What equipment should be provided?

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Mike Wightman

"However, in the U.S. the term "imperial" is often used colloquially in reference to the U.S. system."

I've never heard an actual American use the term "Imperial" for US measurements. Brits, sometimes someone from the Commonwealth. It's a common misunderstanding (internationally) but I've never heard an American use the term. We mostly don't need a name for it.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

I've never heard an actual American use the term "Imperial" for US measurements. Brits, sometimes someone from the Commonwealth. It's a common misunderstanding (internationally) but I've never heard an American use the term. We mostly don't need a name for it.

I see it a lot online, even from Americans, not ever in conversation.

[Lord Azagthoth]

Now I see why some of my calculations are of when I was converting GURPS to the metric system. GURPS doesn't use Imperial measurements but US measurements.

If a player has a Hobby skill, let him spend a decent amount of his money on that (might even give him a bonus on that Hobby skill)!

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Taneli

As a related note, what kind of stuff should I assume that the player's ships locker will contain? Assuming 2167, or more like 2168 starting date, GURPS ISW campaign framework.

What guns, ammo, armor, etc should be available on the ship? What medical supplies?

Also, does anyone have a decent system for working out the random bits of gear that I'm not too keen on on keeping count of?

Also, by 2167/2168/2170, are imperial and terran technologies how interchangeable? Do terran guns use imperial cartridges, or vice versa? Do imperials and terrans have the same standards on powercells and voltages? Heck, do their tools work on each others equipment?

I would assume that imperials have standardised on everything by that point, but have terrans standardised even between themselves?

Imperials have standardized everything. Terrans have not as that would require regulation that the government is unwilling to do and would perhaps be unhealthy to the economy anyway. There is likely to be internal standardization within a corporation or confederation of corporations. Terran and Imperial tech is not interchangeable at the high tech end and is not even built to the same design philosophy. At the low tech end a hammer is just a hammer.

[cptbutton]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Imperials have standardized everything. Terrans have not as that would require regulation that the government is unwilling to do and would perhaps be unhealthy to the economy anyway. There is likely to be internal standardization within a corporation or confederation of corporations. Terran and Imperial tech is not interchangeable at the high tech end and is not even built to the same design philosophy. At the low tech end a hammer is just a hammer.

Did the Terrans have one Navy and Army, or did they have a system of local and national ones like the Third Imperium does?

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by cptbutton

Did the Terrans have one Navy and Army, or did they have a system of local and national ones like the Third Imperium does?

That would probably depend on what stage in history. In the Default Present it does seem that they have a Confederate force, and more important(for the Imperial forces do answer to the Emperor directly in the 3I) have a more compact state and an ability to more strongly protect it's oligopoly of public force. There are probably local forces of some kind to however those may be more like National Guards or frontier militias or like the hired guns of some frontier businessmen like cattle barons or railroaders.

[ak_aramis]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

The US Customary system was never officially called "Imperial". Prior to 1824 that system was just English common measures.

Which is technically incorrect.

There comes a point when prescritivism becomes erroneous in its self.

GIven that many US texts list US Customary as "Imperial" excepting for the gallon and 5th... where US and Imperial are differentiated. It's become a footnote, that by law, it's "US Customary Measure" and that, pre-metricization, the UK adopted a larger standard for gallons, tons, and a couple other obscure measurements.

Arguing it isn't imperial measure, when it's routinely taught as such doesn't do much for your public image, and doesn't do much to inform the reader of the real situation.

Now, it is worth noting that the US military still has some non-SI tools for non-SI fasteners... but so does almost every shade tree mechanic in the US, and not a few in Canada.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by ak_aramis

There comes a point when prescritivism becomes erroneous in its self.

GIven that many US texts list US Customary as "Imperial" excepting for the gallon and 5th... where US and Imperial are differentiated. It's become a footnote, that by law, it's "US Customary Measure" and that, pre-metricization, the UK adopted a larger standard for gallons, tons, and a couple other obscure measurements.

Arguing it isn't imperial measure, when it's routinely taught as such doesn't do much for your public image, and doesn't do much to inform the reader of the real situation.

Now, it is worth noting that the US military still has some non-SI tools for non-SI fasteners... but so does almost every shade tree mechanic in the US, and not a few in Canada.

My public image? I guess I need to start an apology tour.

Anyway it can cause problems when people do conversions, as Lord Azagoth found out, so it is a distinction worth being aware of.

I personally don't encounter much if any use of "Imperial" in face-to-face conversations, it is mostly an internet thing, IME.

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

I've never heard an actual American use the term "Imperial" for US measurements. Brits, sometimes someone from the Commonwealth. It's a common misunderstanding (internationally) but I've never heard an American use the term. We mostly don't need a name for it.

When I say "Imperial measurement" I mean just that - the 10 pound gallon, the long ton (2240 pounds), and so on. BTW, the US gallon is not 8 pounds of water (which would be convenient), or even 8.8 pounds (i.e. 4 kg), but about 8.34 pounds, which also means that the US fluid ounce is not one ounce (weight) of water.

[SteveS]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

No they aren't. The "Imperial System" was established in 1824 and the US Customary system wasn't in any way based on on it. The Department of Commerce maintains the Federal weights and measures standards and the individual States have their own copies of these. These standards were created and are maintained without any reference to the ones in London (which are no longer maintained).

Maybe neither that 1834 Imperial system was not the basis of the US customary system, but they were both based on earlier British units, apparently the Exchequer Standards and the Winchester Units. Without doing the research (a bother on a phone screen), I would guess that each subsequent system was more rigorously defined, and possibly simplified.