Where would you like to see new setting/sector material?

[77topaz]

As I mentioned in my sector poll, I've been thinking of writing some setting material for Imperial sectors, inspired by Signal-GK's Encyclopaedia Dagudashaag. Since detailing all the worlds in a sector is a rather laborious process, I may start out focusing on a smaller area first, such as a quadrant or a subsector. But anyway, the sector poll allowed me to see which sectors were underdeveloped (at the time of writing, there are eight sectors which haven't received any votes yet, despite 21 people having voted already) and could use some ED-like material (though, Dagudashaag also hasn't received any votes yet...).

I looked at the less-popular sectors' data on TravellerMap, and narrowed it to a few sectors that I could think of some world or world group/adventure ideas for - those you see in the poll above. So, I decided to ask, which of these sectors would others be most interested in or like to see first? You can select multiple options, and I'm open to other suggestions, though I'd like to keep to the sectors of the T5SS for this, so the data I'm using doesn't suddenly get overwritten.

Some other projects I may work on in the near future including revising some of the older sector data on Explorer Base to T5 data format/standards, and there are still plenty of sectors on the edge of Charted Space (as well as in the Orion OB1 Association) where I could create new sector data...

 

[Timerover51]

I am working on my sector now, as far away from the Imperium and OTU as possible.

 

[coliver988]

I have not voted - still thinking about it. When I played way back, we played mostly in the Spinward Marches (I bought the deluxe set and may as well use those beautiful maps). Of course this was well before a lot of the internet, so we did play pretty loosely with just the stats to guide us.

Two games ago was in the Trojan Reach (no printed maps but now we have TravellerMap! Print on demand). Last game (and hopefully the next) is home-brewed, although I am sticking my little quadrant somewhere rimward along the Claw as I got those Mongoose maps from the Great Rift KS (I am apparently a sucker for maps...and deckplans...and dice...*sigh*, sucker for gaming in general).

What I meant to get to is that the sectors you've selected are well established sectors in terms of being part of the Imperium. While there are certainly a lot of potential gaming there, I prefer a more free-wheeling borderland feel of things. Strange new worlds and all that. Not that there can't be political intrigue, open warfare or even pirates :CoW: but it seems less likely to be what I consider Traveller adventures. My ideas of Traveller were shaped by the pre-Imperium Traveller mostly, so I will admit to a certain bias here.

 

[77topaz]

What I meant to get to is that the sectors you've selected are well established sectors in terms of being part of the Imperium. While there are certainly a lot of potential gaming there, I prefer a more free-wheeling borderland feel of things. Strange new worlds and all that. Not that there can't be political intrigue, open warfare or even pirates :CoW: but it seems less likely to be what I consider Traveller adventures. My ideas of Traveller were shaped by the pre-Imperium Traveller mostly, so I will admit to a certain bias here.

I understand what you're saying, but it's just that many of the Imperium's frontier sectors (Spinward Marches, Reaver's Deep, Domain of Gateway) have already been covered extensively by publications, while a lot of the interior has little or no publications or adventures. And the interior does contain several pockets of diversity and unique cultures, such as the Lancian Cultural Region in and around Gushemege.

But I've also created data for frontier sectors beyond the Imperium such as Amderstun and Grikr!ng, and I've also written about them (e.g. my Polities of Amderstun Sector article). I plan to revise/update the Amderstun data sometime in the next few months, and after I've done that I may write some more extensive/detailed setting material for that sector, if people would find that more interesting/useful than these Imperial sectors?

 

[Timerover51]

Based on what you are saying, I am going to have to move my sector a couple of sectors further to the Rimward to avoid you taking over the space.

 

[77topaz]

If you want to create a sector entirely divorced from the OTU (a "Faraway" sector in TravellerMap nomenclature), then it's probably a good idea to place it some distance away from Charted Space proper per advice from TravellerMap's creator Joshua Bell (inexorabletash). But "some distance" doesn't have to be that large - half a dozen sectors, maybe? If you ever want to submit your sector to TravellerMap, you should probably consult him about it.

You may also want to keep in mind the locations of Alagoric's Empty Stars region and my [url="http://explorerbase.wordpress.com/Orion_OB1_Association[/url]Orion OB1 Association region[/url], both of which can be seen on TravellerMap.

 

[Timerover51]

If you want to create a sector entirely divorced from the OTU (a "Faraway" sector in TravellerMap nomenclature), then it's probably a good idea to place it some distance away from Charted Space proper per advice from TravellerMap's creator Joshua Bell (inexorabletash). But "some distance" doesn't have to be that large - half a dozen sectors, maybe? If you ever want to submit your sector to TravellerMap, you should probably consult him about it.

You may also want to keep in mind the locations of Alagoric's Empty Stars region and my [url="http://explorerbase.wordpress.com/Orion_OB1_Association[/url]Orion OB1 Association region[/url], both of which can be seen on TravellerMap.

It might be simplest to ignore the Traveller Map entirely, and simply publish the sector as one for the Cepheus Engine. I will have to add about 3 extra sub-sectors to give the Space Vikings something to raid and pillage, maybe more than that, given the use of Piper's hyperdrive as well as the Jump Drive.

 

[Gray Lensman]

Voted for Other. I would like to see some of the Sectors where there are a lot of polities with out TOO much influence by the big powers such as Reaver's Deep or the Beyond. I prefer areas like that always.

 

[Enoki]

Other, definitely.

My personal preference would be for more on the "Mixed" and "Scattered" client states between the Imperium and the K'Kree and Hivers, both of which are extant, very alien, species rather than what you might call "Star Trek" ones (aka has funny bumps on forehead and nose) that act and look more or less human.

 

[77topaz]

Voted for Other. I would like to see some of the Sectors where there are a lot of polities with out TOO much influence by the big powers such as Reaver's Deep or the Beyond. I prefer areas like that always.

The current version of The Beyond already has a publication about it from Paranoia Press.

Other, definitely.

My personal preference would be for more on the "Mixed" and "Scattered" client states between the Imperium and the K'Kree and Hivers, both of which are extant, very alien, species rather than what you might call "Star Trek" ones (aka has funny bumps on forehead and nose) that act and look more or less human.

The thing is, most of those sectors already have published material for them as well - for one thing, the entire Domain of Gateway (Ley, Gateway, Glimmerdrift Reaches, Crucis Margin) was covered by Gateway to Destiny (and Paranoia Press before them), and the Hinterworlds Sector was written up in Challenge Magazine.

 

[mike wightman]

The best new Traveller product I have seen in ages is the Fall of Tinath in the MgT starter set - available separately.

Set far away from the Imperium - quite how humans are all the way over there is not really explained - and including one of the new galactic scale polities from T5 the Essaray (although true to form Mongoose got the spelling wrong).

A whole new part of the galaxy, a whole new type of campaign - I just hope they develop it with more material in the future.

 

[Enoki]

The thing is, most of those sectors already have published material for them as well - for one thing, the entire Domain of Gateway (Ley, Gateway, Glimmerdrift Reaches, Crucis Margin) was covered by Gateway to Destiny (and Paranoia Press before them), and the Hinterworlds Sector was written up in Challenge Magazine.

Which I have most of. The descriptions border on nonexistent. Most of what is published is a paragraph on one or another polity. It's like the description of Earth in Hitchhiker's: "Mostly harmless."

That's not very useful.

 

[khadaji2002]

Which I have most of. The descriptions border on nonexistent. Most of what is published is a paragraph on one or another polity. It's like the description of Earth in Hitchhiker's: "Mostly harmless."

That's not very useful.

I have that supplement as well, and I agree. There's a UWP for each system of those sectors, but there are write-ups for only three or four systems for each subsector, and those write-ups are usually only a paragraph. I would love to see even a single subsector detailed out to a higher degree.

 

[Enoki]

I have that supplement as well, and I agree. There's a UWP for each system of those sectors, but there are write-ups for only three or four systems for each subsector, and those write-ups are usually only a paragraph. I would love to see even a single subsector detailed out to a higher degree.

I have added my take on them in the Traveller Wiki. Still have a lot more to add too. I was very careful to build on what little was available in every case I could.

 

[Gray Lensman]

Which I have most of. The descriptions border on nonexistent. Most of what is published is a paragraph on one or another polity. It's like the description of Earth in Hitchhiker's: "Mostly harmless."

That's not very useful.

This! Even the Gateway to Destiny didn't really get too deep into the different worlds/Polities.

Take Reaver's Deep: Several Polities, a border region between three Major Powers = Just Plain Ripe for an "Official" Sourcebook.

 

[Timerover51]

"You are the master architect. If a chart gives you a result that you don't like, throw the book out the window and make your own choices!" World Builders Guidebook, TSR, 1996.

Gary Gygax's philosophy to perfection. BRAVO!!!!!

 

[Kilgs]

I have that supplement as well, and I agree. There's a UWP for each system of those sectors, but there are write-ups for only three or four systems for each subsector, and those write-ups are usually only a paragraph. I would love to see even a single subsector detailed out to a higher degree.

I'm working on it... my Gateway Supplement is only about... 3 years away :coffeesip:

DickNervous' spreadsheet finally granted me a single place to put all my notes and scribbles. Little by little...

 

[77topaz]

I'm working on it... my Gateway Supplement is only about... 3 years away :coffeesip:

DickNervous' spreadsheet finally granted me a single place to put all my notes and scribbles. Little by little...

Alright, then I'll avoid that region so I don't step on your toes.

What spreadsheet are you talking about?

 

[Kilgs]

I did put together a group to populate the Gateway Domain... could use a kickstart!

http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/group.php?groupid=8

 

[Frewfrux]

I voted "other." I would actually like to see more generic stuff, not specific sectors detailed out. Part of what I love about the Traveller rule sets is that you can explore random worlds. When they are all detailed out, it takes away from the game for me and I find myself having to reach into non-Imperium space to be able to set up the adventures I want.

I do realize that that there's a lot of "wiggle room" even within the OTU, and even though a sector map may look all explored it could easily be the case that it isn't, but there's still something extra, a bit more excitement maybe, when all you have is a dot map of stars and a guess as to the number of worlds there and you jump into the unknown....