Traveller Developer's Pack

Oh, dear, what have I started? Guys, please take the discussion about fan-created OTU-based material over to the Stellar Reaches thread. Let's keep this space for questions about the Traveller Developer's Pack ... :oops:
 
I think we are discussing the pack and how to apply it. Specifically, what not to do, which is important before people start getting comitted to ideas or go on erroneous assumptions.

I am very interested in checking out people's non-OTU efforts and products. It will be cool.

As far as the pack goes I have a question:

Slavery. If I have one alien race enslaving others, for example, what is the line? It would be an element to the backstory, and would have to have impact as a concept, but would it just be a case of controlling the level of realism to not make it too brutal?

If a part of a book was "iffy" content wise like that, would the Mongoose be available to look at it objectively past a writer's normal self-editing stage, to see if it's ok?

Also, are there higher resolution versions of the Traveller logo files?
 
M. Lydius Of Phoga said:
Slavery. If I have one alien race enslaving others, for example, what is the line? It would be an element to the backstory, and would have to have impact as a concept, but would it just be a case of controlling the level of realism to not make it too brutal?

It would be my expectation that this would be ok so long as slavery is not presented in a positive light. You could probably say thing like "slaves are treated brutally and tortured for punishment", but you shouldn't actually describe scenes or methods of torture or maltreatment in graphic detail.

Simon Hibbs
 
simonh said:
It would be my expectation that this would be ok so long as slavery is not presented in a positive light.
I would apply that advice to every aspect of a setting. Just present the facts, and let the players and referees decide who the good guys and the bad guys are. Settings never end well if the author tries to impose a set of moral values on them.

As for graphic detail, the TLL is pretty clear on that.
 
To try out the SRD, I attempted to build a ship with the information as given, and there seem to be some things missing. Is this intentional, or have these been left out in error:

1) Crew Requirements - some are listed under Space Combat, but not all.

2) Powerplant Fuel Tonnage.

3) Computer Requirements for Jump - Jump Control Specialisation (bis) is available, but there is nothing to indicate the meaning of the computer's rating. What rating is needed for a given jump range?

4) Vehicles and Drones - tonnage and cost are mentioned, but not listed.

5) Armaments - there is no indication that Particle Beams cannot be mounted three-to-a-turret.

I notice that there are a few things like this throughout the document, whee something is referred to but then not detailed. For example, world government types are not listed, although the roll to generate them is given, and the Gov UWP actually affects the determination of "rivals, factions, connections and colonies". the Law Level, Travel Code, and possibly other things.

To wit, could these things please be added to the SRD?
 
When will the Traveller System Reference Document become compliant with the Open Gaming License?

I have noticed, as have others, that the following OGL violations exist in the document;

1. There is no declaration of Open Game Content.

(The System Reference Document files from Wizards of the Coast are start with this sentence:

This material is Open Game Content, and is licensed for public use under the terms of the Open Game License v1.0a.

Adding this, or a very similar statement, to the Traveller System Reference Document would bring it into OGL compliance.)

2. There is no declaration of Product Identity.

(The System Reference Document legal file from Wizards of the Coast contain the following:

LEGAL INFORMATION

Permission to copy, modify and distribute the files collectively known as the System Reference Document (“SRD”) is granted solely through the use of the Open Gaming License, Version 1.0a.

This material is being released using the Open Gaming License Version 1.0a and you should read and understand the terms of that license before using this material.

The text of the Open Gaming License itself is not Open Game Content. Instructions on using the License are provided within the License itself.

The following items are designated Product Identity, as defined in Section 1(e) of the Open Game License Version 1.0a, and are subject to the conditions set forth in Section 7 of the OGL, and are not Open Content: Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master, Monster Manual, d20 System, Wizards of the Coast, d20 (when used as a trademark), Forgotten Realms, Faerûn, proper names (including those used in the names of spells or items), places, Red Wizard of Thay, the City of Union, Heroic Domains of Ysgard, Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo, Windswept Depths of Pandemonium, Infinite Layers of the Abyss, Tarterian Depths of Carceri, Gray Waste of Hades, Bleak Eternity of Gehenna, Nine Hells of Baator, Infernal Battlefield of Acheron, Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus, Peaceable Kingdoms of Arcadia, Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia, Twin Paradises of Bytopia, Blessed Fields of Elysium, Wilderness of the Beastlands, Olympian Glades of Arborea, Concordant Domain of the Outlands, Sigil, Lady of Pain, Book of Exalted Deeds, Book of Vile Darkness, beholder, gauth, carrion crawler, tanar’ri, baatezu, displacer beast, githyanki, githzerai, mind flayer, illithid, umber hulk, yuan-ti.

All of the rest of the SRD is Open Game Content as described in Section 1(d) of the License.

More information on the Open Game License can be found at www.wizards.com/d20.

Adding something like this, with appropriate Product Identity changes, to the Traveller System Reference Document just before the OGL would bring it into OGL compliance.)

3. The Traveller System Reference Document does not reference itself in its own Section 15 of the OGL.

Adding the following to the OGL Section 15 would help bring it into compliance:

Traveller System Reference Document Copyright 2008, Mongoose Publishing.

Hope This Helps,
Flynn
 
Flynn said:
When will the Traveller System Reference Document become compliant with the Open Gaming License?

I have noticed, as have others, that the following OGL violations exist in the document;

1. There is no declaration of Open Game Content.

I think this is a great question and an important element that is needed in the SRD.

Daniel
 
dafrca said:
Flynn said:
When will the Traveller System Reference Document become compliant with the Open Gaming License?

I have noticed, as have others, that the following OGL violations exist in the document;

1. There is no declaration of Open Game Content.

I think this is a great question and an important element that is needed in the SRD.

Daniel


Actually, I just spotted something in the TLL -

Open Game Licence
The Traveller System Reference Document (SRD) is produced under the Open Gaming License (included in the Traveller Developer’s Pack). This allows anyone to use the Traveller SRD freely, so long as they follow all the requirements laid out in the Open Game Licence. The use of the Traveller logo, however, is not permitted under the Open Game Licence.

Does that not specify that the SRD is all Open Content?
 
It's my understanding that the declaration has to be a part of the document itself, but I could be misinformed.

With Regards,
Flynn
 
Actually, unless there is a declaration of OGC or PI the entire document is assumed to be entirely OGC. Since I think that's the case in the SRD there's no problem.

There is a actual serious problem though in the Section 15 declaration. Not only does it not include the Traveller SRD in Section 15, it also includes the d20 SRD and the Modern SRD. However, the Traveller Main Rulebook claims to include no Open Game Content.

Either the S.15 material is incorrect and those should not have been included (which I suspect is the case) or the main rulebook is in part OGC and in violation of the license.
 
I notice that the rules for alternate FTL Drives and powerplants that are in the corebook aren't included in the SRD - neither are the variant worldgen rules (Space Opera and Hard Science).

Wouldn't it be better to let people use those so they can produce a larger variety of backgrounds using the OGL? Instead it seems they're stuck with the jump drive and standard technologies in the SRD. I guess they could just make their own technologies for their settings, but it seems like unnecessarily reinventing the wheel a bit...

Just curious to know the logic behind limiting that.
 
EDG said:
Wouldn't it be better to let people use those so they can produce a larger variety of backgrounds using the OGL? Instead it seems they're stuck with the jump drive and standard technologies in the SRD. I guess they could just make their own technologies for their settings, but it seems like unnecessarily reinventing the wheel a bit...
At worst we could re-invent our own, even on a similar concept to the one in the core book, but using our flavor text and our own twists to it.

The same goes for weapons (the SRD doesn't have their stats). In new Traveller-based games we could use our own stats and even twist the mechanics a bit (and maybe deal with penetration).
 
EDG said:
I notice that the rules for alternate FTL Drives and powerplants that are in the corebook aren't included in the SRD - neither are the variant worldgen rules (Space Opera and Hard Science).

We are happy to consider those for inclusion in the SRD.
 
Downloading now!

Printing now (once I'd editied the tables to fit the page :D )

Just noticed the logos and TLL aren't included in the pack, just the SRD.
 
Tragic Roundabout:

Starting at the link at the top of the page (the one under the link that says "Wraith Recon Announced for 4e") takes you to this page:

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/news/news_item.php?pkid_news=234

The link there takes you to:

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/home/series.php?qsSeries=51

where the only link to the Developer's Pack is:

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/news/news_item.php?pkid_news=234

which is where we started :? :shock: :? :shock: :?
 
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