Vote Your Canon #3: The Gazelle (consensus: yes, but problems noted)

[aramis]

The thing is, the older editions may or may not have been wrong, but they aren't going to be updated.

Don't count on that. Marc is considering a relayout of CT to incorporate the errata. I suspect Rob's doing some of the legwork on that, since Don no longer can. (May he rest in peace.)
AFAIK, the final decision hasn't been made. But there's definitely demand in the US and Europe for a CT revamp. Whether that's CT 3rd or T6 is another matter that's not within my need to know.

 

[Dragoner]

Indeed the truth of the matter is that for all the universe breaking features of the Gazelle, it doesn't break the universe, over the years I have run it in combat at least 20 times and it fares rather middling, towards not so great, which is fine. It sort of lays bare another essential truth is that maybe all the crunch in spacecraft isn't really needed for what Traveller does. I mean yes, making a 20kt light cruiser and that is cool and all, except it's war game territory, which is great, if not exactly relevant to RPG's.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Marc is considering a relayout of CT to incorporate the errata.

Would such a thing be a "purist" effort to stay as "faithful" to the original material as possible ... or would there be some "tidying up" done to resolve certain issues that have been popular to debate over the last ... {checks clock} ... 40 years or so to tighten up internal consistency of various loose ends consistent with the original spirit of CT?

Because I'll put one marker on the table for everyone (including Marc) to think about.
It would be rather interesting to have a new edition of CT set in the Imperial 1060s ... some ~40 years prior to the Fifth Frontier War as the "official" setting and almost ~20 years before the Fourth Frontier War in the Spinward Marches.

Sort of a CT prequel setting before 1105.
Could even set it up as an officially sanctioned ATU branch that keeps the official 1105 setting "close enough" to the 40+ year old CT publications without necessarily carrying the entirety of the "historical baggage" kicked off by the assassination of Emperor Strephon (seemingly out of nowhere) that resulted in the release of the Virus, the "insanity" of the Empress Wave and the rest of everything else that happened in the current OTU(s).

A pre-classic CT update ... if you like.
Close enough to the original, but with some subtle alterations and updates informed by what has been learned in the past 40 years of development.

How does that sound?

 

[whartung]

Well, as I said in the other thread, the LWB is a real joy. I don't know if it would be that much better with Books 4-7 in them (as iconic as they are to the system, especially 4 and 5).

Unless you actually hold it in your hand (or, I guess, make your own), its hard to convey the charm of this book.

Combing the first 7 books, re-typeset, into a "Traveller Book" format along with a companion "Traveller Adventure" has promise but...

And that's kind of what Mega Traveller sorta-kinda was, early on. The first 7 books reprinted (badly).

Still. It's just so big.

There's so much simplicity in the LWB (that we, here, almost ruin, to be honest).

 

[Grav_Moped]

Whether that's CT 3rd or T6 is another matter that's not within my need to know.

A T6 that's the 3 LBBs redone to match T5 would be nifty. Basically, "Starter T5". Bonus points for including footnotes cross-referencing T5 for players/referees who want more detail.

 

[Condottiere]

Kickstarter.

I suspect more aligned with Tee Five design rules.

 

[Jame]

This is why I prefer the Type T.

 

[aramis]

Would such a thing be a "purist" effort to stay as "faithful" to the original material as possible ... or would there be some "tidying up" done to resolve certain issues that have been popular to debate over the last ... {checks clock} ... 40 years or so to tighten up internal consistency of various loose ends consistent with the original spirit of CT?

NOT speaking for Marc
Marc is an inveterate tinkerer. It would undoubtedly not be just CT2 with errata.
There would undoubtedly be some changes for sanity, a few bits more for Marc's preferences, and a few because of fan whingeing. And a few "texture" elements would remain despite that

How does that sound?

Too close after T20...
Otherwise? not bad, save for the inevitable retcons it would generate. I'd personally prefer M1900 or M600 (Civil War)... but then I enjoyed running the Rebellion and Hard Times. Many don't. (and I detest Virus, but Marc won't expurgate it.)

Marc considers himself bound by existing canon.

I was one of those hoping Avenger would have gotten the license; the ACT draft was really close to perfect for my tastes.

 

[aramis]

A T6 that's the 3 LBBs redone to match T5 would be nifty. Basically, "Starter T5". Bonus points for including footnotes cross-referencing T5 for players/referees who want more detail.

Many of us don't want the complexity nor open toolkit rather than setting.

 

[whartung]

Many of us don't want the complexity nor open toolkit rather than setting.

Are you suggesting this might be an Imperial Traveller, rather than "just rules"?

Another milieu can always be good.

Something of the scope and scale of GT:ISW would be nice.

 

[robject]

I second the T5 LBBs. I've always wanted the LBB content updated/replaced/whatever with T5 content "poured into" its mold.

Give me the general amount of rules contained in the LBBs and let me play Traveller.

 

[aramis]

Are you suggesting this might be an Imperial Traveller, rather than "just rules"?

Another milieu can always be good.

Something of the scope and scale of GT:ISW would be nice.

IIRC, T5 bk 4 is slated to be M1900. It's ... different. Regina is a local polity and off the main routes... as the main routes are hop-1...

 

[whartung]

IIRC, T5 bk 4 is slated to be M1900. It's ... different. Regina is a local polity and off the main routes... as the main routes are hop-1...

So, this is a "The Death of Route 66" expansion.

 

[aramis]

So, this is a "The Death of Route 66" expansion.

Not exactly... the setting operates on two levels - the local bypassed worlds, and the big, important worlds on the new routes... I don't know much more than that. Robject probably knows more, but I suspect he's been sworn to secrecy about his greater knowledge than mine of M1900.

 

[Spinward Flow]

the local bypassed worlds, and the big, important worlds on the new routes...

So ... Hop over space ...

 

[Condottiere]

Stop; you must not hop over pop(ulation).