The Milky Way and how it relates to traveller

[chrome_gnome]

Does the Traveller Universe exist only in the Milky way? I have looked over some of the maps published about the extent of the Imperium and wondered how it correlates to the Size and scope of the Milky Way.

Is there assumed to be no travel to other galaxies just travel between solar systems inside out own large galaxy? I wasn't sure about the rationale behind how the area of Traveller compared to reality so I figured someone might have heard the answer at one point. It seems like with the limited distances of Jump travel that travel between galaxies was not considered practical.

 

[far-trader]

Well I could hardly pass up such a fun question even after just logging out

The nearest galaxy to our own Milky Way, from a quick check, is not only a recent discovery but not too far either, astronomically speaking

Press release

So at some 25,000 light years (practically colliding with the dang thing *) from Terra that's about 7,669 parsecs. With a J6 capable ship that has an inexhaustible "fuel" supply and is good to jump once a week it'd only take about 25.5 years, one way.

* oops, edit, seems we already DID collide with this one too.

Somewhere out there is site with the known universe, showing in different scales the expanse of the Traveller polities and the Zho core expedition but I seem to have misplaced the link.

Sorry

Got carried away and forgot the question. The Traveller universe is pretty much limited to not only our little galaxy but (depending on your interpretation) a thin slice (the 2D map) of a small bit of the disk out near the edge. And yes the distances are not practical, but that might not stop science...

<runs off to post in The Fleet section>

 

[Andrew Boulton]

http://www.securityleak.com/slm/issue_05/onward_coreward_preface.html

 

[robject]

Same map, cleaned up:

http://www.geocities.com/traveller_core_route/index.html

See "Galaxy Map".

 

[far-trader]

See, I knew somebody knew what I was looking for

Kudos Andrew and robject.

 

[kafka47]

One our esteemed colleagues has done also a campaign in one of the Greater Magellgenic Clouds as an alternative Traveller campaign.

But Travel between Galaxies is a bit further off in the OTU. It would probably relate around the time that Marc speculates about the Heat Death of the Universe and the role the game might play in preventing that...making a Logopolis or Doctor Who type game possible (ironically, the FASA game of the same name is very compactible with Traveller).

 

[chrome_gnome]

Great link thanks. Another side question if I may...

Does the Traveller 2300 map that came with the box game from GDW represent accurate cannon as far as the explored universe stands as of 2300 or was it just an alternative setting?

That was the only other version of Traveller I had experiance with. It had the various arms like the American, French and so on. After getting the T20 book and reading the history I wasn't sure if the second imperium was supposed to be the 2300 one or not.

 

[clementk]

2300 is a whole altogether different universe from the Traveller universe, usually referred to as the OTU (Official? Traveller Universe). Which is one reason why the 2nd version of 2300 was renamed from Traveller 2300 to 2300AD. There have been several fan attempts to mesh the two together.

There has been some recent discussion on maps for 2300AD on CotI.

Some good Traveller OTU intros:
http://traveller.downport.com/understanding.shtml
http://www.freelancetraveller.com/features/advents/ttaintro/travintro.html

Some online Traveller timelines:
http://traveller.downport.com/images/history.pdf
http://www.prairienet.org/~dmckinne/trav.html

HTH,
Casey