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OTU Only: Nominations for OTU Canon Sources

robject

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What supplemental Traveller material is good enough to be considered (at least partly) canonical?

Not for voting on them (well, maybe a poll later), but to bring them up for consideration.

This is theoretically to point someone in proper directions when they're wanting to publish something in the Official Traveller Universe. This disqualifies materials that are out of print and hard to find.

Canonical

  • MT Imperial Encyclopedia, at least partly.
  • MT Referee's Companion, at least partly.
  • Sword Worlds (GURPS: Traveller), unreservedly.
  • FASA and Gamelords publications on the FFE Apocrypha CD(s).
  • Cargonaut Press
Non-Canonical
  • DGP
  • Other OOP Material
For example, I would first suggest Hans' Sword Worlds sourcebook from GURPS Traveller. I would recommend the entire thing, lock, stock, and barrel. Offhand I couldn't see anything in there that shouldn't be accepted.
 
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Are DGP Publications outside the purview of consideration?

Oh, you're asking about SOM and WBH, for examples. Wow, great question, but you ask because there is doubt, and I think that doubt has a very good basis: they can't be reprinted. So I think that means 'no' ...

...and so I have to state a purpose for doing this. I think the only reasonable purpose in "defining" "canon" is to point someone in proper directions when they're wanting to publish something in the Official Traveller Universe. Pointing someone to materials that are out of print and hard to find is not helpful, so it has to be 'no'.

Cargonaut material has to be 'no' for the same reason, unfortunately.
 
Oh, you're asking about SOM and WBH, for examples. Wow, great question, but you ask because there is doubt, and I think that doubt has a very good basis: they can't be reprinted. So I think that means 'no' ...

...and so I have to state a purpose for doing this. I think the only reasonable purpose in "defining" "canon" is to point someone in proper directions when they're wanting to publish something in the Official Traveller Universe. Pointing someone to materials that are out of print and hard to find is not helpful, so it has to be 'no'.

Cargonaut material has to be 'no' for the same reason, unfortunately.

While they cannot be reprinted, both Marc and myself have permission to use the DGP material. Cargonaut, at this time, still falls out of that. I'd have to suggest that Cargonaut, because of the copyright issues Marc has raised, may well be non-canon.

What's non-canon about the MegaTraveller books? :eek:o:
 
By canon we are meaning:

The history, culture, structure, etc. of the Imperium setting?

How the ships operate, the technology works, the other geary stuff?

Both?
 
By canon we are meaning:

The history, culture, structure, etc. of the Imperium setting?

How the ships operate, the technology works, the other geary stuff?

Both?

Suggest away. Just remember this:

Don's 'What is Traveller Canon' Hermeneutic

I'm not speaking for Marc here; I'm drawing from personal experience and observation to infer basic facts to assist. If I do speak for Marc online, I'll preface the post with "Marc is asking..." or "Marc wants...", or something similar. Rob Eaglestone also does this. That doesn't mean Rob or I have any special status. If I was writing material for the Spinward Marches, I'd probably have Hans Rancke review it before giving it to Marc for review, because I trust his knowledge of things I've forgotten.

So, bearing all of that in mind, here's some simple facts about Traveller canon:
1. It is, at any given moment, what Marc decides.
2. Marc reserves the right to change his mind.
3. The GURPS Traveller universe (GTU?) and the Official Traveller Universe overlap; exactly where they overlap is questionable, depending on who's asking the questions.
4. The precedent of "mostly recently published source" applies, unless that newer source is wrong about something; it happens.
5. Never, ever assume that current licensees are not canon; rather, current licensees are always canon, unless they print something wrong.
6. Marc decides who is wrong.
7. There's no order to the six rules above.

That's pretty much it. On an average day of research for Marc, I'll start with MGT (if possible), then GT (including IW), then TNE (because I have to, not because I want to), then MT, then CT materials. Within those materials, the primary publisher is the first source, but any licensee could be a secondary source. There are probably *golden* sources, but nothing is perfect. Oh, and yes, 1248 goes in there somewhere. I wouldn't consider it a primary source, but definitely a secondary source. Heck, there's even a couple of Judges Guild items Marc mentions from time to time. Admittedly, I haven't dug much out of the JG/Group One/Paranoia Press materials for Marc, but I've got them to refer to. And even HIWG docs and fanzines COULD be a source if it's an idea that Marc likes. For example, I pay very close attention to HIWG docs written by Clay Bush on subjects. And I've got the TML and Xboat archives setup as searchable because they have clues to things I don't remember.

I cannot think of a single source that would be outright rejected with no consideration at all. My own timeline isn't a source; it's a list of sources.

So, the moral is, don't throw rocks at other Traveller settings. We're all in the same tent, even if we imagine we're not.

Some things Marc has repeatedly said are NOT canon:
1. Anything under 100 tons jumping. 101-ton jump ships work, but 99-ton jump anythings simply don't.
2. Almost all Aslan art has the hands and paws wrong. I've repeatedly had this explained to me, but I still don't picture it properly.
3. There are only six major races, and they are all identified. Don't add another one.
4. DGP's pre-Ancient Primordials/Sparklers. Come on, Joe Fugate only briefly mentioned them in his goodbye.
5. Light sabers, ala Star Wars. This might be proof that Traveller and Star Wars have different physics foundations.
6. Simultaneous FTL communication is never possible. No combination of psionics, science or magic can produce this in the OTU.

Marc Miller's reviewed this several times and actually did approve it. This probably opens more questions than it answers. A recent T5 discussion brought a few additions to the NOT CANON list.
 
Just to get it on the table: the Far Frontiers / Afachtiabr development published in Ares and The Traveller Chronicle, by Dale L. Kemper and James Kundert. I assume the star system details would be reviewed by the T5SS, but the history of the FF polities and Vlazdumecta should be considered as well.

Which I guess opens the door for Fanzines in general, and hints at the subtle difference between canonical sources and what's part of the OTU (e.g. the Reticulan Parasite article in JTAS is in a canon source, but presumable not part of the OTU). But I digress.
 
Due to circumstances the library data for Dagudashaag Sector published in the Signal-GK fanzine is now considered more or less canon. So adding material originally published in non-Traveller magazines or Traveller fanzines isn't a new idea.
 
Due to circumstances the library data for Dagudashaag Sector published in the Signal-GK fanzine is now considered more or less canon. So adding material originally published in non-Traveller magazines or Traveller fanzines isn't a new idea.

Yes, and I really, really, need to get back to that specific set of discussions. And a bunch of other things.

I've been trying to get Marc's pile moving, and had forgotten about my own pile... :nonono:
 
Just to get it on the table: the Far Frontiers / Afachtiabr development published in Ares and The Traveller Chronicle, by Dale L. Kemper and James Kundert. I assume the star system details would be reviewed by the T5SS, but the history of the FF polities and Vlazdumecta should be considered as well.

Which I guess opens the door for Fanzines in general, and hints at the subtle difference between canonical sources and what's part of the OTU (e.g. the Reticulan Parasite article in JTAS is in a canon source, but presumable not part of the OTU). But I digress.

I would say yes, but there's some work that has to be done to get there first. But it is in the T5SS pile, so at some point the answer will be yes.
 
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