board changes - yes or no?

[Andrew Boulton]

if you respect, interact and cross reference threads with other forums it can only help the game instead of splintering it.

Which is why we have no objection to people doing that.

It's only "COTI sucks! Come to cotisucks.com instead!" type comments that are forbidden.

 

[rmckee78]

A new person's perspective

It looks like I signed up for these boards when I got T20 and never actually came to them. This is probably because I never really used T20, nothing against it, I just never had the chance. I have been running a pass through Traveller history for my group that has never played Traveller. It is my own interpretation of OTU history and I let players change it as they go through in pretty major ways. I try to hit on an era for a 4-6 sessions then we jump forward in time. I started with a pre-jump drive Mars/Earth colonial war, then moved on to a generation ship, and am now moving on to my take on StarLeaper exploration of near Earth areas.

I started looking for a good Traveller centered forum to hang out in and this one seems to be the most active. Plus it turns out that I already have a username here. So last night I started poking around to get a feel for the community. Maybe I showed up at a bad time but this whole board seems infected by hate for anything that is not pure OTU. There seems to be an especially high level of hatred for a certain iteration of Traveller rules (one that I own in .pdf and have never read, so I have no opinion of). Is this because it is published by a company other than this one? I thought T20 was not even competing anymore? Is it specific hate for Mongoose as a company? If so that seems horribly unprofessional. Or is this level of hatred just for anything that doesnt stick to OTU? In that case people like me will not be welcome here.

I am surprised to find out that the main thrust of the most active Traveller board I could find is that Traveller is all about the OTU. I have run Traveller for years in several different versions ans this is only the second time I have used the "official" setting. I always thought it was just a suggestion like Greyhawk. Every version of Traveller I have ever played has left me with the same impression (TNE less so than others)

I guess what I am saying is that from my (limited)perspective this forum needs a lot of changes. It seems very hostile. I read threads for several hours last night and almost every thread that had any amount of traffic degenerated into a "You're an idiot.....No, you're an idiot" fight over one version of the game. I don't know that any mechanical changes will help this it probably has to come from the community as a whole and since the mods seem to get involved that is unlikely. I hope I am getting the wrong impression and this is just a recent spat, because I really would love a place to discuss good sci-fi roleplaying ideas. I also do not have massive experience with the OTU so I was hoping to get some help with my version of it but frankly I am afraid to even post about it much.

So, as someone who spent about 3 hours sifting through threads last night this looks like a dying community. One that is turning on itself, or is full of people with a much lower age average than I expected for a Traveller forum.

I know this is pretty harsh for an outsider to come in and say, in what is likely my first post here (no idea if I have posted once when I joined). I freely admit I posted this for selfish reasons, I am going to partially judge if I want to invest time based on the responses. It looks to me that there is at least a small group of really well versed people who want to discuss cool stuff, but then the threads get hijacked. I am interested in talking about cool stuff that can be done with any version of Traveller not being subjected to game jihad.

 

[rmckee78]

Hmm, looks like it was my 16th post so I must have had some kind of discussion here before when I joined

 

[drh]

Given rmckee78's post, do people really still think this board doesn't have a bad reputation? Or that their actions are not to the detriment of this community?

 

[far-trader]

rmckee, welcome back,

Wish it was under better circumstances. The issues you touch on are a tad more complicated but your perspective is valid as far as it goes. Thanks for adding your views. There is still much good to be found, even for Mongoose Traveller, here. You just have to put up with some bad from both sides on occasion.

 

[far-trader]

Urgent board change needed!

I'm sure I've asked this before, but given the recent lowlife spambot making a mess of the board why can't we have some kind of registration test? Even a simple Traveller Q&A Test is going to eliminate most spammers, and if someone needs help just instruct them that the answers are in (linked post goes here) where a short essay on "What is Traveller" will clue them in if they read it. Change the questions regularly to keep the spammers guessing. Would that be so hard. I mean IF Hunter (or an appointed Number 2 with Admin powers) were around of course.

 

[drh]

There is still much good to be found, even for Mongoose Traveller, here.

But let's face it, this is very much a third party board when it comes to Mongoose Traveller and it is hosted by a rival company, at that.

If anyone wants useful, focussed and constructive discussions about MGT then they'd have a much better chance of finding them by going directly to Mongoose's Traveller forum at http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=89 (the mods have said that it is allowable to post to their forum so I am doing it here ). Though that would apply for any game too - if people wanted to discuss T20 elsewhere then I'd point them to CotI since that is the source for that edition of the game.

 

[far-trader]

Some not so random thoughts and answers

...There seems to be an especially high level of hatred for a certain iteration of Traveller rules (one that I own in .pdf and have never read, so I have no opinion of). Is this because it is published by a company other than this one? I thought T20 was not even competing anymore? Is it specific hate for Mongoose as a company? If so that seems horribly unprofessional.

Generally no. It mostly comes down to factionalized retorts. They are not indicative of the majority on either side. T20 is still (or could be) in the game, but it's license is set to expire at some unknown to us time before too long. As much perceived hate as you see towards Mongoose it has been returned in kind in my experience. Both here and on the Mogoose boards. Naturally both sides feel justified and claim they are just responding to attacks.

Or is this level of hatred just for anything that doesnt stick to OTU?

Again generally no. There are some who have seem to take any kind of answer that doesn't back their idea as a personal attack. If you can take questions and criticism of your ideas along with the kudos then don't worry, and by all means jump in.

I am surprised to find out that the main thrust of the most active Traveller board I could find is that Traveller is all about the OTU.

A recent aberration. One I hope has about run it's course. But the OTU is the yardstick so any questions about your ATU will invite comparison. That's not a bad thing.

... a whole and since the mods seem to get involved that is unlikely. I hope I am getting the wrong impression and this is just a recent spat, because I really would love a place to discuss good sci-fi roleplaying ideas.

I believe you are, but there are other forums if it gets too much to take here.

I also do not have massive experience with the OTU so I was hoping to get some help with my version of it but frankly I am afraid to even post about it much.

Don't be. This is the place to come to tap a vast knowledge pool of all things Traveller, including the OTU. Just be prepared as I noted to have your ideas questioned, not coddled

So, as someone who spent about 3 hours sifting through threads last night this looks like a dying community. One that is turning on itself, or is full of people with a much lower age average than I expected for a Traveller forum.

It does seem that way at times. But they are the exception. A sometimes overwhelmingly noisy minority but still a minority. Most here are more like yourself from what I've seen glancing back at your past posts.

I freely admit I posted this for selfish reasons, I am going to partially judge if I want to invest time based on the responses. It looks to me that there is at least a small group of really well versed people who want to discuss cool stuff, but then the threads get hijacked. I am interested in talking about cool stuff that can be done with any version of Traveller not being subjected to game jihad.

A fair motive imo, though possibly one better served in it's own thread, but here we are anyway Maybe it'll do. If you still want more feedback a new thread might get more notice (from all here, for a better feeling of the board denizens).

I'm hoping you decide to throw in and add another voice of sanity and reason to the boards and share your own ideas. We need all of that we can get

 

[rancke]

I am surprised to find out that the main thrust of the most active Traveller board I could find is that Traveller is all about the OTU.

A recent aberration. One I hope has about run it's course.

Now, Dan, I take the gravest offense at having a healthy concern for the OTU labeled an aberration. You take that back or I'll make faces at you (well, at my screen, actually, but they'll be MEANT for you)! Take it back, I tell you! Or... or... or else!

But the OTU is the yardstick so any questions about your ATU will invite comparison. That's not a bad thing.

That's better. Guess I won't be challenging you to a lifetime of bitter hatred after all.

I'm hoping you decide to throw in and add another voice of sanity and reason to the boards and share your own ideas. We need all of that we can get

Sanity! What do you want sanity for?!? Back when Traveller started we didn't need no steenkeeng sanity! Pfaugh! Next thing you'll be wanting sensible discourse and less offense-taking. Where will it end, I ask you?!? This has to be nipped in the bud and ranted at until it goes away! Come on, everybody! Let's all give it the good old rant that we all know and love! Hip, hip hoo-RANT!


Hans

 

[far-trader]

Aww, I'm all out of witty repartee

(Thanks for the chuckles Hans I think you got the intent behind the partly off mark remark)

 

[rmckee78]

Thanks for the replies. This is what I was hoping to hear. I didn't want to start a whole new thread for it and this seemed appropriate

 

[drh]

Bear in mind that opinions of the state of this board will vary. My opinion is that your assessment of the general atmosphere on CotI was pretty accurate - there are some good, constructive threads here but all too often they are drowned out by negativity, stubbornness, and generally reactionary posts.

You should draw your own conclusions based on your own observations.

 

[rmckee78]

Just the fact that I got well thought out and pleasant responses instead of flames told me what I needed to know. There is a group of people here really into the game and probably cool to hang out with on the intertubes

 

[Andrew Boulton]

Welcome back!

All boards go through good and bad periods, and every new edition of Traveller gets a rough reception from some fans, but hopefully things will calm down. The fact that, unlike some boards, we don't delete flame threads may make it seem worse than it is.

 

[flykiller]

Just the fact that I got well thought out and pleasant responses instead of flames told me what I needed to know. There is a group of people here really into the game and probably cool to hang out with on the intertubes

not that I'm cool to hang out with, but take a look at the "forbidden science of the second imperium" thread, linked below in my sig. also the "outrim" link.

 

[rmckee78]

That is an awesome thread. Thank you for sharing

 

[Rev Round]

Well what amazes me is the number of people who didn't want to visit the pit as was and yet for some reason they were compelled to or forced to and once they went there even though they didn't like other people expressing their ideas had to go back there for more and more of that terrible horrific experience of people actually not agreeing with them.

NOBODY FORCED YOU TO GO THERE...

 

[aramis]

Well what amazes me is the number of people who didn't want to visit the pit as was and yet for some reason they were compelled to or forced to and once they went there even though they didn't like other people expressing their ideas had to go back there for more and more of that terrible horrific experience of people actually not agreeing with them.

NOBODY FORCED YOU TO GO THERE...

Except the mods and admins, who didn't have a choice.

 

[mike wightman]

Didn't the original rules for the pit state no moderators?

 

[aramis]

Didn't the original rules for the pit state no moderators?

That was before my time as a mod or my time in the pit. Hunter wanted it cleaned up.

People refused to play nice, so hunter closed it.