The SciFi20 Project

[hunter]

Stripping T20 of its Traveller elements and making it a generic set of d20 Science Fiction rules.

The ultimate goal of this project is to make available a truly generic set of science fiction roleplaying rules for d20-based games, based on the original Traveller20 (T20) rules. Chapters from the original T20 Traveller's Handbook will be made available as Books here in the project and project members will be able to view and edit these files.

Once the transformation is complete they'll be maintained on the site as an ever evolving set of open rules for any type of science-fiction campaign.

If you are a T20 fan, here's your chance to help keep the legacy alive!

The SciFi20 Project

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE

• SciFi20 Player's Guidebook
• SciFi20 Design Manual

 

[Moebius]

SciFi20 alive still?

SciFi20 seems pretty cool to me. Is this still alive and passed away by now?

 

[aramis]

SciFi20 seems pretty cool to me. Is this still alive and passed away by now?

Died with Hunter.

 

[Moebius]

Died with Hunter.

That's too bad. Thanks. It was a nice game.

 

[Tikon]

http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?keywords=scifi20

Still for sale on Drivethru

 

[DonM]

Marc tells me that SciFi20 is owned by Hunter's estate, and is considered to still be an active concern. I have NO idea who to contact, and Marc wasn't sure. I'll ask again.

 

[savage]

Makes sense. The family probably has no cost in leaving it out there for potential sales. And it's a legacy.

 

[kilemall]

Hmmm, just read up on this, and I note there is a reference to a referee's handbook that is not on the buy or bundle list. Is there a missing book?

 

[savage]

Hmmm, just read up on this, and I note there is a reference to a referee's handbook that is not on the buy or bundle list. Is there a missing book?

What you see is what you get. There are threads discussing, in detail, the scifi20 situation. It appears Hunter was deleting references to Traveller and republishing QLI products. This made a few people with copyrights upset. Anyhow, it is what it is.

 

[rich4421972]

What you see is what you get. There are threads discussing, in detail, the scifi20 situation. It appears Hunter was deleting references to Traveller and republishing QLI products. This made a few people with copyrights upset. Anyhow, it is what it is.

Removing non-open content from an OGL document (i.e. all Traveller references, artwork, names and descriptive text) makes that document open. Gordon removed all Traveller-specific information, artwork and text and added his own closed content in the form of his illustrations, new species and unique rules making the new product proprietary. The d20 system (in its barest form) is open content, but the license must be used properly. The SciFi20 books contain both the Open game license 1.0a and a list of what is closed content and what is open.

Even if an author wanted a different system system for d20 modern setting, he/she could use the generic SRD without violating the original d20 modern setting intellectual property.

It is a delicious argument and very helpful for new game designers wishing to use the d20 system.
This situation (with SciFi20) is a very good case in point of the limitations and benefits of the open game license 1.0a

 

[savage]

Removing non-open content from an OGL document (i.e. all Traveller references, artwork, names and descriptive text) makes that document open. Gordon removed all Traveller-specific information, artwork and text and added his own closed content in the form of his illustrations, new species and unique rules making the new product proprietary. The d20 system (in its barest form) is open content, but the license must be used properly. The SciFi20 books contain both the Open game license 1.0a and a list of what is closed content and what is open.

Even if an author wanted a different system system for d20 modern setting, he/she could use the generic SRD without violating the original d20 modern setting intellectual property.

It is a delicious argument and very helpful for new game designers wishing to use the d20 system.
This situation (with SciFi20) is a very good case in point of the limitations and benefits of the open game license 1.0a

Yes. A nice summary of the situation. But clear as mud right? Or this could be a scenario too simple. Hunter protected his ship design system but that was about it. And I really question if that's legitimate based on other discussions.

Either way. Marc has reproduced the T20 materials on CDRom. I already had all of it so really didn't need the CD. Getting Scifi20 might provide Hunters' viewpoint but not sure it would be necessary to compare anything.

 

[rich4421972]

But clear as mud right?

Wow. I think I did oversimplify it.

I wonder how FFE got this stuff back to GDW. At any rate, the CD is awesome and I think we are all winners

By the way, here is the d20 modern SRD. I think that SciFi20 uses version 3.0. This might help to expand the features of a modern setting for d20
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/msrd

 

[savage]

Wow. I think I did oversimplify it.

I wonder how FFE got this stuff back to GDW. At any rate, the CD is awesome and I think we are all winners

By the way, here is the d20 modern SRD. I think that SciFi20 uses version 3.0. This might help to expand the features of a modern setting for d20
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/msrd

I downloaded it a few years ago, but i think you have a very good point.

 

[DonM]

As to how FFE got "this stuff" back to GDW, there is no more GDW to get back to. As to how FFE sells the T20 CDs, it's part of the agreement Hunter and Marc made with one another.

SciFi20 is a "fork" forward on the documents, but the Traveller20 versions went back to Marc by the agreement, while SciFi20 stayed with Hunter's estate.

And SciFi20 still has the flaw(?) that they work with the d20 Modern SRD, and not the d20Future SRD... I know Hunter was exploring that, but I fear he didn't go far before his untimely death.

 

[savage]

SciFi20 is a "fork" forward on the documents, but the Traveller20 versions went back to Marc by the agreement, while SciFi20 stayed with Hunter's estate.

And SciFi20 still has the flaw(?) that they work with the d20 Modern SRD, and not the d20Future SRD... I know Hunter was exploring that, but I fear he didn't go far before his untimely death.

Sure. He was licensing Traveller and it expired. SciFi20 was an effort to retain market share.

About SRDs: Is it a big flaw? I've never compared them.

 

[DonM]

I don't know, I never played either d20 Modern or d20 Future.

 

[aramis]

Sure. He was licensing Traveller and it expired. SciFi20 was an effort to retain market share.

It was more than just that. Hunter was, much like Marc, a tinkerer.

He was working on a variant engine from about the time he put T20 on the shelves.

About SRDs: Is it a big flaw? I've never compared them.

The differences between the d20 Modern and d20 Future SRD's is less than either from the D&D 3.X SRD's...

 

[savage]

It was more than just that. Hunter was, much like Marc, a tinkerer.

He was working on a variant engine from about the time he put T20 on the shelves.

The differences between the d20 Modern and d20 Future SRD's is less than either from the D&D 3.X SRD's...

Thanks for the insight. Hunter should have done just that. It makes sense.

I have the D20 Modern SRD, but not the Future SRD ( D20 OGL). Not seeing that one on Wizards web? Did they move ahead with it or perhaps i need to look harder.

There are interesting twists. I read the modern long ago but never discussed it. Modern says character creation is not covered and one cannot write a book based on Open License. But wonder what happens if someone with books decides to do a game. Well, more reading is worth the investigation.

 

[aramis]

Thanks for the insight. Hunter should have done just that. It makes sense.

I have the D20 Modern SRD, but not the Future SRD ( D20 OGL). Not seeing that one on Wizards web? Did they move ahead with it or perhaps i need to look harder.

There are interesting twists. I read the modern long ago but never discussed it. Modern says character creation is not covered and one cannot write a book based on Open License. But wonder what happens if someone with books decides to do a game. Well, more reading is worth the investigation.

You're looking at the wrong license... the D20M STL, I believe.

The actual D20M OGL license is a standard Wizards 1.0a OGL. Which allows using everything in the SRD....

Thing is, you can bring over character creation from other OGL SRD's with just extra declarations, so the lack of CGen was a speedbump.

 

[rich4421972]

As to how FFE got "this stuff" back to GDW, there is no more GDW to get back to. As to how FFE sells the T20 CDs, it's part of the agreement Hunter and Marc made with one another.

By "this stuff", I meant the canon documents of SciFi20 and T20 which are copyrighted to FFE (1977-2014) but are sold as "QuikLink Interactive" products at some PDF web stores.


As a player, I never really cared just thought it was a cool way to use d20 rules while still using the books and modules from CT.

My CD case (the one from the FFE store) still bears the QLI logo but is clearly marked as a FFE product ((c) 1977-2014). The RPG Realms logo is gone as is the official "d20 system" logo.



http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/95100/SciFi20-Players-Guidebook

http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/160094/D2001-Traveller20-Core-Rules-Set

If anyone can correct me, I would be very thankful. I love this version. I know there are viewpoints and opinions. The artwork is fantastic and I am happy that it is still available.