
-------- TML Message #518 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 518
From: (Bertil Jonell) bertil@ranko.cd.chalmers.se
Subject: Re: Amazing new ship design philosophy.
Date: Mon, 4 Sep 89 14:10:09 MET DST


In a posting Hans Rancke writes:
 
> [Talk about that fuel is enough to power ALL ships systems for 30days]  

> Now, that's not really a reasonable assumption, is it? Come to
> think about it, fuel consumption calculations also assume that
> the maneuver drive is going full blast for the entire 30 days.
> But traders  usually  spends 1 week of every 2  in jump space,
> where you can't use the maneuver drive,  and several days more
> on the ground or in orbit loading and unloading passengers and
> goods.  On an ordinary  landing and takeoff  a ship  with a 1G
> drive would use the drive for less than 20 hours (this assumes
> a word size of 10). A refueling run would take longer, but the
> ship would be getting more fuel at the same time! So actually,
> many traders freighters could make do with 1 day's maneuvering
> fuel.

There really is a precedent in this question, In the GDW boxed module
"Beltstrike" there is a table on fuelconsumption when going less than
maximum acceleration, (On the other hand, the same module also stated
that the manueverdrive made a forcefield (:^)) that protected the crew from
the hazardous cosmic radiation. In MegaT this is accompliced with lots
of shielding (This is the reason why all exo-atmospherical craft must
have a Armor of 40 or more)).

A resonable way of handling this is to compute the Kilolitres of H/hour/MW
and then use the maximum energyconsumption during an hour as the 
consumption for that hour. The systems that can be assumed to be operating
at all times are the environment, the computer, the controls & the sensors.
During jump only the environment and the computer needs power, When at normal
flight the drives (at normal Gee or less), the comp, the controls, the environ
and the sensors, And in combat: Everything (including agility).

This assumption also raises interesting questions regarding vehicle design.
One trick i've thought of (and used in a number of designs) is to power
weapons with a high energy demand from energy stored in zuruchai crystals
(jump-energy-sinks, see "Starship Operators Manual by DGP"), 

Take for example that you want to power an 100MW weapon with a ROF of 10, 
but the only Powerplant
that fits the hull only have 50MW to spare to such entertainment.
To solve the problem you install Z-crystals capable of storing 50MJ
(Mega Joule, measure of energy, if you have 1 joule you can power something
that demands 1 watt for one second) The storagecapacity of 13.5 kl of
z-crys os about 600MJ (deduced from MegaT & old HighGuard) so you
should install around 1-2 kl of crystals, The contraption will function
like this: Half the time the PP will load the z-crys with energy (50MJ) and
the other half of the time this energy and the 50MW that the PP outputs
this period combines to make 100MW for the weapon!
(The ROF will be halved to 5 because the weapon can't fire 50% of the time)

The biggest disadvantage is that z-crys can't store energy more than a couple
of minutes, Then they'll start to decompose and the energy will be released in
an uncontrolled form (heat mostly). 50MJ in close proximity is certainly
an health hazard :-) (A quick calculation gives that the energy released
is roughly compareble to 11kg (22lb) of TNT)

But, all in all, the old system of computing energy consumption *is* somewhat
oversimplifyed, and a more complex system could ease the burden on the
ship and vehicle designers.

>       Hans Rancke
> University of Copenhagen
>      rancke@diku.dk

- -- 
Bertil K K Jonell @ Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg
NET: bertil@cd.chalmers.se 
VOICE: +46 31 723971 / +46 300 61004     "Don`t worry,I`ve got Pilot-7"
SNAILMAIL: Box 154,S-43900 Onsala,SWEDEN      (Famous last words)      
"GOOD DEEL ON - SLIGHTLY USED CRANE" The Abyss

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-------- TML Message #519 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 519
Date: Mon, 4 Sep 89 19:01 EST
From: METLAY@vms.cis.pitt.edu
Subject: obnoxious munchkinlike background trivia question number 1846231



Can a non-Hiver join a Hiver Club?

Opinions welcome.

metlay

PS. There's a fellow in my newest campaign who rolled up a movie producer 
under the MegaTrav rules (yes, it can be done!) and who'd dealt with the Hivers
in his youth and had learned about the Manipulators' Club. So he sent a sealed 
Proposal to Glea and then made a documentary on an unstable political system
in the Solomani Rim on a relatively little-visited world, ostensibly to make
the Imperial public aware of the problem but actually to pique the interest 
of a rival megacorporation, who upon seeing his film decided to turn a profit
on the current situation and who sent a good-sized army there. Years later, 
the political mess reached the Imperium's ears and the film was used as 
evidence in the trial of the megacorp VP who'd ordered the action, who just
happened to be the fellow who'd gotten the character fired twenty years ago
and embittered him against life in general! So to embarrass this ex-boss, my
player had started a small war, toppled a government or two, and gotten a lot
of people killed. And now he's waiting to hear from Glea as to whether or not
he's been accepted into the Manipulators' Club.

I'm tempted to give it to him; he really did have it all worked out.

|->


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-------- TML Message #520 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 520
Date: Mon, 4 Sep 89 19:26:44 EDT
From: (wilson m liaw) macgyver@cis.ohio-state.edu
Subject: Supplment


Category 11,  Topic 7
Message 24        Thu Aug 31, 1989
T.MCINNES2                   at 17:14 PDT

If this upload goes properly, here is as supplement to COACC (actually, it's a
COACC outtake) on special weapons-- that's chemical and nuclear, folks. This
has been submitted for publication in Challenge and may show up there.  Here
goes... Special Weapons for COACC COACC includes a wide variety of
conventional air to ground  weapons for use by tactical aircraft.  However,
tactical and strategic  aircraft also have a wide variety of special weapons--
chemical and  nuclear-- available to them for a number of purposes ranging
from  tactical air support to city and planet-busting. These expanded COACC
rules add special weapons to  MegaTraveller campaigns for situations where
characters are involved in wide-open  warfare and need these weapons to arm
both tactical and strategic  aircraft. Special Weapons Special Weapons include
chemical weapons and nuclear weapons.   They are special because of their mass
destructiveness and because  their possession and use were illegal under the
Imperial Rules of  War.  Now, however, the power of the Imperium has declined
and as  the Rebellion spreads, these deadliest of weapons are coming into
increasing use.
    Chemical Bombs
 Size  Penetration   Damage  Danger     Price

 250 kg  0  Special 30          CR1000
  Chemical Bombs Chemical bombs are filled with either persistent or non-
persistent  chemical agents and a small bursting charge.  Each exploding  bomb
 forms a gas cloud covering approximately 30 meters in diameter.  Chemical
bombs are aimed and dropped with the same DMs to hit a  designated area as low-
drag HE bombs.   Non-persistent agents are released in the form of a gas or
light vapor.   They only affect the designated target area in which the gas
cloud is  physically present, and the  gas cloud drifts with the wind.  Non-
persistent agents dissipate after 3D minutes.  The exact direction and  rate
of draft should be determined randomly by the referee.  Non- persistent agents
cause damage through inhalation. Persistent agents are released in the form of
a heavier vapor, and  contaminate everything they touch.  The initial gas
cloud forms during  the first combat round and a cloud of the same size forms
immediately  down wind on the second combat round.  The area covered by the
clouds remains contaminated until decontamination teams are able to
counteract and clean up the chemical agent.  Persistent agents cause  damage
through inhalation and skin absorption. Chemical Weapons Effects Chemical
weapons are non-lethal or lethal.  Individuals affected by  non-lethal weapons
suffer one wound point per round until they are  unconscious.  Individuals
affected by lethal weapons suffer six wound  points per round until they are
dead. Individuals wearing combat environment suits, vacc suits, combat  armor,
or battle dress or aboard vehicles that are sealed or equipped  with
overpressure systems are not affected by gas weapons.   Individuals with
protective masks who are able to don them before  losing consciousness become
immune to non-persistent chemical  agents.  They require a sealed protective
body suit and mask for  immunity to persistent agents which are absorbed by
the skin. Nuclear Weapons Nuclear weapons are special in more than one sense,
in addition to  being destructive, they are very expensive.  On the average,
they cost  one Megacredit per kiloton of yield.   Crude fission bombs yielding
approximately 20 kilotons become  available at TL6.  However, their bulk and
weight prohibit their  delivery by all but the largest strategic bombers.
They are almost  custom-built weapons and need to be manually armed in flight,
with  the nuclear explosive inserted into the chemical explosive implosion
lenses just before the weapon is dropped. Fission bomb weights drop
dramatically at TL 7 as more powerful  chemical explosives and miniaturized
chain-reaction initiators result  in lighter, more compact, and manageable
bombs.  Nuclear bombs  become light enough to be carried by many fighter and
attack aircraft.   By late TL7, variable yield bombs are designed that accept
several  different nuclear cores with different yields.  Also by late TL7,
"sealed  pit" weapons are developed, bombs with stable nuclear cores  imbedded
in their chemical explosive lenses.  These are treated like  rounds of
ammunition with no special handling other than high  security storage. Fusion
bombs appear in early TL7 with yields eventually reaching  more than 50
megatons.  Early fusion bombs are massive devices  with thick casings needed
to contain the reaction of the fission trigger  long enough to ignite the
fusion fuel.  Techniques such as boosting  the primary fission trigger with
tritium (H3) and the use of solid lithium  rather than liquid hydrogen
isotopes as a fusion fuel result in smaller,  more efficient bombs and missile
warheads as technology advances. At TL8, "dial-a-yield" tactical nuclear
weapons become available.   These light-weight bombs have their yields set by
the aircraft pilot just  before drop.  A cockpit control meters the amount of
tritium injected  into the nuclear core of this boosted fission weapon.  As
the fission  explosives detonate, they ignite a fusion reaction in the
tritium.   Therefore, the more tritium injected into the nuclear core, the
higher  the yield of the combined fission-fusion explosion.  Typical "dial-a-
yield" bombs weigh 350 kg and yield from 100 kilotons to 1 megaton,  with
selectable yields available in 100 kiloton increments. Enhanced radiation
weapons also appear at TL8.  These yield a  minimum of blast and a massive
burst of neutrons.  They are  designed to inflict a maximum number of
personnel casualties while  minimizing physical damage to the target.
Enhanced radiation  weapons are useful for killing enemy troops in urban areas
while  keeping the destruction of buildings to a minimum.  They are also
highly effective in killing armored vehicle crews while leaving the  vehicles
intact because of the penetrating power of the neutron burst. Weapon sizes
decrease and yields increase as fission and fusion  efficiency becomes higher
with advancing technology.  TL9 tactical  weapons are half the weight and
twice the yield of TL8 bombs as all  components become increasingly
miniaturized. By TL10, the major tactical weapons are miniaturized enhanced
radiation and focused blast bombs.  The former perform much like  their TL8
counterparts, however, their size has been reduced to 50  kilograms. Focused
blast weapons are essentially the nuclear equivalent of  shaped charge weapons
created with advanced tamping technology.   Approximately 70 percent of the
weapon's blast effect is focused into  a 30-degree cone with its axis parallel
to the bomb's direction of  travel.  These are used to destroy heavily
fortified installations such as  bunker complexes, or against targets
requiring pin-point accuracy  such as dams and bridges, or specific buildings
within a city where a  conventional explosive would be insufficient.  Focused
blast weapons  are available as gravity bombs or as 50-kilogram missile
warheads.   Lighter, more advanced versions are fitted as warheads on standard
 starship missiles. At higher tech levels, tactical bombs are replaced by
drone-fired   collapsing californium missile warheads.   Meson guns eventually
 replace all strategic nuclear bombs except for the highest yielding- planet
busting anti-matter bombs in the 1,000 megaton + range that  become available
at TL 15. Using Nuclear Bombs Tactical nuclear bombs are usually dropped from
low altitude using  one of two methods: Toss Bombing--  The pilot approaches
the target at low altitude and at  a high rate of speed.  During a sharp pull-
up into a vertical climb, the  bomb is released at the proper angle to toss it
at its target in a ballistic  arc.  The pilot reverses course at the top of
the climb and dives back  to low altitude for his escape.  Pilots try to pick
a release point behind  terrain such as a range of hills that will shield them
from the blast as  they make their escape.  Bomb fuses are usually set for air
burst or  ground burst for a tactical toss bombing. Task: To successfully toss-
bomb a target with a nuclear bomb.
 Difficult, Aircraft and Gunnery (Instant, Fateful)
 Referee:  Add aircraft computer level as positive DM.
       +1 DM with Heads Up Display. Laydown Bombing-- This is a low altitude,
high speed tactic using   nuclear bombs equipped with parachute packs.  The
parachute slows  the bomb sufficiently so the aircraft has time to escape
before  detonation.  Bombs may be fused for ground burst or for delayed
detonation. Task:  To successfully make a laydown attack with a nuclear bomb.
 Difficult, Gunnery, Dex (Instant, Fateful)
 Referee:  Add aircraft computer level as positive DM. Nuclear Weapons Effects
The Nuclear Effects Table indicates the effect radius in meters from  ground
zero of several different effects, with different listings for  ground bursts
and air bursts. 1. Crater--  Only ground bursts produce craters.  No
individuals  may enter craters because of extreme radiation levels.  All
targets are  destroyed within craters. 2. Primary Blast Radius-- All
targets within the inner half of the  primary blast radius are destroyed.  All
targets within the outer half are  hit with a penetration of 60 and a damage
rating of 60. 3. Secondary Blast Radius-- All targets in the secondary blast
radius are hit with a penetration of 20 and a damage rating of 20. 4.
Tertiary Blast Radius-- All individuals within the tertiary blast  radius must
roll the following task:
 Task:  To avoid sustaining blast damage
        Difficult, Survival, End (Instant, Fateful)

        Referee:  Individuals under cover receive a DM of +2. 5. Induced
Radiation-- The tertiary blast radius and everything  inside it is
contaminated with induced radiation for 30 minutes after  bomb detonation.
After 30 minutes the area is reduced to that listed  as Induced Radiation.
Unprotected individuals may not enter a  contaminated area.  If they are in
the area, they must leave within 30  minutes or suffer a serious wound with
two characteristics reduced to  zero. Nuclear Effects Table Yield Crater
Induced   Primary Secondary Tertiary 1 40  40
30/60 210/240 420/420 5 50  80       150/120 480/420
660/600 10 60  90       180/120 540/480 720/660 20 60
100       300/240 540/480 900/720 50 70  120       420/300
750/600 1200/900 100 100  140       480/420 750/600 1260/1080 250
200  430       540/500 2310/1560 4430/2900 500 250  530
650/570 3320/2240 6300/4200 1MT 300  650       750/680
3660/2500 7000/4600 5MT 500  1000      1000/990 6200/4200
12000/7900 10MT 600  1300     1340/12507900/5300 15000/9900 25MT 800
1700    1820/1700 11000/7200 20500/13500 1kMT 2400  5150
6220/580024700/3700070340/46000 ________ Yield - in kilotons unless indicated
as megatons (MT) Crater, Induced = radius in meters Primary, Secondary,
Tertiary = air burst/ground burst in meters. Nuclear Weapons Tech Level  Yield
Weight Price Notes TL6  20kt 5000 kg MCr 20 Crude fission bomb,
must be armed in flight. TL7   9mt 4500 kg MCr 9000 Strategic fusion
bomb. TL7   10-70k   850 kg      MCr 75 Tactical weapon, yield depends
on nuclear core manually inserted in  weapon before takeoff. TL7 20mt 20000
kg MCr 20000 Massive strategic fusion bomb, a "city-buster." TL7   1mt 1000
kg MCr 1000 Light nough for tactical aircraft, enough yield to use as
strategic  weapon.  "Sealed Pit" weapon designed for long storage and "off the
 shelf" use. TL8 10kt 250 kg MCr 10 Low blast, enhanced radiation weapon
designed to sterilize enemy  installations and cities with relatively little
physical destruction.   Damage is reduced to 1/3 values given for secondary
and tertiary  radius.  All individuals are immediately killed by radiation
within  tertiary blast radius.  Air-to-ground tactical missile warhead also
available with these characteristics. TL8  100kt-1mt 350 kg  MCr
1000 "Dial-a-Yield" with 10 variable yield settings in 100 kt increments
selected by the pilot while in flight. TL8 2mt 1200 kg MCr 2000 Light
weight bomb designed for  tactical or strategic aircraft.  May be
adapted for use as ballistic missile warhead. TL9    1kt-1mt  250 kg MCr
1000 "Flexi-bomb" similar to "Dial-a-Yield" in operation with an almost
infinite selection of yields available in 1kt increments. TL10 10kt 50 kg
MCr 10 Low blast, enhanced radiation weapon. Also available as air-to- ground
tactical missile warhead. TL10 10kt 50 kg  MCr 10 Focused blast weapon,
the nuclear analog of a shaped charge.   Approximately 70% of the blast is
focused in a 30-degree cone with  its major axis parallel to the weapon's
direction of travel.  Cratering  and blast effects appear as an oval footprint
beginning at  thedetonation point, extending 15 degrees to each side of the
weapon's flight axis, and out to 70 per cent of the listed distances in  the
10kt entry of the Nuclear Effects Table.  Outside the cone, blast  and
radiation  effects extend 30 percent of the listed distance  from the
detonation point.  Available as gravity bomb and air-to- ground tactical
missile warhead. TL15  1000mt (1gigaton)1000 kg MCr100000000 Anti-matter bomb
capable of destroying a region nearly 200  kilometers in diameter. Burrowing
versions can destroy a size "1"  planet by destabilizing its core.   Larger
weapons in the "planet  cracker" series are rated by the size number and
equivalent gigaton  yield -- up to 10-- of the planets they can destroy.  Any
weapon of this  size must be delivered by missile or drone spacecraft. Sorry
the tables got screwed up.  Will try to upload them again later. Enjoy, Terry

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-------- TML Message #521 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 521
Subject: PLEASE READ - Address change
Date: 05 Sep 89 00:24:25 PDT (Tue)
From: jamesp



Hi all,

Those of you who are extra astute (and caught up on your TML mail) will
have already noticed the change...

The Traveller Mailing List has moved to a different e-mail address.
Instead of dadla.la.tek.com, it is now dadla.wr.tek.com.

	If you want to:				Send to:
	------------------------------	---------------------------------
	Send a submission to everyone	traveller@dadla.wr.tek.com
	on the list.
	Send a message to the list	traveller-request@dadla.wr.tek.com
	administrator (me).
	Send personal mail to me.	jamesp@dadla.wr.tek.com

The UUCP version of the above:

	uunet!dadla.wr.tek.com!traveller
	uunet!dadla.wr.tek.com!traveller-request
	uunet!dadla.wr.tek.com!jamesp

The old mail address should continue to work for some time (a few
months), but please make it a point to use the new form.

James

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Tektronix Digital Systems Division	     "Load Auto/Evade, Beowulf!"
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-------- TML Message #522 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 522
Subject: Questions re. world builder's handbook
Date: Mon, 4 Sep 89 17:21:13 EDT
From: (Jonathan Bayer) jbayer@ispi.COM


Greetings fellow travellers.

While programming the population related details of the World Builders
Handbook, I have come across two minor problems.  It occurs on page 
74, step 6.  To quote:

	If a world has a type A, B, or C atmosphere, no native life, and
	its tech level is 9+, then roll 3D-3.  If this roll is less
	than or equal to the world's population digit, then techlevel - 6 
	of the population is in permanent orbit.

	if the above is not true, then determine the number and size of
	orbital cities as below:


Now, this seems to contradict itself.  It seems to state that if there
is not techlevel - 6 of the population in orbit, then you are to
determine the number and size of the orbital cities.  Any comments?


Also, a couple of paragraphs later, the following problem shows itself. 
Again, to quote the book:

	For class B starports, there must be 
	at one orbital city (of at least tertiary
	size) no matter how many class B star-
	ports are on the ground.

I believe that this should read as follows:

	For class B starports, there must be 
	only one orbital city (of at least tertiary
	^^^^
	size) no matter how many class B star-
	ports are on the ground.


Again, any comments?


Finally, there is no mention of adding orbital cities if the world has a
normal atmosphere.  I can imagine several situations where a normal
world will have orbital cities.  Are there major reasons that the
current system does not allow this?


JB
- -- 
Jonathan Bayer		Intelligent Software Products, Inc.
(201) 245-5922		500 Oakwood Ave.
jbayer@ispi.COM		Roselle Park, NJ   07204    


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-------- TML Message #523 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 523
Subject: Phone # of Digest Group & GDW
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 89 13:42:53 EDT
From: (Jonathan Bayer) jbayer@ispi.COM


Greetings, 

I am looking for the phone numbers for Digest Group, and Game Designers'
Workshop.  When I tried information for DG in Boise, ID, they said that
there was no listing.

Anybody have the phone #s?


JB
- -- 
Jonathan Bayer		Intelligent Software Products, Inc.
(201) 245-5922		500 Oakwood Ave.
jbayer@ispi.COM		Roselle Park, NJ   07204    


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-------- TML Message #524 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 524
Date: Wed, 6 Sep 89 12:03:58 EDT
From: (Greg Givler - QA) givler@cbmvax.commodore.COM
Subject: TRADE & COMMERCE DIGEST VOL. 7



  ***************************************************************************
  ** 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    **
  ** in this digest. Thanks, Greg Givler <givler@cbmvax.cbm.commodore.com> **
  ***************************************************************************

Contents:

1. Letter from the Editor
2. Tech Level Ruminations by Dan Williams

1. Letter from the Editor

I am in the process of presenting a Trade and Commerce System based on the
excellent articles submitted in earlier digests. I will have the first part
available in about one week. After which I will try to follow up with another
part every week. I will welcome input on all parts so that we as a 
group can establish a Trade and Commerce System that we all find useful.
In the mean time take a look at Dan Williams article it sheds some light on 
the subject of tech level and what exactly does it mean.

**********************************
2. From: salt!china!dan@uunet.uu.net (Dan Williams)
Subject: Re:  Tech Level Ruminations 

Hi I am new to the list also, but I though I might try to add something.
In the computer game star-saga the economic model is for inner worlds to 
be high tech while the outer worlds are seperated and low tech areas with 
a scattering of really advanced technology in spots.  The play continues 
with players taking cheap high tech goods to low tech worlds to trade for 
materials, and taking the raw materials back to the high tech worlds to use
to buy more expensive high tech gadgetry for trade or use by the player.
This is a more normal means of exploitation of cheap low tech labor by high
tech worlds.  Normally there is a need to gear up to a new technology before
it can be utilized by a people.  The tools just aren't there to be able to
support high tech industry.  So if a high tech level N factory was planted 
on a low tech level N-3 world and your tech level N Framistat defiburalated
what is the factory to do?  Stop production while a quick messenger fetches 
the necessary part?  Most Businesses can not afford to do this!  
	Of course with enough incentive a business or organization can 
develop the required infrastructure to support itself.  Maybe with goverment 
assistance.  If the raw materials are at the location and it is to costly or 
inconvinient to transport them, and the labor is cheap and plentiful, and the 
goverment will give us a loan for providing "aid" to the locals, then it may
make sense to build training facilities, support bussinesses, public service 
industries, or what ever else you could need to suport yourself.  I would 
expect to find stratification of locals and imported highly trained personnel
happening quickly.  Slums and resentment, ect.  Think of South Africa today 
and how it started.  An extreame example but History does repeat itself.  
If you want a better example think about how the US installed industry in 
Japan, and how Japan has grown to the power it is today from the wreck it 
was after the war. 
	So if you intend to seed a high tech industry on a low tech world you
need to take account of the infra-structure, why the industry is here, 
(labor costs, transport costs, necessity, etc.) how are the natives 
used/treated, and whats in it for the bottom line.
	Comments, observations, or flames encouraged.
Dan Williams

==============================================================================
TRADE AND COMMERCE DIGEST             | ****This*SPACE*intentionally*left****
Greg Givler, Editor                   | *************************************
James Perkins, List Administrator     | ************FULL*OF*STARS************
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Send replies to: givler@cbmvax.uucp or givler@cbmvax.cbm.commodore.com
==============================================================================


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-------- TML Message #525 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 525
Date: Wed, 6 Sep 89 10:54:10 -0500
From: wrgate.wr.tek.com!uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!zephyr.ENS.TEK.COM!gslisa!gsliss!jcunning@tektronix.TEK.COM
Subject: phone no.





GDW's phone number is 309-452-3632 (which is also the combination
to the safe in Research Station Gamma). Digest Group's escapes me 
at the moment, but if you check the back cover of any of their
products or the masthead of Travellers Digest I'm sure you'll
find it. Also remember that the DG folks have daytime jobs when you
are deciding when to call them.

While I`m at it here, is there anyone out there who has any
background in enviornmental topics like pollution, the greenhouse
effect, etc.? I have an idea for an adventure which would require
some background of this type which I lack detiled knowledge of.



			Jim Cunningham
			Traveller Relic



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-------- TML Message #526 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 526
Subject: More typos, and a request for info (UWPs)
Date: Wed, 6 Sep 89 12:59:18 EDT
From: (Jonathan Bayer) jbayer@ispi.COM


Greetings, fellow travellers.


I bring you more typos in the World Builder's Handbook. :-(


When calculating Technology Related Details, the same error occurs in
two different places.

On page 83, section 4a, Computer/Robotics TL limits.  Also, on page 84,
section 5a, Communications TL limits.  To quote:

	Lower limit: Upper limit / 3 (drop fractions)

It then gives an example:

	A world has an energy upper limit of 14.  The .............
	limits are 14 and 11.

Now, instead of the / they are using the divide symbol, (which is very
confusing with a plus sign, but that is another problem).  I believe
that it should read:

	Lower limit: Upper limit - 3

because they reference these examples several times using the range of 14
and 11.




On a brighter note, I need some input.  Specifically, I need some UWP to
test my program (almost done).

I have created a simple questionaire below.  Enter the information
requested after the colon, and then mail the whole thing to me.  I have
a simple program which will strip out the unnecessary text.  Please do
not delete the question text as I may need it to figure out what is
going on.  I will post interesting (and reasonable) results to the list.

Finally, I still need the phone # for DG.  I got it for GDW.


JB

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
World name:
Hex location:
Star size:
Star type:
Orbiting a central planet (y/n):

(if yes to the above then answer the following three questions,
 otherwise delete them)

Central planet's diameter (km):
Satellite's orbit diameter (in diameters):
Central planet mass:

Orbit # (if not in a habitable orbit):

(repeat the following two lines as necessary)

Satellite diameter:
Satellite orbit:

Number of stars in this system:

(repeat the following three lines as necessare)

Companion size:
Companion type:
Orbit companion is in (0 for near, 99 for far):

(Now is the standard UWP information)

Starport type:
Size:
Atmosphere:
Hydrosphere:
Population:
Government:
Law level:
Tech level:
Bases:
Trade classes:
Travel zone:
Population multiple:
Planetoid belts:
Gas giants:
Allegiance:

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


- -- 
Jonathan Bayer		Intelligent Software Products, Inc.
(201) 245-5922		500 Oakwood Ave.
jbayer@ispi.COM		Roselle Park, NJ   07204    


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-------- TML Message #527 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 527
Date: Wed, 6 Sep 89 18:11 EST
From: METLAY@vms.cis.pitt.edu
Subject: the Manipulator's Club



To Steven Fellows, and anyone else who isn't as fanatical about their 
history lessons as yours truly:

The Manipulators' Club is the most popular Club in the Hive Federation, 
although it's also one of the hardest to join. The concept of Manipulation,
and the rules of the Club, are explained in the Alien Module HIVERS.

Shall I go into more detail for the List, or will that be sufficient?

metlay

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-------- TML Message #528 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 528
Subject: Law Related details
Date: Wed, 6 Sep 89 22:04:22 EDT
From: (Jonathan Bayer) jbayer@ispi.COM


Greetings fellow travellers (its me again).


I have a question which I would like to see a little discussion on.

In the World Builder's Handbook it discusses and creates the law
related details.  Frankly, I was a little bit disappointed at this
section since it only has two steps, and the steps are a bit
simplistic.  Anyway, it talks about the uniformity of law, and legal
profile for the entire planet.  Now, when the entire planet is under
one government that makes sense.  However, if the planet is balkanized
and under several different governments, it seems to make sense to me
that the law details should be generated for each government.  Does
anybody have any reasons this should not be (other than the excessive
detail)? 



JB
- -- 
Jonathan Bayer		Intelligent Software Products, Inc.
(201) 245-5922		500 Oakwood Ave.
jbayer@ispi.COM		Roselle Park, NJ   07204    


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-------- TML Message #529 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 529
Date: Thu, 7 Sep 89 17:57 EST
From: METLAY@vms.cis.pitt.edu
Subject: Traveller Universe History and Background


[I have removed a name to protect the guilty, where there is a [*] -- James]

To the List in general:

A lot of people seem to be interested in bits and pieces of Triveller travia, 
uh, Trivialler tra-- oh, the hell with it. Anyway, if the List needs an 
unofficial historian (or, James, an official one), I'll be glad to fill the 
gap: I've got access to everything GDW ever put out on the Traveller->MegaT
universe, and almost everything Digest Group has done. There may be people 
with better connections for certain things than I (hi, [*]), but for
historical data and info on the Universe, I'd be glad to work as a resource.

When I say "historian," I mean historian, of the universe and of developments 
in the game, and not (even if people would listen to me, which I doubt) a 
rules arbiter. If you want to know why people laugh when you say you've gotten
a perfect-condition first printing of HIGH GUARD, or why Cymbeline's a
hacker's heaven, or whether Hivers have a sense of humor, or who Ek is, or how 
many babies a Vargr mother tends to have in a litter, or even the lowdown on 
who is credited with the discovery that you could have a viable 2G, Jump-2 
ship with a 200 ton hull (and hence invented the Far Trader by accident), I
can answer you gladly. But I will not render judgements on how ANY actual game
rules are supposed to work, as my policy since discovering my first rules
glitch in the original Book 2 in 1978 has been, "Talk fast, wing it, and if
anyone tries to quote the rules at you, kick their character out an airlock,"
which is great for argument-free play sessions but lousy for being able to
quote chapter and verse on tables of data. 

I should warn folks that my database, while huge, is incomplete: I own by no
means all of the stuff belonging to groups other than GDW and DGP, and am
missing several issues of the better-known fanzines. (I need information
contained in Travellers' Digest Numbers 5-7, for example.) And last but not
least, my research schedule forces me to leave my terminal for weeks at a
time, so there may be backlog on occasion. But I'll try to notify James and/or
the List in such cases. 

My memory is excellent but by no means perfect, so I may amend answers to
questions after I've had an opportunity to check the hundred-plus-volume
Metlay Traveller Library. And if I get something wrong, I'm open to being 
corrected, but flame me at your peril: the last person to flame me was named 
Jim Morrison. And before that it was Elvis, and before that, Jimmy Hoffa.

What do y'all think?

expectantly,

******
metlay				| "What'd you hit him for, Hug?" "I asked him
******				| what the wallet was made of, and he said,
metlay@pittvms.BITNET		| `Hide, the cow's outside.' Imagine his nerve,
metlay@vms.cis.pitt.EDU		| suggesting an Aslan is afraid of a cow!" |->



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