Re: Request for Traveller Tech
In reply to #566 Request for Traveller Tech by Adrian Hurt
Mail has turned to rubber for one user, so here's his message duly forwarded. Sorry for the long delay... - ------- Forwarded Message From: Steven J Owens [email removed] To: [email removed] Date: Sat, 23 Sep 89 14:48:52 EDT Subject: Re: Request for Traveller Tech X-Mailer: Elm [version 1.5b] > > Well, he says I can't design the robots without robotic skill. > > Electronics, some form of mechanical engineering, and computer programming > skills practically *define* robotics; you should almost get free robotics > skill points for this, or at least be allowed to use these related skills at > penalty. I'll point that out to him... maybe I can dig up a robotics or cybernetics student as an "unimpeachable source" for this :-) > This is a general comment by the way;... I like hierarchical skill sets much > better than flat ones because of this. > Of course, the problem is that coming up with a consistent set of > hierarchical skill is , um, difficult (to say the least). Yuh, I understand... several game systems seem to be working towards this, GURPS with their default skills, the new Shadowrun with their skill web (you start at one node of the web which represents a skill; each node further away is a modifier to attempt that related skill. Interesting idea.) Traveller (old traveller, at least) seemed to be trying a simpler method to attain this - simply broadly defined skills instead of hyperspecialization. This would also make sense for "adventurer" types, since if they were hyper specialized they'd have some great job with a corporation and stay at home. Unfortunately, all of that changed as new books were introduced with more skills. It wouldn't be half so infuriating if the new books "back-dated" the old books, so that all characters could get all skills. One other problem with old traveller was lack of task definition. From what I've seen here, the new traveller rules have very specific task definition perhaps TOO specific :-) > > Thanks for the suggestions - how about the more common technology that > > is around and ready to be perverted to my nefarious ends? > > Ammonia and Iodine mixed together makes a great contact explosive. Be > careful though; it is highly volatile once it has 'gelled', which takes > about 20 minutes. Don't breathe on it. Yeah, that's a fun set of chemicals. I read about that one in Heinlein's _Farnham's_Freehold_. Easily obtainable too... Latest two ideas: Take an ACR, hook up a grav module and hand computer (to the battlefield sight) and you've got a floating programmed gun emplacement! Other idea: remote control garrote, for controlling those rowdy prisoners.... Steven J. Owens | [email removed] | [email removed] "Okay, Major Jonathan "Wrong-Is" Wright rubs his magic ring of Imperial Intervention and twenty stormtroopers with battledress and gauss rifles pop out of the microwave oven..." - Sean T. Grape, in a truly bizarre traveller campaign... - ------- End of Forwarded Message