Where did JBE go?

[Jon Brazer Enterprises]

I know it may seem like I just disappeared off the map (more or less) for a year or so, but I have been improving my skills. Take this for example. I made this image tonight.

I'm not entirely sure what my next project is going to be, but once I get this pathfinder book off to the printer, I'm going to begin work on the next book. One thing I do know is that the cover is going to be awesome.

Any particular requests (or objections) for our next book? We currently thinking either careers or warp ships. Either of these ideas sound good to you? Both? Neither? Please give suggestions.

 

[apoc527]

Well, since you asked...

I think there are plenty of career books out there. In fact, enough that I'd be extremely unlikely to purchase another one, except the official Mongoose books that expand on many other rules (e.g. Dynasty, etc).

Ships are plentiful, but warp ships are always welcome.

What I'd really like to see is more Mech Tech 'N Bot stuff, though I would prefer that you wait until the new Supplement 5 & 6 comes out and use whatever new official system Mongoose has created.

So, right now?

Anything that expands the Foreven Sector would be cool. Planets, empire sourcebooks, Navies of Foreven, etc.

More fighters would be cool as well, especially TL9-10 that might be readily available to mercenary companies.

 

[Jame Rowe]

More fighters would be cool as well, especially TL9-10 that might be readily available to mercenary companies.

I would actually agree with this but expand it to be TL 9, 10 and 11, as TL 11 should be common enough that more than a few mercs would have it.

Oh, and I'd suggest a few more small craft too (20 ton fast armed gig, for example, or 50-ton colonization cutter).

 

[crossmlk]

One thing you guys need to know is that us Third Party publishers are limited to the first three books (Core Rules, Hight Guard and Mercenary) that we can reference so anything that Mongoose puts out like supplement 5 & 6 is off limits to us. At least thats the way I read the SRD and I would certainly be very leary about violating that.

 

[apoc527]

Hmmmm...that's pretty limiting. I wonder if they will change that.

 

[Vile]

We've been wondering for a couple of years now ... check the Sticky: Traveller Developer's Pack thread. :wink:

 

[GamerDude]

Hmmmm...that's pretty limiting. I wonder if they will change that.

I would doubt it, just based on history of these kind of things (licenses). You never want to let a license just pull from your work and potentially suck sales from your products.

I mean, from day one WotC only allowed what they wanted from the core books... none of the flavor text (like for classes, spells), none of the deities in it (PHB used Greyhawk deities, would have put them out for anyone to use).

Actually it really is an opportunity for other publishers to go do their own thing instead of just leaning on MGT's effort.


On another note.. what is the mechanic for 'warp drives'? I've seen Generic FTL, Jump, Superluminal, a few others... even created my own for my setting but when someone says "warp" I think "Star Trek", when someone says "Hyperspace" I think Babylon 5 or Star Wars.

 

[Treebore]

I for one am tired of this lower tech stuff. My Jewell Sector is the leading light of technological advances in the Imperium, and its average Tech is now 15, with some break throughs at TL 16 and 17. (A combination of discovered Ancients Technology and a psionic genius).

So I wold love to see higher tech level stuff, such as Warp drive ships, or wave motion engines, whatever...

IF you can some how get around the license and present more psionic stuff, cybernetics stuff, and robot stuff, there is a ton of room of ingenuity and tech advancements there.

 

[dmccoy1693]

On another note.. what is the mechanic for 'warp drives'? I've seen Generic FTL, Jump, Superluminal, a few others... even created my own for my setting but when someone says "warp" I think "Star Trek", when someone says "Hyperspace" I think Babylon 5 or Star Wars.

the star wars books describes hyperspace to closer to star trek's version than's b5's. In both star wars and star trek, large gravity fields can pull you out of FTL speeds. Star wars even has ships that create gravity wells to use as a weapon.

The anti-matter power plant/hyperdrive system I've been working on are basically: pay a fixed price every month and you have limitless power for 1 month, fuel requires 0 tons, drive rating tells you how many parsecs you travel in a single day.

That's the short of the long.

 

[GamerDude]

Sounds interesting and intriguing. Kind of a "Pay the power company or your little electric car goes no where, AND the ferret gets it!"

 

[dmccoy1693]

Any other suggestions?

 

[Nathan Brazil]

I would go for the Careers books geared toward lo- tech or environment specific like non-barbarian characters in a lo-tech world (TL4 or less)or citizens on water world.

A book of feats, err...
A book of Special Techniques! They were introduced in Strontium Dog and Judge Dredd

 

[GamerDude]

I like the BSG approach... there is something out there, mineral, that can be refined down into a superb fuel for spaceships etc. "Trillium" or "Trinium" or something like that, and it was found in more than just their home system.

I like that idea using an actual fuel that has to be collected, refined, transported, sold etc. It gets used up and you need more. call it what you will but, you need it to be moving.

 

[GJD]

Tylium in BSG.

The Warp drive in ST is, by accident I suspect, quite close to one of the future propulsion projects investigated by NASA, the Alcubierre drive: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcubierre_drive

Also interesting is the Diametric drive, which requires an exotic matter with "negative mass" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diametric_drive#Diametric_drive

G.

 

[dmccoy1693]

Here's a question for everyone: would you be interested in a Career-style book on religion? First part would cover new religious based careers and have alternate tables for existing careers. Next would cover designing your own interplanetary religion. After that would be several sample religions. Last would be a gming and religious character design advice. Thoughts?

 

[GamerDude]

Mmmm 'religion'? 'faith based'? 'divine'? These organizations (with clergy/hierarchy) have been part of Traveller from the start, even if not a prominently as some other career areas.

 

[kafka]

Maybe it is just me but it does seem that the Mongoose Traveller Universe is woefully under illustrated. Maybe you could negotiate with FFE to get some old stock art and then write up two or three adventure seeds that could go along with it.

Alternatively, there is art on the Creative Commons license at Flickr that might be there for you.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

On the religion book, go for it. It has been done before (101 Religions, World Builders Handbook), but not for this version of Traveller. One had a religious profile generator. If you can tie a "religious" or "piety" characteristic or scale of religion like SOC is scaled in Dilettante, even cooler!

 

[FreeTrav]

Here's a question for everyone: would you be interested in a Career-style book on religion? First part would cover new religious based careers and have alternate tables for existing careers. Next would cover designing your own interplanetary religion. After that would be several sample religions. Last would be a gming and religious character design advice. Thoughts?

Gimme.
Now.

 

[AndrewW]

On the religion book, go for it. It has been done before (101 Religions, World Builders Handbook), but not for this version of Traveller.

Not entirely, there are some religion related careers for Mongoose Traveller. Not that the subject has had much coverage.