kafka
Mongoose
Spinning off from the other discussion..."When will Mongoose shoot Stephon"...As it seems to require a thread in its own right. Or perhaps, how can we help MgT be dramatic, exciting and engage it to its full capacity - that original designers sought Traveller to be...
One solution would the easy solution which is to run a homebrew campaign or ATU like Slammer's, B5 or the upcoming Pirates Campaign...
Another would be look for the opportunities for adventure within the OTU. Much of the borders of the Major Races are fixed. However, that does not preclude smaller polities waging war on each other.
CT had the whole conflict in the Far Frontiers sector of the two Superpowers waging proxy wars.
I would argue the same thing is happening in the Hinterworlds, save, it is not the Imperium and the Solomani Confederation but also add in the Hivers and one decaying Pocket Empire that dreams of its glory days. I think the Hinterworlds may not be a powerkeg like other parts of Chartered Space but rather a small series of explosion that if left unchecked could spread the dangerous contagion of instability to the Major Races/Superpowers but all are jockeying for influence and power whilst the smaller states merely want to find a way to survive. The model that is often used for confrontation with the Solomani is WW2. Therefore, perhaps the Rankians are Sweden...a former Imperial power that has to accomodate itself between the powers of the day...the Third Reich one side and the Allies (including the USSR) on the other whilst trying to preserve its role as preeminent Nordic or Northern European power. So there is lots of potential for a Hinterworlds Sector book for MgT.
MT had a lot of games dealing with High Level intrigue. MgT has yet to release their Nobles book (Dilettante) which will undoubtedly fuel campaigns at this high level of play. However, the machinations of Nobles within the Imperium must be akin to maneuvering of Noble Houses akin to Frank Herbert's Dune, save, that it is not merely one planet with critical resources but Subsectors, Sectors and Quandrants and the ultimate prize - Domains. Whilst, the Emperor has the ultimate power of patronage, he too, is captured by politics. Infighting between Reformist and Conservative tendencies within the Moot. Between Solomani and Vilani nobles representing fundamentally different ways of business and life could be compared to North & South Yugoslavia. Essentially, the same people** (as all humans are) but have to act harmoniously within one state jockeying for positions that would have curry favour with the Emperor. Where this is most acute would be in the Julian Sector where old and new collide. The Vargr would be perfectly cast as Kosovars/Albanians...
The conflict between the Hivers & the K'kree resembles the conflict between Florence and France in the Reconnaissance and the intervention of the Papal states. The Hivers & the K'kree have a vast neutral zone between their two polities nominally non-aligned but rife with conflict but also harmonious interaction between the Superpowers. Should we see a Ley Sector guide. Clearly, two very different powers would be competing with the Imperium playing an expansionary but stabilizing role.
All my models are drawn from the Conflict Model proposed by MegaTraveller without going down the route of Total War that MegaTraveller opted for. This provides ample space for MgT to explore and create new adventures.
But, what are the other things that MegaTraveller explored...
The humanization or less demonization of the Zhodani threat by showing their expansion was really Coreward. So, a whole host of Exploratory missions a la ST:TNG as the expeditions will always include at least one telepath,
The union disunion of the Vargr race. As the Vargr seem to also have been divided along strong differences around ethnicity. Could this have a parallel structure of one leader attempting to use different forms of technology to unite them around a single vision. MT postulated a VR performer was doing that...would it not have its seeds in the MgT. I see lots of potential for a Mule-type figure emerging in the shadows from some obscure Vargr corporation who teams ups with a charismatic female singer but unleashing something greater than either one could control. Players would be in all out attempt to block this "technology" falling into the wrong hands...perhaps the technology is partially psionic and were the codes that the Ancients used to command obedience from their Vargr slaves...
After the Ancients chased down the Primordials...what did they find? A race that had ascended to merely content themselves to be lotus eaters of the Galaxy were the Ancients the Morlocks to the Eloi that peaceably drifted through the galaxy...
So, as one can see that MT did open a whole can of worms that MgT can continue or discontinue by merely providing the seeds that will grow into MT. Players can have the feeling that they are affecting the timeline and grow the timeline without altering the flow of time. Otherwise, yes, the Imperium will collapse in 1120 but so what...
**people not nation
One solution would the easy solution which is to run a homebrew campaign or ATU like Slammer's, B5 or the upcoming Pirates Campaign...
Another would be look for the opportunities for adventure within the OTU. Much of the borders of the Major Races are fixed. However, that does not preclude smaller polities waging war on each other.
CT had the whole conflict in the Far Frontiers sector of the two Superpowers waging proxy wars.
I would argue the same thing is happening in the Hinterworlds, save, it is not the Imperium and the Solomani Confederation but also add in the Hivers and one decaying Pocket Empire that dreams of its glory days. I think the Hinterworlds may not be a powerkeg like other parts of Chartered Space but rather a small series of explosion that if left unchecked could spread the dangerous contagion of instability to the Major Races/Superpowers but all are jockeying for influence and power whilst the smaller states merely want to find a way to survive. The model that is often used for confrontation with the Solomani is WW2. Therefore, perhaps the Rankians are Sweden...a former Imperial power that has to accomodate itself between the powers of the day...the Third Reich one side and the Allies (including the USSR) on the other whilst trying to preserve its role as preeminent Nordic or Northern European power. So there is lots of potential for a Hinterworlds Sector book for MgT.
MT had a lot of games dealing with High Level intrigue. MgT has yet to release their Nobles book (Dilettante) which will undoubtedly fuel campaigns at this high level of play. However, the machinations of Nobles within the Imperium must be akin to maneuvering of Noble Houses akin to Frank Herbert's Dune, save, that it is not merely one planet with critical resources but Subsectors, Sectors and Quandrants and the ultimate prize - Domains. Whilst, the Emperor has the ultimate power of patronage, he too, is captured by politics. Infighting between Reformist and Conservative tendencies within the Moot. Between Solomani and Vilani nobles representing fundamentally different ways of business and life could be compared to North & South Yugoslavia. Essentially, the same people** (as all humans are) but have to act harmoniously within one state jockeying for positions that would have curry favour with the Emperor. Where this is most acute would be in the Julian Sector where old and new collide. The Vargr would be perfectly cast as Kosovars/Albanians...
The conflict between the Hivers & the K'kree resembles the conflict between Florence and France in the Reconnaissance and the intervention of the Papal states. The Hivers & the K'kree have a vast neutral zone between their two polities nominally non-aligned but rife with conflict but also harmonious interaction between the Superpowers. Should we see a Ley Sector guide. Clearly, two very different powers would be competing with the Imperium playing an expansionary but stabilizing role.
All my models are drawn from the Conflict Model proposed by MegaTraveller without going down the route of Total War that MegaTraveller opted for. This provides ample space for MgT to explore and create new adventures.
But, what are the other things that MegaTraveller explored...
The humanization or less demonization of the Zhodani threat by showing their expansion was really Coreward. So, a whole host of Exploratory missions a la ST:TNG as the expeditions will always include at least one telepath,
The union disunion of the Vargr race. As the Vargr seem to also have been divided along strong differences around ethnicity. Could this have a parallel structure of one leader attempting to use different forms of technology to unite them around a single vision. MT postulated a VR performer was doing that...would it not have its seeds in the MgT. I see lots of potential for a Mule-type figure emerging in the shadows from some obscure Vargr corporation who teams ups with a charismatic female singer but unleashing something greater than either one could control. Players would be in all out attempt to block this "technology" falling into the wrong hands...perhaps the technology is partially psionic and were the codes that the Ancients used to command obedience from their Vargr slaves...
After the Ancients chased down the Primordials...what did they find? A race that had ascended to merely content themselves to be lotus eaters of the Galaxy were the Ancients the Morlocks to the Eloi that peaceably drifted through the galaxy...
So, as one can see that MT did open a whole can of worms that MgT can continue or discontinue by merely providing the seeds that will grow into MT. Players can have the feeling that they are affecting the timeline and grow the timeline without altering the flow of time. Otherwise, yes, the Imperium will collapse in 1120 but so what...
**people not nation
