR>
it.<BR>
><BR>
> I'm curious about shipping: are these items still cheaper when you include<BR>
> shipping charges? Amazon.com is only cheaper if I order a _lot_ of books<BR>
at<BR>
> once.  Chapters.ca is better (for me) because they often have free<BR>
> shipping, but also because I can hand-carry a book I don't like back to a<BR>
> Chapters shop instead of payning to ship it back.<BR>
><BR>
> Obviously the social aspect isn't an issue for you when shopping, either.<BR>
> I've met quite a few friends in games shops (including my best friend). I<BR>
> like talking to people, not filling in web-forms.<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 11:10:31 -0600<BR>
From: "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Taskwar subthread: Attributes, Skills & Personality<BR>
<BR>
In Traveller, there is a sharp distinction drawn between<BR>
character attributes and character skills.  Attributes<BR>
are more or less innate potentials for the character --<BR>
what every character has to some degree or another that<BR>
pushes her towards potential vocations.  The character<BR>
applies herself toward those skills which naturally<BR>
complement her attributes.<BR>
<BR>
Education and Social Standing are a bit more fuzzy than<BR>
Strength, Dex, End, Int... however, everybody has them,<BR>
and they do steer one's course in life.<BR>
<BR>
Now, in FUDGE, attributes are a bit more blobby; it's<BR>
not certain what they really are.  Of course, a Traveller<BR>
FUDGEr would select the 6 Traveller attributes; but<BR>
the game system makes no assumptions about what attributes<BR>
really are.<BR>
<BR>
Some of them make sense, and are in RPGs already: agility,<BR>
appearance, balance, charisma, size, speed, stamina, <BR>
memory, disposition.<BR>
<BR>
Others are a bit 'skilly' and calling them attrbiutes<BR>
might be divisive: aim, muscle, mechanical, perception,<BR>
reasoning, technical, wit, charm, coolness, honor...<BR>
<BR>
Nevertheless, it seems like, to some degree, the physical<BR>
characteristics are reasonably summed up in STR, DEX, END,<BR>
and mental characteristics are probably adequate with<BR>
INT and EDU... in fact, SOC probably has a mental element<BR>
to it... a personality element.<BR>
<BR>
Hey!  Perhaps there's an innovation here that can be made.<BR>
If one wanted to expand characters, perhaps a Personality<BR>
profile could be determined from INT, EDU, and SOC.  As a<BR>
hack, map the stats to one of the 16 personality types of<BR>
the MBTI:  compare these stats with each other and rank:<BR>
<BR>
SOC > DEX: Intravert  else  Extravert<BR>
INT > SOC: iNtuiting  else  Sensing<BR>
END > INT: Feeling    else  Thinking <BR>
DEX > END: Perceiving else  Judging<BR>
<BR>
So then, a person with these stats:<BR>
DEX 10<BR>
END 5<BR>
INT 8<BR>
SOC 10<BR>
<BR>
...would be a ISTP or ESTP. <BR>
A Promoter or Artisan personality.<BR>
<BR>
     The ESFP -- The Performer (Demonstrator) <BR>
     The ISFP -- The Composer <BR>
     The ESTP -- the Promoter <BR>
     The ISTP -- the Artisan<BR>
<BR>
     The ESFJ -- the Provider <BR>
     The ISFJ -- the Protector <BR>
     The ESTJ -- the Supervisor <BR>
     The ISTJ -- the Inspector<BR>
<BR>
     The ENFP -- the Champion (Motivator, Advocate) <BR>
     The INFP -- the Healer (Tutor) <BR>
     The ENFJ -- the Teacher <BR>
     The INFJ -- the Counselor<BR>
<BR>
     The ENTP -- the Inventor  <BR>
     The INTP -- the Architect (Designer) <BR>
     The ENTJ -- the Field Marshall (Mobilizer) <BR>
     The INTJ -- the Mastermind (Entailer)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Rob<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 17:44:47 GMT<BR>
From: "Boris Cibic" <kafka47@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: eFritz email<BR>
<BR>
Help!<BR>
   I have got permission from Marc but lost your email address eFritz <BR>
respond via rainbow7@netcom.ca as I need those errata free MT rules.<BR>
Regards to all who helped with errata free answers.<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 09:50:52 -0800<BR>
From: Kristian Miller <travellerne@3rd-imperium.com><BR>
Subject: Re: hi<BR>
<BR>
Hi Micah,<BR>
<BR>
Well, your group is in for a lot of fun.<BR>
<BR>
My advice:  start small for your first game; have a definite goal for<BR>
the group to accomplish.  A good source for an adventure that would take<BR>
an evening to play is any hour long TV show where the good guys save the<BR>
day but there are no really bad repercussions if they fail (OK, sort of<BR>
like an episode of the "A Team").  Also, ask what your players might be<BR>
interested in--mysteries? military adventures? exploring?<BR>
<BR>
Kristian<BR>
<BR>
Micah Borer wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> hello I am a new MT GM and I would very much appreciate any advice you all<BR>
> could give me on a good start up for a campaign.  My players are mostly<BR>
> unfamiliar and, quite frankly so am I, with the system.<BR>
> <BR>
> Thank you<BR>
> <BR>
> Micah<BR>
> ______________________________________________________<BR>
> Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 13:54:25 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
At 11:18 PM 1/21/00 -0600, you wrote:<BR>
>Michel Vaillancourt wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>>         Have you guys looked at using the dice engine from XIDCreative's<BR>
>> _Providence_ RPG?<BR>
><BR>
>I don't know anything about it. Could you give me a summary?<BR>
><BR>
>Eris<BR>
><BR>
        You can download a "lite" copy of the rules from<BR>
"http://www.xidcreative.com" that goes into detail enough to run a single<BR>
enclosed adventure, but here's the quickie:<BR>
<BR>
        Stats are -3 to +3, zero normal<BR>
        Skills are 0 to 6, zero normal<BR>
<BR>
        System is d10 based.<BR>
        You must roll at least 2d10.<BR>
        Standard target # is 7+ for success.<BR>
<BR>
        Stat + Skill = #d10 to roll.<BR>
<BR>
        For each die more than 2 that you are entitled to roll you can<BR>
instead take a +2 bonus on the roll.<BR>
        For each die *less* than 2 that you are entitled to roll you must<BR>
"buy" up to 2d at a cost of a -2 penalty on the roll.<BR>
<BR>
        Example 1...  Joe Genero is Dex 0 and Gun 0....  he gets 0 dice...<BR>
he must "buy" two dice at DM-2 each to allow him his base of 2d, so he rolls<BR>
2d at -4, target 7+.<BR>
        Exampe 2...  Antonio Supremo is Dex 3 and Gun 3...  he gets 6<BR>
dice...  he can either roll all six and take the two highest *or* "cash in"<BR>
some of the extra dice to gain a DM+2 per die cashiered.  So, what most<BR>
folks would do is roll 3d and take a DM+6 on the roll.<BR>
<BR>
        Over-killing a success (or blowing it completely) has a "margin of<BR>
success table" that ranges from -21 to +21, zero normal.  So, there is a<BR>
point to stacking up the DM's and still taking the extra die in the pool.<BR>
Note that you only every take the results of the *best two*;  rolling the<BR>
extras just gives you better odds of rolling well.<BR>
<BR>
        The target number is adjusted up or down depending on situational<BR>
modifiers, such as target armor in our above example...<BR>
<BR>
        Its a nice and fast system from what I have read of it...  temped to<BR>
write a CT conversion chart for the Creative System...<BR>
<BR>
        --Michel<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Michel R. Vaillancourt	misha@atlantic-online.ns.ca<BR>
				ICQ # 31172292<BR>
	"Reality Error in Progress....<BR>
			       ....Do Not Adjust Your Penguin"	<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	Cyberpunk:  	http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/cp2020<BR>
	Traveller:		http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/traveller<BR>
	AD&D:		http://www.atlantic-online.ns.ca/adnd_eurania<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
	    ***REMEMBER - Always virus-check your emails ***<BR>
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 18:08:40 GMT<BR>
From: j_pete@bellsouth.net (Pete)<BR>
Subject: Re: How small can a sophont be?<BR>
<BR>
On Thu, 20 Jan 2000 13:44:56 -0500, Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU><BR>
wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>Just a tangent regarding size...extreme sexual dimorphism. The <BR>
>martian"males" in one of the Xxxenophiles stories (Phil Foglio's excellent <BR>
>adult comic) were tiny, semi-intelligent furballs...the martian warrior-women <BR>
>thought the first Earth space explorer they met was a female, because he <BR>
>was apparently intelligent. This being an adult comic, he soon got to show<BR>
>them differently. (About being male, that is, not about being intelligent.)<BR>
><BR>
>I know of at least one species of terran fish where the male attaches<BR>
>permanently to the female, and degenerates into a blood supply and <BR>
>a set of testes, a sexual symbiont. Imagine a sentient species with<BR>
>similar sex roles. "That's not an erogenous zone, that's my husband."<BR>
><BR>
This reminds me of a novel I read a few years ago. I can't remember<BR>
the name of the title or author. It was about first contact with a<BR>
species where the female was shaped like a centaur and the males were<BR>
much smaller and able to fly(?). They also were the result of<BR>
Lamarckian evolution. Any damage to a parent was passed on to the<BR>
offspring. Surgery was prohibited.<BR>
<BR>
================================================================================<BR>
- - Jeff Peterson                                             j_pete@bellsouth.net<BR>
"To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."<BR>
                                                    -George Washington<BR>
Pete 0609 D258A85-3 S kk- hi++ as+ va++ dr++ so zh- vi+ da++ A833<BR>
NOG #74  AirStar Nova 700<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 12:23:38 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Dark Imperium again (was Re: Traveller Kibbitz List solutions)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/22/00 at 03:37 AM,  "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@ctaz.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>IMTU, jump gates are few and far apart, due to the fact that the race<BR>
>that built them ran into opposition while they expanded.  They never<BR>
>developed jump drive, and ran into the first race that did.<BR>
<BR>
>I'd say more, but some of my players read the TML.  (Shut up, Eris)<BR>
<BR>
Hey, I didn't say anything! <g><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 12:33:44 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/22/00 at 02:13 PM,  Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se> said:<BR>
<BR>
>Eris wrote:<BR>
>> I play Traveller. <g><BR>
<BR>
>Are you sure? <BR>
<BR>
Yes, *I'm* sure. <BR>
<BR>
>What EXACTLY do you call Traveller? <BR>
<BR>
Why, that's easy. Whatever I play is what I call Traveller. ;-p<BR>
<BR>
>I am not so sure that you follow the standards set by the TML...<BR>
<BR>
That doesn't surprise *or* bother me in the least.<BR>
<BR>
Eris,<BR>
    who ain't called "The Heretic" for nothing!<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 14:21:30 EST<BR>
From: KenRoney@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: hi<BR>
<BR>
I'd like to contribute one other piece of advice for new ref's.  Have an idea <BR>
of what you want the group to do, but be careful not to lock them into a <BR>
course of action too tightly.  Don't make the players mere pawns in some game <BR>
you have contrived. I did that on my first game many years ago and it was <BR>
several years before i was able to convice anyone to let me ref again.  Be <BR>
ready to roll with the punches and be flexible.<BR>
<BR>
Ken<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 14:48:49 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
From: Robert Eaglestone <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> To 'purists' like Eris and I, it's a seemingly arbitrary rule<BR>
> that flies out of nowhere, borrowed from no other system,<BR>
> just all of a sudden "quirking" a rules system with alienness.<BR>
<BR>
Geez. It's so tough to get points for originality these days! :)<BR>
<BR>
> I haven't modified a d6 to yield d3 values, and I'd have to<BR>
> double check tables to make sure I'm rolling a half-die<BR>
> when I'm told to.<BR>
> I won't.  That crosses my threshold of complexity.<BR>
<BR>
<shrug> To each his own, I guess. I didn't realize a normal six sider needed<BR>
to be modified to yield a value between 1 and 3. We just used a specific d6<BR>
of a specific color. 4, 5 and 6 were 1, 2 and 3 on that die. Even among<BR>
relative newbie players, this method didn't seem all that taxing. As far as<BR>
when to roll the half-die I don't recall needing to run to tables to see if<BR>
I was right.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 15:56:38 -0400<BR>
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: hi<BR>
<BR>
At 02:21 PM 1/22/00 EST, you wrote:<BR>
>I'd like to contribute one other piece of advice for new ref's.  Have an idea <BR>
>of what you want the group to do, but be careful not to lock them into a <BR>
>course of action too tightly.  Don't make the players mere pawns in some game <BR>
>you have contrived. I did that on my first game many years ago and it was <BR>
>several years before i was able to convice anyone to let me ref again.  Be <BR>
>ready to roll with the punches and be flexible.<BR>
><BR>
>Ken<BR>
><BR>
        Good advice, Ken...  its an easy mistake to make as a beginning<BR>
ref... its a fine line between motivating the group and domineering them...<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>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 12:13:11 -0800<BR>
From: "Bruce Macintosh" <bruce.macintosh@worldnet.att.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Missile Debate Thread for 2000<BR>
<BR>
>Is it just me, or has Traveller had way too many<BR>
>definitions of space missiles?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>[and problems integrating space combat and ground combat]<BR>
<BR>
Whatever one says about TNE, it had a (slightly awkwardly but completely)<BR>
integrated scale from personal weapons to starship weapons...GT has this<BR>
also.<BR>
<BR>
In CT terms, the best you can do is dust off "Striker" and use its<BR>
conversion rules...<BR>
<BR>
>1) non-spacecraft missiles are an order of magnitude<BR>
>   less powerful than spacecraft missiles<BR>
>2) heavy infantry weapons [PCMP, PC] are an order of<BR>
>   magnitude less powerful than spacecraft lasers.<BR>
Maybe even more so...<BR>
<BR>
Bruce<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 12:05:50 -0800<BR>
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Taskwar subthread: Attributes, Skills & Personality<BR>
<BR>
From: Robert Eaglestone <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com><BR>
<BR>
>Nevertheless, it seems like, to some degree, the physical characteristics<BR>
are reasonably summed up in STR, DEX, END, and mental characteristics are<BR>
probably adequate with INT and EDU... in fact, SOC probably has a mental<BR>
element to it... a personality element.<BR>
><BR>
In Traveller, SOC is a matter of birth, so unless you think personality is<BR>
genetic, I don't think so.  And having soc relate to birth is cool and gives<BR>
you fun stories to tell.  (Why is Lady Julissa haut-D'Bari in the Scouts?<BR>
Well, there's all this stuff about an arranged marriage, and her sister that<BR>
married the guy, and....)<BR>
<BR>
>If one wanted to expand characters, perhaps a Personality profile could be<BR>
determined from INT, EDU, and SOC.  As a hack, map the stats to one of the<BR>
16 personality types of the MBTI:  compare these stats with each other and<BR>
rank:<BR>
><BR>
>SOC > DEX: Intravert  else  Extravert<BR>
>INT > SOC: iNtuiting  else  Sensing<BR>
>END > INT: Feeling    else  Thinking<BR>
>DEX > END: Perceiving else  Judging<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
I have had better results with Sun Sign astrology than with the<BR>
Myers-Briggs.  At least my Sun Sign doesn't change every time I take the<BR>
test.<BR>
<BR>
(I actually find that natal astrology is very accurate, and am now a<BR>
practitioner-- when my chart was first done, I thought it was 100% BS but<BR>
I've seen it work too many times to discount it.  But sun sign alone is BS.)<BR>
<BR>
Kiri  =)<BR>
<BR>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>
Kiri Aradia Morgan      93!      Thou Art God...<BR>
tiamat@tsoft.com<BR>
<BR>
"That wickedness weltering around inside of you, inside of everyone, is<BR>
sacred somewhere.  There's<BR>
a deity out there who digs it.  You can respect and love your darkest side,<BR>
disposing of only what is obsolete or impractical.  It's all about giving<BR>
yourself permission."<BR>
                                -- Jack Darkhand<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 22:19:25 +0200<BR>
From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Jussi_Kenkkil=E4?= <Jussi.Kenkkila@helsinki.fi><BR>
Subject: Vs: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message ----- <BR>
From: <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2000 10:27 AM<BR>
Subject: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> I don't have a problem with d3's, in general...except for the fact<BR>
> that they don't seem to exist <BR>
<BR>
Don't exist? How come I have 2 in my dice collection???<BR>
<BR>
- -J2K<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1797<BR>
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<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1798</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 22 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1798<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: Traveller varients of Christianity<BR>
Re: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
Re: Taskwar subthread: Attributes, Skills & Personality<BR>
Marishal material <BR>
Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
RE: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Re: Marishal material <BR>
Re: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
Re: Vs: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
Re: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
Re: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
Re: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
Re: hi <BR>
Re: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 15:12:59 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller varients of Christianity<BR>
<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> I think  (please, no flames) that the idea that Christianity should be<BR>
> important in the Third Imperium is quite unrealistic.<BR>
<BR>
Various faiths and religions, and the way faiths and religions are viewed by<BR>
people vary widely over the course of time. Christianity might be important,<BR>
and it might not be. It is certainly within the realm of possibility, and<BR>
not at all unrealistic.<BR>
<BR>
>It probably is important in the Solomani Sphere, but not in Sylean<BR>
> and Vilani culture. Vilani religion would be quite different (ancestor<BR>
> worship?), and much more widespread.<BR>
<BR>
Okay, the Vilani culture would be widespread. No doubt. Do keep in mind that<BR>
we're talking about quite a large span of time here, and not only are we<BR>
talking about a large span of time, but a series of major cultural turning<BR>
points. We've got the fall of the Ziru Sirka, the rise of the Rule of Man,<BR>
the collapse into the Long Night, the Long Night itself, and the new era of<BR>
the Third Imperium.<BR>
<BR>
Personally, I think that Vilani culture in the farflung worlds of the<BR>
Imperium, even without a considerable degree of influence from the Solomani,<BR>
would mutate in ways that no one would have anticipated or expected.<BR>
<BR>
I'm sure that the Ancient Egyptians would have laughed if a time travelling<BR>
guy went and told them that in a few thousand years that an offshoot of the<BR>
faith of the Jewish people would dominate and permeate their society<BR>
completely and utterly.<BR>
<BR>
Let's channel a druid and ask him how long he thought his religion would<BR>
thrive and survive among the Celts! :)<BR>
<BR>
I'm not saying that Christianity will dominate the stars. I don't really<BR>
have a vested interest in it. In my most recent campaign mutated offshoots<BR>
of Islam dominated the region of space in which the characters moved about<BR>
and did their thing.<BR>
<BR>
> I have thought a lot about common elements in the religions of<BR>
> Humaniti, though. IMTU, a lot of human (and other) religions include<BR>
> some kind of gods/spirits/angels with wings. This is due to the<BR>
> prehistoric influence of the Ancients. Don't remember if I read this in<BR>
> a book somewhere... I probably did.<BR>
<BR>
It makes sense if you're going to take a "naturalist" approach to religion.<BR>
Personally, I don't subscribe to such a view in real life, so I find it<BR>
difficult to work into my Traveller campaigns.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 15:19:37 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
<BR>
From: <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> No flames from me. <g><BR>
<BR>
I don't think you have a "flame on" mode! :)<BR>
<BR>
> I don't have a problem with d3's, in general...except for the fact<BR>
> that they don't seem to exist and you have to make your own or do a<BR>
> division, and I've already complained about that.<BR>
<BR>
I actually do have a few which I've picked up. They aren't really that<BR>
common though. Both of mine came from old boardgames. I think that they came<BR>
from those cheesy wannabe wargames which were manfactured in the 70s by one<BR>
of the major boardgame companies. They had cool components, though.<BR>
<BR>
Of course, there's more than one way to skin a cat! Division isn't the only<BR>
way. There's subtraction and simple substitution.<BR>
<BR>
><g> What bothers me about the d3 in T4.1 is that it is the one, lone,<BR>
> single, solitary d3 in the whole mixture, and that simply feels like a<BR>
> kludge to me.<BR>
<BR>
Fair enough. I guess that this is something like the answer I was looking<BR>
for.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 15:30:31 -0500<BR>
From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Taskwar subthread: Attributes, Skills & Personality<BR>
<BR>
From: Kiri Aradia Morgan <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
> In Traveller, SOC is a matter of birth,<BR>
<BR>
No it isn't. It is possible to climb the Soc ladder in many careers in CT,<BR>
MT and T4. I've had more than a few characters start out with absolutely<BR>
terrible Soc and up up with a decent, average score in Soc.<BR>
<BR>
It is possible in the Navy for a middling or high Soc character to enter<BR>
into the ranks of the nobility. I once had a Naval character who, according<BR>
his rolls, should have been Emperor!<BR>
<BR>
>so unless you think personality is genetic, I don't think so.<BR>
<BR>
Or, unless the Soc attribute in Traveller isn't dictated by birth.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 20:40:30 GMT<BR>
From: "Boris Cibic" <kafka47@hotmail.com><BR>
Subject: Marishal material <BR>
<BR>
Does anyone know who owns the copyright on the Marishal material?  <BR>
Furthermore, does anyone have a complete set which they are willing to part <BR>
with or at least donate photocopies?<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 15:53:51 -0500<BR>
From: John Macek <macek@erols.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
<BR>
Rob,<BR>
<BR>
You wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>  especially when some of the entries in BtC<BR>
> _contradict_ published Classic Traveller data.<BR>
<BR>
Has anyone attempted to "correct" this?<BR>
I'd really appreciate a list of what doesn't match canon, if you have<BR>
one.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks!<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2000 10:15:56 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
> On Behalf Of Chris Seamans<BR>
<BR>
> <shrug> To each his own, I guess. I didn't<BR>
> realize a normal six sider needed<BR>
> to be modified to yield a value between<BR>
> 1 and 3. We just used a specific d6<BR>
> of a specific color. 4, 5 and 6 were 1, 2<BR>
> and 3 on that die. Even among  relative<BR>
> newbie players, this method didn't seem<BR>
> all that taxing.<BR>
<BR>
The way we used to use back when when I was wargaming and d3 were part of<BR>
the morale check (I think) was to roll the dice. If it was under four we<BR>
just read it. Otherwise we turned it over and used that number.<BR>
<BR>
A properly made d6 should have the one opposite the six, the three opposite<BR>
the four, and the two opposite the five. After a while you just got used to<BR>
it, and knew what was opposite, but you could always turn it over if anyone<BR>
disputed it or didn't remember the relationship.<BR>
<BR>
The dice that is most fun to confuse Traveller players is another wargaming<BR>
die that _does_ have modifications to the dots. It's called an "average"<BR>
die, and is numbered 2,3,3,4,4,5.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
There is also our own system's d6 open-ended die which had a red six in<BR>
place of the 1<BR>
<BR>
How that worked was to roll two normal die and one 'Fate Die'(TM) (usually a<BR>
different colour than the others)<BR>
<BR>
If the Fate Die was anything but a six, it was treated as a normal die.<BR>
<BR>
If it was a black six, you added six and rolled it again.<BR>
If it was a red six, you subtracted six, and rolled it again.<BR>
<BR>
Repeat last step as often as neccessary.<BR>
<BR>
What this does probabalisticlaly is extend the distribution of 3d6 from 3 -<BR>
18 to +infinity - -infinity, with an almost perfect bell curve based around<BR>
(from memory ) 10.5.<BR>
The guy who designed this wrote a five page essay with lots of diagrams<BR>
showing the probablities.<BR>
<BR>
This works great to extend the variability of any 3d6 based system.<BR>
<BR>
As we used the difference between the target number and the actual die roll<BR>
as a quality result, it allowed people to fail abysmally or succeed<BR>
massively. Our rule of thumb is that<BR>
if you fail by -10, it's a 'fumble', and if you succeed by +10, it's some<BR>
form of critical success.<BR>
<BR>
We used weapon damage multiplier's rather than a separate damage roll as<BR>
well, so a 'critical hit' would already be pretty damn critical ! This may<BR>
sound deadly, but we also used a hit location system which limited the<BR>
amount of damage a location could take. A critical to the head or chest<BR>
would kill, but a critical to an extremity usually just meant there was<BR>
nothing left in that location to patch up. Unless they bled to death or died<BR>
of shock, of course.<BR>
<BR>
I suspect the maths wouldn't be quite as clean with Traveller's 2d6.<BR>
<BR>
While I'm writing, I may as well explain _our_ task system, which works with<BR>
the idea of "quality results" above.<BR>
<BR>
It can be appllied to any system that generates a quality number though,<BR>
even Traveller if you take the difference between requirement and roll as<BR>
the quality, I've usd it with White Wolf games as well, though I modified it<BR>
there to use "number of successes" as the quality rating. In the description<BR>
below, the quality rayting is refferred to asd the "effect number"<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Task Resolution Sequence<BR>
1.	The ajudicator determines the Rating, Ease, Interval, and Target for the<BR>
task and states whether the task is Reversible.<BR>
<BR>
2.	At the end of each Interval, the player makes a roll against the<BR>
specified Rating, modified by the Ease.  The player adds the effect number<BR>
thus generated to the running total. If the task is not Reversible then<BR>
negative effect-numbers are ignored.<BR>
<BR>
3.	A fumble occurring gives the storyteller the option to create a suitable<BR>
incident ( such as losing the manuscript or forgetting to tighten a nut )<BR>
irregardless of the whether the task is Reversible.<BR>
<BR>
4.    Once the running total has exceeded the Target number, the task is<BR>
completed.<BR>
At the discretion of the storyteller, reaching the Target as a negative<BR>
number may<BR>
<BR>
5.	At the ajudicator's discretion, the process may continue after the<BR>
running total has exceeded the Target in order to obtain a better result.<BR>
Alternatively the player may abort ( or may be forced to abort) the task<BR>
before reaching the Target, possibly resulting in partial completion of the<BR>
task.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
We use this for everythig from pickig locks, to climbing cliffs, to writing<BR>
a thesis to building a spaceship. All you do is adjust the Interval<BR>
according to the number of rolls or amount of time you have.<BR>
<BR>
For picking a lock when in combat, use standard combat turns as the<BR>
interval.<BR>
For writing a novel, use days, weeks, or even months if you don't want too<BR>
many rolls.<BR>
You can even break a task up into seperate Targets based on different<BR>
skills.<BR>
<BR>
For instance, for an item that a character once invented we had a theory<BR>
Target, and a construction Target. This made the character get someone else<BR>
to help them in construction.<BR>
<BR>
You can, depending on the task, either allow multiple people's rolls to<BR>
either directly add to the running total, or average them. If too many<BR>
people work on something  I usually adjust the Ease, making it more<BR>
diffiecult.<BR>
<BR>
Hope ya like it.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 16:14:00 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy \(Colin Michael\)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Marishal material <BR>
<BR>
The adventures were sold to Seeker, which also published them.  Seeker,<BR>
according to Don McKinney, is now the property of our friend Mr. S____r.<BR>
I've also heard that all of the FASA Traveller material was purchased by<BR>
Seeker in the mid-Eighties.  That means that about half of the Keith<BR>
brothers adventure material is lost in the political quagmire.  :-(<BR>
<BR>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>
Colin Michael, WebDev<BR>
www.downport.com<BR>
The Traveller Domain<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: "Boris Cibic" <kafka47@hotmail.com><BR>
> Does anyone know who owns the copyright on the Marishal material?<BR>
> Furthermore, does anyone have a complete set which they are willing to<BR>
part<BR>
> with or at least donate photocopies?<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 16:16:48 -0500<BR>
From: "Swordy \(Colin Michael\)" <swordworlder@clinic.net><BR>
Subject: Re: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
> I don't have a problem with d3's, in general...except for the fact<BR>
> that they don't seem to exist and you have to make your own or do a<BR>
> division, and I've already complained about that.  <g> What bothers<BR>
> me about the d3 in T4.1 is that it is the one, lone, single,<BR>
> solitary d3 in the whole mixture, and that simply feels like a<BR>
> kludge to me.<BR>
<BR>
What?  A heretic who does not like the rules as-written?  Imagine that.<BR>
<BR>
So, how about a special edition of my little dice-roller that has buttons<BR>
for the task difficulty levels instead of letting you choose which dice to<BR>
roll?  It is currently an applet, but I can do an app version so that you<BR>
can take it with you and use it on your palm-top computer.  An expensive,<BR>
customizable Dragonbone (tm)!<BR>
<BR>
- -Crusty<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 15:27:57 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Vs: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/22/00 at 10:19 PM,  Jussi Kenkkil <Jussi.Kenkkila@helsinki.fi> said:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>----- Original Message ----- <BR>
>From: <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
>To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
>Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2000 10:27 AM<BR>
>Subject: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>> I don't have a problem with d3's, in general...except for the fact<BR>
>> that they don't seem to exist <BR>
<BR>
>Don't exist? How come I have 2 in my dice collection???<BR>
<BR>
Congratulations!  Where did you buy them?  I've *made* some, but<BR>
never found any to purchase.<BR>
<BR>
BTW, I didn't say they *don't* exist, just that it *seems* that way<BR>
because I have looked for them and never found any for sale.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 15:39:37 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/22/00 at 03:19 PM,  "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net> said:<BR>
<BR>
>> No flames from me. <g><BR>
<BR>
>I don't think you have a "flame on" mode! :)<BR>
<BR>
I do, but I work *really* hard to keep it surpressed.  I'm an<BR>
old-school Fidohead where the cardinal rule is "Don't offend, or be<BR>
too easily offended."  <g><BR>
<BR>
>> I don't have a problem with d3's, in general...except for the fact<BR>
>> that they don't seem to exist and you have to make your own or do a<BR>
>> division, and I've already complained about that.<BR>
<BR>
>I actually do have a few which I've picked up. They aren't really that<BR>
>common though. Both of mine came from old boardgames. I think that they<BR>
>came from those cheesy wannabe wargames which were manfactured in the 70s<BR>
>by one of the major boardgame companies. They had cool components,<BR>
>though.<BR>
<BR>
Dang!  I do wish I had a few.  I really *can* see some uses for<BR>
them.<BR>
<BR>
>Of course, there's more than one way to skin a cat! Division isn't the<BR>
>only way. There's subtraction and simple substitution.<BR>
<BR>
<shrug> Sure, and I've made a few by inking cubes of wood you can<BR>
buy in craft shops.  If you pick and choose the cubes you can get<BR>
fair rolling dice from them. <BR>
<BR>
>><g> What bothers me about the d3 in T4.1 is that it is the one, lone,<BR>
>> single, solitary d3 in the whole mixture, and that simply feels like a<BR>
>> kludge to me.<BR>
<BR>
>Fair enough. I guess that this is something like the answer I was looking<BR>
>for.<BR>
<BR>
Yeah, it's jarring to me to pull a d3 into the Task System for one,<BR>
and only one, roll.  I just think there *has* to be a better way.<BR>
That's one reason I keep looking at Task Systems...looking for that<BR>
better way. <g>  <BR>
<BR>
At the end of the day, I tend to return to a slightly modified TNE.<BR>
Ask my players, I suspect they'll tell you that no matter what I<BR>
say, I'm really running TNE. <BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 23:06:42 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
<BR>
At 16:21 -0500 20/1/00, "Roger Barr" <travelergm@hotmail.com> wrote:<BR>
>I have to disagree. I have the new Behind the Claw book and I really liked<BR>
>having the previously printed data in one source at my fingertips. I did<BR>
>notice that the actual listing of each world has just a tidbit of data, not<BR>
>really enough to interfere with my creativity in those systems. (I have been<BR>
>using Regina as a home subsector for my campaigns for years...)<BR>
<BR>
I think that my answer here has to be 'YMMV'. IMNSHO I find the full <BR>
descriptions annoying. ;-)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>(Ummm, does this mean I'm gonna get cut from the credits of the new book by<BR>
>disagreeing with the publishers?)<BR>
>;)<BR>
><BR>
>Roger Barr<BR>
<BR>
Who?<BR>
<BR>
;-)<BR>
<BR>
Dom (who acknowledges Roger as one of the contributors of the <BR>
forthcoming 101 Patrons)<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 23:14:20 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
<BR>
At 16:21 -0500 20/1/00, Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>Okay, I've been wanting to do this for a while.<BR>
><BR>
><plagiarize source="Emo Phillips" paraphrase="roughly approximate"><BR>
><BR>
>So I raaaaan into Dom Mooney the other day, and he was cliiimbing over<BR>
>the guardrail of a bridge, and I said "What are you doing?"<BR>
><BR>
>Heeeee said "Well, I'm going to end it all, I have nothing to live<BR>
>for."<BR>
><BR>
>Aaaand I said "Surely that can't be true! Don't you have any hobbies?"<BR>
><BR>
>And Dom repliiiiied, "Well, yes, I play Traveller."<BR>
<BR>
<snip><BR>
<BR>
>Soooooooo I said "Wow, me too! Milieu 1100 classic, High Guard ship<BR>
>design, extended character generation, Striker missiles, or<BR>
>Milieu 1100 classic, High Guard ship design, extended character<BR>
>generation, Special Supplement missiles?"<BR>
><BR>
>He saaaaaid "Striker."<BR>
><BR>
>Sooooooooooooo I yelled "DIE HERETIC!" and pushed him off the bridge!<BR>
<BR>
I think you just broke me.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I'll give you a 5.0 for that... I'm so glad that I didn't have a <BR>
mouthful then... I feel badly enough incapacitated without a keyboard <BR>
ruined.<BR>
<BR>
I've just been declared a heretic!<BR>
<BR>
Eris! Is it warm in there? Can I come and play now? Pleeeaaaaasssee.....<BR>
<BR>
More seriously: T4.1 with High Guard, CT/MT/T4 equipment <BR>
interchangeable, M1100 to 1129 and M0, Infini-V (ie CSC) and a <BR>
willingness to steal from all Traveller editions.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 15:45:43 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/22/00 at 04:16 PM,  "Swordy \(Colin Michael\)" <swordworlder@clinic.net> said:<BR>
<BR>
>> I don't have a problem with d3's, in general...except for the fact<BR>
>> that they don't seem to exist and you have to make your own or do a<BR>
>> division, and I've already complained about that.  <g> What bothers<BR>
>> me about the d3 in T4.1 is that it is the one, lone, single,<BR>
>> solitary d3 in the whole mixture, and that simply feels like a<BR>
>> kludge to me.<BR>
<BR>
>What?  A heretic who does not like the rules as-written?  Imagine that.<BR>
<BR>
Hee! You'd think I'd like *something* as written, wouldn't you? <g><BR>
<BR>
>So, how about a special edition of my little dice-roller that has buttons<BR>
>for the task difficulty levels instead of letting you choose which dice<BR>
>to roll?  It is currently an applet, but I can do an app version so that<BR>
>you can take it with you and use it on your palm-top computer.  An<BR>
>expensive, customizable Dragonbone (tm)!<BR>
<BR>
I wrote an Win app in Delphi (and a Sybil version for OS/2) using<BR>
the T4 system (1.5/2/2.5/etc) back when T4 came out.  I asked if<BR>
anyone here was interested and got a deafening silence, so I figured<BR>
no one needed/wanted it.<BR>
<BR>
I still have it here somewhere, should I dig it out put it on my<BR>
webpage?  Should I convert it to T4.1, and post that too?<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 15:47:09 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
<BR>
On 01/22/00 at 04:16 PM,  "Swordy \(Colin Michael\)" <swordworlder@clinic.net> said:<BR>
<BR>
>So, how about a special edition of my little dice-roller that has buttons<BR>
>for the task difficulty levels instead of letting you choose which dice<BR>
>to roll?  It is currently an applet, but I can do an app version so that<BR>
>you can take it with you and use it on your palm-top computer.  An<BR>
>expensive, customizable Dragonbone (tm)!<BR>
<BR>
Oh, and YES, please make yours available!<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 21:55:30 GMT<BR>
From: j_pete@bellsouth.net (Pete)<BR>
Subject: Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background)<BR>
<BR>
Whoa. Deja vu.<BR>
<BR>
On Thu, 20 Jan 2000 23:14:20 +0000, SD Mooney<BR>
<dom@cybergoths.u-net.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>At 16:21 -0500 20/1/00, Russell Bornschlegel <kaleja@estarcion.com> wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>>Okay, I've been wanting to do this for a while.<BR>
>><BR>
>><plagiarize source="Emo Phillips" paraphrase="roughly approximate"><BR>
>><BR>
>>So I raaaaan into Dom Mooney the other day, and he was cliiimbing over<BR>
>>the guardrail of a bridge, and I said "What are you doing?"<BR>
>><BR>
>>Heeeee said "Well, I'm going to end it all, I have nothing to live<BR>
>>for."<BR>
>><BR>
>>Aaaand I said "Surely that can't be true! Don't you have any hobbies?"<BR>
>><BR>
>>And Dom repliiiiied, "Well, yes, I play Traveller."<BR>
><BR>
><snip><BR>
><BR>
>>Soooooooo I said "Wow, me too! Milieu 1100 classic, High Guard ship<BR>
>>design, extended character generation, Striker missiles, or<BR>
>>Milieu 1100 classic, High Guard ship design, extended character<BR>
>>generation, Special Supplement missiles?"<BR>
>><BR>
>>He saaaaaid "Striker."<BR>
>><BR>
>>Sooooooooooooo I yelled "DIE HERETIC!" and pushed him off the bridge!<BR>
><BR>
>I think you just broke me.<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
>I'll give you a 5.0 for that... I'm so glad that I didn't have a <BR>
>mouthful then... I feel badly enough incapacitated without a keyboard <BR>
>ruined.<BR>
><BR>
>I've just been declared a heretic!<BR>
><BR>
>Eris! Is it warm in there? Can I come and play now? Pleeeaaaaasssee.....<BR>
><BR>
>More seriously: T4.1 with High Guard, CT/MT/T4 equipment <BR>
>interchangeable, M1100 to 1129 and M0, Infini-V (ie CSC) and a <BR>
>willingness to steal from all Traveller editions.<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
>Dom<BR>
><BR>
>----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
>"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
>can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
>http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
================================================================================<BR>
- - Jeff Peterson                                             j_pete@bellsouth.net<BR>
"To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."<BR>
                                                    -George Washington<BR>
Pete 0609 D258A85-3 S kk- hi++ as+ va++ dr++ so zh- vi+ da++ A833<BR>
NOG #74  AirStar Nova 700<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 13:56:46 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: hi <BR>
<BR>
> > hello I am a new MT GM and I would very much appreciate any advice you<BR>
all<BR>
> > could give me on a good start up for a campaign.  My players are mostly<BR>
> > unfamiliar and, quite frankly so am I, with the system.<BR>
><BR>
> First off, don't freak out.  There was a first time for all of us, and<BR>
*we* lived through it.  (Shut *UP*, Eris!!!)  Don't sweat the rules too<BR>
much.  If you need help in understanding them, don't be afraid to ask for<BR>
help.<BR>
><BR>
> Also, don't feel like you have to be married to the milleu or the setting.<BR>
You can set up your own little campaign out in the middle of nowhere if you<BR>
want, and nobody can tell you not to.  Don't be afraid to experiment.<BR>
><BR>
> Read lots of 'hard' sci fi and mine it for ideas.  Get the errata for it;<BR>
it'll help you make sense out of things a lot easier.<BR>
><BR>
> And don't forget, *HAVE FUN*.<BR>
<BR>
You have receive some very good advice, there is one<BR>
more item I would add.  Make sure that the reward is<BR>
commensurate to the effort.  Do not give the PCs anything<BR>
they don't earn.  If the PCs absolutely must have something<BR>
for an adventure, you can allow them to borrow or lease it.<BR>
You can let them have it for only as long as they need it<BR>
and arrange for it to be taken away.  Let's say they need<BR>
a ship, you can have a patron hire them to take a ship to a<BR>
particular location.  When they are done with the adventure,<BR>
they give the ship to its owner and receive their pay.<BR>
<BR>
Don't be capricious.  Do be even-handed.  If you don't know<BR>
what to do, consult with the players as much as possible<BR>
without giving away the adventure.<BR>
<BR>
But most important, have fun!<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
______________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 14:17:16 -0800<BR>
From: "Jason T. Barnabas" <cybernaut@netzero.net><BR>
Subject: Re: The d3 Question (was Re: Official Taskwar Thread)<BR>
<BR>
From: Chris Seamans < semo@pil.net ><BR>
> From: < eris@pcola.gulf.net ><BR>
> > I don't have a problem with d3's, in general...except for the fact<BR>
> > that they don't seem to exist and you have to make your own or do a<BR>
> > division, and I've already complained about that.<BR>
><BR>
> I actually do have a few which I've picked up. They aren't really that<BR>
> common though. Both of mine came from old boardgames. I think that they<BR>
came<BR>
> from those cheesy wannabe wargames which were manfactured in the 70s by<BR>
one<BR>
> of the major boardgame companies. They had cool components, though.<BR>
><BR>
> Of course, there's more than one way to skin a cat! Division isn't the<BR>
only<BR>
> way. There's subtraction and simple substitution.<BR>
<BR>
I have 4 of them.  They are all white and used to be six<BR>
siders.  A few daubs of white out or white paint and voila<BR>
you have a d3.<BR>
 ___   ___   ___<BR>
|* o| |o o| |* o|<BR>
|   | | * | |o *|<BR>
|o *| |o o| |* o|<BR>
       <BR>
I used them for Champions.<BR>
<BR>
> ><g> What bothers me about the d3 in T4.1 is that it is the one, lone,<BR>
> > single, solitary d3 in the whole mixture, and that simply feels like a<BR>
> > kludge to me.<BR>
><BR>
> Fair enough. I guess that this is something like the answer I was looking<BR>
> for.<BR>
- --<BR>
Jason<BR>
___________________________________________<BR>
    The rules have changed...  Get paid to surf the web.<BR>
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BMM-972<BR>
Please tell them BMM-972 if they ask who recruited you.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
__________________________________________<BR>
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World<BR>
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at<BR>
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1798<BR>
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Traveller-digest     Saturday, January 22 2000     Volume 1999 : Number 1799<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: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
re: Traveller varients of Christianity<BR>
Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background<BR>
Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
RE: Marishal material<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1795<BR>
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1796<BR>
Re: Re Tasks<BR>
Re: Official Rules System War 2000<BR>
Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
Re: Dimorphism<BR>
Re: Dimorphism<BR>
OT: Gormenghast<BR>
Re: Taskwar subthread: Attributes, Skills & Personality<BR>
Re: Taskwar subthread: Attributes, Skills & Personality<BR>
Re: Official Rules System War 2000<BR>
Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
Versions (was: Heresy)<BR>
Re: Traveller varients of Christianity<BR>
Re: Traveller varients of Christianity<BR>
Re: Armed Kangeroos<BR>
Rob's Traveller Software<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 21:50:19 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dune: House Atredies<BR>
<BR>
At 23:10 -0500 21/1/00, Kiri Aradia Morgan <tiamat@tsoft.com> wrote:<BR>
>Oh good!  I used to be a huge Dune geek and our old group always thought<BR>
>of Dune when we played Traveller...<BR>
><BR>
>I liked the sequels but I think I'm one of four people on the planet who<BR>
>did.<BR>
<BR>
God Emperor was kind of... tedious.<BR>
<BR>
Heretics and Chapter House Dune were a nice return to form. Sadly <BR>
Frank Herbert died while writing the concluding book :-(<BR>
<BR>
OTOH Last Unicorn are due to release Dune: the RPG this year.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 21:56:39 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: re: Traveller varients of Christianity<BR>
<BR>
At 2:19 -0500 22/1/00, Traveller varients of Christianity wrote:<BR>
>I recently bought GURPS Traveller and the Behind the Claw supplement.<BR>
>I have created two characters for use in the game.  One of them I have<BR>
>planned as a medical missionary.  The religions outlined in the game<BR>
>stink.  (Surprise!  Surprise!)  I've thought about it a bit and come up<BR>
>with the following ideas and would appreciate some thoughts from you<BR>
>about the ideas.<BR>
><snip><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>Well, whatcha think?<BR>
<BR>
Well, where were you when Tim Collison was compiling 101 Religions? ;-)<BR>
<BR>
They look usable, with nice plot hooks.<BR>
<BR>
<plug><BR>
<BR>
You could also be lazy and check out BITS 101 Religions ($8 from <BR>
Warehouse 23) which has 101 Religions and weird cults. ISTR that <BR>
Freelance Traveller has a review.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 22:03:32 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
<BR>
At 15:11 -0500 22/1/00, Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca> wrote:<BR>
>For example, I had written up several worlds and submitted them to Pyramid.<BR>
>All were in accordance with the CT world data. Every writeup needed some<BR>
>revising after BtC, several almost completely. In my own universe I can<BR>
>ignore them, but I resent someone creating 'colour text' that forces me to<BR>
>do extra work (as an author) -- especially when some of the entries in BtC<BR>
>_contradict_ published Classic Traveller data.<BR>
<BR>
Exactly my point. And although it is an official *alternative* <BR>
universe I suspect that BtC is going to be the de-facto Spinward <BR>
Marches book now.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 22:30:04 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Heresy (was: CT Campaign Background<BR>
<BR>
At 17:20 -0500 22/1/00,  j_pete@bellsouth.net (Pete) wrote:<BR>
>Whoa. Deja vu.<BR>
><BR>
>On Thu, 20 Jan 2000 23:14:20 +0000, SD Mooney<BR>
><dom@cybergoths.u-net.com> wrote:<BR>
> >I think you just broke me.<BR>
<BR>
Apologies - my whole system had gone unstable and I was forced to <BR>
zero and reinitialise the hard drive on my PowerMac downgrading to <BR>
MacOS8.5 from 8.6 (which was being a tad shaky). I had accidently <BR>
checked my mail between burning the CD backups and reinitialising, <BR>
and as a result it didn't realise that I'd since sent those emails.<BR>
<BR>
Dom (who has email, www, and Appleworks back now)<BR>
<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 14:31:40 -0800<BR>
From: "James W. Lindsay" <jlindsay@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: x-boat traffic<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 21 Jan 2000 11:34:53 -0500, Jory Earl wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> Thanks Leonard, I find this stuff immensely fascinating.  Your explanations<BR>
> are clear and concise.<BR>
<BR>
I agree, although sometimes I think Leonard knows too much for his own<BR>
good.  Have a virtual beer on me, Leonard :)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
James W. Lindsay             Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada<BR>
http://members.home.net/jlindsay                    ICQ:#7521644<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
He who dies with the most toys... is *still* DEAD!<BR>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2000 11:56:54 +1300<BR>
From: "Frank G. Pitt" <frankie@mundens.gen.nz><BR>
Subject: RE: Marishal material<BR>
<BR>
> Does anyone know who owns the copyright on the Marishal material?<BR>
<BR>
The surviving Keith I suspect.<BR>
<BR>
> Furthermore, does anyone have a complete set which they are<BR>
> willing to part with or at least donate photocopies?<BR>
<BR>
I have most, if not all, and I'm willing to provide such, should there be no<BR>
objection from the copywright holder.<BR>
<BR>
Frankie<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 17:22:23 -0600<BR>
From: William Barnett-Lewis <wlewis@mailbag.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1795<BR>
<BR>
I like D6 well enough, but this is why I _still_ prefer the MT task system<BR>
over the rest. 2 dice are all I want or need. Period.<BR>
<BR>
This is probably the sole reason I haven't played Shadowrun or SW more...<BR>
<BR>
Still, especially with the wild die, I could see this working very well...<BR>
<BR>
> Anthony Jackson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
>> Well, if you want, you can replace 'multiply by 3' with 'X dice'.  Make the<BR>
>> task system something like 'skill+1 dice plus stat' against a target based on<BR>
>> the difficulty.  So, the PC with EDU-9 skill-1 rolls 2d+9, while the<BR>
>> professional rolls 4d+6.  It works out to a similar 'weight' for skills as<BR>
>> multiplying by 3.<BR>
> <BR>
> This is the idea behind what I call the d6 conversion. <g><BR>
<BR>
William<BR>
- -- <BR>
Live without fear; your Creator loves you     | William Barnett-Lewis<BR>
as a mother. Go in peace to follow the good   | mailto://wlewis@mailbag.com<BR>
road and may God's blessing be with           |<BR>
you always.                                   |<BR>
St. Claire                                    |<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 17:33:05 -0600<BR>
From: William Barnett-Lewis <wlewis@mailbag.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #1796<BR>
<BR>
> hello I am a new MT GM and I would very much appreciate any advice you all<BR>
> could give me on a good start up for a campaign.  My players are mostly<BR>
> unfamiliar and, quite frankly so am I, with the system.<BR>
> <BR>
> Thank you<BR>
> <BR>
> Micah<BR>
> ______________________________________________________<BR>
> Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
It's a really great system and I think you'll enjoy it a lot. However, what<BR>
you must do, is get a copy of the errata - if you haven't - MT is, uhmm,<BR>
_legendary_ for it's typos...<BR>
<BR>
heh, if you could construct a cinematic campaign simply on typos, MT would<BR>
be the result...<BR>
<BR>
OTOH, once applied, I must say that I believe (And, yes, this is IMNSHO)<BR>
that it is still the best version of Traveller.<BR>
<BR>
I hope you enjoy it.<BR>
<BR>
William<BR>
- -- <BR>
Live without fear; your Creator loves you     | William Barnett-Lewis<BR>
as a mother. Go in peace to follow the good   | mailto://wlewis@mailbag.com<BR>
road and may God's blessing be with           |<BR>
you always.                                   |<BR>
St. Claire                                    |<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 17:38:15 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Re Tasks<BR>
<BR>
On 01/21/00 at 01:47 PM,  "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net> said:<BR>
<BR>
>> I still don't like dividing on every<BR>
>>task, but frankly, I don't see why there can't be an entry on the<BR>
>>Character Sheet for Stat and Stat/#, figure it once, enter it and<BR>
>>leave it alone and handle drops in Stat due to injury between sessions<BR>
>>(or another way).<BR>
<BR>
>That is precicesly what you are SUPPOSED to do with MT.<BR>
<BR>
>Note that MT's damage system converts to CT style damage post-combat; at<BR>
>that point you figure your "Wounded DM's".<BR>
<BR>
Hum, well that sure makes more sense to me than the /5 on every task. <BR>
<BR>
>It just was poorly worded in the books.<BR>
<BR>
Seeing as I have a first printing of MT, there's a *lot* of poorly<BR>
worded things in my copies. Things left out, too. <sigh><BR>
<BR>
>Say, Eris, have you written up the FUDGE mechanics specific to Traveller?<BR>
<BR>
Not much more than I've posted. <BR>
<BR>
>BTW, where can I find the FUDGE rules?<BR>
<BR>
http://www.fudgerpg.com <BR>
<BR>
Drill down a few screens to the downloads screen.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 17:45:51 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Official Rules System War 2000<BR>
<BR>
On 01/22/00 at 09:01 AM,  "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>Well, Eris likes FUDGE.  Really, really, likes it a lot.<BR>
<BR>
Yes, I do. Of course, I also like CT and TNE and...<g><BR>
<BR>
>So I webbed over to the site and printed the rules out,<BR>
>and it's okay.  I see that the rulebook IS 100 pages,<BR>
>though... not really so simple, is it?  However, I bet<BR>
>it is reasonably consistent, which is important.<BR>
<BR>
Well, the basic mechanic *is* simple.  The explanations and options<BR>
are what takes up all the room. <g><BR>
<BR>
>It might not work well with rules lawyers, though.  We'd<BR>
>have to define everything ourselves, which is not why I'd <BR>
>buy a game.  I see we have enough issues to keep us busy<BR>
>as it is.<BR>
<BR>
That's true.  Of course, someone (or group) could do a conversion.<BR>
Once that was done, the rest of us wouldn't have to tinker with the<BR>
details.<BR>
<BR>
>Finally, I don't see FUDGE rules making it much easier<BR>
>to play Traveller than the Traveller rules (take your<BR>
>pick) or GURPS.  With the more complex games some of<BR>
>us would throw out sections wholesale, but that's easier<BR>
>than having to graft sections in later because they're<BR>
>not there.<BR>
<BR>
The basic idea behind FUDGE can basically be summed up as "when in<BR>
doubt, fudge it."  <g> To be honest, I don't intend to switch<BR>
wholesale to FUDGE, but there are two or three subsystems that I<BR>
*do* graft onto more conventional Traveller systems.<BR>
<BR>
>So that's my worry.  It might not be enough for what I<BR>
>expect from Traveller.  I note that in the computer<BR>
>world, there is a tendency to prefer languages with <BR>
>built-in function libraries to get jobs done, rather <BR>
>than to take a small, ultra-efficient and consistent<BR>
>(pure) language and have to roll your own functions<BR>
>for things we take for granted nowadays.  I get the<BR>
>same feeling with FUDGE.<BR>
<BR>
>Sorry Eris, I may be heterodox, but not heretic :)<BR>
<BR>
Hee!  So you say.  However, for some of our number if you aren't a<BR>
strict CT/HG acolyte then you *are* a heretic. <g><BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 17:48:30 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Official Taskwar Thread<BR>
<BR>
On 01/22/00 at 09:12 AM,  "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>I won't.  That crosses my threshold of complexity.  The rest of the rules<BR>
>are fine, but a half-die won't be used in my<BR>
>campaign.  Others in my group have used it, and if they can<BR>
>track it, fine.  I just don't want to, and I think I'll just bump skill<BR>
>levels up a little and use whole dice.<BR>
<BR>
How about this idea.  Roll a d6 for each skill level as you recieve<BR>
it, and add that to a grand total.  Now each skill level increases<BR>
by an average of 3.5 rather than 1.  <BR>
<BR>
Does that increase the skill levels *too* much?<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 11:16:51 -0500<BR>
From: Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca><BR>
Subject: Re: Dimorphism<BR>
<BR>
>>Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
>>>>In every Terrestrial species that might even possibly be<BR>
>>>>sentient, with the exception of dolphins, the male is larger<BR>
>>>>than the female.  AFAIK, dolphins are the same size<BR>
>>>>regardless of sex.<BR>
>>>Tell that to the next bear you meet. :-)<BR>
>><BR>
>>	AFAIK, male bears are generally larger than females, but I<BR>
>>	could be wrong.<BR>
>><BR>
>>Peez<BR>
><BR>
>And is wrong, at least for the Kodiak Grizzly and the Polar. Dimorphism<BR>
>ammongst Grizzly populations shows males tend to be no larger than females<BR>
>in general, but the largets females are larger than the largest males...<BR>
>Polar bears have clear male dimorphism according to the show "The Ultimate<BR>
>Guide to Bears" as well as the local Zoo... Home of Binkey the Brit Eater.<BR>
<BR>
Hyena females are larger than males (and have more androgens as well -<BR>
really interesting biology). There's a social rodent (hive rat? mole rat?)<BR>
where one giant female is the brreder and the rest of the nest act as<BR>
support. (Have the article in SciAm, if you're really interested I can look<BR>
it up.)<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 17:05:14 -0600 (CST)<BR>
From: Cynthia Higginbotham <cyhiggin@pipeline.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Dimorphism<BR>
<BR>
William F. Hostman said:<BR>
> >Leonard Erickson writes:<BR>
> >>>In every Terrestrial species that might even possibly be<BR>
> >>>sentient, with the exception of dolphins, the male is larger<BR>
> >>>than the female.  AFAIK, dolphins are the same size<BR>
> >>>regardless of sex.<BR>
<BR>
Ignoring bears, hyena females are larger, stronger and more<BR>
agressive than the males.  And if the Ancients can uplift wolves,<BR>
they could uplift hyenas..<BR>
<BR>
			--C.<BR>
<BR>
p.s. Mr. Hostman, I saw your letter in issue #33 of KODT. <grin><BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2000 00:10:40 +0000<BR>
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
Subject: OT: Gormenghast<BR>
<BR>
OT I know, but some of you may be interested:<BR>
<BR>
The BBC has just started showing an excellent adaption of Mervyn <BR>
Peake's Gormenghast Trilogy, which looks visually stunning. It's got <BR>
a fair few famous actors (including Christopher Lee) and looks like <BR>
good material to rip off ideas for twisted nobility. Which could make <BR>
a tenuous obTrav, but I won't try.<BR>
<BR>
Dom<BR>
- ----------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com------------<BR>
"We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we too<BR>
can be great" - John Wick, 7th Sea<BR>
http://www.cybergoths.u-net.com   http://www.bits.org.uk/ <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 18:11:21 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Taskwar subthread: Attributes, Skills & Personality<BR>
<BR>
On 01/22/00 at 11:10 AM,  "Robert Eaglestone" <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com> said:<BR>
<BR>
>In Traveller, there is a sharp distinction drawn between<BR>
>character attributes and character skills.  Attributes<BR>
>are more or less innate potentials for the character --<BR>
>what every character has to some degree or another that<BR>
>pushes her towards potential vocations.  The character<BR>
>applies herself toward those skills which naturally<BR>
>complement her attributes.<BR>
<BR>
That's the theory anyway.<BR>
<BR>
>Education and Social Standing are a bit more fuzzy than<BR>
>Strength, Dex, End, Int... however, everybody has them,<BR>
>and they do steer one's course in life.<BR>
<BR>
>Now, in FUDGE, attributes are a bit more blobby; it's<BR>
>not certain what they really are.  Of course, a Traveller<BR>
>FUDGEr would select the 6 Traveller attributes; but<BR>
>the game system makes no assumptions about what attributes<BR>
>really are.<BR>
<BR>
No, in FUDGE Attributes are the innate potentials for the character<BR>
just like in Traveller.  The big difference is that there is no<BR>
specified set of Attributes required.  The GM can specify the<BR>
Attributes she wants to have in her game.<BR>
<BR>
>Some of them make sense, and are in RPGs already: agility,<BR>
>appearance, balance, charisma, size, speed, stamina, <BR>
>memory, disposition.<BR>
<BR>
>Others are a bit 'skilly' and calling them attrbiutes<BR>
>might be divisive: aim, muscle, mechanical, perception,<BR>
>reasoning, technical, wit, charm, coolness, honor...<BR>
<BR>
So, you don't include them in your game.  <g> And charm (or<BR>
charisma) *is* in TNE already.<BR>
<BR>
>Nevertheless, it seems like, to some degree, the physical<BR>
>characteristics are reasonably summed up in STR, DEX, END,<BR>
>and mental characteristics are probably adequate with<BR>
>INT and EDU... in fact, SOC probably has a mental element<BR>
>to it... a personality element.<BR>
<BR>
Being different, of course, I like to use:<BR>
<BR>
STR (raw strength and power), <BR>
DEX (for hand/eye coordination skills), <BR>
AGL (for balance and general agility skills),<BR>
CON (so it doesn't get confused with edu), <BR>
INT (for perception and reasoning)<BR>
EDU (not as level of schooling, but innate ability to learn and use<BR>
     technical skills),<BR>
CHA (charisma and personality)<BR>
SOC (for things that really are tied closely to social class)<BR>
<BR>
>Hey!  Perhaps there's an innovation here that can be made.<BR>
>If one wanted to expand characters, perhaps a Personality<BR>
>profile <BR>
<BR>
I'll post a synopsis of Andrew Keith's Universial Behavioral Profile<BR>
in a separate post.<BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 18:13:57 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Re: Taskwar subthread: Attributes, Skills & Personality<BR>
<BR>
On 01/22/00 at 03:30 PM,  "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net> said:<BR>
<BR>
>From: Kiri Aradia Morgan <tiamat@tsoft.com><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
>> In Traveller, SOC is a matter of birth,<BR>
<BR>
>No it isn't. It is possible to climb the Soc ladder in many careers in<BR>
>CT, MT and T4. I've had more than a few characters start out with<BR>
>absolutely terrible Soc and up up with a decent, average score in Soc.<BR>
<BR>
Would it be fair to say that beginning SOC is a matter of birth, but<BR>
what you do with it from that point is up to the player and the roll<BR>
of the dice?  <g><BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 18:31:56 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Official Rules System War 2000<BR>
<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> <BR>
> Hee!  So you say.  However, for some of our number if you aren't a<BR>
> strict CT/HG acolyte then you *are* a heretic. <g><BR>
<BR>
As a user of both CT and T4 (with just a dash of GT for seasoning), I<BR>
perfer to think of myself as "ecumenical."  ;-)<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 19:44:09 -0500<BR>
From: "Terry Carlino" <carlino@home.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Behind the Claw - smashing creativity<BR>
<BR>
Rob,<BR>
<BR>
You wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>  especially when some of the entries in BtC<BR>
> _contradict_ published Classic Traveller data.<BR>
<BR>
Since you haven't been specific about which data I just thought I'd ask: Is<BR>
the published data you are referring to canon or forbidden canon? Is it CT<BR>
material or MT/TNE information, which is not applicable to GT?<BR>
<BR>
Terry C<BR>
All that is Gold does not glitter<BR>
Not all who travel are lost<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2000 13:45:36 +1300<BR>
From: "Andrew Moffatt-Vallance" <a.vallance@netaccess.co.nz><BR>
Subject: Versions (was: Heresy)<BR>
<BR>
Date sent:      	Thu, 20 Jan 2000 23:14:20 +0000<BR>
From:           	SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com><BR>
<BR>
> More seriously: T4.1 with High Guard, CT/MT/T4 equipment <BR>
> interchangeable, M1100 to 1129 and M0, Infini-V (ie CSC) and a <BR>
> willingness to steal from all Traveller editions.<BR>
<BR>
Hmm, T4.1 with FFS2 and Bruce Macintoshes BCS, T4 equipment <BR>
designed with FFS2 and Infini-V, M:IW and M:200. But wait there's <BR>
more, a willingness to steel not only from all Traveller editions, but <BR>
also any other game system I can lay my grubby hands on.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Andrew etc<BR>
Homepage http://users.netaccess.co.nz/amv/<BR>
Traveller http://www.downport.com/amv/<BR>
 "What do you expect from a species who's females are<BR>
 always in heat" Ko of the Ilui clan on Humans and honour<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2000 02:20:51 +0100<BR>
From: Jens Rydholm <jenry023@student.liu.se><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller varients of Christianity<BR>
<BR>
Chris Seamans wrote:<BR>
> Okay, the Vilani culture would be widespread. No doubt. Do keep in<BR>
> mind that we're talking about quite a large span of time here, and<BR>
> not only are we talking about a large span of time, but a series of<BR>
> major cultural turning points. We've got the fall of the Ziru Sirka,<BR>
> the rise of the Rule of Man, the collapse into the Long Night, the<BR>
> Long Night itself, and the new era of the Third Imperium.<BR>
<BR>
I like to compare the Traveller timeline to that of Europe. Replace the<BR>
Ziru Sirka with ancient Rome, the Rule of Man with the Barbarians that<BR>
destroyed Rome, the Long Night with the Dark Ages, and the Third<BR>
Imperium with the renaissance. The turning points are pretty major, and<BR>
most cultural details are warped beyond recognition. Some culture is<BR>
revived, dusted off, and used all over again. I imagine the same would<BR>
be the case in the 3I.<BR>
<BR>
> I'm not saying that Christianity will dominate the stars.<BR>
<BR>
IMTU, no single religion is really widespread in any case. A lot of<BR>
worlds have their own local religions, and a number of smaller but<BR>
widespread fringe religions/cults do exist, but most Travellers are<BR>
simply not religious. I use religious individuals or groups in order to<BR>
add flavor and/or plot hooks, but nothing more.<BR>
<BR>
The Church of Elvis is a wonderful thing...  ;-)<BR>
<BR>
> It [winged ancients being the source of angel myths] makes sense if<BR>
> you're going to take a "naturalist" approach to religion.<BR>
> Personally, I don't subscribe to such a view in real life, so I find<BR>
> it difficult to work into my Traveller campaigns.<BR>
<BR>
True. The fact that I am not religious sort of makes religions IMTU no<BR>
more than warped tales of ancient history. I guess the opposite tends to<BR>
become true if you are a religious player.<BR>
<BR>
I do, however, use religions heavily when playing Fantasy RPGs, but that<BR>
is because I feel that they fit in there. In hard SF, I don't see the<BR>
need for more than a few individuals to be really religious. Soft SF is<BR>
another matter entirely (Star Wars and the Force).<BR>
<BR>
/Jens 'Spacejens' Rydholm<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 19:33:59 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Traveller varients of Christianity<BR>
<BR>
Jens Rydholm wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> <BR>
> I think  (please, no flames) that the idea that Christianity should be<BR>
> important in the Third Imperium is quite unrealistic. It probably is<BR>
> important in the Solomani Sphere, but not in Sylean and Vilani culture.<BR>
> Vilani religion would be quite different (ancestor worship?), and much<BR>
> more widespread.<BR>
<BR>
I can think of a couple of factors that might make Christianity (and<BR>
other Terran religions) more prevalent than your analysis would<BR>
indicate:<BR>
<BR>
1.  CT materials seem to indicate a much more pervasive Solomani<BR>
influence in the 3I than is seen in the M:0 materials for T4.  ISTR that<BR>
most of the nobility in CT materials are of Solomani descent.<BR>
<BR>
2.  Several major Terran religions (including many sects of<BR>
Christianity) make a strong effort to proselytize.  Combined with factor<BR>
#1 above, this tendency could easily spread such religions to other<BR>
branches of humaniti, possibly displacing indigenous religions.<BR>
<BR>
Religion in Traveller doesn't matter much to me, but for those gamers<BR>
who want a strong religious component in their campaigns, it is<BR>
reasonably plausible that Christianity, in some form, would be fairly<BR>
widespread in the 3I.<BR>
<BR>
<<snip>><BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
Keeper of the TML Keyboard Casualty List<BR>
<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 20:49:13 -0500<BR>
From: "Josh W. Spencer" <macmanjws@earthlink.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Armed Kangeroos<BR>
<BR>
On 01/22/2000 03:36, GypsyComet@aol.com wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>>> On Behalf Of Alvin<BR>
>>> <BR>
>>>> Eager to demonstrate their flying<BR>
>>>> skills for some visiting American pilots, the hotshot Aussies<BR>
>>>> "buzzed" the virtual kangaroos in low flight during a<BR>
>>>> simulation. The kangaroos scattered, as predicted, and the<BR>
>>>> visiting Americans nodded appreciatively....then did a<BR>
>>>> double-take as the kangaroos reappeared from behind a hill and<BR>
>>>> launched a barrage of Stinger missiles at the helpless<BR>
>>>> helicopter.  (Apparently the programmers had forgotten to<BR>
>>>> remove THAT part of the infantry coding.)<BR>
>>> <BR>
>>> You *KNOW* that there is some Imperial world where<BR>
>>> this lesson is fine "as is".<BR>
>> <BR>
>>> (Uplifted kangeroo's, anyone?)<BR>
>> <BR>
>> Crocodile Dundee ?<BR>
> <BR>
> Nah. Tank Girl.<BR>
<BR>
OK Aussies! Who was the original artist of "Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport?"<BR>
That's what came to my mind when the 'roos fired back in the VR sim. Not<BR>
Crocodile Dundee, and not Tank Girl.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Josh W. Spencer (macmanjws@earthlink.net)<BR>
Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA<BR>
http://home.earthlink.net/~macmanjws<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 20:05:25 -0600<BR>
From: eris@pcola.gulf.net<BR>
Subject: Rob's Traveller Software<BR>
<BR>
Okay, all you Macinphiles...what is the minimum Mac<BR>
hardware/software required to run Rob Prior's Traveller software?<BR>
CPU, Ram, HD space, OS level?<BR>
<BR>
Yes, the dark side is seductive and I'm considering a small dabble.<BR>
A dabble mind you! <g><BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
eris@pcola.gulf.net    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1799<BR>
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