Traveller Timeline

[kevinknight]

I've noticed that everything Mongoose produces is set in 1105. One of the things I loved about Traveller was the dynamic feel as things happened in the setting. Are there any plans to address events as they occur? For example, adventures/supplements to deal with the 5th Frontier War? I've gone back and garnered information out of the old GDW stuff for my campaign as the timeline progressed through the war years, personally, but would like to see more/new/different material as well...

 

[-Daniel-]

I've noticed that everything Mongoose produces is set in 1105. One of the things I loved about Traveller was the dynamic feel as things happened in the setting. Are there any plans to address events as they occur? For example, adventures/supplements to deal with the 5th Frontier War? I've gone back and garnered information out of the old GDW stuff for my campaign as the timeline progressed through the war years, personally, but would like to see more/new/different material as well...

While I too have had fun reading setting based stuff, I like the idea of there being core rule type products that hint at the setting but do not focus on it and then other products that are not core, but present pure setting materials. So what would be nice is a 2e book about the 5th Frontier War. It could do what you suggest, give a range of information including specific setting crunch, but does not try to cross the line into core rules. I know this is a dream, but it is what I like best in my RPGs. :mrgreen:

 

[Reynard]

It seems each edition of Traveller has focused on different eras and Mongoose has elected to tackle the time before the impending war. Right now I'd prefer to see adventures and material that integrate the timeline more as backdrop rather than stray away and diffuse it. Give this time a chance to set itself apart and distinguish.

 

[Condottiere]

It's a safe option and not subject to controversy; while MegaTraveller brings up interesting aspects, it's premise is too jarring.

 

[PsiTraveller]

The Pirates of Drinax campaign hints at things with the *Spoiler alert* Jaskarl Report. The Psychohistorian homage to Hari Seldon/ Asimov mentions that the Aslan will crush the Reach during a civil war.

Whether of not Mongoose continues along with the same timeline is up to them. They could do something new and put together an Aslna vs Sindal/Trojan Reach Ihatei campaign and have players on either side of the attempted expansion of the Hierate. That would be intereresting.

 

[alex_greene]

The basic premise of Traveller may be that the Travellers are "just ordinary people," but what they do is extraordinary.

If the Referee deems it that the Travellers, in their tiny Free Trader, gain access to something extraordinary, and face off the entire Hierate fleet, and the Zhodani fleet, and even Grandfather, and tell them all to just back off or there will be trouble, then they have the right to pull off either the most awesome move possible - delete a small moon just to show what they're capable of, activate a device that causes the local sun to turn into a laser, whatever - or the biggest bluff the universe has ever seen since the Daryen sun went nova and the survivors told the Zhodani "See? We're TL 16! That was us!" and the Zhos, with their compulsion for total honesty and the expectation that everybody else should be just as honest, truly believed them.

In short, psychohistory can go and jump in a lake. Whenever the Travellers get involved, all the predictions go out the window.

To go back to why Mongoose set the 3I supplements in the year 1105, Columbia Games' Harnmaster did something similar. It set everything at the same time - the year 720. Everything written down in any Harn supplement was absolutely true and valid, right up to 720 when the PCs become active and stir the pot and the lies and the truths begin to separate. Setting the time as 720 everywhere gave everyone the same starting point.

Same as the 3I.

 

[Condottiere]

It's feasible since the franchise keeps on getting rebooted.

 

[alex_greene]

It's feasible since the franchise keeps on getting rebooted.

Rebooted back to 1105.

Where everything begins.

Do your Travellers discover a new kind of FTL drive that allows them to travel eight parsecs per hour, allowing them to cross thousands of parsecs in a few days? This is where they can find an Ancient device, or come up with one themselves. No, never mind what other guys have done - they don't have the flair of your INT 15 Traveller.

The Aslan Hierate threatening to invade? Your Travellers threaten to blow up Kusyu's sun. Zhodani stirring up trouble? Your guys sneak into the quarters of the Noble with his designs for the universe, tie him up and leave him for the grateful Tavrchedle' to take away and reeducate.

Your Travellers can do extraordinary things, and as far as I'm concerned, the whole Strephon death / Rebellion / Hard Times / Virus plotline is what happens if the Travellers aren't around to stop it happening.

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

It's feasible since the franchise keeps on getting rebooted.

Rebooted back to 1105.

Where everything begins.

Do your Travellers discover a new kind of FTL drive that allows them to travel eight parsecs per hour, allowing them to cross thousands of parsecs in a few days? This is where they can find an Ancient device, or come up with one themselves. No, never mind what other guys have done - they don't have the flair of your INT 15 Traveller.

The Aslan Hierate threatening to invade? Your Travellers threaten to blow up Kusyu's sun. Zhodani stirring up trouble? Your guys sneak into the quarters of the Noble with his designs for the universe, tie him up and leave him for the grateful Tavrchedle' to take away and reeducate.

Your Travellers can do extraordinary things, and as far as I'm concerned, the whole Strephon death / Rebellion / Hard Times / Virus plotline is what happens if the Travellers aren't around to stop it happening.

Sounds familiar. Maybe there could be a Virus version of the Terminator, that travels back in time to 1105.

 

[DickNervous]

Each version of the game "starts" at a different point in time.

Milieu 0: T4 covers the begining of the Imperium, or Year 0.
1000 - 1100: TravellerD20 (the d20 version of the game) takes place in the 100 years prior to Classic Traveller
1100 - 1116: Classic Traveller and Mongoose Traveller (1105) are set in this time frame, which includes the Fifth Frontier War (1107-1110) which involved the Zhodain, Sword Worlders, Imperium, and Vargr in the Spinwards Marches sector.
1116 - 1124: MegaTraveller covers this time frame which includes a time of turmoil where the Emperor has been assassinated and there is rebellion in the Imperium as nobles all over make power grabs.
1116 - 1124: GURPS Traveller shares this timeframe with MegaTraveller, but the assassination and rebellion never happened.
1200 - 1900: Traveller: The New Era takes place after 1200 and covers the aftermath of the rebellion and virus that wiped out almost all technology.
1902 - ????: T5 plays in thei area known as "The Galaxiad" and in the FAR FAR Future, though at this time there is no setting information published.

You can find this info on the Traveller Wiki page about the different versions.
And you can find even more timeline info on this wiki page and, if you have the GURPS Traveller core rulebook, there is like 50+ pages of info on events in the timeline.

The 1100-1116 era is one of the most popular mainly due to the fact that both Classic Traveller and Mongoose use it, and there was a ton of third party support for CT back in the day. Which is the same reason that the Spinward Marches (and now Trojan Reach) is the most used sector. It is on the "frontier", far enough from Capital to essentially be on it's own, and there is still plenty of exploring to do. However, if you want a setting with more turmoil, political intrigue, and general chaos, the 1116-1124 era of the Rebellion would be perfect.