Re: (TFT) Re: Re: Traveller Computers

["David Michael Grouchy II" <david_michael_grouchy_ii@hotmail.com>]

> From: James Eckman <FUGU@prodigy.net>
>
> Even when Traveller first came out, the computers were laughable.

A little bit on Mark Miller,
  From what I've heard the designer of Traveller was a computer guy in the 
US Navy.  It shows in his hexadecimal approach to recording characters stats 
(A8735F).  It definetly showed in his computer tonnage.
  I agree James, that the computers were enormous back when he wrote the 
game.  Even when I was on an Air-craft carrier latter they still had the 
rooms full off tape-to-tape monsters.  In every office there was also a 
little PC desktop.  But the tape-to-tape monsters actually did run a lot of 
the ships "fire control" and anti-missile systems.
  I also agree with Ty when he wrote that ton is a measure of volume and 
not mass.  One which would have to include the space for workstations, 
chairs, desks, printers and such.  On top of that major air-conditioning is 
included.  An I mean major.  We would sail to the tropics all the time, but 
the guys in the computer rooms were always wearing arctic gear.
  One thing I would like to point out about the millitary.  The fire 
control computers were very large, yes, but they were hardend against EMP.  
In addition there was a great deal of redundancy.  If any part of the ship 
got taken out by a missile or a torpedo, there were other parts that had the 
same fire controls ready to kick in.  I would guess that a couple of tons 
alone went to running the wires from the computers to the ships defences.  
They used big fat wires (part of the EMP hardening) and lots of redundancy 
on them.  Lastly each machine was dedicated.  "Comand and Control" had its 
own machines, the missiles their own individual machines, ect.

  Oh by the way.  I used to wonder why a jump through hyperspace in 
traveler always took a "month" no matter how far one jumped.  After being in 
the Navy I learned that it didn't matter if one steamed to Iran, Hawaii, or 
just up Vancouver; it always took a month.  It was weird.  They would turn 
circles in the ocean.  All the ships did it.  The only reason I could figure 
is that it makes it easier on the High command.  At the beginning of any 
given month they know their ships have reached their destinations.

  David Michael Grouchy II

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