Hello Rupert,

> On November 7, 2019 at 10:07 PM Rupert Boleyn <xxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 08Nov2019 1147, Thomas RUX wrote:
>
> > Here is the details for the Generate program from CT LBB 2 Starships
> > 1977 7th printing page 32:
> >
> > "The navigator or pilot can input specific coordinates into the
> > computer concerning a destination, and the generate program will
> > create a flight plan to take the ship there. In cases where a
> > generate program is not available, starports have single-use flight
> > plans (in self-erasing cassettes) available for all worlds within
> > jump range , and for which space lanes exist (see Book 3)."
> >
> > Pages 32-33 "Navigation: Flight plans must be fed into the navigation
> > program, which then interfaces with the jump program to actually take
> > a ship ti its destination. To actually make a jump, both the jump and
> > navigation  programs must be functioning in the computer (the
> > generate program need only run long enough to actually create the
> > flight plan)."
> >
> > Based on being able to get a self-erasing single-use flight plan
> > cassette from a starport suggests that the generate program is used
> > before a ship leaves port heading to the out bound jump point at the
> > 100-D limit.
> >
> > In the Navigation program details of "(the generate program need only
> > run long enough to actually create the flight plan)." also suggests
> > that the generate program can be run at any time before making a
> > jump.
> >
> > Of course I could once again be out-to-lunch in my interpretation of
> > the text.
>
> The single-use tapes cost Cr10,000/jump number (according to the '81
> edition), a not-inconsiderable amount, and are only available for routes
> along space lanes (in the '77 edition), which suggests to me that
> they're reliant on a lot of processing power and a very well-mapped
> path, which would give them some flexibility in timing. Generate can be
> run on a model-1 computer, can calculate a jump up to j-6, and doesn't
> need a space lane. That suggests to me that it's likely to be a far more
> limited course in other ways, such as the time and place you jump from.
> There's nothing much one way or the other in the text, I think.

In my opinion the starport's computer is going to be running the generate program to create the flight plan and then write it to the single-use cassette based on the parameters provided by the ship's navigator and/or pilot buying the cassette.

The big difference is that the starport's computer has access to the coordinates of most if not all of the systems within 6 parsecs while a ship's computer keeps on hand the coordinates of the systems with in the maximum range of their jump drive.

> In passing I notice that the '81 edition's computer record sheet still
> has the '77 program sizes and prices, and the example combat ship record
> sheet has a '77 version of the Type-S, with the too-small model/1 computer.

I noticed the same issue with CT LBB 2 1977/1981 computer record sheet when I was creating a spreadsheet of TAS FORM 3 (Reverse) and compared them with the Computer Software List. CT Supplement 12 page  17 has corrected computer record sheet.

I have to admit to have missed the computer model number error unti you mentioned it and I also discovered that Donald McKinney's Consolidated CT Errata v 1.1 (02/01/14) does not appear to have this bit of errata either.

Thank you for you comments.

Tom Rux