Many thanks to all who've contributed thoughts on this - I do appreciate even if I've not answered all of them. I have read them all.
It sounds as if the answer is that's very unlikely but not absolutely impossible - esp in a more story telling game :-)
Certainly for a bit of damage if not a take down (which I didn't want anyway).
You've all certainly given me lots of ideas and also some details I will shamelessly use.
Thank you.
I quite agree with those who talked about the difference between simulation games and story telling games - and that it's a continuum between the two rather than two distinct styles. And there's definitely room in Traveller for it all. But I hope you've seen that even for those of further down the story end of the scale, it's that drive to have a believable, relatable universe for the players that encourages me to dig around on the internet, come here and ask questions, and endeavour to "do better" if at all possible. It doesn't always come off, I don't always handle it well, the players may not even notice, but I'm grateful there is this knowledgeable forum to bounce ideas off or ask for help.
Which leads nicely while I'm here to... as for Caleuche's "detail" postings... please don't take anything I've said to suggest you shouldn't be doing that or that this isn't the forum. Quite the opposite. While I usually can't follow the mathematics and I probably couldn't use such detail all the time, I would still welcome it.
a) I find it interesting to read
b) I find it interesting to see what others find interesting
c) I often take some inspiration from the detail for a scene or a line of description etc
d) I hope that you might be encouraged to make in-game playaids along the lines I've suggested previously
e) and I enjoy the fact that responses often go off at all sorts of interesting tangents
I'd love to play in one of your games - at least once - if only to see what I'm missing and also to see Traveller from a completely different perspective!
Keep it up. :-)
tc