

-------- TML Message #802 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 802
From: wrgate.wr.tek.com!reed.UUCP!oresoft.uu.net!richard@tektronix.TEK.COM (Richard Johnson)
Subject: re: adventuring
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 90 13:16:23 PDT


Already there are seven who have indicated desire to participate in
the Play-by-Email adventure.  If your unsure if you want to do this,
GIVE IT A TRY!  We can always kill your character later :)

We're currently straightening out mail paths and so forth.  I'd like
to get the preliminaries out of the way soon so we can start about
the Beginning of February.

This will undoubtedly be a MT variant; I don't know the rules well
enough to enforce them strictly at a table.  I'm not even going to
try that by electronic fiat.  Instead, this will be pretty free-form
until we get the hang of it.

Turns sould be about once each week, and I'll just post the general
stuff on this list.  Private stuff will be private - and I'm not
giving out the addresses of the other players, so if you want to
plan subterfuge with another character mail to me and I'll forward
it.

Feel free to use your own characters.  I'm easy, but one of my pet
peeves is "character inflation".  Use your own judgment.

If there are any more general questions, I'll answer publicly.
If anyone has a *particular* kind of adventure they want - something
their favorite journalist has always wanted to investigate, or
whatever, I'll listen.

Finally, for this adventure, I'll keep it local to the list (even
though there has been some feedback about interest from
rec.games.frp).  Mainly I want to make sure I can handle the load of
this before I expand.
	Richard


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-------- TML Message #803 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 803
Subject: Play By Mail
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 90 16:49:50 MST
From: rona@hpdml92.hp.COM


  REPO-MAN IN SPACE sounds fun!  If there's still room, I'd like
to get in on it.

  I think that pre-generated characters would be best.


        Ron Abramson   email: rona@hpdml92.HP.COM
                      tel: 1-208-323-4293


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-------- TML Message #804 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 804
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 90 19:45 EST
From: (Bob Mahoney) BOBMAH%PSC.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu
Subject: I Like Psi, and Why


Metlay, on the proposed PBE-M:

>"...kneejerk reactions involving nuclear weapons have their place, but..."

Ah- let's play at Metlay's...  I just got my place clean.

>Where would it take place, and when? The Solomani Rim as the Rebellion really
>gets cooking (1118 or so) is where my own campaign is currently situated, but
>I suppose the Marches are the best known area for most....

There was a great sector map of the Hinterworlds in _Challenge_ 39.  Subsector
maps, library data...  Nice.  That's my vote.  My own campaign is in the
Marches, and life is confusing enough.  I could have a Xerox-attack, if we all
agreed to consider it 'fair use'.

>[Oh, by the way, folx: I'm not back from Tenessee, nor will I be for a couple
>more weeks. I've just discovered remote logins. Yippee!]

Still in New Hampshire...  :)

>PS: What I do NOT like is even easier to sketch out: Overpowered parties
>(overpwered villains are fine). People running aliens who act out of character
>("well, he's a K'Kree warrior with a STR of 25 and he likes to be left alone
>and eat hamburgers. What's wrong with that?"). And, my most pet peeve of all,
>the one thing I have never seen run or played well in this game: Psionics
>(Take your pick: either "Oh, he can't sneak up on me, I'm reading his mind" or
>"You mean this guy I've been running with for a game year is a psi? Geez, I
>really feel bad about this, but I blow him away when his back's turned.").
>Sigh...

Oh, I protest!

I ran a long-term AD&D campaign (11 *real* years, at least for three of us!) in
which psionics were a favorite plot thread.  Not overpowered, not invincible.
It was the most dramatic, most mature (in both game and behavioral terms) and
most interesting part of that campaign.  Yes, Psi can get out of hand if you
are careless (or just unprepared).  But the depth of that campaign was amazing.
Those players still talk about reviving that game when we need a *rest* from
Traveller.  (Maybe in another 11 years?)

My current campaign has psionic plot threads, although it's been two game years
so far, and noone has picked up on it.  I have great hopes for this campaign
now that all the players have a good grasp of the rules (well, pretty good).

Is anyone else using Psionics in their Traveller game?  What sorts of things
are you doing, and do you have actively psionic players?

>PPPS. There may be another chapter in the story of Grant and CO. in the works,
>but we'll have to see....

Well, we want to see it when it's ready.  No hurry.  Finish your lunch first.

>anyway, it's nice to be back.

Hey, Good to have you.

                ..
- ---------------m--m-----------------
Bob Mahoney        bobmah@psc.bitnet

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-------- TML Message #805 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 805
From: ("Mark F. Cook") markc@hpcvss.cv.hp.COM
Subject: Wanted: 1 Imperial Atlas
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 90 17:11:14 PST


Fellow Travellers, I have a problem.  I'm new to the game (less than a
year) and am playing MegaTraveller (as classic Traveller refs. are scarce
these days).  My dilemma is that none of the MegaTraveller products detail
the entire Imperial (at least from the map standpoint).  I see from the
archives, however, that classic Traveller included something called, "Atlas
of the Imperium", which sounds like exactly what I'm looking for.

Are these still published?  If not, does MegaTraveller have something
comparable?  I need the bigger picture.

Thanks in advance,

        Mark F. Cook

USMail: User Interface Technical Support
        Hewlett-Packard - Interface Technology Operation
        1000 NE Circle Blvd.  Corvallis, OR 97330

INTERNET: markc@hpcvss.cv.hp.com
UUCP:     {cmcl2, harpo, hplabs, rice, tektronix}!hp-pcd!markc

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-------- TML Message #806 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 806
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 90 19:22:00 EST
From: HOBBIT@ac.dal.ca
Subject: PBeM game


I've never actually played Traveller or MegaT (gasp!), but mostly because when
I started looking for a good sf game, I found 2300AD (was Traveller: 2300 then)
first.  So I'm tolerably familiar with the task system and the mechanics,
excepting anything that's different between the two systems--I think there's a
few things--but I'm not too familiar with the setting.  With that out of the way
   I'd be very interested in joining a PBeM game.  Sounds like fun.

     the hobbit (I know it's fantasy.  give me a break :-)

         "The meek shall inherit the Earth.
           The rest of us get the Stars."

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-------- TML Message #807 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 807
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 90 15:26:51 EST
From: (Greg Givler - PA) givler@cbmvax.commodore.COM
Subject: Re:  Fifth Frontier War.



	Just a rough survey of the game.
>-How long did it run? Real time and play time

	I have only played the game a couple of times and both times we 
	never finished. I remember that setup took quite some time. But
	the rules were fairly simple and easy to play. 

>-Results?

	I the beginning if you are the Zhodane, you should have big successes
	I had invaded Rhylanor very early. But about midgame when the Imps 
	get their regular Batrons in to the area you will have a time of it.

	As an Imperial, be prepared to lose alot in the beginning. The colonial
	fleets are to backward to really stand well in line of battle. But
	once the Coreward fleets get in the picture, be ready to Kick Ass!

>-Comments.

	I really enjoyed it although it took a while to play. As I said earlier
	I thought that the rules never got in the way of the enjoyment. 
	so although I have never purchased the game, I have considered 	
	purchasing the game serveral times. That statement in itself says
	alot for the game as the only Wargames that I own and play regularly,
	which means more than once a year, are Wooden Ships and Iron Men,
	which is my favorite game ever, and Gettysburg, I live less than
	three hours from the battlefield and have been over it foot by foot
	hundreds of times. All in all I give it 4 out of 5 stars. I had wished
	that GDW had come out with a generic large scale wargame for Traveller
	for those GM's, like myself whose universe was not the Spinward
	Marches or the Solomani Rim. I had two small space empires that I want
	to go to war, but designing a Trillion Credit Squadron Game was a bit
	to large a project and would have taken days to resolve instead of 
	hours.

	Greg
	
>	Ameer Z. Sulaiman

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greg Givler                        | Q-Link: GregGivler
Analyst - Systems Evaluation Group | CompuServe: Greg Givler 76702,647
Commodore Product Assurance        | GEnie: G.Givler
215-431-9100                       | The NET: givler@cbmvax.commodore.com
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Wild Whores couldn't keep me away!" -- George Francisco
"That's Horses, George" -- Matt Sikes -- Alien Nation --  Fox Broadcasting --
===============================================================================


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-------- TML Message #808 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 808
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 90 15:10:34 EST
From: (Greg Givler - PA) givler@cbmvax.commodore.COM
Subject: Re:  PBM ideas



Hmmm.... Fifth Frontier War by mail, that seems interesting, do you remember
the details. Like how were the die rolls determined and such, I think that
would be interesting.

Greg


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-------- TML Message #809 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 809
From: (Bertil Jonell) d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se
Subject: Re: MT ship combat
Date: Sat, 20 Jan 90 13:12:19 MET DST


> 	Has anyone out there really used the MT space combat system.
> If so I have a few questions that I would like answered. 
> 	1. How do you handle Sensor Tasks. The rules say only one task is
> 	free next costs one battery of fire. It seems to imply that there
> 	is no point in having fighters or 100 t ships they only have one
> 	battery most of the time. As Fire requires two tasks, Scan+Pin
> 	it seems to be flawed.
> I'm reading this as one SET of scans. Each set being Scan+Pin. Other option 
> being that Scans are being done routinely and don't cost anything. 1st Pinpoint
> is free, 2nd Pinpoint cost one battery and so on.

Well, In Real Life(tm) naval combat a lockon (pinpoint) is in effect until
volountarily broken or broken by the target by heavy manuevering, electronic
countermeasures, or decoys etc.

Disclaimer: All I know about Real Life(tm) naval combat I've learned from 
Harpoon II, Jane's Fighting Ships, and a book about electronic warfare.

In Traveller terms I guess this would be translated to that a pinpoint is in
effect until the target has made a task to break it (Max once per turn)
(suggested DM's, Pilotskill, Agility, computerlevels, ECM)
The *number* of simultaneous lockons is the real limitation. 
A suggested limit is equalt to the computer number. Model1 or 1bis => 1 lockon
at a time, a Model9 could have 9 simultaneous lockons.

The rules about 1 free sensor task and 1 per battery I would leave alone.
If this was combined with the above changes, It would lead to that a small
ship is forced to spend several turnes to locate and fire upon an opponent.
But a large ship could still not pinpoint several hundred targets and blow
them off the face of space. I believe this is in the interest of game-balance.

- -bertil-
- -- 
Bertil K K Jonell @ Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg
NET: d9bertil@dtek.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" Orson Scott Card 'The Abyss'

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-------- TML Message #810 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 810
From: (Bertil Jonell) d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se
Subject: re: adventuring
Date: Sat, 20 Jan 90 13:20:14 MET DST


> Already there are seven who have indicated desire to participate in
> the Play-by-Email adventure.  If your unsure if you want to do this,
> GIVE IT A TRY!  We can always kill your character later :)

Count me in!
There is just one problem, though. When I try to mail you the mail bounce...
<Big embarrassed grin> While I realize that this might be a problem for 
a PBeM, I still hope that there is some way (some path) around it.

- -bertil-
- -- 
Bertil K K Jonell @ Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg
NET: d9bertil@dtek.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" Orson Scott Card 'The Abyss'

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-------- TML Message #811 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 811
Date: Sat, 20 Jan 90 12:55:17 EST
From: (Chris Bartlett) cdba_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu
Subject: Re: PBEM



Hi.  Someone said something about play-by-E-mail?  If there's still space,
I'd be very interested in playing.  There's no one around here to play MT
face to face with anyway...

Clear skies,

Chris


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-------- TML Message #812 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 812
Date: Sat, 20 Jan 90 13:16 EST
From: METLAY@vms.cis.pitt.edu
Subject: Richard's PBEM game



Count me in, richard. But a few questions/comments:

1. I think your enforcing a freeform game is of vital importance. Rules
lawyering plus mai delay equals dead game. I, for one, do not plan to rgue
any decisions you render, although I do reserve the right to complain
(privately) if and when someone who knows better does or says something
that's inconsistent with the Traveller universe.

2. I also agree with your decision to limit the game to the TML. I'd also
recommend placing a ceiling on the number of players, and on the number of
characters (pref. 1 to a player).

3. One area in which I will raise a voice of dissent, tho: the choice of
characters belonging to the players already. Before I can choose an
appropriate character I need to know the level of experience, wealth and
power the party will have, and where the campaign will take place. An
adventure for a group of thirty-year-olds is very different from one for
a group of fifty-year-olds; the latter usually have much less stamina and
brawn, but have ridiculously high skill tallies. I personally prefer 
running characters/parties that are down on their luck and looking for a
way out of financial troubles, but if I'm to be running with nobles who
own their own navies I'm not going to pick a pauper for my character. 
And so on. I can bulldoze my way through most of these objections, but I
need to know ahead of time, at a minimum, where the adventure will begin,
to within a sector or so. Is this an impossible request?

4. My mailer munges origination addresses. Please post or Email your
own address, so I can direct further communications to you. My Email 
address is metlay@vm1.cis.pitt.edu.

5. And if you need something in the old history books that you don't have,
feel free to ask. My job as TML historian overrides any concerns I have
about keeping my character alive. Or anyone else's, for that matter. |->

Best of luck, and I'll see you all in the Starport!

dim the lights,

metlay

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-------- TML Message #813 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 813
From: leonard@isis.WV.TEK.COM (Leonard Bottleman)
Date: Sat, 20 Jan 90 15:47:03 PST
Subject: A simple question of how and who



Chris Bartlett at cdba_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu writes
>			There's no one around here to play MT
> face to face with anyway...

Which brings up the question, how do you find a group of people
with whom you can play Traveller (other than PBM Traveller,
that is)?

I'm just getting started with Traveller (I did play a few times
way back in 1983): I bought and read the Mega Traveller Player's
Guide, rolled up a few characters for practice, and think the
game sounds great, but what's next? The local game stores have
a few numbers of groups playing D&D and war games, but nothing
for Traveller players.

Leonard		leonard@isis.WV.TEK.COM

"What this place needs is a bigger parking lot."
	- M. Perkins, at Serengeti National Park, Tanzania


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-------- TML Message #814 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 814
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 90 13:23 EST
From: METLAY@vms.cis.pitt.edu
Subject: A diatribe on finding Traveller players (read with care)




	So you want to find a Traveller group....

	Good embleer luck, brother. If my own experiences in that respect were 
any indication, you're in for a long haul. But I'm hoping that if I can pass 
along some of my thoughts on the mistakes I've made to you, maybe you can do a 
short-cut on the time I've spent.

	Please keep in mind my perspective on this subject: I consider myself 
a Traveller referee first and foremost. Despite the other games I've played, 
run and written, my first love has always been Traveller, from the day I 
discovered the game in early 1978 until today. Because of that, I'm much less 
willing to compromise on the people I ref and the campaigns I organize than
you may be. But if you have a good idea of how important or unimportant this 
game is to YOU, then you're capable of deciding on how stringently you wish to 
follow my advice. 

	First, examine your own motives. This should be done not only for 
Traveller, but for any game campaign about which you care. Are you doing it 
because you're just curious about the way the system rules run? Are you just 
interested in giving SF as opposed to fantasy RPGs a try? Have you heard good  
things about the universe provided by the manufacturer?  Or are you basically 
looking for a good time, with the potential to develop a serious and ongoing 
campaign if it turns out that the rules ARE your cup of tea? These are 
important questions: they determine how strictly you're going to demand that 
your players follow the rules (and yourself as well), they let you exercise 
criteria for choosing gamers that are appropriate for the level of interest 
and involvement you desire, and they help you avoid people with attitudes that 
are, while not necessarily "bad" or "wrong," simply not going to mesh with 
yours or the other players'. Sound complicated? It is. And it should be! In my 
experience as a gamer, all thirteen-plus years of it, I have learned one vital 
truth: People with whom you game on a regular basis become very intimately 
connected to your life. They become, in a very real sense, a significant chunk 
of your circle of close friends. (For some poor folx, they are their ENTIRE 
circle of friends.) You'd better like them and the way they approach your 
game, or they're going to make your life hell. I know; I spent the chunks of 
time from 1979 to 1983 and 1984 to 1987 running games for a strong-tempered 
admixture of people I really liked and people I just put up with, and I 
decided in 1988 during an unwilling and forced departure from gaming that if I 
were ever to run another campaign, I would damn well LIKE the people with whom 
I gamed! And now, in 1989-90, I've done that and am very pleased with the 
results. Give it some thought and compare it to your own experiences; I think 
you'll see what I mean.

	Second, I can suggest a few places for finding players, and a few 
places which are, in my experience, NOT good for finding players, and why. 
	It's been my experience that posting notices in game stores is an iffy
proposition at best; you get a huge spectrum of gamers, both good and not so 
good. If you want to do this, you should follow two basic ground rules: first, 
list any criteria (level of experience, age, etc.) that you feel are important 
to you on the notice; you then have the right to reject out of hand anyone who 
answers the notice in violation of your expressly stated desires. Don't worry 
about sounding like a snob; remember, if all goes well, you're going to be 
seeing these people on a regular basis for a long time! Second, never promise 
anyone anything over the phone. Meet them face to face and take them out for a 
burger and fries or something, or run a trial game. But get to know them and 
hear how they talk and act, before you go letting them in. Be honest with 
yourself: do you need the aggravation of dealing with someone who sets your 
teeth on edge? You don't have to be impolite, or even to close the door 
permanently on a possible gamer; if they aren't appropriate, just don't put 
yourself in the position of HAVING to take them. The same goes for running ads 
in either the local gaming papers (if there are any) or in the nationals 
(CHALLENGE has an ad section that's either free or cheap that posts requests 
from refs and players all over the world), or advertising on the computer Nets 
as well. But never, never underestimate the importance of meeting prospects 
first!
	Another popular place to meet local gamers, ones who usually have a 
lot of experience in a wide range of games, is the Gaming Club of your local 
high school or college, depending on your age bracket of interest. In 
particular, college Gaming CLubs attract a decent number of grad students and
older folx who are looking for mature gamers with whom to play. In a perfect
world, anyone who walked into a Gaming Club would istantly be beseiged by
interested, interesting people eager to get an exciting new campaign going. 
In practice, however, this is rarely the case. I've dealt with gaming clubs in 
about a half dozen colleges in the past thirteen years; they've netted me some 
of the best and worst gamers I've ever met. Once again, conversation is a 
great way to spot good and bad prospects-- there's something about gamers that 
lets you learn volumes about their playing style, just by interacting with 
them in a social situation for a bit. I believe that this largely is due to
the social-interactive nature of RPGs in general. Whatever its source, it's a 
lifesaver. Again, remember you're not after "good" and "bad" GAMERS, or "good 
and bad" PEOPLE: you're learning about gamers who may be "good" or "bad" 
PROSPECTS for YOUR game. Don't damn somebody forever simply because they don't 
agree with the way you do things. But that doesn't mean  you have to put with 
them on a weekly basis for the next year or two, either.

	In your search, it pays to find people who are willing to either learn
the rules to a degree you deem appropriate, or who are willing to at least get
into the mindset of the game. Nothing ruins a Traveller game more than players
who moan, "I *hate* this combat system/time scaling/set of rules of psionics/
what have you! Why can't this game have blasters/magic/teleportation/Vulcans/
what have you?" You should make it clear from the outset with whomever you
meet that you're getting a group together to play Traveller, that will at
least try to appreciate Traveller for what it is. You'll get one of three
answers:
 	1. "Well, okay, but I'd really rather play (fill in the blank)." 
	2. "Well, okay, but I need to absorb the rules first. Do you mind?"
	3. "Yeah, sure, great! I'm looking forward to it!"

	None of these three classes is clear-cut in their suitability or lack 
thereof. For instance, if you don't have your heart set on Traveller (often, 
people who are having trouble getting a Trav group together are actually 
saying that they're having trouble meeting ANYONE who plays RPGs), and you 
meet a good-sized group of likable people who all want to play something else, 
then maybe you should go with the flow on this bunch, and keep an eye out for 
other prospects as you go. (I met all of the members of my current Trav game 
but one, while running a (blegh) D&D variant campaign that took three years to 
wrap up.) People who fall into the second category need to be judged on a case 
by case basis; my current group consists of five people, only two of which  
knew anything at all about Traveller before the campaign began. The other 
three taught themselves on the fly, and did a damn good job of it, too.
	It's the last category you have to watch the most carefully, though. 
If you were careful about selecting people before you got down to discussing 
rules, you should be okay, but Traveller, like any game, has its points where 
the wrong sort of attitudes tend to collect. I recently attended a wedding 
reception for a colleague in the Pitt Physics Department, an informal dinner 
where many people from his various hobbies had a chance to mingle. I hadn't 
known it but he was a member of a local gaming club, perhaps Pitt's but I'm 
not sure. Anyway, so here I am, getting some cheez nips from the cracker tray, 
when this guy next to me strikes up a conversation, and it went something like 
this.
	HIM: "Hi. You a friend of the bride's?"
	ME:  "Uh, no, the groom's actually. We work together."
	HIM: "Oh, you're in Physics! Okay! I know him from Game Club."
	ME:  "Game CLub? You play role-playing games?"
	HIM: "Yeah, man! You too?"
	ME:  "Well, yes, actually. But he and I have never--"
	HIM: "HOT SHIT, MAN! What rules do you use?"
	ME:  "Traveller...."
	HIM: "TRAVELLER? EXCELLENT GAME, man! Fukn AWESOME! Me'n my friends 
we've been running this Traveller game for a while now, it's gettin' kinda
lame because the ref is like a total DICK, but it's still a lotta fun, I run 
this Imperial Death Squad Trooper with like an FGMP-16 FUSION rifle and battle 
dress and shit, and me and my friends we were doin' this sorta crossover thing 
with Call of Cthulhu, y'know? Anyway, we were all holed up in this hotel and 
these things were attackin' us and I was blowin' em away, man, ain't NO fukn 
Elder God gonna stand up to no FUSION GUN, man, and so I'm goin' BABABABABOW, 
just BLOWIN'em away, when like this total GEEK I'm runnin' with screams, 
'THEY'RE COMIN' UP FROM THE BASEMENT!' and he starts just un-LOADING his Gauss 
Rifle down the stairs, an'-- SHUT UP, BITCH! I'm GETTIN' you yer fukn TUNA 
PATE'! 'Scuse me a second, will ya?"

	Need I say more? The point is that Traveller doesn't suit everyone, 
nor does everyone necessarily suit Traveller. But if you exercise a little 
care and look at the gaming community in general where you live and/or work, 
you can actually do pretty well for yourself. One other worthwhile way to meet 
other gamers, although it's hit-and-miss, is second degree referrals: other 
people who are good gamers who are at least on speaking terms with the people 
you meet and whom you can meet through them. The best gamer I've ever played 
with was referred to me by a mutual acquaintance, whom as it turned out 
neither of us could stand playing with.

	The essential point to remember is that there are a lot of gamers out 
there, and your task is not only to hook up with them, but also to hok up with 
the ones you enjoy playing with. If you keep that in mind, you can get in 
contact with ANYONE, even the groups in your local store that only advertise 
D&D interest, and find worthwhile people. At worst, you could do what I did, 
and suffer through a fantasy game for a while while building up a player base!

	Anyway, good luck to you. Let me know if any of this does you any 
good; it's a subject on which I feel strongly.

metlay

PS. The following is encased in strong personal-experience-only disclaimers:
Traveller is the only RPG I know of that has absolutely no implied sexual 
bias. Women in Traveller are as strong and competent as their male 
counterparts, and there are no overlaid images of "the sexy SF bimbo in the 
skintight vacuum suit zipped open to the navel" like one tends to get in games
like Space Opera and Star Ace. This is a huge plus for Traveller, as it tends 
to attract not only the small but eminently worthwhile subgroup of female 
gamers, but also those male gamers who are able to leave their sexual hangups 
at the door when they come to play, all of which leads to better gaming. Keep 
this in mind when shopping around for suitable people.


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-------- TML Message #815 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 815
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 90 14:48:11 EST
From: (Kevin McFadden) fkam_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu
Subject: PBE-M


	My observations of the talk on running a PBE-M Traveller game have led
me to a couple of conclusions:

  (1)	There seems to be an awful amount of interest in playing the game.
  
  (2)	It also seems clear that there will be too many players for the game.

  (3) 	If we could get a couple of people to run different games it would 
	probably be convenient to all the people who want to play.

	Anyway, I myself would be interested to get in on one of these games.
My only problem is that I'm more familiar with the  old Traveller and the new
MegaTraveller is "in the mail." 

						Kevin McFadden
						@uhura.cc.rochester.edu

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-------- TML Message #816 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 816
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 90 21:54 EST
From: SYLVAIN$%DAYTON.BITNET@cornellc.cit.cornell.edu
Subject: PBEM Traveller


        I agree with Kevin McFadden's latest message - there do seem to
be too many people for one game to be run smoothly. Is there any other kind
soul who would be able to GM a game?
        Regardless, while I wish to get in on a game, I'm a little fuzzy on
some basics. Is MT a "must" or can us "Classic Traveller" people still use
our material? As I've mentioned to our prospective GM, I do think we need to
know a little more about the game, *if* we will make our own characters, or
at least have that option. Particularly as regards equipment and weaponry,
especially.
        Finally, I've sent a couple of messages to our brave volunteer for
GM (whose name escapes me at the moment, sorry!) but I am unsure if you have
got them or if they vanished in the system somewhere. Please contact me here
(sylvain$n@dayton.bitnet - preferred) or at sylvain@udcps2.cps.udayton.edu to
let me know that I can stop worrying. :-)
        I do hope that this gets off the ground, and works!

Nicholas Sylvain
sylvain$n@dayton.bitnet OR sylvain@udcps2.cps.udayton.edu

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-------- TML Message #817 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 817
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 90 15:33:16 EST
From: (Frobozz) wrgate.wr.tek.com!uunet.uu.net!munnari!eldritch.hss.bu.oz.au!grue@tektronix.TEK.COM
Subject: Play by E-Mail Traveller.



(WARNING: possible spoiler for the old 'Murder on Acturis Station' adventure)





hiya,
	I like the idea of a Repo scenario, but I think that something along
the lines of 'Murder of Acturis Station' would take advantage of the medium
better.  E-Mail makes all player/GM communication private (unless the GM
decides otherwise).  Also E-Mail would make it very difficult to determine if
another character was a REAL player or a GM NPC!

An investigation scenaro like Murder could be challenging (The player character
murderer would be quite exciting.  But, the player might be an NPC and nobody
could tell the difference).



Just some random thoughts.  Any comments anyone?

I'm still very intested in seeing how this turns out!



							Pauli
seeya
SNIF

Language Centre              internet    : grue@lance.hss.bu.oz{.au}
Bond University              JANET       : grue%lance.hss.bu.oz@uk.ac.ukc
Gold Coast, Qld 4229         ARPA, bitnet: grue%lance.hss.bu.oz.au@uunet.uu.net
Australia                    UUCP        : ..!uunet!munnari!lance.hss.bu.oz!grue

           >>>>>>>>>> E-Mail address changing next week <<<<<<<<<<


All opinions and material above is the responsibility of the originator.
Submissions: traveller@dadla.wr.tek.com, or uunet!dadla.wr.tek.com!traveller
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The TML is made possible by facilities provided by Tektronix, Inc.

-------- TML Message #818 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 818
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 90 15:33:16 EST
From: (Frobozz) wrgate.wr.tek.com!uunet.uu.net!munnari!eldritch.hss.bu.oz.au!grue@tektronix.TEK.COM
Subject: Play by E-Mail Traveller.



(WARNING: possible spoiler for the old 'Murder on Acturis Station' adventure)





hiya,
	I like the idea of a Repo scenario, but I think that something along
the lines of 'Murder of Acturis Station' would take advantage of the medium
better.  E-Mail makes all player/GM communication private (unless the GM
decides otherwise).  Also E-Mail would make it very difficult to determine if
another character was a REAL player or a GM NPC!

An investigation scenaro like Murder could be challenging (The player character
murderer would be quite exciting.  But, the player might be an NPC and nobody
could tell the difference).



Just some random thoughts.  Any comments anyone?

I'm still very intested in seeing how this turns out!



							Pauli
seeya
SNIF

Language Centre              internet    : grue@lance.hss.bu.oz{.au}
Bond University              JANET       : grue%lance.hss.bu.oz@uk.ac.ukc
Gold Coast, Qld 4229         ARPA, bitnet: grue%lance.hss.bu.oz.au@uunet.uu.net
Australia                    UUCP        : ..!uunet!munnari!lance.hss.bu.oz!grue

           >>>>>>>>>> E-Mail address changing next week <<<<<<<<<<


All opinions and material above is the responsibility of the originator.
Submissions: traveller@dadla.wr.tek.com, or uunet!dadla.wr.tek.com!traveller
Administrator: traveller-request@dadla.wr.tek.com (James Perkins)
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by Tektronix, Inc.

-------- TML Message #819 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 819
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 90 10:59:00 EST
From: HOBBIT@ac.dal.ca
Subject: PBeM


About the PBeM game--a thought on characters.
I really like the idea of pre-generated characters--or at least an outline--from
   Richard (and/or anyone else that's willing).  That way, people who don't
necessarily have or know the rules well can participate.  (Which happens to
include me.)

     Colin Roald

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-------- TML Message #820 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 820
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 90 10:55:00 EST
From: HOBBIT@ac.dal.ca
Subject: Trav, MegaT, and PBeM


I feel kind of stupid for asking this, but what is the difference between T
Traveller and MegaTraveller.  I take it that they are set in the same universe--
   is the only difference a rules revision?  Could someone give me a brief outli
   ne of the background.  I'm afraid I only know 2300AD.
I like the idea of a murder-mystery game, with all players run independently.
That sort of thing never seems to work very well in a standard game setting (I
don't mean running independently--that wouldn't work at all).

    Colin Roald (hobbit@ac.dal.ca)

         "The meek shall inherit the Earth.
           The rest of us get the Stars."

All opinions and material above is the responsibility of the originator.
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-------- End of TML Messages --------

