Reft Sector Goodness
- Thread starter dreamingbadger
- Start date
AndrewW
Emperor Mongoose
cbrunish said:DeadMike said:
I don't know why you use Amazon. Every time I have ordered from Mongoose, I have not had a problem with delivery. Ordered Aslan on a Friday morning and recieved it by Monday's mail. Now that's service!!
Price most likely. If they have it can be that quick on stuff I order from Amazon (and that's with free shipping).
AndrewW said:cbrunish said:DeadMike said:
I don't know why you use Amazon. Every time I have ordered from Mongoose, I have not had a problem with delivery. Ordered Aslan on a Friday morning and recieved it by Monday's mail. Now that's service!!
Price most likely. If they have it can be that quick on stuff I order from Amazon (and that's with free shipping).
Exactly right. Being a disabled vet with a wife and two kids I only have so much I can spend on books. Someone gave me prime account, so I get two day shipping free. Closest game store is 200 miles away, otherwise I would go that route.
Dark Lord Skippy
Mongoose
AndrewW said:
That's my reason. I get free shipping and its a bit cheaper besides.
I dont mind it being a bit late, but if this May 25th date they are giving me is a reality.... I'll be a bit miffed.
qstor
Banded Mongoose
Martin, you'll be missed. I was greatful for your GURPS and T20 work.
I guess only Martin could answer this. I don't think he checks the boards much.
Was any of the Traveller's digest stuff used or did most of it come from the TNE material on the sector? Like the backdated UWPs?
Mike
I guess only Martin could answer this. I don't think he checks the boards much.
Was any of the Traveller's digest stuff used or did most of it come from the TNE material on the sector? Like the backdated UWPs?
Mike
Rikki Tikki Traveller
Cosmic Mongoose
I assume you meant "Missed" not "Pissed"... :shock:
He probably had to use the original CT sources. The Reft Sector, at least the Islands Cluster was in Trillion Credit Squadron.
Based on what happened with the Spinward Marches book, that was probably the primary source for UWPs.
He probably had to use the original CT sources. The Reft Sector, at least the Islands Cluster was in Trillion Credit Squadron.
Based on what happened with the Spinward Marches book, that was probably the primary source for UWPs.
The Dark Avenger
Mongoose
I already answered the question about canon UWP sources.... but in more detail, I was provided with a compiled list of UWPs and world data which came from Don McKinney.
This was used verbatim, with no attempts to 'fix' anything. I am not aware of, and do not care about, the source of this information. It was provided to me on behalf and at the behest of the client (Mongoose) and the work was created using this information as presented.
Additional data was obtained from Trillion Credit Squadron probably some other 'canon' Traveller sources. I do not recall precisely which books were consulted, but I am certain that every piece of data that was used came from a published Traveller book recognised as 'canon'.
A certain amount of creativity and common sense were applied to details extrapolated from this raw data, but the UWP and similar information were used as presented to me.
This was used verbatim, with no attempts to 'fix' anything. I am not aware of, and do not care about, the source of this information. It was provided to me on behalf and at the behest of the client (Mongoose) and the work was created using this information as presented.
Additional data was obtained from Trillion Credit Squadron probably some other 'canon' Traveller sources. I do not recall precisely which books were consulted, but I am certain that every piece of data that was used came from a published Traveller book recognised as 'canon'.
A certain amount of creativity and common sense were applied to details extrapolated from this raw data, but the UWP and similar information were used as presented to me.
The Dark Avenger
Mongoose
I stated above that Reft Sector was my last Traveller book. In fairness to my current clients, I need to correct that.
I have begin writing SF gaming material for another publisher (who I won't name on the Mongoose boards), and this material uses the Mongoose Traveller rules. There are also Avenger books in the pipeline, and it is possible that there will be more if these generate sufficient revenue.
However, the spirit of my statement remains true - I'm done with the Official Traveller Universe. That decision arose mainly from finanical considerations that have not changed - I write for a living and too many projects have been derailed or delayed due to the politics of the Traveller community, notably among those closest to Marc Miller. I simply cannot afford to waste work-time.
I would be willing to tackle OTU materials on the right terms - which means decent money and a guarantee that someone else bears the risk of interference from the usual or some other gang of idiots - but I have no real interest in it any more. Hunter Gordon and certain other people did a great job of crippling my enthusiasm, and the internal politics of the community surrounding Marc Miller pretty much finished it off.
I have begin writing SF gaming material for another publisher (who I won't name on the Mongoose boards), and this material uses the Mongoose Traveller rules. There are also Avenger books in the pipeline, and it is possible that there will be more if these generate sufficient revenue.
However, the spirit of my statement remains true - I'm done with the Official Traveller Universe. That decision arose mainly from finanical considerations that have not changed - I write for a living and too many projects have been derailed or delayed due to the politics of the Traveller community, notably among those closest to Marc Miller. I simply cannot afford to waste work-time.
I would be willing to tackle OTU materials on the right terms - which means decent money and a guarantee that someone else bears the risk of interference from the usual or some other gang of idiots - but I have no real interest in it any more. Hunter Gordon and certain other people did a great job of crippling my enthusiasm, and the internal politics of the community surrounding Marc Miller pretty much finished it off.
The Dark Avenger
Mongoose
Curious. I wrote a sig line explaining that this is me, MJD. My MJD account is inaccessible thanks to, well, basically the fact that I suck at Internetz.
Anyway, I don't have a problem with Mongoose. I'll work with Mongoose happily enough. Traveller, or rather official traveller, is the problem for me since it involves far too much pointless hassle to be viable as a job.
As I've said elsewhere, I write for a living and game stuff pays very poorly. To have that payment delayed or even stalled indefinitely due to politics is simply unacceptable.
I'd written enthusiastically for Traveller from 1995 or so (first work accepted by GDW) to 2010, through troubles with Imperium and QLI, through the deliberate sabotage of Avenger and all manner of other problems. It took a lot to drive me away, and in hindsight I'd have been much better off if it'd happened a lot sooner. It's a shame that it happened now, since Mongoose are the most professional publisher of OTU Traveller in a long, long time. Unfortunately, that's how it played out.
Anyway, I don't have a problem with Mongoose. I'll work with Mongoose happily enough. Traveller, or rather official traveller, is the problem for me since it involves far too much pointless hassle to be viable as a job.
As I've said elsewhere, I write for a living and game stuff pays very poorly. To have that payment delayed or even stalled indefinitely due to politics is simply unacceptable.
I'd written enthusiastically for Traveller from 1995 or so (first work accepted by GDW) to 2010, through troubles with Imperium and QLI, through the deliberate sabotage of Avenger and all manner of other problems. It took a lot to drive me away, and in hindsight I'd have been much better off if it'd happened a lot sooner. It's a shame that it happened now, since Mongoose are the most professional publisher of OTU Traveller in a long, long time. Unfortunately, that's how it played out.
The Dark Avenger
Mongoose
At one point I was quite enthused by the idea of doing several sector books and really exploring the OTU setting. There are a few ideas that I'd like to expand upon. I particualrly wanted to explore the Solomani Rim and out to Rimward from there.
Unfortunately, unless something changes radically in the way things are done at the Marc Miller end, it's not something I can afford to touch. remove the hassles and offer me money and I'm there, but for now I can make a better living with less heartache elsewhere.
Unfortunately, unless something changes radically in the way things are done at the Marc Miller end, it's not something I can afford to touch. remove the hassles and offer me money and I'm there, but for now I can make a better living with less heartache elsewhere.
The Dark Avenger
Mongoose
So would I.... (wry grin).
I was particularly interested in what was beyond and the Perseus Arm expeditions.
I was particularly interested in what was beyond and the Perseus Arm expeditions.
The Dark Avenger said:
Would you have had free reign to express your creativity in some of those areas or are they also Canon (what was beyond the Solomani Rim I mean). Its not an area in the OTU I'm very familiar with, the only game I've ever ran that dealt with the Solomani was Signal GK for CT.
The Dark Avenger
Mongoose
The reason I walked away from the OTU was related to the fact that I can't answer this question. Chances are there would have been an agreement with Marc about what I could do, and then his inner circle would have started sticking oars in, and pretty soon the goalposts would be whizzing about all over the place.
I quit working on OTU materials because this kept happening. Marc lets his chief fanboys speak for him, even when they have their own agenda and lack some important information such as exactly what Marc has already agreed with the writer. Worse, documents full of what look lke vetoes or fix-demands tend to turn up without any inidication of whether this is from Marc or one of his people, whether it's a requirement from Marc or a fanboy's wish list, or something in between.
So, I have absolutely no idea how much creative freedom I'd be given, and even if that was agreed at project start, within a couple of weeks it would have changed without me or Mongoose being informed. Or maybe it wouldn't, but some of the people communicating on Marc's behalf would be acting like it had been. And I'd have no way to know what was official and what was not.
If that paints a bleak picture of my recent interactions with Marc and his inner circle, well, in truth it's underplayed. The system at that end is so f**ked up that I chose to walk away from a decade and a half of work.
And yeah, I tried to fix it. I even obtained promises that the problems encountered to date would not be repeated. It's pretty obvious how that worked out.
I quit working on OTU materials because this kept happening. Marc lets his chief fanboys speak for him, even when they have their own agenda and lack some important information such as exactly what Marc has already agreed with the writer. Worse, documents full of what look lke vetoes or fix-demands tend to turn up without any inidication of whether this is from Marc or one of his people, whether it's a requirement from Marc or a fanboy's wish list, or something in between.
So, I have absolutely no idea how much creative freedom I'd be given, and even if that was agreed at project start, within a couple of weeks it would have changed without me or Mongoose being informed. Or maybe it wouldn't, but some of the people communicating on Marc's behalf would be acting like it had been. And I'd have no way to know what was official and what was not.
If that paints a bleak picture of my recent interactions with Marc and his inner circle, well, in truth it's underplayed. The system at that end is so f**ked up that I chose to walk away from a decade and a half of work.
And yeah, I tried to fix it. I even obtained promises that the problems encountered to date would not be repeated. It's pretty obvious how that worked out.
Dark Lord Skippy
Mongoose
The Dark Avenger said:
Maybe I've misunderstood somewhere, but are you saying you had this problem with The Reft Sector book?
And if so, I would have thought Mongoose would have already hammered out with Miller what you could and could not write, tamper with, create, include and/or ignore. I would also think Mongoose would be the ones to sort out the "did Marc say it or did random fanboy close to Marc say it".
Or am I mistaken about how all this works?
The Dark Avenger
Mongoose
I've run into this problem repeatedly with Avenger and Mongoose products.
Mongoose have done their best to sort out what can and can't be done, but then the goalposts have a way of getting moved at the approval stage. This tends to happen because Marc is surrounded by a bunch of fanboys who have their own agenda, and he's willing to let them influence his decisions - even decisions already made.
For example, the Living Traveller campaign... Mongoose agreed with Marc that I could play fast and loose with some aspects of canon. I did an outline, and it came back with a series of sarcastic and rude vetoes all over it.
When I protested, I was told by the Marc-end of the process that these 'vetoes', which came from Marc as if written by him, were actually written by Don McKinney, his fanboy-in-chief, and were, in Don's words 'flagged issues' and not vetoes at all. I was also told that his scarcasm and rudeness was just how he writes.
In short, I received back a document that, metaphorically speaking, looked like it had 'are you f**king stupid? No, NO, NO!' scrawled all over it by Marc Miller, but was actually supposed to be a list of 'issues that might need discussion' written by someone else.
More importantly, Marc had let Don do this, speaking for him with his blessing, but had not told Don that Marc and I had agreed that I had considerable leeway when interpreting canon, and could even make fixes or changes where it seemed like a good idea.
So... Marc agreed what could be done, then handed over to a fanboy rather than make the decisions himself, effectively ignoring the agreement he'd made with me/Mongoose about how to treat canon.
This is why I handed back the Living Traveller campaign.
It's not an isolated incident; in fact this sort of thing happened several times, eventually resulting in me deciding that it wasn't possible to work under these conditions.
I tried repeatedly to fix the problem; that tended to result in promises to sort it out, but nothing ever changed. After repeated attempts I gave up on OTU Traveller stuff that had to go through this painful process.
Mongoose have done their best to sort out what can and can't be done, but then the goalposts have a way of getting moved at the approval stage. This tends to happen because Marc is surrounded by a bunch of fanboys who have their own agenda, and he's willing to let them influence his decisions - even decisions already made.
For example, the Living Traveller campaign... Mongoose agreed with Marc that I could play fast and loose with some aspects of canon. I did an outline, and it came back with a series of sarcastic and rude vetoes all over it.
When I protested, I was told by the Marc-end of the process that these 'vetoes', which came from Marc as if written by him, were actually written by Don McKinney, his fanboy-in-chief, and were, in Don's words 'flagged issues' and not vetoes at all. I was also told that his scarcasm and rudeness was just how he writes.
In short, I received back a document that, metaphorically speaking, looked like it had 'are you f**king stupid? No, NO, NO!' scrawled all over it by Marc Miller, but was actually supposed to be a list of 'issues that might need discussion' written by someone else.
More importantly, Marc had let Don do this, speaking for him with his blessing, but had not told Don that Marc and I had agreed that I had considerable leeway when interpreting canon, and could even make fixes or changes where it seemed like a good idea.
So... Marc agreed what could be done, then handed over to a fanboy rather than make the decisions himself, effectively ignoring the agreement he'd made with me/Mongoose about how to treat canon.
This is why I handed back the Living Traveller campaign.
It's not an isolated incident; in fact this sort of thing happened several times, eventually resulting in me deciding that it wasn't possible to work under these conditions.
I tried repeatedly to fix the problem; that tended to result in promises to sort it out, but nothing ever changed. After repeated attempts I gave up on OTU Traveller stuff that had to go through this painful process.
