Let's Read: Traveller, 1977 Edition, Worlds & Adventures, page 13

Yes, more Traveller. There isn't much going on lately other than that here, except snow.

And we're done with the world creation, and we move on to equipment. Well, that's a bit of a letdown. But I will keep adding to the Hub subsector as I go. I calculated which worlds are agricultural, industrial, rich and poor, and the results are...interesting.

First, the population numbers are pretty low, which limited the number of industrial worlds. In fact, there are no fewer than thirty non-industrial worlds in this subsector. Thirty! There are only three rich worlds, one of them being the X-port world at 0206. Say what?

There are also three poor worlds, including Etherion (the lonely, starting-out in space world), and only three industrial worlds, none of which are A-ports. It's a weird set of worlds, but I suppose that those factors really only matter for merchants and traders. Still.

Alright, back to the book, and the first Equipment section. We start off with a note that there's an infinite number of things that people can buy, and it's impossible to list them all. Well, I'm sure someone reading that thought, 'challenge accepted.' But I'm not that person. Not today, at least. Instead, though, we're going to get a list of basic things that can serve as templates or commonalities. Sounds good.

Listings will include the name, the tech index where this item becomes available (which is pretty darn useful to know), a price, and a description. Short and sweet. Sometimes we'll get weight and dimensions, if it's needed, as well as additional notes.

Beginning characters can equip themselves from these lists, although weapons aren't included here (since their stats and prices were in the first book). If you're looking for something on a world that doesn't have that tech level yet, you might find it anyway as an imported item, at a proportionately higher cost. However, I'm going to suggest that finding a laser rifle on a tech-2 world isn't going to happen no matter how many credits you're carrying.

So, we start with personal equipment. This is where all that fun breathing apparatus comes in, like filter masks (available as early as tech-3), artificial gills for water worlds and underwater exploration, vacc suits, and cold weather clothing (which is available anywhere with any tech whatsoever). Pretty basic stuff, really.

Next we start with personal devices, which are basically communications gear and a compass, so far. The short-range communicator is good for ten kilometers, while the long-range comm is good for up to 500 km and into orbit. And that's it for this page.

Let's Read: Traveller, 1977 Edition, Worlds & Adventures, page 12

Well, this is an easy page; it's just a summarized checklist of the steps taken to create a subsector. So, I'm going to take this opportunity to detail a few of the worlds from my subsector instead. I'm going to tentatively name this subsector 'The Hub.'

I'm going to start with the A-port world at 0602, just because it's going to be one of the most central worlds of the subsector. Its profile is A569453F, which means it's got a state-of-the-art starport, it's about 5,000 miles in diameter, has a standard atmosphere, is mostly water (90%), not very populated at a mere 10,000 people, a feudal technocracy, and a pretty lax weapons law level. It's also one of only three worlds in this subsector with level F technology; they can use matter transport (as can their neighbors at 0603 and the world at 0802). So, this isn't as populated as I thought; it's going to be more of an outpost, really. But it's a central outpost, being between two A ports, a B port, and two C ports (one of which links to a third A-port. I'm going to call it...Tycho, after the famous astronomer.

Ah, I've got it. Tycho is something of a paradise planet; it doesn't have a large population, but it does have a military presence to keep any bad seeds from claiming the world. It's not rich in resources, other than a gajillion tons of seawater, so it's a vacation resort for the really rich people in the subsector. And there's a hunting preserve on one of the islands, which is why firearms below military-grade are permitted; rich people want their toys. Rumors are that the hunters coming to Tycho seek a more dangerous type of prey, the kind that's smart enough to fight back and present a challenge. Cue the PCs, who wake up after a party with a nasty hangover and find themselves on a tropical island with only a few basic supplies on hand...

So far, so good. What about the high tech level? People with this kind of money can afford the absolute latest in technological toys, of course. Maybe there's an experimental lab here that has new technologies available.

Alright, let's move down to 0603. That's an A434555F. Let's call it...Arban. Why? Just 'cause; the letters came to me that way. So, Arban is a smaller planet (4,000 miles), but it has a lot of land area at 30% water coverage. The atmosphere is thin and tainted, so the population is only 100,000 or so people; they're not there because they want to be, but because they have to be. So, why are they there? Mining, perhaps? It's a rich planet with tons and tons of mineral deposits to be dug up. But why such a small population, then? Surely there would be a lot more miners on a world with all that stuff.

Ah, but this world's been a mining colony for centuries, you see. And that's why the air is tainted; the pollution is so high that you can't breathe without filters and protection. Not to mention that most of the mines are played out, and now they're digging for the most hard-to-reach stuff, which means they don't need as many miners here. The ecology on this world is going to totally suck, most likely. But the stuff they are digging up is so valuable that they pretty much have to keep the starport in top condition.

I suppose I should be going back to book 2 and getting the trade information (rich/poor, agricultural/industrial, etc.). Yeah, I'll do that as well, but first let's get some more interesting worlds figured out.

I want to go down to 0810 again; that one just looks so tantalizing. It's profile is E351A979. I'm going to call it Ethereon. That's a small (3,000 mile) planet with a thin atmosphere, and a measly 10% water on the surface. A desert planet, perhaps? But it's incredibly populated, a population comparable to Earth today at 10,000,000,000 people. And they've got decent tech at level 9. It's also balkanized, and so no weapons whatsoever are allowed near the starport (which isn't much; it's a patch of rock, remember?).

So, Ethereon just came out of a massive war a few decades ago, and now they're pulling together as a not-very-United Nations. The war pushed a technology race, which turned into a space race, and now the Ethereons have ships capable of jumping between systems. Of course, they don't actually have any neighbors nearby to jump to, but let's hope that such a warlike people don't start invading other worlds. They certainly have the manpower to do so.

One more for tonight. I looked at the X worlds already, so I want to take a look at 0406. It's the mini-hub for a small group of worlds. It's profile is B779554C. Let's call it Rustarik. So, it's almost the size of Earth (7,000 miles), has a standard (but tainted) atmosphere, is another water world at 90%, and has that small population as well. They have a feudal technocracy and gun laws roughly equal to the United States (no machine guns or worse, but handguns are totally fine). And the tech level is C, making them pretty advanced.

So, why such a small (100,000) population? Well, that's a good question, but it's obviously got something to do with that tainted atmosphere. But with a hydrography like that, most of the activity on the planet itself is going to be underwater. Maybe the 100,000 is the population on the surface, with a lot more people underwater and hiding away from the rest of the subsector; they just want to be left alone. 

So, there's some fun stuff to work with on this subsector. The Hub has a string of A-ports that will anchor the sector's economy, and a few mysterious places that are ripe for exploring. Sounds like a fun place to visit.

Formula in Writing

When I started getting serious about writing, one of my inspirations and resources was Dean Wesley Smith, a long-time author and writing teacher who has a lot of experience and knowledge about the field. I've had some brief correspondence with him, and his instructional courses are very helpful. Obviously, his writing style is different than mine (and so is his writing income). But he taught me some eye-opening things about how professional writers actually work.

One of the things he talked about was the incredible speed at which pulp writers could churn out material that sold, and sold well. Many of those writers used a formula in their plotting; they weren't always the same formulas, but they each had their own style and variation. And some of those writers talked about how their formulas worked and why they were successful.

Today, formula writing is looked down upon; it's too cliché, too generic, too predictable. Subversion of expectations is the game now, where a writer will take a basic plot and invert it into something else. The problem with that is, many of these writers are trying to subvert previous subversions, and it becomes this long chain of even more twists and inversions until the story is unrecognizable...and unreadable.

The problem isn't with the formula; the problem is with the writer's inability to use a formula in the way it was meant to be. Subverting a formula doesn't always make for a better story. If you have a headache, do you want to take aspirin and find out that the pharmacist subverted the formula to make something new? If the aspirin doesn't mitigate the headache, you're not going to be impressed, are you?

And here's the important part: Formulas sell. There's a reason that men like Erle Stanley Gardner, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert Howard, Rex Stout, Raymond Chandler, and hundreds of others sold and sold well in the era of the pulps. If you picked up an issue of Black Mask and saw Raymond Chandler's name on the cover, you knew what you were getting. If you saw Robert E. Howard's name on a copy of Weird Tales, you weren't going to expect a Game of Thrones-style story in there. It was going to be action, heroics, and entertainment. And it worked, over and over and over again.

"But formulas are derivative!" Sure they are. So what? Shakespeare is considered the greatest writer in English history, and he never came up with an original idea in his life. The basic plots all came into existence in the earliest days of literature; starting with the Epic of Gilgamesh, Egyptian and Greek myths, and even the Bible. Everything since those days builds on what was created back then. There's nothing original anymore, except for how the story is written. And there's nothing wrong with that.

The key to using a formula isn't to subvert it; the key is to use it in a fresh way that still sticks to the formula's basic format. Putting a twist at the end is fine, as long as it makes sense. But a lot of writing today focuses solely on the twist, making the story itself nothing more than a vehicle for the writer's cleverness. And a lot of these twists rely on characters acting completely out of character, or taking actions that exist solely to justify the twist, rather than the story.

Using these formulas, men like Lester Dent could write the same story fifty times in a year, using different characters and trappings, and sell each and every one of them to voracious readers. Because people read fiction to be entertained, not to be preached at or lectured to. When the story exists solely to force the reader to choke down a message, it's not going to be any fun to read, and it won't sell. It might win awards from like-minded writers, but it's not going to make money.

For those who want to make money as writers, that's an important lesson to internalize. Even the most clever twist or subversion isn't going to matter if the story doesn't work. Write for story, and write what people want to read. Fewer people are reading now than at any time since public schools began in the mid-19th century. Give them something entertaining to read, and that will change.

Let's Read: Traveller, 1977 Edition, Worlds & Adventures, Page 10-11

Here's the link for the Subsector Google Doc. I'm going to cover two pages today, since they're blended in with the end of page 9, and we're talking about tech levels and what they mean. So, if you want to follow along, click on the link above and you'll see what I've come up with so far.

I rolled up the remaining parts of the planetary profiles, and came up with some interesting combinations. I think the most surprising part is the variety of tech levels, even on planets with starports. I've got just about every tech level from 0 all the way to 16 (F) on my list of worlds. So, let's see what these numbers actually mean.

Three of my worlds (0206, 0308, and 0609) have something in common: No starport (X), and tech level 0. That's your one-step-above-caveman level; spears, clubs, canoes, and carts are the main technological advances. So, cultures with no technological skill whatsoever. 0206 is a smaller world (4), but it's got a standard atmosphere, 70% water, a population of about a million, and a feudal government. The law level is 7, which means no shotguns; I'm going to interpret that as nobody on this world even has firearms of any kind; they don't even have swords yet.

Yes, I'm referring to the worlds by their coordinates; I haven't named them yet. I'm considering giving worlds like this two names; one used by the interstellar government in the region, and the local one that the natives use. Just because we call the star 'Sirius' doesn't mean that the inhabitants of any planets there would call it that. Not that I think there's life on Sirius' planets, but it would be cool if there was.

Anyway, 0308 is very much an earth-like planet (Class-M, for you Star Trek aficionados); 7000 miles in diameter, standard atmosphere, 60% water, a small population of about 10,000, a representative democracy(?!), and an absolute ban on weapons. Welcome to the monastery world; there isn't even a jump route to this world, which tells me it's a secret place that you can only reach if you already know how (or if you are specifically invited). Tech level is 0, so they live the simple life...but that doesn't mean there's no stash of something hidden away for some unknown reason.

And 0609 is an interesting world; it's small (3000 miles diameter), has a very thin atmosphere, 30% water, population around 100,000, and is an impersonal bureaucracy that bans all weapons. And it's got tech level 0. Now, a very-thin atmosphere requires a breathing apparatus, but that's beyond tech-level 0. So, I'm going to be making this a world with primitive alien life on it. An impersonal bureaucracy suggests a hive mind of some sort, so this is going to be a world of evolved insects (that still don't have tech) that can manage in the small atmosphere and low gravity.

The only other X world is 0203, which is huge (10,000 miles diameter), has an exotic atmosphere, is 90% water, has a population of 10,000,000, a law level of 7 (forget firearms; it's pre-firearm tech anyway), and a tech level of 2. So, it sounds like a medieval society. Here's the interesting part, though; it's government rating is 6: Captive Government. But it's an X that isn't on any jump routes. So, who's the captor? Is it a colony? And with a tech level like that, they aren't going to have oxygen tanks anyway. So...ah, 90% water. Hello, underwater civilization, and another batch of aliens. They're not worried about the air, since they're breathing underwater anyway. See? Random rolls stir creativity. The question of who is controlling this world will be left for a later time.

Now, in contrast, let's take a look at some of the 'A' port worlds. Oh, these are going to be interesting. Of the 7 'A' port worlds in this subsector, all of them have tech level A (10) or better; the three on the right side (0602, 0603, 0803) have tech level F (16)! That's matter transport technology. Beam me up, Scotty! In fact, they are one tech level away from artificial intelligence and anti-matter technology (Tech level 17)! So, they really are close to the Star Trek model. All drives are available, and all weapons and armor, as well as computers except for AI. Interestingly enough, however, the C world between them (0703) is just an empty rock (2000 dia.) with no atmosphere or water, but a huge population...at tech level 8. I don't think that's going to work; even an underground civilization would need better tech than that. Sure, they can go interplanetary with non-starships at tech 7, but you're not fitting a billion people in a B government on that rock, not without a much better tech level to justify having a colony that massive on a barren rock. So, I can either bump it up to tech level 9, giving them starships, or tweak the population and government to something more suitable (like there's nobody there at all). I'll have to think about this one.

Finally, there's that tantalizing E world at 0810. I was hoping my random rolls would produce something interesting, and they certainly did. It's a small (3000) world with a thin atmosphere, only 10% water, but a massive population of 10 billion, an impersonal bureaucracy, and a law level of 7, meaning once again, nothing more deadly than a sword or bow is allowed. The tech level is 9, so they have starships, as well as laser technology, decent computers (model 3), and whatever modes of transportation you want. But they are all alone out there. With a population like that, it's obvious that this world has just taken the first steps into the great beyond. And nobody knows about them yet...

So, there are some interesting places already, as well as some conundrums to consider. I love using random rolls in world building and adventure design, because they are a great tool to stimulate the imagination. It's going to be fun coming up with more explanations of how this subsector is put together, and who's in charge. Until next time, then.

Let's Read: Traveller, 1977 Edition, Worlds & Adventures, page 9

I know, I'm doing a lot of these posts lately. I'm trying to get this book done by the end of next month, and I've been working on this for a long time as it is, on and off. So, I'm going to be posting these roughly two every three days to get it done.

So, we continue with Alternate World Forms. Now, we get a few examples. First, there are Rosettes, which are multiple worlds that orbit each other in a stable configuration (three of more worlds). They don't even need a central star. Needless to say, these aren't going to happen naturally, but it's a really cool idea. I might put one of these worlds in my subsector.

Next up are Ringworlds, which are basically just as Larry Niven wrote about; it's a huge orbiting ring around a star, 93 million miles in radius and a million miles wide. That's a lot of living space; three million Earths worth of living space, in fact. Columbus would have given up that around-the-world trip in a hurry.

Finally, there are Sphereworlds, better known as Dyson Spheres. It's just a massive shell around a star, completely enclosing it and trapping all the star's energy for usage on the internal surface. Again, using a radius of 93,000,000 miles around the star, the internal surface area would equal, according to the book, about a billion Earths. Frankly, with that kind of space to work with, you wouldn't need space travel; you'd never run out of things to do there.

Next up, we have a paragraph on population density. I'm not sure why this is there, but it does give some numbers for comparison. However, these numbers are woefully out of date today; the population of earth is over seven billion now, not three billion. On the other hand, the population densities are related to population levels for the Traveller world; Hong Kong, for example, is insanely dense, at 10,000 people per square mile, which would be the equivalent of population level 12 (C) for a whole world.

The bottom half of the page is talking about the Technological Index. Oh, goody. To generate the Tech Level, simply throw a single die and modify it based on the planet's characteristics. Good starports are worth a bonus (an X is a -4 to the roll), smaller worlds have good tech; water worlds, odd-atmosphere worlds, and heavily populated worlds get bonuses as well (as do low-pop worlds, since they're more likely to be outposts of advanced civilizations). There are even modifiers for government type. The highest possible rating is an 18, but the bell curve is going to be between Tech Levels 4 and 10. The higher the number, the better the tech, obviously.

So, that's it for this page; I'm going to use the information on the last two pages to finish rolling up the worlds in my subsector, and I'll have a link to the Google Docs file for people's amusement. It should be interesting. Until then, grab a book and read. It's good for you.

A Bonus Post

I know, I know...I didn't post last night. And I haven't done the next Arabian Nights post, either. I'm actually debating whether or not to continue the series, since it really is a raunchy, R-rated book. I'm still reading it, but I don't know if I want to keep putting this stuff on what I would like to think is a family-friendly blog.

So, let's talk about something more important: Skating. As in, Tanner is doing really, really well. He's finally found something that motivates him to learn and work hard, something we have been seeking for years. He's even doing skating drills instead of just fooling around on the ice. And he's taking it seriously. He's four days in (we missed a day due to the mountain of snow and freezing rain that fell on us), and he's already learning the basics of power skating and stopping (without falling in the snow). He wants to play hockey next year, and he's determined to get the skating to a decent level by then.

I've been struggling with the book I've been writing. Not the Cameron Vail book (although that one is a pain in the butt), but the fantasy book, the next Meterran book. I came to the realization tonight that I was writing the wrong book; I've got some interesting ideas for the character that it focuses on, but I just don't have a good feel for his story. And it's frustrating the living hell out of me, because I'm not able to progress on the book. So, I'm going to lay it aside and focus on the one that I do want to be writing for Meterra. It's going to be a novel, rather than a story anthology like The Devil's Playground was. And it's going to be fun, because I have a lot of interesting ideas for it. Some I might save for the next book, but a lot of them are going to end up in here, including some new monsters, a new locale in Meterra, and a different kind of quest.

As for the Cameron Vail book, I'm going to try to get it done by the end of the weekend. If I can, it should be published ready to go by the end of the month. It's only a month behind, but it is what it is. I will be getting the third Meterra book out before the end of March, no matter what; I've set that as a firm deadline. And now that I'm freeing myself from the constraint of writing a book that I 'had' to write before this one, it should go a lot more smoothly.

And that's about it. Life on the farm in PEI is still great, and I'm very, very glad we're not in Ontario anymore. Every time we head another update from the Ontario government, it gives further confirmation that we made the right decision to leave. I'm praying for the people left behind, because they need it. It's turning into a political cesspool, and I want no part of it ever again.

And on that cheery note, I'll leave you with one last plug. I have ten books out, with more on the way; if you're looking for something new to read, I recommend either Final Exam, the first Cameron Vail mystery, or The Chronicles of Meterra: Arrival, the first book in my pulp fantasy series. Either one will, hopefully, entertain you, and give you something to read that is different from the usual fare that we see on the shelves these days. Until next time, though, thanks for stopping by, and I hope you come back again.

Let's Read: Traveller, 1977 Edition, Worlds & Adventures, page 8

Okay, we're moving out of the tables and into the instructions again. So, the next thing we roll is the population. Just roll 2D-2, for a number from 0 to 10 (A). Piece of cake. Oh, and the multiples of 10 are just approximations; the planet won't have an exact population of, say, 1,000,000,000 people. Although it could, if you wanted it to.

Next up, planetary government. We already know how those work from the table two pages ago, but there's also a note that Balkanization just means there's no one-world government, in which case the separate regions of the world can be generated individually. To get the government type, it's 2D-7+population; larger planets will have more complex or advanced governments. And more bureaucracy, of course.

Finally, there's the Law Level, which is 2D-7+government type. There's not much else to this one.

So, the planets now have their full range of characteristics (although we haven't seen Tech Level yet). These are to be considered guides, not statistics; obviously, they can be modified to suit the needs of the adventure or the campaign. Also, populations are very approximate; a population of 6 (1,000,000) can range anywhere from just over 100,000 to just under 10,000,000. If you wanted, you could have a pop-6 world with a higher population than a pop-7 world. And even a 100% water world can have small islands, so they can still have a normal human population. Or, they could be inhabited by races of aquatic peoples...

In the event that you roll contradictory or unreasonable combinations, either adjust them, or come up with a really good reason why this world is like that. That's almost Rule Zero of campaign design in any game, of course. Oh, and I especially like the last part of this section, which states that a) the referee is free to impose deliberately-designed worlds as opposed to randomly-generated ones, and b) these deliberate planets are often done specifically to reward or torment players. Insert maniacal laughter with rapid hand-rubbing.

Finally on this page, we have Comments on Basic Planetary Characteristics. Or at least, the start of this section, which discusses Alternate World Forms. This is the interesting world shape section; why settle for a simple sphere, when you can do something totally different? Setting aside the natural physics of the situation, let's make a totally different shape. However, the page ends before we get any examples. These alternate worlds are, from the gist of the paragraph, high-tech stuff, and they aren't randomly generated. They're usually used for high-pop worlds, although it also references degenerate and decimated worlds.

And so, we are left in suspsense...until we see the next page.

Let's Read: Traveller, 1977 Edition, Worlds & Adventures, page 7

 It looks like this one will be a short entry, so I'm getting it done tonight; I didn't have time to do the Arabian Nights review I wanted. The only thing on this page is the Law Levels table, which runs from 0-9; no letters on this table.

In Traveller, law levels relate to what weapons are allowed. Basically, the higher on the table you go, the more restrictive the laws are. A 0 means nobody cares what you have; you could have an F-16 in your driveway and an ammo stock like an Army fortress if you want and can afford it. 9 means if you step outside with anything more dangerous than a safety razor, the police are going to come down on you like you're carrying the last donut in existence.

In between, you start at level 1 with poison gas, explosives, and undetectable guns like porcelain pistols and the like. Level 2 adds laser rifles or carbines (although your ship is exempt). 3 restricts any 'military' hardware, like machine guns or automatic rifles. Level 4 adds light assault weapons, which are submachine guns.

So, up to level 4 you're looking at US-style gun laws, where you're allowed to carry to defend yourself. Starting with level 5, it's going to be tougher. Level 5 restricts personal concealable firearms (pistols, revolvers, etc.). Level 6 restricts any firearms except shotguns, and don't carry anything openly. Level 7 takes away the shotguns, and level 8 takes away bladed weapons larger than daggers. You aren't allowed to carry openly, either.

Each law level is cumulative, so there's no level at which you're allowed a revolver but not a shotgun. Of course, you can always make a world that does have that split-restriction, but it's not part of the standard tables.

The law level is also your 'saving throw' on 2D to avoid arrest for something when encountering law enforcement. So, the lower the law level, the easier it is to go about your business without being harassed by the fuzz. The more restrictive the law level, the more likely it is that the cops will stop you on 'suspicion,' even if you aren't doing anything.

Finally, there's a note that starports don't cater to local laws. That suggests that starports in general are considered 'neutral ground,' or that they are run by a central authority that overrides local laws. Of course, it could simply be that the starport is super-important to the economy, so the local leaders basically order their enforcers to leave them alone so as not to disrupt trade. There could be a bunch of different reasons for this, and it's left to the referee's imagination. As it should be.

So, a quick page, but we're learning more about Traveller worlds as we go. I'm enjoying it. Now, I need to know how to actually roll them up. Let's see what the next page brings us.

Pain or Pride? Can't We Do Both?

So, it's been three days with a half-rink in our front yard, and Tanner has been skating for almost half the time he's been awake. He's even getting up early in the morning to get some skating in before I'm even out of bed this weekend. Clearly, building that rink was worth the struggles. And even better, he decided very quickly that he didn't want to be a goaltender. That is a lot of money saved, right there.

And he's getting better, too; he's now able to skate all the way down the rink without slowing down, and he's learning to snow-plow to stop. He wants to try the turn-stop next, which should be entertaining to watch. He's also using his stick and handling the puck on the ice, and he even lifted a few shots into the net rather than just sliding them along the ice. He's got good instincts; if he'd started younger, Tanner would be playing at a decent level by now. He's got his heart set on being a left-winger now, so he's motivated as heck.

Now, that's the 'pride' part of this post. Here comes the 'pain' part.

I don't recall how long it has been since I laced on skates. I do know that it's been quite a few years. Still, I was determined to spend time with Tanner on the ice, so I sat my butt down in the snow and tied them up. I got up and onto the ice, and it was awkward. I mean, you can tell that I haven't skated in a long, long time. I was wobbly, and while I could get myself going up to speed, stopping is once again a challenge. Fortunately, the snow is soft.

However...anyone who hasn't skated for a while and put skates back on knows exactly what happened next. And I knew it was going to happen. But it was time with my son, and it matters. But, dear Lord in heaven, did my feet ever hurt. I mean, it was like all those muscles on the bottom of my feet just went on strike and told me to go jump off a cliff. I couldn't last more than ten minutes on the ice before I had to cry 'uncle'. I took off the skates, put the sneakers back on, and went back to passing him the puck from the side.

My feet still ache, and it's been about six hours. I'm stupid, so I'm going to do it again. I know my feet will eventually adjust, but when you're fifty, things like that take time.

Anyway, the rest of the ice time was great; I even put some pucks on the ice for Tanner to use as pylons and skate around, and he's really picking it up fast. There isn't enough room for him to learn crossovers; the rink's only about fifteen feet wide of actual ice. But if he can get the hang of stopping, I'm going to get him working on sprints down the ice (it's almost sixty feet), stopping and turning back. It's a great start for power skating, and after only three days, he is well on his way. I couldn't be more proud of him. He's even doing chores when we ask him so he can get out on the ice sooner. We've finally got something that he is willing to sacrifice for.

Maybe I'll write some hockey stories for him. Or about him.

Let's Read: Traveller, 1977 Edition, Worlds & Adventures, page 6

So, this page continues describing the various characteristics of a world in Traveller. The hydrographic percentage has no surprises; the maximum a planet can have is 100% water, which is an 'A'. That was intuitive.

Next up is population, which, like hydrographics, goes from 0 to A, in multiples of 10. I haven't rolled for this yet. 0 is an empty, desolate planet; 1 is an outpost of 10 people, 2 is a small research station of about 100, and so on until 'A', which is a heavy-duty 10 billion people. Earth would be somewhere between a 9 and an A, then.

Next up is the governmental type, which I haven't rolled yet, either. This section is interesting, because there's no linear progression of government types. 0 is no government, which could mean total anarchy, or family-dominated systems. 1 is a company or corporate structure; most citizens will be company employees or dependents. Can you imagine a world with a population of 'A' and a government of '1'? Everyone on the planet works for the same company. It's like Planet Wal-Mart. Now there's a horror scenario for you.

2 is a participating democracy, like ancient Greece where every citizen voted directly on things. 3 is a self-perpetuating oligarchy, where ruling functions are performed by a restricted minority, and the people don't really have a say. Hmm, that sounds familiar. Oh, this isn't a politics blog. 4 is a representative democracy, like Canada or the United States are set up, with elected representatives running the government.

Now we get into some interesting results. 5 is a feudal technocracy, which sounds weird. I'll quote: "Ruling functions are performed by specific individuals for persons who agree to be ruled by them. Relationships are based on the performance of technical activities which are mutually beneficial." How does that work, I wonder? The first part is straightforward; the people basically agree on a dictator. But I'm wondering about the 'technical activities.' Does this mean a technological basis for government?

6 is a captive government, where someone else is calling the shots; it's a colony, or a conquered area. Pre-Revolution America, or Quebec prior to Confederation would be good examples. 7 is Balkanization, where there are a bunch of local governments in competition. The law level (which comes later) refers to what's going on around the planet's starport (if they have one).

8 is a civil service bureaucracy, and I like how the book claims that the bureaucrats are selected for their expertise. That is adorably naïve; everyone knows that bureaucrats can't and don't actually accomplish anything, let alone have expertise. If they had expertise, they wouldn't be bureaucrats, would they?

9 is an impersonal bureaucracy, where the agencies don't even bother paying attention to the governed citizens anymore because their power is so absolute. Yeah, that sounds familiar, too. 'A' is a charismatic dictator, who runs the ruling agencies but is also very popular with the citizens. That sounds mutually exclusive, but I guess the future is more enlightened or something.

'B' is a non-charismatic leader; it's an 'A' government that is under new management, and the guy in charge isn't nearly as popular as the old guy. It doesn't have to have been a revolution that put him in charge; he could just be 'A's successor.

'C' is a Charismatic Oligarchy, which is like a combination of 3 and 'A', where the ruling class is actually popular. And finally, there's 'D', which is a religious dictatorship, where the individual citizens' needs are irrelevant. Hmm, that seems rather limiting; what if it's a popular religion that does care about individuals? Still, a religious dictatorship can go in different directions, depending on the religion.

And that's it for this page; it's an interesting set of data, though. I wonder how much of an effect population will have on the type of government. I look forward to finding out.