Travellers Needed - The Future of Traveller

[Sigtrygg]

Your not talking three pages your talking a major part of the system, construction rules cover ships, robots,vehicle, heck you could argue world to in there. While people don’t buy these books for your three pages they are a selling point. Having been in business and own my own businesses in the past I understand the need for as many selling points as possible to improve sales.

I am only interested in the rules that add to ships. I have not mentioned robots or vehicles because I'm not really all that interested in them. The Robots book is pretty comprehensive and as far as I am aware there are not dozens and dozens of additional robot rules that are not in that book hidden away in adventures and supplements. As to vehicles there is little they could add in a supplement that can fix the problems I have with that book, and it's not looking good from what I have seen for the new version. I will continue to use other sources for constructing vehicles.

 

[Sigtrygg]

What supplement or adventure doesnt make use of the CRB? XD

Many of them ignore the rules as given in the CRB and HG in favour of bespoke systems made up just for that book.

 

[Sigtrygg]

What sigtrygg is pushing for in a constantly updated PDF with all the construction rules, while this wouldn’t affect the CRB sales it would affect the sales of many of current and future construction books (ie Highguard, robots, vehicle and any future such book as well as the alien books). The CRB doesn’t keep the game going it’s the source books and the adventures that do.

How about you scroll back and read my original ask when I re-opened the thread?

"Six months, it has been six months...

so here is the next request.

There should be a Third Imperium Technology book that collects all the ship building and technology that is hidden away in supplements and adventures. High Guard 2022 update is now totally outdated with all the rules additions that have been hidden away for the very rich.

Plus it is a pain in the proverbial to have to hunt through six different books to find all the rules needed to build an up to current standard ship."

A book, a companion, that I would pay for. But going forward from that a pdf of updates until the next companion has enough material, I would still buy that.

Matt replied:

"This has been discussed. Also a Rules Compendium that collates all the little rules scattered all over the place at the moment."

To which I replied:

"I would buy either of those in a heartbeat."

Moving forward I would like authors to use the rule books as they are written, but that requires them being up to date, and for them to stop inventing things that can actually be replicated by reading the book in the first place.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Now I would very much support a combined construction rules doc for mongoose’s internal use as well as proofing all ships they publish with the excel spreadsheet sheet available in the forums since it not good that mongoose’s own ship designs so often doesn’t follow their own construction rules. And ‘ sigtrygg’ if your that in need of a combination construction rules support and use the excel spreadsheet

I never use spreadsheets for designing ships. never have, never will. There is little point in them posting a spreadsheet filled with components that we don't have rules for.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Now I would very much support a combined construction rules doc for mongoose’s internal use as well as proofing all ships they publish with the excel spreadsheet sheet available in the forums since it not good that mongoose’s own ship designs so often doesn’t follow their own construction rules. And ‘ sigtrygg’ if your that in need of a combination construction rules support and use the excel spreadsheet

They’d need to come to an agreement with @Arkathan as it’s only for non commercial use. I still agree that they need them.

 

[Arkathan]

They’d need to come to an agreement with @Arkathan as it’s only for non commercial use. I still agree that they need them.

Here is my opinion:
The SHEET is non-commercial use, and cannot be included in any package or media that is exchanged for money or goods. The SSD's are non-commercial use. The Record Sheet WAS non-commercial use, but no longer exists, having been replaced by the Summary.
I have not made a restriction on monetizing a printout of the Summary. Whether that is an oversight or something that should be corrected is something for discussion.

Ship's made with the spreadsheet are the creator's IP and CAN be monetized.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Here is my opinion:
The SHEET is non-commercial use, and cannot be included in any package or media that is exchanged for money or goods. The SSD's are non-commercial use. The Record Sheet WAS non-commercial use, but no longer exists, having been replaced by the Summary.
I have not made a restriction on monetizing a printout of the Summary. Whether that is an oversight or something that should be corrected is something for discussion.

Ship's made with the spreadsheet are the creator's IP and CAN be monetized.

Good clarification. Now they should USE IT.

 

[Condottiere]

Feed it to artificial intelligence, and retextualize it.

Should be an interesting case of copyright law, since plagiarizing is probably legal.

 

[tytalan]

Here is my opinion:
The SHEET is non-commercial use, and cannot be included in any package or media that is exchanged for money or goods. The SSD's are non-commercial use. The Record Sheet WAS non-commercial use, but no longer exists, having been replaced by the Summary.
I have not made a restriction on monetizing a printout of the Summary. Whether that is an oversight or something that should be corrected is something for discussion.

Ship's made with the spreadsheet are the creator's IP and CAN be monetized.

No one said anything about them selling the sheet I suggested it be used as an editing tool which since it’s public there’s no legal issues.

 

[Terry Mixon]

No one said anything about them selling the sheet I suggested it be used as an editing tool which since it’s public there’s no legal issues.

It seems I misinterpreted what noncommercial meant. That's on me.

 

[tytalan]

I am only interested in the rules that add to ships. I have not mentioned robots or vehicles because I'm not really all that interested in them. The Robots book is pretty comprehensive and as far as I am aware there are not dozens and dozens of additional robot rules that are not in that book hidden away in adventures and supplements. As to vehicles there is little they could add in a supplement that can fix the problems I have with that book, and it's not looking good from what I have seen for the new version. I will continue to use other sources for constructing vehicles.

If it’s done for ships people are going to want it done for the others. As for vehicles you have no way of knowing how good or bad the updated book is going to be.

As for you not being in the minority that’s antidotal (look up the word since you’ve showed you don’t know the definition) and I never suggested once that people would buy a supplement for your three pages it’s part of a whole that’s why it’s ’a Selling point’.

 

[tytalan]

The frequent updates of the Core Rule Books is putting me off repeatedly buying them. If I could buy one of the Core Rule Books safe in the knowledge that it would be relevant for "N" years, that would be an improvement for me. Making updated PDFs available - like what happened with Central Supply Catalogue and the Core Rulebook - was really helpful and caused me to buy more Mongoose books. One of my problems is what do I do with copies of obsolete Traveller rulebooks?

Mongoose has stated that they will review the core books in 2027 and than decide if they need to do a update but not a new edition, and if they decide it’s not needed they will revisit it again in 2032. 5 years between revisions is actually fairly good especially since they are not changing any rules just clarifying and adding, which is better than most game companies which gives a new edition every 5 to 7 years.

 

[Arkathan]

No one said anything about them selling the sheet I suggested it be used as an editing tool which since it’s public there’s no legal issues.

The clarification is necessary.
The sheet is protected, and free. The output, other than the SSD, is yours for any purpose.

Contrast with non-commercial use on Robert Pierce's geomorphs and starship symbols. They are protected and free, and while the output is yours, use of his product makes your work non-commercial use only. Since I don't intend to sell my custom ships, I use his stuff frequently.

I was responding to Terry's concern about the sheet being non-commercial and clarified that it isn't restrictive on your use of your ideas. This is an important distinction to make.

 

[ross]

This is a false argument since many people still prefer printed media otherwise they go to strictly POD formats.

Again, this is your opinion and not a fact nor immutable. I have regularly received updated digital versions of the books I have purchased with corrections and errata integrated into the text. This is a useful and arguably better option for most publishers.

 

[rinku]

I assume that Mongoose, like most physical book publishers, usually review book editions when the time is coming up to order new stock runs.

 

[MongooseMatt]

I assume that Mongoose, like most physical book publishers, usually review book editions when the time is coming up to order new stock runs.

Pretty much.

Also worth mentioning that since the latter half of 2021, we have updated the Core Rulebook a total of once Add to that, the previous Core Rulebook is still perfectly useable with new releases, to the extent that 99% of the time you can have both copies on the table at the same time, and the game will run just fine.

On a related matter, it looks like the Rules Compendium I mentioned will be appearing sooner rather than later. This year is probably a stretch, but relatively early 2026 looks doable...

 

[MongooseMatt]

Addendum: While we are not seriously thinking about a new Update to the Core Rulebook at the moment, idle speculation has started... and there does not seem to be any desperate changes required at the current time. Maybe a little tweaking in the flow of combat, but no actual changes on a fundamental level. I also think the Traveller creation chapter is a bit... wordy, and could use some reformatting but any actual rules changes to that would be so minor as to make no difference between Travellers created in one book or the other...

Overall, the core mechanics for Traveller are in a pretty good place right now, so it is more a matter of collating and picking around the edges (such as with the forthcoming Vehicle Handbook update on the one hand and the Rules Compendium on the other).

As for buying a whole book for 3 pages... no, you really should not The way to look at such books is that we will try new rules specific to certain people or places or technologies, and see how they are received. If they seem popular, there is a good chance those rules will be incorporated into something a bit more mainstream. In a way, that is much of the point of JTAS...

I think what I am saying is that we regard Traveller (in terms of both rules and setting) as a 'living' system. There will always be something going on!

 

[Sigtrygg]

If it’s done for ships people are going to want it done for the others. As for vehicles you have no way of knowing how good or bad the updated book is going to be.

I have read every comment made by Geir, the book will not be for me.

As for you not being in the minority that’s antidotal (look up the word since you’ve showed you don’t know the definition)

You are misusing the word that you can't spell, probably a Dunning Kruger effect. Your argument is that the majority of people would buy a £40 book to get 3 useful pages. I say that is your feelings on the issue rather than being backed by anything based on common sense.

and I never suggested once that people would buy a supplement for your three pages it’s part of a whole that’s why it’s ’a Selling point’.

So you are not addressing my point, you are arguing contrary to it - you are also misremembering your own posts, go back and read them.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Addendum: While we are not seriously thinking about a new Update to the Core Rulebook at the moment, idle speculation has started... and there does not seem to be any desperate changes required at the current time. Maybe a little tweaking in the flow of combat, but no actual changes on a fundamental level. I also think the Traveller creation chapter is a bit... wordy, and could use some reformatting but any actual rules changes to that would be so minor as to make no difference between Travellers created in one book or the other...

I haven't compared them side by side, but is the charcter generation in Explorer's and Merchant's the same as the core rule book - have to go check now...

Overall, the core mechanics for Traveller are in a pretty good place right now, so it is more a matter of collating and picking around the edges (such as with the forthcoming Vehicle Handbook update on the one hand and the Rules Compendium on the other).

So a couple of years out at minimum... hmmm 2027, why does that ring a bell?

As for buying a whole book for 3 pages... no, you really should not The way to look at such books is that we will try new rules specific to certain people or places or technologies, and see how they are received. If they seem popular, there is a good chance those rules will be incorporated into something a bit more mainstream. In a way, that is much of the point of JTAS...

How can I find out if a new system is useful and popular if I don't have the book with the 3 pages? Putting these updates in JTAS would be an alternative solution to the compendium, unless you moved JTAS to a more regular periodical - 4 issues per year, 2... offer a subscription model to fund it.

I think what I am saying is that we regard Traveller (in terms of both rules and setting) as a 'living' system. There will always be something going on!

Forum members are usually very kind in copying snippets of new rules into threads when asked, if that is allowed as fair use (which is appears to be since I don't recall a single instance of you asking anyone to delete something) why not just have a shared folder or a pinned forum post where such snippets can be easily found? Such a collection may actually help authors keep on top of current rules.

 

[tytalan]

Again, this is your opinion and not a fact nor immutable. I have regularly received updated digital versions of the books I have purchased with corrections and errata integrated into the text. This is a useful and arguably better option for most publishers.

If that was the case they wouldn’t be printing all the books they are, look at the Rift supplement the printed version was so popular they have just done another print run that’s a fact and is immutable. All your doing it giving us your opinion without anything but anecdotal evidence.