Announcement from JTAS

[AndreaV]

I guess its okay to post this here

From: Loren Wiseman <lkw@io.com>
Date: 23:01:47, Aug 05, 2002
Message-ID: 15305
Group: General Discussion

Interstellar Wars: A New Direction For Traveller Steve Jackson Games is pleased to announce that its license to produce a GURPS version of the classic science-fiction roleplaying game Traveller has been extended for another three years. By agreement with Far Future Enterprises, the GURPS Traveller line, as well as the online Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society, will continue at least through the end of 2005.

The new license also gives SJ Games the right to open up a new period in the distant past of the classic Third Imperium setting. Long before the foundation of the Imperium, the Humans of Terra reached the stars for the first time, only to find that they were already owned by someone else. Centuries of conflict followed, in which the outnumbered Terrans fought for their very survival against a vast but decadent alien empire. Now GURPS Traveller will examine this crucial time. The first release in the new line, GURPS Traveller: The Interstellar Wars, is tentatively scheduled for a Summer 2003 release.

"The Interstellar Wars have always been of great interest to Traveller fans," said GURPS Traveller Line Editor Jon F. Zeigler. "It's very exciting to have the opportunity to develop this period into a setting for epic adventure." Marc Miller, creator of Traveller, agreed. "I'm excited about opening a new milieu. There's room for a lot of new things here." Senior Line Editor Loren Wiseman, long-time Traveller author and editor, remains at the helm of the GURPS Traveller product line. He is assisted by Zeigler, and by Graeme Davis, editor of the Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society (JTAS).

 

[trader jim]

congrats!!! sounds very interesting!!! will be looking for your "new" offerings!!!! i am sure they will be up to your usual high quality standards!!! YES - VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!

 

[trader jim]

how about putting out some great TRAVELLER FIGS to
go with it!!!! how about putting some out NOW!!
how about a sneak preview??? HA hows that for pressure??? your in the "cooker" now!!

 

[T. Foster]

At long last, the REAL Traveller:2300!

Considering that I've been actively clamoring for it for ages, it should go without saying that I'm very happy to see this announcement. Are you going to be involved in the project Andrewmv? I certainly hope so, as you've already done a lot of valuable work with this era.

And now I'll risk the wrath of the GT-elitists by saying that I'll actually be glad if SJG deemphasizes their alternate timeline setting. After the already-announced titles (Starships, Imperial Navy, Humaniti, and Nobles) there's really not a whole lot of room for further expansion there unless they want to start "paving over Charted Space" or diverging significantly from the established timeline (i.e. the rumored "Second Solomani Rim War"), neither of which IMO are at all desirable.

By exploiting an area of the timeline that's significantly different from any other milieu published to date and yet still recognizably Traveller, GT has found a new lease on life, a way to stay in the Traveller business without having to rehash/duplicate existing material, drown GMs in unnecessary detail, or compromise the the entire Future History by wrecking the timeline.

I, for one, am very pleased.

 

[Elliot]

ULTRA ULTRA COOL DUDE!

I have been waiting for the Interstellar Wars for a decade know - so congrats (if play testing is required please e-mail me!)

Can it be made as generic as possible (like T20 is going to be) or is the price of Interstellar Wars the GURPS system alone?

If so, so be it!

 

[Rodina]

Very cool news. I campaign I've always wanted to run would be an early Rule of Man campaign where the primary NPC was the Naval governor of a conquered Vilani world and the PCs were essentially members of his government - either Naval enlisted men or private contractors - trying to learn to govern an entire planet with little more than the vague threat of the Terran Fleet to back you up - and that, weeks away at best.

Hopefully the interstellar wars material will help me set up somethig like that...

 

[Ron]

I am glad that they are publishing this as it is one of the most exciting periods of the Imperium history. I am only sorry that they will probably print GT stats only.

Perhaps fans could provide proper conversions in the Citzen of the Imperium site.

 

[GBoyett]

I am actually excited with the IW project. Since the release of Rim of Fire and the latest version of 101 Starships, I have developed an interest in this time period. Having a sourcebook will definitely make GMing easier, IMHO.

Here is a small wish list I hope IW will include:

</font>

• Mapping and UWP listings of the Solomani that show the progress of the IWs.</font>
• A chapter dealing with the Vilani society and the game mechanics. It would be something between how the Vegans were covered in ROF and the minor races in the Alien Races series of books.</font>
• Some detail on technological progress of the Vilani and Solomani. Especially what forces helped and hindered research.</font>
• Write ups on some of the prominent people during the IWs.</font>
• Alternatives and variant suggestions that individual GM can use if they want to veer away from what is known about that period.</font>

Again I'm EXCITED!

 

[tjoneslo]

Originally posted by Ron:
Perhaps fans could provide proper conversions in the Citzen of the Imperium site.

Convert GURPS to which of the five other canon Traveller game systems?

The GURPS Traveller book has (or first edition did have) a conversion of CT, MT, TNE and T4 characters to GURPS, which could be reversed without too much difficulty. Some of the GURPS technical assumptions make coverting equipment exactly difficult, but thats true of almost any game conversion.

Besides, all the good background and adventure hooks will be in SJGs standard no-system excellent writing format.

 

[Ron]

Originally posted by tjoneslo:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Ron:
Perhaps fans could provide proper conversions in the Citzen of the Imperium site.

Convert GURPS to which of the five other canon Traveller game systems?

The GURPS Traveller book has (or first edition did have) a conversion of CT, MT, TNE and T4 characters to GURPS, which could be reversed without too much difficulty. Some of the GURPS technical assumptions make coverting equipment exactly difficult, but thats true of almost any game conversion.

Besides, all the good background and adventure hooks will be in SJGs standard no-system excellent writing format.</font>[/QUOTE]Interesting, I usually find SJG writing format boring, but experience may vary. Conversion is not that hard. As a matter of fact, characters created under CT. MT, and T4 are interchangeable. TNE's characters are, of course different and will need a separate effort. Vehicles are a main problem, but I believe most people would prefer to see them in CT format, which is, for what I understood, the same used by T20.

I know that there are conversion rules in GT main book. However, I don't have it and I don't have any intention of buying. I am not sure of how useful the GT: Interstellar War will be. Sadly, most GURPS Sci-Fi books I have looked at my LGS look more like technical manuals. I would rather want to see a rules independent sourcebook.

 

[Anthony]

Well, SJGs writing style is basically a case of 'our goal is to inform, not explain'. So yes, it does tend to be a bit on the boring side, but on the other hand, it's usually easy to tell what's going on.

I'd expect vehicles and other tech stuff to be mostly GURPS stats and will certainly be built with the GURPS design system, though there's been some discussion of providing a basic set of CT stats for equipment (a page or two at most), and CT-style UWPs could be listed somewhere as well. Still, I expect around 75% of the book to be functionally systemless.

 

[kafka47]

Now this is good news! However, I do have some reservations, how long do they plan to extend the timeline...hopefully, until the collapse of the Rule of Man and beginnings of Dusk. Also, I would not like it to see another rendition of the GDW Boardgames Imperium & Dark Nebula. While very fine games, I would want to see more focus upon the reaching out to realms unknown, especially to the Rim where the Terrans build up an army of clones and genetically modified monsters. I would also like to see a higher quality of artwork than what has been produced for Traveller thus far and more akin to their Vehicles expansion sets and the little I have seen of Transhuman Space...

Hunter would you consider setting up a discussion board and I think Jon has recently joined us here, perhaps, be set up as moderator. BTW, is LKW a member of these boards...???

My last concern are we ready for First Contact in 98 years?

 

[GBoyett]

Originally posted by kafka47:
My last concern are we ready for First Contact in 98 years?

Good question. This also brings up the issue on how to handle current events (War on Terror, Middle East, Rise of China, etc) and how the political and social structures of Earth will change in the next 100 years. Over at the JTAS discussion boards the question about current events was raised, and it was suggested that the Terran side of history should start around 2050/2070 in order not to contradict the sourcebook with current events.

IMHO, even if they start the timeline half way into the century, there still has to be some treatment on the early 21st century in order to explain the development of the later half.

 

[Ron]

Originally posted by Anthony:
[...]
I'd expect vehicles and other tech stuff to be mostly GURPS stats and will certainly be built with the GURPS design system, though there's been some discussion of providing a basic set of CT stats for equipment (a page or two at most), and CT-style UWPs could be listed somewhere as well. Still, I expect around 75% of the book to be functionally systemless.

Yeah, I imagine that the gearheads oriented stuff will take a large part of the book. Still, it wouldn't harm if they included short CT ship profiles and weapon ratings in an appendix or perhaps as a free download.

 

[GBoyett]

Originally posted by Ron:
Yeah, I imagine that the gearheads oriented stuff will take a large part of the book. Still, it wouldn't harm if they included short CT ship profiles and weapon ratings in an appendix or perhaps as a free download.

IIRC, there was some talk on JTAS boards about including CT appendix in future GT product. PTB at SJG seemed quite receptive.

 

[Simon Jester]

Originally posted by Ron:
Interesting, I usually find SJG writing format boring, but experience may vary.
[/QB]

SJG writing is to most other game companies' writing as an engineering manual is to a press release. The press release is prettier and grabs your attention quickly, but the engineering manual is where you go to get the actually useful information.

Simon Jester

 

[JFZeigler]

Originally posted by George Boyett:
IIRC, there was some talk on JTAS boards about including CT appendix in future GT product. PTB at SJG seemed quite receptive.

Yep. In fact, it was our idea.

The jury's still out on whether we'll do it, or how, but it seems likely. Anything to make our books a bit more accessible to folks who don't prefer GURPS.

 

[Ron]

Originally posted by JFZeigler:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by George Boyett:
IIRC, there was some talk on JTAS boards about including CT appendix in future GT product. PTB at SJG seemed quite receptive.

Yep. In fact, it was our idea.

The jury's still out on whether we'll do it, or how, but it seems likely. Anything to make our books a bit more accessible to folks who don't prefer GURPS.</font>[/QUOTE]This would be great. I haven't brought any of the GURPS Traveller stuff because I have a good Classic and Megatraveller library, and I have the impression that GT books doesn't have much for people like me who aren't interested in playing GURPS. Still, I am considering purchasing the upcoming Interstellar Wars supplements for the sake of reading it. I expect that this book, likewise most GURPS Sci-Fi books will have a large section detailing equipment, something that will be useless to me. Therefore, it would be a great plus to also have Classic Traveller statistics. At least, if space considerations became a problem, make them available in the Internet.

 

[GBoyett]

Originally posted by JFZeigler:
Yep. In fact, it was our idea.

The jury's still out on whether we'll do it, or how, but it seems likely. Anything to make our books a bit more accessible to folks who don't prefer GURPS.

I thought it was from you, but I couldn't recall.

Anyway I believe a CT/MT appendix would be great, especially if people wish to use GT sourcebooks with T20.

 

[JFZeigler]

Originally posted by Ron:
This would be great. I haven't brought any of the GURPS Traveller stuff because I have a good Classic and Megatraveller library, and I have the impression that GT books doesn't have much for people like me who aren't interested in playing GURPS.

True in some cases, not in others. I've often thought that I should compile a list of GURPS Traveller books that are relatively gearhead- and rules-free. Books that are 90% or more narrative background material would be useful for Traveller fans using any rules system.

Therefore, it would be a great plus to also have Classic Traveller statistics. At least, if space considerations became a problem, make them available in the Internet.

That's one possible strategy, yes.