No, I haven't left the face of the planet for good, I've simply had all kinds
of trouble with my net connections (If I decide to move to a different site,
I'll let you know in plenty of time). My current problem is that one of the
sites upstream from me has had mailer trouble, and I just got a couple of
weeks worth of TML at once. In the first batch (and I'm nowhere near caught
up), three things caught my eye, so here goes ...
On antimatter rockets, the space shuttle, and the USAF
I believe that this idea was proposed by Dr. Robert L Forward (who else?) and
is detailed in his book "Future Magic". The gist of the idea is that
antimatter is the most compact possible form of energy storage, and that
current research accellerators are capable of producing usefull quantities of
the stuff (ie: fractions of a gram). Several containment ideas are being
tested; he describes one such in his book. Finally, to make it all
economically possible, he observes that each ton of rocket fuel carried aboard
the Space Shuttle (for the upper stage motors which propel satellites from the
low space shuttle orbit to higher orbits) costs millions of dollars in terms of
shuttle cargo capacity. If all that fuel can be replaced by a tiny amount of
antimatter and a few kilograms of containment, the money saved in shuttle cargo
fees will more than pay for the antimatter.
The above is from memory; Dr. Forward has the whole thing worked out, and it
looks quite possible with "current" technology. See his book for more details;
I can't find my copy right now or I would quote from it. Also in this book are
a number of even more speculative pieces, including a neutrino communicator (!)
and various space/time travel devices. Recommended!
Commerce Raiding
Commerce raiding by pirates and privateers will probably have an effect on
trade and commerce entirely out of proportion to the number of ships taken
and the number of privateers operating.
"... such exploits as these, in or near British home waters, caused
outrage there. 'The have literally swept our seas,' said the Naval
Chronicle, 'blocaded our ports, and cut up our Irish and coasting
trade ... The insurance between Bristol and Waterford or Cork is now
three times higher than it was when we were at war with all Europe!'"
"The Admiralty was inundated with letters demanding protection, and
public meetings were held in Liverpool and Bristol to get the point
over."
Quoted from _To Shining Sea, A History of the United States Navy_, by
Steven Howarth, pp 117; quoting from _Naval Chronicle_, v 32, pp 243-5.
The major damage is likely to be due to the *perception* of a threat, not the
threat itself. Although the threat of piracy is weak compared to the
strength of the available naval and other protective vessels, some ships are
likely to be attacked. The perception of this risk by the public (and in
particular by the shippers and insurers) will determine the extent of the
damage to interstellar trade. A trebling of insurance rates would likely
destroy a free trader's profit margin, but given the risk of loosing a cargo,
it is also likely that no shipper would ship an uninsured cargo. Finally, a
certain level of insurance could be mandated by the ship's finance agreement,
to protect the lender in case of the loss of the vessel. Typically such
insurance payments are bourne by the borrower, and are paid in installments
with the loan payments. Many smaller operators will find themselves in the
position of being unable to make a profit when insurance rates rise, or being
unable to operate at all without insurance.
Skill "levels"
When I have to explain Traveller skills to new players, I generally use some
variant of the table below; its crude, but gives most people a good idea of
what they can (and cannot) successfully attempt.
Skill-0 == Hobbyist; has some knowledge of the subject, and has observed or
studied basic operations, but may not have much (if any) practical
experience or judgement, especally in emergency situations.
Skill-1 == Apprentice; the minimum skill for employment in the field. Knows
all basic operations, but needs practice and experience to smooth
off the rough edges. Knows basic theory as applied by skill.
Skill-2 == Journeyman; average professional skill, competent in routine and
many emergency situations. Most professional starship pilots
navigators, and engineers will be Skill-2.
Skill-3 == Master; high professional skill. In larger operations, the
department head or other supervisor will be Skill-3. Typically the
best skill level available for hire.
Skill-4 == Expert; generally acknowledged as "the best" (at least in the local
area). Talent this good is usually not for hire; player characters
and "character" adversaries will be this good, NPC's won't.
Skill-5 == Legendary.
In my campaigns, I do not force skill rolls for every use of a skill (for
example, pilot, navigation, and engineering rolls are not called for on every
jump). I call for rolls when the task is performed in combat or other extreme
stress, or when the task to be performed is beyond the normal capacities of
the skill. For example, I migh call for a pilot roll when landing in a severe
storm (severe enough that the port is closed to traffic), or with a damaged
vessel.
Assuming that additional (attribute or situation) DM's of +1 or +2 apply:
Unskilled characters have a *CHANCE* of performing Simple and Routine tasks.
Skill-0 is the lowest level to have a chance of performing a Difficult task.
Skill-2 is the lowest level to have a chance of performing a Formidable task.
Skill-5 is the lowest level to have a chance of performing an Impossible task.
The Spacer's Guild
In some of my campaigns, there is the Spacer's Guild. The Guild is basically
a union, and the dues are about Cr 20 annually; membership is open to the
skilled operating crew of spaceships and starships. The Guild provides skill
testing and certification, sets recommended pay scales and personnel practices,
and provides additional benefits for members.
Guild Benefits for Crew
a) Skill certification ("working papers") for crew positions. Ensures that
all positions are filled by safe, skilled workers.
b) Guild hiring halls or job boards at all major ports (Class C or better).
c) Insurance (Unemployment, Disability, Life, and Medical) and Retirement Plans
are available at competitive rates through the Guild.
d) Guild Credit Union; interstellar banking services for Guild members.
e) Recommended Practices protect Guild members from unfair personnel policies
(the Working Passage rule); standardized pay scales for crew positions.
f) Guild Hostels (food and lodging at reduced rates) at major starports.
Additional Guild Benefits for Owners/Captains
a) Skill certification removes guesswork from hiring; Guild hiring halls
provide a ready source of labor, and convenient facilities for interviews.
b) Recommended Practices provides a consistent pay scale and policies to
make administration easier.
Referee's Information
Starship operations are classed in different ways by the Guild, depending on
how much control the Guild has over ship operations. To enforce its rules,
or as a bargaining point, the Guild can threaten strikes, slowdowns and the
other usual tactics of organized labor. Guild presence varies from area to
area; in some areas, Guild presence is very strong, and it is virtually
impossible to operate in the face of a Guild strike. In other areas, Guild
presence is weak.
Guild Ship : Guild membership and certification are required of all crew. The
Guild has great influence over pay and personnel policies. Many of the
smaller lines (that don't have the resources to fight the guilds) are in
this category. Larger lines, particularly in economically depressed areas
are sometimes able to win concessions from the Guild - their contracts will
vary somewhat, even though they be an all-Guild operation.
Free Ship : Employment is without regard to Guild membership status; the
majority of independent ships falls into this category. Provided that they
follow most of the Recommended Practices, the Guild will usually leave
independent operators alone. Some Guild contracts specify a fixed
percentage of Guild Ships to Free Ships within a company. In many areas,
agreements exist between Independent Starship Operator's associations and
the Guild to provide each other with preferential treatment.
Closed Ship : Guild members are not employed (except perhaps in the most dire
of emergencies). Some megacorporations are closed to Guild members (they
are closed to all outsiders, and perfer to recruit and train their own
crews). Some particularly stubborn lines are also closed; this tactic has
been used to keep the Guild weak in areas where it has little influence.
In order to join the Guild, a character must have one of the space-related
skills (Pilot, Navigator, Engineer, Gunner, Steward, Ship's Boat, Vacc Suit),
or skilled job found aboard a starship or spaceship (certified skills include
Computer, Electronic, Mechanical, and most vehicle skills) at Skill-1 or
better.
The Guild administers Skill Certification tests ("working papers") for all of
the skills listed above; the testing fee is Cr 5 per test. If the character
has the skill to the level claimed (Apprentice, Journeyman, or Master),
passing the test is a Simple task. If the character does *NOT* have the skill
claimed, passing will be Difficult (Edu also applies in this case).
The Guild also administers Captain's Certificates. Unlike the skill tests,
this certification does not test any specific skill; instead it tests the
administration of a starship, and in particular, the Guild's Recommended
Practices. Guild Captains get preferential treatment at Guild hiring halls,
even if they operate a Free Ship (the Captain's Certificate is required, of
course, for the Captains of Guild Ships).
Little-Known Information about the Guild
The Guild Credit Union operates as an interstellar financial institution for
Guild members, and manages the Guild insurance and retirement funds. Much of
this money is re-invested into interstellar commerce. Companies which operate
Guild Ships, and Guild Certified independent operators get preferential
treatment for these loans, which are usually at the standard rates.
Virtually all of the Guild contracts contain a little-known "return home"
clause, which allows members to return to their homeworld of record by
succesive working passages. Captains with unfilled crew berths are required
to take Guild members travelling toward their homeworlds as working passages,
even if the person is not qualified for the position. These "return home"
passages may be bumped if the Captain fills the position with a qualified
crewmember before departure. To limit the inconvience of providing life
support for these "deadhead" crewmembers, the passage is limited to one jump.
Role-playing notes
Sometimes it is very usefull to have a space-going "Teamster's Union" to
place into your trade-and-commerce campaigns. The Guild can be a patron,
an adversary, or a resource, depending on how the referee feels and how the
players act.
What to do when you're cut off from the net
One of the side effects of being cut off from the net is that I have had a
chance to attack a number of very thick books I have had lying around the
house for some time now. Although these are not (by any stretch of the
imagination) science fiction books, they are likely to be usefull to Traveller
referees and players (you can never know too much about the forces which
shape human history). Anyway, I recommend:
_To Shining Sea_, A History of the U.S. Navy 1775-1991, by Steven Howarth
(Random House, 1991). A history of the US navy, as written by a British
historian. He provides an interesting viewpoint on the US Navy; especially
in the early period, where he has incuded commentary on the American threat
by contemporary British officers. Although the sections concerning the Civil
War are a little weak, Howarth manages to cover all of the important points
in a single volume.
_Dreadnought_, England, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War, by Robert
K Massie (Random House, 1991). Massie explores the personalities that
changed the shape of European politics in the period leading up to the
start of World War One. Wonderful background for Space: 1889, of course.
Even more interesting is the way that individual personalities alter the
political and diplomatic landscape.
_The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers_, Economic Change and Military Conflict
from 1500 to 2000, by Paul Kennedy (Random House, 1987). This book is rough
sledding, and the least recommended of the three. Kennedy provides ample
illustration for his theory of economic power (and its extention to military
and political power).
Wildstar
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Imagine if you will, converting the following to Traveller ...
September 14, 1803: The USS Constitution, under the command of Captain Edward
Preble, is bound for Gibraltar, with orders to do "something drastic" about
the problem of pirates and terrorists operating out of Algeria, Tripoli,
Tunis, and Morocco [isn't it funny how some things never change?].
"At twilight, a strange sail had been sighted, too distant for identification.
As darkness gathered, Preble approached warily. All that was certain was that
the other ship, like his own, was a man-of-war. Constitution's decks were
cleared for action. At last the stranger was close enough to hail. 'What
ship is that?' Preble called out. It was the standard international question,
to which the standard answer should have been given in order: nation, rate,
class, name, commander's name. Instead, the question itself came back through
the dark: 'What ship is *that*?' Suprised at the breach of custom, Preble
replied, "This is the United States frigate Constitution,' and repeated, 'What
ship is that?'
"'What ship is that?' - the question came back like an echo. Unless all the
other crew were deaf or their captain mocking him, Preble could only assume
an attack was being prepared. 'I now hail you for the last time,' he shouted.
'If you do not give a proper answer, I will fire a shot into you. "'If you
do,' came the spirited but improper answer, 'I will return a broadside.'
"'WHAT SHIP IS THAT?' Preble bellowed, patience almost at an end. The reply
was imperious: 'This is His Brittanic Majesty's 84 gun ship of the line
Donegal, Sir Richard Strachan. Send a boat on board.' That did it. Preble
roared at it: '*This* is the United States 44 gun ship Constitution, Captain
Edward Preble, and I'll be damned if I send a boat on board any ship!' And to
his gunners below he called out: 'Blow your matches, boys!' [this is the
command for the gunners to light their matches and stand ready to fire]
This must have been heard on the other ship. A little rowboat came paddling
up apologetically toward Constitution; an English officer came on board; and
Preble discovered that the unknown craft was not an 84-gun ship of the line
but a frigate with 12 guns fewer than his own.
_To Shining Sea_, by Stephen Howarth, pp 74-75.
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Wildstar
"... I'll see you on the Dark Side of the Moon!" -- Pink Floyd