Jumping in too close to the planet

[Whipsnade]

Malenfant wrote:

"Again, it's worth reminding people that the probability of a ship's path between two stars actually intersecting the 100D limit of any obstacle big enough to cause it to drop out of jumpspace is extremely low."


Dr. Thomas,

Again, it's worth reminding you that this is a game. As someone who has played Traveller and GM'd Traveller; something that you have not yet done, I can assure you that, like the universe, the perversity of players tends towards maximum. They will do precisely what it is that you do not want them to do.

After reading the responses given to Shade1970 concerning jump limits, I knew one of his players would devise the 'short jump' trick if no one pointed out the difference between when and where. I wanted to provide Shade with the answer I knew he would need in advance.


Sincerely,
Larsen

 

[kaladorn]

Originally posted by Larsen E. Whipsnade:
Please to refer to GURPS: Far Trader for any further information.
Sincerely,
Larsen

Or several old COTI threads on trade stations, transfer stations, jump shadowing, jump masking, unplanned precipitation, lighter-aboard-ship (LASH) operations, container shipping, etc. Of course, Citizen Thrash (of GT:FT fame) has had a lot to say in these. They're as close to some real 'deep thought' on economics in the Travellerverse as we're likely to see.

 

[flykiller]

...the perversity of players tends towards maximum. They will do precisely what it is that you do not want them to do.

hm. mine always do the last thing I expect. "we go this way!" "uh ... give me a minute." (roll dice roll dice roll dice)

 

[jasper]

If you want to see perverse players read my story hours on en world
Tureka Tour of terror
Darryl the stone sword
forget the the other two.

 

[Ran Targas]

IMTU, the 100 diameter limit is a safety function of the ship's navigation computer, similar to anti-collision systems in modern aircraft.

IMTU all navigation is done by fixing position to known stellar objects and artificial beacons. Ship's computers are designed to key in on these designated navigation aids and maneuver the ship accordingly, based on orders from the navigator.

For both reasons of insurance and Imperial regulation, jumps can not be attempted if the computer can not fix its position in space or detects a nearby gravity well. These automatic safety features can not be disabled in civilian craft without also disabling the navigation software. This prevents most civilian ships from attempting to jump in/out to close to a planet.

Scouts, having superior sensor equipment, are able to use a greater variety of navigation aids for fixing their position (and the positions of objects of interest).

Military craft carry the same computer safety features but these can be disabled under the captain's orders (i.e. tactical considerations).

 

[Vargas]

Yes, that's the way it worked at first, but Marc Miller has since made it abundantly clear that intervening objects (of sufficient size) do interfere, hence the introduction of jump masking in addition to jump shadowing.

When did it change? I ask out of curiousity only.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

[A hand emerges from under the table, holding a piece of paper with the words "GT:Far Trader" in green crayon]

 

[Whipsnade]

Vargas asked:

"When did it change? I ask out of curiousity only."


Mr. Vargas,

Please ignore the note written in green crayon. Instead, scroll back in this thread until you reach the link posted for Mr. Miller's 1985 jump space essay. That is where jump masking and jump shadows make their first appearence.

The trouble comes from jump masking and jump shadows only being implied in the 1985 essay. While Mr. Miller didn't mention them explicitly, both are logically deduced from his descriptions. When Mr. Thrash et. al. explicitly wrote them into GT:Far Trader, some in Our Olde Hobby screamed blue, bloody murder.

Despite Mr. Miller's much earlier jump essay, some people insist in claiming that jump masking and jump shadows did not exist prior to GT:Far Trader. This is somewhat like believing you can ignore the fact that an elephant is the room just as long as no one mentions that the elephant is there.

Now, for the Sixty-Four Dollar Question: What effect will jump masking and jump shadows have on my Traveller campaign? The answer is rather simple: NONE - if you wish it to have none. It is your Traveller campaign after all and you constuct in a manner that brings pleasure to you and your players. Use jump masking and jump shadows if you feel they fit and do not use them if you feel they do not. Nothing else actually matters.


Sincerely,
Larsen