Traveller Developer's Pack

[MongooseMatt]

Hi guys,

Just to let you all know, this has now gone live, and is ready for use!

We have clarified a few points within the licences and for what they should be used for, and have updated the SRD to include the items people have been asking most about.

The next major update will be the inclusion of the Mercenary SRD, and then High Guard - SRD additions after that will be viewed on a case-by-case basis for each core book release.

If you have any questions or comments on the Developer's Pack, please use this thread!

 

[Golan2072]

Many Thanks!

 

[Vile]

Thanks, for including the ship- and world-building options, Matt! You know we'll be back later ... :twisted:

Um, just a wee quibble on the first line:

The entirety if this document is designated as Open Content.

 

[dmccoy1693]

Major Additions to the SRD

p25-26 Addition of Terrain DM Chart, Animal Types, and Rural Encounter Table.
p36-37 Addition of Software Tables
p53-54 Addition of Alternate Drives and Power Plants
p76-77 Addition of Government Table
p80-81 Addition of Variations and Trade Codes.

(Note: This is probably not all inclusive, simply what I see and I'm being as thorough as possible)

Thank you, Mongoose.

 

[Jeff Hopper]

Thank you, Mongoose. This makes my morning.

 

[EDG]

And here's where it is:
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/pdf/travdevpack.zip

 

[EDG]

The Read me First doc at least looks a lot clearer. However, it still has this weird bit at the end:

Note that you cannot produce commercial material using this licence and the Fair Use Policy. If you wish to produce commercial Original Traveller Universe material, it must be either completely system free, or in conjunction with the Traveller Logo Licence.

The TLL doesn't let you use OTU material though - don't you really mean the Foreven License?

And seriously, are you saying that people can publish commercial OTU material without recourse to any kind of license so long as no system is mentioned in it?

 

[EDG]

Major Additions to the SRD

p25-26 Addition of Terrain DM Chart, Animal Types, and Rural Encounter Table.
p36-37 Addition of Software Tables
p53-54 Addition of Alternate Drives and Power Plants
p76-77 Addition of Government Table
p80-81 Addition of Variations and Trade Codes.

(Note: This is probably not all inclusive, simply what I see and I'm being as thorough as possible)

Thank you, Mongoose.

Cool, but I notice that while Temperature modifications are mentioned in the worldbuilding, the actual Temperature generation roll isn't. Should this be there?

 

[mlooney]

Not to be a whiner or any thing, but the trade table is still the "example desert" world (page 163 TMB) not the trade goods table on 165-166 of TBM. The lack of the actual trade table in the SRD isn't that big of a deal, given that all the items are generic English terms, and Mongoose doesn't seem to be claiming copyright on "Medical Supplies", the problem is that as it stands, we only can only write about buying on a desert world, and can't ever resell.

In the freight section we have this quote "To determine the number of cargos available, add the destination planet’s Population value to the modifiers from the Freight Traffic table, then consult the Freight Lots Available table." however neither table is in the SRD.

The Armor and Weapons tables are still not in the SRD. Does this mean that we can not give the armor stats of an NPC or the weapon damage in the stats block like TBM does on pages 84-85? This isn't a deal breaker either way, it's just handy to be able to give a more or less functional stat block.


While I am nit picking here, my final note is the types of bases are listed, however the chance to have one is not listed. Table on page 178 TMB didn't make it into the SRD. Again, not a deal breaker, no one needs to know why there is a Naval base on Exampli, but it would be nice if the odds were open game content.

The animal and world design issues I had are now dealt with (aside from the trade good/freight issue), just working on the NPC stat blocks now....

 

[mlooney]

And seriously, are you saying that people can publish commercial OTU material without recourse to any kind of license so long as no system is mentioned in it?

I suspect they mean system as in game system, not system as in planetary system, but that should clarified some place.

 

[EDG]

I suspect they mean system as in game system, not system as in planetary system, but that should clarified some place.

I'd have thought it was pretty obvious that they're talking about game system here.

 

[mlooney]

I suspect they mean system as in game system, not system as in planetary system, but that should clarified some place.

I'd have thought it was pretty obvious that they're talking about game system here.

I agree, but given that a large chunk of the SRD is about the other kind of system, well, let's leave it at I deal with a few too many rules lawyers at times.

 

[EDG]

I agree, but given that a large chunk of the SRD is about the other kind of system, well, let's leave it at I deal with a few too many rules lawyers at times.

The quoted passage isn't in the SRD, it's in the Read Me First document.

 

[Golan2072]

The Armor and Weapons tables are still not in the SRD. Does this mean that we can not give the armor stats of an NPC or the weapon damage in the stats block like TBM does on pages 84-85? This isn't a deal breaker either way, it's just handy to be able to give a more or less functional stat block.

First and foremost, you could always publish your own stats for weapons as someone has already done.

Second, IIRC, the numbers and "logarithms" themselves cannot be copyrighted - only the interpretations thereof. This has allowed for clones of old D&D editions to be legally made using the D20 SRD.

 

[mlooney]

The Armor and Weapons tables are still not in the SRD. Does this mean that we can not give the armor stats of an NPC or the weapon damage in the stats block like TBM does on pages 84-85? This isn't a deal breaker either way, it's just handy to be able to give a more or less functional stat block.

First and foremost, you could always publish your own stats for weapons as someone has already done.

Second, IIRC, the numbers and "logarithms" themselves cannot be copyrighted - only the interpretations thereof. This has allowed for clones of old D&D editions to be legally made using the D20 SRD.

Your missing the point. The ability to create "new" weapons was never in question. What was the ability to create a "functional" NPC stat block.
As an example, what I would like to be able to do is

Exampli Police Officer: Agent (Law) 2 777887
Gun Combat (slug pistol) 1, Gun Combat (energy pistol) 0, Recon 1, Investigate 1, Comms 0
Stunner (2d6+3 stun), Autopistol (3d6–3), Cloth Armour (5), Comm

What I can do is:
Exampli Police Officer: Agent (Law) 2 7 7 7 8 8 7
Gun Combat (slug pistol) 1, Gun Combat (energy pistol) 0, Recon 1, Investigate 1, Comms 0
Stunner , Autopistol, Cloth Armour, Comm

The difference is the damage done (or resisted by the armor) is not listed in the SRD, which means it's not open content. Also, the only reason why I could say "Agent (Law)" is because that is in the draft table. If he was, say Agent (Corporate) I would not be able to say that.

Now all of this could be because I spent WAY to much time dealing with the WoTC d20SRD back in the day and the 4th ed GSL now where if it's not mentioned in the SRD it's off limits.

Mongoose seems to be playing nicer, but I would like to hear from them on this.

 

[Gruffty the Hiver]

Matt: can I just double check with you that point 2 of your list in this post is still correct under the newly released Developer's Pack?

What if someone wanted to add to or change the content of the current SRD? Could that person stil sell the modified SRD under OGL?

 

[MongooseMatt]

Of course.

 

[mxyzplk]

Sweet! Hey, a couple questions.

1. The Fair Use policy covers "non-Mongoose Traveller editions." Does that include GURPS: Traveller? In general what editions does that cover/not cover? GDW is mentioned specifically but there have been a bunch of eds over time.

2. Do you have to use the Traveller Logo License to publish anything using the MonTrav rules? No, right, since those are OGL - as long as you just use the SRD you can do anything with that, but if you want to use Traveller logo you need that license? The license has a lot of "GSL-like" restrictions, it's odd that it's only for the logo (you can't even emulate trade dress). What's the intended use of that?

3. In terms of the Fair Use and other policies - is it still noncommercial as far as you're concerned if there's ads on your Web pages? I ask because White Wolf's lameo site policy says there can't be ads anywhere (a problem, when many people are using free blogs/Web hosts that post the ads themselves).

 

[EDG]

1. The Fair Use policy covers "non-Mongoose Traveller editions." Does that include GURPS: Traveller? In general what editions does that cover/not cover? GDW is mentioned specifically but there have been a bunch of eds over time.

Actually yeah, this needs answering (I asked earlier too). I think it just applies to GDW Traveller (i.e. CT, MT, TNE, and maybe T4) - I'd think that SJG (GT), Avenger (1248), and QLI (T20) would be a bit miffed to have someone else tell them how people can use their products.

 

[Gruffty the Hiver]

Of course.

Eyethangewe! :lol: