off the map

[mad13142000]

Originally posted by Evil Dr Ganymede:
That's not to say that anything isn't out there or won't show up in the future, but it seems to me that Charted Space is all there is when it comes to known Major Races for the entire history of the setting.

Must disagree...Just because MWM and crew didn't sit down and write it in doesn't mean that it doesn't exist...It is a game setting, and at the time the setting was the Imperium - why would they spend the time and energy to chart out the entire galaxy when 99.99% of players would never make it out of charted space? Its only a few wierdos like myself, and those behind the Zhodani Core Route and General Turokan who desired to reach beyond charted space to find out what is out there...Unless Mark or Loren want to come out and say "THIS IS IT" then stuff will get generated - there are several articles on JTAS that hint at other races and things far beyond charted space, so I doubt that CS is all there is in the Traveller Universe...It would be such a waste...Canon? No, unless the powers that be decide that it IS so, and someone desires to print out a "Far Periphery" Traveller Aide, but why would they when almost nobody travels out that far?? It goes to a simple answer of economics in game manufacturing as to why CS ends the OTU....

I could be wrong, but this seems most likely...
-MADDog

 

[alanb]

Originally posted by secretagent:
My stellar astronomy is a bit rusty since college was a long time ago but there are other galaxies out there so perhaps we should change IMTU to IMTG?

I can't see why I can't have my own set of empires that eventually might meet and interact --even at the fringes -- with the 7 races in the OTG canon...Some players might freak at the propect but then I would reply that the Azrecs and the Incas were a bit thrown when they met Cortez and Pizarro.

Galaxies are big and a long way apart. The Traveller universe is an almost vanishingly small section of one galaxy. Even if you wanted to travel to other galaxies, you wouldn't be able to get there with J-Drive technology. So, yes, your stellar astronomy is rusty.

None of this prevents other empires being out there. In fact, I assume there are. For the moment, I vaguely assume than none of them developed the Jump Drive independently, but it is quite possible that some of them may have developed, or be developing, significant interstellar states in the period since they acquired it from whoever they first ran into.

These are, of course, states that are "just over the horizon" of the known area. Further away, anything goes. Of course, as you get too far away, the chance of meaningful interaction with known space declines rapidly.

You can stick human outposts way outside the mapped area, but at this stage you are effectively designing an non-OTU campaign with at most a light sprinkling of borrowed background. That's fine, but that's also the point where I personally chuck the whole thing out the window and start working from whole cloth.

Alan Bradley

 

[jchurchill]

Originally posted by secretagent:
My stellar astronomy is a bit rusty since college was a long time ago but there are other galaxies out there so perhaps we should change IMTU to IMTG? [Poorly worded on my part...should not have implied that one could hop J-6 from one gallaxy to another in a few years time or even that the other empires should be form another gallaxy and stilll meet...

I can't see why I can't have my own set of empires that eventually might meet and interact --even at the fringes -- with the 7 races in the OTG canon...Some players might freak at the propect but then I would reply that the Azrecs and the Incas were a bit thrown when they met Cortez and Pizarro.
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Galaxies are big and a long way apart.
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yes, I do remember that part...


The Traveller universe is an almost vanishingly small section of one galaxy.
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Which leaves other parts of the galaxy to be used and still borrow or use parts of OTU whole cloth, no?

Even if you wanted to travel to other galaxies, you wouldn't be able to get there with J-Drive technology.
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assuming one was using J-Drive and not some other form of transportation

So, yes, your stellar astronomy is rusty.
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well, it was 20 years ago.

None of this prevents other empires being out there. In fact, I assume there are.
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as do I. So I think we are stilll partly in agreement here

For the moment, I vaguely assume than none of them developed the Jump Drive independently, but it is quite possible that some of them may have developed, or be developing, significant interstellar states in the period since they acquired it from whoever they first ran into.

These are, of course, states that are "just over the horizon" of the known area. Further away, anything goes. Of course, as you get too far away, the chance of meaningful interaction with known space declines rapidly.
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Certainly and I agree with that too.

You can stick human outposts way outside the mapped area, but at this stage you are effectively designing an non-OTU campaign with at most a light sprinkling of borrowed background.
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Which again I have a tendency to do anyway...

That's fine, but that's also the point where I personally chuck the whole thing out the window and start working from whole cloth.
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And att his pint that makes more sense to me as well. In some ways I think that the Traveller OTU canon became [to borrow a phrase from relatives across the pond] completely buggered. I can't telll you exactly when but it sort of went from a well thought out galaxy to total mess. [on the priniciple that a camel is a horse deigned by committee].

 

[MichaelL65]

Well, I would think that some players might be interested in a campaign that is more exploritory. Something where you are called upon to find out what is off the map. Perhaps a wealthy patron or a well funded science expedition. Maybe even a distant civilization just developing jump and seeing "what's out there" (I'm working on my own setting with that concept).

It would be very different from the 'scratch out a meger existance on the trade routes' that so many Traveller campaigns turn into.