Nats is quite right to criticise the lack of animal speeds in the MgT core book, and the handling of movement is overall poor - there is only one base speed mentioned in the MgT book (6m/turn) with no consideration for injuries, encumberance, terrain, tactics etc. Which is not to say that a new system should be overcomplex - the emphasis should be on on playability.

Secondly, there are now two editions of Traveller due to be released; MgT and T5. So which one trumps the other. Should Mongoose do a second edition core book, then it has to be compatable with both what has been published in the Mongoose line and accomodate T5. Where there are discrepancies, the MgT 2nd Ed Core book should clealy flag them and offer sidebar advice as to how to manage discrepancies.

Given the cost of T5, Mongoose have an opportunity to establish 2nd Ed MgT Core rules as the red book rules to T5's Advanced rules - same concepts, but broader brushstrokes.

Finally, Nat did mention the omission of a few weapons - specifically the SMG. A 2nd ed MgT Core should also include bows etc. An understandable omission given CT's oversight.

As there are several strands discussing a possible 2nd Ed Core rulebook, should they be combined into one forum topic?

To be honest, I was priced out of the T5 Kickstarter ($150 for the print copy), but we'll see what it's like if it hits general release I guess. The cover was cool, and it was a mighty thick book to look out, but that's about all the info we have on it at the moment to be blunt.

The other consideration is in the online pdf copies. Traveller fits perfectly into the iPad model of production in some respects as the books can be chopped and changed, bookmarked and all sorts with nicely low MB files. It also is quite fitting to have all of them in one slim peice of machinery (I'm thinking of getting the iPad mini as it's perfect for reading on and for referencing). However, the Traveller books need a polish generally, with proper editing, formatted bookmarked contents, and maybe even another look at layout and art even.

The Mongoose Traveller line has served well so far as a versatile, flexible and fun engine for all sorts of sci-fi game. Apparently it sold really well too. At this point, it would be worthwhile simply trying to make the gameline look cool and sophisticated, however.

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What's the ugliest part of your body?
Some say it's your nose?
Some say it's your toes?
I think it's your mind!

Frank Zappa

And with the cost of T5 being a factor, then there is the risk of there being a fork between players of T5 and MgT. Hence the statement about the basic - advanced relationship, with MgT acting as an introduction to new players whilst maintaining a cohesive group around both versions. After all, wouldn't it be a pain if a good adventure was released using one ruleset but required the owner to kludge it to work with another...

Agreed, a 2nd edition should be passed through the editiorial and layout process anew, though I'm not too worried if some pieces of art are recycled. Some one else in another forum mentioned that PDFs were being released with layers, which bloat the file size and slow access. So factors like this and good indexing/hyperlinking should b e considered within the editiorial cycle before release.

Art recycling is a long-time Traveller tradition, so no worries there.

The once valid concept of a Traveller community is long since fragmented and fractious, so play whichever version suits you. T5 will only replace MGT if MGT vanishes, and there is no indication that this would happen any time soon.

It is rather funny to me, I use my own InHouse rules anyway so for me a 36+ yrs Traveller GM/Player I buy everything and anything as a reference or resource only. I never us anything as it was written anyway, so it matters not weather it is MgT or T5. I will buy it all, and tailor it to my own system.

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37+ yrs of RPGing, War Gamer, Table Top Minatures - Resin Space Minis
AD&D, D&D v2.5, D&D v3.5 & v3.75+ Pathfinder, Traveller, 2300 AD Traveller, Hero Systems v5R, Conan, Gama World, D100 Basic Roleplaying, D20 System. Anything SciFi

They still need a book for Citizens and Scholars.

Not written by whomever did Merc and Merchant, though. (Sorry but it is how I feel.)

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Baron Damascaa Kiikiigulii/Sakhag/Antares. Deal with it - come visit!

I agree that I would like a book that relates to the citizen and scholar careers (scholars in particular could benefit from improved event and mishap tables and further specialization). For citizens perhaps a method of creating civilian specialists might be in order, or an expanded role for the trade skill. Also the colonist specialization has a lot of intriguing possibilities too. I would also love a more detailed world building guide; not quite as complicated as the one created for megatraveller, just something to help the ref flesh out their worlds if they are having trouble.

There was plans for World Builders Guidebook once upon a time, not sure whatever happened to it.

Being worked on, though it may take a while (I have seen the first chapter though, and boy, does it have some detail )...

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Matthew Sprange

Mongoose Publishing
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com

That's good news. If I can make a suggestion, astrophysical detail is all very well - particularly if it's not constrained to only make 'realistic' systems - but just as interesting and perhaps more useful are the kind of details that the Stars Without Number world generation system focussed on.

This is a book that I am really excited about, especially if it takes into account some of the cool exoplanets discovered over the past decade. It's sobering to remember that when Traveller was originally published the existence of solar systems beyond our own was unproven and our knowledge of what they might be like was entirely theoretical. And yet, now we have identified no fewer than 846 planets beyond our own solar system - some of them very bizarre indeed!

However, I do agree with torus that a tight emphasis on how to use the information generated in your games is desirable.