FFW history?

[beeber]

so i decided to run my next bunch of adventures (players as crew of an IN fiery class escort) during the fifth frontier war. aside of hunting down old TAS news dispatches, are there any other sources that detail the basics of the war? major offensives, rough timeline, etc.

this way they can do . . . whatever they're planning on doing (follow orders? patrol? go pirate?) and i could intertwine their lives with elements of "the big picture."

 

[far-trader]

Spinward Marches Campaign book

It has maps of major elements and some writeup of significant events.

Of course you'll have to kill someone to get an old copy, or buy the CT-CD or single PDF if/when it's available.

Unless google finds a source where someone has made some notes.

 

[beeber]

(SMC) fat chance of finding that. no luck on ebay.

it'll probably be the old-fashioned grunt work, then. time to roll up the sleeves and get dirty

 

[far-trader]

I could have sworn I saw some brief on it on the net somewhere. But I can't recall where or find it now

 

[far-trader]

I'd sell my SMC now since I have the CT CD. Sure it's nice having the hardcopy but I don't need it. Thing is you'd be ahead just getting the CT CD yourself even if I only charged for s&h

 

[beeber]

how's the resolution on the cd?

this is it, right?
http://www.farfuture.net/cdrom/n9-ClassicTraveller.html

(haven't got to play CT/MT in a while--the bug's biting, hard!)

 

[Qstor2]

IIRC I think Hans has made some notes on the FFW, I forget if they're on the Web or in the TML Archives. They might be worth checking out.

Mike

 

[beeber]

IIRC I think Hans has made some notes on the FFW, I forget if they're on the Web or in the TML Archives

sorry, link pls? not sure of whom you're speaking

 

[Gadrin]

There's also the CT G04 Game 04 Fifth Frontier War Complete.pdf which is part of the CD-ROM and
which has the beginning section (3 pages) filled with TNS entries...

FIFTH FRONTIER WAR
Battles for the Spinward Marches

Poised just beyond the frontier of the Imperium stand the war fleets of the Zhodani
Consulate. Four times in the past five hundred years, they have attacked in campaigns to
wrest control of the vital resources and rich worlds of the Spinward Marches from the
Third Imperium. Now they strike again, and the Fifth Frontier War begins in earnest. Fifth
Frontier War is a Traveller campaign game portraying the progress of a far-reaching
interstellar war and its effects on the many worlds that are its battlefield. The game is
playable independently as a tense, fast-moving simulation of interstellar war. Rules cover
starship squadrons and space battles, troop units and worlds at war, and the details of
long-range interstellar planning. Special rules cover the operation of ship fleets, the
use of naval bases, troop carriers, and advanced technological levels. Special charts
cover every aspect of combat during the game. Fifth Frontier War includes a large,
four-color map of part of the Spinward Marches, complete with planetary surface boxes
detailing the many planets within the area. Three sheets totaling 720 die-cut counters
provide starship squadrons, troop units, fleet markers, admirals, and other details
essential to the game. The rules booklet details how to play the game, while charts
provide reference information. Two dice are included to help generate random numbers for
combat. Fifth Frontier War is playable by itself, but familiarity with the Traveller
science-fiction role-playing system will aid in understanding the background history. The
game may be played in 4 to 6 hours, and can usually be finished in an evening of play. It
is designed for two players, but up to four may be involved if desired.

 

[The Oz]

The GT supplement "Behind the Claw" has a pretty good timeline of events during the war in the margins.

 

[daryen]

The GT supplement "Behind the Claw" has a pretty good timeline of events during the war in the margins.

Be aware that making comments like this can easily lead to being verbally evicerated. The history of the 5FW in BtC is completely different than any other version of the story.

Anyway, the best place to get the story is the Spinward Marches Campaign. Just buy the CD-ROM. In addition to the SMC, you get several other goodies (TTB, TTA, AR) that just aren't available elsewhere. It's worth the cost.

Also, know that the story of Norris's warrant is a huge mess. Originally (e.g. in SMC) Norris gets the warrant with a mission to Algine. Later the Regency Sourcebook changes the warrant to be the one found in Shionthy on the Kinuir. Instead of admitting the mistake and correcting it, MWM has insisted that the warrant Norris used is indeed the one from Shionthy. (Go figure.)

 

[Vargas]

I think there's a Traveller timeline website out there but I don't know the URL.

 

[rancke]

sorry, link pls? not sure of whom you're speaking

If you'll e-mail me at 'ranckeATdiku.dk' (substituting '@' for 'AT'), I'll send you my file of 5FW references.


Hans

 

[Kaelyn]

Don't know if this will help, but it helped me as I set my campaign just after the fifth frontier war...
http://winterwar.prairienet.org/dmckinne/TravellerIntegratedTimeline.pdf

 

[beeber]

Don't know if this will help, but it helped me as I set my campaign just after the fifth frontier war...
http://winterwar.prairienet.org/dmckinne/TravellerIntegratedTimeline.pdf

that's fantastic, thanks!