Ooops!

[Andy S]

Ok, this is only a typo, but it amused the heck out of me, so I couldn't help posting it..

From the first few lines of the Traveller lite PDF. Did anyone else spot it?

"The Traveller Universe is mostly grounded in hard science. The laws of physics are petty much immutable, and they work as they do today. ...."

Now, it seems to me that describing the laws of physics as "petty" in an SF game could be just a little dangerous...

Hold on to your hats, guys!

 

[MichaelL65]

Something that falls into an "ooops" catagory for me:

Since Traveller prides itself on being a "hard science" game, I found it somewhat amusing that tractor beams and blasters are considered too "way out there" to be included, but laser weapons are not ("What are you going to do, blink him to death?!"). I supposed that it's to keep continuity with the old Traveller...

As far a science goes, I've read the white paper on the theory for a "warp drive," but have yet to see anything outside of fiction about a jump drive. Makes you wonder what realy is "space opera" and what is "hard science."

 

[vegascat]

I still get a hoot out of the old tech level tables. We should be flying around in grav cars by now. Can't follow the old stuff too closely.

-----------------------------
In the end, Murphy will rule

 

[DrSkull]

Originally posted by MichaelL65:
[QB]Something that falls into an "ooops" catagory for me:

Since Traveller prides itself on being a "hard science" game, I found it somewhat amusing that tractor beams and blasters are considered too "way out there" to be included, but laser weapons are not ("What are you going to do, blink him to death?!"). I supposed that it's to keep continuity with the old Traveller...
QB]

But dude, the Air Force has several serious Laser Weapons in the pipeline for deployment. Nothing hand-held yet, but laser weapons nonetheless.

 

[doomhunk]

Hey Vegascat, check out those flying objects man, *something* is flying around in grav vehicles these days...

 

[GBoyett]

Originally posted by DrSkull:
But dude, the Air Force has several serious Laser Weapons in the pipeline for deployment. Nothing hand-held yet, but laser weapons nonetheless.

Actually I heard there is a man portable laser that is available. The laser sounds just like the Traveller laser, a rifle and a backpack combination. The range was couple hundred yards, and the price is the low to mid $1000. IIRC the marketing was geared towards bomb disposal.

 

[Tom Schoene]

Originally posted by George Boyett:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by DrSkull:
But dude, the Air Force has several serious Laser Weapons in the pipeline for deployment. Nothing hand-held yet, but laser weapons nonetheless.

Actually I heard there is a man portable laser that is available. The laser sounds just like the Traveller laser, a rifle and a backpack combination. The range was couple hundred yards, and the price is the low to mid $1000. IIRC the marketing was geared towards bomb disposal.</font>[/QUOTE]I'd kind of like a cite for that one. The closest I know of is a vehicle-mounted laser that can heat bombs to detionation temsp over several seconds. It's almost down to truck-mounted sizes.
Air Combat Command News Service article

The smallest planned lethal laser applications I know of are the Air Force's Airborne Tactical Laser (a 300 kW weapon suitable for a V-22 or heavy-lift helicopter) and the Army's Mobile Tactical High-Energy laser (three vehicles, total laser weight ~20 tons). Penetration for that Airborne Tactical Laser is ~1mm of steel per second of dwell time, clearly not useful for much other than intercepting missiles, zapping antennas, and maybe injuring people.
Nationbal Defense Article on US laser weapon programs

 

[GBoyett]

Originally posted by Tom Schoene:
I'd kind of like a cite for that one. The closest I know of is a vehicle-mounted laser that can heat bombs to detionation temsp over several seconds. It's almost down to truck-mounted sizes.

Actually I'm going to see the person that first mentioned the laser tonight. Hoping he still has the article or at least remembers what publication so I can research it at a library. It's been several monthes (February I think), but hopefully I will find out.

 

[vegascat]

The laser is used on the little stuff, not on the big bombs. Bomb casings are purposely designed thick for several reasons, High G turns, frag weight, and fire protection. The bomb casing is over an inch thick. A bomb can sit in a full blown fire for two minutes before detonation. At 1MM per it will take a very steady hand to burn through a bomb casing. The prefered method of bomb disposal is still a block of C4. The lasers are being used on thin cased stuff like bomblets.

 

[trader jim]

whata you mean ooops! you and i gotta work on our communication!!!!

 

[lisagb]

Well ok perhaps Traveller isn't "hard" sci fi per se but its more inline than say Star Wars or Shadowrun or even Cyberpunk 2020. I like Transhuman space all the biotech stuff rings true we will see I guess.