The Core Expeditions Errata

[Terry Mixon]

Not sure this is an error or not, but the TL14 Zhodoni Consulate has a TL15 refueling station during the 3rd Expedition. It even uses TL15 power sources with no prototype disadvantages, so it’s treating this as mature technology. That’s 3,400 years prior to 1105, so it seems out of place as the entire Consulate should be TL15 by 1105 if that is accurate.



The automated scout ship in the 4th expedition is also TL15. 2,965 years before 1105.

 

[Geir]

There's also a question for me about the whole Jump-3 thing. I don't think there's a source for anyone besides the Ancients developing J-3 (or TL12) before the Solomani late in the Interstellar Wars period, which would be -2300ish. That would exclude the First and probably the Second Core Expedition using anything other than J2 and fuel for multiple jumps. I have not looked extensively at old sources, so I'm relying a bit on memory here.

Also, the narrative on page 6 talks about using Ancients components in the Zhodani's first jump drive, which would make them little better than the Geonee or that furry race to the Spinward, as far as being a Major Race (sub-race?).

 

[Concertina]

I mean the Zhos are on mission for Grandfather according to the wiki, so a little bit of help with the jump drive (aka psionic drive) is not out of the question.

 

[Galadrion]

Page 21, "These visions are categorised by potential location and checked against astrological scans of the Coreward Corridor to validate where and when the events might occur." I believe astrological should be astronomical, unless the Zhodani are fans of Chani Nicholas...

Edit: and another two examples of the same confusion: page 60 (inset) and page 66.

 

[Sigtrygg]

There's also a question for me about the whole Jump-3 thing. I don't think there's a source for anyone besides the Ancients developing J-3 (or TL12) before the Solomani late in the Interstellar Wars period, which would be -2300ish. That would exclude the First and probably the Second Core Expedition using anything other than J2 and fuel for multiple jumps. I have not looked extensively at old sources, so I'm relying a bit on memory here.

Also, the narrative on page 6 talks about using Ancients components in the Zhodani's first jump drive, which would make them little better than the Geonee or that furry race to the Spinward, as far as being a Major Race (sub-race?).

And this is why you need a researcher.

There is, it is in the CT alien module for the Vargr, the Vargr got jump 3 tech from the Zhodani, who already had it, during the time of the Ziru Sirka.

IY-2,800, AD 1718

The Zhodani achieved TL13 in IY -1,200

 

[Geir]

And this is why you need a researcher.

There is, it is in the CT alien module for the Vargr, the Vargr got jump 3 tech from the Zhodani, who already had it, during the time of the Ziru Sirka.

IY-2,800, AD 1718

The Zhodani achieved TL13 in IY -1,200

Yeah, I knew about that reference but it was vague and old enough that I have sort of discounted it as inconsistent with the rest of the Charted Space narrative.

Edit: I assume you're talking about the footnotes for Gvurrdon's Story. If so, even assuming a reliable narrator, we're talking a range of a thousand years, starting in -2800 for Zhodani contatct, but the module also says the language is about 2500 years old (-1400?) , and lists the Knurroe and Khouktae as closer to -2480, so in the story itself the timeline is 1000 years off, or the written document is 1000 years younger than the tale (tail?) so, I give it as much credence as Homer's epics on accuracy.

 

[CordwainerFish]

p.4: "Before the discovery of the jump drive in -5415"
p.6: "In -5414, the company began trialling a new starship engine"

'-5414' should presumably be '-5416', so that it precedes the other date.

(-5415, of course, agrees with prior art (not canon, there is no such thing as canon).)

 

[Geir]

(-5415, of course, agrees with prior art (not canon, there is no such thing as canon).)

I thought canon was one 'n' short of a full load of powder.

 

[CordwainerFish]

I thought canon was one 'n' short of a full load of powder.

It's also a piece of music that cellists hate to perform.

 

[Arkathan]

It's also a piece of music that cellists hate to perform.

especially in D minor.

 

[WHULorigan]

I thought canon was one 'n' short of a full load of powder.

You're thinking of a demi-cannon.

It's also a piece of music that cellists hate to perform.

That's a hemi-demi-semi cannon.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Yeah, I knew about that reference but it was vague and old enough that I have sort of discounted it as inconsistent with the rest of the Charted Space narrative.

Edit: I assume you're talking about the footnotes for Gvurrdon's Story. If so, even assuming a reliable narrator, we're talking a range of a thousand years, starting in -2800 for Zhodani contatct, but the module also says the language is about 2500 years old (-1400?) , and lists the Knurroe and Khouktae as closer to -2480, so in the story itself the timeline is 1000 years off, or the written document is 1000 years younger than the tale (tail?) so, I give it as much credence as Homer's epics on accuracy.

It is also explicit in the MT:IE timeline and the GT timeline that the Zhodani and the Vargr made contact in -2,800. So while the story itself can be taken with a pinch of salt, the Vargr/Zhodani meeting is common to both the Zhodani and Vargr histories. The Zhodani had jump 3 all the way back then, the Vargr learned it from them.
Note that while the Vargr only have vague histories Zhodani archives will go back that far and further, their empire is the longest lasting in Charted Space by IY1105

i don;t have a problem with this. TL15 appearing so early on the other hand...

 

[GabrielGABFonseca]

It is also explicit in the MT:IE timeline and the GT timeline that the Zhodani and the Vargr made contact in -2,800. So while the story itself can be taken with a pinch of salt, the Vargr/Zhodani meeting is common to both the Zhodani and Vargr histories. The Zhodani had jump 3 all the way back then, the Vargr learned it from them.
Note that while the Vargr only have vague histories Zhodani archives will go back that far and further, their empire is the longest lasting in Charted Space by IY1105

Interesting to note too that the first contact between the Zhodani and Vilani was circa -2000; to quote directly from Alien Module 4 - Zhodani, Page 8:

They encountered Vargr in Gvurrdon sector in - 2,800.They traded with the Vilani in Provence and Corridor sectors in around - 2,000. They traded with Aslan in the Trojan Reach around 460.

And if you're going with GURPS Traveller: Humaniti (Pg.7), circa -2200:

Only after the First Imperium was in decline did the Vilani meet other major races: the Vargr about -2700, the Terrans in -2424, and the Zhodani about -2200.

Geir's point that the Vilani would likely get their knickers in a twist to know that the Zhodani had Jump-3 is perfectly valid, but no mater what source we're going with, first contact was after the Ziru Sirka had the snot beaten out of it and the Ramshackle Empire established.

So they were not exactly in a position to be too worried about it anymore...

 

[collins355]

The absence of clear TL tables for most of the alien races in Traveller has long been a bugbear for me. There has been some good forensic research on this thread.
I add this chart from the often overlooked MT/Referees Companion. It doesn't really help much, but it is one of the few examples of an actual tech progression chart.

 

[Vormaerin]

Don't forget the Sindalians were apparently TL15 and they blew themselves up around -1450. And they migrated from the Imperial Core to The Trojan Reach around -2000. Either just sliding on through Deneb & the Spinward Marches without bothering to stop or somehow crossing the The Great Rift.

So maybe they crashed a scout where the Zhos found it