Newsies

[Patron Zero]

Perhaps showing my age but does anyone else include newspapers inside the 'virtual' plot devices-decorations in their respective TUs ?

Could be a nod to all the cinema noir classics of my childhood that I choose to incorporate the printed word by way of newspapers into MTU.

Data pads and terminals are very handy and have obvious advantages over the venerable collection of presswork produced pages but cannot provide the low tech comfort and 'resources' of such items.

IMTU the 'newsprint' material itself while traditional in appearance has a few 'hidden' features not found in our real world home delivered papers.

The most least visible element being a genetically engineered 'enzyme' introduced before printing that allows for said medium to be consumed as sustenance level nutrition*. So aside from being a 'socially accepted' post-digestion hygiene tool, the newsprint actually is a eco-friendly pre-consumer content item.

The other unseen feature of MTU newspapers is the ink can literally 'disappear' after being exposed to a few readily available low tech processes. Either exposure to a high output Xenon-flash source produces blank reusable paper stock, a spray-on chemical solution also achieves the same desired effect and offers the option of introducing other compounds to said material.

All the above aside, nothing like having a cup of joe while losing one's self in the charm and soothing effect of reading a classic evening edition.


* currently research is being done in just that field to potentially alleviate hunger while combating illiteracy in third world countries.

(topic parallel posted at Mongoose Traveller forums)

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Good old newspaper...

Not sure if it counts as a "news" paper or not but I am rather fond of atpollard's regular editions of "The Daily Rag".

 

[Jame]

IMTU, most planets of TL-9+ don't have newspapers anymore - not printed, paper ones, at least. There is such a thing as a news download, which is basically an online electronic newspaper which can be sent to one's handcomp or comm device for a small fee; individual issues of these are often available at newspaper stands and other stores for a fee as well.

Quite often these will have hyperlinks and video feeds in them.

 

[Icosahedron]

I have newspapers.
A number of low tech worlds produce them to support local industry rather than using high-tech electronic imports.

 

[Patron Zero]

Textures

I think I wanted a sort of prop-window dressing to connect MTU to the classic B/W films of the 1940s-1950s, a nod as well to the cliffhanger serials of the 1930s as well.

The flavor of Traveller noir seems to work well for me, all the high tech conveniences available and yet the familiarity of the feel of newsprint between one's fingers, simply the best of both 'worlds'.

 

[DaveChase]

B5 would be a good example of newspapers

In one episode 2 of the main characters are discussing some daily issues and the paper it's self. Even with all the high tech the humans and the alien races had they still used flimsies and newspapers.

Why, IMO it is because once a company/business is successful they will always attempt to be successful no matter what changes come.

Newspapers were at one time the greatest thing until movies, then movies had news briefs before the feature of course they were out of date a bit.

Next to radio, newspapers/magazines is where a vast majority of people still get their news today. So, I believe in the future something similar will still be around.

Dave Chase

 

[kafka47]

Newspapers IMTU take form of Minority Report's USA Today...a technology that is been tested with great success in China. Essentially, smart plastic changes text according to wireless messages it recieves. If I could afford a decent laptop or palmtop....I would use that as the main prop.

 

[Darkhstarr]

I have printed newspaper on most on my lowtech (TL8 & below) planets. I also have them on a few hightech planets for a 'retro' feel or in some cases they are the trendy news media of the elite.

 

[Mark Morgan]

Perhaps showing my age but does anyone else include newspapers inside the 'virtual' plot devices-decorations in their respective TUs ?

I seem to rember a CT adventure where the mainspring was a the local newpapers want ads was set o0n a wrold belonging to Arden on the spindward mainI think in the Jewel Subsector led to be shanhiad into asteroid mining till hte adventers find a rock ship in the belt

 

[epicenter00]

There are newspapers IMTU, though they aren't necessarily in widespread circulation.

Given this is the universe with the Vilani, there are newspapers in IMTU. Essentially, the Vilani, once subjugated by the TC, were eager to learn as much as they could of their new overlords ("I, for one, welcome our Terran overlords"). When the Vilani discovered Terran newspaper archives, they were ecstatic, and immediately adopted the practice for themselves, one that has since been picked up by the Third Imperium.

Essentially, the Vilani view is that news that isn't recorded in a printed archive somewhere doesn't exist, as electronic archives can easily be corrupted or modified. The AAB's vaunted electronic versions, for instance, are considered by the AAB to be "reflections" and not "copies" or "images" with the implication that a "reflection" doesn't come with the real or implied guarantees of accuracy that the printed versions have. Note, the news on these printed sheets does not necessarily have to be accurate in retrospect - only that a record remains of something that was believed at the time, even if superseded later on by better or more accurate information.

Any printed archive must be readable by a human under conditions that occur normally on habitable planets, without use of specialized tools. Paper, while perishable is acceptable for daily archives of incidental news, though typically the Vilani record daily histories on an alloy that contains gold (to prevent rust), thus leading to the term "Golden Archives."

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Now you look here...

There are newspapers IMTU, though they aren't necessarily in widespread circulation.

Given this is the universe with the Vilani, there are newspapers in IMTU. Essentially, the Vilani, once subjugated by the TC, were eager to learn as much as they could of their new overlords ("I, for one, welcome our Terran overlords"). When the Vilani discovered Terran newspaper archives, they were ecstatic, and immediately adopted the practice for themselves, one that has since been picked up by the Third Imperium.

Essentially, the Vilani view is that news that isn't recorded in a printed archive somewhere doesn't exist, as electronic archives can easily be corrupted or modified. The AAB's vaunted electronic versions, for instance, are considered by the AAB to be "reflections" and not "copies" or "images" with the implication that a "reflection" doesn't come with the real or implied guarantees of accuracy that the printed versions have. Note, the news on these printed sheets does not necessarily have to be accurate in retrospect - only that a record remains of something that was believed at the time, even if superseded later on by better or more accurate information.

Any printed archive must be readable by a human under conditions that occur normally on habitable planets, without use of specialized tools. Paper, while perishable is acceptable for daily archives of incidental news, though typically the Vilani record daily histories on an alloy that contains gold (to prevent rust), thus leading to the term "Golden Archives."

It is exactly this kind of nonsense that has led to the looting of old AAB Repositories, lost during the Long Night. I really wish you people would stop keeping these dangerous urban legends going.

On the other hand, the rest of the above seems rather accurate to me...

Yours,
Prof. Thornwood
AAB
mega:

 

[savage]

Imperial Inquisitor

Looking back during the 3rd Empire, before MTU's present day the Independent Imperial Inquisitor is the know everything paper. "The news TNS will not tell you." TNS generally wrote them off as liberals.

As for media, those details we're worked out based on TL. Bu you know what ever it takes to sell papers!:rofl:

 

[Icosahedron]

I think I wanted a sort of prop-window dressing to connect MTU to the classic B/W films of the 1940s-1950s, a nod as well to the cliffhanger serials of the 1930s as well.

The flavor of Traveller noir seems to work well for me, all the high tech conveniences available and yet the familiarity of the feel of newsprint between one's fingers, simply the best of both 'worlds'.

Ah, a man after my own heart.

 

[epicenter00]

On the other hand, the rest of the above seems rather accurate to me...

Something of a "background heresy" I have IMTU is that a lot of Vilani archives are not recorded in Vilani, but Chinese (this is mostly restricted to Vilani-dominated worlds nearer to the Terran sphere, but not limited to it - anywhere that Terran occupation was either total or reasonably benign). Here's the background:

The Vilani's first contact with Terran newspapers was with Chinese United Nations forces serving under the Terran armies. While other armies had adopted simply using hand computers or radio, the Chinese troops still got their non-operational information (news from home) on newspaper. This paper was designed to biodegrade (so copies left strewn about would degrade in like 5 weeks outdoors), be reasonably flammable (so it could be used to start campfires), and was soft enough to be used as toilet paper (easing logistical burden, but leading to jokes about the quality of news).

The Vilani saw these news circulars and then learned that newspapers were often printed on more durable paper on Terra and archived and were quite impressed. They were also impressed by Chinese ideograms - the idea of universal readable language whose meaning didn't drift with time appealed to the Vilani for obvious reasons. This, and Terran influence led certain planets with an otherwise overwhelming Vilani majority to print their archives in Chinese characters.

 

[Evil Steve]

I've used them in other games and found them to be very helpful for avoiding metagame information problems.

We all do it, whatever the GM describes is important, everything else is trivia or important enough to require skill checks.

I put together a short series of headlines and intro paragraphs for each "story" in the paper. Some are very useful to the players current adventure, some relate to past, some for future events and some are just fluff.

Players can now interact with NPCs without the GM putting neon signs on certain pieces of info.