Singularity - musings

[Sageryne]

@MongooseChris, the Singularity Kickstarter Peregrine stretch goal mentions a Long-Range Sensor Suite that isn't documented anywhere in Singularity or High Guard. Can we get some details on that?

Hi Terry,

It is listed in Deepnight Legacy, Campaign Guide, page 25:

Integrated Long-Range Sensor Suite

Deepnight Revelation is fitted with a long-range sensor package to enable data on nearby star systems to be collected. The long-range sensor suite takes up 20 tons and has a capacity of six personnel. It is located close to the command bridge, in the forward control section of the ship. The long-range sensor suite is tied into the rest of the ship’s sensor net and uses the ship’s main array to collect data.

A standard sensor suite can perform remote system scanning operations but not well. Using a standard shipboard sensor package, a sweep of one system typically takes 2D days and whilst more specialised systems are available most can only focus on a single star system at a time. The suite aboard Deepnight Revelation has the capacity to carry out multiple scans simultaneously, along with advanced collation and interpretation software. The system produces one Scan Point per day for each crew member assigned to operate the system. Personnel need not be skilled space scientists but the suite must be overseen by someone with appropriate skills – Science (cosmology), Science (planetology) or Electronics (sensors).

The amount of sensor time needed to obtain data on a star system varies depending on its composition and current alignment of its component bodies. When scanning a system begins, the amount of Scan Points needed is determined by a 2D roll. One system can be scanned for every worker assigned to the long-range sensor suite or the work of multiple personnel can be combined to produce a quick scan of a single system.

The suite has a nominal range of 12 parsecs but can obtain data at greater ranges at the cost of additional time. For every parsec over 12 the target is from Deepnight Revelation, the Scan Point cost is increased by +2. The scan produces basic data on a system – typically the number and type of stars or other stellar bodies, presence of terrestrial planets, planetoid belts and gas giants and, perhaps, any rogue bodies
associated with the system. Some inferences can be made about conditions on planets from this data but worlds cannot be directly scanned from a distance of multiple parsecs.

An integrated long-range sensor suite consumes eight tons for the basic equipment plus two tons per worker intended to use it, to a maximum of six. The equipment costs MCr12, with each personnel station costing MCr2.

- Kerry

 

[Terry Mixon]

Hi Terry,

It is listed in Deepnight Legacy, Campaign Guide, page 25:



- Kerry

Thanks! The Traveller Rules Compendium can't come soon enough.

 

[MongooseChris]

@MongooseChris, the Singularity Kickstarter Peregrine stretch goal mentions a Long-Range Sensor Suite that isn't documented anywhere in Singularity or High Guard. Can we get some details on that?

It's from Deepnight Revelation Book 2.

 

[Terry Mixon]

It's from Deepnight Revelation Book 2.

Thanks.

 

[AltorBey]

Now that the Companion has dropped and the Singularity Campaign is complete, I can dare to hope that the tragedy and horrors of the Rebellion, Hard Times, Virus, Empress Wave, Vampire Fleets, Gods of Thunder, False Dawn, and ultimate collapse of civilization may be avoided or sidestepped - at least in my Traveller universe. Of course other universes may vary.

There will still be challenges and dangers and opportunities for adventure, but IMTU there may be a chance to save the lives of trillions of digital sophonts and preserve civilization itself.

Chris, Matthew, and the rest of the Singularity team, you are truly "Heroes of The Imperium" for giving us this opportunity!

 

[Vormaerin]

I don't see how that follows. None of the campaigns are "canon future history". They are all possible futures. And your campaign was always your campaign, with or without Singularity.

The Empress Wave is a thing in the Core Expeditions book. Proto Vampire AIs are a thing in Singularity.

A massive invasion by an Ancient is a possible outcome of the Ancients' campaign.

The Deepnight Entity might eat the universe if the Deepnight: Revelation campaign goes sideways.

The Fifth Frontier War is doing its thing with no reference to any of that.

If they wrote a Dulinor schemes against Strephon campaign that was very open and player centric like PoD or Singularity, that would be amazing. If they write one that's pretty prescriptive like 5FW so far, not so much. If they don't write one at all, so be it.

But Mongoose so far has been pretty forthright about the future being yours, not theirs. Singularity is a possibility. It's not a fact that precludes other possibilities. Pick the ones you like, don't pick the ones you don't like.

 

[AltorBey]

I don't see how that follows. None of the campaigns are "canon future history". They are all possible futures. And your campaign was always your campaign, with or without Singularity.

The Empress Wave is a thing in the Core Expeditions book. Proto Vampire AIs are a thing in Singularity.

A massive invasion by an Ancient is a possible outcome of the Ancients' campaign.

The Deepnight Entity might eat the universe if the Deepnight: Revelation campaign goes sideways.

The Fifth Frontier War is doing its thing with no reference to any of that.

If they wrote a Dulinor schemes against Strephon campaign that was very open and player centric like PoD or Singularity, that would be amazing. If they write one that's pretty prescriptive like 5FW so far, not so much. If they don't write one at all, so be it.

But Mongoose so far has been pretty forthright about the future being yours, not theirs. Singularity is a possibility. It's not a fact that precludes other possibilities. Pick the ones you like, don't pick the ones you don't like.

That is why I repeatedly referenced "In My Traveller Universe" and the fact that challenges and dangers will continue.

There is a truly vast amount of Traveller material (stretching back over 40 years) that leads to a very dark future - whether one chooses to use it or not. It is nice to have a well thought out campaign that provides an off-ramp from that trajectory - whether one chooses to use it or not.

I see no harm in offering kudos to the team that has - in my opinion - done an excellent job of respecting what went before while offering something truly new and fresh to the Traveller canon.

 

[Vormaerin]

Sure. It's an excellent product and giving kudos is warranted.

I just don't think it does anything to provide an off ramp for content one doesn't like that you didn't already have. Because you just don't use it. I just thought it was weird to say that it negated all those things, which it was not intended to do. It does if you want it to.

 

[AltorBey]

Yeah, but I have ALL the content going back to 1979. Guess I just feel the weight of all that 'possible' history that I have used!

 

[Vormaerin]

I meant an off ramp you didn't already have. Lots of us have been playing Traveller since the 70s and collected its material obsessively.

 

[Terry Mixon]

So, Singularity is off to the printers. Yea! Sadly, the Sourcebook, Act 1, and Acts 2 & 3 have not been updated on DriveThroughRPG. When can we get the updated PDFs for the Kickstarter backers, @MongooseChris?

 

[Sigtrygg]

You are assuming all the errors have been fixed...

brave man

 

[Terry Mixon]

You are assuming all the errors have been fixed...

brave man

I assume nothing. I want to check them to see.

 

[Garnfellow]

I finally got around to posting a recap of our last game session, which used many elements from Singularity: "Song of Myself" (https://greatdungeonnorth.blogspot.com/2026/04/song-of-myself.html). Take two androids, an AI, a CI, several embodiments, and one ancient Terran poet, and you get . . . a real mess.

 

[MongooseChris]

@Garnfellow Sounds like a great scenario. Feels like an Alistair Reynolds novel. Looking forward to seeing what happens.

 

[Terry Mixon]

The Venture Fortuna has finally arrived at Capital (forum game, so slower than face-to-face) and the crew is looking for special events tailored to each of the passenger groups. They are on the Annililik Run route, so will be at race events, the Baron is working on a high society event, and the crew will be trying to have meetings with the race crews, but they want more.

I made the ship a bit bigger, so more passengers than the default ship.

The Passengers:

• Aslan Family, three generations of high tech science oriented women from the TL 16 world of Teahehwaih in the Hierate) and the male patriarch.
• Count Gashudim of Anther and family
• Hongmei Gong, Mewey comedy sitcom superstar and family
• Geym Oundweknaes, Mewey costar (female) +3 her sisters.
• Ravi Cooper, Mega Pop Star. (androgenous) +2 lovers (1 male, 1 female). The crew has discovered that behind the facade, Ravi is desperately exhausted from overwork but concealing it.
• Arvinen Elios Okhotnikov, Ducal heir (male) +1 fiancé +2 staff. He’s entitled and obnoxious.
• Dunkha Gunkii (male) host of the popular show Shugilii Shimiirkhuki. +1, producer/cameraman.
• Paula Naik, Solomani Ambassador (female). +1 Husband.
• Mariama Bashir, Arms Dealer (female). +1 Vokkspe Bin, Famous Explorer (male).
• Kewhy Gered, Famous Critic. Acerbic and biting. Solo.
• Andenum Yorel, Influencer. +1 his GF.
• Brilby Daggett, patron of the arts (male)
• Major Raynier Grigic. Renowned Mercenary (male). +1 Aide. The major seems to believe he could purchase or otherwise acquire the Fortuna.
• Liklejee Amokrao, Famous TAS journalist. Old friend of one of the crew.

The crew is contacting the Aslan ambassador to see about wrangling a live hunt for the Aslan family. The rest of the passenger options has yet to be discussed. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.

What kind of other things would you be trying to set up?

 

[MongooseChris]

The crew is contacting the Aslan ambassador to see about wrangling a live hunt for the Aslan family. The rest of the passenger options has yet to be discussed. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.

What kind of other things would you be trying to set up?

Did you use the Cruise Events table to generate a prompt? I realise that's more for during the cruise, but a Referee might get ahead of it by generating an event, and then anticipating when that might happen during the cruise, fleshing it out ahead of time. Of course "No plan survives contact with the Travellers," but it might give you a framework to start with that the Travellers can then mess up make their own.

Tables like this one were inspired by Marc Miller's style of play. You sit down with no plan, generate a prompt (such as a patron, random encounter or ship encounter) and then let a whole evening's play sprout from there.

 

[mavikfelna]

Being one of the crew in question, when the idea of a hunt came up for our Aslan passengers, the idea to go through the ambassador seemed the easiest and most likely route to actually have a chance. I am playing an Aslan character and playing up the honor and tradition of our species seems a natural route to use in this situation.

Other ideas I'm working on are:
The passengers are wealthy and infuencial and probably have money to burn, so trying to find the exclusive odds makers and prediction markets and gathering Intel that could influence the betting. Unfortunately for me, I have no gambling skills and while I have good business sense, it may not translate well to this sort of thing. I don't know if any of the other players would be interested in pursuing it.

We have a patron of the arts and phylanthropist in the passengers, so exploring the arts and museum scene could be interesting.

Our navy engineer has proposed a shipyard tour, which I think is fantastic for alot of our guests, and we'll be pursuing that route for sure.

We have the Solomani ambassador aboard and I'd like to come up with something including her and her husband, but outside of doing the art scene and making the introduction to the Aslan ambassador, if that route proves fruitful, I can't think of anything that would be outside her normal diplomatic routine of high society events and making business contacts.

Obviously we want to meet the racers and tour their ships and what not, but everyone wants to do that and finding angles to do it beyond just the Baron's Gala, or even how to invite the racers to the Gala, is sort of stuck in, contact the race's marketing team.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Did you use the Cruise Events table to generate a prompt? I realise that's more for during the cruise, but a Referee might get ahead of it by generating an event, and then anticipating when that might happen during the cruise, fleshing it out ahead of time. Of course "No plan survives contact with the Travellers," but it might give you a framework to start with that the Travellers can then mess up make their own.

Tables like this one were inspired by Marc Miller's style of play. You sit down with no plan, generate a prompt (such as a patron, random encounter or ship encounter) and then let a whole evening's play sprout from there.

I hadn’t considered that. Thanks. @mavikfelna responded as well, and is one of said crew. I’ll coordinate with him and see if something interesting can be arranged.