Developments from the larger Science Fiction Universe

[kafka47]

Keep in mind guys...I did say keep Marc's Mission Statement** in mind. I know it is limiting but all the more reason for creativity within those parameters and hope the POWERS THAT BE ARE LISTENING...not shouting just trying to draw attention to the thread.

--**Contained in T4 or the game designers bible but must be aviable somewhere on Public Domain somewhere.

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

The Imperium IS the frontier, like the rest of the Universe. Basically, the Universe is too big to be small. I do not think that the maps drive home the Actual distances involved. Our brains are too keyed to terrestrial geography. YOu can see the size of the Universe on paper, but that aint the same as going there...

Nanites would work if they could work off or with the elctrochemical charges in bodies. Thought Processes, etc. Otherwise, some sort of micro minituraized Induction power could also work, the nanite would power itself by movement, the operator starting them up with short jolt of electricity to prime them and get them moving.

Aliens: Since the unrealistic precedent is set that there are all these major cultures right next to each other technically and astropolitically, That sets the tone that there is Intelligent life everywhere in Traveller, and that for me is fine. Having people go all over the place in Space, only to continually meet other humans in different uniforms is pretty lame, and not a lot of room to move.

An alien culture seems fake only when it is badly conceptualized. Often this comes from thinking too much in human terms.

I think the "are you Crazy?" comment about playing a Hiver is indicative of the overall humanocentric nature of Traveller, and also a way to say that playing a Hiver is "too hard". I do not know where this comes from. I currently run three Hiver Characters in three online games, and I strongly refute that claim and that notion. ANY Species should be playable in the right game. Not wanting to have the "hassle" of an Alien PC is laziness of imagination and a lack of depth in my book. No variance in PCs makes it boring..

This game would go a lot farther if not every character was a Human Marine/Merc or basically gun toting interstellar criminals.

IMTU:

Computers :tiny, but the amchines they control are often huge.

Cybernetics: Yes, Yes of course, but rational. not Rifts. Soldier gets leg blown off, soldier gets new metal leg, but it is a leg that replaces the lost one, not a leg that can kick an engine block 200 yards.

Nanites: Again, why not?

Jump Time: Is fine. That it always takes a week shows how strange it is.

Robots: Everywhere, in many roles, even Starship crews. There are no "Killer" robots per se, because I do not think that intelligent societies would develop them for any reason.

The "Terminator" style of robot is what you get when people inexplicably create robots that will destroy them. It is Technophobia. In was only a short time ago, we would be having this debate about AC vs. DC power. Robots serve, and have for thousands of years (there are even some thousands of years old robots in operation still)

The person that develops "War Bots" or Botwiellers (God, I hate palladium's Rifts) should get ready to be a laughing stock. Schlocky stuff like that I'd expect from "Butlerian Jihad" or other such nonsense, but I am convinced that it would never happen. People can be dumb, but not that dumb. Going too far with robots gets you... Skelebots!

 

[TheEngineer]

As already noted it is a strange thing to define outdates aspects in a SF RPG

Well, my try to get those three :

Mapping:
Traveller astrography is either outdated of just completely fictional.
iMHO there should be a consequent real space - Traveller Space mapping as well as the use of the actual astronomical data (coordinates, star types/configuration), similar to T2300 or Mals approach. This would encourage the "living in a real universe" aspect and stress, that the typical Traveller 2D maps are just jump space navigation aids.
I did that for the Marches, too, using old and new versions of Astrosynthesis or even Celestia as display machines.
Its pretty cool to show players a real star map and say "Here, this one, No. 17993 from the Hipparcos catalogue, located at -89,37/-170,28/-237,78, is Rhylanor systems main star".

Discreet design numbers:
Guess thats more mechanic, but somehow it shaped the impression which Traveller creates on players.
I really dont like the rounded 1 to 6 stat values for manuever or jump drives and the absolute limit of 6. This has to much "must fit to 1D6 scheme" taste.
It would not hurt anything, if the design sequence could produce real numbers here and if the upper borderline is perhaps a "economical" boderline for TL of 15, but improvable at higher TL.

Aliens:
Personally I have many problems with any kind of alien, which is some kind of modified Terran creature (let it move upright and put it in a suit...huuuaaa). Well, OTOH the existence of most of these races, could be "explained" with the ancients.
Anyway, I would be really intrestet in a scientific rework of our dear Aslan or Vargr friends. Also I definitly would radiacally reduce the number of those "races from the zoo" geneered to intelligence.
IMHO any unconvincing race turns Traveller into a muppets show....


Honstely I see no other aspects really to be classified "outdated".
Many "modern" or "hype" aspects like nanities, cyberstuff etc, are just not especially noted in Traveller, but surely not excluded.
Regarding the computer topic I would just advise people to have a look at sites like http://www.top500.org/lists/2005/11/basic and click a bit thru, in order to get an impression how big computers can become

Regards,

Mert

 

[DaveChase]

On Jump time, instead of changing the whole time line how about having a new R&D breakthrough:
After eons of data research several key worlds that are traveled to by the hundreds of ships each day, scientist and research navigators have discovered certain jump statistics(data) that reduce the degree of error of location by 50%. This means that ships will arrive within 100 diameters of said target world 95% of the time (instead of 75% of the time).

this does not reduce Jump time but does reduce transit time from jumping way to farout from target world. It applies only to MAJOR worlds were hundreds of ships come and go everyday.

Now for the cons of this happening. Suddenly Space becomes a bit more crowded around the planet as ships appear out of jumps space closer to the world. Some profits will go up for 1G manuver ships since transit time is less (as compared to higher G ships.
Also now patrol ships have to patrol closer to the main worlds.

Just a suggestion, not a fix. It does not change the mechanics of Jump and only effects a limited amount of the universe.

Dave Chase

 

[aramis]

Setting changes?

1) decanonize the whole CT/MT/TNE/T4GT/T20 shebang, in the T5 core rules introduction. Make this explicit. Allow T5 to rebuild the 3I from a fresh perspective, without people like Myself, Hans and Chris being allowed to justify "It really should be this way because out-of-print item X says it is."

2) A dark, oppressive imperium, and the primary setting remote and on the fringe.

3) (While this is rules matter, it's also part of the setting matter) Include tech-system support for all listed items in the setting. (For example, CT lists TL17 for matter transmission... but never have rules been provided, despite the Ancients having been TL22.) If the Ancients were TL22, we need rules for TL22 equipment.

4) Non-human races in the core rules, playable. At least as much detail as the Vargr in TTA, tho perhaps not separate CG Tables. This ties in to the setting in that the setting has been so humanocentric, despite most of the players not wanting that. No matter how polyglot the setting, it needs rules support to make it not humanocentric.

5) I wouldn't mind 3d space, but it's not like that's a major issue for me.

6) I wouldn't mind seeing the 2300 setting as part of the canon history.

7) I do not want to see extensive cybernetics nor biotech in the core setting. I don't mind them being available in rules, but the setting should not by Cyberpunk5600....

 

[szurkey]

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[parmasson]

Most (if not all) of the systems should be % of hull. This is much faster and easier then either of the FF&S. I am not a physicist. I don't want to be a physicist. I am really sick and tired of spending hours trying to build a few weapons etc. for a custom starship.

Amen.

 

[BillDowns]

Originally posted by szurkey:
Jump Drives: Why not change travel time so that it is not constant. If you have a J1 ship, it takes 6 days to go 1 parsec. If you have a J6 ship, you can go 6 parsecs in 6 days in either 1 jump of 6 parsecs, or 6 jumps of 1 parsec each, etc. This will make higher jumps ships faster, but it still takes time. Note that if you want to do anything in a system, that will also take time.

J: Speed:
1 1/6 parsec per day
2 1/3 parsec per day
3 1/2 parsec per day
4 2/3 parsec per day
5 5/6 parsec per day
6 1 parsec per day

I like it

Gives a bit more advantage to an A2 over and A1.

 

[mike wightman]

And it completely changes the way communication, trade , and warfare will occcur in any variant universe where it is used

It'll also mean that a PC ship can't run from the "police" since the higher jump drive can get to a destination before the lesser.

 

[szurkey]

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[DaveChase]

Begining to sound like Other Suns (and a few other sci-fi games).

How fast is needed to travel between locations based on what is needed out of the RPG (Traveller). 1 week of time gives some recovery time (wounds), study time (spending time to learn that new skill), research time (I have to figure this out before we get there) and as mentioned else where roleplaying time for characters.

My only concern about dramatically changing jump time is how it will change the basic feel of Traveller, not be picky but it will change many small aspects of the game.

Dave Chase

Originally posted by szurkey:


Jump Drives: Why not change travel time so that it is not constant. If you have a J1 ship, it takes 6 days to go 1 parsec. If you have a J6 ship, you can go 6 parsecs in 6 days in either 1 jump of 6 parsecs, or 6 jumps of 1 parsec each, etc. This will make higher jumps ships faster, but it still takes time. Note that if you want to do anything in a system, that will also take time.

J: Speed:
1 1/6 parsec per day
2 1/3 parsec per day
3 1/2 parsec per day
4 2/3 parsec per day
5 5/6 parsec per day
6 1 parsec per day

 

[jfetters]

Originally posted by DaveChase:


My only concern about dramatically changing jump time is how it will change the basic feel of Traveller, not be picky but it will change many small aspects of the game.

Well, it certainly changes the rationale behind the concept of the Imperium, which is pretty major for the OTU.

 

[Spinward Scout]

That's why you should introduce the change 'in game' so to speak. It first shows up as a TNS news story. Then you start to hear about the military getting ahold of it. And lots of Pirates/Criminals going underground to get away from it. Then comes the 'I got something you don't got' rumors. And THEN the PCs can get it.

But that's just my 0.02Cr.

Dameon

 

[Pickles]

That brings up an interesting point about the lack of progress in drive concepts throughout the OTU history. Are jump-drives the only way to go FTL? Surely over the last 1000 years or so someone must have been researching alternatives? Have none of them succeeded? If not, why not - is there really no other way, or have the right kind of physics simply not been discovered yet?

 

[mike wightman]

We know that at higher TLs jump portal networks become possible.

In the OTU jump drive is the only known method for FTL travel - but I'll bet the Zhodani have researched into teleportation drives.

IMTU jump drive wasn't discovered as such by the Ancients.
Grandfather created jump space by generating an expanding bubble of "jump interface membrane" which basically connects our universe with the other dimensions that have been hinted at.
This bubble has been expanding now for 300,000 years at the speed of light, and jump drives will only work within this bubble.

 

[robject]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
We know that at higher TLs jump portal networks become possible.

...misjumps are available starting at TL9...

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
We know that at higher TLs jump portal networks become possible.

Please forgive my ignorance, but what is a "jump portal network" and where are they described?

 

[mike wightman]

They are best described as Ancient stargate like platforms found on planets.

They appear in the T4 adventures Long Way Home and Gateway.

They are aslo mentioned on the Grand Census and MT expanded TL chart.

 

[jfetters]

Yeah, and they have at least twice the range of the longest misjump...

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
They appear in the T4 adventures Long Way Home and Gateway.

They are aslo mentioned on the Grand Census and MT expanded TL chart.

Ah, I forgot about Grand Census - thanks.