The Fifth Frontier War - Thoughts from the Author

[MongooseMatt]

The Fifth Frontier War is a mighty clash of arms that is coming to the Charted Space universe. Lead writer Martin Dougherty has penned a few thoughts on what you can soon expect to see...

https://www.reddit.com/r/MongoosePublishing/comments/154l0m9

 

[Annatar Giftbringer]

This sounds very promising and exciting!

 

[ColinD]

I posted on the Reddit! I am very excited to see this. So many possibilities. If you got a Scout ship in character creation than the Imperium may call you up for service! Worlds will need to be defended, supplied, evacuated and re-surveyed! Diplomats will be called on to arrange cease fires for medical supplies and food. Can't wait to see the book.

 

[Vormaerin]

Sounds exactly like what it should have been all along. Really looking forward to seeing these products.

 

[Sigtrygg]

I'm looking forward to this.

So the "true" version of the FFW is only now going to be told.
Forget the GDW version.
Forget the JTAS news updates.
Forget the SMC.
Forget the FFW boardgame, only now are you getting the "true" version.

True based on Mongoose Traveller's ATU Third Imperium which is different to the canonical GDW OTU Third Imperium and the Imperium and IN detailed in Agent of the Imperium.

But hey the secret squirrel squad will be fully at work with FFE...

How about doing something completely original rather than a hollywood reboot. Stress the multiverse alternate timeline of the Traveller universe thanks to reality manipulation technology. You could even make it canonical that the Third Imperium is a universe simulation

The only positives I can draw from this announcement are:
more PC scale which is the most important change
the future isn't certain in the Mongoose Third Imperium - so the rebellion may not happen.

 

[alex_greene]

So the "true" version of the FFW is only now going to be told.
Forget the GDW version.
Forget the JTAS news updates.
Forget the SMC.
Forget the FFW boardgame, only now are you getting the "true" version.

True based on Mongoose Traveller's ATU Third Imperium which is different to the canonical GDW Third Imperium and the Imperium and IN detailed in Agent of the Imperium.

But hey the secret squirrel squad will be fully at work with FFE...

How about doing something completely original rather than a hollywood reboot. Stress the multiverse alternate timeline of the Traveller universe thanks to reality manipulation technology. You could even make it canonical that the Third Imperium is a holographic universe

The only positives I can draw from this announcement are:
more PC scale
the future isn't certain in the Mongoose Third Imperium - so the rebellion may not happen.

Precisely.
The Travellers have the opportunity to rewrite the OTU going forward from 1105. Nothing is certain. Strephon could die of a heart attack before anyone comes near him with a weapon. The Ine Givar could turn the tide of the war.
Someone could invent the space folding drive.
We could release a single.

 

[MongooseMatt]

We could release a single.

I'd buy it.

 

[Vormaerin]

I'm looking forward to this.

So the "true" version of the FFW is only now going to be told.
Forget the GDW version.
Forget the JTAS news updates.
Forget the SMC.
Forget the FFW boardgame, only now are you getting the "true" version.

True based on Mongoose Traveller's ATU Third Imperium which is different to the canonical GDW OTU Third Imperium and the Imperium and IN detailed in Agent of the Imperium.

But hey the secret squirrel squad will be fully at work with FFE...

How about doing something completely original rather than a hollywood reboot. Stress the multiverse alternate timeline of the Traveller universe thanks to reality manipulation technology. You could even make it canonical that the Third Imperium is a universe simulation

The only positives I can draw from this announcement are:
more PC scale which is the most important change
the future isn't certain in the Mongoose Third Imperium - so the rebellion may not happen

Since the GDW version was uninteresting and largely useless, I can't say that I object to this outcome. The Fifth Frontier war under GDW did nothing. The Rebellion was useless, uninteresting, and served no purpose until they finally produced Hard Times. Too late to matter, because they Virused everything not much after that.

The Third Imperium was created as a game world first and should be treated as a place to play games in. Games that are about the players and their characters. Content that GDW created that is antithetical to that doesn't need to be preserved. The general flow of future history and the consistency of the game settings feel should be preserved as much as possible. The exact details? Not so much.

Personally, if I were Mongoose, I would never write a timeline affecting current or future events. Timelines of things that happened long ago are whatever, but Canon stops in 1105. I would just produce 1105 sector books and various kinds of Sandbox adventure campaigns for possible futures from that point. Pirates of Drinax. Fifth Frontier War. Deepnight Revelation. Here's how you can determine the future of *your* Traveller Universe. There's no conflict with the GDW material because they aren't giving an "official" answer to any questions of the future.

I'd have a different opinion if this was an adaptation of an existing media product. But this was always a game world and the fiction is the spinoff. I know we disagree on this, as we've discussed it before.

 

[dragon3r]

I remember when I got the Boardgame, it had a dot matrix print out of a high guard character, complete with awards, kind of neat. When I sold it after uni, before moving, the guy who bought it wanted that printout for completenesses sake.

 

[alex_greene]

Since the GDW version was uninteresting and largely useless, I can't say that I object to this outcome. The Fifth Frontier war under GDW did nothing. The Rebellion was useless, uninteresting, and served no purpose until they finally produced Hard Times. Too late to matter, because they Virused everything not much after that.

The Third Imperium was created as a game world first and should be treated as a place to play games in. Games that are about the players and their characters. Content that GDW created that is antithetical to that doesn't need to be preserved. The general flow of future history and the consistency of the game settings feel should be preserved as much as possible. The exact details? Not so much.

Personally, if I were Mongoose, I would never write a timeline affecting current or future events. Timelines of things that happened long ago are whatever, but Canon stops in 1105. I would just produce 1105 sector books and various kinds of Sandbox adventure campaigns for possible futures from that point. Pirates of Drinax. Fifth Frontier War. Deepnight Revelation. Here's how you can determine the future of *your* Traveller Universe. There's no conflict with the GDW material because they aren't giving an "official" answer to any questions of the future.

I'd have a different opinion if this was an adaptation of an existing media product. But this was always a game world and the fiction is the spinoff. I know we disagree on this, as we've discussed it before.

Like N Robin Crossby did, when he decreed that all Harn history stops at the beginning of the year 720. Everything that happens in 720 and beyond depends on what the player characters do. Officially, 001-1105 could mark the beginning of your Travellers' history: everything following their graduation / mustering out stems from their actions.

 

[Geir]

Well from a T5 year 1900 standpoint the 'past' is kind of smeared (records lost, contradictory, unreliable, etc) - like 2300AD now smears out the first half of the 21st century, because, well, events, so it is not inconsistent to blast away the entire 12th century pre-existing canon. I think the Wave (still not a fan) is still coming, but the assassination of Strephon and the Virus in its TNE form doesn't need to occur.

I'm looking forward to the new 5FW (I used the number because, you know, Forth, Fifth, same TLA)

 

[Sigtrygg]

Like N Robin Crossby did, when he decreed that all Harn history stops at the beginning of the year 720. Everything that happens in 720 and beyond depends on what the player characters do. Officially, 001-1105 could mark the beginning of your Travellers' history: everything following their graduation / mustering out stems from their actions.

This is the approach I take with my Spinward marches setting.

The FFW is effectively a different setting - and one that originally ruined the Third Imperium IMHO. This looks like it will be much more user friendly.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Well from a T5 year 1900 standpoint the 'past' is kind of smeared (records lost, contradictory, unreliable, etc) - like 2300AD now smears out the first half of the 21st century, because, well, events, so it is not inconsistent to blast away the entire 12th century pre-existing canon. I think the Wave (still not a fan) is still coming, but the assassination of Strephon and the Virus in its TNE form doesn't need to occur.

I'm looking forward to the new 5FW (I used the number because, you know, Forth, Fifth, same TLA)

From interviews and third party correspondence I think MWM sees the Traveller universe as a series of events described from some future viewpoint, and since recollections vary this is what causes some of the disconnects.

Now add the quantum foam woo woo and the reality manipulation tech found in T5 and you have an explanation of why every version of the setting is correct at the time of writing for that author

 

[Sigtrygg]

Since the GDW version was uninteresting and largely useless, I can't say that I object to this outcome. The Fifth Frontier war under GDW did nothing. The Rebellion was useless, uninteresting, and served no purpose until they finally produced Hard Times. Too late to matter, because they Virused everything not much after that.

I agree with you completely.

The Third Imperium was created as a game world first and should be treated as a place to play games in. Games that are about the players and their characters. Content that GDW created that is antithetical to that doesn't need to be preserved. The general flow of future history and the consistency of the game settings feel should be preserved as much as possible. The exact details? Not so much.

I agree again.

Personally, if I were Mongoose, I would never write a timeline affecting current or future events. Timelines of things that happened long ago are whatever, but Canon stops in 1105. I would just produce 1105 sector books and various kinds of Sandbox adventure campaigns for possible futures from that point. Pirates of Drinax. Fifth Frontier War. Deepnight Revelation. Here's how you can determine the future of *your* Traveller Universe. There's no conflict with the GDW material because they aren't giving an "official" answer to any questions of the future.

So each is a standalone setting but can be put together if a referee desires it - I like this.

I'd have a different opinion if this was an adaptation of an existing media product. But this was always a game world and the fiction is the spinoff. I know we disagree on this, as we've discussed it before.

Oh you should have seen some of my comments when I read Agent of the Imperium for the first time and what I thought that had done to the setting

 

[Vormaerin]

Heh. I enjoyed reading Agent of the Imperium, but I don't think it's a thing I would want to be factual in my campaign. Was disappointed with the way it made Arbellatra less interesting, too.

 

[Iracundus]

If we are to truly play out the FFW, don't we ideally also need a product covering the Zhodani Navy and Pocket Empires if we want to play as movers and shakers within the power structure of either power or our own little 2 bit dictator of a backwater world looking to take advantage?

 

[Condottiere]

Examining the updated order of battle should be fascinating.

 

[Vormaerin]

Those products would be interesting in their own right, but I would be sorely disappointed if that kind of strategic wargame play was any significant focus for the FFW product line. I don't see any evidence from that announcement that it going to be.

 

[Seffix]

Much as I despise the many worlds interpretation of quantum physics, I would like it if FFV adventures were crafted so that a 3 GMs whose wars were going completely different directions could readily adapt the scenarios into each of their versions of Charted Space.

 

[Epabaa]

don't we ideally also need a product covering the Zhodani Navy and Pocket Empires

Yes we absolutely need an updated Pocket Empires!