Mongoose actually made a Traveller adaptation for the Babylon 5 setting, when they still held that particular licence; so there is a published precedence from their side of the equation, too.

By George M. Ebersole (George) on Sunday, January 08, 2012 - 10:35 pm: Edit

Yeah, played it with some nut case. Not a fun experience.

By Mike West (Mjwest) on Sunday, January 08, 2012 - 11:06 pm: Edit

Just to reinforce the above comments, Mongoose intentionally set up their version of Traveller to be able to separate the game system from the setting. Obviously, the default setting is the Third Imperium universe. However, they have done settings for Stronium Dogs, Babylon 5, and (I think) one other. The SFU will simply be yet another setting.

From my vantage point, integrating the SFU into the Traveller game system works pretty nicely. I think the result will be very workable.

You are right, however, in that the settings themselves are totally incompatible. And this incompatibility stems from multiple fronts. They just really don't work together at all.

Also, while Mongoose Traveller is a very nice presentation of the game system, it can't be "the closest to the original rule set currently available" because the original rule set is currently available. You can easily buy various pieces of the Classic Traveller Reprints. Some of it is available in print, and all of it is available on CDs in PDF format. It is sold through Far Future Enterprises. (No link, but Google finds them easily. Note that this is all legit, as FFE is the front for the copyright holder.)

By George M. Ebersole (George) on Monday, January 09, 2012 - 12:44 am: Edit

It's interesting, because Traveller was setup to play various settings; From a Gordon Eklund or Asimov novel, to Star Wars, the latest or "classic" versions of Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers or even Trek, and beyond. Doing SFB seems interesting for the players, as a REF doesn't have to go around making up stuff since it'll already be codified in a rule book.

I guess I misunderstood when I initially read the title and snippets of posts here and there, thinking that the Imperium and the UFP (and her neighbors) were on a collision course for co-existence.

I've actually written a tiny "do in one evening" kind of adventure for Traveller, but need to assemble it before I fire off the PDF to the Far-Future/Mongoose people.

Thanks for the clarification, Mike.

By Mike West (Mjwest) on Monday, January 09, 2012 - 06:18 pm: Edit

One huge issue between the Third Imperium setting and the SFU is scale. The entire Charted Space of Traveller will fit in little more than a single F&E hex. The scale of the SFU in comparison is just mind-bogglingly vast, and that causes some fundamental changes. (Which will be, in fact, dealt with and discussed in the Traveller: Prime Directive book when appropriate.)

As an example, a journey from Regina to Terra in the Third Imperium would take years and likely be a one-way trip for the traveller. In the SFU, one could make that trip in a shuttle craft over the course of several days.

Actually, trying to put the Third Imperium into the SFU would have lots of nasty complications. Let's assume you just drop the Third Imperium into a single F&E hex. (Say, an empty one somewhere in Fed space.) The space technology of the Third Imperium would be totally overwhelmed by the SFU technology (e.g. a simple 5000 dton Burke-class frigate will easily take out a "happy-fun ball" 500,000 dton Tigress with no real effort), but the density of living sophonts would be unimaginable for the SFU. You would end up with over a *trillions* sophonts (that's just in the Third Imperium itself; all of the other empires would significantly increase the number) packed into that single F&E hex. If properly harnessed, the economic potential of that many sophonts in a single location would, quite likely, blow up the entire SFU setting. (I don't think that the Alpha Sector [i.e. Hydran Lost Colonies to the void behind ISC space] even has a trillion sophonts. It is possible that Charted Space has an order of magnitude more space-faring sophonts than the Alpha Sector. But all packed into a single F&E hex.)

By George M. Ebersole (George) on Tuesday, January 10, 2012 - 12:21 pm: Edit

Mike, many years back I did the same scale calculations. I think I figured it would take just over two years for an idividual or a party, jumping from system to system with say a day between two week intervals, just over two years to get from Regina to Earth (Sol).

But I'm sure the powers that be have it all worked out.

By Darren Kehrer (Kehrer1701) on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 - 06:34 pm: Edit

Will ADB be selling the main Traveller rulebook as well? I like the fact that you sell two other Starmada products via the ADB website.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 - 07:05 pm: Edit

I don't know that we'd need to do that. We don't sell the main GURPS book or the main D20 book.

By Darren Kehrer (Kehrer1701) on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 - 07:23 pm: Edit

True, it's just nice to be able to buy the "core" rulebook (when the core rules are not in the ADB PD version) from the same source and pay shipping once. With GURPS, the PD book has a "gurps lite" version built in which makes sense why ADB doens't sell the 2 core rulebooks for GURPS.
It was just a thought. I buy my Starmada products through you so I can get my KA and Starmada products in one place at the same time (not to mention the option to get them loose leaf).

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 - 07:46 pm: Edit

I don't see anyone buying PD traveller who doesn't already have the core book.

By Darren Kehrer (Kehrer1701) on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 - 08:46 pm: Edit

I don't have the traveller core rulebook, and I am going to buy the new PD: Traveller from you...which will then require me buying the core rulebook. My point is, I was just hoping to buy both from you at the same time, from the ADB website, and thus only have to pay shipping once and complete my one stop shop via ADB. I like buying my products directly from you and all in one place. They always come fast, in great shape, and it gives you the money directly.

In the case of PD:T, which requires another core rulebook, I want to get into it because I have heard how awesome Traveller system is..but I don't own it yet. PD: T is the catalyst for doing so...

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Monday, February 20, 2012 - 10:49 pm: Edit

Is there scope for the planetary art in the T:PD Klingon and Romulan sourcebooks to be updated to the same standard as those in GURPS Federation?

By Jean Sexton (Jsexton) on Tuesday, February 21, 2012 - 06:43 am: Edit

Gary, we hadn't planned on new art, but we'll see.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Sunday, May 27, 2012 - 01:52 pm: Edit

As I laid out the TPD book, I left little "is Jean awake" notes like "The mistress of a Jindavo is a Jindbimbo" and I knew when she found each one because she hit me in the head.

By Jean Sexton (Jsexton) on Sunday, May 27, 2012 - 02:13 pm: Edit

Actually, he knew because I bellowed
STEVE!!!

The gibbsing may be delayed until our next con so that he may contemplate the enormity of his sins.

By Howard Bampton (Bampton) on Monday, May 28, 2012 - 10:39 am: Edit

Smart. Don't damage him until after the heavy lifting (of your move, enabling full time ADB work) is done...

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, May 28, 2012 - 10:37 pm: Edit

Preliminary report....

Chapter 0, fiction, done except for title page.

Chapter 1, introduction, done.

Chapter 2, empires & species, done.

Chapter 3, character creation, done except for doing layout on a page of alien traits. Ten minutes of work.

Chapter 4, skills, is about 2 or 3 pages, and is done.

Chapter 5, end game awards, is going to take some thinking as traveller doesn't grok that you didn't leave the military.

Chapter 6, worlds and trade, 3 pages, done.

Chapter 7, technology, i think this is done but I have to ask Mike about deleting a couple of things we may not need.

Chapter 8, universe, done. Biggest chapter, 46 pages.

Chapter 9, ships, 4 pages, not done, waiting on Mike to write the space combat system.

Chapter 10, the adventure, lacks about an hour of SVC page layout work.

Chapter 11, Index, needs a couple of hours work, but has to be done last.

Chapter 12, 100 more pages Matthew wants, not even started, but it's all stuff that would be done after we lock the schedule and announce the book.

By Shawn Hantke (Shantke) on Monday, May 28, 2012 - 11:59 pm: Edit

Is that 100 pages ADB stuff or Mongoose stuff to write?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 - 08:58 am: Edit

Of the 100, about 65 are deck plans to be done by a guy who both companies know. The other 35 are to be some kind of campaign thing. Matthew wanted to take a shot but was worried that SFU things he didn't know would make it a miserable experience for him.

By Shawn Hantke (Shantke) on Monday, June 18, 2012 - 02:51 am: Edit

Wonder if this will see the light of day? Link: http://www.traveller-ar.com/

By Darren Kehrer (Kehrer1701) on Friday, June 29, 2012 - 10:55 pm: Edit

Hey SVC: I know I said this before, but I know the moment this comes out that I will be putting one in my cart on the ADB buy now page! It would be nice, however, if the main traveller rulebook was also being sold via ADB so newcomers (like me) to this game system (who are buying it because it is now ported to the SFU) can get both in a one stop shop experience. It's nice to be able to get it all from the same place.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, June 30, 2012 - 12:38 am: Edit

That could be tricky. we have no contract to sell that. I may talk to Matthew sometime when he's in a good mood. But it's his choice, not mine.

(Actually, Matthew will see this and if interested will drop me a note.)

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, June 30, 2012 - 12:11 pm: Edit

First look at the cover

By Matthew Potter (Neonpico) on Saturday, June 30, 2012 - 01:37 pm: Edit

Makes we want to buy it already.... :D

By Tony L Thomas (Scoutdad) on Saturday, June 30, 2012 - 01:52 pm: Edit

I want to know who the artist is.
That doesn't look like the work of the usual suspects.