I have to say that including software for GM's with the new T5 product would be an EXCELLENT idea. It would enable GM's a real opportunity to generate a fair degree of consistant and complex data in a very limited amount of time.
Of course such a product should allow a GM to pick and choose those rules or rule elements that he likes and abandon those that he/she does not. The ability to switch on or off certain elements of functionality, or to input ones own base variables for the 'softer' and less 'hard science' elements would be a real plus. In addition if such a product assisted GM's to run a session, or at least produce most of the necessary products before a session and save them in a flexible database I can see it being snapped up very quickly. The software version might provide an additional degree of complexity to the 'base level' offered in the basic rule book.
If T5 was developed from the begining with PC software support to GM's as a feature (to develop, save and edit data both before, during and after play), I am convinced it would sell very well. Such a product should besigned to encorage and support face-to-face group play, e-mail play and solo play.
The purpose of a software Traveller product should not be to develop a new PC game with lots of graphics etc, but to enhance a GM's ability to deliver a sound and consisent universe. Most Traveller GM are currently using various freeware or home grown products so why not provide a quality software product and provide the manuals as an additional feature? Such a strategy might assist to take an already tried and tested RPG concept to another level.
