
-------- TML Message #860 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 860
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 90 20:10:47 EST
From: (Andrew Salamon) salamon@sun.acs.udel.edu


I would like the mode of delivery of my traveller articles changed from
instant to digest.  I must use my account for work and the constant flow
of incoming mail is a little inconvenient.

Thanks a lot!

			/Andrew/ 

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-------- TML Message #861 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 861
Subject: Re: Starship design revamping 
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 90 10:01:47 PST
From: (Leonard Erickson) leonard@tessi.UUCP


[suggestion for defining agility as the amount of energy required to rotate
the ship about its axis at a certain rate]

Sorry, but rotating the ship, and changing course have nothing to do with
each other. Check the rules on plotting space combat in the old rules or grab a copy of MAYDAY. Both use correct physic in showing the result of course changes

If you are going "north" at 5 km/s, and you use the engines to give yourself
5 km/s of "east" velocity, you are now going "northeast" at 7.07 km/s! You have
to kill the "north" velocity and then add the "east" velocity if you want to
go "east". This could be done with one "burn", I *think* it would be a 7.07 km/s
burn applied in the "southeast" direction!!

Ain't physics fun?

ps. don't evenn *think* about arguing that the drives can get around this via
"magic" physics. This stuff is taking place in an area of physics where we
know what the loopholes are. (If you want "inertialess" drives, that's a 
different matter, but don't forget to watch you intrinsic velocity!! :-)

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-------- TML Message #862 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 862
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 90 22:00:54 -0500
From: (Tim Thomas) tim@shire.cs.psu.edu
Subject: A few questions about MegaTraveller



What is the opinion of the readers in this group concerning compatibility
between Striker/High Guard and Megatraveller.

The reason I ask is because many of the tables in the Referee's Manual
are copied directly out of Striker or High Guard (with few or no changes).

Should these Megatraveller tables be the same?

Specific examples are the armor tables (they changed the armor toughness 
values -- Striker) and the configuration costs (High Guard).

Things such as computers were wrong to begin with.

If you have any comments at all about this stuff, please send them to me.

Thanx in advance.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tim Thomas		tim@shire.cs.psu.edu	*!psuvax1!shire!tim

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-------- TML Message #863 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 863
From: (Bertil Jonell) d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se
Subject: Re: Starship design revamping
Date: Sun, 28 Jan 90 15:57:33 MET DST


> [suggestion for defining agility as the amount of energy required to rotate
> the ship about its axis at a certain rate]
> 
> Sorry, but rotating the ship, and changing course have nothing to do with
> each other. 
> Check the rules on plotting space combat in the old rules or grab a copy of MAYDAY. Both use correct physic in showing the result of course changes
> 
> If you are going "north" at 5 km/s, and you use the engines to give yourself
> 5 km/s of "east" velocity, you are now going "northeast" at 7.07 km/s! You have
> to kill the "north" velocity and then add the "east" velocity if you want to
> go "east". This could be done with one "burn", I *think* it would be a 7.07 km/s
> burn applied in the "southeast" direction!!

Imagine two ships: 
The first one is a fast smuggler with Manuever 6 and Agility 0
(He trusts his engines to keep away from trouble)
The second one is some type of fighter with Manuever 6 and Agility 6

The smuggler is trying to penetrate a RedZone and the fighter is there to
stop such cases of hooliganism.

They have agreed to use the old Traveller (vector) rules :-)
(In fact, I think that the new MegaT system of Space combat movement is
quite unrealistic, To be able to stop travelling by "circling in the same
square", SHEESH!)

In the combat, both ships would move in a totally similar way, since there
is no provision for the effects of agility in movement.
(Of course, it would still affect firing (if they used higuard  or MegaT 
for firing).

That a course change from "north" to "east" requires a "southeast" burn is 
pure "Vectors 101", But the problem is *HOW* to *MAKE* the southeast burn.
Since the trustors works best pushing the ship forwards, a ship wanting to make 
a burn in a certain direction would have to turn to that direction before making
the burn.

Agility helps to make the ship harder to hit, presumably by enabling it to make
small, rapid changes in course. This would indicate that the agility is a 
measure of the ships ability to change course rapidly (It has been stated 
officially that the agility is a measure of the ships ability to change course)

If the agility is a measure of the ships ability to change course, and ships
change course by first turning, then burning,and the Manueverrating is the ships
ability to make the burning, then the Agility must mean the turning.

In the example above this could be implemented by plotting which way each ship
points, and letting high agility ships change this direction faster than the
low agility ships. This would make it quite simple for the fighter to follow the
smuggler, and give agility a real impact on space combat aside from just being 
the ability to "jinking" the ship to make the opponent miss.

- -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)      
"During the high point of the Downes Age, they put Ming the Merciless in charge
of designing California gas stations" W.Gibson "The Gernsback Continuum"

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-------- TML Message #864 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 864
Date: Sun, 28 Jan 90 14:13:51 -0500
From: (Mark Gellis) f3w@mentor.cc.purdue.edu
Subject: Fusion drives, fuel consumption, etc.



For those making the ultimate mistake of playing around with a
ship design system (all right, all right, I'm glad I did because I
ended up with one I like, but it took a LONG time), and wondering
what kind of Isp, etc. you get from fusion drives, my method may be
helpful.

I cheated.

According to ON CIVILIZED STARS, and a few other sources, a Daedelus-type
fusion pulse starship can reach between 12% and 15% c as a terminal 
velocity.  I understand the Isp for this vessel was about 1,000,000.  I
have been told by people who know physics a lot better than I do that 
the D-He3 pulse system the Daedelus people talk about is inefficient,
that fusion drives using a containment system to raise the temperature
of the plasma to enormous levels and then direct the superheated plasma 
as high energy reaction mass could give much higher Isps.

Suffice that, all things being said and done, I assume a standard fusion
drive and 30% of your ship's mass dedicated to fuel will give you a peak
velocity close to 2% c.  If you were loony enough to build a multi-stage
vessel with the Daedelus' 50-to-1 fuel-payload ratio, you could get a 
terminal velocity (no way down) of about 30%-35% c.  Of course, if you
want to build a stl starship, the real choice is matter-antimatter, which
I have arbitrarily placed as being 10 times better than fusion--a single
stage vessel with 30% fuel can go to 20% c and decelerate down again,
multi-stage vessels can reach true relativistic speeds.

In other words, I assume that fusion drives with several thousand years
of technological improvements, scientific breakthroughs, and engineering
refinements behind them can do 2 to 3 times better than the early 
prototypes being designed by people who were still (at the time) 50
years away from producing controlled fusion power.  Or am I being
too optimistic?

   Mark

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-------- TML Message #865 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 865
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 90 09:33:29 EST
From: (Greg Givler - PA) givler@cbmvax.commodore.COM
Subject: Re: Starship design revamping



Stuff about Mayday, I would have included the mail article, but we have
changed vaxes so the system is without any type of emacs support. And
I don't know vi at all.

I remember playing Mayday once. It was quite fun and very physics intensive.
Also, I remember that the game took forever. We did a space battle between
to 100 ton Scouts with triple turrets, Laser, Sand and Missile. It is 
quite an interesting game. 

Greg

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 #866 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 866
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 90 09:28:09 EST
From: (Greg Givler - PA) givler@cbmvax.commodore.COM
Subject: Re:  NPC Generation program.



I don't have C++ but if and when you get a Lattice C version for MS-DOS
I would like the source so that I can port it to the Amiga. 

Greg

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 #867 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 867
Date: Sun, 28 Jan 90 22:36:00 EST
From: HOBBIT@ac.dal.ca
Subject: Drives and velocity


In addition to the discussion on velocities and vector addition:

Things aren't quite so simple (as simple addition) when speeds approach c (speed
    of light: 300 000 km/s).  because the net velocity can never exceed c, a
"horizontal" thrust can decrease "vertical" velocity.  Special relativity gets
really weird at times (this is relatively ordinary.)

        Colin Roald

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-------- TML Message #868 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 868
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 90 11:52 EST
From: METLAY@vms.cis.pitt.edu
Subject: Re: Starship design revamping


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

To Dow, and Bertil, and the other wranglers over fusion drives:

There is no official line about the operation of maneuver drives in
Trav Classic, to the best of my knowledge. The information was codified
and made "official" by Digest Group, probably with no knowledge that
they were asking for trouble from people who could work out the math.
I'll be honest: I avoid starship combat like the plague in this game,
and when I need a starship designed, well, I, uh.... Oh, hell, I may
as well own up and be honest. I get *Dow* to do it for me. There, I've
admitted it, I'm a lazy slob who can't stand the aggravation of 
haggling over tonnages when the drives can generate enough free power to 
push ANYTHING. So sue me. |->

Anyway, for what it's worth (that and 50 yen gets you a video game), I have
always assumed that fusion drives were reaction based. It makes maneuvers
like the Jerusalem Shuffle take on a whole new meaning.

metlay
(still in Tennessee, argh)

Dow: Nice to see you (and Grant) on TML at last! Welcome! And pass along
my best regards to Rob (Sanchez), Paul (O'Connor), Boris (Kherkhoulloth),
and David (Jaeger). I'll be home in a couple of weeks, and we can get
the game up and running again, so I'll have more story material |-> .

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-------- TML Message #869 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 869
From: wrgate.wr.tek.com!reed.UUCP!oresoft.uu.net!richard@tektronix.TEK.COM (Richard Johnson)
Subject: Ron Abramson
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 90 9:05:33 PDT


Ron,

I think I have an incorrect address for you.  Mail is bouncing
both left an right (not just right).  Please drop me a note 
again with an address.

Thanks
Richard Johnson
	richard@oresoft.uu.net
	richard@agora.hf.intel.com

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-------- TML Message #870 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 870
From: wrgate.wr.tek.com!reed.UUCP!oresoft.uu.net!richard@tektronix.TEK.COM (Richard Johnson)
Subject: What the %$#*& IS agility anyway?
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 90 9:38:07 PDT


Agility: it is amazing how much is required to keep from getting
sucked into these discussions :)
(was Starship design revamping)

Bertil Jonnell and someone (please forgive me for fogetting your
name) have been discussing the role (roll?) of agility in space
combat.  I'm afraid I'm no clearer now than when I read the rules.

Let me summarize how I see things:

1.  The MOST acceleration you can get is 6-g.  Period.
		(Rules)

2.  In space there are 6 degrees of freedom; 3 linear, 3 rotational.
		(Physics - ignoring time)

3.  A change in any one degree of freedom will have no change
		on the others.  (Physics again)

4.  Agility is a figure you use (somehow) to determine who has
		"initiative" in a space combat (I think?) or you use to
		deterrmine how easy it is for your ship to make `sudden'
		changes in speed or direction. (Rules I think)

5.  Agility is a number between 1 and 6, inclusive.  (Rules)


One of the following two is (I believe) the proper way to interpret
the rules.  Which one?

******* EITHER:

`agility' is a number you *subtract* from you maneuver number 
to find out just how much acceleration you can get in a real hurry.  
i.e. if you have maneuver 4 and agility 1, you can get 3-g `right now' 
and 4 once you line up the axis of the ship with the direction you 
want to go.

******** OR:

`agility' is a value you can *add* to your maneuver figure to 
indicate how you could overstress the drives and hull in emergency 
situations (like combat) for short times.  i.e. if you have a maneuver 
4 and an agility 1, you can get 5-g `right now' and 4-g only a `short'
(whatever that is) time later.

Which makes more sense, both in terms of rules and "the real
universe"?

- ------------------------------------------------------------------
Technical comment - related but not directly to the above...

The effect of either of the above scenarios is the same.
Space battles become `running battles' or set-piece battles.  Even
at the maximum short-term 12-g limit of the second method, you could
not actually maneuver fast enough to escape the guns behind you;
those guns can rotate much more slowly and still track.  The *best*
you can hope for is to break their lock-on by sudden, violent,
maneuvers (aka jinking) until you can enter hyperspace or get help.
The second-best is to turn and fight.  There is no real advantage to
a high maneuver number except that it lets you get away.

Of course there's always JATO boost. :)

Richard



|=pipe, 

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-------- TML Message #871 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 871
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 90 22:28:38 EST
From: (Chris Bartlett) cdba_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu
Subject: mail hassles



This is for Richard. Sorry about taking up bandwidth, but we're having a
little problem.

Richard,
	I've gotten two of your messages so far, and I gather that you've
sent others right? Everything seems okay on my end, though I had trouble
mailing you earlier tonight (1/29) when the mail bounced. I'll keep tryin'
though...

		Chris


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-------- TML Message #872 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 872
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 90 01:11:01 -0500 (EST)
From: (William Dow Rieder) wr0k+@andrew.cmu.edu
Subject: Agility


Some remarks on Agility --

	According to the Ref's Manual, agility is "the ability
to change your craft's orientation over time". It then gives a
rather poor example involving the _Queen_Mary_ and a rowboat.
The example is bad because water resists passage strongly, and
can be pushed against while space does neither. However, the
definition does look reasonable. In the Starship Operators'
Handbook, published by Digest Group and an official part of
Traveller, the operation of the manuver drive and agility are
discussed in detail.
	The manuver drive is a collection of "thruster plates"
that push the ship (reactionlessly) in whatever direction it
wishes to accelerate. The key to agility is that the plates
are more effective in one direction (usally forward) than
others. Thus, like rockets, the ship has to change its
orientation to face in the direction it wishes to accellerate
in order to use its drives at full effectiveness. In order to
change its orientation, the "best" method according to the
Handbook is to rotate the ship around a central gyroscope
of superdense material spinning at several million rpm's.
The other method discussed is using attitude jets.
	My understanding of how agility works is that a high
agility ship can change its facing very quickly (in a matter
of seconds) so it can change its direction of thrust.
This enables it to "jink" rapidly, throwing off fire since
at the ranges for space combat (~25,000 - 250,000+ km) the
speed of light delay becomes important. It doesn't matter
how large the absolute velocity of the ship is, because the
ship's future position can be calculated and aimed for
("leading" the target); the important part is the how quickly
it can change its vector. Any ship can vary its vector in the
direction it is pointing by pulsing the drives on and off, but
this gives only 1 degree of freedom. The ability to change the
direction of thrust quickly (by turning the ship) allows the
ship to jink in any direction, thus making it harder to hit.
	How the ship converts its power to agility (using the
formulas given), and how much is needed for optimal dodging,
is a different question. I can try to check out the reasonablity
of the formulas if people are interested.
	If anyone has questions, comments or corrections, let
me know.

					W. Dow Rieder
				alias Capt. Kagariilian Grant

 	When the only tool you have is a hammer, all your problems
start to look like nails...

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-------- TML Message #873 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 873
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 90 01:55:23 -0500 (EST)
From: (William Dow Rieder) wr0k+@andrew.cmu.edu
Subject: Xboats


	Xboats in Megatraveller

	I don't know if anyone else has tried to design Xboats
using the MT design rules, but I got some interesting results
so I thought I would post them.
	When I built my first Xboat according to the specs from
Traders and Gunboats (Jump-4, no manuver drive, 2 staterooms, etc),
I ended up with room left over. A LOT of room left over -- more
than half the ship! I added a 1G manuver drive, since the reason
the original Xboat didn't have one was lack of space. There is
still a lot of space left over, so you can put more stuff in if
you want. Maybe it could be used as a cargo carrier...:-)

CraftID: Xboat, TL15, Mcr 23.366
Hull:	90/225, Disp=100, Config=4USL, Armor=40G
	Unloaded=500 tons, Loaded=~1200 tons (with cargo)
Power:	1/2, Fusion=252 Mw, Duration=30/90
Loco:	2/4, Manuver=1, 5/10, Jump=4, Agility=0
Commo:	Radio=System, Maser=System
Sensors: PassEMS=Interstellar, ActEMS=FarOrbit
	Densitometer=250m, Neutrino=10kw
Off/Def: DefDM= +2
Control: Computer=1bis x3, Large Holodisplay
	Environ=basic env, basic ls, extend ls, grav plates,
	inertial comp
Accomm:	Crew=1 (Bridge/Engineer=1), Staterooms=2
Other:	Fuel=429 kliters, Cargo=650 kliters (!)
	ObjSize=average, EMLevel=Faint

	The only change needed at TL13 is to double the size and
cost of the powerplant, with a slight increase in fuel.
	I don't know about other people, but if I were a scout
I would much prefer this ship as a mustering-out benefit. A
cargo capacity of ~50 tons and Jump-4 would make for a quite
good merchant, and its cheaper than a scout to boot.
	I have designed quite a few ships, mostly merchants
and small warships/pirates, so if there is interest I could
post them. Comments welcome.

					W. Dow Rieder
				alias Capt. Kagariilian Grant

 	When the only tool you have is a hammer, all your problems
start to look like nails...


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-------- TML Message #874 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 874
From: (Bertil Jonell) d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se
Subject: Re: Xboats
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 90 11:19:35 MET DST


W. Dow Rieder writes: 
> 	I don't know if anyone else has tried to design Xboats
> using the MT design rules, but I got some interesting results
> so I thought I would post them.
> 	When I built my first Xboat according to the specs from
> Traders and Gunboats (Jump-4, no manuver drive, 2 staterooms, etc),
> I ended up with room left over. A LOT of room left over -- more
> than half the ship!

It depends on two things: 
1. MegaT does not require a ship to have a bridge. That's 270 kl extra to
play with.
2. MegaT jumpdrives draw much less fuel than before. But, fuel for one jump-2
does *not* equal fuel for two jump-1 anymore!

Regarding Xboats:
There is enough room to easily fit a Jump-6 drive, and perhaps, enough
fuel to power *yet another* jump at jump-6. It all depends on whether the
manueverdrive runs at full power during jump, or if it just powers the 
Environ and Controls, and if you refrain from installing certain parts of
the environment stuff in relatively unusable parts of the ship like the 
fueltanks. (May have som effects by non-smooth feed of the jumpdrive and
resulting higher frequency of misjumps, though)

Regarding this Xboat:
I am not sure, but shouldn't a ship have a computer with a number equal to the
max jump it can perform? I'm sure this was the case in {Old|Classic|Version1}
Traveller, and I assume that this have not changed...

> CraftID: Xboat, TL15, Mcr 23.366
> Hull:	90/225, Disp=100, Config=4USL, Armor=40G
> 	Unloaded=500 tons, Loaded=~1200 tons (with cargo)
> Power:	1/2, Fusion=252 Mw, Duration=30/90
> Loco:	2/4, Manuver=1, 5/10, Jump=4, Agility=0
> Commo:	Radio=System, Maser=System
> Sensors: PassEMS=Interstellar, ActEMS=FarOrbit
> 	Densitometer=250m, Neutrino=10kw
> Off/Def: DefDM= +2
> Control: Computer=1bis x3, Large Holodisplay
> 	Environ=basic env, basic ls, extend ls, grav plates,
> 	inertial comp
> Accomm:	Crew=1 (Bridge/Engineer=1), Staterooms=2
> Other:	Fuel=429 kliters, Cargo=650 kliters (!)
> 	ObjSize=average, EMLevel=Faint

I'll try to post the very strange design I got on file at home: The proof that
is is possible to make a scoutship with Jump-6 Manuever-6 and Agility-6, 
What? Cargospace? Weapons? Well, no, not really, but is such things really
necessary? :-)
(It is a design that assumes that the fuel consumption en-route in jumpspace
is low.)

Obligatory Joke:

Paranoid Player: "All this is really yet another proof that the *real* reason 
behind why the Xboats is just Jump-4 is that the Imperium wishes to keep
the great unwashed in the dark when issues of importance arise!"

Other Player: "Oh, I always thought that 'the great unwashed' was a K'Kree
vaccsuit!"

- -- 
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)      
"During the high point of the Downes Age, they put Ming the Merciless in charge
of designing California gas stations" W.Gibson "The Gernsback Continuum"

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-------- TML Message #875 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 875
From: ("Brent L. Woods") woodsb@gn.ecn.purdue.edu
Subject: Re: Xboats
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 90 8:03:40 EST



 In message: <wZlHdPy00W0IM=xEdD@andrew.cmu.edu> William Dow Rieder writes:
 >
 >     Xboats in Megatraveller
 >
 >     I don't know if anyone else has tried to design Xboats using the MT
 >design rules, but I got some interesting results so I thought I would post
 >them.
 >     When I built my first Xboat according to the specs from Traders and
 >Gunboats (Jump-4, no manuver drive, 2 staterooms, etc), I ended up with room
 >left over.  A LOT of room left over--more than half the ship!  I added a 1G
 >manuver drive, since the reason the original Xboat didn't have one was lack of
 >space.  There is still a lot of space left over, so you can put more stuff in
 >if you want.  Maybe it could be used as a cargo carrier...:-)
 >
 >CraftID:  Xboat, TL15, Mcr 23.366
                   ^^^^

     I just took a look at Supplement 9, Fighting Ships, and the Xboat was
listed as a *TL10* design.  I haven't had any time to check this out with the
design rules (and won't, for that matter, for several days), but would this
make a difference?

 >     The only change needed at TL13 is to double the size and cost of the
 >powerplant, with a slight increase in fuel.

     Again, the reference I have handy (right under my Amiga, as a matter
of fact, in the keyboard garage) says TL10.  Then again, it also gives TL9
for the Type S Scout/Courier.  I can remember getting a substantial
improvement on that by upping the Tech Level to 15 just with High Guard
rules.


- --
     Brent

INTERNET:  woodsb@gn.ecn.purdue.edu  /  woodsb@attctc.dallas.tx.us
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-------- TML Message #876 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 876
From: (Adrian Hurt) adrian%cs.heriot-watt.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk
Subject: What the %$#*& IS agility anyway?
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 90 14:46:32 BST


> Let me summarize how I see things:
> 
> 1.  The MOST acceleration you can get is 6-g.  Period.
> 		(Rules)

What acceleration did the Apollo rockets achieve?

...

> 4.  Agility is a figure you use (somehow) to determine who has
> 		"initiative" in a space combat (I think?) or you use to
> 		deterrmine how easy it is for your ship to make `sudden'
> 		changes in speed or direction. (Rules I think)

The first of those is probably from "High Guard", in which Agility also acts
to hinder incoming fire from meson guns and particle accelerators. (The roll
to hit gets the target's Agility subtracted from it.)

> 5.  Agility is a number between 1 and 6, inclusive.  (Rules)

Between 0 and 6.  A ship might not have a manoeuvre drive, e.g. X-boats.

> One of the following two is (I believe) the proper way to interpret
> the rules.  Which one?

"High Guard" calculates a ship's agility by dividing its available power by its
tonnage.  "Available" means power which isn't needed for weapons, computers,
etc.  Which means that some ships can have 0 agility, even if they have working
manoeuvre drives.  A type S scout ship with a pair of lasers is one example.

There is also "emergency agility".  To work this out, divide the ship's power
by its mass.  Forget weapons, computers, etc. - this is an emergency, we want
to _move_!  However, the emergency agility may not exceed the ship's manoeuvre
rating.

That's the quick'n'dirty way.  Assuming the ship doesn't have a big enough
power supply to drive all weapons, computers and manoeuvre drives at once,
I allow calculations to be made on how much power is given to weapons, how
much to manoeuvre, etc.  The agility is then calculated as usual.  Allocating
power like this gives the engineer PC something to do.

> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> Technical comment - related but not directly to the above...
> 
> The effect of either of the above scenarios is the same.
> Space battles become `running battles' or set-piece battles.  Even
> at the maximum short-term 12-g limit of the second method, you could
> not actually maneuver fast enough to escape the guns behind you;
> those guns can rotate much more slowly and still track.

This is something I never liked.  All weapons are in turrets.  A ship ought
to be able to have fixed weapons.  Either the same weapons, but taking much
less space; or bigger weapons in the same space.  In particular, a fighter
ought to be able to take a big missile on a fixed mount, instead of those
small 50kg things in its turret.  That way, it might be able to do some harm
to a decent sized ship.

 "Keyboard? How quaint!" - M. Scott

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

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-------- TML Message #877 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 877
From: wrgate.wr.tek.com!reed.UUCP!oresoft.uu.net!richard@tektronix.TEK.COM (Richard Johnson)
Subject: Status of E-PBM (also those $%^# mailers)
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 90 8:42:12 PDT


The game is now starting.  If you don't have your character in yet,
don't worry.  You still have a week or two to do that.  I'll
integrate you into the party as "your applications are accepted".

I think most of the mail is actually getting through now, except
for (ironically) the first three people to respond.

Please:  would Josh Krage, Steve Owens, and Nicholas Sylvain
		 send me their addresses again?  Yours have consistently
		 not gone out (I can receive your mail).

We presently have (Interesting trivia):
	4 Canadians
	1 Dane
	1 Swede
	2 Aussies
	1 U.K. citizen
	n U.S. types
			all playing in the game!  I'm impressed.

Richard

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-------- TML Message #878 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 878
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 90 13:03:44 EST
From: (Fiver Toadflax) 09nilles%cuavax.dnet@netcon.cua.edu
Subject: re: Xboats


In your article (W. Dow Rieder), you states that there is LOTS of room left
over in the Xboat.  I don't have the new MT rules, but there is still lots
of room left over in the old High Gaurd rules.  As I recal in Traders and
Gunboats, it says that all that extra space is used for a VERY big computer
to store and encrypt/decrypt the mail that is being sent along the route.

So if you were to take out the computer(which as I percieved, was around
20 tons), you would have room for a manuever drive and cargo.  But also
don't forget that the X-boat is not streamlined.

                 Dave
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Nuke 'um Till They Glow	     |	Money Talks.
       Then Shoot Them in the Dark   |	   Mine Only knows how to say bye.
- -------------------------------------+------------------------------------
   Peace through superior firepower  |


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

