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TML Bundles come from the archives of the Traveller Mailing List,
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------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue Feb 12 13:53:58 PST 1991
From: traveller-request@metolius.wr.tek.com (TML Administrator)
Subject: TML Bundle #169: Table of Contents

-AMN- --Date--- --Sender--------- --Subject-----------------------------------
2098  23-Jan-91 Mark F. Cook      "The Art of Snooping" Made Easy << In TML Dig
2099  24-Jan-91 Brian Hartsfield  Programs << I am looking for programs that wi
2100  25-Jan-91 woodsb@ecn.purdue Re: (2097) Starship Fuel << In message 2097, 
2101  25-Jan-91 d9bertil@dtek.cha Re: Robo Speed << <rsdean@crdec8.apgea.army.m
2102  25-Jan-91 "Robert S. Dean"  Duration << Rob the Vehicle MAven here, on th
2103  25-Jan-91 S94SERGIENKO%USUH 43 seconds into the future... << Or how fast 
2104  25-Jan-91 Dan Corrin        Re: Starship Fuel << > Date: Wed, 23 Jan 91 2
2105  25-Jan-91 Brian Hartsfield  lists << I have heard mention in some of the 
2106  25-Jan-91 "Robert S. Dean"  More Vehicles... << Only two this time...thes
2107  26-Jan-91 Mark F. Cook      Journalism: the "Real" story << Ah-HAH!! I kn
2108  26-Jan-91 George William He Partial Powering << I always wondered about t
2109  27-Jan-91 bonnevil@acc.stol Tactics of fractional power... << As long as 
2110  28-Jan-91 al646@cleveland.F New stuff and old stuff << Howdy, I just boug
2111  28-Jan-91 METLAY@vms.cis.pi Quick TDR note << The TDR lists are still act
2112  28-Jan-91 PHB100@PSUVM.PSU. Re: (2086) Re: (2081) Black Globes << First, 
2113  28-Jan-91 James T Perkins   Other TML mailing lists << The TML Topical ma
2114  28-Jan-91 James T Perkins   Atherton no longer carries TML Archives << Jo
2115  29-Jan-91 METLAY@vms.cis.pi A comment on the Flaming Eye book << I haven'
2116  29-Jan-91 James T Perkins   Richard is indisposed << Richard Johnson (PBE

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2098
From: Mark F. Cook <markc@hpcvss.cv.hp.COM>
Subject: "The Art of Snooping" Made Easy
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 91 22:27:37 PST

In TML Digest subject 2095, Rob Dean writes:

>                  ...  Suppose we have a character who is a journalist.
> In 2300AD he/she would have a high writing and perhaps imaging skill.  In
> Traveller, you might have to wing it, but let's assume that we are talking
> about a character with a high education and intelligence, and that we will
> use those to modify any task die rolls.  Clearly, such a character could,
> with the proper selection of other skills, be an asset to a group without
> regard to the journalism.  But suppose the player wishes to keep his
> character in pocket money (or more) by selling their stories.  I see no
> reason in particular why this should be role played out, especially if
> it was a routine occurence.  (Ship lands, journalist sends files to his/her
> favorite publisher).
> What would you do?  Set it as a task with a set payoff, with extra for
> extraordinary success, less for failure?  Add modifiers if you deem the 
> adventure to be "exciting" or newsworthy"?  How would you decide how big to
> make the average payout?

Well, speaking as something of an authority on Journalism in the Shattered
Imperium (:-)), I think it SHOULD be role-played out, at least if the
agency/individual the news article is being filed with is anything other
than the local X-boat office ("Send this to Regina, and make it snappy!")

When I originally created and ran Adrian Bishop (before the TML PBEM was
born), he was the focal character in the group.  My Ref. (Hi, Eric!) didn't
seem to have any touble either building potential new-related adventures,
or role-playing Stanley, my tight-fisted managing editor ("Four THOUSAND
credits for a riddled Holo-cam?!?  Why couldn't YOU just get shot, instead
of the equipment?")  When Adrian filed a story, it was always one of those
multi-month long expose's, usually involving the military, government, or
big business (well, who else is there?).  The pay-offs would range anywhere
from 20,000 to 50,000 Cr., with an additional fee for my "research staff
on retainer" (which referred to the rest of the party; if there's one
thing Adrian is good at, it's padding an expense account!).

However, if you really don't want to role-play the journalists work (which
seems like a terrible loss of adventure potential), then here are the
kinds of skills Adrian has (and which any good MT Journalist character
should have):
  Interview - Need I say more.
  Linguistics - At least one other major language: Vilani, Vargr(Gvegh or
                Aekhu), or Aslan (one of the Spinward dialects) would all
                be good choices if you operated in Corridor, Deneb, or the
                Marches.
  Communications - This skill covers the use of recording devices (Holo-cams,
                voice recorders, editors) and the occasional broadcast unit.
                I include editing because when an independent sells to a
                news service, the buyer usually wants both a finished story
                AND the raw footage.  That way, they can re-do portions they
                don't like, but the rest of the work is done for them.  If
                you just walk in with Mega-hours of raw holo-stock, all
                they'll offer you is the door.
  Streetwise - You never have too many "in's" with the underworld.
  Liaison - Just in case you get the opportunity to interview Archduke Norris.
                (Bare in mind that Liaison functions as Streetwise -1 and
                Admin -1, so a high Liaison skill will cover these other
                two skills just fine.)

As for determining how much a story should be worth, I'd figure out how
much money you want the character to end up with, and reverse-calculate
the fee (:-)).  Seriously, 15,000 - 20,000 Cr./per month spent on story
is probably not out of line for a top-flight investigative free-lance
journalist.  If he/she is allowed expenses, then reduce the number a bit.
If the story is about a spectacular incident (Refs. option), consider
raising the fee by D6 * 20%.  Here's the sort of task roll you might use.

        To sell an article to a periodical or news service:
        Difficult, Interview+Liaison, Int, 20 min (uncertain, safe)
        Referee: On normal failure, the publisher offers only 50%
        of the normal fee.  On an exceptional failure, the article
        is rejected outright.  On exceptional success, the fee is
        5% higher per point in excess of the normal success minimum.

But it's soooo much more fun to role-play!  There's nothing in this
whole, role-playing world better than running a alcoholic, womanizing,
drug-abusing, chain-smoking reporter hot on the trail of some dirt.
Especially if it's guaranteed to ruin somebody else's life!

                        "Fletch, I'd better have something to print
                         by 8 AM tomorrow morning!"
                        "Here Murray, [flips him off] print this."
                                                - Fletch
Later,

        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
          markc%hpcvss.cv.hp.com@relay.hp.com

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2099
Date: Thu, 24 Jan 91 18:31:57 CST
From: Brian Hartsfield <bh@eng.auburn.edu>
Subject: Programs

I am looking for programs that will help with Megatraveller such as character/
world/planet generation, keeping a library of all the sectors and subsectors
and planets and planet maps and info and stuff like that. If anybody knows of
any such programs, send me e-mail. I will summerize replies and post them
back here.  Please include (if you know it) where the program can get gotten
from.  Thanks in advance.  I don't care if it is commerical or shareware, 
through shareware would be preferred.

Brian Hartsfield

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2100
From: woodsb@ecn.purdue.edu (Brent L. Woods)
Subject: Re: (2097) Starship Fuel
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 91 1:20:53 EST


 In message 2097, markc@hpcvss.cv.hp.com (Mark F. Cook) writes:
 >
 >2.  Fuel duration & multiple jumps by a starship.
 >
 >  I have a design for a modified Beowulf-class Free Trader that has
 >  jump-2 and maneuver-2.  It burns up 405 Kl. of fuel per jump and
 >  has a total fuel capacity of 859 Kl.  It also has a duration of
 >  30/90 days (whateverthehell that means) according to the design
 >  rules in the Refs. Manual.  If I understand the rules correctly,
 >  that means that it can make one jump (jump-1 or jump-2, it doesn't
 >  matter 'cause the both burn 405 kl. of fuel, thanks to those
 >  mysteriously vanishing 'jump governors').  On the remaining 454
 >  Kl. of fuel, the ship can stay powered for 90 days in some sort
 >  of 'low-power mode (or '8-hour work days' as the Refs. Manual calls
 >  them).  This implies that the ship burns 5.0444 Kl. of fuel per day
 >  in that mode, right?

     Wait a minute...  I don't think so.  I always interpreted that to
mean "30 days, or 90 eight-hour shifts, whichever you prefer."  Meaning
that you use up the power plant fuel in 30 days, no more, no less, no
ups, no extras.  After all, the damn' thing has to run continuously
while the ship's in space.  I don't see any way around that, unless you
want to breathe stale air while floating in darkness (not *my* idea of
a fun recreational activity).

     I've also never liked the idea that the jump drive burns the same
amount of fuel, no matter what distance.  If you only go half the rated
max distance of your drive, you should only burn half your fuel.  But
that's just my prejudice...  ;-)


- - --
     Brent

INTERNET:  woodsb@gn.ecn.purdue.edu
USNAIL:  2818 S. Sunrise Dr.  /  New Palestine, IN  46163
PHONE:  +1 (317) 861-4844 (voice)


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

Archive-Message-Number: 2101
From: d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se
Subject: Re: Robo Speed
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 91 8:12:03 MET

<rsdean@crdec8.apgea.army.mil> Robert S. Dean wrote:
> Anyway, if you sent these robots out on the roads or other trafficways by
> themselves, they could then use their speed effectively.

  If robots are present to some degree on a world, there is bound to be a
speedlimit for pedestrian traffic, probably around 10-20kph as an absolute
maximum.

  Maximum *possible* speed indoors would probably be determined with dexterity
in mind for the non-thrust driven robots.

> I know using the
> P/W calculations on wheeled/tracked/legged robots will tend to make them
> fast because they need a lot (comparatively) of power to run peripherals,

  The big trouble is that even now, I had divided the power output by 28.
Otherwise, even the legged robots would have had speeds reduced only by
streamlining.

> but there is really no reason to design an indoor grav robot with more than
> a nominal amount of excess thrust (.1G or so?).  So some of this could be
> covered in the design section without having to do a separate table for them.

  There is two things though, that requires high thrust in grav-robots. The
first is if they are supposed to work on different worlds. I don't think that a
robot with 0.1 excess gees at one standard gravity could even lift it's own
weight on a UWP size A world. The second is that for some robots (like the XT-3)
a large thrust is needed to enable it to carry heavy parts and machinery.
Actually I feel that the thrust of the XT-3 is inadequate, since the thrust
cannot support as much weight as the robot can possibly lift (about 600kg).

> Rob Dean

- - -bertil-
- - -- 
>From the foolfile:
"The Baltic states are not occupied"  -  Swedish Foreign Minister Sten Andersson

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2102
Date:     Fri, 25 Jan 91 8:52:58 EST
From: "Robert S. Dean" <rsdean@crdec8.apgea.army.mil>
Subject:  Duration

Rob the Vehicle MAven here, on the subject of duration:

As written the second duration number 30/*90* is functionally meaningless for
starships.  For vehicles it makes sense because most vehicles are not intended 
to be operated for more than 8 hrs a day due to driver fatigue.  So to pull an
example out of the hat, a long distance truck with a duration of 2/6 could be
driven across the U.S. for 6 8 hour shifts before requiring refueling, assuming
that it is sitting in a parking lot, shut off, for the remaining time.  A 
starship can't really be parked with the engine turned off very often (except
at a starport, and even then in the Shattered Imperium I'd have it running 
at low power to allow a warm start if I needed it.)  

A recent issue of Traveller's Digest legitimized the concept of running your
starship at fractional power, with a proportional fractional fuel consumption.
If you look at any of my high-energy weapon large starship designs (I don't
think the dropship counts), you'll find a note about how much power is required
in combat versus how much is required in "running mode".  *I* usually calculate
the running power as full maneuver power plus full life support power.  If you
wanted to run your ship at the absolute minimum power, I'd call it the amount
needed for full life support power, most of the time...but even that could 
be reduced if you were willing to cut the grav plates (you wouldn't need
inertial compensators if you weren't accelerating).  Unless you precalculate
these things in the design phase, or maintain your complete design sheets,
figuring these things out on the fly will be annoying.  

Does anyone else have thoughts on how much power you really require in jump
space?  Do you need the inertial compensators?  Any maneuver power??  I would
not think so.

Rob


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

Archive-Message-Number: 2103
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 91 09:15 EDT
From: S94SERGIENKO%USUHSB.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: 43 seconds into the future...

Or how fast you have to be in front of Mark to successfully run a
journalistic character in your campaign.

Frankly, I feel that if you want to make money as a journalist, you have to
go out looking for stories.  Look where CNN sends their top flight people,
to Baghdad, not John Day, Oregon.  So, to make a character work as a
journalist he has too have some control over where the party is going.
Which implies that it should be role-played.

When Mark was running Adrian in my universe,  I had to organize
scenarios with other players in mind, lest they be dominated by Mark's
desire to seek out new highs and perversities.  On the other hand there
had to be a degree of newsworthiness in them, so that Adrian could feed
the masses (and his pocketbook).

It also helps to have an image of what INN (the Imperium News
Network) is all about and how immensely huge an interstellar news
agency is.  How I picture it is thousands of independent news tapers
following their journalistic instincts handled by managers with a strong
sense of monetary control and an idea of what would sell.  In addition,
INN provides technical support and distribution.  I picture technical
support being everything from editing services to mercenaries.  INN rates
as just below a megacorp in my campaign.

The task rolls that Mark layed out were pretty accurate on how Adrian
sold his stories (except I was making the rolls).  With role-playing one has
to also include a BS modifier for the player's ability to sell the story to his
manager.

Adrian, of course, represents the top of the line independent news-taper,
easily averaging Cr 30,000 a month plus expenses.  INN can make billions
of credits off of his one hour exposes' syndicated to the many planets of
the region of interest.

If a character was just starting out, he would probably be happy to make Cr
1000 to Cr 2000 per month, selling most stories to local news agencies.

> Well, speaking as something of an authority on Journalism in the
> Shattered Imperium (:-))

Yellow Journalism, of course :-).  Adrian's one disappointment with the
inability to have FTL communication was that he couldn't have an
Imperium wide hook-up:
"This is Adrian Bishop, coming to you live and direct, from Archduke
Norris' private pleasure palace, payed for by Children of the Spinward
Marches Fund..."

eric sergienko
s94sergienko%usuhsb.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu
uniformed services university of the health sciences
(301) 585-1973


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

Archive-Message-Number: 2104
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 91 11:32:07 EST
From: Dan Corrin <dan@engrg.uwo.ca>
Subject: Re: Starship Fuel

> Date: Wed, 23 Jan 91 21:17:04 PST
> From: Mark F. Cook <markc@hpcvss.cv.hp.COM>
> 
> 2.  Fuel duration & multiple jumps by a starship.
> 
>   I have a design for a modified Beowulf-class Free Trader that has
>   jump-2 and maneuver-2.  It burns up 405 Kl. of fuel per jump and
>   has a total fuel capacity of 859 Kl.  It also has a duration of
>   30/90 days (whateverthehell that means) according to the design
>   rules in the Refs. Manual.  If I understand the rules correctly,
>   that means that it can make one jump (jump-1 or jump-2, it doesn't
>   matter 'cause the both burn 405 kl. of fuel, thanks to those
>   mysteriously vanishing 'jump governors').  On the remaining 454
>   Kl. of fuel, the ship can stay powered for 90 days in some sort
>   of 'low-power mode (or '8-hour work days' as the Refs. Manual calls
>   them).  This implies that the ship burns 5.0444 Kl. of fuel per day
>   in that mode, right?
> 

I don't recall what the rulebook says about multiple jumps etc and the
govenor problem, but if you notice the fuel required for a jump is
proportional to the numer of jump units required for the drive. (I think
62.5klxnumber of jump units). But examine the following table (from memory):

	Jump #		1  2  3  4  5  6
	100T Jump Units 2  3  4  5  6  7
	
You'll note that it doesn't take twice as much fuel to go jump 2 as it does
to go jump 1 (unlike the old traveller rules). This is the main reason
why a jump-2 ship can't go J-1 and J-1. In my campaign I allow the players
to use their fuel in Jump Fuel Units (JFU). I rate their tanks in JFU, and
then they can subtract the amount they use for a jump [That is J-n requires
n+1 JFU]. Thus your free trader with 810 kl of tanks would have 6 JFU, which
is enough for 2xJ-2 or 3xJ-1. I presume that the designers didn't want to
confuse the players with this sort of partial fuel useage.

>  [...]
>   I realize this completely ignores the other factors such as in-system
>   transit time, etc.  It also doesn't address whether or not this low
>   power consumption figure assumes the M-drives are going or not.
>   However, I don't think the rules explicitly forbid this sort of
>   action, do they?  All of this hinges on my understanding of the 30/90 
>   duration figure, which is zip.  So somebody enlightening me, okay?
> 

The 30/90 duration has no deep understanding. The power plant is computed
for the requirements of the ship, and you provide fuel for n days of 
continuous output at 100% power. The 3xn duration assumes that the ship
is not being manned around the clock, but only 8 hours per day.

There are two points to be made here, first the only states that the
power plant can have (at least those mentioned in the rules) is 100%, idle
and off. The presence of the idle state (mentioned with vehicle plants, I 
belive in the skills section) is so that you don't have to cold start the
engine every time. However I would think that if the plant can run at idle
(ie. keep the fusion reaction, and magnetic bottle or whatever) it can run
at any intermediate state.

The longer duration assumes 8 hours of 100% output followed by 16 hours of
idle. This would mean no life support, sensors, computer and especially
gravity. However during those 8 hours of activity everyhting is not running
so things can average out. I for one am not satisifed with this type of
explanation however.

> One possible interpretation of the 30/90 duration (mine :-)).
> 
>   The 90 day duration is max. duration if the M-drives are NEVER run.
>   This gives use a life-support (et.al.) fuel usage of 5.0444 Kl./day.
>   The 30 duration is max. duration if the M-drives are run CONSTANTLY.
>   Since we know life support burns 5.0444 Kl./day, we know that life-
>   support burns 151.3333 Kl. of fuel in 30 days.  This means that the
>   remainder of the 454 Kl. (which is 302.6667 Kl.) is 30 days of con-
>   sumption by the M-drives, which works out to 10.0889 Kl./day.  Now
>   that we've got these 2 figures:
>         M-drives ------- 10.0889 Kl./day
>         life support ---  5.0444 Kl./day
>   We can derive per hour consumptions and determine right to the
>   credit how much it will cost to refuel at that next starport! :-)
> 

This is similar to the way I would implement it. However you are
still assuming that the power plant can be set to variable output. One
way to avoid making this assumption is to install multiple power plants
as long as each is > 14kl (252Mw at tech 15?) there is no degridation
of power output. (This of course flaunts the only one ship system at
a time in operation rule).

Consider the power consuming devices:
	Maneuver (high)
	Agility (very high if present)
	avionics/communications/sensors (low)
	Weapons (very high)
	Screens (very high)
	Gravity/Compensators (high)
	life support (low)
	Computers (low)
	misc (berths, purifier) (low)
If you were to collect the correct things together and assign them their
own power plant then the fuel could last much longer by only using the
appropriate power plants at the correct time.
ie. Electonics, life sppt, misc, and Gravity on one plant, maneuver
on another, and weapons, screens and agility on a third (assuming they
meet the 14kl requirement). Then the fuel could be really conserved
by only running the life sppt et al, somewhat conserved when maneuvering
as well, and with the combat power plant you probably won't be concerned
with your fuel consumption. Note that it takes some time to bring a plant
up from idle, and a military ship that is trying to power up while under
attack would be to say the least under a disadvantage.

Consider the following fusion plants at TL 15. one 24kl, two 12kl, 
four 6kl and eight 3kl plants. Each set would draw the same amount of
fuel from the tanks, but consider the power output:
The 24kl  generates 1*24*6*3   = 432Mw
The 2x12kl generate 2*12*6*2   = 288Mw
the 4x6kl  generate 4* 6*6*1.5 = 216Mw
the 8x3kl  generate 8* 3*6*1   = 144Mw

Thus it probably won't save fuel substituting the smaller plants for a 
single large one. I don't know why the same fuel would generate such a 
conflicting power output, but perhaps the larger plant if run at 50% 
output would require 75% of the fuel or so. Ie the fuel to power output 
would not be linear, which is why they don't mention power level settings 
for the plants.
	
					-Dan

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

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2105
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 91 14:18:46 CST
From: Brian Hartsfield <bh@eng.auburn.edu>
Subject: lists

I have heard mention in some of the messages in here about other mailing
lists that have to do with Traveller.  Could somebody post a list of all
these other mailing lists if they exist (if I am wrong and there arn't
any more then ignrore this message) and how to subscribe to them?

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2106
Date:     Fri, 25 Jan 91 16:52:00 EST
From: "Robert S. Dean" <rsdean@crdec8.apgea.army.mil>
Subject:  More Vehicles...

Only two this time...these are in response to a request for cheap grav cargo
carriers in the military campaign.

Rob
- - --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Bishop Grav Carrier TL10

     The Bishop is intended as a medium grav vehicle suitable for cargo 
transport at fairly high speeds.  

  CraftID: Bishop Grav Carrier, TL10, MCr1.62
     Hull: 6/14, Disp=6, Conf=4SL, Armor=8E, Loaded=93.9t,
           Unloaded=35.2t
    Power: 1/2, Fusion=18MW, Dur=10/30
     Loco: 1/2, Std Grav=170t, TopSpeed=960kph, Cruise=720kph,
           NOE=140kph, MaxAccel=0.81G
     Comm: Radio=Regional(500km)
  Sensors: 2*Headlights, Radar=VDist, ActObjScan=Diff, ActObjPin=Diff
      Off: Hardpoints=1
      Def: -
  Control: Comp0*2, DynLink*35
    Accom: Seats=Adequate*2, Env=basic env, basic ls
    Other: Fuel=4.32kl, Cargo=58.4kl, ObjSize=Small, EmLevel=Moderate

Ox Cargo Air Raft TL10

     The Ox is intended as a light grav vehicle suitable for cargo transport 
at fairly high speeds.  It is not equipped with life support systems, and is 
powered by a hydrocarbon engine.

  CraftID: Ox Cargo Air Raft, TL10, Cr226,000
     Hull: 4/9, Disp=4, Conf=4SL, Armor=4E, Loaded=40.95t,
           Unloaded=11.75t
    Power: 1/2, MHD Turbine=6MW, Dur=16hrs
     Loco: 1/2, Std Grav=60t, TopSpeed=540kph, Cruise=405kph,
           NOE=135kph, MaxAccel=0.46G
     Comm: Radio=Regional(500km)
  Sensors: 2*Headlights, Radar=VDist, ActObjScan=Diff, ActObjPin=Diff
      Off: Hardpoints=1
      Def: -
  Control: Elec*44
    Accom: Seats=Cramped*4, Env=basic env
    Other: Fuel=4.2kl, Cargo=29kl, ObjSize=Small, EmLevel=Moderate

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2107
From: Mark F. Cook <markc@hpcvss.cv.hp.COM>
Subject: Journalism: the "Real" story
Date: Sat, 26 Jan 91 0:32:18 PST

Ah-HAH!!  I knew if I looked long enough, I'd find it.  In issue #27 of
Challenge ("Back before you were born, remember kids?"), there's a great
article on "Journalism and the Stars" by Anders Blixt.  It describes a
complete new "extended generation" charaction class, the journalist (natch).
It also describes the new task "Journalism", which is detailed as follows:

"Journalism: This new skill is the ability to make good saleable material,
both with text and pictures.  When a free-lance journalist wants to sell
a story, he must roll 2D 11+ (DM journalistic skill and fame).  He is paid
fame * Cr.80/day of production (double if the material was gathered in
dangerous conditions)."

BTW, the "fame" mentioned here is something that a journalist character
accumulates during the course of character creation (like promotions for
a military character).  A high fame also provides a positive DM on mustering
out benefits.

Given the above "fee formula", I figure Adrian Bishop would rate about a
Journalism-5, even though he didn't actually have that specific skill.

Eric Sergienko writes:

> > Well, speaking as something of an authority on Journalism in the
> > Shattered Imperium (:-))
> 
> Yellow Journalism, of course :-).  Adrian's one disappointment with
> the inability to have FTL communication was that he couldn't have an
> Imperium wide hook-up:
> "This is Adrian Bishop, coming to you live and direct, from Archduke
> Norris' private pleasure palace, payed for by Children of the Spinward
> Marches Fund..."

True, true.  Just once, I wanted to look straight into my holo-cam, knowing
that all of the Imperium behind the claw was watching, and say, "Good evening.
I'm Chevy Chase and you're not." :-)

Actually, I had as much fun running Adrian in Eric's campaign then as I'm
having now, running him in Richard's PBEM game.  He met the rest of his
travelling companions during a little brush war on a mid-TL, semi-developed
backwater world out in the boonies.  He promptly dragged the entire group
to Capital, and then back out into the middle of a belter mining dispute.
He surrounded himself with disreputable merchant traders, amnesiac criminals,
disbarred, drug-abusing doctors, and other indispensable journalistic
sidekicks.  And you know something?  He hasn't changed at all.  He's still
the same old hyper, moody, chemically-dependent, social-climbing, cowardly,
strutting, muck-racking reporter today, and still likely to dive behind the
nearest crowd of women and children when the small-arms fire starts.  Than
is, as long as they don't block his holo-shots of the carnage. :-)

.. And on an entirely different note, Rob Dean writes:

> Only two this time...these are in response to a request for cheap grav cargo
> carriers in the military campaign.
>               .
>               .
>               .
> Bishop Grav Carrier TL10
> 
>      The Bishop is intended as a medium grav vehicle suitable for cargo 
> transport at fairly high speeds.  

CHEAP!?!  Sleazy maybe, but cheap?  Never!!  I don't know whether I should
be insulted or flattered.  Waitaminute, this smell's like a HEADLINE!!
I can just see it now,... "This is Adrian Bishop, coming to you live and
direct, from the Vincennes Vehicle Bazaar.  Tonight, we're going behind the
scenes of the biggest cut-rate grav vehicle swindle in years..." :-)

                        "Boy, those Sword-worlders really stick it to you!"
                                - another MT "pointed" pronouncement.
        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
          markc%hpcvss.cv.hp.com@relay.hp.com

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2108
Date: Sat, 26 Jan 91 12:49:49 -0900
From: George William Herbert <gwh@soda.Berkeley.EDU>
Subject: Partial Powering


I always wondered about that; in my designs, I often solved the problem by
installing a second (backup) smaller plant, sized for the Life Support + 
Electronics + about Maneuver-1 power.  Thus, higher performance ships didn't
eat full fuel...  though this idea doesn't scale well to ships smaller than
200 tons.

and Re: Jump Fuel
	There was origionally (long long ago) in the ship operations rules
something that said that the ship used all its jump fuel no matter the range.
At some point, the concept of a Jump Govenor was introduced; something that let
the ship burn only the jump fuel for the actual distance being jumped... neither
of those concepts made it as far as MegaTraveller.  IMHO; there is now a tacit
assumption in the craft rules that a Jump Govenor is installed, and you will
only burn the fuel for the distance you are travelling.  Though it ought to
be brought up with Marc Miller one of these days...

- - -george william herbert
gwh@ocf.berkeley.edu

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2109
Date: Sun, 27 Jan 91 21:12:07 -0600
From: bonnevil@acc.stolaf.edu
Subject: Tactics of fractional power...


As long as we're talking about fractional power output....

Apparently, it is possible to run a power plant at a greatly reduced
level.  In the MT Referee Manual, there is a sidebar somewhere that
mentions a maneouver invented by a Terran admiral involving tuning down
the output of his ship's fusion reactor.  Enemy vessels would detect
emissions indicating a smaller, less powerful ship than was actually
present, and close to attack.  The Terran ship would then put the plant
back on full power, and wreak havoc on the unsuspecting and outgunned
enemy.  The great risk of this tactic was that the attempt *quickly*
change the power output of the fusion reactor ran the risk of making
it dummy out and either shut down or remain at the decreased level,
turning the tables on the unfortunate Terrans.  When it worked, it
was a devastating tactic, however.

I think that the roll required was on the order of a hasty warm restart
attempt in terms of the task used.

- - --Steve

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2110
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 91 08:23:40 -0500
From: al646@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (T. L. Hayes)
Subject: New stuff and old stuff




Howdy,

I just bought a copy of the Flaming Eye Campaign Sourcebook.  I haven't had
time to read it in detail yet but it looks pretty good.  There are actually
two compaigns in the Cinematic Nugget format.  The first is called Search and
Rescue.  It deals with the "...extraction of an Imperial intelligence agent
from the restored Vilani empire...".  The second campaign is called Gamgilebo
Incident and is about "...the search for two missing starships and their
crews...".  This book is designed to be used with the Vilani and Vargar
reference book and you must have that book available to use these campaignes
(or so it says).

The book also include the floor plans (but as far as I can tell no write up)
for a Type A2 Far Trader, the Garu Class.  There are a number of World Data
Sheets like those in Knightfall as well.

I was in contact with the Weekend Warrior recently and asked about a copy of
Striker.  I was shocked to discover that the purchase price was $50.  It
is my understanding that some (most?) of Striker's systems (or at least the
ideas) went into MegaTraveller, is there really a reason for me to buy a copy
or is everything already in the MegaTraveller products I already own?  This 
goes beyond having a copy just for the sake of having a copy.  I want to 
know if there is enough stuff in Striker that is not in or different from
MT to justify (to my wife) buying something for $50.  Could those of you
with a copy of Striker (or those of you familiar with it) please comment.

I'm at home on my PC so I don't have access to my copies of the recent posts
but I remember reading one in which someone asked about a program to generate
NPC's (I think).  I have one that you specifiy the number, race, and service
and it generate NPC's and prints them to the screen.  The race and/or the
service can be randomly selected by the program as well.  Now for the 
strings...I am not (yet) a C programmer and this program was written to help
me learn C.  As far as I can tell it works and works correctly but I will
not vouch for the appearence of the code or its style.  I am certain there
are better ways to implement things but as I said it works and I am learning
C so my goals are being met.  The next problem is there are races not in
standard Traveller (my own basically) but these can easily be removed.  The
last problem is not all of the 18(?) possible services are installed.  At the
moment I think it does Army, Navy, Marines, Scouts, Belter, Pirate, Rogue,
and Merchant.  The program was written so that the extra services can be
easily added, I just haven't had time lately to work on it.  If depite all
this anyone is interested in obtaining a copy of what I have, I'd be happy
to send it to you.

Later,
TLH

- - --
T.L.Hayes                  |
MIT/Lincoln Laboratory     |  Personal Mail: hayes@ll.mit.edu
Lexington, MA              |  General Mail : al646@cleveland.Freenet.Edu

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2111
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 91 10:03 EDT
From: METLAY@vms.cis.pitt.edu
Subject: Quick TDR note


The TDR lists are still active and running-- we have a new Medical
skill cascade system for people who wonder why veteranarians and
neuropsychopharmacologists both have Medical-3 and nothing else. Work
is proceeding (slowly) on a new Trade system, the combat system is
in revision and alternatives are being presented, we have a trial 
ship-combat system waiting to be playtested, and the new ship design
system will include power plants that make sense, maneuver drives
and antigrav units that make sense (Thruster plates may well take a
hike), and Jump drives that make sense (half the Jump, half the fuel,
nyah nyah nyah). The lists can be subscribed to through Mark Cook--
keep those discussions going, people!

metlay

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2112
Date:    Mon, 28 Jan 91 12:51 EST
From: PHB100@PSUVM.PSU.EDU
Subject: Re: (2086) Re: (2081) Black Globes

First, let me say that I am not a physics-type, so don't blame me if I'm all
wet...(notice how I get the disclaimer in at the beginning?  :)   Someone
posted a note about something (see how scientifically specific I can be? ) to
which James (hi James) inserted a comment that has jogged my memory...
>
>[Right on, in Einsteinian General Relativity, all frames of reference
>are valid - there is no "master" frame of reference.  The Universe's
>rules apparently hold true for all observers, and there is no underlying
>"grid" or "mesh" to the Universe that is special or fixed.  All events
>in the Universe happen relative to each other.  Nonetheless, there are
>several holes in EGR in Traveller.  Perhaps there is a non-relativistic
>universal frame of reference available through a small oversight in
>Einsteinian theory.  How else can you suspend your disbelief that matter
>can travel faster than light? That reactionless thrusters can function?
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>How many holes and hand-waving you permit in your campaign is a function
>of the Player's and Ref's ability to suspend their disbelief.  -- James]
>
Perhaps you physics types can point out the error of my ways?  The thing that's
been bugging me concerns the underlined comment above...

I seem to recall hearing (or reading) that General Relativity doesn't forbid
matter moving at FTL speeds, it only forbids matter travelling AT the speed of
light, since this would involve infinite mass.  Yes or no?

If true, then there may be the equivalent of a tunnelling diode for velocity (a
tunnelling diode, as I understand it, lets electrons 'tunnel' through a barrier
essentially they "stop" existing on one side and "start" existing on the other)
This would let your ship "stop" existing at c-x meters/sec and "start" existing
at c+x m/s.  Or is this wrong also?

- - - ------------------------------------------
The following discussion is excerpted from The Physics of Tunnelling Velocities
                                           
by Paul Baughman,  J-O-A-T

   ...

Applying energy to the Zuchai crystal web in the hull produces an oscillating,
structured energy field of the Zotorr type.  This oscillation engages the
Tunnelling Velocity Effect (TVE) which transposes the STL velocity of the
enclosed object (the ship) to the FTL velocity corresponding to one of the
prime energy states.

The Prime Energy States (PES) are superluminal energy states similar to the
electron energy states of classical Quantum Mechanics.  An object in Hyperspace
can only occupy one of these energy states.  If an amount of energy is supplied
to the Zuchai web that does not corespond exactly to one of the PES, then the
next lowest PES is entered and the excess energy is radiated to the
surroundings as gravitons.

Only six Prime Energy States are known to our present technology.  When energy
is applied corresponding to what should be the seventh, only the sixth state is
entered.  The most popular theory advanced to date is that successive energy
states do not follow the same distribution curve for energy level.  That is,
while the first six states follow a linear distribution curve, the next states
may follow a parabolic or other curve.  It must be emphasized that currently
there is no evidence either for or against this theory.  Many researchers have
attempted to find the next PES (popularly known as jump-7), but no matter how
much energy is supplied (and some truly staggering amounts have been tried)
only PES levels one through six have been identified.

As a footnote to this discussion, in 1093 Dr. Hans Zarkov of the University of
Regina, was following a promising line of research when he vanished with his
leased research ship, _Daisy_May_ .  Eyewitness accounts following the
investigation, claimed that Dr. Zarkov loaded several crates of equipment on
board his ship, then spent five days aboard before requesting clearance for a
test flight and jumping out-system.  The Daisy May and Dr. Zarkov were never
seen again.  The conclusion made by the investigating committee was that Dr.
Zarkov attempted to put his theories into action and destroyed himself and his
ship in the process.  Unfortunately, the notes Dr. Zarkov left behind were
only of the most general in nature.  As a consequence, no one really knows
whether Dr. Zarkov broke the jump-6 barrier or not.

   ...

- - -------
In the dark no one can hear the color of your eyes.
Disclaimer:  This is me.  Do I sound like anyone else?

Paul Baughman          PHB100@psuvm.bitnet

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2113
Subject: Other TML mailing lists
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 91 14:43:01 PST
From: James T Perkins <jamesp@metolius.WR>


The TML Topical mailing lists are:

Play-by-email:			richard@agora.rain.com (Richard Johnson)

	Play-by-email is an ongoing adventure with about 35 players.
	Players are crewmembers aboard the ISR Alcyon, on an exploration
	mission to explore a just-discovered Ringworld.

Computer-aided Traveller:	richard@agora.rain.com (Richard Johnson)
				dan@engrg.uwo.ca (Dan Corrin)

	CAT is a list to discuss computer programs as an aid to
	Traveller RPG gaming.  Submission address is cat@engrg.uwo.ca.

Traveller Done Right:		tdr_admin@hpcvss.cv.hp.com
				(Mark F Cook & metlay)

	TDR is a whole bunch of sublists discussing improvements to
	Traveller game rules (based on MegaTraveller).  These lists are
	for DEVOTED contributors only.  Metlay occasionally posts status
	reports on TDR happenings.

Defunct topical lists are the Trade and Commerce digest and the Star
System Database digest.

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!"

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2114
Subject: Atherton no longer carries TML Archives
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 91 15:40:29 PST
From: James T Perkins <jamesp@metolius.WR>


Josh Levy tells me that the uucp mail TML archive server at atherton is
no longer keeping TML archives.  Please strike mention of the TML
archive server that he was supporting.  The ftp archive service at
sunbane.engnrg.uwo.ca run by Dan Corrin is still in high gear, though,
to the best of my knowledge.

James

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2115
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 91 10:24 EDT
From: METLAY@vms.cis.pitt.edu
Subject: A comment on the Flaming Eye book


I haven't bought a copy yet, but have glanced at it briefly-- there is
one very interesting artistic "slip" that may or may not be deliberate.
One of the Vargr characters is consistently drawn much larger than a
normal human, to say nothing of a normal Vargr... unusual for the species,
and (before the recent publication of V+V) I would have even said impossible.

The obvious explanation is that this Vargr is of the massive Urzaeng breed,
but that begs the question: which came first, the mention of the Urzaeng
in the V+V book or the art in the Flaming Eye? Don't get me wrong, I think
that the representation of the varied subspecies is really wonderful, but
I just had this perverse vision of a conversation at DGP....

"Look at these great art layouts for the Flaming Eye book!"

"Yeah, this is really good stuff-- urk! Look at the size of that Vargr! We
can't use these-- the continuity hounds would eat us alive!"

"Oh, damn, you're right-- Hey, I just had a thought! Why not add a line about
a really rare breed of giant Vargr to the V+V book before it goes to press?"

Nah. Too silly. Also out of line with my view of DGP, which is of a very
meticulous and careful bunch of people who dislike obfuscation (except where
justifying thruster plates and constant fuel consumption irrespective of
Jump distance). |->

Just babbling,
metlay

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2116
Subject: Richard is indisposed
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 91 15:50:20 PST
From: James T Perkins <jamesp@metolius.WR>


Richard Johnson (PBEM Referee and CAT coordinator) has been having
trouble getting mail out on the network, but has been recieving your
mail just fine! I think we should all do him a favor and stop sending
him mail until he tells us that he can get mail out again.

Note from Richard (via telephone relay): it's time time for the Aslan to
wake up.  (The CAT *meow* coordinator says so :-).


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!"

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

End of TML Bundle
*****************

