The Starport Dive

[Thumper]

Gents,
Real life has gotten super busy with no end in sight. Terry and y’all weave a terrific story which draws me right in. Unfortunately, I’m going to step out of participating in this and most of my other PBP games, as I need to focus on other endeavors.

I really appreciate you all and thank you for the fun entertainment you’ve provided me. Don’t let Walt hog all the butt kicking fun!!

Thanks again!!

[joertexas]

Gents,
Real life has gotten super busy with no end in sight. Terry and y’all weave a terrific story which draws me right in. Unfortunately, I’m going to step out of participating in this and most of my other PBP games, as I need to focus on other endeavors.

I really appreciate you all and thank you for the fun entertainment you’ve provided me. Don’t let Walt hog all the butt kicking fun!!

Thanks again!!

I know the feeling. Hope to see you back at some point.

[terrymixon]

Gents,
Real life has gotten super busy with no end in sight. Terry and y’all weave a terrific story which draws me right in. Unfortunately, I’m going to step out of participating in this and most of my other PBP games, as I need to focus on other endeavors.

I really appreciate you all and thank you for the fun entertainment you’ve provided me. Don’t let Walt hog all the butt kicking fun!!

Thanks again!!

Sorry to see you go. Best of luck!

[Tiglath]

Gents,
Real life has gotten super busy with no end in sight. Terry and y’all weave a terrific story which draws me right in. Unfortunately, I’m going to step out of participating in this and most of my other PBP games, as I need to focus on other endeavors.

I really appreciate you all and thank you for the fun entertainment you’ve provided me. Don’t let Walt hog all the butt kicking fun!!

Thanks again!!

You'll be a miss hope to game with you again.

[terrymixon]

On a related note, I’m still playing catch up and will post new game action this weekend.

[terrymixon]

Tiglath, what do you think of this TL16 Aslan world? How did that happen? What does it mean for the future of the Heirate? And it has a 90 billion Aslan population.

https://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Teahehwai ... a&hex=1538

[Tiglath]

Tiglath, what do you think of this TL16 Aslan world? How did that happen? What does it mean for the future of the Heirate? And it has a 90 billion Aslan population.

https://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Teahehwai ... a&hex=1538

How? = Brainy Aslan females doing that "scienceing"!

Well, it rather shatters the Imperial view that "It's a good job the Aslan are only TL13 or we'd be trouble!" Deep enough in the Hierate to not be a direct threat to the Imperium but high tech, high pop worlds generate a ridiculous number of very efficient troops (see Collace). This world would have a TL16 Corps or I think it's Army Groups* (plural!) available for off world service / taking anything it wanted off anybody. They also have J7 / Hop 1...

If the Clan running Teahehwaih were interested in a spot of "power projection" into Verge/IIeish or Reaver's Deep then Teahehwaih units would make a hell of a "tip of the spear". "Available for Offword Service" units are "spare/surplus" to the planet's requirements so are "expeditionary forces" per se serving the parent planets interests.

If they were available for service as Mercs or as part of an expansionist alliance against a crumbling Empire the boot would most definitely be on the other foot...

* So not only FFW style "counters" but max TL max strength counters. The only restriction would be their own logistical transport but if you can build the army you can build the Fleet. The only places they couldn't just help themselves to would be "mirror" Imperial high tech and massively high pop worlds. Note "standard Imperial" are two TL's down!

[terrymixon]

Found this in The Great Rift.

TEAHEHWAIH
Teahehwaih is potentially one of the most important worlds in the Aslan Hierate, for with its combination of extremely advanced technology and enormous population, Teahehwaih could be an industrial powerhouse driving the expansion of the entire Hierate. However, there are significant difficulties as Teahehwaih suffers from what might be termed an excessive drag on its capabilities, a problem not likely to be overcome soon.

The huge population, numbering over 90 billion, requires enormous support, even on a habitable world like Teahehwaih, and much of the output from the industrial zones is expended on maintaining the cities. This could be offset (if not eliminated) by good management, perhaps selling TL15 products from Teahehwaih to buy far greater amounts of lower-tech (but still very advanced) goods, tools and materials from other worlds.The fragmented nature of the Hierate throws obstacles in the way of such an endeavour on a regular basis.

One problem is rivalry – Teahehwaih cannot be permitted to achieve its full potential if rivals are to avoid eclipse, so rather than integrate the world into the interstellar trade network to mutual benefit, other rulers impede its progress. A significant segment of the world’s advanced industrial output is also expended – wasted might be a better word – on gifts and what amount to bribes to political rivals. As a result, little is left to invest in further progress.

Questions have been asked about how Teahehwaih achieved its incredible technical sophistication. The answer is surprisingly mundane – a combination of wise investment and well-directed exploration. Teahehwaih benefited from alien technology discovered on remote worlds but claims that its inhabitants are sitting on a treasure trove of Ancients artefacts are untrue. Most breakthroughs came from taking an innovative approach to problems, often influenced by examining the mindset of other races. Teahehwaih’s explorers did not find technology waiting for them on the worlds they explored; what they found were ideas and alternate viewpoints that enabled their scientists to tackle problems others had given up on.

[terrymixon]

Tiglath, what do you think of this TL16 Aslan world? How did that happen? What does it mean for the future of the Heirate? And it has a 90 billion Aslan population.

https://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Teahehwai ... a&hex=1538

How? = Brainy Aslan females doing that "scienceing"!

Well, it rather shatters the Imperial view that "It's a good job the Aslan are only TL13 or we'd be trouble!" Deep enough in the Hierate to not be a direct threat to the Imperium but high tech, high pop worlds generate a ridiculous number of very efficient troops (see Collace). This world would have a TL16 Corps or I think it's Army Groups* (plural!) available for off world service / taking anything it wanted off anybody. They also have J7 / Hop 1...

If the Clan running Teahehwaih were interested in a spot of "power projection" into Verge/IIeish or Reaver's Deep then Teahehwaih units would make a hell of a "tip of the spear". "Available for Offword Service" units are "spare/surplus" to the planet's requirements so are "expeditionary forces" per se serving the parent planets interests.

If they were available for service as Mercs or as part of an expansionist alliance against a crumbling Empire the boot would most definitely be on the other foot...

* So not only FFW style "counters" but max TL max strength counters. The only restriction would be their own logistical transport but if you can build the army you can build the Fleet. The only places they couldn't just help themselves to would be "mirror" Imperial high tech and massively high pop worlds. Note "standard Imperial" are two TL's down!

I thought standard Imperial was TL13. If so, 3 steps down. Cutting edge IN fleet units are one step down. I'd imagine standard Hierate was TL12 or lower.

Adding in what I found in The Great Rift, they are hamstrung by their own successes. Their rivals cannot allow them to succeed, or they are lessened. I wonder if they could be squireling away high tech units to crush their enemies and the Hierate might not be on the verge of their own internal conflict. Be awkward all around if that happens about now.

[Tiglath]

Another consideration IF the Hierate (or deniable parts thereof) took a holiday in the Imperium is the current Imperial defensive doctrine of a thin crust defence (of lower Tech "Colonial" ~ TL9-12 hulls) with high quality, high speed (J4+) fleets in reserve as a "counterpunch".

With the post assassination interregnum/anarchy this "cavalry" tasked with riding to the rescue might not be coming! In fact the strategic counter punch might become paralyzed by an instinctive local tactical response as they are placed under local (i.e. non Imperial) authority to defend the local fiefdom.

As a further observation the sheer scale/size of these TL 16 Aslan units is the issue. If we use the FFW model the combat tables allow a TL 15 battalion to take on lower Tech foes up to ten times its size due to the TL difference allowing column shifts (of combat odds) on the combat resolution table. If the high tech unit is a Corps or Army Group (~20 battalion size???) then they are pretty much going to wipe the floor with local Imperial garrisons (i.e. FFW moveable Imperial troop counters). The fighting strength of organic Planetary Defence Forces are the only formations of sufficient size to give them pause (or was that paws... ).

[terrymixon]

Another consideration IF the Hierate (or deniable parts thereof) took a holiday in the Imperium is the current Imperial defensive doctrine of a thin crust defence (of lower Tech "Colonial" ~ TL9-12 hulls) with high quality, high speed (J4+) fleets in reserve as a "counterpunch".

With the post assassination interregnum/anarchy this "cavalry" tasked with riding to the rescue might not be coming! In fact the strategic counter punch might become paralyzed by an instinctive local tactical response as they are placed under local (i.e. non Imperial) authority to defend the local fiefdom.

As a further observation the sheer scale/size of these TL 16 Aslan units is the issue. If we use the FFW model the combat tables allow a TL 15 battalion to take on lower Tech foes up to ten times its size due to the TL difference allowing column shifts (of combat odds) on the combat resolution table. If the high tech unit is a Corps or Army Group (~20 battalion size???) then they are pretty much going to wipe the floor with local Imperial garrisons (i.e. FFW moveable Imperial troop counters). The fighting strength of organic Planetary Defence Forces are the only formations of sufficient size to give them pause (or was that paws... ).

With as much crap as the Solomani have given them, I wonder if they could be building to blow their doors off for their impudence.

[helvorn]

I thought standard Imperial military was TL 15.

[terrymixon]

I thought standard Imperial military was TL 15.

Frontline units and ships are. The rest lag a bit to TL13 or so.

[helvorn]

Gents,
Real life has gotten super busy with no end in sight. Terry and y’all weave a terrific story which draws me right in. Unfortunately, I’m going to step out of participating in this and most of my other PBP games, as I need to focus on other endeavors.

I really appreciate you all and thank you for the fun entertainment you’ve provided me. Don’t let Walt hog all the butt kicking fun!!

Thanks again!!

Sorry to see you go. We will miss Walt and his decisive butt kicking.