Okay... Since Mongoose were kind enough to give us a whole forum in which to accommodate my fanboy hopes and dreams (and because I'm slightly too busy/lazy to do all the work myself), I want to throw out my reasons why Blakes 7 would make a great setting book for Traveller.

Link for the uninitiated: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake%27s_7

Because how could "the Dirty Dozen in space" ever be a bad idea? Distinctive feel, distinctive darkness and moral ambiguity

Because watching the TV show's ragtag band thrown together by chance, clashing aims and personalities, sometimes winning, often getting in trouble, and sometimes failing (or being killed!) really reminds me of a group of player characters struggling to get by.

Because you could lavish attention on an 'evil empire' that's soooooo much more convincing and nasty than the one in Star Wars - Faceless 'stormtroopers' that scare me a little even now, brainwashed supersoldiers, drugged populaces, rigged trials, tyrannical space captains and femme fatale Supreme Commanders. Plenty to fight against...or be part of!

Characters packed with personality - especially the AIs (Zen, Orac, Slave), making them great NPCs.

Aside from a few gaffs (like using treating the terms 'galaxy' and 'solar system' as interchangeable) the universe fits that pulp meets hard science space opera approach that Traveller has always done so well: lasers need powerpacks, slugthrowers are the most common weapon, etc. A humancentric universe but with human mutants and offshoots, clones and psychic powers for variety. Also...

Classic pulp sci fi like mad computers, psychic mutants, acidic space goo, android gunslingers, etc. Neutral worlds to trade with and hide on, rebel colonies, prison planets. Unseen aliens lurking on the horizon.

Multiple time periods you could play in, from Blake's first rebellion to the tumultuous times of the TV series (alien invasions, contraction, expansion), to 30 years later as the possibly surviving Avon gathers a new group to fight against the Federation. Parties could work crushing the rebel scum, work for one of the Federation's many resistance cells, or skirt the area between of known space.

A recognisable brand name and existing fanbase, but no current TV series, audio plays, etc to compete with.

Best of all….It's British!

[UPDATE]: Post now working thanks to the fantastic Phil Hibbs!

Err.. posts show as blank Dan.

Never mind the blanks posts. Enough said really in the thread title.

Mongoose Traveller Rules + Blakes 7 IP = WIN !!!!111ONE11!!

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"You should never be in the company of anyone with whom you would not want to die"

I know, it's weird. Yet if I try to 'quote' myself, all the text is there. I guess this part of the forum just hates me… that or it’s all an evil plot by Servalan.

Some quote my first post and all will make sense, I promise.

Alleged posts about criminal dissidents do not exist. Please return to your assigned tasks, Delta grades.

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AEONS in the making

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake%27s_7
It's the link, I don't think the forum likes the apostrophe in it.

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Phil Hibbs. (wiki)

Thanks, Phil - on behalf of rebels, space pirates, acerbic computers, and villainesses in sheer white evening dresses everywhere!

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Level One Freelancer.
Author of Northlands - Roleplaying in the Dead of Winter for Pathfinder.

Count me in for this. Despite its cheesiness Blakes 7 is awesome.

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4. Shooting is not too good for my enemies.
The Evil Overlord's Survival Guide

Would love this, Dr Who has a game so why not?

Plus my players are much closer to the crew of the liberator than they are to anything Trek!

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Madness does not always howl. Sometimes, it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'Hey, is there room in your head for one more?'

Traveller has always been more "Star Wars" than "Star Trek", and Blakes 7 has some of the same gritty elements that Star Wars did, minus the aliens.

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Phil Hibbs. (wiki)

I'm up for it ! Definately more a 'Dirty Dozen' theme than 'Starwars'.
The alien lifeforms will be more convincing coming from a GM's description than the TV versions !

Do we need a separate set of rules to achieve this?

It's very possible with the generic rules etc to design your own Liberator/Scorpio as well as a myriad of Federation Pursuit ships, as well as some other vessels from the enigmatic creators of the Liberator.

There were alien races in B7, the living planet, just that the Federation kept them well away like the huge Galactic Minefield in Star One..

Personally it would be great to have, especially as the canon material has been expanded by the Audio plays being produced by Big Finish..

One to keep fingers crossed for

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Member of StevenageGamers

Possibly not a set of rules, but a compiled and organised setting book would be a big plus for referees. Given the licencing problems with this property, though, I would be very surprised if the sales would be worth the cost and effort for a publisher.

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AEONS in the making

Funnily enough, at Claudiacon, I was sitting right next to the chap who currently owns Blake's 7. We got chatting about games and licensing...

I don't know if anything will happen, but it could be interesting

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Matthew Sprange

Mongoose Publishing
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com