Theta Borealis?

[parmasson]

Just spinward of Theron and Coreward of the Great Rift is the sector of Theta Borealis. Does anyone know anything abut this sector? Ere any adventures ever set there? I was looking over a known space map and the systems are charted but nobody seems to live there.
Just wondering.

 

[Flynn]

To my knowledge, Group One released an 18 page supplement back in 1981, but most people wouldn't consider it canon and it's probably pretty hard to find now. That being said, I imagine you have a lot of freedom to do with that region of space whatever you'd like to, without fear of repercussions.

Hope this helps,
Flynn

 

[Starviking]

There was a draft of a DGP product called "Grand Explorations" on one of the HIWG CDs - IIRC there was info on the development of Theta Borealis. This also referred to Scout Base Stations for Spinward exploration. Two were metioned - at least one was in TB.

Starviking

 

[parmasson]

Bwhahahahah this sector is mine ALL MINE!

I feel a pocket empire coming on.

Now back to work on that Jump 7 drive.
(mumbles)

 

[Hemdian]

Originally posted by Flynn:
To my knowledge, Group One released an 18 page supplement back in 1981, but most people wouldn't consider it canon and it's probably pretty hard to find now. That being said, I imagine you have a lot of freedom to do with that region of space whatever you'd like to, without fear of repercussions.

Actually, Group One's entire Traveller range was set in Theta Borealis. In addition to the sector book, there were 3 "Encounter" books (local ship guides) and about a dozen adventures (each focused on a different world).

One of the significant aliens of the sector, the Zerp, were further detailed in a HIWG document. (I also used a Zerp STL colony ship as a major part of the Yori landgrab.)

AFAIK, the Group One stuff was never officially de-cannonised ... just fell into relative obscurity (though I've been able to find most of their items on eBay over the past year).

I've wanted to redevelop this area myself for some time, possibly as a commercial product with BITS, but todate I've been unable to make contact with the IP holder. (Group One was a formed by many former Judges Guild staff, including the owner of JG's sister, and after it folded some returned to JG. Its possible JG now holds the rights.)

Regards PLST

 

[GypsyComet]

JG has been doing D&D work through Necromancer Games (http://www.necromancergames.com/), but IIRC sold all their Traveller properties to Hunter/QLI.

If the Group One stuff isn't listed in the "Canon publications" section of Marc's reprinted CT books, then they *have* been decanonized. Since a lot of it was pretty substandard even for its day, this wouldn't be a surprise...

 

[Hemdian]

Interesting. But did the Group One IPs pass to Judges Guild?

On the issue of de-canonization: the Atlas of the Imperium (IIRC) *explicitly* de-canonised FASA and Judges Guild products (explaining why the atlas differed from preveouse products in those regions). Since Theta Borealis lies outside of the area covered by the atlas if it was de-canonised then it was implicitly done. That being so then I guess its up to whoever redevelops Theta Borealis to decide if they want to build on what went before or start from scratch.

Regards PLST

 

[GypsyComet]

FASA materials were less an issue, actually, as they weren't as dependent on sector mapping prior to the Atlas, and incorporated the Atlas into their later work in Reaver's Deep. Their early work, except for a little in the Old Expanses, was out in Far Frontiers, ad well beyond the reach of the Atlas.

JGs work, however, was the Gateway Domain, and was sufficiently "space opera silly" that GDW cheerfully overwrote it with the Atlas.

Whether the Group One stuff passed to JG is not something I'm aware of, but either the JG folks (as pointed to above) or Hunter (whenever he returns to our little fictional corner of the world) would be in a position to provide that answer. That said, Marc's most recent statements of Canonicity are found in the Big Floppy CT Reprints.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Originally posted by Hemdian:
...including the owner of JG's sister,...

JG had a sister? And she was owned by someone? I might have to go more toward Gnusam's IP concepts if this is true....

 

[Flynn]

So, I've heard that the Group One products were not held to the best production values, even for their time. Are any of them worth picking up? The only review I've found so far doesn't seem to indicate they are a good purchase:
http://www.freelancetraveller.com/features/reviews/g1phnx.html

Any other opinions?

Thanks,
Flynn

 

[Hemdian]

Well, production quality is sub-JG. In general I'd say they are about the worst Traveller supplements you can find. On the other hand there are no rosette worlds or other sillyness that you find in Paranoia Press products (for example).

I think the sector could be interesting if it had had a bit more development: the sector book itself shows the edge of an empire (on the edge of the sector) run by the agressive Zerp, plus a subsector-sized pocket empire on its border that has been annexed by the Zerp (nice little occupied territory ripe for adventures). The rest of the sector is a mess of weak independant worlds and pocket empires. And the Third Imperium, Zhodani Consulate, and Aslan Hierate are all too far away to be of much help (other than the occasional visit by a long range scout). So you have a real frontire feel. (Additionally, with little work you could substitute the Kafers (from 2300AD) for the Zerp.)

Unfortuneatly the Group One adventures and 'encounters' supplements are disjointed and don't explore this aspect. So, in addition to really really poor production standards, the Group One range is also a missed opportunity for something interesting and different. (But its fixable.)

I'll dig out my Group One stuff and post more detailed reviews if you really want.

Regards PLST

 

[Flynn]

I'll trust your evaluation, my friend, though I wouldn't mind a few more detailed reviews, just to see what I'm not really missing here. I may be a completist at heart, but I've got enough common sense (usually) to know when to not collect certain things. It sounds like Group One stuff falls into that common sense category.

With Thanks,
Flynn

 

[Hemdian]

Okay, here's a review of a typical Group One product:

Sapies

What you get:

Main booklet 16 pages (8.5x11 inches, black and white, typed, with about 4.5 pages worth of JG-grade illustrations) plus card cover (colour outside, no printing inside).

World map enlarged to fill 17x22 inch folded card insert. Very pink. One large continent with pink plains and two pink forests, one pink hilly region with 10 mountains, two blue rivers from mountains (one runs to a forest, the other runs into the brown ocean). Two cities marked (both named).

What is it:

"Sapies" is a world write-up of the world Sapies (A854643-9). There's a 'library data'-like paragraph introduction (misleadingly titled "History of Sapies" despite no historical information) and 2/3 page key to the insert map. Two pages on local animals (50% illustration). A page on a barbarian tribe, and a page on a minor race (reminded me of the salt creature from original Star Trek episode "The Man Trap") ... again 50% illustration. Three pages of animal enounter tables. Next comes a 'map' of one of the planet's cities (mix of circles, rectangles, and other shapes, all within an 8-pointed star) with key ... two pages of text and one of illustrations. Then comes another city write-up (1/2 page map looking more like a castle layout, followed by the key ... one page of text). Finally, there is a write-up of the "Barbarian Stronghold" (1/4 page map that wouldn't look out of place in a D&D supplement, followed by the key ... just over a page of text).

"Sapies" calls itself a "world adventure" but there is no adventure, plot, story line, or anything else other then what I've already described. A passing group of PCs could probably take out the barbarian stronghold (kill the 'monsters' and take the treasure), and earn the gratitude of the local king (all very D&D-ish). The planet's TL9 rating seems to mean that the troops manning the battlements of the castle are armed with laser carbines, auto-cannons, and a sandcaster (!?).

...

As I've said before, I like the ideas inherant in the sector book but the Group One products themselves are pretty bad.

Regards PLST