The "feel" of Traveller

[WendellM]

I've recently been rereading Poul Anderson's "Dominic Flandry" books and stories after several years and am reminded how much Traveller seems to owe to them (that's a compliment no matter how you look at it). Its Terran Empire is sometimes called "the Imperium" and has a similar feel of somewhat decadent and decaying nobility. The technology has similarities such as grav belts and the mixed use of swords and advanced projectile/energy weapons (though there are differences with "blasters" and "hyperdrive"). And, its overall feel is much more about its own history, exotic (though realistic) worlds, and believable aliens than typical "sci-fi" soap opera, crude allegories, or mindless flash-bang adventure.

Traveller reflects other influences of course (several other authors' universes come to mind) and also has a good amount of original material. But what I like best is how much Traveller has an intelligent "SF literature" (as opposed to cheesy sci-fi TV/movie) feel.

What's your take?

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Wendell (IMTU tc++ tm !tn !t4 !tg ru+ ge+ 3i+ c+ jt- au ls+ he)

 

[kafka47]

Agreed. But, I would like to still see Traveller keep up the developments in the SF writers market. For me, I would like to see something ultra-realistic but in keeping with traditions of FTL travel, aliens, blasters and whatnot. Is that an oxymoron?

The first two Alien films (especially, the first) prove that it can be done.

The feel of Traveller is odd when I reflect upon it. It has hundreds of Earth-like worlds in close promixity of one another and humanity greatest enemy is itself. I love the tapestry that Traveller promises, I just wish that I could get a better feeling for the exotic which is the feeling that I seek in my SF reading. Somehow also the starkness is gone in Traveller. I am aware that humanity has been amongst the Stars since Bablylonian times but still until the 3I there was not major terraforming projects, save by the Ancients. I would expect worlds to be more rugged and frontier like with core civilizations clustered here and there. The closest that I have seen in Traveller is the Keith rendition of Reaver's Deep (Cargonaught Press).

 

[tjoneslo]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by kafka47:
Agreed. But, I would like to still see Traveller keep up the developments in the SF writers market. For me, I would like to see something ultra-realistic but in keeping with traditions of FTL travel, aliens, blasters and whatnot. Is that an oxymoron?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
It's not an oxymoron, but Traveller has always been more about the human condition than about the cool toys. Too many new neat things and the essence of what Traveller tries to explore gets lost.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
The first two Alien films (especially, the first) prove that it can be done.

The feel of Traveller is odd when I reflect upon it. It has hundreds of Earth-like worlds in close promixity of one another and humanity greatest enemy is itself. I love the tapestry that Traveller promises, I just wish that I could get a better feeling for the exotic which is the feeling that I seek in my SF reading. Somehow also the starkness is gone in Traveller. I am aware that humanity has been amongst the Stars since Bablylonian times but still until the 3I there was not major terraforming projects, save by the Ancients. I would expect worlds to be more rugged and frontier like with core civilizations clustered here and there. The closest that I have seen in Traveller is the Keith rendition of Reaver's Deep (Cargonaught Press).<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Traveller has always had a flavor of exploring the old, rather than discovering the new. Some of the stark alien-ness of Traveller has been lost over the years because we have gotten more used to the strange and unusual.

I've seen a number of Traveller players take to Transhuman Space like a fish to water, partly because it asks the same questions about what is humanity (also because TS has all the cool toys that Traveller doesn't), where Traveller uses aliens, TS uses bio-mod humans and cybershell AIs.

One of the reasons the Traveller canonistas have become so reluctant to simply add new things to the universe because doing so changes things, sometimes in unexpected ways. But I'd love to see what you think is missing.

 

[Doctor Rob]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by kafka47:
I love the tapestry that Traveller promises, I just wish that I could get a better feeling for the exotic which is the feeling that I seek in my SF reading. Somehow also the starkness is gone in Traveller. I am aware that humanity has been amongst the Stars since Bablylonian times but still until the 3I there was not major terraforming projects, save by the Ancients. I would expect worlds to be more rugged and frontier like with core civilizations clustered here and there.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Given how little information is provided about each world in supplements such as The Spinward Marches, this kind of "ruggedness" is easy to incorporate.

Indeed, most worlds seem to have very low populations (compared to current Earth, that is). If these are clustered into relatively dense communities (arcologies, domed cities, etc.), or the reverse (i.e. small, thinly spread communities) there is plenty of scope for "ruggedness".

I recall reading a GURPS Traveller supplement which indicated that many world in sectors such as the Spinward Marches are comparatively unexplored. Furthermore, if one presumes that most in-system space travel occurs within the 100 diameter free jump zone, the outer reaches of most systems will be relatively unexplored. The rationale? Populations (and resources) are too thinly spread throughout frontier regions to justify detailed system surveys beyond that which is required for Navigational purposes.

Consider how little is know of the ocean deapths on todays Earth...

Cheers,
Rob

 

[Elliot]

The lack of 'frontier feel' is partly down to Traveller's long term success (if not for the companies that produce it!)

When I started playing in '79 or '80 (yawn) the main RPG (especially in England where things were scarce)we had was AD&D. TSR did stuff in amazing detail and the personality of Gary Gygax was everywhere.

GDW products on the other hand were sparse and required fleshing out - e.g. The Kininur - as an adventure it composed of a group of disparate nuggets that really involve a lot of effort to make them run together properly. In my CT campaign, the final discovery in Shionthy belt took place long after RSG had been raided, Twilight's Peak unravelled and the mission of Mithril completed.

GDW material was not like the Tomb of Horrors, it left more unanswered than completed (. . . now what should I do with that warrant?)

I was also horrified as a young lad to buy the Spinward Marches and get a map and some stats - but it put me to work developing thing in my own way.

I think this is why canonista's don't get on with GURPS, et al. In comparison with the sparse information provided by GDW, they provide explicit detail of everything (well almost). While this is professional it does fetter the imagination.

I think the market demands a TSR/Gurps/WW approach these days, but I do think that the old amatuerish GDW/FASA type product had a lot going for it.

 

[Vargas]

I'm not sure I would use the term amateurish; GDW and FASA produced products comperable to what was being done at the time. And I agree with you in great measure, everything need not be defined in copious detail to make it playable and fun.

 

[rancke]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Elliot:
I think this is why canonista's don't get on with GURPS, et al. In comparison with the sparse information provided by GDW, they provide explicit detail of everything (well almost). While this is professional it does fetter the imagination.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

One, or even half a dozen, paragraphs about a world does not fit my definition of the word 'detail'. Far from fettering my imagination, a small writeup (most often devoid of anything resembling detail) acts as a framework for my imagination to build on.

Hans