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From: db@cstvax.UUCP (Dave Berry)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: Traveller stuff
Message-ID: <319@cstvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 24-Jul-85 09:30:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: cstvax.319
Posted: Wed Jul 24 09:30:16 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Jul-85 14:03:29 EDT
References: <10800002@orstcs.UUCP>
Reply-To: db@cstvax.UUCP (Dave Berry)
Organization: Comp. Sc., Edinburgh Univ., Scotland
Lines: 44

In article <10800002@orstcs.UUCP> richardt@orstcs.UUCP (richardt) writes:
>I have been playing Traveller for five years now and would be glad to
>help anyone with questions about the game.  (...)
>About detection equipment:  I have never run over anything noticeable. (...)
>The thing you need to remember is that Traveller is very similar to original
>D & D.  The purpose of the rules is to provide a basic system, NOT to
>provide an all-inclusive set of regulations.  (Semantic weighting intended)
>AD & D tried to provide for every case and has flaws as a direct result.
>So go ahead and modify and invent your own gadgets.  Post them to the net,
>I'm certain that others would like to see them.

I like open-ended systems, and usually avoid 'hardware' RPG modifications.
But Traveller is slightly different.  I ran into problems running the
"Annic Nova" adventure because the players knew more than I did about the
contents of electronic repair shops & about the life cycle of typical plants.
They were deducing various plot features from my inadequate descriptions.
I wasn't able to build all their deductions into the plot, (though I think
this would have been the best idea) as I was too inexperienced & too stoned.
I don't think GMs are likely to be familiar with all modern technology,
let alone likely future developments, and it only takes one player knowing
more than you about a particular area to make the suspension of disbelief
much harder to achieve.
This is why, for SF games, I would like to see a range of hardware available.
I was asking netland for gadgets in a particular field as I thought someone
might have already designed some of these, especially people who know the
capabilities of modern-day surveillence & detection equipment.
It would also be useful if SF games, & quite possibly fantasy games, included
sections on ecology, biology, diseases etc.  Many games don't even give
any systems for overland movement or weather!!  This isn't open-ended,
it's needlessly incomplete.

>Books 3 and 5, Trillion Credit Squadron, and supplement 9 (?) all have
>some notes, but I've always assumed that scanners were essentially a
>combination of EM detectors, Light Intensifiers with pattern recognition
>circuits (maybe!), an infrared scanners.  This is about the state of the
>art right now.  As for intrership communication, its all good old 
>electromagnetic radiation, i.e. FM radio.  (What happens when you discover
>an AM world???)  

The respones I got suggested looking at (or maybe using) FGU's Space Opera.
Thanks, Steve & Oliver.  I'll see if I can scrape together the money!
-- 
	Dave Berry. CS postgrad, Univ. of Edinburgh		
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