TNE

Corran J. Webster writes:
>Now for the virus story:
>Hans Rancke-Madsen [email removed]writes:
>>[In reply to Corran:]
>>>   The Virus is going to make technological advance extremely difficult
>>>in affected areas, however, so that recovery may well be not possible -
>>>every time that a civilisation gets to TL 7 or so, it will almost
>>>surely start using silicon chips,
>>
>>What's the bet that someone will develop a non-silicon chip before
>>the Cymberline predator has been on the scene 10 years?
>
>Yes, but you seem to have missed the point: is such a substitute going
>to be accessible to a TL7 or 8 world?

Are we talking likelihood or concevability here? I'd certainly accept
it if GDW decreed that no medium-TL substitute for silicon chips is
possible, but it'll be an acceptance based on "what's good for the game"
not on what I consider likely. Remember that there's a huge difference
between "discovery on Earth TL" and true TL. Some time ago I was
watching an interwiev with a research scientist at RISO, the Danish
atomic research center. I _think_ he was talking about bucky-balls,
but I may misremember. In any case it was some brand-new interesting
discovery. And I remember that at one point he said that they were making
these thingamajigs using machines that could haver been build in the
thirties if the knowledge had been there.

The concept that given the need human scientists couldn't come up with
an adequate TL 7 substitute for silicon chips seems to me about as
likely as the flat galaxy bit.

>Indeed I think I mentioned that
>I would be surprised if your average TL15 ship's computer used silicon
>chips. The point still remains: unless the virus is not much of a
>threat, there is not going to be any easy way for a world to develop
>to TL9 and get interstellar travel (or if they do, it won't be long
>before the virus finds them and eats all their electronics).

I disagree. But one could easily imagine that any substitute would be
bulkier and more expensive, so interstellar travel could very well
become uneconomic.

>>>[Deneb then helps]
>>>the Aslan Heirate (in exchange for the Ihatei to stop their
>attacks),
>>
>>The ihatei isn't even a real threat without the virus. With the Aslans
>>plagued by the Virus and Deneb controlling virus-free, stutterwarp ships
>>there's only one way the Aslans are going to get any: As loyal vassals
>>of Archduke Norris.
>
>True, you have a valid point here.
>
>Then again, there is probably no way that Deneb could even contemplate
>conquest of the Aslan Hierate (especially if they have had major
>problems with virus incursions), just like they could not contemplate
>annexing the Zhodani.

No, but they could sure clean up the Aslans' act on their side of the
Great Rift.

>Admittedly, in the long run the Heirate is defenseless against Deneb,
>but I s'pose that once it is known that stutterwarp is possible, the
>Aslan & Zhodani may well develop it fairly rapidly.

That's true enough.



      Hans Rancke
University of Copenhagen
     [email removed]
- ------------
        "A  subsector  official  pompously states that the
        subsector  armed  forces  have  four Kinunir class
        ships in service,  each with enough troop strength
        to put down any military operations that threathen
        the peace of the Imperium."

                        ---Adventure 1, The Kinunir