RFC: OTU Topical Reference Index

[robject]

I would love to have a resource that ties as much of the canonical information as possible into one document. My guess is that this would eat a lot of time and effort. That time and effort has to come from someone. Then you need Marc or his officially designated agent to go through the new document and approve each item. Given that many of us lack the time and/or knowledge for such a project I have a hard time believing I'll see it in my lifetime.

I love a challenge, if only to take its temperature.

DEFINITIONS

Canon: Binding on future publications.
Non-Canon: Not binding on future publications.
Canon Reference: The newest or most comprehensive material on a topic important to Charted Space.


INSTRUCTIONS

I just finished a poll, and it has a number of Traveller fans who specialize in many (most) of the various aspects of Traveller. Among them all, we have a pre-filtered hunk of canonical references.

So just for giggles, I'll ask for them.


Post 'em in this thread. ONLY IF it's important to you.

You like something about Traveller -- yes, you who responded to my recent poll. There's something that you have put time into understanding that has relevance to the OTU.

So let's try this. Try to put names to those concepts, and then tie them to a reference in Traveller. Just one reference is fine. Or if you have a dozen references to that concept at your fingertips, set 'em down. I'll alphabetize them above.

Don't worry about not getting the most recent reference, or the oldest reference, or anything in between. Use the reference you know and love.

How detailed should you get? How unimportant or important should that datum be?

Here's the answer: if it's important to you, put it down. If it's not important to you, let it pass.

Abbreviate your sources as you wish. Translate if it's not clear.

My example:



Coyns. MTIE p21, 49.



In other words, Coyns are mentioned in the MegaTraveller Imperial Encyclopedia, pages 21 and 49. And yeah, I'm interested in coyns.

And I'm fine with less precise references:

Denuli Crystals. AD10.

Adventure 10, Safari Ship. There's actually six different references in there; a text search on the PDF turns them up just fine. Good enough.


SOURCES BY YEAR (newer is better)

AD02: Adventure 2 (1980)
AD03: Adventure 3 (1980)
AD04: Adventure 4 (1980)
DA01: Double Adventure 1 (1980)
DA02: Double Adventure 2 (1980)
AD06: Adventure 6 (1981)
DA03: Double Adventure 3 (1981)
DA04: Double Adventure 4 (1981)
DA05: Double Adventure 5 (1981)
DA07b: Double Adventure 7b (1981)
LBB3: Traveller Book 3 (1981)
AD07: Adventure 7 (1982)
AD08: Adventure 8 (1982)
DA06: Double Adventure 6 (1982)
AD09: Adventure 9 (1983)
TTA: The Traveller Adventure (1983)
TTB: The Traveller Book (1983)
M01: Module 1 Tarsus (1983)
AD10: Adventure 10 (1984)
M02: Module 2 Beltstrike (1984)
AD11: Adventure 11 (1983)
AD12: Adventure 12 (1984)
AD13: Adventure 13 (1985)
SMC: Spinward Marches Campaign (1985)

MTPM: MT Player's Manual (1987)
MTRM: MT Ref's Manual (1987)
IE: MT Imperial Encyclopedia (1987)
RC: MT Referee's Companion (1988)
RS: MT Rebellion Sourcebook (1988)
COACC (MT, 1989)
FSOTSI: MT Fighting Ships (1990)
KF: MT Knightfall (1990)
HT: MT Hard Times (1991)
AV: MT Arrival Vengeance (1992)
AG: MT Astrogator's Guide to Diaspora Sector (1992)
VIG: MT Assignment: Vigilante (1992)
MTR: MT Robots (fan production)

DA07a: Double Adventure 7a (2001)
DA08: Short Adventure 8 (2001)

T509: Traveller5 Core Rules v1.09 (2015)


OVERRIDDEN

The information in these sources are known to be overridden by or extant in later materials:

AD01 Adventure 1, The Kinunir
AD05 Adventure 5, Trillion Credit Squadron
Library Data A-M
Library Data N-Z

 

[robject]

References in parentheses are older entries which have since been overridden or included in newer sources.
These lists are organized by rules: CT has its own section, then MT, then T5.

The CT section is further broken down into categories. It has a number of substantial essays.

Singletons. A source which only contributes one canon entry I call a singleton. The singleton reference itself is colored in blue.

Classic Traveller Canon References

SHORT LIBRARY DATA and CORPORATIONS
- these entries are the easiest to collect into one place.
Al Morai (corporation). SMC.
Baraccai Technum (corporation). AD04.
The Federation of Arden. SMC.
Ganulf, Manoeuvre of (4FW). AD04 p40.
InStarSpec (corporation). DA05a.
MagnetoDynamics (corporation). AD03.
McClellan Factors (corporation). AD04.
Oberlindes Lines (corporation). AD03.
Tyrfing Incident. M02 p10.
Yaskoydray (sophont). AD12.

ANIMAL PROFILES
Groat (animal). AD03.
+ all the Bestiary entries from JTAS.

SOPHONTS (DETAILED DATA)
Aslan. RC, IE., Alien Module 1
Darrians (humans). SMC, AM08.
Droyne (sophont). RC, IE(AD03. AD12), Alien Module 3?
Vargr (sophont). RC, IE (AD03. AD12. DA01. SMC.), Alien Module 6?
Zhodani (humans). RC, IE (AD03. AD04. AD06 (profile). AD07. SMC.) Alien Module ??

WORLD PROFILES (DETAILED DATA) (INCLUDES ANIMALS/SOPHONTS)
567-908 (world profile). AD10. +Crested Trapper, Shriekers, Denuli Crystals
Bellerophon (world profile). AD09. +Chimeraroc, Daghadasi, Daghshark
Chamax (world profile). DA05. +Chamax bugs, Chamax sophonts
Dinom (world profile). DA02a.
Fulacin (world profile). AD03 p15+.
Koenig's Rock (asteroid base). M02.
Mithril (world profile) DA02b.
Newcomb (world profile). AD08.
Tarsus (world profile). M01.
Utoland (world profile). AD06.
Vanejen (world profile). AD02 p6+.

GENERAL DETAILED DATA
154th Battle Rider Squadron. SMC.
4518th Lift Infantry Regiment. SMC.
Ancient Base (Fulacin). AD03.
Artifacts and Ancient Sites. AD12.
Cym (artificial intelligence). AD13.
The Fifth Frontier War. SMC, IE.
The Frontier Wars. SMC.
Research Station Gamma. AD02.

SHIPS and SHIP-RELATED (DETAILED DATA)
Ad Astra (600t ship). AD13.
Broadsword (800t ship). AD07.
Gazelle-class Escort (300t ship). AD04.
Laboratory Ship (400t ship). AD03b.
Leviathan (1800t ship). AD04.
Lurenti (300kt battle carrier). SMC.
Mercenary Cruiser (ship). AD07.
Merchant Cruiser (1800t ship). AD04.
Nolikian (20kt battle rider). SMC.
Rock (300t asteroid ship). AD06.
Safari Ship (200t ship). AD10.
Shaarin Challenger (400t ship). DA05a p21+.
Shivva-class Patrol Frigate (600t ship). AD04 p42. AD06. AD07.
Sloan (5kt fleet escort). SMC.
Subsidized Liner (600t ship). AD13 p19+.
Subsidized Merchant (400t ship). DA05a p21+.


Traveller Wiki Canon

These sources are complete, accurately, and marked canon.

Bloodwell (ship). AD03. http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Bloodwell_Class_Merchant
The Gaesh "The Gash" prison hulk (1200t hulk). (AD01.) http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Gaesh_Prison_Hulk


MegaTraveller IE, RC, and FSOTSI Canon

These three sources COMPLETELY copy, aggregate, and expand on these references from CT.

ALL iconic small craft and vehicles: IE.

Amber Zone. IE.
Ancients. IE. (AD02 p41. AD03. AD12. M01.)
Anglic. IE.
Antares. IE.
Ansing Expedition. IE.
Antebellum. IE.
Antiquity. IE.
Barracks Emperors. IE.
Battle Rider, Battleship, Battle Tender. FSOTSI.
Behind the Claw. IE.
Belt Mining. IE.
Belter. IE.
Bilstein Yards. IE.
Boat. IE.
Capital. IE.
Chirper (sophont). IE (AD02 p5 (profile).)
Church of the Chosen Ones. IE.
Ciencia Iphegienia. IE.
Civil War. IE.
Client State. IE.
Confederation. IE.
Coyns. IE p21, 49. (AD03.)
Crisis of '99. IE.
Cruiser. FSOTSI.
Currency, Imperial. IE.
Darmine. IE.
Darrian Confederation. IE.
Deneb. IE.
Digest Touring Award. IE.
Directions, Galactic. IE.
Domain. IE.
Emperors of the Flag. IE.
The Emperor's List. IE.
Empire. IE.
Express Boat (100t ship). IE. (AD02 p42. AD03.) T5 Deckplans 1.
False War. IE.
Federation. IE.
The First Frontier War. IE.
The First Imperium. IE.
The First Interstellar War. IE.
The Fourth Frontier War. IE.
Galanglic. IE.
Gas Giant. IE.
General Shipyards. IE.
Glea. IE.
Good War/Bad War. IE (AD07.)
Grand Prince. IE.
Great Rift. IE.
Guaran. IE.
History of the Spinward Marches. IE.
Hiver, Hive Federation. IE.
Holiday Year. IE.
Humaniti, Humans. IE.
Imperial Calendar. RC.
Imperial Edict 97. IE.
The Imperial Nobility. IE.
Imperial Research. IE.
Imperial Rules of War. IE.
Imperial Stationery. IE.
Imperial Sunburst. IE.
Imperial Warrant. IE.
Interdiction. IE.
Iolanthe. IE.
Iridium Throne. IE.
Jump Dimming. IE.
Jumpspace. IE.
Kedzugh, Commonality of. IE.
Kirur, K'Kree. IE.
Kusyu. IE [sic]
Lair. IE.
Lancia. IE.
Lanthanum. IE.
Lesser Rift. IE.
Llellewyloly. IE.
Loeskalth. IE.
Main. IE.
Major Race. IE.
Megacorporations. RC.
Mercenary. IE.
Minor Race. IE.
Moot. IE.
Monadium. IE.
Naval Base. IE.
Naval Depot. IE.
Nobility. IE.
Nth Interstellar War. IE.
Octagon Society. IE (AD03.)
Oort Cloud. IE.
Outworld Coalition. IE.
Pacification Campaigns. IE.
Phoenix Project. IE.
Postal Union. IE.
Psionic games, psionics, psionics institute, psionics suppressions. IE.
Psychohistory. IE.
Rachele Society, Rachelean Revolts. IE.
Ramshackle Empire. IE.
Red Zone. IE.
Repatriation Bond. IE.
Robots in the Imperium. RC (AD02 p31+.)
The Research Project. RC.
Rule of Man. IE.
Rule of Terra. IE.
Scout Base. IE.
Second Frontier War. IE.
Second Imperium. IE.
Sector. IE.
Shudusham Concords. IE.
Signal GK (definition). IE (AD13.)
Six Races. IE.
Soegz. IE.
Solomani (humans). IE (AD12. DA03a.)
Solomani autonomous region, confederation, history, hypothesis, movement, rim war, security, sphere. IE.
Sophont (definition). IE (AD12. AD13.)
Sophontology. IE.
Spinward Main. IE.
Spinward Marches. IE.
Strephon. IE.
Subsector. IE.
Superheavy Elements. IE.
Survey, First. IE.
Survey, Second. IE.
SuSAG (corporation). RC (AD09.)
Sword Worlds (humans). IE (AD07. SMC.)
Sylean Federation. IE.
System Defense Boat. IE.
Terra, Terran Confederation. IE.
Third Frontier War. IE.
Third Imperium. IE.
Thoengling Empire. IE.
Trade Routes. IE.
Travel Zone. IE.
Trojan Points. IE.
Tukera Lines (corporation). RC (AD03. AD13.)
Twilight. IE.
Twilight's Peak. IE.
Two Thousand Worlds. IE.
Vargr campaigns, Vargr extents. IE.
Vegan, Vegan autonomous district. IE.
Vilani (humans). IE (AD12. AD13.)
Vland. IE.
War. IE.
Way Station. IE.
Xboat (100t ship). IE (See Express Boat.)
Xboat Station. IE.
Year Zero. IE.
Zhdant. IE.

Traveller5 Canon

Material that has been overridden or expanded via Traveller5.

Antimatter Battery (artifact). T5 (AD03.)
Black Globe, White Globe et al. T5 (AD01, AD12.)
Collector. T5.09 p279, 294, 297 et al.
Denuli Crystals. Galaxiad Library Data (AD10.)
The Frozen Watch. T5 (AD05.)
Grav Platforms (artifact). T5 (AD03.)
Kinunir (1200t ship). T5 Deckplans 1.
Patrol Corvette (500t ship). T5 Deckplans 1.
Scout/Courier (100t ship). T5 Deckplans 1.
Mindwipe. T509 p523.
[Personality] Overlay. T509 p523.
Planetary Core Tap (artifact). T509 p640.
Pocket Universe (artifact). T5 (AD12.)
Portal (artifact). T5 (AD12.)
Research Station (definition). Galaxiad Library Data (AD02 p44.)
Shimmersuit (artifact). T5 (AD12.)
Starport. T5 (IE).
Tireen (rosette worlds). Galaxiad Library Data (AD12 p14.)
Travellers' Aid Society. T5, TTB.



Secondary, Non-Binding References (that I find interesting)

ANNIC NOVA. DA01.
Belter (career). M02.
Citizen careers (barbarian, bureaucrat, rogue, noble, scientist, hunter, pirate, belter, sailor, diplomat, doctor, flyer). SMC.
Collector. DA01 (AN) p18.
Equipment List. AD08 p19.
Kinunir (1200t ship). AD01. AD04.
Memory Wipe. See also Mindwipe. DA08.
[Personality] Overlay. AD06.
Planetary Core Tap (artifact). DA01 (S). AD12.
Ship's Locker. AD03 p5. AD07 p5. DA01. DA02b. DA05a. DA06b. DA07b.
Submersible (vehicle). AD02 p9+.
Survival Kit. DA04a p7.
Zuchai Crystal. AD04.

 

[tjoneslo]

I will point out the Traveller Wiki has some 11,000 entries and 850 publications in a database which does the correlation. I’m interested in this project as a way to make sure the wiki articles are correct.

 

[robject]

I will point out the Traveller Wiki has some 11,000 entries and 850 publications in a database which does the correlation. I’m interested in this project as a way to make sure the wiki articles are correct.

Ha! I figured there was a way to get a report from the wiki. But yeah, I found that it's very hard to guarantee that a wiki article is "canonical". It's only as "good" (wrong word) as the discipline of every contributor.

 

[Timerover51]

Just trying to get this straight.

1. ANNIC NOVA, written by Marc, is not canon.

2. Some of Research Station Gamma, written by Marc, is not canon.

3. All of the careers of Supplement 4: Citizens of the Imperium, are not canon.

 

[robject]

Just trying to get this straight.

1. ANNIC NOVA, written by Marc, is not canon.

2. Some of Research Station Gamma, written by Marc, is not canon.

3. All of the careers of Supplement 4: Citizens of the Imperium, are not canon.

Elements of AN are not binding on publishers. The collectors and accumulators, for example. Marc changed how collectors work in T5.

The stats for vehicles in RSG are not binding on publishers. For example, Mongoose was not bound to follow them.

The careers of S4 are not binding on publishers. For example, Mongoose was not bound to follow them.

You're correct.

 

[aramis]

Just trying to get this straight.

1. ANNIC NOVA, written by Marc, is not canon.

2. Some of Research Station Gamma, written by Marc, is not canon.

3. All of the careers of Supplement 4: Citizens of the Imperium, are not canon.

It's more correct to say that Canon is divided into several parts:

Mechanics - never canon for other editions. canon for same edition.

Setting - canon unless explicitly changed.

Annic Nova is a mix of both. So is RSG. All of S4 is mechanical.

Some setting elements are optional to a degree. You can write a vargr who isn't worried about his charisma and pack rank, foe example, but you cannot write the species as a whole that way.

 

[robject]

I like that explanation.

 

[tjoneslo]

This took a little longer than I expected due to bugs in the report generator (DynamicPageList).

http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/User:Tjoneslo/sandbox5

This gives the list of library entries, minus the world articles, in the wiki. There are 8896 such entries. It also gives the the current list of sources for the article, and a flag if the wiki thinks this is canon or non-canon. Some of the articles may be marked as both, but this list only selects one.

 

[robject]

This took a little longer than I expected due to bugs in the report generator (DynamicPageList).

http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/User:Tjoneslo/sandbox5

This gives the list of library entries, minus the world articles, in the wiki. There are 8896 such entries. It also gives the the current list of sources for the article, and a flag if the wiki thinks this is canon or non-canon. Some of the articles may be marked as both, but this list only selects one.

Thank you, Thomas.

This morning I paged thru MegaTraveller's Imperial Encyclopedia, Referee's Companion, and Fighting Ships. The three of these contain a superset of OTU information found in Library Data A-M and N-Z... and perhaps many more of the LBBs.

Thus the next stage of organization: supplements which are not necessary for research.

 

[inexorabletash]

Have you taken a look at the Timeline drafts? Presumably the lists of sources should be synced up. It is also so comprehensive that topic keyword searches there may cover much of what is needed, since it tries to cover facts with time stamps, not just “events”

 

[robject]

Also a good idea, Joshua.

 

[robject]

I've started identifying entries in the wiki that cover the oldest references. I'm looking for

(1) accuracy
(2) the "canon" mark on the wiki page

If these two are fulfilled, I move the reference. A worthy goal is to minimize the number of sources needed that explain canon.

 

[robject]

MegaTraveller did a GREAT JOB

Between the Imperial Encyclopedia, Referee's Companion, and Fighting Ships of the Shattered Imperium, MegaTraveller does a GREAT job of consolidating canon Library Data.


MT: 156 library data entries, plus equipment, vehicles, small craft, and ACS.

CT canon sources NOT in MT represent about 55 detailed entries, including world profiles, sophont profiles, starship profiles... not to mention all of the Bestiary entries in JTAS. CT did a great job with its long essays on worlds, sophonts, ships... MT did not port most of these.

The wiki probably has many of these. So far I've found two that appear complete. Due to the length of the CT articles, I think it's been easier just to refer back to them.

Finally, Traveller5 has overridden at least 15 Library Data entries from CT/MT, plus MT's technology tables.

 

[Maksim-Smelchak]

Between the Imperial Encyclopedia, Referee's Companion, and Fighting Ships of the Shattered Imperium, MegaTraveller does a GREAT job of consolidating canon Library Data.


MT: 156 library data entries, plus equipment, vehicles, small craft, and ACS.

CT canon sources NOT in MT represent about 55 detailed entries, including world profiles, sophont profiles, starship profiles... not to mention all of the Bestiary entries in JTAS. CT did a great job with its long essays on worlds, sophonts, ships... MT did not port most of these.

The wiki probably has many of these. So far I've found two that appear complete. Due to the length of the CT articles, I think it's been easier just to refer back to them.

Finally, Traveller5 has overridden at least 15 Library Data entries from CT/MT, plus MT's technology tables.

Neat work. Thanks, Rob and company.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

 

[robject]

Thanks. So far, so good.

It's not usable information, not quite yet anyway. I've excluded four CT books outright from the need for canon-checking so far, and there are doubtless others. Four is not very many, but it's a start.

I suspect The Traveller Book can be excluded from canon checks; its library data is nowhere near as comprehensive as IE. Similarly LBB 1-2-3 and Starter.

The Traveller Adventure has data that appears nowhere else: its starship listings. Many of the alien modules also have starship lists.

 

[robject]

So it looks to me that the most valuable print supplements for researching canon thus far are MT IE and MT RC.

For military stuff, MT FSOTSI and SMC are valuable. I would like to say that FSOTSI can be set aside, but its front essay looks pretty good, and I haven't seen the material superseded.

 

[Maksim-Smelchak]

A worthy goal is to minimize the number of sources needed that explain canon.

I'd really rather we had more references and citations. More is better than less in this case.

Perhaps one of us could imagine up a system to rank the references as in primaries and secondaries, or something like that. I'm open to ideas.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

 

[mike wightman]

Are you are talking about a concordance - every key word with definition and source references?

 

[tjoneslo]

Phil from the Traveller Mailing List just posted two links that would be of relevance to this discussions:

Traveller Canon Information a searchable index of Traveller canon information

Traveller Picture Index a searchable index of pictures in Traveller.