Online Petition

[Droptrooper.]

Sorry Martin and I apologize, it was a cheap shot but not aimed at you.

I was just tickled by the way Malenfant/Evil Doctor Ganymede/EDG (and whatever sockpuppet he is using to view these forums) leapt at the chance to have another bash at Hunter/QLI. Talk about a major chip on the shoulder.

As in my post credit where credit is due, Hunter took the risk with T20 and in general it has been a success. People are quick enough to blame him for QLI's failings so why should he not receive plaudits for its successes?

That is all. And for what it is worth I quite like Avenger's Traveller stuff (except for 1248 I'm afraid . If Mongoose had any sense they would look to build a relationship with Avenger, not just Martin, and look for some OTU stuff to be produced.

 

[hunter]

I assume other people should be dropping the subject too?

You'll note how I've not allowed myself to be drawn into restarting the, umm, 'discussion' and I'm going to try not to. But it would help if people weren't taking shots after the ceasefire....

Martin, no one is taking shots at you. That's kinda my point. If you EVER feel that some is doing that here, drop me an email or report it. It will be dealt with I promise you. You are very welcome here and I am proud to have had you work with us in the past.

 

[hunter]

Sorry Martin and I apologize, it was a cheap shot but not aimed at you.

I was just tickled by the way Malenfant/Evil Doctor Ganymede/EDG (and whatever sockpuppet he is using to view these forums) leapt at the chance to have another bash at Hunter/QLI. Talk about a major chip on the shoulder.

Is he at it again?

 

[Commander Drax]

Oh I've opened a can of worms here,

In response to MJD posts, I would like to say that by setting up an online petition to save T20 I in no way wish to denigrate the work of MJD or the outstanding contribution he has made to traveller over the years. I'm a big fan of all his writing and understand that as line editor for QLI he did indeed oversee and develop a great deal of material that we now take for granted as Traveller Cannon.

However on setting up the petition I was unaware that Avenger's licence was also due to expire, propably because no one else has mentioned this in other threads, or I've missed those posts. I'm sorry to hear that Avenger's licence is not going to be renewed at it's expiry, If I had known that i would have started a petition to save T20 & Avenger. I've bought a number of Avenger products including the 1248 books and think they are great, so I am aware of MJD's high standards of print and pdf publishing, indeed the reason why I was so keen to get the 1248 books and other avenger products (such as those set in the Spinward Marches) was because I had come to trust MJD's work via my exposure to it in QLI's products, in much the same way that you look for a favourite author when scanning the shelves of your local bookshop for a Science Fiction title.

So MJD we are all aware of your contribution and grateful for the work done, If I had known then the petition would be different. Sadly I can't change it now (as those already signed may not agree to saving both T20 & Avenger), but I can set up a fresh petition entitled "Save Avenger".

 

[Gallowglacht]

It wasn't you Drax, all you did was post a save T20 petition on the T20 forum.

 

[hunter]

Agreed, now lets all drop that part of things mmmmmmmmmmkay?

 

[MJD]

The Avenger-License-Expiry thing has been discussed openly often enough. Anyone who wanted to know or remembered about us could have found out, and the fact that nobody did think of us was kind of why I made the original post.

Not that it matters. Avenger's fate is my business (pun intended) and I'm dealing with the problem. I'm not in a position to make announcements right now but the Avenger situation may actually be a lot better than we have any right to expect...

 

[MJD]

Hunter did indeed take a risk with T20. I did too. Sank several years of my career into it, shed other clients, that sort of thing. Ironically enough I had a chance at a staff job at Mongoose but didn't pursue it so I could stay aboard at QLI.

I literally only departed because the firm had been dead in the water for months and Hunter was out of contact so I could not know if that would ever change... and I was close to bankruptcy.

Getting out of that hole was hard. At one point I had three jobs AND was working at rebuilding my writing career at the same time. While maintaining a presence on the COTI boards to try to keep things ticking over in the hope that everything would eventually be sorted out.

I know that some people view me as that traitor who jumped ship and set up solo, but there's the reasons. I didn't have any choice really, or none that I can see.

 

[Commander Drax]

Look MJD there seems to be an undercurrent of spite or resentment in your posts, no one has forgotten about you or your contribution to traveller, I'm sory if I missed your posts on the subject I don't have time to visit these boards as often as I'd like. I rarely look at the avenger boards, not because I've forgotten about you, but simply because I am short of time, I've had a well deserved rest these last few weeks which is why I can spend the time posting now.

You should also be aware that for the time being at least the home of the Traveller community on the web is at these boards, whilst I haven't had time to post here I do occasionally lurk and have yet to notice an annoucement from yourself telling us all about your licence problem. All the same if it's been posted I missed it and for that I'm sorry.

Also you've got to consider that most people on these boards know that you've created materials for Gurps Traveller, T20, Classic Traveller and have overseen and almost single handedly developed lots of Materials for Hero Traveller. Thus in all of our minds you seem to be doing well, so don't need the support. QLI has only got one finger in one pie, that being the T20 pie, hence the show of support.

 

[MJD]

I'm not sure the Avenger license has been discussed *here*, since this is the home of QLI/T20 and not Avenger, which would account for missing it I guess. But it's certainly public knowledge in that anyone who heard about the license issue and cared if it affected Avenger could find out.

Yes, there is a certain amount of resentment on my part, precisely because I *do* get forgotten about. I contributed, I took a risk, I almost went to the wall during QLI's problems, but while I read posts praising Hunter for the risks and the contributions, I'm out here in the wilderness.

Nobody seemed to care enough to ask how the Mongoose license affects Avenger, for example. (and to be fair I had little involvement in HERO Traveller; that's Kevin Walsh's project. It's just carried under the Avenger Traveller license - he and his team deserve the credit for that one, not me.)

I'm somewhat surprised at the statement that folks think Avenger is doing OK and doesn't need support. I mean that in a blink, look puzzled and smile sort of way - it really is a pleasant surprise to hear that, so thanks. That's improved my day considerably.

That said, all of those pies we have fingers in get snatched away when the license goes in November, so it's a bit of an issue. But I may have sorted that one out as well, much to my surprise. Sometimes you get lucky, I guess.

 

[aramis]

And it's time to move forward. No offense, MJD, but this isn't the place to harp on Avenger's future. A future which increasingly appears to be non-traveller.

I do hope the SRD makes it possible to get ACT together and out the door, tho'.

 

[MJD]

You're right. What with the license curtailment Avenger's future in Traveller does indeed look doubtful.

Unless.

We're in the middle of something that might fix all that. Or not.

Watch this space.

 

[selunatic2397]

I am watching!

 

[far-trader]

I think MJD meant to watch the space below where he said "watch this space"... as in check the link to Avenger over on comstar and watch there. Not saying we wouldn't like to hear about anything over here on CotI too but the place for ease of watching MJDs projects is over on comstar.

Or I could be wrong...

 

[Commander Drax]

Hi guys, I've started in response to a message posted on my boards at the COE website, I've started a petition to save Avenger on the Avenger boards, it's only fair...

 

[moout_diablo]

For what it's worth I agree with you GC. The only thing it does is force those who don't want to convert to adapt any new stuff they can to fit their old preferences.

I think Mongoose would have done just as well had the licenses that currently exist were allowed to continue and renew, but restricted to the current areas and systems with regard to Traveller. So we could keep on supporting T20 and Gateway carrying the Traveller name, Avenger could do TNE, SJG with GT, etc.

Frankly Mongoose isn't going to steal those people back. They will get sales from them to check out the new stuff and see what they can use, but they will go back to their old preferences. They would be doing that whether Mongoose had the only license or not. What Mongoose will pull are the CT fanatics, because their rules are damn close to CT from what I hear (I actually haven't looked at the drafts).

But its not my license so I just go with the flow I'm not upset about and I can see why Mongoose wanted the exclusive even though you and I and every other Traveller fan knows it ain't gonna work out that way. Mongoose will do very well. I have no doubts about that. And they are going to do a decent job I do believe.

It's my opinion that Mongoose may actually have LOST players by abandoning their plan to develop the MRQ rules to a future game. The announcement that MGT was coming out and killing off SpaceQuest made a number of people unhappy.

Hunter,
I got your PM at Mongoose (hdrider) and responded. I'll keep my syes open (and fingers crossed) for the new release.