Canon Problems with CT

[robject]

CT spans several rules revisions and that big Book 2/HG disconnect. It has expansions, lots of expansions. And lots of modules and supplements.

Since their introduction, some of this material has become obsolete. I would call these "canon problems" because they represent gotchas for people who want to learn about the setting.

Are there some books which can be safely ignored - for instance, the 1977 rules and High Guard 1?

And, more interestingly, are there some books which are still golden sources? For example, are there any canon problems with (for example) the Spinward Marches Campaign? (I'm not talking about errors in High Guard data, I mean problems with setting or timeline data). How about the adventures?

Three examples of obsolete or redacted data:

• Collectors in ANNIC NOVA
• Jump torpedos
• Jump drives without power plants

See how subtle the classification can be? You can still run ANNIC NOVA without the setting crashing down on you; nevertheless, the nature of Collectors have changed since then.

 

[creativehum]

I apologize for the tangent:
In what way we're the AN's colectors redacted? Can you point me to something?

 

[whulorigan]

I apologize for the tangent:
In what way we're the AN's colectors redacted? Can you point me to something?

T5.09 Core Rules p. 383-384:

COLLECTORS
The Collector is a specialized Power Source: half internal mechanism and half external extendable Canopy. The Collector accumulates potential energy from exotic particles in the Canopy and releases it to the Jump Drive at the instant it is activated.

Routine Energy Use. A Collector is unsuitable as a routine energy supply; it only powers the Jump Drive. Powering Jump Drive. One full charge supports any Jump Drive of equal Drive Potential or less.

Charging. A Collector can only accumulate a charge while its canopy is deployed.


Canopy Operation
The canopy is a extendable framework covered with particle attractive media. Too fragile to withstand acceleration, it must be stowed before the ship accelerates. Easily contaminated by atmosphere; it can be effectively deployed only in vacuum.

Deploying The Canopy. A stowed canopy can be deployed in about an hour.

Collecting. A deployed canopy charges in about a week. Once charged, it remains so while deployed, and for about a day after being stowed. A canopy accumulates about one tenth charge for each day of deployment.

Stowing The Canopy. A deployed canopy must be stowed (takes 10 + Flux hours) before the ship accelerates.

Canopy Degradation. A canopy degrades with use and rapidly degrades when abused. A canopy functions normally until it has cycled through 100 charges. Thereafter each charge cycle after 100 lasts an additional day. The 150th charge cycle lasts (7+ (150 -100) =) 57 days. A deployed canopy subject to acceleration receives the equivalent effect of ten charges. A canopy is capable of charging without regard to proximity of stars or worlds.

 

[Vargas]

Jump torpedoes from Adventure 4, Leviathan, were redacted.

 

[robject]

Jump torpedoes from Adventure 4, Leviathan, were redacted.

Nice.

And the Xboat's lack of a power plant went the way of the Dodo by High Guard times. (Well OK, it was "grandfathered", but still)

 

[aramis]

Jump torpedoes from Adventure 4, Leviathan, were redacted.

They were mentioned in some printings of LBB 2...

 

[Vargas]

They were mentioned in some printings of LBB 2...

Really? Not arguing, I just can't recall having seen that. (Admittedly I haven't looked at the 1977 edition in a while).

 

[atpollard]

Really? Not arguing, I just can't recall having seen that. (Admittedly I haven't looked at the 1977 edition in a while).

emphasis added by me ...

Missiles: Missiles for missile launch racks are expended when they are fired; replacements must be obtained for reloading purposes when the situation warrants. Basically, a missile is of the homing type, costing about CR 5000 each. Such missiles are committed to a specific target when fired, and after launch, home towards that target until either the missile or the target is destroyed. Other types of missiles are possible (for example, jump capable message torpedoes, or bombs for attacks against planetary surfaces), but such require either specific alterations to ordinary torpedoes, or location of an arms supplier who deals in such items. Specific attributes of such non-standard missiles are the realm of the referee.

 

[whulorigan]

Really? Not arguing, I just can't recall having seen that. (Admittedly I haven't looked at the 1977 edition in a while).

emphasis added by me ...

Originally Posted by Book 2, page 18
Missiles: Missiles for missile launch racks are expended when they are fired; replacements must be obtained for reloading purposes when the situation warrants. Basically, a missile is of the homing type, costing about CR 5000 each. Such missiles are committed to a specific target when fired, and after launch, home towards that target until either the missile or the target is destroyed. Other types of missiles are possible (for example, jump capable message torpedoes, or bombs for attacks against planetary surfaces), but such require either specific alterations to ordinary torpedoes, or location of an arms supplier who deals in such items. Specific attributes of such non-standard missiles are the realm of the referee.

IIRC, CT:HG1 also discusses Jump Torpedoes.

 

[robject]

Presumably, anyone wanting to do a "canon" search of CT will stop at one of the later editions of the rules (The Traveller Book or Starter Traveller) and would not (again, presumably) go back to (for example) 1977 Book 2, or use (as another example) High Guard 1.

However, he might be tempted to refer to Adventure 04, in which case we have the canon problem of jump torpedos. So we take a black Sharpie to that line in every extant copy of Leviathan.

 

[atpollard]

So we take a black Sharpie to that line in every extant copy of Leviathan.

... Or just drop the arbitrary 100 dTon minimum and let heretics like me build our 50 dTon Starships and still be allowed to come out into the light.

[crawls back into his dark little corner]

 

[mike wightman]

There is quite a bit in 77 edition that was cut from the 81 revision and lessened the game as a result - trade routes and jump lanes, jump torpedoes, jump drives not needing a separate power plant (although you can read this one either way) for example.

The drive table in 81 edition is superior to the 77 edition IMHO, but the power plant fuel formula remains broken in both.

 

[Vargas]

Thanks folks for the info. I never owned a copy of HG1 and really only used the 1977 books for probably less than a year before I switched over to the 1981 edition.

 

[Vargas]

There is quite a bit in 77 edition that was cut from the 81 revision and lessened the game as a result - trade routes and jump lanes . . .

I liked that table but seem to remember that it generated some wonky results at times.