I was going thru some old Traveller books, and I came across maps & adventures. I was looking at a map of the 3rd Imperium. On another book, it was described as the Empire of 10,000 worlds. It got me thinking, would Traveller in general been better if the empire was a fraction of that size? Maybe 1,000 worlds? I am assuming most gm's stuck to one or two subsectors in their campaign. But what if the empire was smaller and had more competitors? It definitely would have spawned more adventures on the frontier fighting enemy agents. Does anyone else have opinion?
The empire, too large?
- Thread starter jackleg
- Start date
I was going thru some old Traveller books, and I came across maps & adventures. I was looking at a map of the 3rd Imperium. On another book, it was described as the Empire of 10,000 worlds. It got me thinking, would Traveller in general been better if the empire was a fraction of that size? Maybe 1,000 worlds? I am assuming most gm's stuck to one or two subsectors in their campaign. But what if the empire was smaller and had more competitors? It definitely would have spawned more adventures on the frontier fighting enemy agents. Does anyone else have opinion?
MT and TNE also tried that method. TNE 1248 is going to continue with that model (smaller nations competing with many others). I can't wait for it to come out!
MT and TNE also tried that method. TNE 1248 is going to continue with that model (smaller nations competing with many others). I can't wait for it to come out!
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
There was a thread quite a few months back about reducing the size of the Imperium.
I'll try to find a link to it...
I'll try to find a link to it...
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
There was a thread quite a few months back about reducing the size of the Imperium.
I'll try to find a link to it...
I'll try to find a link to it...
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Excellent site Sigg!
Many thanks for the link.
Many thanks for the link.
Excellent site Sigg!
Many thanks for the link.
Many thanks for the link.
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
"Too Big?"
The one thing I always liked about Traveller is that at least went for an attempt at coveying the sheer enormity of Space. While I agree that administratively (back in the paper and pencil days) this was a nightmare to manage, But with the advances I've seen in computers, I strongly feel that we should be asking if the Imperium is big enough?
Bear in mind it's a retired scout talking here, but I for one would like to see it ALL defined. I absolutely love stuff like Heaven and Earth, and the Interactive Atlas of the Imperium... I just wish that they could par up with Galactic at times in thier thouroughness. Zho-Berka's inmcredible Atlas site at the Zhodani Base seems to be the most complete at the baseline, though i think his data comes from Galactic.
I hear the Laments... the "There are no Frontiers" and the like, to which I say Poppycock! Even settled areas of spcae could hold tons of adventures if presented right.
Refueling a starship or dealing with pencil-pushers is a chore, not an adventure. Putting too much focus on the routine makes the game routine. Look how lively our own little planet is and how diverse it is, multiply that by a bazillion, and that's Traveller (at least where I sit)
We need more sophont frontiers, not just astropolitical ones...
The one thing I always liked about Traveller is that at least went for an attempt at coveying the sheer enormity of Space. While I agree that administratively (back in the paper and pencil days) this was a nightmare to manage, But with the advances I've seen in computers, I strongly feel that we should be asking if the Imperium is big enough?
Bear in mind it's a retired scout talking here, but I for one would like to see it ALL defined. I absolutely love stuff like Heaven and Earth, and the Interactive Atlas of the Imperium... I just wish that they could par up with Galactic at times in thier thouroughness. Zho-Berka's inmcredible Atlas site at the Zhodani Base seems to be the most complete at the baseline, though i think his data comes from Galactic.
I hear the Laments... the "There are no Frontiers" and the like, to which I say Poppycock! Even settled areas of spcae could hold tons of adventures if presented right.
Refueling a starship or dealing with pencil-pushers is a chore, not an adventure. Putting too much focus on the routine makes the game routine. Look how lively our own little planet is and how diverse it is, multiply that by a bazillion, and that's Traveller (at least where I sit)
We need more sophont frontiers, not just astropolitical ones...
never understood all this talk of the imperium being too large. if one desires small polities then the sword worlds, the darrian confederation, collace, retinae, and any number of bypassed worlds in the cronor subsector beckon. balkanized worlds provide endless opportunities for local political, economic, and military action. if one is capable of playing aliens then aslan clans and vargr packs give endless adventure-group-sized action. and the game's scale need not be measured in governments. a trade war between two merchant houses provides the perfect environment for a small band of travellers who want to feel like they're making a difference. there's more than enough opportunity for character-sized action without wasting time busting up the imperium.
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
"Too Big?"
The one thing I always liked about Traveller is that at least went for an attempt at coveying the sheer enormity of Space. While I agree that administratively (back in the paper and pencil days) this was a nightmare to manage, But with the advances I've seen in computers, I strongly feel that we should be asking if the Imperium is big enough?
Bear in mind it's a retired scout talking here, but I for one would like to see it ALL defined. I absolutely love stuff like Heaven and Earth, and the Interactive Atlas of the Imperium... I just wish that they could par up with Galactic at times in thier thouroughness. Zho-Berka's inmcredible Atlas site at the Zhodani Base seems to be the most complete at the baseline, though i think his data comes from Galactic.
I hear the Laments... the "There are no Frontiers" and the like, to which I say Poppycock! Even settled areas of spcae could hold tons of adventures if presented right.
Refueling a starship or dealing with pencil-pushers is a chore, not an adventure. Putting too much focus on the routine makes the game routine. Look how lively our own little planet is and how diverse it is, multiply that by a bazillion, and that's Traveller (at least where I sit)
We need more sophont frontiers, not just astropolitical ones...
The one thing I always liked about Traveller is that at least went for an attempt at coveying the sheer enormity of Space. While I agree that administratively (back in the paper and pencil days) this was a nightmare to manage, But with the advances I've seen in computers, I strongly feel that we should be asking if the Imperium is big enough?
Bear in mind it's a retired scout talking here, but I for one would like to see it ALL defined. I absolutely love stuff like Heaven and Earth, and the Interactive Atlas of the Imperium... I just wish that they could par up with Galactic at times in thier thouroughness. Zho-Berka's inmcredible Atlas site at the Zhodani Base seems to be the most complete at the baseline, though i think his data comes from Galactic.
I hear the Laments... the "There are no Frontiers" and the like, to which I say Poppycock! Even settled areas of spcae could hold tons of adventures if presented right.
Refueling a starship or dealing with pencil-pushers is a chore, not an adventure. Putting too much focus on the routine makes the game routine. Look how lively our own little planet is and how diverse it is, multiply that by a bazillion, and that's Traveller (at least where I sit)
We need more sophont frontiers, not just astropolitical ones...
never understood all this talk of the imperium being too large. if one desires small polities then the sword worlds, the darrian confederation, collace, retinae, and any number of bypassed worlds in the cronor subsector beckon. balkanized worlds provide endless opportunities for local political, economic, and military action. if one is capable of playing aliens then aslan clans and vargr packs give endless adventure-group-sized action. and the game's scale need not be measured in governments. a trade war between two merchant houses provides the perfect environment for a small band of travellers who want to feel like they're making a difference. there's more than enough opportunity for character-sized action without wasting time busting up the imperium.
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
Hear Hear!
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
Hear Hear!
RainOfSteel
SOC-14 1K
I strongly lean toward the Big Imperium side of things.
To me, a true "frontier" is an unexplored and undeveloped area. Unless your PCs are hardened "out in the wilderness and boondocks" types, who favor constant camping and survey activity, that is going to get old quickly. I know that more than a few sessions of it would bore the people I game with to tears.
Now, if you want to take "frontier", and tack onto it "bordering on Alien space where no one else has been before", then that's a different story. The trouble is, this is a fairly specialized set-up.
Personally, I find that most such situations can be roughly simulated in the already-explored and all-too populated Charted Space.
The advantages of the Balkanized government type have already been mentioned.
To me, a true "frontier" is an unexplored and undeveloped area. Unless your PCs are hardened "out in the wilderness and boondocks" types, who favor constant camping and survey activity, that is going to get old quickly. I know that more than a few sessions of it would bore the people I game with to tears.
Now, if you want to take "frontier", and tack onto it "bordering on Alien space where no one else has been before", then that's a different story. The trouble is, this is a fairly specialized set-up.
Personally, I find that most such situations can be roughly simulated in the already-explored and all-too populated Charted Space.
The advantages of the Balkanized government type have already been mentioned.
RainOfSteel
SOC-14 1K
I strongly lean toward the Big Imperium side of things.
To me, a true "frontier" is an unexplored and undeveloped area. Unless your PCs are hardened "out in the wilderness and boondocks" types, who favor constant camping and survey activity, that is going to get old quickly. I know that more than a few sessions of it would bore the people I game with to tears.
Now, if you want to take "frontier", and tack onto it "bordering on Alien space where no one else has been before", then that's a different story. The trouble is, this is a fairly specialized set-up.
Personally, I find that most such situations can be roughly simulated in the already-explored and all-too populated Charted Space.
The advantages of the Balkanized government type have already been mentioned.
To me, a true "frontier" is an unexplored and undeveloped area. Unless your PCs are hardened "out in the wilderness and boondocks" types, who favor constant camping and survey activity, that is going to get old quickly. I know that more than a few sessions of it would bore the people I game with to tears.
Now, if you want to take "frontier", and tack onto it "bordering on Alien space where no one else has been before", then that's a different story. The trouble is, this is a fairly specialized set-up.
Personally, I find that most such situations can be roughly simulated in the already-explored and all-too populated Charted Space.
The advantages of the Balkanized government type have already been mentioned.
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