--- In , "krugerbf" <krugerbf@...> wrote:
>(I haven't looked at T4, T5, GURPS or any of the other variations yet).
>
Most editions of Traveller are set in their own specific chunk of the timeline with its own set of SF tropes. In timeline order:
GURPS Traveller Interstellar Wars (GURPS 4e) is set in the era of the Nth Interstellar War between the Terrans and the creaky Vilani Ziru Sirka. Cold War themes, exploration under fire, and the early cultural mixing of the Vilani and Terrans feature strongly.
Marc Miller's Traveller (T4) is set in the first hundred years of the Third Imperium, after the Long Night. Similar in some respects to TNE, themes of reclamation and re-exploration, and power struggles in an Imperium trying to define itself define the setting. Unlike TNE, the remnants being explored are merely decayed, and are not from an appreciably higher TL than "current".
Traveller 20 (T20, based on WotC's D20) is set during the Solomani Rim War, but defaults to the other end of the Imperium in Gateway. Tensions of a distant war, brewing local trouble that is not getting attention, and a mature Imperium define the era.
Classic Traveller (CT), Mongoose Traveller (MGT) (both 2d6), and Traveller Hero (Hero System) are all set in what many consider the default of Traveller, the golden age of the early 12th century of the Third Imperium, 1104-1115. Other than a brief war with the Zhodani out in the provinces, this is a Golden Age for much of Humaniti. It is, in retrospect also a powder keg about to pop. The K'kree are crusading against the G'naak beyond their borders for the first time in 3000 years, the Zhodani are suffering unheard of internal strife, and the power of the Imperial Archdukes is being restored...
MegaTraveller (MT, 2d6) is set in the resulting kablooie, the Rebellion following the apparent assassination of the Emperor by one of his Archdukes. While the Zhodani troubles and the Lords of Thunder continue unabated, the Imperium disintegrates. Tarnish on a Golden Age, Life During Wartime, and all the potential that a long civil war brings to a game are here.
Hard Times (still MegaTraveller) is set at the end of the Rebellion. War Exhaustion, failing infrastructures, lawlessness, and despair flavor this period. This era of cautious exhaustion ends with the Virus shutting down 95% of Charted Space...
Traveller The New Era (TNE, GDW d10/d20 House System) starts 70 years later in 1201. Virus is showing signs of burning itself out, with hints of what will follow. What is left of the Major Races starts to dig out and reach out. Re-exploration of the ruins of a fallen giant (or several), reawakening the dragon, and knocking on prison walls waiting for a response are overall parts of the era, with two of the most successful survivors also dealing with internal issues.
Defending the Flame (1248, systemless) covers the four books of the 1248 setting. While the setting itself furthers the themes of TNE and T4, with re-exploration and re-settling, and a new Fourth Imperium trying to find its legs, it was, as they say, a rough trip. The years between TNE and 1248 saw the genocidal return of the Lords of Thunder, the crusading K'kree of 150 years prior. The biggest empire the G'naak had ever created was on its knees, and the Lords were going to finish it off. They almost succeeded, coming within sight of destroying the last resistance Humaniti could have offered.
Beyond 1248 is uncharted, and I think it will stay that way, at least in print.
> I have heard of GM's mashing up their rules from different games, does anyone else here do that? If so what rules do you pick for different aspects of your games?
>
This is something you will find that some players do, and other players don't. Traveller has a large number of system snobs in its fanbase, and while I'm not convinced that many of them are actually playing the game, they refuse to mix editions or, in some cases, even look at editions beyond the one they latch onto.
So sad.
I wander a number of the lists, forums, and websites dedicated to Traveller, and a recurring theme is people, often veterans, wishing they had a solution to a particular problem or issue they have with "their" edition; Quite often, their problem has been solved in another edition...
To answer your question more directly, I consider all editions of Traveller big tool boxes, and I take from each what it does best, down to small details if necessary. While TNE doesn't need a lot of help in world building and ship building, I don't limit my ship component options to one edition, I typically use MT's world detailing rules (sadly OOP) alongside TNE's sterllar types and minimum TL for hostile environments, and I will use CT's animal encounter charts. Personal weaponry from just about anywhere is fair game. T4 and GT have alien races that appear nowhere else, some of which are useful, some not.
Marc has a LOT of Traveller's history for sale as PDFs. Mongoose is adding to that as fast as they can manage. The only edition I would tread cautiously in is T4, as much of it was written quickly, published before Marc could review it properly, and, frankly, stinks. Ask first. Everything else is worth the read, at least.
>(I haven't looked at T4, T5, GURPS or any of the other variations yet).
>
Most editions of Traveller are set in their own specific chunk of the timeline with its own set of SF tropes. In timeline order:
GURPS Traveller Interstellar Wars (GURPS 4e) is set in the era of the Nth Interstellar War between the Terrans and the creaky Vilani Ziru Sirka. Cold War themes, exploration under fire, and the early cultural mixing of the Vilani and Terrans feature strongly.
Marc Miller's Traveller (T4) is set in the first hundred years of the Third Imperium, after the Long Night. Similar in some respects to TNE, themes of reclamation and re-exploration, and power struggles in an Imperium trying to define itself define the setting. Unlike TNE, the remnants being explored are merely decayed, and are not from an appreciably higher TL than "current".
Traveller 20 (T20, based on WotC's D20) is set during the Solomani Rim War, but defaults to the other end of the Imperium in Gateway. Tensions of a distant war, brewing local trouble that is not getting attention, and a mature Imperium define the era.
Classic Traveller (CT), Mongoose Traveller (MGT) (both 2d6), and Traveller Hero (Hero System) are all set in what many consider the default of Traveller, the golden age of the early 12th century of the Third Imperium, 1104-1115. Other than a brief war with the Zhodani out in the provinces, this is a Golden Age for much of Humaniti. It is, in retrospect also a powder keg about to pop. The K'kree are crusading against the G'naak beyond their borders for the first time in 3000 years, the Zhodani are suffering unheard of internal strife, and the power of the Imperial Archdukes is being restored...
MegaTraveller (MT, 2d6) is set in the resulting kablooie, the Rebellion following the apparent assassination of the Emperor by one of his Archdukes. While the Zhodani troubles and the Lords of Thunder continue unabated, the Imperium disintegrates. Tarnish on a Golden Age, Life During Wartime, and all the potential that a long civil war brings to a game are here.
Hard Times (still MegaTraveller) is set at the end of the Rebellion. War Exhaustion, failing infrastructures, lawlessness, and despair flavor this period. This era of cautious exhaustion ends with the Virus shutting down 95% of Charted Space...
Traveller The New Era (TNE, GDW d10/d20 House System) starts 70 years later in 1201. Virus is showing signs of burning itself out, with hints of what will follow. What is left of the Major Races starts to dig out and reach out. Re-exploration of the ruins of a fallen giant (or several), reawakening the dragon, and knocking on prison walls waiting for a response are overall parts of the era, with two of the most successful survivors also dealing with internal issues.
Defending the Flame (1248, systemless) covers the four books of the 1248 setting. While the setting itself furthers the themes of TNE and T4, with re-exploration and re-settling, and a new Fourth Imperium trying to find its legs, it was, as they say, a rough trip. The years between TNE and 1248 saw the genocidal return of the Lords of Thunder, the crusading K'kree of 150 years prior. The biggest empire the G'naak had ever created was on its knees, and the Lords were going to finish it off. They almost succeeded, coming within sight of destroying the last resistance Humaniti could have offered.
Beyond 1248 is uncharted, and I think it will stay that way, at least in print.
> I have heard of GM's mashing up their rules from different games, does anyone else here do that? If so what rules do you pick for different aspects of your games?
>
This is something you will find that some players do, and other players don't. Traveller has a large number of system snobs in its fanbase, and while I'm not convinced that many of them are actually playing the game, they refuse to mix editions or, in some cases, even look at editions beyond the one they latch onto.
So sad.
I wander a number of the lists, forums, and websites dedicated to Traveller, and a recurring theme is people, often veterans, wishing they had a solution to a particular problem or issue they have with "their" edition; Quite often, their problem has been solved in another edition...
To answer your question more directly, I consider all editions of Traveller big tool boxes, and I take from each what it does best, down to small details if necessary. While TNE doesn't need a lot of help in world building and ship building, I don't limit my ship component options to one edition, I typically use MT's world detailing rules (sadly OOP) alongside TNE's sterllar types and minimum TL for hostile environments, and I will use CT's animal encounter charts. Personal weaponry from just about anywhere is fair game. T4 and GT have alien races that appear nowhere else, some of which are useful, some not.
Marc has a LOT of Traveller's history for sale as PDFs. Mongoose is adding to that as fast as they can manage. The only edition I would tread cautiously in is T4, as much of it was written quickly, published before Marc could review it properly, and, frankly, stinks. Ask first. Everything else is worth the read, at least.