
-------- TML Message #1277 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1277
Date:     Fri, 4 May 90 14:38:10 PDT
From: Orcinus orca <jokim@jarthur.claremont.edu>
Subject:  Re: Sniper stuff

>From: "Mark F. Cook" <markc@hpcvss.cv.hp.COM>
>Subject: (1273) Pillows as silencers
> ...
>Sniper weapons (long range by definition) are never silenced,
>as physical laws prevent the design of a weapon that is both silent AND
>effective.

If you're playing Traveller and you're that worried about being
both silent and effective, why don't you just use a UV or x-ray
laser rifle?  X-ray will probably go through walls as well. :-)

How did all this start anyway?
- --
John H. Kim
jokim@jarthur.claremont.edu
uunet!jarthur!jokim

-------- TML Message #1278 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1278
Date:     Fri, 4 May 90 21:57:07 PDT
From: Orcinus orca <jokim@jarthur.claremont.edu>
Subject:  Microrobotics

>By the way, while we are on the subject of assassinations, I would like to
>mention that no one seems to be talking about the possible applications of
>microrobotics in Traveller, for assassinations or other enterprises.  What
>do you people think about wasp-sized robots, with VX nerve toxin in the
>stingers, homing in on people based on their individual chemical signatures?

I thought of the same thing, only for spying/espionage--radio
controlled mobile bugs that look and act like your typical everyday
insect.  Add some high tech visual equipment (you math types can
have fun figuring out the maximum resolution through a small lens)
and you don't need to watch where it's going or waste weight to
store pictures.  To avoid detection, use an idea similar to what
we're using with space probes--have the bug transmit a very weak
signal and use gobs of receiving equipment to filter it out from
background noise.

That's as far as I got, never got to use it on players.  They would
have probably killed me if I did.
- --

John H. Kim
jokim@jarthur.claremont.edu
uunet!jarthur!jokim

-------- TML Message #1279 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1279
From: /dev/console <jscratch@eklektik.pgh.pa.us>
Subject: PBEM Party
Date: Sun, 6 May 90 23:33:41 EDT

Hey all,

[character on]

	Suddenly realizing, by the sudden shift in the ship's gravitic
compensators that a large number of the crew seem to have accumulated in one
spot, Ralf checks his e-mail and finds that there's some sort of party going
on... he takes (another) quick shower,  tosses several of his favorite
creations into his hand computer and heads up to join the fun.

(a short while later, at the party...)

	Ralf wanders around the party for a little while;  those yet
unfamiliar with him will note that he has sharp features, is rather thin, and
has a very dark complexion, (rather like a native of India from earth).  His
build and manner of moving suggest somebody from a low-grav world or space
habitat. The first thing he does on arriving is slide a small holocrystal (if
anybody gets close enough to get a look, the miniscule label says "drunk XVI")
into his odd-looking hand computer.

	Ralf finds a holodisplay and slides one of his creations - a full wrap-
around simulation of a theoretical approach to a ringworld construct, complete
with fractally generated (but vague and unspecific) glimpses of the inner
surface - into the dataport and sets for continuous display.  A few moments
later he jacks in Corporate Wars III, a computer simulation of the early 21st 
century "robber barons" (corporate execs) and the competition they enganged
in, including sending small scale mercenary assault teams after the
competition's corporate offices... 

	Apparently, Ralf is catching up quite fast on the rest of the
party-goers;  he's either downing a lot of alcohol, or he has an inordinately
low constitution, because he quickly (although nobody has seen him taking a
drink) reaches that state of inebriation that can be referred to as "loose" by
people who like to interpret such vague terms broadly... another phrase
(dredged up from a truly ancient copy of Bartlett's Idiom, Colloquialisms &
Slang) to describe it might be "bouncing off the walls."

[player on]

	What's been happening?  Aside from a little side-talk with a few of
the other players I have yet to hear from anybody in the game.  True, I
haven't exactly been the most active player, but I've sent three or four posts
in - and then in again... and then requests for confirmation of receipt, and
then...

	Rich, I can guess that you're busy enough with your own life, and that
the game must be generating one hell of a mail load for you to deal with, but
I've been waiting a month or two on some of these;  even a simple "yes, I got
your mail;  I'm REALLY busy and I'll get to you later." would provide a great
deal of reassurance.  Maybe you should set up a program to look through your
messages and send automatic short replies to each saying "It got here, I'll
get back to you." ?  

	Well, somebody let me know what's going on, eh?  (and yes, I WILL be
here for the summer, barring something odd, like lightning striking my
modem... or me :-)

	Ralf

"Okay -- now *do* something..."		Steven J. Owens
"Coming up!"				scratch@pittvms
"Good lord!  That's a grenade!"		scratch@unix.cis.pitt.edu
"What the hell did you expect me to do?	jscratch@eklektik.pgh.pa.us
 >toss< Shoot it out? >BADAM!<"	 
   Buck Godot - Zap Gun For Hire, Phil Phoglio



-------- TML Message #1280 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1280
From: Adrian Hurt <adrian%cs.heriot-watt.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: silent sniping
Date: Mon, 7 May 90 9:17:21 BST

Orcinus orca <jokim@jarthur.claremont.edu> writes:
> 
> If you're playing Traveller and you're that worried about being
> both silent and effective, why don't you just use a UV or x-ray
> laser rifle?  X-ray will probably go through walls as well. :-)
> 
> How did all this start anyway?

It started when I expressed derision at DGP's statement that gauss weapons
are silent.  The consensus here seems to be, they're not.  There have been
a lot of messages from professional, informed and semi-informed sources (I
include myself among the third, so no offence intended).  To summarise:

1.  DGP are wrong.  Gauss weapons aren't silent.
2.  The only noise they do make is due to the needle going through the
    sound barrier.  They have no muzzle blast (or flash), and little or
    no mechanical sound.

So, detecting one is less difficult than detecting a CPR (Chemically
Propelled Round) weapon, but more difficult than detecting a CPR weapon
with a good silencer and flash eliminator.  Without any rules handy, here's
how I'd define the task:

Detect fired weapon: Routine, uncertain.  DM's: INT, Tactics

For a gauss weapon, or CPR weapon with flash eliminator, change that "Routine"
to "Difficult".  For a fully suppressed CPR weapon, make it "Formidable".  The
flash eliminator in the "Difficult" case should really have limited sound
suppression as well, while "fully suppressed" means the round is subsonic too.
Ah, for good old Traveller, where I would impose specific DM's against the
detector for sound suppression, subsonic round, flash eliminator, and probably
the TL of the suppressor.

As for x-ray lasers; how much damage would they do, if they didn't get lucky
and hit bone?

- --
 "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

-------- TML Message #1281 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1281
Date:     Mon, 7 May 90 20:53:36 PDT
From: Orcinus orca <jokim@jarthur.claremont.edu>
Subject:  PBEM: Richard's photo on a milk carton

Where is Richard you ask?

A clue to the mystery:

The last correspondence we (those of us who are hard at work
thinking up neat things for you to find on the ringworld) had
with him (a couple weeks ago) said he was having trouble getting
to a terminal.

Is there anyone else besides Alan and me working on the ringworld?
- --
John H. Kim
jokim@jarthur.claremont.edu
uunet!jarthur!jokim

-------- TML Message #1282 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1282
Subject: snipers & lasers
Date: Mon, 07 May 90 21:39:36 PDT
From: Leonard Erickson <leonard@tessi.UUCP>

Sorry folks, but no sniper in his right mind will use a laser!

Y'see, by the time a laser's power density (watts per cm^2) reaches
levels useful in a weapon, it has reached levels that will cause the 
air to ionize along the beam path. I can show you a lovely picture of
an IR laser beam in the air of a lab. Looks like something out of a 
special effects crew's nightmares.

No intelligent sniper is going to use a weapon that draws a line
connecting him with his target!!

You want quiet, hard to detect in weapon scans, lightweight, and
*deadly*? Just the thing here. A crossbow! They've been used as
recently as Vietnam. And with a composite material for the bow, it's
invisible to metal detectors and explosives sniffers. And it has a
decent range. A few hundred yards at least.

Thunk!

"Sir, they got the Colonel! Some sort of arrow... Arrgh!"

<crackle> "HQ? Hello? hello?" <crackle>

-------- TML Message #1283 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1283
Date:     Tuesday 8th May 1990 12:18:11 BST
From: Alan Huscroft <ASSHUSCR%cms.am.cc.reading.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk>
Subject:  The extent of legal jurisdiction

 
Question:
 
How far off a planet's surface does its legal jurisdiction extend?
100 diameters?  The whole system?  Does the Imperium have guidelines
on this, or is it a question of what the world is capable of enforcing?
 
For example, if a particular world outlawed gambling, could an
enterprising individual get away with setting up a casino in orbit?
Or perhaps elsewhere in the system?
 
............................................................................
: Alan Huscroft              : Janet:    A.Huscroft@uk.ac.reading          :
: Reading, England           : Internet: A.Huscroft@reading.ac.uk          :
: 6-G takeoffs AND landings! : X-boat:   A.Huscroft@terra.sol.solomani_rim :
:............................:.............................................:
 
"Have you hugged your luugiir today?"

-------- TML Message #1284 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1284
From: Adrian Hurt <adrian%cs.heriot-watt.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: my blunder in silent sniping
Date: Tue, 8 May 90 9:54:13 BST

Adrian Hurt <adrian%cs.heriot-watt.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk> writes:

> So, detecting one is less difficult than detecting a CPR (Chemically
> Propelled Round) weapon, but more difficult than detecting a CPR weapon
> with a good silencer and flash eliminator.

Before lots of you send corrections to the above, I'll correct myself.
Detecting a gauss weapon is more difficult than detecting a CPR weapon,
but less difficult than dtecting a CPR weapon with a good silencer and
flash eliminator.

That'll teach me to read the message properly before letting it out! :-!

 "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

-------- TML Message #1285 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1285
Date: Tue, 8 May 90 08:06:51 PDT
From: And now for something completely different! 08-May-1990 1054 <baranski@meridn.enet.dec.COM>
Subject: Grand Duke Norris

Hi guys...

I am currently playing a space conquest game that is running over the network,
one where each player plays a character/race type, you start out with a planet,
and proceed to develop it and explore and dominate the universe.  Meanwhile
there are ~40 other people doing the same thing.

The 'character' I had choosen is Duke Norris; however I am now finding out that
I have large gaps in my knowledge of Duke Norris, like I can't even remember
the rest of his name.  I use the term 'character' loosely because the game is
mainly strategy and tactics, not role playing.  The character playing is mainly
a name for the anonamous mailer alias, a style of writing in communicating with
other players and diplomacy, and pithy phrases to name your planets and ships.

Interesting, eh?

Basically what I'm looking for is any information on Duke Norris, what he did
during the Fifth Frontier War, and what he's been up to in the disintegration
of the empire.

Jim Baranski
DEC System Manager for Rent
Norwich CT.

-------- TML Message #1286 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1286
Subject: Test of TML
Date: Tue, 08 May 90 13:10:10 PDT
From: James T Perkins <jamesp@metolius.WR>


Hi folks! I've been mucking about with the Traveller Mailing List
software.  More specifically, I've physically moved the TML from its old
home (dadla.wr.tek.com, a VAX 11/780 running 4.3 Tahoe) to its new home
(metolius.wr.tek.com, the Sun Sparcstation 1 that sits at my desk).
This is an effort for me to abandon the old VAX for the speedy little
workstation, get all the archives on the local disk (instead of
overloading NFS whenever I build a new archive listing).

Note that you should now use metolius.wr.tek.com in place of
dadla.wr.tek.com for all TML mail.  Dadla should still work fine, but
all it does now is forward the requests on to metolius.  If you have
problems, please let me know at once, with as much detail as you can
provide (entire bounced messages if possible).

I would like the following TMLers to send me a reply ASAP, so I can
ensure that the software is working correctly:

	P.J.Netherwood@kingston.ac.uk (Paul Netherwood)
	bart@videovax.tv.tek.com (Bart Massey)
	bryanh@dadla.wr.tek.com (Bryan Hilterbrand)
	d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se (Bertil Jonell)
	dan@engrg.uwo.ca (Dan Corrin)
	plb@violin.att.com (Peter L Berghold)
	richard@agora.hf.intel.com (Richard Johnson)
	wdr@wang.wang.com (Bill Ricker)

Thanks!

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

-------- TML Message #1287 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1287
From: zonker@ihlpf.att.COM
Date: Wed, 9 May 90 08:21 CDT
Subject: Laser Assasins

    I just read of a real good way to use a laser to assasinate someone in
Tom Clancy's latest "Clear and Present Danger".  In the book the Director
of the FBI has been assasinated in Columbia and the U.S. has decided to
retaliate.  The find out about a meeting of the drug lords by monitoring
cellular phone conversations.  Two CIA operatives use the laser to paint
a vehicle near the target and then smack the vehicle with a laser guided
weapon.  In the book they blew up a pick-up truck next to the conference
room with a special bomb (combustable casing so it would leave no bomb
casing fragments).  The bomb was dropped from a bomber off of a carrier
which had its IFF rigged to pretend to be a routine cargo hauler.  The bomb
didn't actually explode until it was inside the truck i.e. contact detonated
meaning it fell a fraction of a second past impact.  The net effect is that
survivors of the hit assumed it was a car bomb and started looking for
people who had access to the car and would use a car bomb, not for any
people who might have been able to see where the car was parked from
several kms away.
					Non Cuniculus Est,
					    Tom Harris


-------- TML Message #1288 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1288
Subject: Re: Test of TML
Date: Wed, 09 May 90 07:15:18 PDT
From: James T Perkins <jamesp@metolius.WR>

Hi folks!

There were two problems with last night's digest.  One was that there
were two copies of each message.  The other is that the digest id
skipped from V4#5 to V4#7 without anyone ever receiving V4#6.

Both of these problems were my fault directly -- V4#6 didn't get sent
out at all, so I put everything back, fixed the bug in the digesting
program, and tried to resend the digest, expecting that all would be
well and that it would be numbered V4#6.  I had forgotten to clean up
the temporary message staging area (hence a second copy of all messages)
and reset the digest id (hence the jump from #5 to #7).

I do not expect these problems to recur, nor should the biweekly folks
see anything amiss.  Looks like the TML has pretty much successfully
moved.

Oh, one other administrivia point...  Somehow a stray message (was
listed in the archive index as number 1253, but actually was not stamped
with an Archive-Message-Number) got into the TML archives.  The
automatically-generated TML archive index (bundle 104) contains an extra
message that was not part of real TML traffic.  I am working with Dan
Corrin (who manages the TML FTP site) to fix his copy of the index, but
any of you who have a copy of the index I have sent since April 24th may
be in error.

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

-------- TML Message #1289 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1289
From: "Johnny B." <ccm007@deneb.ucdavis.edu>
Date: Tue, 8 May 90 22:57:21 -0700
Subject: Sniping...

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

In some instances, I believe using a laser would be very beneficial. I'm
sure that X-Ray and IR lasers could do the job, if the targets aren't
prepared for it (ie using special vision enhancers like IR goggles). Also
I believe if you're in a patrol and it is set apon by a sniper, a good
commander will start ordering his men to start popping smoke grenades and
either rush the sniper or retrograde (in the military, we don't retreat).
Primarily, the smoke won't let the laser fire effectively on the targets,
plus it provides cover for the individuals. So, what's my answer to this ?

Lasers are cool, but people can prevent you from really hurting them. After
the commander pops a couple of smoke grenades, he doesn't really care if
anyone else sees the smoke because his position has already been compromised
and as Leonard Erickson stated in article 1282 :

" No intelligent sniper is going to use a weapon that draws a line
  connecting him with his target !! "

What I suggest doing is using some sort of shock weapon. In Viet Nam, Special
Force snipers (atleast some) would use .50 caliber rifles on enemy troops.
Now a .50 caliber will definatley blow you away, but what these S.F. guys
did was to use jet ammunition. These babies were armor piercing , explosive
rounds used against other planes. Now I suppose it's onething to see the
person crumple up and die from a laser wound, or maybe get knocked down or
head explode from a sniping rifle, but when your buddy gets hit by a .50
with AP EXP, there isn't much to send home. It'll demoralize the enemy !
Who wants to charge a sniper with a gun like that ?

Again, it's the choice of the sinper, using a silent weapon like a crossbow
is good, I wouldn't see much shock affect in it, plus if someone has
battle armor  * P-TING * goes the bolt but atleast you're not seen by
the enemy. Now .50 caliber, high shoch value, that will devastate a body.
If the target is using battle dress, instead of using a .50, graduate up
to a PGMP. It works for me. :-)

Zzzzap !

Wow, a laser got Chuck, good thing we wore these IR goggles, now we can
track where the blast came from. All units concentrate fire on that bush !

("Hehehehe" thinks the laser sniper "no one saw me at all !"

Ratatatata, kabooom, (and the sniper dies with a surprise on his face (8-(

Thunk !  *P-Ting*

Yow, another sniper hit us, but where is he ? Next time he fires we'll
be ready with our handy dandy motion detector, and then, we'll show 'em !

Thunk !  *P-Ting*

("Hehehehe" thinks the crossbow sniper "no one saw me at all, I wonder if I
hurt someone ? ")

Motion tracked and locked on sir.

Ratatatata, kabooom, (and the sniper dies with a surprise on his face (8-(

Blam, kaboom, fizzle-sizzle

Holy Cow, look what happened to the sarge. He's missing his upper torso !
Where did it come from ? I don't know but next time he fires we'll know
and we'll get him. Everyone looks at each other with a face of fear, who
will be next to explode like the sarge ?

("Hehehehe" thinks the .50 caliber sniper "I really don't care if they
know where I am, their demoralized, and that's what counts, or is it
bodies that count !")

Anyways, I'm sure there are many other ways for a sniper to be efficient,
please write about it, it'll be a learning experience.

John

-------- TML Message #1290 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1290
Date: Wed, 9 May 90 11:58:49 EDT
From: Dan Corrin <dan@engrg.uwo.ca>
Subject: Re: The extent of legal jurisdiction (1283)

Alan Huscroft <A.Huscroft@reading.ac.uk> writes:

> How far off a planet's surface does its legal jurisdiction extend?
> 100 diameters?  The whole system?  Does the Imperium have guidelines
> on this, or is it a question of what the world is capable of enforcing?

It has been stated that the starport (downport) is essentialy foreign soil, 
and the local laws do not apply there. Therefore the highport would also
be under the same circumstances. And so (I would presume) be any ship at
the port or nearby.

The question arises, how many of the local laws are the port authorities
going to implement as "courtesies" to the locals. ie. They may pass
local regulations prohibiting gambling to appease the locals.

This is irrespective of tech level. If the planet is pre-stellar+, then
the local navy may have its own ideas about what is legal. I don't think
that the number of planetary diameters has anything to do with it. The
locals would claim their entire solar system, (and if you use WBH will
have colonies and spaceports (not starports) scattered all over the
system). Thus the navy may only see designated imperial property (ie.
starports) as being immune to local laws.

Another consideration is alienating merchants. Should said local navy
start harrassing merchants, boarding and checking for gambling, the
merchants may stop coming, and that could play havoc with their
economy.

In summary: It is a political situation and depending on the particular
law, the conviction of the locals, personalities (and orders) of the port 
authorities, and the opinon of merchant lines, a local law may be limited
to the planet, or extend throughout the system. 

Suprise your players, every world should be an unique experience, the
charts for the planet would describe all unusual legal conditions, if the
players bother to read the dozens of pages in detail. My players
rember worlds by their customs and laws, three nights in jail that a
player spent for GASP! not wearing a hat in public still sticks in their
mind.

Dan Corrin, System Manager, Mechanical Engineering, UWO, London, Ontario
TML FTP site coordinator:  dan@engrg.uwo.ca   ...!watmath!julian!engrg!dan



-------- TML Message #1291 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1291
Date: Tue, 8 May 90 14:56:53 EST
From: Paul Dale <grue@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au>
Subject: A new improved Heavy Fighter

[Acck! This mail was sent to traveller@dadla.LA.tek.com.  The mailing
list moved to traveller@dadla.WR.tek.com about 6 months ago, and just
yesterday moved to traveller@METOLIUS.WR.tek.com (letters capitalized
for emphasis), although the dadla route will still work.  The la.tek.com
domain has been defunct for months and my sysadmin promises it will go
away at any time.  In order to prevent future confusion or rubber email,
please check that you are using the latest address for mailing to the
TML and to me -- James.  P.S.  Paul: thanks for the starship design, we
need all of these difficult little things we can get].

hiya,

Just a design I threw together.  An all round nice little ship.

Features include 6G, Agility-6 and factor 75 armor (which was the TL15 limit
until Fighting Ships came along).  It is immune to just about everything short
of a spinal mount.  As for weapons, a triple beam laser turret is all it's
got.

I can't wait until a poor scout ship actually has to fight this monster in
real combat!!

CraftID:	Attack Fighter, Type FA, TL=15, MCr=421.319
Hull:		90/225, Disp=100, Config=1AF, Armor=75G
		Unloaded=7770.313, Loaded=7793.62174
Power:		40/80, Fusion=10800, Duration=2.5/7.7
		(without agility or weapons Duration=49.7/149)
Loco:		16/32, Manmeuver=6, Top=3780, Cruise=2835, NOE=190
		Vacuum Top=4200, Vacuum Cruise=3150, Agility=6
Commo:		Radio=System
Sensors:	PassiveEMS=Interstellar, ActiveEMD=FarOrbit,
		Densitometer=HighPen/1000m, neutrino=10kw, Neural=VeryLong
		ActObjScan=Routine, ActObjPin=Routine,
		PasObjScan=Routine, PasObjScan=Routine,
		PasEngScan=Simple,  PasEndPin=Routine
Off:		BeamLaser=x04
		Batt     =001
		Bear     =001
Def:		DefDM=+17
Control:	Computer=9x3
		Panel=Holodynamic Linkedx2
		Special=HeadsUpx2
		Environ=basic environ, basic life support, extended life
			support, grav plates, inertial compensation
Accom:		crew=2, StateRooms=1
Other:		Cargo=0, Fuel=332.982kL,
		ObjSize=Average, EmLevel=Faint

							Pauli
seeya
SNIF

Paul Dale               | Internet/CSnet:            grue@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au
Dept of Computer Science| Bitnet:       grue%batserver.cs.uq.oz.au@uunet.uu.net
Uni of Qld              | JANET:           grue%batserver.cs.uq.oz.au@uk.ac.ukc
Australia, 4067         | EAN:                          grue@batserver.cs.uq.oz
                        | UUCP:           uunet!munnari!batserver.cs.uq.oz!grue
f4e7g4Qh4++             | JUNET:                     grue@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au

-------- TML Message #1292 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1292
From: Matt Goldman <goldman@ferris.cray.COM>
Subject: So the group wants to play Star Trek and not Traveller...
Date: Wed, 9 May 90 11:00:49 CDT


Hello all.  I posted the following to a news group.  There 
is additional material at the end...

>ain14998@merrimack.edu writes:
>	How do I convince a group that loves to play role-playing 
>games to try something new?
>	Can anyone offer advice on how to persuade players to try 
>something new and different?

Hello all.  I've had an interesting idea floating around in my head for a
while that I'd like to share with you.

I have a group that really wants to play Star Trek, the RPG.  Sigh, I
like Traveller better.  They are not interested in anything else, except
for D&D.  I'm rather burned out on D&D right not so we are going to
play Traveller, err, Star Trek.  The Game is going to go sort of like
this...

Phase I Exploration:
	The players must locate a sutable class M planet for a 
	new colony.  During this phase they will encounter a
	number of strange items.  Marker beacons from unknown
	cultures, strange energy readings, and ships which vanish
	with a release of strange energy.  They are encountering
	IISS (Imperial Interstellar Scout Service) scouts.  The
	scouts are also noticing them...

Phase II Relocation:
	The players must supervise the relocation of the
	colonists to the new colony.  Focus in the interaction
	between the Starfleet crew and the colonists.  The
	colonists should be a pain to work with.  Some strange
	energy readings should be noted in the system as well as
	coded radio transmissions.  As the colony becomes
	settled, the player's starship will frequently be called
	away by Starfleet for some 'secret' missions.  The
	colonists will be unhappy about the starship leaving the
	system.  They will complain loudly about the lack of
	protection.  During one of the first few times that the
	player's ship is not in the system, a few of the
	colonists will vanish with out a trace.  In reality, the
	missing colonists have been kidnapped by IISS agents who
	want to find out about about a new culture.  The last
	time that the players leave the colony things happen.
	The players will return just in time for Phase III...

Phase III Contact:
	The players return to find the colony a smoking ruin.  A
	landing party (all of the players must be in the landing 
	party) is sent down.  The colony has been stripped of all
	computer and communications equipment.  Quite a few
	colonists are dead, they appear to have been killed in
	the defense of the colony.  They were killed with energy
	weapons *and* projectal weapons.  All of the remaining
	colonists are missing.  Well, all but one.  S/he managed
	to hide when the aliens attacked.  So s/he claims.  The
	surviving 'colonists' is in reality a Zhodani spy (enemy
	of the Imperium.)  The spy is on the planet for reasons
	of his/her own.  While the players are exploring the
	ruins, their ship will be attacked and destroyed.  The
	players will shortly afterwards be captured.

Phase IV Capture:
	The landing party is captured by humanoids is combat
	armor.  If the players resist an NPC will be killed.  The
	party will be loaded onto a shuttle and transported to a
	ship in orbit.  The ship is *big*, the players will be
	able to estimate that it is about 3 km in length.  It is
	bristling with weapon turrets.  It has a logo painted on
	one side that none of the player's reconize.  The party
	will be locked into a cargo bay.  Food will be available
	in the cargo bay.  The players will be ignored for two
	months.  Every so often there will be sounds of battle
	during this time.  After the two months have passed, the
	players will be transfered to another ship's cargo bay.  
	The players will be questioned indivually at this time.
	They will have chances to escape.  If they do not manage
	to escape, eventually the ship they are in will be
	attacked (there is a war on you know...) and disabled.
	When the players escape Phase V starts.

Phase V The Voyage Home:
	Questions the players will need to find the answers to.
	1) How operational is this ship?
	2) How can we repair this ship?
	3) Where are we?
	4) What information can we gather?
	5) Where is home?
	They may come up with other questions.  The answer to
	number 5 may not be able to be determined.  Allow them to
	explore the Traveller universe.

Overview:
	Outlaws with lots of technical knowledge and a stolen
	starship on the run from an EVIL, RUTHLESS galactic empire.
	Sounds like "Blake's 7" to me...

Comments, suggestions?  E-mail me or Call by phone.  If you use
the idea, let me know how it went...
- -----
Now for why the adventure will bu such fun to run...
	In Traveller starships move from star to star.  They 
ignore the space between stars.  A sphere of influence consists 
of many points which are controled.  Only the points are 
important.  How many adventures have you seen where the Bad 
Guys (tm) have set up a base at a specific jump point where there 
is not a star?
	In Star Trek Areas are controled.  A few major bases are
occupied; however, for the most part space lanes are patroled,
not each star.
	This leads to some interesting possibilities.
	Two empires overlapping and exploring the same space while 
not knowing that the other is there.
	Some of you Trek people might wonder how the Federation 
starship was suprised.  My answer, suprise and a spinal mounted 
meson gun owned by a shoot first, shoot again, then ask questions 
later culture.
	In my Traveller universe, the Imperium is not controled
by nice people.  Don't attract their attention and you are okay.
They are not interested in anything that is small.  If you are
interested in overthrowing a local planetary government, be sure
to purchase the proper permits. :-)
- -- 
Matthew Goldman 	(612) 936-9675 goldman@ferris.cray.com

"It's real handy, havin' an Elder God in the band, eh?"

		"When the benchmarks were released, IBM went 
		on walkabout and hasn't been sighted since."

-------- TML Message #1293 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1293
Date: Wed, 9 May 90 15:24:20 CDT
From: Jim Cunningham <jcunning@gsliss.lis.uiuc.edu>
Subject: out of touch



Due to restriced operating hours during intersession, it's likely that
I may not be able to get to my e-mail for days or perhaps a couple of weeks
at at time unitl mid-June. Do not be alarmed if I do not reply to any
communications until then. 

		Later, travelling dudes.

			Jim Cunningham
Traveller Relic



-------- TML Message #1294 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1294
Date: Wed, 9 May 90 17:52 EDT
From: METLAY@vms.cis.pitt.edu
Subject: useless trivia


Two things:

1. I'm going to put together an article for Travellers' Digest (something
to do when I go back to Tennessee in three weeks, ugh) on insult, invective,
and humor among the major races in the MegaTraveller universe. The only data
on these areas is a brief article in JTAS#9 on what to call a Zhodani or a
Vargr ("gral"? Puh-LEASE!) when you want to be nasty, and a sidesplittingly
funny comic called "Our Friends the Aliens" from JTAS 14 or so... its caption
reads something like, "Many people think the Hivers have no such things as 
jokes, since they can't talk. Nothing could be further from the truth, as this
hilarious example demonstrates...." The cartoon that follows depicts a Hiver
gesturing to another, followed by the other Hiver reacting. No dialog or 
translations provided. |->

2. I'm quitting TML as of today, for a period of about three weeks. I'm getting
married on Sunday, May 20, and I'll be back from my honeymoon (and back in Oak
Ridge, alas) soon after Labor Day. I'll see you all then, all right?

Take care,

metlay

-------- TML Message #1295 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1295
From: Bertil Jonell <d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se>
Subject: Invasion: Earth
Date: Thu, 10 May 90 10:20:02 MET DST

I recently got hold of the old GDW game 'Invasion: Earth' (on an auction
on GothCon) and after playing it once I've got a couple of questions:

1. Is there any way for the imperium to win?  When I played it the solomani
   player zapped everything that landed with his 4 500-factor corps (working
   in 2 groups because of stacking limits)

2. There is a solomani unit (infantry division, old equippment) that is called
   'Ihatei' Is that what it appears to be (ie. Aslans) ?
   (there is also an imperial merc unit that sounds vargr)

3. Any ohter interesting information?

- -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)      
"I say cut his air!" "I say cut his heat!" "I say raise his rent!" "Hey, we're 
trying to get rid of an Alien, not evict a tenant!" Alien - American MAD version

-------- TML Message #1296 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1296
From: "Johnny B." <ccm007@deneb.ucdavis.edu>
Date: Thu, 10 May 90 09:42:37 -0700
Subject: 2300 A.D. Starship. Type:  Launch

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

Here's a launch I made up. Please disregard all the decimal
point thingys calculated to the thousandth or so ( I was
being meticulous ). Please send any erata to me, because I'm
still learnin'. Thanks and enjoy.

OLD COMMERCIAL LAUNCH

Power Plant:
Old Commercial Fuel Cell (0.01 MW):   0.3 m3     0.3 Tons     0.05 MLv

Fuel:
Fuel (4222.2222 hours):   31.35 m3     19 Tons

Thrusters:
Power Plant Modification:    0.03 m3     0.03 Tons     0.01 MLv

Stutterwarp:
Old Commercial Drive (0.01 Power):    3 m3     3 Tons     0.06 MLv

Crew and Workstations:
Pilot:    3 m3      2 Tons     2 m2
Copilot:    3 m3     2 Tons     2 m2
Passengers (6):    18 m3     12 Tons     12 m2

Sensors:
Navigation Radar:    5 m3     1 Ton     0.02 MLv     20 m2
Passive Sensors (Range=0, CS=10):    10 m3     1 Ton      0.1 MLv     30 m2

Hull:
Dimensions:     Diameter= 3 m          Length= 26.172146 m
                       Volume= 185 m3          MAT= 2
                       Metal Hull:  8 m3     64 Tons     0.008 MLv

Streamlining and Thruster Fuel:
Fully Streamlined Vessel:     18 m3     0.0008 MLv

Fuel Requirements for Lift-Off and Reentry:   18.099583 Tons
Note: This amount of fuel is equivalent to 4022.1296 hours of flight. Using this amount of fuel leaves 200.09267 hours of flight.

Orbit Time:     0.12 minute to obtain maximum orbit, 0.4 minutes are spent in atmosphere while 0.8 minutes are spent in low orbit.
Note: These times as well as fuel requirements are based on Earth-like gravities (Earth=1). Multiply the figures by the appropriate gravity for non Earth-like planets.

Cargo:
Cargo Capacity:     84.4965 m3
Bracings:     0.8535 m3     4.2675 Tons

Mass:

Vessel at 100% Fuel:     108.5975 Tons
Vessel at  75% Fuel:      103.8475 Tons
Vessel at  50% Fuel:        99.0975 Tons
Vessel at  25% Fuel:        94.3475 Tons

Drive Efficiency:

Vessel at 108.5975 Tons:          0.654779
Vessel at 103.8475 Tons:          0.6646137
Vessel at 99.0975 Tons:            0.6750674
Vessel at 94.3475 Tons             0.6862113

Comfort:
Comfort Rating: 0

Fire Statistics:
No weapons carried
Fire Rating: 0

Expenses:
Total Vessel Cost:  248,800 Livres  (or 0.2488 MLv)

Reflected Signatures:
Radial Viewed Area:     7.0685835 m2
Lateral Viewed Area:    78.516438 m2
RVA times signature multiplier:     7.0685835
LVA times signature multiplier:     78.516438

Fixture Points:     Passive Sensors= 10

Total Reflection:    RVA=    17.0685835
Total Reflection:    LVA=     88.516438
Reflected Signature:     RVA=     2
Reflected Signature:     LVA=     4

Radiated Signature:     
Old Commercial Power Plant (0.01 MW):    1 

Hull Hit Value:
Minor Breach:    3
Major Breach:    2
Damage Capacity:    4

Power Plant Hit Capacity:
Power Plant Disabled:     1
Damage Capacity:            1

Target Profile:
Radial:     -3
Lateral:   -2

Firing Aspects:
No weapons carried

Armor Value:
No armor carried
AV:   0



AEROTECH Vector Class Launch.
Warp Efficiency: 0.654779, Power Plant: 0.01 MW Fuel Cell, Fuel: 19 Tons, sufficient for 4222.2222 hours of operation, Range: NA, Mass: 108.5975 Tons, Cargo Capacity: 84.4965 m3, Comfort: 0, Total Life Support: 8, Price: 248,800 Livres.

Hoped you liked it.

John

-------- TML Message #1297 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1297
From: plb@violin.att.COM
Subject: I'm SOOO confused
Date: Thu, 10 May 90 13:00:02 EDT

Operating System: HP-UX A.B7.00 U
Organization: AT&T-BL, Red Hill System Administration Group (HRSAG)
Location: HR 1F138
Phone: (201) 615-4419
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.2 PL16]

I know, I know, I know.... "here he goes again!"

I was once again trying to design a ship under the new MT design
rules.  This time, (I thought) something simple.  A 20T (OT)
fighter.

Under High Guard, this ship had a power plant with a rating of 12
and needed 12% of the ship's volume for fuel, or 2.4T.  This
roughly equates to 32.4 KL under the MT rules.  The fighter I am
designing is to have a 6G manueverability rating.  When I tried to
calculate the size power plant to accomplish this deed I came up
with the following figures:



          Item                Units           Volume            Wt
       Manuever 6              3.4             45.9             119
       Power Plant            80                7.2             160


I arrived at the power plant figure by determining that the
manuever drive would need 238 power units as input power for their
survival.  I doubled that figure in the interest of maintaining
excess power for agility.  SO far so good, but now comes the fuel 
calculations:

80 power plant units use 0.009 KL of fuel per hour.  I calculate a
30 day supply as 30 X 24 X 0.009 X 80 as 518.4 KL.  Not much, but
the whole vessel only has a volume of 270KL!  

What am I doing wrong?   What kinds of guidelines do other folks
use in this instance?

Boy I miss High Guard!


- -- 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Peter L. Berghold            |  AT&T, HRSAG, +1 (201) 615-4419        |
|INTERNET: plb@violin.att.com |  UUCP: {uunet!allegra|att}!violin!plb  |
|FAX: 1(201) 706-2004         |                                        |
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------- TML Message #1298 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1298
Subject: Laser sniping attacks
Date: Fri, 11 May 90 12:08:03 +0100
From: Jim Cheetham <is_a063%ux.kingston.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk>


	Just a quick thought -
	A visible laser, operating on one frequency (which is, I
	understand, what they normally do), can have it's effect
	diminished by wearing clothes/armour that reflect that
	frequency light (i.e. a green-light laser's effect will
	be much less on green objects, because colour is, after
	all, a radiating of light of a specific frequency ...)
	So how about a universal laser armour that reflects low-
	power lasers ? It could be any colour on the outside (to
	prevent human detection) but a "super-white" colour underneath.
		-- I seem to remember coloured armour in the
		   remarkably light-hearted Paranoia game ...
	The right sort of "super-white" would be effective against
	all lasers near the visible spectrum, but whould have to be
	made of lead to stop X-ray lasers ...

	PS - All London, England, phone numbers have been subject to
	a badly thought out, heavy-handed alteration by British Telecom.
	Central London numbers now begin with 071 instead of 01, and
	outer London numbers are 081 instead of 01. So if you're dialling
	over here, be prepared for the changes !
	This has also introduced a certain amount of snobbery and
	is predicted to alter some house prices - the yuppier members
	of society couldn't live with an 081 number in case their
	friends thought that they "lived out in the provinces".

	What about area snobbery on some worlds for a strange custom?
	Like if the players take some local accomodation, some people
	will refuse to talk to them when they discover which section
	of town they're living in ... ?

	Just another couple of thoughts to keep the discussions going !
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     _____               (JANET) jcheetham@uk.ac.kingston
    (__ __) O  ______    (local) is_a063@ux.king
   (____)  (_)(_)()(_)   (voice) (+44) 81 549 1366 x2690
   Jim Cheetham, ISD Kingston Polytechnic.
   "... nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

