(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Just recently there has been a large debacle about the new and upcoming book from Mongoose, the alien module covering Aslans. In many ways that discussion is a live example of what I tried to convey with my previous editorial. Mongoose really finds themselves between a grognard and a hard place.

Traveller as an old game got a bucket of problems. One of them is a too massive canon. Fledging MgT authors may just be put off writing Traveller material as grognards will be as hawks raising a lot of noise over sometimes minor details. What Mongoose probably should have done from the start is to say OTU setting will be restarted and any changes that appear will be the new canon. TNE did this right by accellerate the setting forward and restart the campaign in a new era.

Another case is that Mongoose should have seperated setting details and rules more clearly. Now the rulebook contains 3I setting and other setting books are released seperately. As MgT was meant to support other settings too the Traveller rulebooks should have been released as rules only books and setting books should have been a seperate entity with setting  dependent rules for character generation designs and so on. But the error has been made and it will be too expensive to go back now.

What actually worries me more is that the flamewars about these finer details in canon puts people off Traveller and stiffles creativity. Over the years I have played Traveller I have been keeping myself to a CT setting, but has made some journeys into NE setting. However, now I am put off enough from both NE and CT settings for various reasons that I have decided to write my own backgroun from ground up using TNE rules and elements from OTU, mainly aliens so I can spare me some work.

 

Comments

avatar Geo
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Very valid points, Roger. If Traveller is ever to thrive, we need to set aside squabbling and recruit new players. A solid system to rally behind would be nice, but T5 is probably a year away.
Sunday 28 June 2009, 11:24
avatar admin
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From what I have heard, new players are flocking to MgT. For them old canon isn't that important. Just think back when we started gaming (okay, I was late into it) but those who started with Traveller in '77 did not have a setting, just a system.

Any publisher that tries to add to or in any way expand on the Traveller setting will face problems because it spans so damned much. Even trying to forward the campaign to NE or beyond will be a nightmare. Most grognards are using their own setting anyway and newcomers will warp the current setting, so unless you are a writer of background material setting doesn't matter much. And as I said on CotI, grognards are outaged and soon to be outnumbered (unless they haven't been already).

MgT is a solid system in most ways it seems, so will T5, but neither will not be my bottle of whisky. But I expect to lend heavily from T5 when it arrives at it will most likely contain a lot of good stuff.
Sunday 28 June 2009, 11:42
avatar Geo
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I've been doing some thinking on what the essence of Traveller is an what we need in a game system. The former I touched on in an editorial in the Times back about when TNE was coming on line. The latter still needs some thought.
Sunday 28 June 2009, 11:51
avatar admin
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If you don't mind, I would like to see something about this from you. You are welcome to write guest editorials any time.
Tuesday 07 July 2009, 17:13
avatar lucasdigital
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You hit the nail on the head Roger. We forget that the word fan is short for fanatic, and I've seen plenty of fanaticism in the Traveller forums over the Mongoose edition. Having come back to Traveller after a 15 year break, I must say that it's given me a fresh perspective on the OTU. I also find myself drawn more and more to a fresh start, although there's so much good stuff in the old works.

Monday 29 June 2009, 10:41
avatar admin
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Even though I like the CT setting and the TNE setting I can see why a change of canon is necessary after all these years.
Monday 29 June 2009, 13:22
avatar aaingram
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I've GMed dozens of Traveller games over the years and use my own ideas. I've never been big on canon. Creative people will find material and rarely use an existing universe. I borrow parts and ideas from each and develop what's missing. I'm not a big fan of the Mongoose material but own much of it. It does renew interest in Traveller and maintains a shelf presence at hobby stores, which is good. If Marc will ever release T5 maybe there will be more of a consence. Just my thoughts!
Saturday 01 August 2009, 20:56
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Last Updated (Sunday, 28 June 2009 08:40)