Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
I bought a lot of Traveller stuff just for the canon.
What area would you like to see T5 set in.
- Thread starter Gray Lensman
- Start date
I bought a lot of Traveller stuff just for the canon.
Stuff like Twighlight's Peak, I played, GM'd and used for source material; depends on the adventure. This segues into selling adventures, they were both adventures and source material: Broadsword, Expedition to Zhodane, etc., and even if we didn't use them exactly we mined them for ideas. I ran a Traveller adventure in Thieves' World from Chaosium, so we played whatever seemed fun at the time.
This is no longer quite so true. GURPS 4e has as its "explicit setting" the "Infinite Worlds" universe, which is basically an excuse for kitchen-sink cross-universal travel based in a slightly advanced future history.
I agree that the T5 rules should stand on their own and yet offer a variety of examples. A good rule of thumb might be to offer two examples at any opportunity: one might consistently be from the classic-era Third Imperium, but the other should be from a rogue's gallery of options: the days of the Ancients, Ziru Sirka, E21, The Long Night, Milieu Zero, an anonymous homebrew, etc.
I have yet to see any significant indication that T5 is aiming at new roleplayers rather than nostalgic old-timers: the writing style, layout, etc. that I've seen certainly don't suggest such a focus. So spending much labor, space, and time on what everyone "already knows" (from existing collections or easily acquired backlist material) seems somewhat foolish. Better to deliberately expand the possibilities and fire the imagination for home-brewers / kit-bashers / etc.
A Motion to the Moot.
It has a few cool points.
Lower general TL more fitting of the Golden Age it is based on. The Zhodani are even more mysterious, but since it is two centuries before that disaster known as the Suppressions, you can full on Imperial Psionics and legal, supported Institutes. Imagine Imperial versus Zhodani both using Psionic Forces. The Frontier is way more wild. And for more fun there is Diplomatic maneuvers, black marketing and cross border shenanigans.
Plus if you do it like the Fifth Frontier War you have the interesting bits before the 1FW where the two cultures are still trading, exploring, and otherwise engaging each other peaceably. Then the vague shadows that grow darker on the horizon. Sudden fleet maneuvers, Detached Scouts being called in to give really detailed reports on what they have seen in Zho space, merchants asked to keep track of what goes through which port.
Yep, Citizen Strummist has an excellent proposal there. At least a historical sketch. (I swear we need an AAB Library Condensed History of the Imperiums.)
At this time I will reserve the rest of my time and let the next gentlebeing speak.
*bows and takes his seat*
Well, as a Noble in good standing in the Moot and some connections here and there as well as familial interest, I will gladly sponsor Citizen Strummist's Proposal for Setting.
It has a few cool points.
Lower general TL more fitting of the Golden Age it is based on. The Zhodani are even more mysterious, but since it is two centuries before that disaster known as the Suppressions, you can full on Imperial Psionics and legal, supported Institutes. Imagine Imperial versus Zhodani both using Psionic Forces. The Frontier is way more wild. And for more fun there is Diplomatic maneuvers, black marketing and cross border shenanigans.
Plus if you do it like the Fifth Frontier War you have the interesting bits before the 1FW where the two cultures are still trading, exploring, and otherwise engaging each other peaceably. Then the vague shadows that grow darker on the horizon. Sudden fleet maneuvers, Detached Scouts being called in to give really detailed reports on what they have seen in Zho space, merchants asked to keep track of what goes through which port.
Yep, Citizen Strummist has an excellent proposal there. At least a historical sketch. (I swear we need an AAB Library Condensed History of the Imperiums.)
At this time I will reserve the rest of my time and let the next gentlebeing speak.
*bows and takes his seat*
I'm sure this was mentioned already, but I think a Ziru Sirka setting would be neat. I'm not sure which part of it would be most attractive though -- probably the Interstellar Wars period. But even the Early Conquest period would be interesting, with the ZS waging war methodically through Vland rimward (mainly) and trailing (mainly).
I second Lord Eaglestone.
Yep, another winner. Also, T5 Supplement V: Vilani for Beginners. :devil:
What I think would be nice to see is a series of The History of the Imperiums issued by the AAB Library Press. Volume 1 covers what is known of Pre-History of Charted Space, Volume 2 highlights the rise of the Vilani, possibly with some references to those races and cultures known at the times, Volume 3 is of course the clash of empires or as we call it the Interstellar Wars, Volume 4 details the glory of the Rule of Man or the Ramshackle Imperium. Volume 5 is a collection of tales of the Long Night. The series concludes with Volume 6-10 which covers the Third Imperium from Founding during the Pocket Empires Period to the First Frontier War leading to the Civil War into the Suppressions right through to the Golden Age, then the Rebellion and Virus and then the Restoration and the New Era, possibly even some of that rumored 1200-1300 stuff.
Just saying I would buy them, and if no one else does (and yes I want my credit for the Idea at least, also document structure and outline, please), maybe I will. Don's Timeline is great and fanarking awesome, but it is dense, hard to digest and grok properly. A feast as deep as Traveller's History should be divided into discrete courses with some time in between to digest a bit and discuss the topics presented in fine company, perhaps even shipmates.
So, yes, let the record show that I second Professor Lord Eaglestone's suggestion as well.
Totally! Plus side more deep background on the Vilani (Bilani actually, iirc) and their culture.
Yep, another winner. Also, T5 Supplement V: Vilani for Beginners. :devil:
What I think would be nice to see is a series of The History of the Imperiums issued by the AAB Library Press. Volume 1 covers what is known of Pre-History of Charted Space, Volume 2 highlights the rise of the Vilani, possibly with some references to those races and cultures known at the times, Volume 3 is of course the clash of empires or as we call it the Interstellar Wars, Volume 4 details the glory of the Rule of Man or the Ramshackle Imperium. Volume 5 is a collection of tales of the Long Night. The series concludes with Volume 6-10 which covers the Third Imperium from Founding during the Pocket Empires Period to the First Frontier War leading to the Civil War into the Suppressions right through to the Golden Age, then the Rebellion and Virus and then the Restoration and the New Era, possibly even some of that rumored 1200-1300 stuff.
Just saying I would buy them, and if no one else does (and yes I want my credit for the Idea at least, also document structure and outline, please), maybe I will. Don's Timeline is great and fanarking awesome, but it is dense, hard to digest and grok properly. A feast as deep as Traveller's History should be divided into discrete courses with some time in between to digest a bit and discuss the topics presented in fine company, perhaps even shipmates.
So, yes, let the record show that I second Professor Lord Eaglestone's suggestion as well.
Some awesome ideas there, Strummist, Magnus and robject. My reading of T5 (now half way) is that it will support a wide variety of Traveller settings.
When I think of supporting more than one milieu, all I worry about is starships and sectors. Right or wrong, I tend to assume that chargen will be relatively stable, and that TL effects can take care of/introduce/remove equipment one way or another, and that setting support (worlds, sophonts, vehicles, etc) can be generated either officially or as a fan effort.
On the other hand, I think that starships might need wider support for the TL of a particular era. Don't ask me what that means, I'm just thinking out loud. Along with that idea, I think that generating a sector means something different whether you're generating it in an established, far-flung empire, or a region of sophont-homeworld-oriented pocket empires, or a barren piece of the galaxy.
Is it just me? What am I missing?
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Starships are generic and supported by their TL, right? I think T5 is generic enough to support just about any era of the OTU, otherwise anyone could make it fit whatever they want out of it. There is a good amount that needs to be playtested and fine tuned, combat formost, but I'm just thinking about what happens when the characters run into combat, which should be soon.
nats
SOC-12
I strongly disagree that Traveller 5 should be wholly generic set of rules. It should be strongly tied to the 3rd Imperium and at the standard date of 1105 as that is the time and place that we all know and love. I hate it when products start introducing loads of ambiguous types of technology like warp gates, hyperspace etc that dont fit with the overall game philosophy just so that 'spin off' products can be created. If people want Star Trek or Babylon 5 etc let them go and buy another generic RPG like GURPS that has been specifically designed for that. Travellers original classic setting is superb, has never been bettered and Marc should stick to it.
As for the areas there is no stronger area than the Spinward Marches - a frontier sector full of Vargr, Aslan, Zhodani with conflict, pirates, myths, unrest and massive patrol fleets. You just cannot better this area for adventure. If T5 doesnt have a sector map of the Spinward Marches within its 650 pages I will be very surprised.
As for the areas there is no stronger area than the Spinward Marches - a frontier sector full of Vargr, Aslan, Zhodani with conflict, pirates, myths, unrest and massive patrol fleets. You just cannot better this area for adventure. If T5 doesnt have a sector map of the Spinward Marches within its 650 pages I will be very surprised.
rich4421972
SOC-12
My vote would definitely be for the Gateway region/Ley Sector. Traveller20 was set in this region but, I feel, never used it to its potential. It is filled with new races, dozens of small empires and is next to the K'Kree Two-thousand worlds and somewhat close to the Vargyr Extents. Travellers have been warned about the K'Kree and their distaste for carnivores, but I think that cultural traitr could be played out in a Gateway campaign. I think that 1105 is also a good setting for this era in that it is not known how things would be in the year 0, 1115 or even 1212.
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I tend to agree, though we shouldn't shut out those who want to play Traveller in their own ATU. Settings I'd like to see are:
- The Spinward Marches during the 'Golden Age' is almost a Rosetta Stone for different editions of Traveller.
- The Julian Wars. New region and time that's not been well covered before.
- Somewhere established during the Psionic Supressions.
I'd like it to be setting neutral. Ditch SS as an attribute too.
DangerousThing
SOC-13
I agree strongly.
I've been running T5 for some time now with no use of the OTU.
I also use a different drive and power setup (yes, my ships run on batteries).
My next campaign will be still using T5 and it will be set after an event I call The Shattering which killed 9 out of 10 people and destroyed high tech electronics.
On the other hand it made magic easier.
You can do a lot with T5 if you think about it. Though perhaps I'll go to the FATE system next time.
It's too late for T5, but as a general principle (might help with T6, eh?), I think that the rules should be both generic AND setting specific and that the writers should be concious of the difference.
As an example that I've used before, military ranks might be described (in the basic rules) as they have been in all previous Traveller rules, but with a final comment that this is explicitly a generic description that can vary considerably from state to state. A description of the Imperial Navy (in the 3rd Imperium Sourcebook) might then mention three or four command level above O10 to account for subsector level, sector level, domain level and Imperium level with the appropriate ranks to cover them, while a description of, say, the Arden Navy (in the Arden Sourcebook) might say that it has five ranks, lieutenant, commander, captain, commodore, and admiral, and that each rank covers two command levels (junior lieutenant = O1, senior lt. = O2, junior commander = O3, etc.), perhaps with a modification to the character generation rules that "promotions" from junior to senior are automatic as seniority accrue and giving a chance (with negative DM) of actual promotions from O1 directly to O3, O3 directly to O5, etc.)
Hans
As an example that I've used before, military ranks might be described (in the basic rules) as they have been in all previous Traveller rules, but with a final comment that this is explicitly a generic description that can vary considerably from state to state. A description of the Imperial Navy (in the 3rd Imperium Sourcebook) might then mention three or four command level above O10 to account for subsector level, sector level, domain level and Imperium level with the appropriate ranks to cover them, while a description of, say, the Arden Navy (in the Arden Sourcebook) might say that it has five ranks, lieutenant, commander, captain, commodore, and admiral, and that each rank covers two command levels (junior lieutenant = O1, senior lt. = O2, junior commander = O3, etc.), perhaps with a modification to the character generation rules that "promotions" from junior to senior are automatic as seniority accrue and giving a chance (with negative DM) of actual promotions from O1 directly to O3, O3 directly to O5, etc.)
Hans
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And use what instead?
DangerousThing
SOC-13
I use Charisma, which IMTU is a generalization of a beings life force or soul. It merely means you get noticed, but the modifier can be positive or negative depending on the situation.
Soc is a calculated characteristic.
