Long term plan?

[KDLadage]

Note: if this is addressed somewhere on this site, or some other official Traveller site, please let me know and delete this post.​

Traveller 5 was (and remains) a huge project. I, like many, was disappointed with the organization and errors found in the print volume.

It too me some time, but I went back and gave the book a second full read. In that read, along with the time that had passed from my initial reading, I came to like what I saw. It had issues, sure, but a good many of them were recorded in the errata document. So Traveller 5 was starting to grow on me.

We have a not-quite-five-point-one document now. This is a sure sign of progress--forward momentum! This is a great thing. With this PDF release, we see a whole new slew of errata being generated. To be expected. We are looking at a book that, when printed, would stop a NATO round in its tracks. :rofl:

But this has caused me to think a bit lately about the end game. What is this all leading to?

• Are we to expect that, at some point in the near future, we will have a new Traveller 5 hardcover book printed?
• What sort of time-frame is the team thinking of and working toward as they work through the material?
• What is the goal?
• What is the plan to reach that goal?

 

[Daddicus]

I would like to see both a full volume and a set of broken up volumes. The full volume I would buy as a coffee-table item, to generate interest. I would also buy things like a player's book, ref's book, ships, trade, whatever (even if it was exactly the same material). Paperbacks would be fine for these.

The other thing I think would help is a periodical something like JTAS was. But, that one will require a larger customer base, I think.

 

[whulorigan]

I would like to see both a full volume and a set of broken up volumes. The full volume I would buy as a coffee-table item, to generate interest. I would also buy things like a player's book, ref's book, ships, trade, whatever (even if it was exactly the same material). Paperbacks would be fine for these.

Agreed. The promised Player's Guide, a Referee's Guide, and maybe a third supplemental book of some sort derived from the BBB would be desirable. You could even, in fact, add some more material (within limits) to each of said 3 smaller sized books if you wanted to.

But the first priority has to be a solid, streamlined, errata-free PDF version. Then a print version can be done based off of it.

The other thing I think would help is a periodical something like JTAS was. But, that one will require a larger customer base, I think.

I believe that is the role that the Imperiallines PDF publications by FFE are supposed to be. (Available thru DriveThru).

 

[WistfulD]

The other thing I think would help is a periodical something like JTAS was. But, that one will require a larger customer base, I think.

Well, that brings up a great question. What is the customer base? How many 1st printing books were sold? How many versions of 5.09 have been downloaded? Is there a market for a reprint, much less a broken down version (in paperback or pdf). Is there plans for material beyond the core rulebook, and is there a market for it? More to the point, does anybody know?

 

[Timerover51]

I would like to see both a full volume and a set of broken up volumes. The full volume I would buy as a coffee-table item, to generate interest. I would also buy things like a player's book, ref's book, ships, trade, whatever (even if it was exactly the same material). Paperbacks would be fine for these.

The other thing I think would help is a periodical something like JTAS was. But, that one will require a larger customer base, I think.

Given printing costs for a full volume, it will be either a full volume or a number of separate books, and I would bet on the number of separate books. Printing a 759 page book is not cheap, and not every printer is even going to be able to manage it in terms of thickness and page count. College textbooks similar in size run over a $100 a copy. Figure about 40% of that is the print cost, a portion of which has to be paid up front. Add in a minimum number to justify a print run, and you are talking some serious money.

Also, before that occurs, Marc has to get an outside editor with the authority to order and make changes to thoroughly go through the volume so as to avoid another massive errata problem. He cannot edit his own work. That is a recipe for major problems.

 

[robject]

.... Traveller 5 was starting to grow on me....

• Are we to expect that, at some point in the near future, we will have a new Traveller 5 hardcover book printed?
• What sort of time-frame is the team thinking of and working toward as they work through the material?
• What is the goal?
• What is the plan to reach that goal?

As Don McKinney is so fond of saying: no dates!

Yes, there will be a second HC print. Marc's run out of his first printing (2,000 copies I think?) But CD-ROM will also be available instead.

The KickStarter project pledged a Player's Guide. That will proceed once the corrected core rules are done.

 

[Daddicus]

Given printing costs for a full volume, it will be either a full volume or a number of separate books, and I would bet on the number of separate books. Printing a 759 page book is not cheap, and not every printer is even going to be able to manage it in terms of thickness and page count. College textbooks similar in size run over a $100 a copy. Figure about 40% of that is the print cost, a portion of which has to be paid up front. Add in a minimum number to justify a print run, and you are talking some serious money.

Also, before that occurs, Marc has to get an outside editor with the authority to order and make changes to thoroughly go through the volume so as to avoid another massive errata problem. He cannot edit his own work. That is a recipe for major problems.

Agree on all counts. However, there might be a way:

Have the broken-up version (multiple books, perhaps paperbacks).

Also, allow a print-on-demand capability for the big one, hardback. That would make it more expensive, but with the assumed smaller market for it, it would at least make it available.

If I had to choose between the two, though, I would choose the broken-up version. Mostly so that I can have more than one player reading it at a time at the table. In my gaming group, I suspect everybody would buy a player book, and a couple of people would dive in for at least some of the other volumes.

 

[aramis]

As Don McKinney is so fond of saying: no dates!

Yes, there will be a second HC print. Marc's run out of his first printing (2,000 copies I think?) But CD-ROM will also be available instead.

The KickStarter project pledged a Player's Guide. That will proceed once the corrected core rules are done.

My FLGS's inventory clerk was commenting that he feels it's time for a reprint... I pointed out Marc's reticence to get it out without errata fixes.

 

[robject]

My FLGS's inventory clerk was commenting that he feels it's time for a reprint... I pointed out Marc's reticence to get it out without errata fixes.

And he's going to chop it back down to the "original" size, which means he has to move 100 pages out of the current draft, somehow.

I'm glad that the reorganization of the text seems to be helping.