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Questions for Marc

COTI has been great for getting some of the Traveller old guard to tell us thier story and opinions.
Mark has just given a small interview at another site, so, I suggest we compile a list of questions and see if we can get Mark to respond.

I would like to start with a simple question,

"With all the work, emails, etc., that are involved in day to day life, do you ever get a chance to play any of the games you have designed?"

best regards

Dalton
 
You might want to check the archives here. IIRC Marc answered a list of questions a couple of years or so ago and they were posted on CotI.

That way you could focus on unanswered questions.
 
Casey:

I'd rather see some re-asked, most particularly to see how MWM's answers change.
 
perhaps it would be better to look forward rather than back?
here are some questions i posted on another thread (flynn was thinking of sending 5 q's to several ancients for his stellar reaches fanzine. imho he may be a good person for this to come from)


1: What makes traveller unique; what is its u.s.p?

2: Can one game continue to be so many different things to so many people? If so how? Has this diversity been an asset or a weakness to traveller over the years?

3: Is having a task system a help or a hinderence to role playing and why?

4: Why has traveller endured so long with a relatively small following? What is it that generates such loyalty and dedication?

5: How can traveller capitalise on the renewed interest in sci-fi generated by star wars?
 
comments:
Of Hirch's, 3 is argued hotly by players...

4 is worded poorly, since for many years, Traveller top 5... The following isn't small, even now; it's just that #1 is absofreaking HUGE a following... but I agree with the question's intent...

My additions:

A1: is there going to be a realignment of the technology and world building to meet changes in modern knowledge?

A2: Why are there 2 "L"'s in "Traveller"?

A3: Have you actually played as a player in an RPG in the last 5 years?
A3.1: Have you GMed in the last 5 years?
 
Originally posted by Aramis:
A2: Why are there 2 "L"'s in "Traveller"?
Loren Wiseman answered this one a couple of years back: basically for copyright purposes.

Of course for those of us who spell English style, it's not a problem anyway. In fact I didn't even realise that it was a misspelling in US English until Loren was asked about it.
 
Originally posted by Aramis:
comments:
Of Hirch's, 3 is argued hotly by players...

4 is worded poorly, since for many years, Traveller top 5... The following isn't small, even now; it's just that #1 is absofreaking HUGE a following... but I agree with the question's intent...

My additions:

A1: is there going to be a realignment of the technology and world building to meet changes in modern knowledge?

A2: Why are there 2 "L"'s in "Traveller"?

A3: Have you actually played as a player in an RPG in the last 5 years?
A3.1: Have you GMed in the last 5 years?
aramis - i know q3 is contaversial thats why it would be interesting to hear an answer.

q4 you missed the word "relatively". and you could criticise constructively by suggesting better wording rather than just criticise which is negative.

personally i dont think the question of whether he plays or not is important and I think it could come across as an aggresive stance.

the reason i think flynn would be good for this is that as far as i know he has no history or known intransigent positions and therefore can ask and be answered with loosness and freedom. also he has put in lots of posative energy recently.
 
Actually, I'm interested in knowing if he ever gets a chance to play or referee Traveller, too.
 
Originally posted by robject:
Actually, I'm interested in knowing if he ever gets a chance to play or referee Traveller, too.
im pretty sure he doesnt. i think i read this in an interview from way back, but cant remember where. no problem if its an innocent question, but given some recent comments around these boards,i wondered if it may be a bit of a loaded question. forgive me if i read that wrong.....
 
Him who plays not really shouldn't be writing games... If Marc isn't playing any RPG's, then it answers some questions, best left implicit rather than explicit, about his choices.

It is a loaded question, and one very relevant to his T5 release. MOST game designers I've communicated with DO game. WFRP2's Chris griped about not having time during the playtest. Greg Porter and Greg Stafford both take an active interest in their fanbase, and also run their own games. Ken St. Andre still runs T&T PBEMS AND has a FTF group. There's doumentary evidence of play by the designers of all the GW games... I disagree with their rules choices.... Monte Cook plays, at least occasionally, at cons. The Hackmaster staff all play often. Steve Cole has a regular SFB group and an RPG group. Deep 7 have addmitted in the past to playing when they should have been writing.

If Marc has quit playing, he's less likely to actually understand the complaints of his fanbase. His answer on this alone could make or break a number of people's decisions to purchase... it is VERY relevant, and yes, EXTREMELY inflammatory. But it also is driven by Marc's uncharacteristic (For Game Designers, not himself) lack of response. Ultimately, it's a question which could make or break T5.

and Hirch, i couldn't come up with a better wording; I thought of several other wordings, all equally poor. I still think a better wording is needed.

But, having given it some time to percolate:

"Given the dramatic size of D&D's following, how has Traveller managed to survive in the market?"

Pointing out flaw in a question's logic IS constructive, if you don't (mis)perceive it as an attack.

I tend to be rather curt in person, too; please understand it's not an attack.
 
Originally posted by Aramis:
[QB]"Given the dramatic size of D&D's following, how has Traveller managed to survive in the market?"
Runequest is from the same era, and that's still around (and getting another new edition too). Tekumel just got a re-release and revamp, and that's from even earlier I think.

I don't really think that Traveller's particularly special in that regard. Like those other games, it got a loyal fanbase early on that followed it and kept it going through new editions.
 
If Marc has quit playing, he's less likely to actually understand the complaints of his fanbase.
near as I can figure a majority of the fanbase doesn't play, so whether marc plays or not won't mean much.
 
Originally posted by flykiller:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />If Marc has quit playing, he's less likely to actually understand the complaints of his fanbase.
near as I can figure a majority of the fanbase doesn't play, so whether marc plays or not won't mean much. </font>[/QUOTE]The fanbase aren't the ones designing the game.

Among other things, playing the game means that he gets the opportunity to listen to people he's running the game for/with. If all he's doing is sitting in an ivory tower coming up with his 'perfect traveller' with no input from outside, then the game isn't going anywhere.

I think the latter is true, given his attitude on the playtest.
 
1. What was the inital insipration for Traveller? Why a game as opposed to a novel? What was the initial impetus that saw you through to completion of Books 1-3 and beyond?
 
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