Eric the Finn writes:
> To be honest, if I'm right, I prefer the thruster plates. They make
> much more sense. Somebody tell me what I did wrong.
Well, I get about the same numbers, or higher (work it out for a spaceship
mass of 1900 metric tons ... 3.8e7 m/s or about 0.13c ... yipes! *That's*
a free trader?).
In any case, I called Dave Nilsen and asked him (without filling him in on
this discussion, and without outlining our various scenarios to him) how
the "Fusion Rockets" in T:TNE worked. I did mention that I was concerned
about radiation and hot plasma effects.
Dave's answer was that the drive uses a heat exchange system to heat LH2
in the thrust chamber using energy from the fusion reactor. No fusion,
no radiation, no massive damage.
There you have it; it's not physics (but then again, the "new era" space
drives obey physics about as much as the thruster plates and agaility
generators of MegaTraveller --- as Bertil pointed out, its about as sane
as arguing if AD&D "Magic Missiles" travel on a ballistic path). It is
however, a playable game mechanic.
The great thing about Traveller is that as a role-playing game, and as a
story under control of the storyteller (referee); if this answer bugs you
or your players, you *are* perfectly fee to come up with your own
rationalization, and your own game ruling. After all, it's your game.
'nuff said from me on this thread; I've got more important things to do.
;-)
[email removed]
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Science-Fiction Adventure
in the Far Future