Daryen wrote:
Often there is the complaint that there is a shortage of real frontiers in mature Traveller. However, I think that only the Sol. Rim is this the case. For the Solomani eager to develop a thrust against the Vilani and then during the Rim War would have developed the Rim intensively.
A case could similarly be made for the Core Sector as the launching pad for the 3I.
But, almost everywhere else is frontier because even after 1116 years most worlds retain membership in an organization that does not demand much from them. Putting up a picket fence and proclaiming after this point "There Be Dragons" fails to realize that the experience of Traveller is that is a constant frontier.
Whilst, the Imperium may have reached its logical limits in terms of expansion and a diminished capacity for creating interstellar crises thereby provoking war and gaining more territory. This is not to say that the Imperium really has a clue what is happening on any of its worlds at any given time. Rather this responsibility is delegated to the local Nobility and the Moot. Who may act in ways that is counter to Imperial interests...eg. stonewalling change or appointing through patronage, etc.
Thus the Imperium is not having a shortage of space to explore, it just bumps into other Interstellar Powers. Notwithstanding, this creates interesting dynamics...say in the Far Frontiers Sector whereby the Imperium and Zhodani Consulate exist through proxy states.
Furthermore, the OTU is not simply the Third Imperium. There is no reason why one cannot play in the areas of the other Interstellar Polities. Their frontiers are certainly more fluid and wide.
Hope folks don't mind me taking this off the main thread and putting it into a separate thread, as it is something that needs to be illuminated.Uh, unless I am misinterpretting this comment, I haven't commented on how "grand" the Imperium was. Remember, I am one of the ones that would just as soon see an OTU "reboot" so that it can be scaled back and given an actual frontier.
Often there is the complaint that there is a shortage of real frontiers in mature Traveller. However, I think that only the Sol. Rim is this the case. For the Solomani eager to develop a thrust against the Vilani and then during the Rim War would have developed the Rim intensively.
A case could similarly be made for the Core Sector as the launching pad for the 3I.
But, almost everywhere else is frontier because even after 1116 years most worlds retain membership in an organization that does not demand much from them. Putting up a picket fence and proclaiming after this point "There Be Dragons" fails to realize that the experience of Traveller is that is a constant frontier.
Whilst, the Imperium may have reached its logical limits in terms of expansion and a diminished capacity for creating interstellar crises thereby provoking war and gaining more territory. This is not to say that the Imperium really has a clue what is happening on any of its worlds at any given time. Rather this responsibility is delegated to the local Nobility and the Moot. Who may act in ways that is counter to Imperial interests...eg. stonewalling change or appointing through patronage, etc.
Thus the Imperium is not having a shortage of space to explore, it just bumps into other Interstellar Powers. Notwithstanding, this creates interesting dynamics...say in the Far Frontiers Sector whereby the Imperium and Zhodani Consulate exist through proxy states.
Furthermore, the OTU is not simply the Third Imperium. There is no reason why one cannot play in the areas of the other Interstellar Polities. Their frontiers are certainly more fluid and wide.