Stupid question about T5

[Blue Ghost]

I hate to sound clueless here, but, even after scanning the T5 forum I'm still a little hazy.

Is Mongoose Traveller the new T5 we've all been waiting for?

It seems like it's supposed to be, but I didn't come across any posts that said "T5 is Mongoose Traveller" or vice versa.

Maybe I'm blind

 

[deniable]

Officially, no it isn't. There was an announcement that Mongoose would produce a version that is compatible with T5. Some comments about Mongoose Traveller development have indicated that they are connected in things like the skills list. T5 is due for release late this year or sometime next year.

Unofficially, it might end up being all we see of T5. If the T5 release takes too long, then Mongoose Traveller may for all practical purposes replace T5.

 

[opensent]

It is it just me, or does it seem a bit crazy to release two versions of the same game with different rules at the exact same time? I mean, seriously, who makes these decisions?

---
"Hey, I just got the new Traveller, want to try it this weekend?"

"Sure, Tom's got the new rules as well. Should be fun!"

The following Saturday:

"Why do the rulebooks look completely different? Does one have errata or something? What the...????"

 

[aramis]

I suspect that it is a simple matter of promising to release T5 was what got them permission to make "T5Light", but what they didn't say is that they are not going to worry about t5 compatibility. But, now that they've the license, they are taking it their own direction.

 

[Mandocello]

Did Mongoose say they were releasing T5 at any point?

I thought they were doing their version and T5 was still going to be published by Far Future. There was an announcement about compatibility but I've never seen a suggestion that Mongoose is going to publish T5.

 

[RossWinn]

I think that Marc wanted to release his own version, but also wanted the larger audience and distribution that a larger publisher will bring. With this version he doesn't have to do anything but cash checks. He can choose to do more, but it isn't required.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Thanks all. I went through the Mongoose Trav thread, and saw a lot of intimations that it actually was T5, but I never read any say say flat out that Mongoose Trav was the new T5.

I'lll have a gander at Mongoose Trav, but I'm more curious and interested in T5 than anything else.

edit; the guy running our group keeps hinting at a Trav session, but we haven't done one yet. I'm hoping that T5 will be the version we adopt when it comes to that.

 

[grendelttroll]

T5 is still being produced by Far Future Enterprises.

Mongoose Traveller is a lighter version that also uses a different task resolution system.

The two companies are working to keep the two versions as compatible as possible, with T5 being a more comprehensive (1000 pages, so far) version. Big diferences are trying to be minimized.

The two companies are in contact with each other. Anything that needs to be ironed out between the two games are addressed.

Sometime next year, the CD-ROM will be released. Later, a hardcopy. The hardcopy will be smaller (about 350 pages, or so).

Hope this helps at least a little.

 

[MJD]

The main difference between T5 and Mongoose Traveller, I suspect, is that we'll see MongTrav before we all get old and grey.

 

[coliver988]

The main difference between T5 and Mongoose Traveller, I suspect, is that we'll see MongTrav before we all get old and grey.

too late for me, already there!

 

[Icosahedron]

Sometime next year, the CD-ROM will be released. Later, a hardcopy. The hardcopy will be smaller (about 350 pages, or so).

I'm puzzled. Who, apart from completists, will buy the hardcopy knowing that two-thirds of the material is omitted, and that they will therefore need to buy the CD anyway to get the full story?
Much of the thinking behind these new releases seems to make very little economic sense to me. I have to assume that the producers know what they're doing, but they must be privvy to information that escapes me.

 

[deniable]

Well, MGT is not T5. It's not a sub-set of T5. It's a complete game in its own right. If you buy the Mongoose game, you get a complete game with different mechanics to T5. The level of 'compatibility' of the two has yet to be determined.

T5 is a heavy game with different mechanics and IIRC, random tables to generate random rules to generate random tables. It may or may not be released some time after it's projected 2005/2006 release date.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

I'm puzzled. Who, apart from completists, will buy the hardcopy knowing that two-thirds of the material is omitted, and that they will therefore need to buy the CD anyway to get the full story?
Much of the thinking behind these new releases seems to make very little economic sense to me. I have to assume that the producers know what they're doing, but they must be privvy to information that escapes me.

AIUI the CD will contain lots of stuff that won't be in the main rulebook but may be in later supplements.

 

[ditzie]

Kind of useless to speculate about these things.

 

[aramis]

Until it IS released, Marc has lost all credibility on when it will release. He's missed his self-set deadlines FAR too often, and not just on T5.

There isn't even a consitent picture of what's coming. And what I've seen is not going to convince me to buy it. Not even to give it a fair shot.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

It has a nice cover...

 

[R_Chance]

too late for me, already there!

Me too... but maybe he meant "older and greyer" As for T5 / Mongoose Traveller, I've done the "buy the latest version of the game" thing too often (i.e. all those T4 books clogging up my shelf...). It would have to be significantly better / different to tempt me. Unless of course they follow up with solid material and it develops a community producing more. That would be nice. Until then, I think CT and MT are the 2 Traveller rules sets I'm trying to choose between for my next game.

 

[ditzie]

Me too... but maybe he meant "older and greyer" As for T5 / Mongoose Traveller, I've done the "buy the latest version of the game" thing too often (i.e. all those T4 books clogging up my shelf...). It would have to be significantly better / different to tempt me. Unless of course they follow up with solid material and it develops a community producing more. That would be nice. Until then, I think CT and MT are the 2 Traveller rules sets I'm trying to choose between for my next game.

I think this makes sense... most of us don't have the resources or mindset to simply collect things mindlessly.