NewTraveller

Lately I have been very busy (as RJ and Mike Metlay can attest to), but
I feel compelled to drop off this short note in reaction to last night's
commentary by Mike Metlay regarding the state of Traveller and certain
"improvements" looming upon the horizon.

DISCLAIMER: These are my opinions ONLY and if anyone else happens to agree
            with me then whoopee. I am solely responsible for the language
            which may pop up from time to time. If you are easily offended,
            read at your own risk.

In short: Mike, AMEN BROTHER!

Does anyone else get the feeling of deja vu? It reminds me of all that furor
not too long ago when some boneheads at Coca-Cola decided that what the public
needed was "NewCoke" and that they will like it because, hey, they'll buy
anything. The wisdom of foisting a product on an unresponsive consumer
market should have been fairly obvious.

I think that GDW is fooling itself if it believes that Traveller fans will
go for ANOTHER major revision so soon after it labored to produce a presumably
well intentioned but utimately botched mutant. Its painfully obvious flaws
are well known. Look at how it was received by the most die-hard, ardent
fans of Traveller. As Mike noted, the applause was somewhat underwhelming.
Can you imagine how absolute neophytes would feel upon investigating MT
and being brought up short by its glaring faults? They'll vote with their
wallets. Trying to slap on a gold band-aid won't help.

A couple of years ago I decided to get back into gaming -- the obvious
question was with what system? I had neither the time nor the inclination
(nor the money) to keep abreast of more than one system. I chose to go
back to Traveller because I had always liked the way GDW had handled
the Traveller "universe" and felt that I had always gotten my money's
worth from their products. (And I found munchkinism less prevalent among
my Traveller cohorts, but that's another story.)

As they saying goes, what has GDW done for me lately? Produced a half-assed
abortion like MegaTraveller and some notable disasters: I thank the Lord I
listened to TMLers and didn't buy Fighting Sh*ts, and hang my head in shame
for buying COACC. Must have been temporary insanity. Not exactly a way to
build confidence in any further undertakings.

My gut reaction to NewTraveller is "OH NO, NOT AGAIN!"

Will I buy Star Viking, or whatever silly name GDW pastes on it?

NOT BLOODY LIKELY

Why don't the grand poo-bahs at GDW just invest some money in a rubber
stamp and emboss all of their future releases with the legend: OUR LATEST
ATTEMPT TO MAKE PEOPLE FORGET OUR PREVIOUS FAILURES -- PLEASE BUY THIS, WE
PROMISE WE'VE DONE IT RIGHT THIS TIME.

It's like a contractor who builds a small, quality house that everybody
likes and enjoys, but then tears it down and replaces it with a ramshackle
poorly designed monstrosity (but it's better, really!) and keeps on trying
to dress it up by building more upon it. It won't work; if the foundation
is rotten there's little sense in building upon it unless you want the whole
rickety house of cards to come a 'tumblin down.

Has GDW had an unlucky love affair and is now trying to commit suicide?

I heartily agree with Mike's editorial. If it isn't fixed NOW, then it
will be too late for damage control. In my own limited way, I am willing
to exert some effort to save Traveller. Otherwise, I suspect that I will
not be the only one who simply tunes out from GDW's Traveller.

Please help stop GDW before it kills again! :->

- ---

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state,
 the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
                   -- United States Constitution, Amendment 2

Nicholas Sylvain ([email removed])
Marshall-Wythe School of Law
College of William and Mary