MGT Only: What year is it in the OTU ?

[CaptRet]

I recently purchased the Mongoose supplements for the Spinward Marches and the Deneeb Sector and was struck by the fact that they seem to predate the Fifth Frontier War (as they are both set circa 1105). My old Spinward Marches Campaign adventure supplement (from "back in the day," when we only had "Classic" Traveller) has the War beginning in 1107 and ending in 1110. [Back then I had a subscription to the old TAS. We could see every month as tensions between the Zhodani and Empire mounted in the Spinward Marches, with war approaching and finally breaking out -one of the early clues was increasing Ine Givar activity in the Marches.] This is more than an academic observation on my part, as the party of Travellers I am ginning up (so far as a solo exercise, really, although my adult kids and their friends might want to play) contains some Navy and Marine veterans (and some nobles who might know people in the entourages of various Counts, Dukes, etc.). If the war hasn't yet occurred, their combat experience would likely be against Vargr corsairs and the like, vice full-blown involvement in the (soon-coming) Fifth Frontier War. While I know the "school-book solution," that a referee can set the campaign anywhere/time s/he prefers, I am trying to get a feel for what the general community is doing re the timeline (at least for those using Mongoose products).

 

[BRJN]

If your Service characters turn out old enough, they could have been in the Fourth Frontier War (1084, iirc). This would require 5 terms in chargen, minimum.

 

[GypsyComet]

Mongoose has kept the clock stopped so far, but it would not surprise me if they eventually decide to bump it into the 5FW. They don't *need* to move the clock since that era is already well known, but the publishing potential opens up for a certain type of product if they bump occasionally.

 

[Grav_Moped]

If your Service characters turn out old enough, they could have been in the Fourth Frontier War (1084, iirc). This would require 5 terms in chargen, minimum.

And they would have been junior enlisted or junior officers at the time, which would affect the types of combat experience they would have encountered.

 

[The Pakkrat]

From the published materials in the Mongoose books, the current year is 1105 and tensions are building up to the coming military actions that will eventually become the Fifth Frontier War. All the Alien Modules hint at fleet movements, gathering of assets and preparations for invasion of the Third Imperium.

This can set up some stories that heighten the calm before the storm, showcase the initial moves and countermoves just before borders are crossed in 1107. What side are the Travellers going to favor? Who will believe their discoveries of the fleets amassing out of Gram, Sacnoth, the 40th Squadron, the Kedzudh Commonality and other contributions out of Gvurrdon and the enigmatic Zhodani Consulate? What is their endgame goal? What can be done to alert the Third Imperium? Should the Travellers stay out of big-picture engagements? Should they sign up with one side or the other?

Pre-war settings can provide some edge-of-seat anticipation and ramp up the emotions if the Referee does their part to lay out this backdrop over the Domain of Deneb.

 

[CaptRet]

From the published materials in the Mongoose books, the current year is 1105 and tensions are building up to the coming military actions that will eventually become the Fifth Frontier War. All the Alien Modules hint at fleet movements, gathering of assets and preparations for invasion of the Third Imperium.

This can set up some stories that heighten the calm before the storm, showcase the initial moves and countermoves just before borders are crossed in 1107. What side are the Travellers going to favor? Who will believe their discoveries of the fleets amassing out of Gram, Sacnoth, the 40th Squadron, the Kedzudh Commonality and other contributions out of Gvurrdon and the enigmatic Zhodani Consulate? What is their endgame goal? What can be done to alert the Third Imperium? Should the Travellers stay out of big-picture engagements? Should they sign up with one side or the other?

Pre-war settings can provide some edge-of-seat anticipation and ramp up the emotions if the Referee does their part to lay out this backdrop over the Domain of Deneb.

Yes, I can see great potential for "Riddle of the Sands" style adventures.