Is the Traveller Market Fractured

[Jeffr0]

Those of you wanting a Travellerish MMORPG should be aware of the efforts of the .Net Addict:

http://dotnetaddict.dotnetdevelopersjournal.com/on_muds.htm

He's written several posts on his architecture, but that's his most recent. It looks to be a highly interactive tradin' fightin' travellin' costumized ship sorta game.

 

[Keklas Rekobah]

Originally posted by far-trader:
StarTraveller

Why me? I try to be good ... why me?

 

[far-trader]

Originally posted by Heretic Keklas Rekobah:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by far-trader:
StarTraveller

Why me? I try to be good ... why me? </font>[/QUOTE]Awww, I was just funnin ya

 

[The Shaman]

According to LD's poll, four-of-five respondents say the fanbase is balkanized, but I hear the figures 50%, 60%, and 75% used to represent the number of Traveller gamers using original, "classic" Traveller.

Is the fanbase really "balkanized," or just the publishers?

 

[Anthony]

The poll on 'what type of Traveller do you play' has 48% using CT, and that's the highest number. I'm surprised by how poorly T20 is doing, given that this is a company BBS for the publisher of T20.

 

[Malenfant]

I don't see much mention of T20 elsewhere either... does it get talked about on the enworld boards at all?

 

[atpollard]

T20 is played by the 6000+ members who are too busy actually playing to waste time on silly polls.

 

[Rhialto the Marvelous]

Here's an interesting figure I came across the other day, quoted by Monte Cook (didn't bookmark the link, sorry):

Call of Cthulhu d20 sold 35,000 copies.

Now that is pretty, pretty good. Reason why T20 sold only a (significant) fraction of that: CoC d20 was a WOTC book. WOTC marketing > QLI marketing.

Even so, and even given the d20 bubble burst in 2003, that is not so bad.

Having said that, Hunter hasn't been mentioning plans for further T20 products, or has he? The normal thing to do now would be a T20 second ed...

 

[Malenfant]

Originally posted by Rhialto the Marvelous:
[QB]Even so, and even given the d20 bubble burst in 2003, that is not so bad.

It did? I've not noticed any lessening of d20 since then...

 

[Anthony]

A lot of secondary publishers went poof, so yeah, the d20 bubble did actually pop. Now, most of the stuff that vanished wasn't worth publishing in the first place, so it's not actually much of a loss, but it did happen.

 

[Malenfant]

Oh yeah, I remember that now you mention it.

 

[Rhialto the Marvelous]

Actually, it's worse. If you look closely at what industry officals have said on various boards, 2006 was the year d20 finally broke. Most visible sign, on the fan side of things: The Ennies Awards have been massively campaigning to become a hobby-wide (rather than d20-wide) award. They're not doing that because of an abundance of published material to choose from.

Even so... T20 is not just any game. The rules of the most popular RPG ever plus the setting of the popular sci-fi RPG ever--that's a pretty good combo, on paper anyway. I hope it sticks around. It's like D&D--one may not love it, but imagine what'd happen to the hobby as a whole if it died. Shudder.

 

[Scarecrow]

Originally posted by Rhialto the Marvelous:
The rules of the most popular RPG ever plus the setting of the most popular sci-fi RPG ever

That's WotC's version of Star Wars isn't it?

Talking of which - and further to the whole 'bubble' thing - Wizards have pretty much stopped production on their Star Wars RPG, haven't they? Not officially, I know but nothing has been published for it for a couple of years now and they seem to be focussing entirely on the miniatures range. This is not the case for D&D and Modern though, strangely.

Crow

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by The Shaman:
According to LD's poll, four-of-five respondents say the fanbase is balkanized, but I hear the figures 50%, 60%, and 75% used to represent the number of Traveller gamers using original, "classic" Traveller.

Is the fanbase really "balkanized," or just the publishers?

Again, polls aren't accurate in number of posters vs. number of users/ silent majority.

They do reflect from the vocal folks (those who took the poll) a trend..trends are not necessarily facts, just as news, based on spot polls are news--they are polls of what someone answered to questions worded on an issue at the given space and time.

The mass media of today of talking heads and poll-takers thinking they are reporting news, are not--they are reporting what the minority( those who took the poll) said/ responded to, then try to multi[ply that across the base population of a nation and say "Country X feels this way".

So, take it for what it is, not what it isn't.

Guten Tag ya'll..

 

[Liam Devlin]

Oh and Shaman,

IMO, its both.

 

[Jeff M. Hopper]

Originally posted by Scarecrow:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Rhialto the Marvelous:
The rules of the most popular RPG ever plus the setting of the most popular sci-fi RPG ever

That's WotC's version of Star Wars isn't it?

Talking of which - and further to the whole 'bubble' thing - Wizards have pretty much stopped production on their Star Wars RPG, haven't they? Not officially, I know but nothing has been published for it for a couple of years now and they seem to be focussing entirely on the miniatures range. This is not the case for D&D and Modern though, strangely.

Crow </font>[/QUOTE]WotC is putting out a new version of d20 Star Wars, called the Saga Edition. That's their reasoning for not producing more D20 Star Wars content at the moment.

 

[Roger Calver]

Star Wars Saga will be the fore runner to use the new D&D 4th edition rules system and should be out this summer if all goes well.

 

[Jeff M. Hopper]

Originally posted by RogerCalver:
Star Wars Saga will be the fore runner to use the new D&D 4th edition rules system and should be out this summer if all goes well.

I keep hearing rumors of DnD4, but I haven't found anything to substantiate them. Do you have some good inside information I'm lacking? Tell me? Please?

EN World Page on 4th Edition Rumors

 

[Roger Calver]

There is not much to say about when D&D 4th edition is to be released but the Star Wars saga is to be using a new version of the rules system and so may be a hint into the 4th edition.

----------
Star Wars Roleplaying Game: Saga Edition
Owen K.C. Stephens and Rodney Thompson*

This new edition of the Star Wars Roleplaying Game encapsulates all six feature films while presenting a thorough revision of the rules, making the game easier to learn while improving the overall play experience. The new 288-page core rulebook includes new character abilities and options, a streamlined skill system, a revised combat system, new feats and Force powers, a world gazetteer, statistics for key characters from all six Star Wars films and the Expanded Universe, and guidelines on how to use Star Wars Miniatures and battle maps in play.
*Based on the Star Wars Roleplaying Game Revised Core Rulebook by Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker

Key Selling Points:
This is the first official Star Wars Roleplaying Game product to include Episode III content.
The core rules have been revised and streamlined to make the game easier to learn and more fun to play.
This new edition of the Star Wars Roleplaying Game is more miniatures-friendly than previous editions and includes a battle map and guidelines for using Star Wars miniatures in play.
Fans of the Star Wars Roleplaying Game have been anxiously awaiting a version of the rulebook that includes updated information on all six feature films.
March 6, 2007
288 page Hardcover
$39.95/$49.95 CAN
----------

One of the major points is that WoTC want to use minis more for RPG's and the blurb above links to this and they have been talking about this for D&D in general for a while now.
Also check out this link as it tells you about it.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=starwars/article/sw20061214jc100
And for the picture of the cover.
http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Roleplaying-Game-Saga/dp/0786943564/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-5654426-2679828?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1173468638&sr=8-1

 

[Malenfant]

Saga edition actually sounds rather cool. It doesn't seem like a '4th edition' type thing though, just a tweaked d20. AFAICT from the links 4e wouldn't be due for another year at least.