The Alternate Timeline

[Murph]

The Alternate Traveller Universe based on the work of Larsen Whipsnade from the TML;

Having found his work to be just what I had been looking for as an alternative to the really, really stupid (IMO) Virus and Hard Times timelines, this work is very refreshing. Taking from it, I propose the following:

Campaign Year: 1138
Emperor Strephon is in his last few years on the Iridium throne, he has two new heirs: Avery and Arbellatra. Avery is the oldest, with Arbellatra a year younger. Both have been raised with duty to the Imperium as their primary goals. Both agree with and want to continue the Strephonic reforms. Both are clone from Iolanthe's genetic material left behind.

The Moot and New Moots
The Imperial Moot is in some ways stronger than before, and in others weaker since Nobles remain for five years and then must be replaced. Under the new rules the local or New Moots vote to send a candidate per subsector to represent them in the Imperial Moot.

In each Subsector, the New Moots are comprised of Two Senators from each world with a population of 5 (100,000’s) or better, with the High Population worlds getting Three Senators. Also the Subsector Duke gets a seat, along with each Count. This balances the ranks of the worlds vs. those of the Nobles. Also the Moot shall approve each Noble heir’s assumption of his or her title subject to Imperial Archducal veto. This way the incompetent, corrupt, inept can be prevented from gaining power. The Subsector Duke acts as the “Prime Minister” or head of the Moot. Corrupt or incompetent Nobles can be impeached by the Moot, and removed by the Archduke with right of final appeal to the Emperor.

Aslan
The Aslan Ihatei have been coopted as defacto members of the Imperial military by settling large numbers along the Vargr borders. Also the fleet dispatcher has been challenged to a duel, which the Imperium won. By treaty he now sends the Ihatei to the rimward portions of known space. Many Aslan were either domiciled on low population worlds or made Imperial citizens, or exiled from Imperial space.

Vargr
The Vargr have been kicked out of Imperial space and a border zone ten parsecs wide has been formed along the Imperial pre war borders. The worlds in this area are vigorously patrolled by Imperial forces to pre-empt corsairs, and pirate bands from gaining a foothold. The Vargr Governments have been co-opted by the New Archduke of the Vargr Frontier Bzrk. He has command of all forces along the border, and is in charge of the peaceful stabilization of the frontier.

Solomani
The Solomani were decisively beaten and the pre-war borders retaken. Then a ten to twelve parsec border zone implemented with small independent client states. The Solomani were forced to sign a peace treaty officially ending the war, and renouncing the idea of the conquest of Terra. Imperial forces patrol the border zone, as do the Solomani. But by treaty neither side is allowed to incorporate worlds in that region.

Xboat Routes
The new X courier system uses Jump 6 vessels along the most logical paths with the older J-4 X-Boats radiating from these hubs, and J-2 Scout/Couriers filling in along the rest of the worlds. The system is designed for maximum transport speed of information. The Islands Subsectors have been taken over by the Imperium and several deep space refueling stations have been placed to maximize the speed of the couriers. Also the use of Jump torpedoes is increasing.

Jump Technology
Strephon has pushed the increase in the number of research stations; especially those involved in the improving of jump technology.

Diplomacy
Strephon has enacted several diplomatic initiatives to attempt to peacefully bring the Julian Federation into the Imperium, along with some of the smaller border worlds. He has allayed fears on the part of the Zhodani that the Imperium

 

[Murph]

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/rboleyn/downloads/Wounded-Colossus.txt

Here's the link that was posted here. Try it out.

 

[Murph]

Can anyone get him to contribute here? Its a great timeline.

 

[Falkayn]

I'll tickle the TML and see if he's interested.

 

[Whipsnade]

Gents,

Mr. McDonald rattled my cage over at the TML. What would you like to know?


Sincerely,
Larsen

 

[Aquinas]

Funny this talk about alternate timelines way back when (early 1980's) I started my own timeline I ended the 5th Frontier War in 1107 and then killed Strephon in 1111 in an accident. The time line now reaches the early 1900's and there have been three new dynasties on the iridum throne and the Imperium has split on various occasions.

It has been vastly re-writen over the last 20 yrs as some of the ideas were very childish. I still like it tho'

Vidmar

 

[Murph]

Thank you for joining us, I found your article just absolutely fascinating. An excellent way to preserve the flavor, and things that made Classic Traveller timeline so great.

Originally posted by Larsen E. Whipsnade:
Gents,

Mr. McDonald rattled my cage over at the TML. What would you like to know?


Sincerely,
Larsen

 

[Whipsnade]

Thanks for your kind words. By way of explanation, the WoCo materials were first posted in several sections on the TML. That's why they are repetitive in spots, they're reviewing what was said in earlier posts.

I created WoCo just as MT began to draw to an end and the shape of what was to come; TNE, became more and more apparent. My players loathed MT's Rebellion. It was so pointless and so unending. Nothing good ever happened and nothing was ever resolved. Things just kept worse and worse no matter what efforts were made in some sort of perpetual motion disaster. Certain aspects; like the various factions each carefully balanced to prevent any hope of victory or respite from the horror, revealed the hands of the designer(s) far too much for our liking. Playing Traveller was no longer any fun, it was all doom and gloom.

With my gaming group slowly drifting apart or moving on to other systems and settings, I toyed with the idea of producing an alternate setting as a way to hold thgins together. After some fiddling around, the Wounded Colossus setting was vaguely detailed and a few prelimenary adventures penciled in. It was too little and too late though. Weary of Traveller and pulled apart by various Real Life events, my group slowly split up for good. A few of us, joined by a few 'newbies' play mostly mini wargames now, RPGs are a thing of the past.

WoCo had very little work or effort put into it, I simply jotted down some notes and sketched a few amber zones. WoCo is incomplete and lacks any other viewpoints, viewpoints that would only help it. Also, WoCo was never used as a setting and never playtested. I don't know if WoCo would really 'work' as a setting in the long run.

You'll notice that WoCo is deliberately vague in most areas. (ForEx: I talk about the creation of regional Moots but, unlike your post, never actually detail who would serve in those moots or how they would be selected.) In some cases, I simply didn't know what details would work. in others, I wanted to leave myself lots of wiggle room.

All in all, WoCo lays out a rather vague timeline and provides a barely sketched outline of various suggestions and suppositions. If there are bits you can use, please use them and don't hesitate to throw the rest away.


Larsen

 

[plop101]

Supper time on the Gash...

Danro Tacan contentedly eats his dehydrated prison rations at a corner table. Observing the new inmate transfers as they walk in to the cafeteria at the far door, he spots a familiar face...

Larsen, what are you doing here, man?

Well, I guess that don't matter, as long as your here now. I just hope my computer doesn't freeze up on me like it did a week and a half ago. Very frightning This is gonna be so great to have you here guy. I am so happy

OK, getting back on topic. I've thought about toying with an alternate timeline, though I haven't gone through all the detail that you have, Ole Space Cowboy. Where as your starting of altering the line just after the assasination, I'm starting earlier, back in the Fifth Frontier War. While I haven't fleshed the whole thing out completely yet, my notion is as follows:

1. 5FFW starts, Zhodani invade Regina, Norris is killed off in the fighting [Haven't decided whether he dies in epic space battle, or in a ground fight, or in some other fashion, but Norris definetly goes].

2. Santoncheev screws everything up, as per OTU, but now the powers that be, instead of turning to Norris for help, cause he ain't there, have to find someone else.

3. This allows the humble referee to insert a new NPC Admiral into the picture. The new Admiral comes in and saves the day, probably even goes so far as to invade Chronor, just to put the Zhos in their place. He then goes to Capital, gets hooked up with Iphegenia.

4a. The assassination could still take place; its effects would be similar in either timeline except that Dulinor would have to deal with the Grand Admiral from the Domain of Deneb who is siding with Strephon.

4b. Alternately, the assassination doesn't take place. A brick could fall of the top of a building and kill Dulinor. Lucan could be carted off to the funny farm, where life is beautiful all the time, etc.

The main thing is, and you've alluded to it with your discussion of Avery and Arbellartra [spelling?] is that we both are looking at some way to preserve and enhance the stability of the Imperial Family. Thus, the Imperial Command Authority doesn't get waisted in one fell swoop.

Plus, I've never really liked Norris that much. What a freak!

 

[Zinzan]

Hmm some interesting ideas - I particularly like the senatorial (?) ideas.

However I do have a few concerns. (all comments refer to the original post re: Whipsnadian TU.) btw nice to see you here Mr Whipsnade, I look forward to some of your entertaining posts.

1. The military power of the 3I seems overwhelming - it has forced the Vargr out, defeated the Solomani, co-opted the Aslan, and restrained the Zhodani. Many, many deep border areas regularly patrolled. Where did the funds, ships, manpower come from for such all out efforts? What affect did this have on trhe economy and politics - a war effort that probably was longer and harder than any seen before AND reforms at the same time?!

2. What happened to Strephon's other children? How did they die etc.

3. The Aslan seemed to have been very easily co-opted - wouldn't other clans ignore the duel result?

Don't get me wrong here I like the ideas but it seems an awful lot of change (politically and socially) in a VERY short time period.

All IMHO of course.

 

[Whipsnade]

"However I do have a few concerns."


Mr. Scarrott,

All your concerns are completed justified. As I said, I slapped WoCo together without any input from anyone else and the materials suffer greatly from it. Also, the setting was never played or playtested. It's little more than a vague timeline and a clutch of suggestions and suppositions.

"1. The military power of the 3I seems overwhelming - it has forced the Vargr out, defeated the Solomani, co-opted the Aslan, and restrained the Zhodani."

The only patrol area in the WTU is the buffer zone between the 3I and the Solomani. I don't think the forces assigned to it would be any greater than the forces already along the ceasefire line in the OTU.
The Vargr and Aslan are special cases. I refuse to believe what is presented in MT about the Alien Incursions. Both the corsairs and the ihatei are far too weak to have done what they are purported to have done. The Incursions are little more than metagame B.S. introduced to cut Deneb off from the Imperium and balance other factions so that an enternal stalemate could ensue.
MT gives us a peek at IN force levels at the subsector and sector levels and then wants us to swallow the idea that a bunch of inhatei in 2nd hand ships saddled with colonists could run off a navy 2-3 TL advantage.
The Vargr incursions cause similiar concerns; Corridor is overrun despite all the planetary and colonial fleets that remained behind. The Vargr also create a sector deep salinet in Lishun, but we're asked to believe that Vland and Antares on either side hold firm. The Vargr incursions betray the fingerprints of the designer; they are only there to prevent Deneb - Vland and Vland - Antares from having common borders.
The Zhodani are a another case. Turn your map of the Marches around and look at things from the Consulate's perspective. All the Zhos have done in the last 500 years is evict Imperial settlements from regions the Zhos had settled centuries earlier. The FWs have been fought to first evict the Imperium from certain regions and then create a buffer zone between 3I and Consulate. FW 1 and 2 completed the evictions and began the buffer zone; starting at the Swords and reaching the region around Retinae. The 3rd FW added more the buffer zone; the regino of that little pocket empire whose name escapes me, and the 4th/5th tried to complete it by detaching the Jewels.
The last thing the Zhos want is try give the 3I a reason to put it's civil war aside and unite against a common foe. Attacking the Marches could be that reason, so why not let the enemy devour himself?

"Where did the funds, ships, manpower come from for such all out efforts? What affect did this have on trhe economy and politics - a war effort that probably was longer and harder than any seen before AND reforms at the same time?!"

All very good questions. I don't think the campaigns against the Aslan and Vargr will be that extensive, mostly evicting squatters and chasing down raiders. Dulinor's Federation will unravel from within, all the 3I needs do is keep up the pressure and not launch titanic offensives. The Sollie War will be the big one, but the 3I has fought that one before.

"2. What happened to Strephon's other children? How did they die etc."

He had only one daughter, Iphigenia, and she was killed in the Throne Room.

"3. The Aslan seemed to have been very easily co-opted - wouldn't other clans ignore the duel result?"

The Imperium created a buffer region between itself and the Aslan in the Dark Nebula region using the same techniques in the 300s. Why shouldn't they work in the Trojan Reach in the 1100s?

"Don't get me wrong here I like the ideas but it seems an awful lot of change (politically and socially) in a VERY short time period."

Yes, it is a very short time period. However, I wrote Strephon 'begins' the reforms and not that Strephon 'completes' the reforms. When Strephon dies, there will still be regions within the Imperium that reforms have scarcely touched. I mention that Ilelish may be earliest recipient of most of the reforms bwecause Imperial gov't there will need to be re-established. Other, more 'quiet', areas like Vland or Ley may see little change at all.
Also, the upheavals and wars around him will actually help Strephon put some changes in place. Look at the changes in US society that took place during our civil war or the changes that took place during WW2 or during the 60s and Vietnam. Look at the changes between prewar Britain and postwar Britain during both world wars. Being able to brush aside any complaints or criticism by saying 'It is for the war effort' let's you get quite a few things done.


Sincerely,
Larsen

 

[daryen]

Another point regarding the Vargr and the Aslan.

The idea is that the Imperium doesn't NEED very many ships for them. Fundamentally, the Imperium gives the ihatei free passage through the spinward marches up to the Vargr border region, they says "go take what you want from *them*". That way you are coopting the Aslan to fight the Vargr for you. No ships needed.

The only argument I have with WoCo is that I think the Sollies would put up a better fight. I think the border region would be the Vegans and reconstituted Old Earth Union (among some others).

Though, in Larsen's defense, some of the Sollie member states could cause a lot of internal problems. If that "liberal" (for the Sollies) member state (the Booteans?) wanted to, they could probably use the war to totally break free and become one of those border states. (They would likely be quite successful that way, too.)

 

[Whipsnade]

"The idea is that the Imperium doesn't NEED very many ships for them. Fundamentally, the Imperium gives the ihatei free passage through the spinward marches up to the Vargr border region, they says "go take what you want from *them*". That way you are coopting the Aslan to fight the Vargr for you. No ships needed."


Sir,

Once again proving that great minds think alike, TNE use your idea exactly. Those Aslan who prove open to the suggestion are mustered into a border patrol-type organization called, IIRC, the 'Land Protectors'. They do their job against Vargr and Aslan alike.

"The only argument I have with WoCo is that I think the Sollies would put up a better fight. I think the border region would be the Vegans and reconstituted Old Earth Union (among some others)."

Again, the greatest weakness of WoCo is that it was made up alone. Other views, other ideas, other opinions would have certainly made it much better.
The Sollies could put up a better fight. My opinion of the SC as a 'prison house of nations' (much like the A-H Empire) is just that, an opinion. The Sollies could crack into dozens of pocket empires after their first great defeat or achieve greater unity is the face of the Imperium's counter-attacks. The choice is really yours to make, after all it is your game.
I do think that no matter where the new 3I - SC border is drawn and no matter whether the Confederation fractures, reforms, becomes more tyrannical, or fill-in-the-blank, that an actual peace treaty and buffer zone would be in the best interest of both sides. No ceasefire line and century-long suspended hostilities. A treaty and a border that both parties try to respect is far better.


Sincerely,
Larsen

 

[Murph]

Great thread, already some wonderful ideas coming out of it. I never liked the idea of whole chunks of the Imperium being lost to Vargr raiders in TL 11-12 ships. It was a silly idea. The same for the Aslan, but since they were moving in a squatters, I see worlds accepting them, and using them like The Darien Confederation does. I DON'T see them taking over huge chunks of the Imperium.

 

[Whipsnade]

Murph,

The Alien Incursions in MT are utter b.s., nothing more than a poorly thought out editorial deus ex machina. MT's 'eternal' Rebellion required precisely balanced factions so that it could sputter on for years and provide loads of adventuring opportunities. Sometimes I wonder if the MT people had ever even thought about how they were going to END the Rebellion.

(DGP's final publication included some letters between various folks. They seemed to have finally begun thinking about an ending; various alliances, the Antares supernova, etc. Of course, as any writer can tell you, they should have had the ending BEFORE they began!)

Having the Vargr break into Corridor and Lishun and the Aslan swamp the Reaches was much like the many plot driven 'rabbits out of a hat' that peppered movie serials of the 30's and 40's. You know, the cattle are stampeding, the Injuns are attacking, the bank is being robbed, the school marm is tied to a log in the sawmill, and THEN the dam breaks! Gee, ain't it all SOOO exciting!

What makes it even worse is that not only ignored any of the CT materials that had come before, but they also completely ignored the materials they themselves had created! MT's Rebellion Sourcebook gives us our only detailed look at the Imperial and Colonial Navies, complete with squadron and fleet organizations plus the number of major combatants per sector and subsector.

Taking the information in the Rebellion Sourcebook and the 3I tech level advantage together, then factoring in what we know about the Vargr/Aslan and how they operate make MT's Alien Incursions total b.s.

The Vargr take both the Corridor and Lishun Sectors whole besides pressuring Norris and Vland hard enough to keep both on the strategic defensive. While the worlds of the Extents operate at every TL between 0 - 15, most hover around TL13. The corsairs operate at TL 12/13 and also use rather small vessels. Even if backed up by larger warships brought across the border by mutinous crews, the corsairs simply could not have done what they are prurported to have done. There were no colonial or planetary navies in two sectors that had bordered the Extents for centuries? No forces at all to pick up the slack left when the IN fleets departed?

The ihatei are given vessels considered 2nd class or obsolescent by Heirate standards. The Aslan are at TL13/14, so the ihatei are using TL11/12 equipment. Furthermore, the ihatei are saddled with colonists and colonial supplies. The ihatei aren't arriving in pure military strikeforces, they've got the wives and kiddies with them too. The Trojan Reach purportedly collapses under this 3 TL lower, bring-the-kids-along assualt even without the lame 'the fleet left' excuse used in Corridor.

One poster at the TML has likened the success of the Alien Incursions to the likelihood that the combined fish patrols of the EU could successfully invade and occupy the U.S. east coast because the USN happened to be busy elsewhere.

Given the setting materials and the background, the only way the Vargr and Aslan could succeed is because the MT editors thought their success would be 'kewl'.


Larsen

 

[kafka47]

I don't know about the above. It would seem like that the alien incursions were reaching a new level when you read the Rebelluon Sourcebook. The Vargr were ralling behind a chrismatic holovid that was leading them like Napoleon. The Aslan were just accelerating their slow move into the Marches as the might of the fleet was diverted elsewhere, I always thought of them red ants...small and insignificant, as individuals (or this case one clan) but then when they begin their march as a swarm, even the best defenses will fall under the constant assault.

Would MJD care to illuminate us in his vision of the state of realm in the Rebellion era.

 

[Murph]

You are so right about them ignoring parts of the Canon that they did not like. Look at "Nail Mission" in one of the MT books, a disentergrator for Pete's sake! Even with subsector forces being TL 14, they should have wiped the floor of the Vargr and Aslan. Besides the silly rebellion and the THE VIRUS was an attempt to really play AFTERMATH in space. I loathed what they did to the Traveller universe.

 

[kafka47]

But, what is cannon except what was decided to be codified for MT? MT represented a consolidation and clean-up effort by GDW.

 

[T. Foster]

I admit that the 'alien incursions' subplot was way overplayed in the official MT material (that map of the Marches from the MT set is downright embarrassing) but I'm still somewhat attached to storytelling potential the Vargr cutting off the Corridor and 'invading' Lishun sector. My compromise is to think of these 'invasions' not as Vargr warfleets defeating the system defenses in detail and declaring themselves the new overlords as just that the presence and boldness of corsairs has increased to the point that intersystem trade/communications can no longer be considered safe and reliable. The systems themselves are by and large undamaged, but the space between them is no longer under control and thus 'the Imperium' as such no longer exists in those areas. A couple of diverted first-line fleets could probably re-pacify the sectors in short order, but for political/strategic reasons no one is willing/able to divert those fleets and so the 'occupation' continues.

I admit I haven't really given this much/any detailed thought (my Rebellion TU is centered on Massilia and the incursions are just background data) but it's my handwave to try and maintain the canonical map/storyline in light of Messrs. Whipsnade's and Rancke-Madsen's well-argued objections.

FWIW (as attested by my avatar image) I like the Rebellion setting. I think it was a bad idea for GDW to try and force it down everybody's throats by taking CT oop (IMO they should have called it an alternate timeline and put it further into the future (~20-30 years) to allow CT campaigns to continue) and I think it was a huge mistake to allow the timeline to stagnate and degenerate (they should have either frozen the timeline at 1120 or allowed the story to actually develop: keeping the timeline moving but having nothing actually happen gave the worst of both worlds), but overlooking those I think that as far as providing storytelling and adventure opportunities the Rebellion era (as depicted in The Rebellion Sourcebook) is the richest of any published Traveller setting to date.

And since this is the thread for discussing alternate Rebellions, here's mine: As written to 1120 (except to downplay the alien incursions, as above). c. 1121 a palace coup (orchestrated by the Brothers of Varian, perhaps with an assist from Archduke Tranian -- the official MT timeline's two biggest non-entities) removes Lucan; with him gone Brzk and Margaret come to heel and some sort of regency is established wherein Margaret's Strephon-fathered twins will eventually take the throne (presumably allowing for much Three Musketeers-style palace intrigue, incidentally). An uneasy truce is reached with Dulinor, who maintains his own little 3 sector Imperium beset with its own economic and social problems and destined to persist only as long as Dulinor lives and not a day more. The real/fake Strephon realizes the game is up and performs a quick disappearing act (possibly later to be seen touring sideshows in the Marches ). The Solomani keep their territorial gains but sign a hasty cease-fire now that Archduke Adair stands to receive actual support from home. Daibei remains independent for the time being, having negotiated separate truces with Dulinor, the Imperium, the Aslan and the Solomani. Perhaps with time they will reintegrate into the Imperium, but memories of Imperial betrayal won't die easily. The Vargr in Lishun don't stand a chance and are sent packing forthwith. Vland remains fiercely and intractably independent, and will probably present the biggest problem for the Imperium in the space of another generation or two. Norris has grown comfortable on his island of independence and stability and continues to pay lipservice to the Imperium while dilly-dallying and citing the Vargr in Corridor and the 'hostile' Vilani as 'insurmountable' obstacles keeping him from actually/practically reintegrating with the Imperium (all while strengthening his ties with the Zhodani, which, at least from the perspective of the Imperial Core, becomes yet another potential future troublespot). Thus by about 1125-30 the space of the former Imperium now contains six independent sub-Imperia of varying sizes: the Imperium, Solomani, Daibei, Ilelish, Vland, and Deneb -- all more-or-less stable and to some degree mutually antagonistic, but there's no more open warfare and the worst effects of the Hard Times are avoided in all but a handful of regions (specifically the Gushemege-Dagudashaag-Zarushagar 'neutral zone').

 

[daryen]

Actually, I think everyone is dancing around the real problem with the Rebellion. The problem is this: GDW (i.e. whoever thought this up) was so worried about the setup and so worried that things remained "balanced" that they completely forgot to consider where it was going.

Without a destination, they kept making things more "intense" and "exciting" to the point where the only possible resolution was to just blow everything up.

Basically, they didn't have a plan on where to go. To me, that mistake is bigger than all of the canon changes (which were bad enough).