Travellers Needed - The Future of Traveller

[MongooseMatt]

In the past, we have had an unofficial polling of Traveller players to see what they are wanting/expecting to see in future Traveller books. In the past, you have asked us for more playable aliens (which led to the Aliens of Charted Space series and the minor race articles in JTAS), exploration campaigns (Deepnight Revelation), and a focus on the Solomani (Solomani Front and a new line of Solomani adventures).

So, we come to you again - what would you like to see for Traveller in 2022 and beyond?

No answer is too silly (well, maybe...), and we are happy to look at all areas of the game, be it rules-based or areas of Charted Space.

Over to all of you!

 

[adzling]

A book focussed on planetary color encounters.

Problem: The Traveller universe is vast, and without local detail and flavor players can quickly become lost, without any hooks to hang their RP on.

Solution: A book focussed on planetary color encounters.

These would be short, role-play focussed encounters with local people/ fauna/ etc and organized by most relevant world UWP designator (i.e. encounters for high law level, low law level, high population, poison atmosphere etc).

Not adventures or missions but simple, short encounter of no more than a paragraph that illustrate some aspect of life on the planet and have the opportunity to afford a small boon or bane to the travellers' activities (broker check for sourcing goods, negotiating docking fees, rumor checks, hiring etc).

This addresses one of the core issues that we have at our table, how to breathe to life so many disparate worlds and locales.

Example:
High Law Level World: PCs witness a citizen getting questioned by law officers after "crossing the street against the light". It's clear from the players perspective the light is faulty and malfunctioned while the citizen was crossing. A successful Persuade check will convince the police of the citizen's innocence. Turns out she works in cargo handling at the port and knows a little about the current cargo's available (boon to all broker checks sourcing cargo on this trip).

Example:
Poisonous Atmosphere World: While planetside the PCs notice two citizens working frantically on the atmosphere scrubber for their house. A Mechanic (10) check and 15 minutes will help them get things running again. They are natives and invite the Traveller inside for a quick meal, bringing them up to speed on local etiquette. Take a boon to one social interaction of your choice while on planet.

Without serious attempts at such color encounters all the systems the players stop at start to feel the same, and without these type of RP hooks they end up feeling lost from a RP perspective unless on an actual adventure.

The Referee Briefing 5 book is exactly NOT what I am suggesting.
The encounters in that book are mini-adventures in themselves (therefore too long) and are not illustrative of the environment the players find themselves in.

 

[G'Naakbusters]

I imagine I'm in a minority here, in that when picking up a new release I get more from the worldbuilding and the setting information than from the mechanics -- I'm driven more by fluff than crunch, basically -- so other, more hardened players would need to add in ideas for making these fully appealing for everyone...

But:

I'd like more of the empire/location books. I'm anticipating the Third Imperium volume and its fleshing out of Core Sector, as well as the Spinward Extents book (which is basically, unless I'm gravely mistaken, either new material or reworking of really old material). After Third Imperium, I'd love to see similar releases for other nations -- really get into them, so the best use could be made of alien Travellers in their own space, or as background for fish-out-of-water "Imperial or Solomani humans abroad" campaigns. Plus it would be an excuse for interesting and distinctive new vehicles/equipment/etc.

Zhodani Consulate seems obvious (and building on the intriguing first edition Zhodani book would be welcome); I'd kiss a Girug'kagh for the Two Thousand Worlds. But even more than the Two Thousand Worlds, I'd love volumes detailing:

The Hive Federation: Let's look at all the fun clubs with their weird agendas. Lots of potential for colourful, somewhat surreal politics and intrigue of a very different flavour from the usual Imperial nobility/SolSec. Let's also get the Ithklur, Gurvin, Za'tachk and Federation Humans fully fleshed out. (Let's introduce a few of the Hiver's-Friends-and-Relations that never get named, while we're at it).

Julian Protectorate: I've said it before, but I think this would be a great region to set a campaign series in, beyond simply detailing the area. You have multiple nations with different customs and cultures but a loosely unified framework for movement and exchange between them. All sorts of economic, diplomatic, social, political and criminal adventures are possible; you have a unified authority but it's *very* light, and the member nations would give many options for distinct character backgrounds. You have Humans and Vargr from multiple cultures, many joint-species, plus the Hhkar for some alien colour.

 

[NOLATrav]

+1 for a Julian Protectorate Sourcebook - can I do +2? :wink:

It’d be really nice to see a supplement detailing the next several Tech Levels… say TL16 to TL20. Not just ships and gear, but also how it might impact thinking, daily life, interaction with off worlders, etc. Your current crop of writers and artists is formidable, I just know they’d have some very cool ideas to explore.

 

[TrippyHippy]

Other applicable settings and eras are still welcome.

I could see a Traveller version of Space: 1889 for example, or War of the Worlds, maybe. They could be presented as alternative timelines, possibly, or maybe just different eras of the Traveller setting - as outlined in the setting’s timeline? Maybe also with a ’Time Traveller’ supplement.

You could also have a Matrix-y style ‘Virtual Traveller’ supplement, for ‘traveling' in simulated worlds. Or possibly, single planetary settings in more sandbox-y detail. You could start with Terra...

If you are prepared to go cross genre, then maybe things like ’Super Traveller’ (with superheroes). Not sure how much people are clamoring for this though and it could get silly. I could see, however, a big book of mutations or gene tech.

Miniature lines are still possibility, although the buy in costs would need to be considered. I could also see a Traveller board game, with starship battles.

 

[OrdosMalleus]

Maybe this already exists in the current edition, but a general sourcebook about the Third Imperium and the history of the Travelverse? Major events, races, etc.? Not so much mechanics, as setting info all in one place.

 

[NOLATrav]

Maybe this already exists in the current edition, but a general sourcebook about the Third Imperium and the history of the Travelverse? Major events, races, etc.? Not so much mechanics, as setting info all in one place.

What you’re wanting is the upcoming The Third Imperium book, slated for a November release on the Release Schedule thread.

 

[agentwigggles]

I'd like a Noble book. What the nobles do. How do Knights who oversee a planet How the sector and subsector is organized and what kind of politicking and court intrigue that the nobles get up to. With maybe a thing about what level thing typical need to do get in trouble with the Nobles or more broadly, to get noticed by them. And what is the process for someone who isn't a noble, to become a noble.

 

[TrippyHippy]

Could with have an audio dramatization of some of the adventures and campaigns?

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

I would like to see something NEW. Deepnight was the first in a long time to give us something truly new to Traveller.

IF you want to stay in the OTU, give us a sourcebook on some race or region we haven't seen before. Give us a different time period, something that is not a rehash (however well written and updated) that really is something new to the setting.

RULES for other types of games. Traveller 1889 was mentioned above - something like that. Alternate military types (ranks, skills etc.) for different scifi tropes.

New and Different that what we have seen over the last 40 years.

 

[GamerDude]

I would like to see something NEW. Deepnight was the first in a long time to give us something truly new to Traveller.
...
RULES for other types of games. Traveller 1889 was mentioned above - something like that. Alternate military types (ranks, skills etc.) for different scifi tropes.

New and Different that what we have seen over the last 40 years.

Well, how about old & new while different yet familiar?

I am currently the freelance writer for Traveller Prime Directive. Prime Directive is the role-play setting for the Star Fleet Universe by Amarillo Design Bureau, LLC. The SFU has been defined by games like Star Fleet Battles, Federation & Empire, and Federation Commander.

Currently Prime Directive has been published for the d20, d20 Modern, GURPS 3rd and GURPS 4th edition Rules. During 2020 all four GURPS 4th ed books were revised (Core RB is now two volumes, plus sourcebooks for Federation, Klingon, and Romulan empires).

 

[steelbrok]

I'd like to add my voice to those in favour of the Julian Protectorate. It's in the OTU, hasn't had much in the past and is different yet familiar.
Even better, a book covering from the "Eastern" end of the Julians to the "western" end of the K'kree colonies.
Humans and Varg'r and K'kree! Oh My!

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

I am currently the freelance writer for Traveller Prime Directive.

I remember pre-ordering that book back in 2011. It never happened. Got my money back, fortunately.

 

[Evil Aardvark]

Support for VTTs beyond Fantasy Grounds would be wonderful: Roll20, Foundry, or even Astral would do. That's the #1 thing holding me back from being able to get my friends to play.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

No answer is too silly (well, maybe...), and we are happy to look at all areas of the game, be it rules-based or areas of Charted Space.

We need a Traveller Bestiary. Something like After Man: A Zoology of the Future. I have the book. Some of the stuff I've converted to MgT2 as needed.

 

[ottarrus]

I'd like to see a book focused on a planet's environment... everything from land masses to weather to animals.

 

[TrippyHippy]

Rather than just a bestiary, I’d like something that fully explores alien ecologies along with a tabular based alien generation system. The better researched the biological aspects are, the better. Failing that, you could also make a ‘Monster Island’ type of scenario that features a planetary zoo in the manner of Jurassic Park for Travellers to get stuck on. You could then go wild on creating a really detailed ecosystem.

I also would welcome some new settings, although the last time Prime Directive was mentioned, nothing came of it. I mean, maybe some new licenses to hang on to the Traveller system would work? I dunno, because the Traveller licensing arrangements aren’t really easy to understand currently from a consumers perspective. Perhaps get a license to do Asimov’s Foundation series (now on Apple+) or, I dunno, Iain Banks’ Culture series. Or maybe, give some of the third party publishers who have gone their separate ways since MT2 came about an official Traveller license for their work rather than being an OGL title?

 

[shammond42]

I'd like to see a Sci Fi critter book done similarly to Pelgrane's Hideous Creatures. Each entry gets multiple pages with descriptions, biology, ecology and a handout that forms an adventure hook around that creature.

I'd also like to see a JTAS I could subscribe to to get a new issue on a regular basis.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Condottiere]

If there is a republishing of High Guard in the pipeline before the Third Edition, it should be complete with all options, and have an independent outside group go over the canon spacecraft worksheets.

 

[GamerDude]

I am currently the freelance writer for Traveller Prime Directive.

I remember pre-ordering that book back in 2011. It never happened. Got my money back, fortunately.

Sorry to hear that happend, but am glad you got your money back. Yes, I can honestly say there were a few problems at the time. One was with the previous material coming in for MGT1. Another is at that time Mongoose announced v2 and that brought a halt to development of TPD (placing it at the back of the RPG projects.)

THe RPG side of ADB hasn't been idle all this time. They revamped all *four* of the Prime Directive books for GURPS 4th - the core rulebook doubled in size and had to be printed as two volumes!

I've been associated with ADB just since middle of last year working on other internal projects. Only recently was I brought on to bring all four Prime Directive books to MGT2 and so we are ahead at Warp 7.