My TNE ramblings...

I see I should have been paying more attention to the TML recently.  My
mistake.

<my comments on TNE>

>Three versions of faster-than-light drives will be presented in the
>rules, jump drive (TRAVELLER), stutterwarp (2300 AD), and star gates
>(resembling Pournelle's MOTE IN GOD'S EYE universe).

I truly hope that they will not insist that the Traveller universe has
always had all three of these...


>The New Era will be an age of discovery. Explorers (Star Vikings) from
>the pocket empires will go out and recontact worlds in a fashion loosely
>resembling what we see in STAR TREK.  Starships are still especially
>rare and valuable during this time.  Boarding action will prevail in
>space combat so as to capture, not destroy, the hardware.

Boarding actions are a really neat trick unless you have blown away
the maneuver drives in advance.  But if that is the way you want it...

And, as Metlay said, there will be massive economic treatises showing why
it ain't gonna be that way.  I'll probably write about half of them.  But
I agree that keeping ships rare is a good thing.  Though how you intend to
let PCs get their hands on one if they are that valuable is something I
am really curious about.


>     As you can see, the Virus offers an endless number of exciting
>science fiction plots.

Actually, I can't see ANY science fiction plots made possible by the virus.
It looks more like background scenery to me.  Most likely, the permutations
possible will be beaten to death within six months of the game's release,
and ignored thereafter.  Who's willing to bet on whether the first TNE
adventure in Challenge will be a "virus" adventure?


>     The 'long ship' is a class of starship apparently unique to the
>Star Vikings.  This is an unstreamlined ship with a good jump range,
>but minimal or possibly no maneuver drive.  It carries rider ships
>which are actually used to contact worlds.

So, why is it unique?  Are we defining anyone who uses it as "star vikings"?
Or is it a stupid enough design that sensible people don't want to use it?

And they're right, "Star Viking" is a stupid name. It was stupid when Piper
used the original ("Space Viking"), and it hasn't improved with age.  The
concept is interesting, the name is terrible...


>     GDW will return to being vague about technology.  From the
>feedback they received, STARSHIP OPERATOR'S MANUAL explained too much,
>so things like the lanthanum grid for jump drives will not be carried
>over.

Bravo!  Defining the technology of the Imperium did more to destroy my
suspension of disbelief than anything else, including "hard times".


>     GDW is seriously considering including TWO faster-than-light star
>drives in the Imperial setting, traditional jump drive and stutterwarp
>from 2300 AD.  Frank Chadwick and Lester Smith favor this because
>stutterwarp makes for a very interesting space combat system.

DON'T DO THIS!!!  The stutterwarp changes the whole picture of ship combat
SO MUCH that reconciling the original Imperium to TNE will be just about
impossible.  Keep in mind that a ship without a stutterwarp has a movement
of ZERO in combat with any ship WITH a stutterwarp.


>Although GDW is writing TNE in-house, they still need outside writers,
>particular for CHALLENGE.  The CHALLENGE adventures will help give
>players a feel for the new game.  A little more room is available in
>CHALLENGE, thanks to GDW's new magazine.

If GDW has had a hard time getting good articles for Challenge, why do they
believe that they can now fill two magazines?  And why do they assume that
we will all be waiting eagerly to fill the pages of Challenge, if we haven't
before?

If Challenge decides to change its payment policies to something more
realistic, I'll send the a submission or ten also...

			---Steve Higginbotham

	***the Vilani Imperial Navy - ten thousand years of tradition,
									   unspoiled by progress***