
-------- TML Message #646 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 646
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 89 06:11:28 EDT
From: (wilson m liaw) macgyver@cis.ohio-state.edu


A
aggressiveness 55, 75
air/raft 7, 45, 46, 48
albedo 4
alien races, see sentients
survey, analysis 7
Ancients 9, 15, 16
archeology 16
archipelagoes 88
Aslan 15
Assiniboia 53
asteroids, see planetoids 
atmosphere-related details 53, 64-68
atmospheres
    common gas mixes 54
    composition 53, 64
    corrosive 40, 53, 54
    gaming effects 93
    exotic 54
    exotic irritant 54
    insidious 54
    surface pressure 55, 64
    surface temp 54, 55
authority, government 78, 79
axial tilt 52, 55, 63, 66

B
balkinized worlds 78
base surface temperature 55
base temperature 65
belt zones 53
binary stars 67
binoculars, image convertor 21
binoculars, PRIS 22
biological activity 24
bioscanner (sniffer) 24
bridge crew 5
bureaucracy 3

C
carbonaceous zone (c-zone) 53
cargo, transport of 25
character generation note 33
chemical analysis (sniffer) 7
cities 55, 89
    large 72
    medium large 73
    moderate-sized 73
    orbital 55, 74
    primary 74
    secondary 74
    small 73
    tertiary 74
    very large 72
    very small 73
Cleon (emperor) 9, 13
communications office, emblem 7
communicator, commdots 30
communicator, handheld 29
communicator, remote earpiece 31
contact and liaison branch 6
continents 70, 87
Corridor 0806 (Antiquity) 15
cultures 2, 6, 7, 16, 95
customs 16, 75-77

D
data display headset 33
day, effects 66
Deneb 2713 (Wal-ta-ka) 12
densitometer 2, 4, 5, 11
densitometer, handheld 19
density 11, 52, 60
deserts 89
diagnosis, injury and sickness 23
diameter 60
die rolling conventions 1
Donosev 1, 3, 5, 45, 48
    plans 50-51
dressing habits 75
Droyne 15
Dulinor 5

E
eating habits 76
EMS array 4, 5
    active 10
    passive 10
energy absorption 65
English (Anglic) 15
executive branch 56
exotic atms 53
exploration 1
    emblem 7
    forming a party 7
    missions 6
    Scout office 2, 6
extensiveness 56, 75

F
family practices 76
fauna 2, 6
fines (for crimes) 94
First Imperium 9, 15
First Grand Survey 48
floater 25
flora 2, 6
forests 89

G
g-carrier 46-48
g-tube 43, 46
Galanglic 9, 15
gamma, definition 11
gas giants 2, 4, 53, 60
    atmosphere 53
    brown dwarfs 53
    composition 53
    size 53
government examples 57
government types 8, 56
government-related details 56, 78-81
governments, game effects 92, 95
grav bike 44, 46
grav belt 42
gravity 52, 60
gravity, artificial 11
Gvurrdon Sector 15
gyrocompass 26

H
heat/IR, definition 10
high-energy source 11
Hiver 15
holo pit 5
holorecorder 7
hydrosphere 87
    composition 69
    percentage 69, 88
hydrosphere-related details 69-71

I
icecaps 4
Imperial citizen, definition 13
Imperial culture 9, 16
Imperial grand survey (see survey office) 
Imperial law 94
Imperial standard time 27
Imperial, military 3
insidious atmosphere 40, 53
interpolation 52
Interstellar Development Service 5
iron-nickel zone (n-zone) 53
islands 88
J
judicial branch 56
jungle 89
Jupiter 53

K
K'kree 15

L
ladar 10
landing parties 2, 3, 6
    collecting samples 4, 7
    contact procedures 7, 8
    decontamination 4, 7
    survival of 7
language 2
    history of 15
    translating 15
    translator 28
lasercom relay 32
law levels 8, 57, 95
law-related details 57, 82
    law enforcement 94
    understanding 94
    uniformity of 57, 82
lead surveyor 5, 6, 48
legal profile 82
legislative branch 56
liaison 8
lifeforms 2, 20
    android 13
    clone 13
    contact with 6
    cyborg 13
    intelligent 7, 11
    taking specimens 3, 7
light, definition 11
linguistics 8
Lishun 0621 (Kaiid) 12
living quarters 76
Lucan 5

M
m-radar 10
magnetic field 4, 26
major bodies 4
map grid 87
Margaret 5
mass 52, 60
med scanner 23
memory copies 13
military bases 92
mission control station 5
mixed zone (m-zone) 53
molecular analysis 24
Mora 57
mountains 89
movement, game effects 93
multichonometer 27
multiple star systems 55, 67

N
native life 54, 68
navigation equipment 26
navigational charts 2, 6, 7
navigator 6, 48
neural activity readings 11
neural activity sensor 2, 4, 7, 11, 20
neutrino sensor 2, 4, 5, 11
night, effects 66, 67
nobles 9
Norris 5

O
oceans 70, 87, 88
orbital distance 62
orbital eccentricity 52, 55, 63, 65
orbital factor 64
orbital period 52, 62
orbital zones 52

P
Paulo III (emperor) 13
pilot 6, 48
planetary defenses 96
planetographer's checklist 2-4
planetoid belt 4, 52, 61
    belt zones 61
    carbonaceous bodies 52
    cartography 61
    icy bodies 53
    nickel-iron bodies 52
    notation 61
    stony bodies 52
    types of 52
PLSS A 35
PLSS B 36
PLSS C 37
population 8, 92
population-related details 55, 72-77
practicing group 77
probes 2, 49
progressiveness 55, 74
psionic helmet 11, 20
psionics 13, 14
Published Traveller universe 5
punishment for crimes 94

R
radar 10
radiation belts 4
radio 4, 12
    long-wave 10
    microwave 10
    short-wave 10
Regina 57, 87, 88, 91
religion 56
religious profile 56, 78, 79
representative government authority 78
resources 71
    information 71
    manufactured goods 71
    natural 71
    processed 71
ring systems 53
ro'bolla worm (animal) 13
roads 90
robots 13
rotation luminosity factor 66
rotation period 62
rouppa (animal) 13
Rule of Man 15

S
satellites 62
Scouts 3, 6, 7
seasons 55
Second survey 48
seismic quakes 96
seismic stress 52, 63
sensors 1
    active 3, 4, 10
    doing a pinpoint 10
    doing a scan 10
    locating objects 10
    locating sources 10
    masking emissions 10
    object 19
    operation 46
    passive 3, 4, 10
    ranged 10
    readout panel 18
    sources 21, 22
    tasks 17
    usage example 17
sentience, determining
    abstraction 13
    adaptation 14
    asthetics 14
    conceptual thought 13
    control of fire 14
    cooperation 14
    definition 13
    domestication of animals 14
    group compassion 14
    innovation 14
    instinct 14
    language 13
    psionics 14
    social structure 14
    tools 14
sentient races 7, 8
    communicating with 12
    contacting 2, 3
    culture of 12
    first contact 12
    identifying 2
    killing 14
    newly discovered 12
    protection of 14
Shattered Imperium 5
size effects during play 93
size-related details 52, 60-63
skills
    administration 6
    biology 7
    brawling 6
    bribery 6
    chemistry 7
    communication 2
    computer 6
    engineering 6
    forgery 6
    geology 7
    gun combat 6
    gunnery 6
    liaison 6
    mechanical 6
    medical 6
    navigation 6
    pilot 6
    recon 6
    sensor op 7
    streetwise 6
    survey 6
    survival 6
    vehicle 6
society, see culture
Solomani Rim 9
sophontology 16
spaceports, see starports
Spinward Marches 15
Star systems
    ecliptic 2
    habital zone 2
    orbital zones 59
    mapping 2
    when unsurveyed 2
starports 74, 90, 92
stellar luminosity 64
stellar mass 52, 62
surveys
    classes of 2
    kinds of missions 6
    Scout service office 2, 7
    special purpose 3
    studying cultures 8
    use of equipment 1
    use of robots 8
    when doing concealed 8
Sylean Federation 9

T
tech levels 8
    achievement levels 58, 85, 86
    common levels 58, 83
    notes 95
    novelty levels 58, 86
technology 16
technology profile 58, 83, 95
technology-related details 58, 83-86
tectonic plates 4, 69, 87
temperature 12
    axial tilt effects 66
    lattitude effects 66
    local 93
    worksheet 68
    on the surface 64
Terra 9, 15, 16
terraforming 90
    albedo 55, 68
    atmospheric 55, 68
    greenhouse effect 55, 68
    hydrographic 69
    terrain 69
Third Imperium 16
trinary stars 67
twilight region, definition 67

U
United Nations 15
unusual atmospheres 53
useful mapping formulas 87
utility vest 41
UV, definition 11
UWP 1, 2, 4, 52, 92

V
vacc suits 1, 4, 7
    general purpose 34
    hostile environ 40
    light duty 39
    tailored 38
Vilani 9, 15
volcanoes 4, 70, 89

W
weapons 93
weather 12, 71, 93
    visibility 93
world data, using 92-96
world population 72
worlds
    backward tech 6
    design practicalties 52
    extended surveys 6
    habital zone 12
    interdicted 12
    mapping 1, 2, 4, 87-90
    terrain 4
    tidally locked 55, 67, 90
    totally alien 90
    unexplored 1

X
x-boats 5
x-ray, definition 11

Z
Zhodani 15

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-------- TML Message #647 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 647
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 89 06:13:45 EDT
From: (wilson m liaw) macgyver@cis.ohio-state.edu
Subject: index


{
	I just sent in the index file for World Builder's Handbook.
It's from Joe Fugate...

				Mac
Wilson "Mac" Liaw                     Internet   : macgyver@cis.ohio-state.edu
CompuServe : 71310,1653               GEnie : W.Liaw
===============================================================================
When the going gets tough, the tough quits. :) 


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-------- TML Message #648 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 648
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 89 09:46 EST
From: METLAY@vms.cis.pitt.edu
Subject: a correction and an addition on my star system posting



1600 LIGHT-YEARS, DAMMIT! LIGHT-YEARS! NOT MILES! Jeesh....

And on Dan's argument that we could have black holes or neutron stars in
every sector, but we couldn't see them if they weren't companions of bright
astral bodies (like, say, Nina Hartley's |-> ), I'm afraid that that argument
falls apart at densities like those he suggests. The black holes about which
we know (or claim to know) are very far away from us, and can only be seen by
their Xray emissions, but if we had a black hole within our back yard (i.e.
within 25 parsecs, the radius of our sector, approx), we'd sure as hell know
it. Black holes cause vicious gravitational lensing; as they move across the
sky, they'd cause the light of stars that they occulted to move in response
to their gravity wells. If any sort of concerted effort were made to chart 
star movements within a sector, it would take very little time (in historical
terms, that is) to spot the effects of a black hole in a sector; and at one-
per-subsector densities, things get even worse.

metlay

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-------- TML Message #649 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 649
Subject: TML Archives now available via ftp
Date: 19 Oct 89 09:28:09 PDT (Thu)
From: jamesp



I am pleased to announce that one of our newest listees, Dan Corrin,
has offered to make all the Traveller Mailing List Archives available
from his site via ftp.

This archive site supplements the other two which currently exist.  The
Archive Services are now:

FTP Archive Site:
	All the Traveller Archives (filled Bundles and Packages) are
	available via ftp from sunbane.engrg.uwo.ca (129.100.4.12).
	A sample session follows (lines that a user would type on
	are marked with a "*", and commentary begins with a "#"):

    *	shell> ftp 129.100.4.12		#begin the ftp session
	Connected to 129.100.4.12.
	220 sunbane FTP server (SunOS 4.0) ready.
    *	Name (129.100.4.12:dan):anonymous   #prompts for your id, but type
					    #anonymous for archives
	331 Guest login ok, send ident as password.
    *	Password: 		#type yourlogin@yourhost.xx.xx here -
    				#echoing is disabled
	230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.
    *	ftp> binary		#set transfer type to binary
	200 Type set to I.
    *	ftp> cd pub/traveller	#chdir to the Traveller area
	250 CWD command successful.
    *	ftp> get bun01.Z	#file name assumed to be same on your host
	150 Binary data connection for bun01.Z (129.100.4.51,2328) (20480 bytes).
	226 Binary Transfer complete.
	local: bun01.Z remote: bun01.Z
	20480 bytes received in .34 seconds (59 Kbytes/s)
				#repeat get command as desired
    *	ftp> bye		#terminate the ftp session
	221 Goodbye.
    *	shell> uncompress bun01.Z	#uncompress the bundle

	The files README and TOC provide a brief/detailed summary of the
	contents of the archive.
	
	The site is managed solely by the FTP Site Coordinator:
	dan@engrg.uwo.ca (Dan Corrin).  The University of Western
	Ontario is not responsible for the materials and opinions stored
	in the archives.

Automated Archive Service: archive-server@joshua.atherton.com
	Mail to this address is read by a program which sends automated
	replies.  Almost all of the Traveller Mailing List traffic since
	September 1, 1989, is available from this program.  For more
	information, send a message to the address above with the text
	"help" (on the subject line or first line of the mail message),
	and it will explain to you how to use it.  You can reach the
	human who administrates this service by mailing to
	joshua@atherton.com (Josh Levy), archive-manager@atherton.com,
	uunet!athertn!joshua, or uunet!athertn!archive-manager (note the
	ommission of the letter "o" in the uucp format).

Human-run Semi-Automated Archive Service:
		traveller-request@dadla.wr.tek.com (TML Administrator)
	I maintain an archive of every message ever sent to the mailing
	list.  On a time-available basis, I will recover old articles
	for you and resend them to you by direct mail.  I can also send
	you an Archive Table-of-Contents so you can pick and choose
	which messages look interesting.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Traveller Mailing List Administrator	  James T. Perkins @ Tektronix, Inc
traveller-request@dadla.wr.tek.com	  Beaverton, Oregon, USA
uunet!dadla.wr.tek.com!traveller-request  "Load Auto/Evade, Beowulf!"

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The TML is made possible by facilities provided by Tektronix, Inc.

-------- TML Message #650 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 650
Subject: Dead Stars  (was black holes)
Date: Thu Oct 19 16:18:46 1989
From: richard@agora.hf.intel.COM (Richard Johnson)



I once had a player with a character who was a gravitic scientist
(which should help explain my obsession).  This gentleman went on a
research trip to a section of the galaxy where there were some
VERY old stars.  

He found a "radio dwarf" with a black body temperature of about 
400K (~30 degrees C) and *landed* on it.  He, in his zeal had
neglected the mass of this huge ball of iron and lead.  On the
surface, it pulled about 7 g.  His ship could pull 5.

With a great deal of difficulty moving about on board (2 g with
the grav plates maxed negative) he managed to start rolling along
the surface of the dead star.  By continuously accelerating along
the almost perfectly smooth surface, his pilot was able to put
their research ship into orbit.

Given a chance, I think there are many adventures we could make
out of these kinds of space "debris" we usually ignore.

	Richard


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-------- TML Message #651 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 651
Subject: More gravitics
Date: Thu Oct 19 16:25:24 1989
From: richard@agora.hf.intel.COM (Richard Johnson)



Bart Massey has suggested I might have confused General Relativity
with quantum mechanical uncertainty in regards to the reason star
ships need to be in "smooth" space to jump.

Actually, I was trying to say that firmly locating both the position 
AND the velocity of "gravitons" is an activity that produces 
uncerrtainty in the macroscopic universe.

Of course this is all wild speculation anyway.

Richard


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-------- TML Message #652 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 652
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 89 18:57:32 -0500
From: (Mark Gellis) f3w@mentor.cc.purdue.edu
Subject: New Topic/Habitats



I was curious how many people run games in habitats and what they think of
the scenarios they use.  My game world relies on them a great deal because
I assume that once people learn to space-industrialize, they won't go 
back.  Thus, the average population of a solar system in my game world
is about four hundred billion.  If people live on planets (terraformed
Earth-like ones, that is), which only happens in about one system in ten,
such a population is about one percent of the total population of the system.

Habitats in my world tend to be clustered around large asteroids (100 km. +)
or the giant moons of gas giants.  Why?  Lots of natural resources close by.
(A 100 km. asteroid has enough material in it to build hundreds or thousands
or habitats, even assuming a low metal/organic/other useful stuff-to-slag
ratio; giant moons give you even more, even if they're mostly ice there will
be organics to make plastics from, etc.)

[A[A[A[Aof[B[B[B[D[D
My basic large habitat is a rotating cylinder 15 km. across the base and
60 km. long.  In addition to the landscaped interior, which I call a "dayside"
because it sounds like something people might call such a place, I assume
that the ends of the cylinder are solid complexes.  Actually, they're like
the ring-type space stations you see in 2001, only on a much bigger scale.
Assuming an average ceiling height of 10 m.--the idea is to make these things
non-claustrophobic since a lot of people live on some of the levels--you have
room for about 700 levels.  If the complexes are 100 m. wide the effect
is something like having 700 shopping malls (only most of them are offices,
neighborhoods with townhouses, etc.) stacked on top of each other, and the
two complexes give you about 3600 square km.  Add this to the 1200 square
km. you get from the dayside, and the habitat (which I assume as having a
population of roughly one million) has a total of nearly 5000 square km.
of surface area.  The dayside is used for farms, parks, etc., and the
endwall complexes have apartment levels, business levels, factories,
warehouses, etc.  This leaves us with a population density similar to
that of Great Britain or New England.  Plenty of room for everyone.  
(After all, what's the point of technologically advanced if you have
to live packed together like rats in a barrel?)

Running these environments is not hard.  The endwall complexes are just
like city streets, except that they are a lot cleaner, there are no cars,
and the subways (stations every half-kilometer or so) are big elevators
that either stop at every level, every ten levels, or every hundred levels
(I think this is how they run elevators in large buildings like the Trade
Center; at any rate, I'm sure this is a problem anyone with a degree in
city planning could solve in about five minutes, although it might take
longer to work out all the details.)  The daysides are pretty much 
outdoor environments, except you cannot use Field Artillery (people take
a VERY dim view of someone blowing a hole in the side of their world).
By the way, I assume the hulls of these things are several meters thick,
both for structural strength and radiation shielding, and about half of
that is good ol' topsoil, so you can have reasonably large trees in 
these habitats, and hills (small ones), and lakes, and so on.

Well, I'll stop here...I could easily ramble on about these things for
much longer.  Anyone have any comments?  ideas?  suggestions?

     Mark


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-------- TML Message #653 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 653
Date: Fri, 20 Oct 89 08:23:00 MDT
From: (Dan Williams) wrgate.wr.tek.com!uunet.uu.net!salt!china!dan@tektronix.TEK.COM
Subject: Re: New Topic/Habitats	


	If you have read Larry Niven's Ringworld and Ringworld Engineers
they discuss many problems with artificial enviroments and what sort of
technology is required to solve the problems.  

> I assume the hulls of these things are several meters thick,
>both for structural strength and radiation shielding, and about half of
>that is good ol' topsoil, so you can have reasonably large trees in
>these habitats, and hills (small ones), and lakes, and so on.
I would suggest sculpting your dayside to provide for the hills and lakes.
That way you don't have large areas of wasted topsoil.  The soil is a
uniform thickness throughout and the elevation is provided by sculpting the
hull.  

How about chaining habitats like a necklace when population pressures get
too large?  How long could a habitat run without supervision?  What about
"abandoned" structures?  Can they be moved, or can they only be created on
the spot?  If they can be moved is there a market in habitats orbiting
mined out asteroids?  Boy you could have a lot of adventures based on these
things:-) 

| Dan Williams (uunet!china!dan) | FRP: It's not just a game,        |
|       MCDONNELL DOUGLAS        |            it's an adventure!     |
|           Denver CO            | "Of course thats just my opinion" |

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-------- TML Message #654 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 654
Date: Fri, 20 Oct 89 10:59:13 EDT
From: (Dan Corrin) dan@engrg.uwo.ca
Subject: Re: Black Holes


In response to metlay:

Oops...Yes I had forgotten about the light-bending properties of blackholes,
and with a spaceship that can move over a wide area, it is quite probable
that they would be detected fairly easily.

> ... The problem with the
> current star system generation tables is that if they reflected the true
> population distribution of stars in the primary galactic medium, they'd bore
> the average gamer to tears, because on a 3D6 table you'd need to roll a 3 or
> an 18 to get anything other than a red dwarf ... it's unreasonable to ask
> Traveller for a "more realistic" star system population distribution

Yes I agree, however I was not discussing changing the star generation process
(which I would have left on the star generation list), rather coming up 
with a reason for the generation as listed. I did want a sub table to
generate other stellar phenomanon used perhaps once or twice per sector.
The rules (scouts) even mention adding supergiants in at a very low density
(1 per sector or so).

My main points are/were:
1) Stars not represented correctly (2D, too many non-dwarf, no black holes...)
a) Assume all stars are projected into a plane. to get 2D board
b) a large number of stars are not mapped (usualy dwarfs) because of no
bodies in the system for bases/fuel.
c) Resultant stars provide density and composition we get from the star
generation tables. (I have a good reason for 2D as well which I haven't
brought up).
d) Add in other interesting stellar objects at a rate of a few per sector
(I like a lot of black holes myself...but see first paragraph).
e) this results in no changes to the maps (execpt where you want to mark
other stellar objects), nor to any rules, it is just a method of
perceiving the traveller universe so that it approximates ours more closely
(after all we have already assumed a 2D universe)

2) Obervation techniques don't seem to match today's standards.
a) Correct me if I'm wrong as I havn't dug up my Zhodani alien module, but
I believe that in the core exploration rules, you only get to see an
area 2-3 parsecs ahead of you. 
b) if you subscribe to (1) above, identifying good stars may that difficult.
c) if not, (I was probably exaggerating when I said we could see the entire
imperium from one location.) but even the near star map at 50 ly radius
represents a circle with a 30 parsec diameter, which is approximately a sector
(24x40 parsecs). That is with tech 8 ground based telescopes, a good TL 15
scout in space with no light noise sould get at least 4 sectors. (double range)
d) additionaly as an jump-capable observer can more easily calulate positions
by virtue of being able to observe from different points (from Leonard)

	-Dan
	
BTW I haven't received any mail (dan@engrg.uwo.ca) complaining, so I will
continue this discussion on the list.
 

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-------- TML Message #655 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 655
Date: Fri, 20 Oct 89 15:46 EDT
From: 09NILLES%CUA.BITNET@cornellc.cit.cornell.edu
Subject: re: habitat's


>How long could a habitat run without supervision?

A quick guess would be that when they first starting to appear(technically
feasable)  I would say, that they need LOTS of supervision, while as they
are used more in the higher tech levels, they would need very little super
vision in themselves(like the Azun structures in JTAS #15 I think).  But
the supervision is more for security to keep sabotage to a minimium.  So
if noone sabotaged the structure or systems, a tech 15 Habitat I would
think, could conceivable run for years with no outside help.  Though it
would have to be designed from the start to be fairly self sustaining.

>What about "abandoned" structures?

I would say lots if you are using the shattered IMperium rules.  Afterall,
they can make very good targets.

>Can they be moved, or can they only be created on the spot?

The smaller ones probly can be moved by a ship similar to the bulk cargo
carrior in Fighting Ships.  Who knows, someone may have designed a ship
to do it.  Why, I don't know, it would be cheaper to take it apart and reuse
the parts elsewhere, transported by a smaller (and cheaper) ship.

>Boy you could have a lot of adventures based on these things:-)

A viably untaped resource for adventures.  You can have all sorts of
environments, Water, desert, ice, vaccume(why I don't know) and then
some.

dave
09nilles@cua.bitnet

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-------- TML Message #656 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 656
Date: Fri, 20 Oct 89 17:52:18 -0400
From: elturner@phoenix.princeton.edu (Edwin L Turner)
Subject: Re: Black Holes


[This came to traveller-request@dadla.wr.tek.com, looks like it was
meant for traveller@dadla.wr.tek.com.  Watch those automatic reply
headers! -- James]

dan@engrg.uwo.ca writes
>In response to metlay:                                                        
>                                                                              
>Oops...Yes I had forgotten about the light-bending properties of blackholes,  
>and with a spaceship that can move over a wide area, it is quite probable     
>that they would be detected fairly easily.                                    

Actually, at distances of parsecs, the light bending properties of black
holes are not significantly different from those of ordinary stars of the
same mass.  I won't bother you (unless provoked!) with the math, but the
point is that the Einstein ring diameter (=characteristic scale of lensing
phenomena) is far larger than the stellar radius so that it makes very
little difference whether the mass is concentrated within its
Schwarzschild radius or merely within a normal stellar radius.  The
differences get more impressive if you get close (say within about 0.01 pc).

On the general topic of stellar exotica in Traveller, one should not
overlook degenerate (white) dwarf stars which are certainly common enough
to appear in great numbers within the Imperium.  Although much less
exotic than neutron stars and black holes, their large surface gravities
and tendancy to produce enormous explosions (novae) when provided with a
bit of hydrogen fuel might allow for some interesting adventures.  BTW,
such stars often occur in binary systems which would allow for an
ordinary star supporting habitable planets in the near vicinity of a
degenerate dwarf.

Ed Turner


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-------- TML Message #657 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 657
Date: Sat, 21 Oct 89 18:28:36 -0500
From: (Mark Gellis) f3w@mentor.cc.purdue.edu
Subject: Habitats



Regarding some of the questions on habitats...

Most of the habitats in my game world (I don't really rely on Tech Levels
all that much, except as a reference for when certain tech items show up;
everyone is pretty much at the same very high level of technology) can
run on their own for a while.  Eventually, the environment will break 
down, but these things come with a series of very smart environmental
computers and a lot of tech robots to help the environmental engineers
keep things going.  If everyone suddenly died, the habitat would keep
running itself for a while.

As for moving them, why not?  If the habitat is using fusion and matter-
antimatter power, you won't disturb the power source by moving it (as you
might with a solar-based power system); if you boost the thing at a very
low degree of thrust and build it up slowly, you could eventually make
the thing an oversized spacecraft.  The internal gravity will not be
disturbed that much, even on rotating habitats, if the thrust from external
engines is only, say, 1/1000th of a gravity.  (or 1/10000th.)  Sure, it
will take years to get anywhere, but you have a habitat, so what's the hurry?

Abandoned habitats?  Not very many of them.  Habitats are very expensive;
even the raw materials used to build them are quite valuable.  If a habitat
has been somehow rendered uninhabitable (terrorists, plague, war, etc.) or
if it has simply broken down over time, and it takes time, I assume a high
technology habitat can probably last a million years or more if properly
maintained, the raw materials will quickly be recycled for something else.
Someone will claim it; people will probably fight over that much refined
material!  (Good source for adventures--salvage wars!)  The only place I
think you would find them would be underpopulated systems or the cometary
halo (i.e., isolated areas where there is not enough a population base to
handle the industrial problems involved in recycling that big a hulk.)

Well, go go now.  Take care.

     Mark


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-------- TML Message #658 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 658
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 89 12:19:43 -0500
From: (Mark Gellis) f3w@mentor.cc.purdue.edu
Subject: The Horrors of Realistic Weapons



I have been trying for a long time to develop a realistic combat system
for Traveller.  As some of you may have figured out by now, the good people
at GDW often have some very good ideas, but just as often have no f**king
clue what they're doing.

In part, they're hampered by the basic problem of game design: the more
realistic you make a game, the less playable it is.  Even so, some of
what they have come up with for combat is either implausible or just
flat wrong.

I would be interested in hearing how the people on the mailing list have
reacted to the various combat systems created by GDW, and the modifications
they have come up with to deal with aspects they did not like.

For a start, I have had to develop my own damage system--based not on
statistics, for the most part, but on (a) location of hit on a person's
body and (b) the actual damage caused by the weapon.  In addition, I
think some weapons have been treated very poorly in terms of how effective
they are.  Many primitive weapons are much more dangerous (bows, especially)
than the GDW tables would have you think.

Disclaimer: I have not looked at the original GDW books in a while, so when
it comes to particulars, I have to cite from memory.  Please correct me
if I am wrong about any specific weapons, etc.  (I have a feeling that 
for the most part, however, people will agree that GDW combat systems leave
something to be desired.)

     Mark

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-------- TML Message #659 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 659
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 89 13:35:12 -0500
From: wrgate.wr.tek.com!uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!gslisa!gsliss!jcunning@tektronix.TEK.COM
Subject: TD backissues





Bob asked if I have any back issues of Traveller's Digest for
article copying purposes. I do, and I thought others might be 
interested. I have issues 1,2, and 7, and 9+. Issue 2 has
a couple of apges that were't printed[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[Dpa[C[C[C[C[C[C[C[C[C[C[C[C[C[C[C[C[C[C[C[C[C[C[C (part of the adventure),
so I'd be interested in getting copies of those if anyone's
got the issue. I'd be happy to copy articles if anyone wants
'em. I've also got numerous (read hundreds) of High Passage
back issues 2-5 in my parent's garage. I knew I couldn't sell
then when FASA and I went our seperate ways but I was not
going to let them keep them even if I had to trash them myself.
Anyway, if you're interested, drop me a line.


			Jim Cunningham
			Traveller Relic


Last words spoken by Droyne warrior upon seeing an asteroid
about to impact on his head during the Final War: "INCOMING!!!!"[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[Dplanetary bombardment during 
the Final War: "INCOMING!!!!!!!!!!!"



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Administrator: traveller-request@dadla.wr.tek.com (James Perkins)
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-------- TML Message #660 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 660
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 89 09:41 EST
From: METLAY@vms.cis.pitt.edu
Subject: re Jim Cunningham's offer



Jim:

Please repost your message or Email it to me, it got garbled at my end and
I lost your mail address as well as what's missing from Issue 2, which I
might be able to send you.

I'm very interested in High Passages (for the TML Archives). I think I have
some of them, but....

metlay

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-------- TML Message #661 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 661
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 89 10:02:36 EDT
From: (Greg Givler - QA) givler@cbmvax.commodore.COM
Subject: The Horrors of Realistic Weapons.


>Archive-Message-Number: 658
>Date: Mon, 23 Oct 89 12:19:43 -0500
>From: f3w@mentor.cc.purdue.edu
>
>I have been trying for a long time to develop a realistic combat system
>for Traveller.

I have a friend who uses a modified Azhanti High Lightning systeem, with 
penetration and such. It is rather easy to run. If he can dig it up I will 
post it, besides I haven't talked to him in about three months, both to busy
and it will give me a good excuse to give him a call.

Greg

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greg Givler                        Q-Link: GregGivler
QA Analyst                         CompuServe: Greg Givler 76702,647
Commodore QA (Software)            GEnie: G.Givler
215-431-9100                       INTERNET: givler@cbmvax.cbm.commodore.com
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You mean you're fighting Necron?"... "Him and his mother!"
- - The Man with Grande Cajones in Fire and Ice
===============================================================================


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-------- TML Message #662 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 662
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 89 10:04:36 -0500
From: wrgate.wr.tek.com!uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!gslisa!gsliss!jcunning@tektronix.TEK.COM
Subject: back issues II




My apologies for garbling the last message. Apparently there
was a problem with the system not recognizing some of the
editing functions I used or something like that. This was done
out of ignorance-- I am but a humble library science student
and graduate assistant specializing in arms control and know
little of these computer thingies. The most sophisticated I get
is using my Apple II (I can hear you all laughing all the way up
here) and struggling with the occasional problem with various
CD ROM data bases at work.

Anyway, I had mentioned that at least one of you out there
was interested in articles from old issues of Traveller's
Digest. I have issues 1-2, 7, and 9+. I'll be happy to 
copy articles for you. In addition, I have several hundred
copies, and in two cases thousands of issues of High Passage
2-5. If anyone wants any of this stuff, drop me a byte.

In addition, my copy of TD 1 had a printing error-- pages
18 and 33 were not printed. Anyone out there with a copy
that they can xerox for me?


		Jim Cunningham
		Traveller Relic



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

