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To: dan@engrg.uwo.ca (Dan Corrin), bfwong@ocf.berkeley.edu (Raven Blackburn),
        anthony@cs.pitt.edu (Michael Anthony Kapolka),
        mcknight@f104.n170.z1.fidonet.org (Chuck McKnight),
        fantasci!traveller@engrg.uwo.ca (Joseph "Jo" E Poplawski),
        jamesp@metolius.wr.tek.com (James T. Perkins)
Subject: TML Bundle #236: Msgs 2869-2887
Reply-To: traveller-request@metolius.wr.tek.com (TML Administrator)
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Date: Wed, 25 Sep 91 21:00:17 PDT
From: James T Perkins <jamesp@metolius.wr.tek.com>
Status: R


TML Bundles come from the archives of the Traveller Mailing List,
maintained by James Perkins, traveller-request@metolius.wr.tek.com.

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

Date: Wed Sep 25 21:00:12 PDT 1991
From: traveller-request@metolius.wr.tek.com (TML Administrator)
Subject: TML Bundle #236: Table of Contents

-AMN- --Date--- --Sender--------- --Subject-----------------------------------
2869  17-Sep-91 Adrian Hurt       Guns 'R' Us << Marc Alexandrovich Volovic <ma
2870  18-Sep-91 MacGyver          New Era Of Traveller << Folks, here is someth
2871  18-Sep-91 William Henry Tim RE: (2868) Names << I doubt manager, chairman
2872  18-Sep-91 KELLOGG@ducvax.au Zhodani Trawlers... << Hello! Spy Stuff! Enjo
2873  18-Sep-91 KELLOGG@ducvax.au Re: Names... << Capitol/Core 111-1121 Today t
2874  18-Sep-91 KELLOGG@ducvax.au Hunting Rifles? << Quick question to the gun 
2875  20-Sep-91 James T Perkins   PBEM: Welcome to a new mailing list! << [Thos
2876  20-Sep-91 Mark F. Cook      A Word on Elephant Guns << In subject 2874, S
2877  20-Sep-91 James T Perkins   Administrivia << Apparently the local systems
2878  20-Sep-91 SULAIMAN@ecs.umas Traveller Revision << Well Yet Another Travel
2879  21-Sep-91 MacGyver          Re: (2878) Traveller Revision << > And what a
2880  21-Sep-91 Marc Alexandrovic Elephant Guns << To add to Mark Cook's answer
2881  21-Sep-91 d9bertil@dtek.cha A Question of Skill (Re: New Era) << > From: 
2882  23-Sep-91 d9bertil@dtek.cha Re: Names... << > From: William Henry Timmins
2883  23-Sep-91 KLAINE@kontu.cc.u Question from a novice referee << Like the su
2884  00-Jan-00 Alan Huscroft     Traveller revision << I agree with Ameer -- t
2885  23-Sep-91 Mike.Metlay@ORGAN Traveller Mk III: An Editorial by, well, YOU 
2886  23-Sep-91 Mike.Metlay@ORGAN One example of an elephant gun << The elephan
2887  23-Sep-91 Marc Alexandrovic Guns are they! << Adrian Hurt <adrian@cs.heri

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2869
From: Adrian Hurt <adrian@cs.heriot-watt.ac.uk>
Subject: Guns 'R' Us
Date: Tue, 17 Sep 91 14:48:04 BST

Marc Alexandrovich Volovic <mav@cs.huji.ac.il> writes:
>  
> Firstly, the 92F is parallel to Imperial a 10mm SNUB (well, more or less).

If so, the Snub pistol has changed drastically since I (or my character,
at least) used it in Olde Traveller.  It got the name "snub" by having
a very short barrel, was very low velocity, and fired several different
types of ammo, mostly illegal on most planets by being either explosive
or gas.  It was also low recoil, which made it great for shipboard
security (where you didn't have to worry about minor details like local
laws).  The Beretta 92F is an example of what Striker calls a "9mm
auto pistol".  :-)

> The primary problem with Traveller equipment (ALL equipment, except
> vehicles and ships) is that there is only ONE version of everything.

Now for the important part of this message.  I also didn't like this, and
came up with a quick and simple solution.  The following table gives
modifications made to the standard guns listed in the books:

Code	Ammo/clip	Accuracy	Price
- ---------------------------------------------
1	    -		   -		-15%
2	    -		   0		-5%
3	    -		   +		+5%
4	    0		   -		-10%
5	    0		   0		0
6	    0		   +		+10%
7	    +		   -		-5%
8	    +		   0		+5%
9	    +		   +		+15%

Amount by which to alter ammo capacity:
Revolver		+/- 1 round in the chamber

Shotgun			- means single or double-barrelled
			+ means 10 round magazine

Rifle			+/- 5 rounds

Auto pistol		-50%, +20% of the standard capacity

Auto/assault rifle	+/- 30% of the standard capacity

LAG			+/- 1 round

Energy weapons		+/- 20% (weapons with "infinite" capacity
			only use codes 4-6, variation being meaningless)

Crew served weapons	+/- 20%


I implemented alterations in accuracy by altering the range bands by
+/- 10%.

So, a standard 9mm auto pistol as listed in Striker Book 3 has a
magazine capacity of 15, effective range of 10m, long range of 40m,
and extreme range of 90m.  (Which is ludicrous - my air pistol can do
better than that - but it will do for this example.)  A code 7 pistol
has a + on ammo, so 15 + 20% = 18; it also has a - on accuracy, which
for those figures really does nothing to the effective and long ranges,
but brings the extreme range down to 80m.  (Striker worked on a 1/1000
scale, and the ranges are all listed in the book as integer values of
cm.  Unless you want to measure things to millimetre precision, which
the authors apparently did not want to do, this simply changes the
extreme range on the game table from 9cm to 8cm.)  The standard 9mm
auto pistol costs Cr200; the code 7 version costs Cr190.

In addition, I had other options which could be added at the GM's leisure.
These are summed up in the following table:

Code letter	Meaning					Price alteration
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Jn		DM +n to jam				-n*5%
    S		Stock available.  On pistols, this	+10%
		doubles the range; on longarms, it
		is a folding stock.
    +		Weapon exceptionally suited to the	0 (or GM's choice)
		PC.  +1 DEX when firing.
    -		Weapon exceptionally uncomfortable
		for the PC.  -1 DEX.
    B		Barrel extension available.  Usually	+10%
		only for pistols.  +20% range.
    F		Flash eliminator available.		+10%
    NF		No flash eliminator - applies only	-Cr50
		to military weapons where one would
		be expected as standard.
    Si		Silencer can be fitted.			Cr10

The prices above only mean that something has been done to the weapon
to make fitting an accessory possible, e.g. threading the barrel tip for
a barrel extension or silencer.  The accessories themselves cost extra:
most are listed in the MT Imperial Encyclopedia.  The pistol barrel
extension costs 10% of the price of the pistol itself.  Alternatively,
it may be a whole replacement barrel, costing 20% of the price of the
pistol.

The Jn option (GM's option, not PC's!) referred back to the fact that in
my games, a natural 2 meant the gun had jammed - except that if the gun
had a J1 code, a natural 2 or 3 would do it.  No-one ever used a J2 gun!
Something similar can be worked out for the task system, using the J code
number as a modifier on the mishap table.

I got the idea of the barrel extension from Gordon Dickson's "Tactics of
Mistake".  It would probably be most practical on a snub pistol, because
of that weapon's lower propellant pressure.

> Now - in Traveller we only have "10mm Auto." What about a "Intellarms
> S-56 10mm Auto with gyrostabilizer?" Or a "BendArCo 23dm double magazine
> 10mm?" Or "Causative XMH-242 8mm, gyrostab, integral bipod, laser
> rangefinder and designator?"

A bipod on a pistol?  Novel idea, but I don't know if it would sell.  :-)

- -- 
 "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

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2870
From: MacGyver <macgyver@cis.ohio-state.edu>
Subject: New Era Of Traveller
Date: Wed, 18 Sep 91 2:24:56 EDT

Folks, here is something you might be interested in.

GDW will introduce Star Viking at the next GenCon.(August) This will
cause a very BIG background change. The story goes something like this,
one of the guy(don't know which one yet) wants to gain the throne,
so he created a computer virus. It works well, too well actually.
It freezed all the big useful computers, including his own. Thus, 
we experience a big drop in the tech level. FTL is still possible however. 
But the overall tech level is down. 

Then, around the end of the year, GDW will intrdouce the next 
revision of Traveller. Not MegaTraveller, not GigaTraveller,
but Traveller the revision. [I've always thought MegaTraveller is
a silly name.] The system will be changed so it's compatible with
TW2000 the 2nd edition, Dark Conspiracy, etc. Because GDW has decided to
use TW2000 2nd edition rules as the offical house system now.
The work on Traveller the revision has started, barely but started.
The developered is headed by Chuck Gannon, who is also the Traveller
editor for the Challenge magazine. And remember how terrible 
the rulebook as far as proof reading goes in MT? This won't happen
again, apprently they've changed and got rid of all those people
that's responsbile for that proof reading. Also, they promised
better support. There will not be any involement from outside
groups like the last time, from what I heard. It seems GDW will
do this one in house, so I guess both HIWG and DGP won't be
connected to it unlike the last time. DGP is probably devoting
its entire resource to A.I. anyhow.

				Mac

Wilson MacGyver                      | Everytime you have an idea, I get 
Internet:macgyver@cis.ohio-state.edu | grounded for a week!
=====================================| 			- Gloria
Disclaimer:All opinions are mine only|=======================================

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2871
Date: Wed, 18 Sep 1991 10:43:23 -0400 (EDT)
From: William Henry Timmins <wt0b+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: RE: (2868) Names

I doubt manager, chairman (person?), or president will become last names.

You're missing an important point: those last names came out of the
practice of naming people by profession, ie- John the Archer, Lars the
Smith, and Tim the Enchanter :)

People just dropped the 'the' after awhile. 

It's one type of common naming techniques.

Others-
animals- "john Bearclaw"
actions- "john runner-over-water"
descriptive- "john redeye"
parental- "john ericson" < "john eric's son"
clan- "john O'Henry" < "john of the Henries" (mac and mc I assume are
similar, but from Gaelic)
professional- "john carpenter" < "john the carpenter"
numeral- "john unthirtu" < "john 132"

Oh, sorry... numerical derivations haven't occurred yet... ;)

- -Me
[Pooh Bear incarnate.]

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2872
Date: Wed, 18 Sep 1991 15:55 CDT
From: KELLOGG@ducvax.auburn.edu
Subject: Zhodani Trawlers...

Hello!

Spy Stuff!  Enjoy!

Scott Kellogg
The Horde is here!


Zhodani Trader TL 14 "Derrida" Class (Translation "Songbird")
Imperial designation "Trawler"

CraftID:	Zhodani Trader, Type (Z)M, TL 14
		MCr 131.7128+Ship's Boat
Hull:	(360/900) Disp=400 Config=4SL, Armor=40G,
		Unload=2535, Load=4551
Power:	(9/17) Fusion=1085Mw, Dur=(30dy +24hr at combat power
		{with laser powered up})
Loco:	(8/15) Manuver=1G, (11/22) Jump=2, MaxAccl=1.26,
		NOE=180, Cruise=750, Top=1000, Agility=1
Comm:	Radio=System*2, Maser=System
Sensors:	EMM, P-EMS=Interstel, A-EMS=FarOrb,
		Densitometer=100m, Neutrino=10kw
		ActObjScn=Rout	ActObjPin=Rout
		PasObjScn=Rout	PasObjPin=Dif
		PasEnScn=Simp	PasEnPin=Rout
Off:		HPts=4
		PLaser=x02
		Batt		1
		Bear		1
Def:		DefDM=+4
		SCaster=xx3
		Batt		1
		Bear		1
Control:	Computer=2*3, HoloHUD=5, HoloLink=5, LrgHoloDisp=1
Accom:	Crew=7(Bridge=2, Engineer=2, Gunner=1, Medic=1,
		Steward=1) (Passenger=11, LowPassenger=32)
		Stateroom=16, LowBerth=32,
		BasicEnv, BasicLS, ExtendLS, I-Comps, G-Plates
		(See below on fuel tank environ)
Other:	Fuel=1158Kl(1 Jump-2+30dy+24hr@full pwr), Cargo=1430Kl,
		SubCraft=Ship's Boat, Scoops, Fuel Pure=6hr,
		ObjSize=Avg, EMlevel=Faint--None @ cruise power
Remarks:	The Derrida M is the most common Zhodani trader
encountered in the Spinward Marches and Ikar sectors (Foreven for
you Deaf Imperials)  It is made to look identical to the Consular
Navy fleet observer.  The traders are often sold at a discount to
merchants doing business with the lying, stealing deadheads.  In
this way the real fleet observers are given a bit more
annonymity.
	The ship's fuel tanks have a gravitic holographic system
installed for half of their volume.  By creating a pattern of
interfering gravitic waves, the tanks can be made to appear to
contain fuel where there is in fact cargo.  The layout of the
standard trader is identical to that of the fleet observer.  This
results in a 'lost' volume of 121Kl where electronic equipment is
'missing'.  This volume is distributed around the ship in an
effort to conceal it.  In the standard trader this volume is
sometimes used for smuggling, but most often merely contains
electronic spares so as to read identical to the fleet observer
on densiometer scans.


Zhodani Trader TL 14 "Derrida" Class (Translation "Songbird")
Imperial designation "Trawler"

CraftID:	Zhodani Trader, Type (Z)QM, TL 14
		MCr 228.9474+Ship's Boat
Hull:	(360/900) Disp=400 Config=4SL, Armor=40G,
		Unload=2535, Load=4551
Power:	(9/17) Fusion=1085Mw, Dur=(30dy +24hr at combat power
		{with laser powered up})
Loco:	(8/15) Manuver=1G, (11/22) Jump=2, MaxAccl=1.26,
		NOE=180, Cruise=750, Top=1000, Agility=1
Comm:	Radio=System*3, Maser=System*3, RadioJam=System
Sensors:	EMM, P-EMS=Interstel*2, A-EMS=FarOrb*2,
		Densitometer=250m*2, Neutrino=10kw*2, EMS-Jam=FarOrb
		ActObjScn=Rout	ActObjPin=Rout
		PasObjScn=Rout	PasObjPin=Rout
		PasEnScn=Simp	PasEnPin=Rout
Off:		HPts=4
		PLaser=x02
		Batt		1
		Bear		1
Def:		DefDM=+10
		SCaster=xx3
		Batt		1
		Bear		1
Control:	Computer=8fib*3, Model=2*3, HoloHUD=5, HoloLink=5,
		LrgHoloDisp=1
Accom:	Crew=7(Bridge=2, Engineer=2, Gunner=1, Medic=1,
		Steward=1) (Passenger=11, LowPassenger=32)
		Stateroom=16, LowBerth=32,
		BasicEnv, BasicLS, ExtendLS, I-Comps, G-Plates
		(See above on fuel tank environ)
Other:	Fuel=1158Kl(1 Jump-2+30dy+24hr@full pwr), Cargo=1430Kl,
		SubCraft=Ship's Boat, Scoops, Fuel Pure=6hr,
		ObjSize=Avg, EMlevel=Faint--None @ cruise power
Remarks:	The Derrida QM is a fleet shadow.  It is most often
found in Imperial space conducting operations as a 'Harmless
trader' There is almost always (87.56%) a Derrida conducting
'trade' at the major Imperial naval bases.  It is said that the
Imperial fleet admirals feel naked without their Derrida
following at a descreet distance.
	On more than one occasion, Derrida observers have been
instrumental in rescuing Imperial Naval personnel.  There was the
famous case in 1103 when the ISS Stag (a Gazelle class close
escort) suffered a main engine failure while descending to skim
from a gas giant.  With the fleet out of range and no time to
lose, the Dzojarr, a Derrida observer responded to the distress
call and was able to rescue the crew before the ship burned up. 
The crew of the Dzojarr were awarded the Starburst for Extreme
Heroism.
	As noted above, the fleet observer has an additional 121Kl
of electronics aboard.  This is distributed evenly around the
ship to prevent identification.  The gravitic hologram system is
in place as above.
	The Imperial designation "Trawler" comes from old history
but it's derivation is not fully understood.

(Chuckle)

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2873
Date: Wed, 18 Sep 1991 16:28 CDT
From: KELLOGG@ducvax.auburn.edu
Subject: Re: Names...

Capitol/Core				111-1121
Today the ceremonies for the investiture of knighthood of the brave
Naval Captain who saved 115 Marines from certain destruction on the
planet Stinkybinky.  From now on he shall be known to the Imperium as:
Sir Captain Thomas Charterdaccountant...

Snickeringly yours,
Scott Snicker Kellogg

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2874
Date: Wed, 18 Sep 1991 16:49 CDT
From: KELLOGG@ducvax.auburn.edu
Subject: Hunting Rifles?

Quick question to the gun experts:

What is an elephant gun?  What type of ammunition does it use?
What sort of Penetration/Damage does it have.

The hunting rifle as listed in Trav does not seem to be up to
a description I read a long time ago (something about George
Orwell shooting an elephant)

According to him, firing a large number of rounds with a normal
rifle did little harm to the elephant compared with the
elephant gun.

Thanks,
Scott Kellogg
"For shame doc... Huntin' rabbits with an elephant gun..."

"Ewephant gun?"   -Bugs Bunny and Elmer PHudd

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2875
Subject: PBEM: Welcome to a new mailing list!
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 91 12:10:57 PDT
From: James T Perkins <jamesp@metolius.WR>

[Those not interested in Richard's PBEM can skip this message - James]

		First there was Glasnost, now Perestroika...

Hello fellow PBEMers! It's always been a major chore for everyone in the
PBEM to maintain their own copy of the PBEM aliases.  Richard and I were
discussing this one day via email with Dan Corrin.  I opened my mouth
just a little too far and offered to maintain a set of aliases for
Richard and everyone else on the PBEM.  Richard, being no fool, refused
to let me get out of it, so after a couple weeks of struggling, late
hours, and poking and prodding, I am proud to announce the new PBEM
mailing list!

If you:
	1) are a PBEM player, and
	2) recieve this in the TML digest, and
	3) do not recieve a copy of this as personal mail, then
	4) send mail to pbem-request@engrg.uwo.ca.

N   N OOOOO TTTTT EEEEE	
NN  N O   O   T   E      ::
N N N O   O   T   E      ::	THIS DOES NOT MEAN THE PBEM HAS
N  NN O   O   T   EEE		STARTED UP YET - IT'S JUST MORE
N   N O   O   T   E		INFORMATION.  THIS INFORMATION HAS
N   N O   O   T   E      ::	BEEN BLESSED BY RICHARD AS OFFICAL.
N   N OOOOO   T   EEEEE  ::

To mail to everyone on the PBEM, send email to: pbem@engrg.uwo.ca.  I
forsee this alias as being the most frequently used for most pbem
traffic.  This single alias causes distribution to the three-dozen or so
PBEM members.  It also makes sure that Richard gets a copy, and deposits
a copy of the mail in an archive file where I can get to it on sunbane.
You are now freed of having to worry what people's addresses are and who
has joined or left the PBEM.  Now it's my problem :-).

If you have a question or dialogue for Richard (the PBEM Referee) alone,
you can send it to pbemref@engrg.uwo.ca.

If you have an email address change, you can mail it to
pbem-request@engrg.uwo.ca.  Richard and I only will recieve this mail.

If you have an email emergency (like PBEM mail is going to the wrong
mailbox, or someone has noticed all this PBEM mail and is going to,
heaven forbid, yank your email account), send mail to
pbem911@engrg.uwo.ca.  This alias (named after the telephone distress
line popular in the United States) will send email to Dan Corrin,
Richard, metlay, and myself and one of us can do an emergency patch to
alleviate the problem.

If you want to reach a specific character, you no longer need worry what
the email address of that character is! You just mail to
pbem<character>@engrg.uwo.ca.  For example, Commander Ger is
pbemger@engrg.uwo.ca, and Bhyarrvouf is pbemvouf@engrg.uwo.ca.  Here's
the definitive list of all the character aliases:

	pbemabuko         pbemferdy         pbemmerwe         pbemsilvmane      
	pbemaiwi          pbemfrieder       pbemmorser        pbemsokoku        
	pbemakhouw        pbemger           pbemmrog          pbemspear         
	pbemayrlathi      pbemgoughzar      pbemnarayanan     pbemtabor         
	pbemazani         pbemgrey          pbemnayduz        pbemthomas        
	pbembishop        pbemhammer        pbemneriika       pbemtweel         
	pbemblaine        pbemhooper        pbemnewphin       pbemvoga          
	pbemdeaith        pbemhorne         pbemniigurd       pbemvouf          
	pbemdemer         pbemhryawi        pbemrak           pbemwerner        
	pbemdevious       pbemiasic         pbemralf          pbemwitfield      
	pbemdezierd       pbemjett          pbemredd          pbemwrinkley      
	pbemdoejin        pbemjonson        pbemrobins        pbemyorblin       
	pbemedmondsen     pbemkatie         pbemschmud        pbemziggy         
	pbemeihoftyah     pbemlimner        pbemseverin       pbemlisteners     
	pbemfarouk        pbemmahlel        pbemshrike        

Again, mail to any one of these addresses will be forwarded to the
player playing the character (pbemlisteners is a special case, and
covers two people listening in on the activites, but not involved in
play).  Also, for GM purposes, a copy of the email will go to Richard,
and another will be filed in an private archive summary file.

In the case of players who have lost their e-mail access, or have left
the playing field temporarily or permanently (example: the character
Much T'B'Dezierd), they still have a character alias (pbemdezierd), but
the mail is forwarded to Richard instead of the original player.  This
mechanism allows for easy temporary suspension, too (Dr.  Werner,
pbemwerner, played by Ron Abramson, has been temporarily redirected to
Richard Johnson).

There are also aliases for several large subgroups of characters.  These
are:

	pbemaslan	all aslan
	pbemralphan	all on ralpha
	pbemskaad	all turnskaad employees
	pbemshuttle	all on command shuttle
	pbemtalisman	all on talisman
	pbempaladin	all on paladin
	pbemalcyon	all on alcyon
	pbemaurora	all on aurora
	pbemphin	all phins
	pbem		everyone in the pbem
	pbemall		ditto. everyone in the pbem

So, for example, if I wanted to inform everyone in the PBEM of Charyn
Robins' (my character) activities, I would mail it to pbem@engrg.uwo.ca.
If she had a matter only for people on the Paladin starship, where she
is Nav/Comm, I will mail to pbempaladin@engrg.uwo.ca.  If she was having
a very private discussion with the Dr.  Christian Van Der Merwe, I'll
mail it to pbemmerwe@engrg.uwo.ca.  And lastly, if I had a question for
Richard alone, I'd mail it to pbemref@engrg.uwo.ca.

James

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2876
From: Mark F. Cook <markc@hpcvss.cv.hp.COM>
Subject: A Word on Elephant Guns
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 91 13:08:36 PDT

In subject 2874, Scott Kellogg <KELLOGG@ducvax.auburn.edu>  writes:

> Quick question to the gun experts:
> 
> What is an elephant gun?  What type of ammunition does it use?
> What sort of Penetration/Damage does it have.
> 
> The hunting rifle as listed in Trav does not seem to be up to
> a description I read a long time ago (something about George
> Orwell shooting an elephant)
> 
> According to him, firing a large number of rounds with a normal
> rifle did little harm to the elephant compared with the
> elephant gun.

Well, speaking as an ex-Marine with lots o' hunting experience with
a *HUGE* variety of weapons, and rabid NRA member (whatever that's
got to do with anything), here goes. :-)

The above description is fairly accurate.  The question is not one
of velocity, but of slug mass (and big kenetic energy, as a result).
While something like a 30-06 is usually considered an adequate hunting
rifle for most types of big game (up to and including Kodiak and Polar
bears), it would take an extremely well placed shot (maybe several) to
drop an African elephant or water buffalo.  The problem is tha the
animals vital organs are so deep in the body that the must generate a
massive trauma on surface impact to have any stopping power.  An .-06
wound would probably kill the elephant eventually, but not before it
ran over both the hunter and the Range Rover he fired from. :-)

For *really* big game, enthusiasts use something like a .458 Winchester
Magnum (Ruger No. 3 Tropical rifle) or a .460 Weatherby Magnum.  Around the
turn of the century, one of the popular African big game rounds available
(although hard to find today) was the Holland & Holland .600 Nitro Express.
The shells were as big as cigars and the slug was the size of your thumb.
On impact, they created hideous pie plate-sized wounds.  Hydrostatic shock
and massive blood loss usually dropped the animal in it's tracks.
Supposedly, these rounds could split a water buffalo's skull (30-06 rounds,
on the other hand, have been known to ricochete).  If fired at a human
being, a Nitro Express slug would leave a bloody neck stump after a
head-shot, and if fired at the torso, could potentially tear a person
in half if the spine were struck.

I don't have my MT rules here at work, but I'd probably give the
H&H round a PEN of about 8 or 9, and a Dmg. in the range of 6 to 7.

One final note: the H&H .600 Nitro Express only fires 2 shots before
reloading (it looks like a double-barreled shotgun and reloads the
same way).  The Ruger No. 3 Tropical rifle, chambered for the .458
Winchester Magnum is a single-shot weapon with a rolling block
reload.  The .460 Weatherby Magnum is a 3-shot bolt-action.  All
three have a terrible recoil (although the Weatherby *does* have
a very nice recoil pad).  I'd probably rule that any MT character
with either a STR or CON of less than 8 would be knocked over by
the kick (or at least make it a Formidable task to stay on their
feet).

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: 2877
Subject: Administrivia
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 91 14:07:54 PDT
From: James T Perkins <jamesp@metolius.WR>


Apparently the local systems folks are fighting an anal-retentive local
system named wrgate.wr.tek.com, which is the Tek Walker Road gateway to
the Tek central mail agency (at tektronix.tek.com).  All mail to/from
metolius goes through wrgate.  Well, they must've given it an enema
today, since a TML message that had been stuck since Wednesday finally
flushed its way out onto the internet.  Other posts today went well, so
I'm hoping that the problem was temporary.

I've been seeing addresses flow out onto the internet of the form
"user@metolius.WR" again, so it appears the "not appending .tek.com" bug
is back.  I'm monitoring it.  Watch your auto-replies!

James
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Traveller Mailing List Administrator	     James T Perkins @ Tektronix, Inc
traveller-request@metolius.wr.tek.com	     Beaverton, Oregon, USA
    "How many ancients can dance on the head of a pin?" - Scott Kellogg

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2878
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1991 17:26 -0500
From: SULAIMAN@ecs.umass.edu
Subject: Traveller Revision


Well Yet Another Traveller Revision.....

While I will be the first to jump out and say that GDW needs to get its
act together vis a vis MT or Traveller. I am annoyed at their "universe
tinkering". The rules badly need revision ( and proof reading) but this
rumored change will leave nothing of the old Traveller behind. 

And what about us die hard Travellers do we have to shell out another
30-40 for a new update which will be revised in another 6 mths. Do we
get a refund for Ships of the Shattered Imperium or the old rule books,
kind of like a trade in.

I have a nagging suspicion that GDW's promises of a clean product will be
unkept. 

My 2 credits.

Ameer Sulaiman.

P.S. I can't seem to get e-mail through to Rob Dean. Could u please send me
your address again. Apparently u have no problem getting to me....



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

Archive-Message-Number: 2879
From: MacGyver <macgyver@cis.ohio-state.edu>
Subject: Re: (2878) Traveller Revision
Date: Sat, 21 Sep 91 0:45:07 EDT

> And what about us die hard Travellers do we have to shell out another
> 30-40 for a new update which will be revised in another 6 mths. Do we
> get a refund for Ships of the Shattered Imperium or the old rule books,
> kind of like a trade in.
> 
> I have a nagging suspicion that GDW's promises of a clean product will be
> unkept. 

	Well, I have my suspicion too. But GDW has really improved
from what I have seen, juding by the year of 91. GDW's rule used to
be ill proof-read, ill play-tested. MT is a good example, the first edition
of TW2000 is another good example. Not to mention stuff like the MT
sharship of SI. 

	But their recent products have imporved quite a bit. If the proof
read level is anything like TW2000 the 2nd edition, or Dark Conspiracy,
I'd been very happy. 

	BTW, the revision is not due till the end of 92, which is more
than a year away.

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2880
From: Marc Alexandrovich Volovic <mav@cs.huji.ac.il>
Date: Sat, 21 Sep 91 02:06:54 PDT
Subject: Elephant Guns


To add to Mark Cook's answer about Elephant guns - the H&H .600 NE could
(supposedly) stop a charging elephant in a head on shot from 30-40 meters.
I have no idea if this is true, not would like to check on a real, live
elephant.

Marc

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2881
From: d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se
Subject: A Question of Skill (Re: New Era)
Date: Sat, 21 Sep 91 16:59:38 MET DST

> From: MacGyver <macgyver@cis.ohio-state.edu>
> Subject: (2870) New Era Of Traveller
> 
> The system will be changed so it's compatible with
> TW2000 the 2nd edition, Dark Conspiracy, etc. Because GDW has decided to
> use TW2000 2nd edition rules as the offical house system now.

  My thoughts on this are mixed. The first impression I get is that GDW is
couldn't patch a SF-rpg on the Twilight/Merc/Dinos/Dark line with a straight
face at the same time as they have MegaTraveller as a living system. That is 
the positive interpretation. The negative interpretation is that they try to
get their Traveller audience to get hooked on the T/M/D/D line.

  Now, on to the system. I can say without modification that I like the
task system above the system T2k uses for skill success resolution. It is 
possible to cram a lot more info in a task description than it is in the rather
flimsy method T2k uses.
  
  There is also one big problem with the system T2k uses for this and for 
determining wether one hit or miss with a weapon: If you have zero skill you
have zero chance hitting in any situation.
  So I went to an old army officer I know who have instructed recruits in using
a rifle for several years and asked him thus:
  "In system one you have zero chance hitting in any situation if you have
zero skill, and the chance goes up 10% per level.
   In system two you have a small chance of hitting if you have no skill at all.
If you get some basic training this goes up a big step, and additional
skill improves it by little steps.
   Which of these two systems most accurately represent reality?"
   To which he answered:
   "The second one."

  So while I like way T2k handles successful hits, and the way it conducts
autofire, I think that the T2k skill resolution and to-hit procedure would be
a step backwards.

  I also humbly wonder if a T2k-ification of Traveller would mean that they 
would leave the "Give'em a design system and let'em make their own vehicles"
model from Traveller and MegaTraveller and transfer to a "Give'em lots and
lots of expensive books where they can find the vehicle data." model like in
Twilight.

> And remember how terrible 
> the rulebook as far as proof reading goes in MT? This won't happen
> again, apprently they've changed and got rid of all those people
> that's responsbile for that proof reading.

  What proofreading?

> Also, they promised
> better support. There will not be any involement from outside
> groups like the last time, from what I heard.

  I have my reservations on wether "Better support" and "No outside 
involvement" are compatible goals for a company with as many things in the
air at the same time as GDW. Compared to, TSR say, they are much smaller and
have many more product lines. And trying to make too many things at once is
an extremely dangerous path for a games company.

> Wilson MacGyver                      | Everytime you have an idea, I get 

- -bertil-
- -- 
"Drow! Drow! Drow! Everywhere Drow! Now they've even started to crop up in
 GDW books!"

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2882
From: d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se
Subject: Re: Names...
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 91 10:25:04 MET DST

> From: William Henry Timmins <wt0b+@andrew.cmu.edu>
> Subject: (2871) RE: (2868) Names
> 
> I doubt manager, chairman (person?), or president will become last names.

  Ok, chairsophont then:)
 
> You're missing an important point: those last names came out of the
> practice of naming people by profession, ie- John the Archer, Lars the
> Smith, and Tim the Enchanter :)

  Well, that is true for Margaret the Thatcher but not Bengt the Baron or
Stephen the King. At the time people were named by profession, the average
king would have taken a very dim view on any and all Stephens calling themselves
'King':)

  And there are families where the title of, for example president, seems to
be passed down as if inherited.

> - -Me
> [Pooh Bear incarnate.]

- -bertil-
- -- 
'Det a"r oo"versa"ttbart...'

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2883
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1991 12:11 EET
From: KLAINE@kontu.cc.utu.fi
Subject: Question from a novice referee


Like the subject line says, I'm fairly new to the game. Our campaign started
in May and we had a summer break, so I haven't played so much.
OK, my problem is this: let's assume that a ship misjumps and the crew finds
themselves 2 parsecs from the nearest system, without jump fuel. They go
to Low Berths and shut down all systems on the ships except one computer
and the Berths. Thus the power plant has to produce only about 0.01 MW of
power, instead of the usual 1000+ MW. The power plant could then run for
years on its fuel.
Is this possible by the MegaTraveller rules? Does this sound completely
irrational/silly or something?
Any suggestions and advice from more experienced refs is very welcome.

Please email directly to me, if possible.

INTERNET: klaine@kontu.utu.fi

          (Kai Laine, University of Turku, Finland)


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

Archive-Message-Number: 2884
Date: Monday 23rd September 1991 10:43:31 BST
From: Alan Huscroft <ASSHUSCR@cms.am.cc.reading.ac.uk>
Subject: Traveller revision

 
I agree with Ameer -- the game mechanics need revision and proofreading,
but Leave Our Universe Alone!  The setting for the game is the single
most important factor in making it so popular for so long.  I think it
would be insane to make such drastic changes.  For my part, I'm still
having trouble getting used to the Rebellion.
 
I find all this stuff about a computer virus causing widespread havoc
across the Imperium to be higly dubious at best.  Even if a mechanism
for carrying it from world to world could be contrived, it's hard to
believe that the computer technology on the myriad different worlds
would be sufficiently compatible to allow it to thrive.
 
What is the HIWG's view about this upheaval, I wonder?  Or DGP's?
 
............................................................................
: 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 :
:............................:.............................................:

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2885
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 91 09:43:35 EDT
From: Mike.Metlay@ORGAN.MUSIC.CS.CMU.EDU
Subject: Traveller Mk III: An Editorial by, well, YOU know.


The following is the opinion of one (albeit listened-to) member of
the Traveller Mailing List, and does not reflect the opinions of
the List's membership or of the poor sod who's forced to run it
(hi, James). It will prove offensive to a lot of you people, and
the author doesn't give a fuck. Okay?

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


So they're at it again. "Star Viking." "Traveller-- the Revision."

*sigh*

I would very much like to determine whether or not this is a hoax, a
cruel joke, or-- Lord help me-- the truth. Especially since any TMLer
who bothers to read .signature files will have noted by now that the
Chuck Gannon mentioned in Mac's latest insider report is a member of
the TML. For the nonce, let us assume, with some skepticism, that the
report is in fact true in extent and content, and go from there.

Knowing comparatively little about the rules system base that the rev 2
Twilight rules use, I'll refrain from making specific comments about 
the company's decision to force us all to learn Yet Another System. I 
will also refrain from making value judgements as to which system will
be "more realistic," "more playable," or (pfagh!) "better." I merely 
wish to comment on the more global aspects of what this change will mean
to us as Traveller players.

First off: Marketing. GDW, unless they have finally learned something 
from West End and FASA, are going to finally succeed in blowing their
own brains out on this one. Traveller did great for ten years on a 
basic rules system that STILL works better than all the revisions, in
a lot of areas. MegaTraveller has been out for less than half that time,
and has been a colossal flop in terms of sales and generated interest.
It changed too much, and did so in an unappealing package with limited 
and skewed scope (we have an entire book on airplanes-- AIRPLANES?!--
and we still don't know squat about Dulinor?). The result was a rules 
system that generated very little loyalty. Bad move. GDW had better
be ready to accept the fact that yet another revision is going to piss
off a lot of people in a big way, and that's REGARDLESS of how good it is.
And if they go it alone, without DGP's continuity and gaming aplomb to
back them up, they're in double trouble. Dark Conspiracy is too little
too late on the creepycrawly trend, Space:1889 was a criminal case of
misguessing the public's tastes, and Twilight/Merc/2300 seem to be 
keeping the company afloat on merits I personally can't see at all. If 
they go out on a limb with this new Traveller rev, they'd better go all
the way-- real artwork, good maps and inserts, a proper typesetting job,
and all the elements that make a game buyer who buys from FASA or TSR
feel like he's getting (at least in layout) a quality product.

"But," I hear the munchkins in the front row bleat, "What about CONTENT?"

PISS on content!

Yeah! Piss on content. Content doesn't sell games-- packaging does. We can
be as altruistic as we want to be, but we are NOT going to keep a company the
size of GDW in business in today's market. A game like Traveller Classic,
as phenomenally successful as it was in 1977, would put GDW into Chapter 11
in no time nowadays. We don't need to impress the seasoned gamers and pros
out there-- they HAVE their systems, and like them. We need to prise open
the sweaty little stubby fists of the whining pimply preteens as they wander
through the game stores looking for newer and better misogyny to hide their
lack of social skills and pull out the crumpled wads of scrimped paper-route
cash and gifts from Mommy and Daddy before it can get spent on Shardowrun,
or Torg, or Cyberpunk, or GURPS, or whatever. Flashy artwork. Bloodshed.
Bigger guns and brighter fireworks. Flashier vehicles and slicker machismo.
And above all, SEX. SEX SEX SEX! Women, reduced to meat on the hoof for
the prurient edification of slimeballs of all ages who'd never dream of
trying to kiss a *real* girl themselves. Tighter costumes! Narrower waists!
And BREASTS. Human women with breasts the size of canteloupes! Aslan women
with breasts the size of honeydew melons! Vargr women with breasts the size
of nectarines! ("Nectarines?" "Yeah, but there are SIX of them, man!") More
makeup, more skin, body tattoos, the works-- if MegaTraveller's Player 
Handbook had had a cover with a bim like the one on the original 2300 rules,
they'd have done a lot better in the sales department. SELL MORE GAMES!

That having been said, and the basic problem of keeping the company alive
having been addressed, let me now turn to minutiae that won't make any 
difference in the long run to anyone except people like us, people with
slightly DIFFERENT fetishes. Hey, kid! Yeah, you in the front row! Get
yer hand outa yer pants and stop thinking about the honeydew melons for
a second! Remember what you were yelling about a minute ago? Huh?

"Oh, yeah. CONTENT."

These are the areas which will matter most in the long run, but unfortunately
games are published for the short run. It's doubtful that we can do anything
about the marketing and packaging end of things, so we may as well focus on 
the things we CAN change, and hope that we can make Chuck Gannon, and GDW, 
listen. Any author who thinks he can publish a rules system in a vacuum, with
no input from outside critics, is living in a dreamworld. On the other hand,
as TDR will gleefully demonstrate, if critics with opposing viewpoints lock
horns with no way to break the deadlock, nothing gets done, good or bad. 
The middle ground is for an author or team of authors to have a clear and 
persistent vision of the world they are trying to bring to life, combined
with a willingness to sweat the small details out with the help of the best
possible critics and playtesters, changing ruthlessly whatever needs to be 
changed to improve the game, and rejecting ruthlessly any attempts to sway
him from his vision.

Well, folks, if Chuck Gannon's the author, can YOU think of a good test group?
*I* sure can.

Let's face it. MegaTraveller was BROKEN. Broken broken broken. We did our
damnedest to fix it, and nobody listened. Now we have a real opportunity 
to fix the broken parts before Traveller becomes even more of a public
laughing stock than it is already! Next August isn't a long time to write
a game, but a good testing process can and MUST be included in that time.
The MegaTraveller rules were obviously NOT playtested properly, proofread
and doublechecked carefully, or assembled with any eye to real game-universe
continuity. And the rules that followed were often worse. I call upon the
experts in this group, whose combined knowledge of science, military 
matters, economics, sociology and history outweighs that of any single man
out there, to volunteer their aid in the testing and revision of these new
rules. And I call upon the people at GDW to get their heads out of their 
asses and stop relying on inbred apologists to test their games. Nobody,
not even Marc Miller or Joe Fugate, can claim to love Traveller MORE than
I do. And I'm willing to do my part to assure that the new game that comes
out next GenCon is the best it can possibly be.

How about it?

metlay				| The good news is that he desires nothing 
xpander-loving old curmudgeon   | more for his music 'rep' than a cameo in
                                | SAVAGE HENRY COMICS. 
metlay@organ.music.cs.cmu.edu	| The bad news is, he's likely to make it.

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2886
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 91 11:04:07 EDT
From: Mike.Metlay@ORGAN.MUSIC.CS.CMU.EDU
Subject: One example of an elephant gun

The elephant gun was generally a rifle with a very, VERY large calibre,
throwing a heavy bullet at high velocity. It kicked like a mule, and
you didn't often need a second shot. One example was popularized in the
opening chapters of "The Man of Bronze," the first chapter of the Doc
Savage series of pulp adventures in the 1930s. It was the .577 Nitro
Express rifle, a round from which was fired from the top of a skyscraper,
flew across twenty city blocks, through an armored glass window and into
a bank vault door before stopping. 

metlay

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

Archive-Message-Number: 2887
From: Marc Alexandrovich Volovic <mav@cs.huji.ac.il>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 91 08:33:17 PDT
Subject: Guns are they!

 
Adrian Hurt <adrian@cs.heriot-watt.ac.uk> writes:
>Marc Alexandrovich Volovic <mav@cs.huji.ac.il> writes:
>>
>> Firstly, the 92F is parallel to Imperial a 10mm SNUB (well, more or less).
>
>If so, the Snub pistol has changed drastically since I (or my character,
>at least) used it in Olde Traveller.  It got the name "snub" by having
>a very short barrel, was very low velocity, and fired several different
>types of ammo, mostly illegal on most planets by being either explosive
>or gas.  It was also low recoil, which made it great for shipboard
>security (where you didn't have to worry about minor details like local
>laws).  The Beretta 92F is an example of what Striker calls a "9mm
>auto pistol".  :-)
 
  I meant the 10mm SNUB is Berettas equivalent as far as ubiquitousness
goes.
 
>> Now - in Traveller we only have "10mm Auto." What about a "Intellarms
>> S-56 10mm Auto with gyrostabilizer?" Or a "BendArCo 23dm double magazine
>> 10mm?" Or "Causative XMH-242 8mm, gyrostab, integral bipod, laser
>> rangefinder and designator?"
>
>A bipod on a pistol?  Novel idea, but I don't know if it would sell.  :-)
 
  The XMH-242 is an assault weapon a-la Minimi.
 
 
  I prefer a feature list to Adrian's code system. Of course, some pieces
of equipment need additional (GM only) information (i.e. jamming mods) but
these may be hooked in somehow. Thus, the 2300AD has a very good hardware
stuff, including strangeness. The system DOES increase GM and player load.
 
Marc
 

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

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

