
-------- TML Message #319 --------

Date: Fri, 21 Apr 89 09:29:26 edt
From: (Greg Givler SUPPORT) givler@cbmvax.cbm.commodore.com
Subject: VEGANS
Archive-Message-Number: 319



I have been running a campaign for about a year, off and on, in the Solomani
Rim Sector. I have been avoiding the Vegan Autonomous Region, mainly because
I dont have any info on the Vegans, aside from the sketchy info in the Sector
book. I have not been to a gaming store in quite awhile, I know, shame on me,
so I do not know if GDW has published anything on the subject. Does anyone out
there know if there is an "official" character generation on the Vegans.

Thanks,

Greg
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Telecommunications Coordinator     CompuServe: CBM/Support 76703,2047
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-------- TML Message #320 --------

Date: Fri, 21 Apr 89 10:13:55 -0500
From: ("Nick Christenson @ St. Olaf College") christnp@thor.stolaf.edu
Subject: multiple mail messages
Archive-Message-Number: 320



I received two copies of must of the stuff you sent out on the 19th.  It
has only happened very recently (last two or three days).  

Hope this helps.

Nick Christenson
christnp@thor.acc.stolaf.edu

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-------- TML Message #321 --------

Date: Mon, 24 Apr 89 17:19:49 edt
From: (Greg Givler SUPPORT) givler@cbmvax.cbm.commodore.com
Subject: TRADE & COMMERCE DIGEST VOL.3
Archive-Message-Number: 321



***************************************************************************
** TRADE & COMMERCE DIGEST: Cargo, freight, and passenger issues.	 **
**                                                                       **
** All followups on this topic should be sent to			 **
** givler@cbmvax.cbm.commodore.com.  They will be edited for clarity	 **
** and resent to the Traveller Mailing List in a following digest.	 **
** For my benefit, if you would include the word TRADE or COMMERCE in    **
** your SUBJECT: this will help me track these articles for inclusion to **
** this digest. Thanks, Greg Givler                                      **
***************************************************************************

TRADE & COMMERCE DIGEST VOL.3

CONTENTS:

1. LETTER FROM EDITOR - GREG GIVLER
2. IDEAS FOR SPECULATIVE TRADE - MARK A. POWER
3. SYSTEM SURVEILLANCE - JCUNNING?

1. LETTER FROM EDITOR

Hi, and welcome to VOL.3 of the Traveller Trade and Commerce Digest. Anyone
who missed volumes 1 and 2 and are just dying to get caught up, let me know 
and I will be glad to send out back issues. We are still light on articles, and 
need more input from all over. Before I took over this job it seemed that 
every other article on the mailing list was talking about Trade and Commerce.
Now nothing, if we have covered everything let us know and we can always go 
back to cluttering the net waves with tons of useless information, I know I 
enjoy reading it. :-) If you have any ideas let us know, if they are silly we'll
let you know. If they are good, we'll let you know that too. I am an 
information gatherer, a packrat if you will. I don't want to lead a discussion
that should lead itself. But I dont think that we on the net, who run Traveller,
have come to the conclusion that everything is fine with the system. 
Let's hear what you have to say!

The contents of the digest this time consist of Mark Powers reply to the reply
in digest 2 from Edwin Wiles, which was a reply to Marks original system 
suggestions. I think that Mark's orginal statements showed alot of thought and
Edwin's reply gave very contructive criticism, and added good points to expand
on. Mark has some thoughts on what Edwin said last time. So read and if 
something strikes you (like a 2-TON weight) then get on your soapbox and 
pontificate a bit, (like this :-)

About the Structure of the Digest, I have tried to set the contents up
so that you can use search functions in you respective editors to get around 
the digest more easily. I will have the title of the article which you can
search for or the authors name. That way you can avoid my ramblings.

Greg

=====================================

2. From: "MARK A. POWER" <uunet!asnuab.asn.net!uabmap01>
Subject: Re: Ideas for Speculative Trade

My original remarks (from Digest #1) are quoted as
'>>', Ed's comments are marked '>'.

Before my detailed response, I'd like to say one of my biggest
complaints with both the Book 2 and Merchant Prince/MegaTraveller
systems is the that both are exercises in rolling dice -- there is not
much call for role-playing in the process.  Adding steps where the
referee could slip in an adventure, and in general keep the players on
their toes, could only help.

			Mark

>> PURCHASING
>> ------------
>> 4) Contact owner (or agent) and haggle over price.
>
> I don't know.  I've never been one to enjoy haggling over price, ...
[stuff edited - Greg]

I agree this step should be at the players option.  My idea was to add
an opportunity for role-playing into the process, as well as a place
to use that Broker-3.  If the players don't have anyone with suitable
skills, they might be best to skip this.  

Re: Bidding.  I don't have any other player ships around.  I think it
would be adequate to play the NPC's intelligently.  If the players are
prepared to buy a cargo at Cr 10,000 per ton, knowing they have a good
chance to sell it J-1 away at Cr 25,000 per ton, then it is probable
that another captain will be willing to pay Cr 15,000 per ton.  The
main purpose of this is to adjust for unusual conditions, and to
attempt to reflect market forces.  Perhaps the referee could generate 
a random ship type for the competitors, and range of available capital 
for each type.  This would give you a general idea of their resources,
and give the players a chance to make those large profits, without
losing to some clown with an unlimited bank account.

>> 6) Determine delivery date.  Allow rush delivery at [some premium]

This is one of the few good ideas I stole from MegaTraveller.  I
believe MT gives a standard delivery date as 4 days from the date of
the purchase.

> Rush delivery?  

> About delivery dates:
>     - Roll for the 'expected delivery date'.
>     - [ Allow captain to specify rush delivery, at price.  Allow
>         chance of seller telling captain to stuff it. ]
>     - ...Allow captain to ask for 'Delayed Delivery' [at no penalty].

Note that it if the cargo is sitting in a warehouse, it is to the seller's 
benifit to deliver it ASAP - warehouse space costs money!  If he is
waiting on delivery himself, it's a different matter.  I do like the
way of handling perishables.

>     - Roll for the 'actual delivery date' which should be a "bell curve"

Overall, I like this.  I think this would be a good place to start.

>> SALE
>> ------------
>> 1) Find a buyer.
> Depends!  On some worlds, ... 

Hmm....  I've been assuming we would produce a system optimized for
small ships - free traders, 400-ton subsidized merchants, and so on,
though workable for larger ships.  I would think that, while factors
might be waiting when you arrive, he'd be interested in a commission,
not in purchasing your (rather small) cargo.  Another factor (:-) is
role-playing -- I see this as another opportunity for role-playing, as
well as one for starting adventures.  If the players never have to leave
the ship, it's a lot more difficult to get them in trouble.  Comments,
anyone?

>> 2) Determine base offering price.

> I should think that the captain/owner would have a great deal to say about
> how much he'd sell his cargo for!

Sure, he'd have final say on how much he'll sell for; he just doesn't
have any say over how much he's offered.

>> 3) Select buyer and negotiate price.  See step 4 above.
> 
> ...Perhaps there are multiple buyers present and willing to bid?

Seems reasonable.

>> 4) Decide to sell or not.
>
[ Good details on auctions omitted...]
> Attempting to run an auction on your own, on a mid to high population world,
> is virtually guaranteed to get a captain/owner in trouble....

There's the sort of thing I like to see -- something to provide some
variety.

>> 5) Deliver as appropriate.
>
> [ More excellent ideas ommitted ]

I wouldn't use this very often - just enough to keep things interesting.


Mark

=========================================

3. From: uunet!uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!gslisa!gsliss!jcunning
Subject: System Surveillance
Cc: danilenk@uxc.cso.uiuc.edu

[editors note: I didn't know who to give credit to this article to, 
but I am including it anyway. This may not seem like a Trade and Commerce
discussion, but I think it applies. Basically the question is this, how
do you determine how well a star system is patrolled, and how fast help
will arrive to a distress call. I have it suit my needs, in other words if
the players look like they NEED help, it arrives just in the nick of time. 
If they are doing OK without "my" help then they won't get it. Conversely
what if you have a group that is getting into pirating, my present group is
leaning that way, how do you handle it when the good guys are now the bad guys!
If you think this article is way off line let me know and I wont go off on a
tangent grasping at straws. Let me know what you think.]

I am in the process of writing an adventure for Digest Group
which deals with ship operations in the Old Expanses sector,
my old High Passage stomping ground, which is now under
Solmani control. I would like some opinions as to how difficult
it would be to operate a ship in the system without being
detected. Part of this is solved by having only a small occupation
force in the system (how convenient!), and certain areas (such as
the main world and gas giants) would be impossible to get near
without being detected. The question is how much of the system
is being watched. Is there a sort of equivalent to the current
air traffic control system? How easy would it be for the Solomani to
set up such a system? Any ideas?

=====================================

END OF DIGEST VOL.3

==============================================================================
TRADE AND COMMERCE DIGEST VOL.3       | ****This*SPACE*intentionally*left****
Greg Givler, Editor 		      |	*************************************
James Perkins, List Administrator     | ************FULL*OF*STARS************
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==============================================================================


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-------- TML Message #322 --------

Date: Mon, 24 Apr 89 13:05:52 -0500
From: uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!gslisa!gsliss!jcunning@tektronix
Subject: vegans
Archive-Message-Number: 322





See supplement 11, Library Data N-Z for more info on the Vegans. No character
generation is provided, but it will give you some background on them and
provides you with a couple of drawings of them. At one time Andy Keith was
going to be writing some stuff about them in a boxed module on how to
create your own minor race as well as background on minor races mentioned 
until that time (which was around 1983. Needless to say, the project was
never developed, and GDW dropped the boxed module format due to lack of
sales.






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-------- TML Message #323 --------

From: (Adrian Hurt) uunet.uu.net!mcvax!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian@tektronix
Subject: Vegans
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 89 9:48:44 BST
Archive-Message-Number: 323


givler@cbmvax.uucp writes:

>I have been running a campaign for about a year, off and on, in the Solomani
>Rim Sector. I have been avoiding the Vegan Autonomous Region, mainly because
>I dont have any info on the Vegans, aside from the sketchy info in the Sector
>book.

There is a little more information on the Vegans in the GDW supplement "Library
Data N-Z". It contains the same information as in the Sector book (I assume
that this is the GDW supplement "The Solomani Rim"), plus enough biological
stuff to give you the skill Vegan Medic-1. Having said that, I found the
"sketchy" info sufficient to allow human characters to wander around, although
I can't generate Vegan NPC's except by using human tables. Still, the Alien
Module character generation tables are virtually identical to the human ones.


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-------- TML Message #324 --------

Date: Wed, 26 Apr 89 13:50:59 -0500
From: uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!gslisa!gsliss!jcunning@tektronix
Subject: Megatraveller ships
Archive-Message-Number: 324




Does anyone out there feel that the Megatraveller ship design system
actually works? In the process of writing the adventure for Traveller's
Digest, I finally had to learn the new systems for design and combat.
I hate to say it, but I don't like them. Call me a relic from the
old Traveller days. I don't care. I think that a) the rules need to be
edited and text added to explain the design process and b) the added
complexity is not worth the added realism. I think that grafting on the
sensor rules onto High Guard and cleaning up the combat system would
have been a much better way to go. 

As a result of all this, I think that I will henceforth playtest the
adventure using old Traveller and then convert it into Megatraveller
for publication. Opinions?

By the way, has anyone out there converted the 200 ton Solomani patrol
frigate (or some such type) into Megatraveller from Alien Module 6?


				Jim Cunningham
				Traveller Relic





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-------- TML Message #325 --------

Date: Thu, 27 Apr 89 01:35:21 edt
From: (Greg Givler SUPPORT) givler@cbmvax.cbm.commodore.com
Subject: Re:  Vegans
Archive-Message-Number: 325



I want to thank those who replied to my plea for aid. Looks like I will have
to dig up supplement Library Data N-Z. BTW, if any one is interested in a
PC generation of Vegans, I will be working on one in the near future. If 
any of you have any ideas please dump them my way. 

Greg

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greg Givler                        Q-Link: Commodore
Telecommunications Coordinator     CompuServe: CBM/Support 76703,2047
Commodore Customer Support         INTERNET: givler@cbmvax.uucp
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The above opinions are usually mine, but sometimes I just repeat things.
==============================================================================

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-------- TML Message #326 --------

Date: Thu, 27 Apr 89 10:21:50 EDT
From: (Arturo Perez x3239) perez@qm7503.genrad.com
Subject: MegaTraveller Ship Design
Archive-Message-Number: 326


from UXC.CSO.UIUC.EDU::danilenk 
>Does anyone out there feel that the Megatraveller ship design system
>actually works? In the process of writing the adventure for Traveller's
>Digest, I finally had to learn the new systems for design and combat.
>I hate to say it, but I don't like them. Call me a relic from the
>old Traveller days. I don't care. I think that a) the rules need to be
>edited and text added to explain the design process 

I agree.  In order to create a large merchant ship I spent 2-3 days poring
over that information.  At the end, I got a useable ship but I find that
it has quirks in that I made it more powerful than any merchant ship has
any right to be.  Guidelines along "this constitutes a merchant", "this
constitutes a pirate corsair", "this is a blockade ship", etc would be
nice.

It would also be nice if, for interior design, there were some templates
for the engines, jump drives etc.

>and b) the added
>complexity is not worth the added realism. I think that grafting on the
>sensor rules onto High Guard and cleaning up the combat system would
>have been a much better way to go. 
>

Well, I don't mind the complexity as long as it isn't something you
have to do on the spur of the moment.  Imagine trying to do it while
adventuring :-)   I haven't tried the combat yet.  What is it like?

>As a result of all this, I think that I will henceforth playtest the
>adventure using old Traveller and then convert it into Megatraveller
>for publication. Opinions?

My gut feeling is that it will be painful.  I am currently running
"Murder on Acturus Station" as a MT adventure and it took too long
to map the Traveller descriptions, needed rolls, etc into MT tasks
and so forth.
>				Jim Cunningham
>				Traveller Relic

Arturo Perez


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-------- TML Message #327 --------

Date: Thu, 27 Apr 89 09:49:22 PDT
From: (Brad Post) c9c-aa@dorothy.berkeley.edu
Subject: PBM: Turn 11
Archive-Message-Number: 327




First off, I banged this turn out real quick.  I'm sorry for the typos, and
the format, I think it could be better.
But it's got lot's of excitement, so onto the turn.

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

Here is turn 11, it's short and to the point.

*******************************************************************************
				Notes
*******************************************************************************

1) Well I'm now only going to have 2 parts to the postings, a notes section
  and a move section, it's easier I think.

2) No one has mentioned what they wanted to do about the summer, except Mike, 
  please tell me, so I can figure out something.

3) Kurt missed this turn, so I made up his move.

*******************************************************************************
				Move
*******************************************************************************

	You all meet in the common room, the captain is looking a bit tired, and
suggests that everyone break for dinner.  You all then realize what time it is,
and comply.  Dan and Charlie come out for dinner too, and everyone discusses 
what you have all learned.
	"Yurl Hagard, hmmm, it's been a while since I've heard that name," says
the captain.
	"Do you think it's true?" asks Erekosse.
	"With all that's happen, I doubt it, whoever these chumps are, they've
aparently done their homework.  Yurl Hagard murdered my boss, Jan Morrison
the original owner of the Ulysses.  Yurl killed his wife, and we heard that he
was on Regina.  Jan was told that he could find a guy who knew where to find
Yurl in the Merc Hangout," says the captain.
	"Merc Hangout huh," says Erc,"tough place."
	"You bet," says Steve.
	"Never had the pleasure," responds Samantha.
	"Well anyway, Jan gets shot by a cop for carrying an illegal firearm,
and the ship was turned over to me.  It was in the news, so they could be just 
messing with our minds.  I thinks it's time to blow this thing so out of
control, we find out the real truth, eh," says the captain.
	"What do you plan to do," asks Dan.
	"It's more like we," says the captain, as he motions to all the people
at the table.  "First off, I'm going to tell Hubert, Moe, and Curly that I'm 
opening the crate.  Second, Erc and Steve will stay up here to guard them.  
Dan, Charlie and Samantha will try and get that crate open, with Erekosse 
watching them from a distance, just in case anything dangerous is in that crate.
And I will be both upstairs and down, just to watch and check up on you guys."
	"Sounds good to me," says Erekosse.
	"Great, when do we start?" asks Steve.
	"Tomorrow morning, after we tell them tonight.  I figure we let them 
think about it, and before our experts get to work, give them one last chance."
	"We'll get our stuff ready," says Charlie, and he and Dan leave the
table after putting their plates away.  The rest of you finish your meals and
the captain asks both Erc and Steve to come with him.  They enter Moe and 
Curly's stateroom, and leave a few minutes later, Moe and Curly can both be 
heard cussing.  They enter Huberts room and are out in the same amout of time.
	Steve says to the captain, "He was quite calm about that wasn't he?"
	"Yeah, too calm," says Erc.
	"Well then, we'll just open it and see," says the captain, a smile is 
forming on his lips.
	Dan and Charlie stay up late that night, with the captains permission, 
and assemble as much knowledge as they can on the type of lock that is on the
crate.  
	
	Samantha is the first one up, and she finds both Dan and Charlie asleep
on the G-cushions.  She makes some coffee, and offers it to them.  They both 
wake up grudgingly, accept the coffee, and say thanks.  They then excuse 
themselves and go take showers in their stateroom.
	The rest of you come out and find the captain and Erekosse and Samantha
eating breakfast.  The captain says to you all, "We're not going to ask them
again, I just want that crate open.  When Dan and Charlie finish eating, we're
doing it."
	Dan and Charlie come out, they are dressed in 'work' clothes.  They eat
and after they are done, gather their tools and follow Erekosse and Samantha
downstairs.  They get to the crate and ask Samantha if she could just pass them
tools.  She says, no problem and sets up things behind them.  They work at a 
slow pace, taking time, dismantling the pad, they point out to each other where
Erc had tampered with the pad, and if anything was broken.  They work for about
4 hours and stop.  Lunch is brought down by the captain, and everyone eats.
	The guys upstairs are having no problems whatsoever.  They eat lunch and
are fully alert to everything.  The captain is looking slightly nervous, as he
eats his lunch, he says it's nothing, but it's apparent to Steve and Erc that
something is bugging him.

	After lunch is done, Dan and Charlie say that they are almost ready to 
open the crate, they ask if Samantha could spare he hands, because they need
the extra set.  She complies, and they have her hold a set of wires, that they
have attached to the door of the crate, they say it will only open three-fourths
of the way and she should hold the wires to the door at all times.  They tell
Erekosse that they are ready to open the door, and he radios the captain.  They
count to three and the door slowly opens.  Samantha follows the door as it opens
and when it stops she notices the sound of breathing coming from inside the 
crate.  She pears inside, curiousity getting the best of her, and she sees a 
smiling face and hears a car backfire.
	Erekosse is startled for a second as he hears a gunshot and sees 
Samantha fly back and hit a crate.  Dan and Charlie hit the floor ....

	Upstairs the gunshot is heard and everyone is distracted for a split
second, just as they all turn back, they see Hubert's door opening and Moe and
Curly's too.  A desk comes out of Curly's room with Moe right behind, Hubert 
hits the floor, they all have guns.  Steve flips the dinner table over and 
manuevers a chair to help give cover.  Erc dives behind the table, and Captain
Moray gets behind a wall.  The firefight has begun ....

**********
Just when you thought you knew it all, huh.

Responses due by 5-8-89.

NOTE:  all materials are copyrighted, Brad Post circa 1989, any use of these 
materials without the author's consent are a felony.

********************************************************************************
    __-,                               ___ _________
 __(__)|___                    _______/   |________|          "This is where
`----------|_______________---/       `----_____|___           you are supposed
 (      ___+-----------------<---------_____________-----_  <------ to aim,
  `-----                      `-----------'      |  +---_/      right up their
                                            ____/__/___/_____      shaft!"
 Brad Post: bpost@violet.Berkeley.Edu      |   ======        ||
            ...ucbvax!violet!bpost         |_________________||

*******************************************************************************



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-------- TML Message #328 --------

Date: Thu, 27 Apr 89 02:23:59 edt
From: (Greg Givler SUPPORT) givler@cbmvax.cbm.commodore.com
Subject: Re:  Megatraveller ships
Archive-Message-Number: 328


>Does anyone out there feel that the Megatraveller ship design system
>actually works? 
>but I don't like them. Call me a relic from the
>old Traveller days. I don't care. I think that a) the rules need to be
>edited and text added to explain the design process and b) the added
>complexity is not worth the added realism. I think that grafting on the
>sensor rules onto High Guard and cleaning up the combat system would
>have been a much better way to go. 

I dont really care for MegaTraveller that much, although I like the task 
system to handle things that aren't in the rules I tend to use the 8+ die
roll modified by whatever it needs to modify it. I digress, sorry, back to
the original question, I dont really know if all the detail in MegaTraveller
is going to make me a better GM. All of a sudden just getting to jump point
takes 15 min. of game time. And how do you handle blown rolls?

My problem with the starship construction rules is that I was a Music
major in college, no a Science major. It takes a lot more math than I ever
want to get involved with voluntarily, to design a ship, and the erratta
doesn't exactly make life easier. I still get more of a charge of blowing
them up than in building them. 

	
>As a result of all this, I think that I will henceforth playtest the
>adventure using old Traveller and then convert it into Megatraveller
>for publication. Opinions?

I personally find old Traveller easier to GM for my style of play. But I 
do admit to not being a real detail oriented GM. I also, think I am to
nice to my players, I have trouble giving them trouble. Although they are in
for a surprise once they get back to their ship. :-D

Anyway I must apologize, seem to have veered far of course on this one, 
but how do you handle a bunch of adventurers that are about to enter a life 
of crime, and start pirating starships. Do you let them get themselves killed,
or do you let it lead where it may and the Devil be damned?

Greg
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greg Givler                        Q-Link: Commodore
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The above opinions are usually mine, but sometimes I just repeat things.
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-------- TML Message #329 --------

Date: Sat, 29 Apr 89 00:01 PST
From: ("Scott, part time fuzzy") SELLSWORTH%HMCVAX.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu
Subject: A few foulups
Archive-Message-Number: 329



  Call this letter a kind of mixed bag...

  1.  You folks working on system generation:I love it.  I have no real
contributions to add since James' programs do more than the ones I wrote for
my own use ever did.  I look forward to whatever you folks come up with.

  2.  I approve of the trade journal.  The only comment I have is related to
tech level.  There needs to be some alterations in how tech level works for
equipment availability and such.  See the rest of the post for general ideas.

  3.  Ship contruction is fatally flawed from a physics point of view.  I
realize that this is a role playing game, and so will not be perfect, but there
are some real bugs...

  First off, antimatter power plants should produce about a million times the
power that they do for a given amount of fuel.  I think fusion plants are off
by about five orders of magnitude.  I am not sure about the others.  I am
debating making the antimatter change, but I really do not want to start
mucking with the fusion rules.

  Second, nobody in thier right mind would want to put a disitegrator on a
small ship.

  Third, why on earth don't jump units get smaller or cheaper with tech level
rise?  Likewise for thrusters.  I somehow fail to believe that the technology
is perfect at TL 12.

  4.  Equipment rules are flawed in many of the same ways.  The econmic system
makes next to no sense.  Given that he wanted to create trade between various
tech levels, an unlikely proposition at best, he should have dealt with tech
level changes better.  I therefore propose the following ground rules for
technology.

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

  The typical credit referred to is the official currency of the Imperium,
backed by the TAS and the banking megacorporations.  This allows it to be a
good stable currency.  To convert to local currency, use the tables in Striker
or TCS.  I can type these in if needed.  Local currency _ONLY_ matters if one
wants to figure out how the standard of living relates to the standard of
living among the interstellar culture.  All transactions are usually carried
out in Imperial credits.

  Equipment will get cheaper by approx. 10% per tech level.  Thus, making a
TL 5 car at TL 9 should cost you .9^4 or 63% or the TL 9 cost.  Note that this
makes TL 12 merchant ships dirt cheap by TL 15.  Why are the space lanes not
full of these critters?  Because the TL 15 starport is swamped with offers to
build TL 15 craft at full price.

  Now, as TL rises, the functionality will increase by about 10-20% per tech
level.  In some cases, such as space technology or computers, the rise is much,
much more.  For these, I use about an order of magnitude for each 1-3 tech
levels depending on the effects I want to get out of the equipment.

  Finally, these two effects will compete, requiring me to replace the single
prices with a tech level matrix that give functionality and price at any given
tech level.

  Ilustrative example: The pocket computer.  It becomes available at TL 11

      TL
      |
Type--+--    1     1/bis     2     2/bis     3
      |
      11    1000
      12     900    1000
      13     810     900    1000
      14     720     810     900    1000
      15     630     720     810     900    1000


  Where type is the type of computer that it will duplicate.

  By the way, for ship computers, I allow a volume drop of about a factor of 2
or 3 per tech level.  Thus, at TL 15, one may have a big, expensive, power
hungry model 9, or a small, inexpensive model three that the ships engineer can
carry on his belt.

  As I said above, TL 15 starports are FAR to busy making mailitary and large
craft to make many free traders, thus the average free trader is about TL 12 or
so.  One can still run a free trader off a 1/bis, but it is not as tempting.


  Any comments, especially on fixes to the starship system in MT?

                             Scott
                             SELLSWORTH@HMCVAX
                             sellswor@jarthur.claremont.edu

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-------- TML Message #330 --------

Date: Sat, 29 Apr 89 13:21:27 -0500
From: christnp@thor.acc.stolaf.edu (Nick Christenson @ St. Olaf College)
Subject: Economics in the Trav/MT universe
Archive-Message-Number: 330



Scott Sellsworth (sellswor@jarthur.claremont.edu) raises some good point
in his article, but I think some are inaccurate.  I aim to provide counter-
examples on our planet.

First, he suggests that high tech levels wouldn't want to trade with low
tech levels.  This is simply not true.  The USA is probably two TL's higher
than several African nations which we are more than happy to trade with.
Low TL worlds provide: 1) cheap raw materials, and 2) cheap labor.  When 
a country gets a higher standard of living, the comparable cost one has
to pay people to work goes up.  Labor is dirt cheap in, say, Zaire but
expensive in the US.  It's even more expensive where the standard of living
is higher, like Beverly Hills.  A TL 15 fast food restaraunt with *live*
workers in it (rather than automation) would be incredibly expensive to
operate.

Also, he asks why don't TL 15 starports put out TL 12 ships which should
be a heckuva lot cheaper.  I don't know a good answer to this, but in the
"real world" I could ask why doesn't McDonnel/Douglass still make the 
DC 3?  I wold say for the same reason that merchant lines buy TL 15 rather
than TL 12 ships.  What the system doesn't explicitly say (but probably
should) is that if one has the money, the higher tech ship will almost
always provide a return on investment.  Part of this should be due to
the fact that as TL goes up, Jump Drive space and maybe fuel requirement
should go down.  Scott brings this up in his letter; a good point.

When dealing with complicated socio/economic questions I find the most
productive thing to do is to compare the Traveller situation with a similar
situation (if one exists) on Earth.  Last year's technology is usually
plentiful and cheap.  Earlier technology is usually not available.  Lower
tech worlds *will* have high tech equipment if they trade with High tech
worlds, but they can't produce it themselves.  People in "3rd world" 
countries can still have Corvette's, but the country doesn't have the
TL to produce them (or maintain them.)  

Hope this helps some people.  Let's keep up the good discussion on 
economics in the Trav/MT universe.

 


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-------- TML Message #331 --------

From: (Adrian Hurt) uunet.UU.NET!mcvax!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian@tektronix
Subject: MegaTraveller Ship Design
Date: Mon, 1 May 89 9:57:52 BST
Archive-Message-Number: 331



>I agree.  In order to create a large merchant ship I spent 2-3 days poring
>over that information.  At the end, I got a useable ship but I find that
>it has quirks in that I made it more powerful than any merchant ship has
>any right to be.  Guidelines along "this constitutes a merchant", "this
>constitutes a pirate corsair", "this is a blockade ship", etc would be
>nice.

I have to disagree. I tend to view the Traveller/MT universe as a star-faring
version of the 18th-19th century sailing era. During that time, merchants were
often as heavily armed as warships, although usually a bit bigger than warships
of similar armament due to their cargo holds. Pirate corsairs were simply
warships or merchant ships under new management. I always had a great
disrespect for the 400t Corsair, available to Pirates under the old "Citizens
of the Imperium" book. A distinctive corsair like that would be attacked at
once by any Navy ships in the area. Better to have a free trader with some
decent weapons, and perhaps an upgraded computer. The Vargr corsair is exempt
from the above as, unlike in the Imperium, corsairing is an acceptable way of
life for Vargr. Of course, such a ship entering Imperial space does so at its
own risk!

>I think that grafting on the sensor rules onto High Guard and cleaning up the
>combat system would have been a much better way to go. 

I thought that's what they've done. They've also added a set of miniature
movement rules, replacing the High Guard long/short range, which is a good
idea except that it's unrealistic. The best movement system I ever saw was
the "Mayday" game, which had markers for present, past and projected positions
for each ship and missile. This simulated the motion of spacecraft much better.
Try flying backwards or sideways in MegaTraveller! Of course, if you're using
a lot of ships, the simple High Guard system cuts out a lot of work.

 "Keyboard? How quaint!" - M. Scott

 Adrian Hurt			     |	JANET:  adrian@uk.ac.hw.cs
 UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian     |  ARPA:   adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk

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-------- End of TML Messages --------

