Article Solicitation: "Weird" Tech Jeff Zeitlin (28 Apr 2019 20:00 UTC)
Re: [TML] Article Solicitation: "Weird" Tech Cian Witherspoon (28 Apr 2019 22:05 UTC)
Re: [TML] Article Solicitation: "Weird" Tech Jeff Zeitlin (28 Apr 2019 22:56 UTC)
Re: [TML] Article Solicitation: "Weird" Tech Thomas Jones-Low (29 Apr 2019 11:47 UTC)

Article Solicitation: "Weird" Tech Jeff Zeitlin 28 Apr 2019 20:00 UTC

"Weird" here simply means unusual or unexpected; I'm interested in Stuff
That Could Really Work (at least within the Traveller context).

The idea here is to assume that there is some cultural imperative that
rules out using a technology that might normally be perceived as a
'blocking' technology - one that if you disallow using it, you'll be unable
to develop your tech base further.

Then, see how far you actually _can_ develop your tech base, without using
it - for example, if you disallow internal combustion engines, how far can
you get? Most vehicles use internal combustion; what happens if your
vehicles don't? What does travel look like? What does power generation look
like? What does your society look like? Or if you disallow wireless
communication (no radio or TV broadcasts, no wifi or bluetooth, no
cellphones or wireless handsets, etc), what does your communication
infrastructure look like? Can you have mobile communications? If so, how?

Pick your tech for deletion, work out the implications, and then write an
article for Freelance Traveller discussing/illustrating it in a Traveller
context - for example, a story where the PCs have to interact on a world
where they don't use the tech in question. Or a Jump Destination
(Kurishdam/Lecture Hall and Library). Or an item for In A Store Near You
that would be salable in such a context, and accomplish something that you
might think would ordinarily be "blocked" because of the disallowed
technology. Or whatever - I can't claim to be able to think of _all_ the
angles...

Note: Saying that "they used this in the past, and decided later on not to"
after they've gotten past the maybe-blocking point is a CHEAT! Don't cheat!

®Traveller is a registered trademark of
Far Future Enterprises, 1977-2018. Use of
the trademark in this notice and in the
referenced materials is not intended to
infringe or devalue the trademark.

--
Jeff Zeitlin, Editor
Freelance Traveller
    The Electronic Fan-Supported Traveller® Resource
xxxxxx@freelancetraveller.com
http://www.freelancetraveller.com

Freelance Traveller extends its thanks to the following
enterprises for hosting services:

onCloud/CyberWeb Enterprises (http://www.oncloud.io)
The Traveller Downport (http://www.downport.com)