I'm actually shocked by this mongoose move... clearly there are 3 camps. 1) those that went Gurps, 2) those with GDW products (usually running it for years - why change), and 3) T20. I myself decided to revamp a TNE setting I created into a T20 campaign in an effort to get new D&D blood into the game. If Hunter has a migration product I might consider a non-Traveller product, but its a lot of effort.
Actually, there was a fourth camp, possibly, the small camp...those who were very angry with GDW for coming up with TNE then went back gave the milieux a second look, especially after MJD's work and figured it was worth incorporating as part of their campaign.
Most of the gognards who never accepted any change from CT would have had trouble with TNE and there is a heck of lot of 'em out there. I simply think that CT offered superior gaming mechanics (until, I evolved my house rules) to the other systems...so maybe call me in the CT+ camp. Not resisting change but embracing improvement.
So having played Traveller since the early 80s I believe this general direction of the licensing is going to result in another alienation of referees.
Alienation, yes but complete divorce? No, I don't think so, if GURPS has done anything, it has kept the flame alive (no disrespect intended toward Hunter) by keeping Traveller in the gamer public eye and popularized it a bit that the average CT could not have dreamed about. Referees have always been good at canabalizing different parts in order to make things fit and work.
A few thoughts;
1. TNE wasn't popular because of the problems at GDW Marc leaves/ Frank goes it alone with Loren and the team. A company built on 3 is now down to 1. Always on a tight budget no system received the detail of development necessary to get the bugs out.
Loren & Dave seemed to be running the company quite well. And, Frank was never quite out of the picture as might have thought. But, many successful role playing companies have few employees. How many people do you think are employed by QLI? The brains needed to pull off another Traveller is an enormous endeavour but you can still buy them. Traveller has always been buggy, we can hope for broad fan consultation process to always iron things out, and hopefully they will use this board rather than create their own to max. fan support.
3. Does T5 really have a future... well they'll create another setting which will attract some players/ refs. As did T4, TNE, MT... of course some refs stuck with CT and tossed in the new env. All in all, the product cannot unite everyone because Traveller has put no effort into a migration scheme.
T5 is Marc's swansong. It will persist just as The Traveller Book persists, as it is not only collectors who are snapping up that product as the reprints show. When the finalized published work will manifest, I hope people will make the effort themselves on websites, forums such as this one to make a migration scheme. Heck, I would even hope that Mongoose will pick up the best ideas and publish it a couple years down the road. For me, I think Mongoose's top task has to be brand recognition - Traveller has to once again be in the gamers' mind (other than the fact...that is the one where you die in the chargen, right?). Marc's product will be his vision and if there is going to be things that use it, all the better.
4. More and more people are moving into online gaming...etc. That is the competition.
Therefore, like any company then they have give people the reason to get off the a$$e$ and get them around a table to do something constructive and cooperative. The only way to do that is create worlds that are wanting to draw people in. This is not to say we ignore the virtual world but again it is about brand recognition and a wide diffusion of Traveller into the popular gaming consciousness.
5. If someone (MM?) really really wanted profit :smirk: they'd mature the online potential and generic product directions. Heck secondlife has a large Star Trek contingency. And there are other SF settings in other games. I'm not saying build a lone Traveller universe online (which costs millions). Just generic products that are not rule specific then a wider audience version of GRIP. Support several rules ... who cares. Get a bigger following.
Yes, I completely agree and hope that this is the direction that T5 takes us. Having a base line that provides us with the vocabulary to make it so.
That is interesting, I had never heard that. So basically, there was going to be some cataclysm regardless?
Yes, that is what Loren has maintained in the past...that 1248 is Traveller's future...the cataclysm may have a different origin but TNE is the future for GURPS as well. But, he may have made an off the cuff remark, but given how careful SJG is about statements...I don't think so.
