Friends, it is late at night on a Saturday, and I am uploading the following
traffic from GEnie unedited because I am too tired to edit it. Make of it
what you will. I'll have more to say on Monday.
Yours,
Rob Dean
- -----------------------------------]
************
Topic 3 Thu Jun 01, 1989
J.FUGATE at 18:48 MDT
Sub: MegaTraveller - General Discussions
This topic is to be a catch-all topic for any discussion that doesn't fit in
any other topic.
395 message(s) total.
************
------------
Category 11, Topic 3
Message 379 Fri Nov 01, 1991
R.DEAN14 [Rob Dean] at 07:41 EST
Great! When would you expect S&A to be in our hot little hands? I have to
send a copy to Geramny for a firend (as well as get one for me, of course)
ASAP, and.... (Germany, make that...can't type in the morning.) Rob Dean
------------
Category 11, Topic 3
Message 380 Fri Nov 01, 1991
DIGEST.GROUP [Staff] at 15:25 EST
I won 'toops I won't be able to give more than a ballpark guesstimate until it
comes back from the printer (then it'll be about two weeks). I don't imagine
it should be at the printers any longer than another week. I'll keep you
posted.
Jay
------------
Category 11, Topic 3
Message 381 Sat Nov 09, 1991
DIGEST.GROUP [Staff] at 01:24 EST
SUBJECT: DGP is putting MT production on hold during production of AI
After much thoughtful consideration, DGP's MegaTraveller production has been
put on hold, pending the release of AI and gaining a better understanding of
GDW's direction regarding MegaTraveller. After MTJ3 (due out in January), the
next three releases from DGP will be the AI game and two support products for
it. Onnesium Quest has been cancelled.
Onnesium quest was cancelled for two main reasons: 1) Adventures do not sell
well, and with DGP's limited resources, it makes sense to maximize our returns
for a given amount of work. MegaTraveller adventure products give us the WORST
return for a unit of effort. Even the magazine does better in terms of dollar
sales than an adventure product. 2) We didn't feel right keeping Philip in the
dark concerning our decision to put all MegaTraveller production on hold for
the next year. So we told him our priority for the foreseable future is AI,
not MegaTraveller.
I would be less than honest if I didn't admit that Marc Miller leaving GDW has
had an effect on this decision to put MT production on hold. Marc gave the
game a sense of wonder and direction as its inventor. With- out him closely
involved in the game's direction, a lot of my own personal pleasure from
working with the game is gone -- but that's just me and I know that others
don't necessarily feel the same way.
DGP has suffered to some extent over the years because of our tendency to
think like fans rather than like owners of a business. Our accountant has
cringed at some of our decisions -- like our insistence on producing the
magazine even though it took just as much effort to produce as any product,
and yet our unit take was only HALF of what we would get for a product. A
small business typically has a very slim profit margin, and our accountant
would also ask time and again when we were going to get out of a royalty
arrangement with some other game company. "Do your own game" she would say
over and over. "NO, we like Traveller," we would say.
That time has come to an end. We have decided to do something different this
time and to treat DGP like a business, not as a fan organization that sells
stuff. AI is already getting a lot of good response. A case in point is the
situation this last summer when Rob was flying to GENCON and he sat next to an
individual from Milton-Bradley, also going to GENCON as it turned out. When
Rob told this person he was with Digest Group, this person's response was "Oh
yeah? When's AI coming out?"
We've never seen that level of interest or notariety from Traveller.
- --Joe Fugate, Owner, DGP
------------
Category 11, Topic 3
Message 382 Sun Nov 10, 1991
M.LEYMASTER at 14:21 EST
Sorry to see the end of DGP's Traveller. I wish you well with A.I., tthough
there is little chance I will be a buyer.
------------
Category 11, Topic 3
Message 383 Tue Nov 12, 1991
J.KUNDERT [Farstar] at 21:35 EST
SUBJECTS:
-DGP's Decision
-The "Mega-" Difference
-GDW's two Role-Playing Systems
-DGP's Decision
I can't say I like what I hear, but I understand the realities of the
situation. I hope that history will justify Joe's confidence in A.I., but I
curse at the loss of Traveller's foremost supporter.
-The "Mega-" Difference
With the introduction of MegaTraveller and the assassination of Strephon,
GDW gained a lively, moving background in which to revive Traveller.
Unfortunately, that lively, moving background is also a disadvantage. No
longer can a writer spend six months to a year polishing a scenario or book.
No longer can an editor put off the publication of a project by six months.
Delays like this are almost certain demise for a project in the Rebellion Era,
since history will have moved beyond the project long before it reaches
publication.
While this is not a big problem with magazine articles, major releases like
"Rebel Tales" and "Grand Explorations" are no longer appropriate for
publication when their day in history has passed. Imagine trying to convince
GDW (in 1988) to publish "Leviathan" or "Signal GK". It would not have been
done. The setting for those adventures (Trojan Reaches without Aslan; sedate
Solomani Sphere) was gone.
Similarly, a lot of late Rebellion writing is going to be left in the dust
(for anything but magazine publication) when GDW accelerates the clock again.
If this acceleration results in a long period of stability for the former
Imperium, then it will be a good thing. Writers will again be able to plan
for publication of big projects that won't become irrelevant before the
writing is finished. Rejected manuscripts will return to a normal percentage
of the whole, as "no longer relevant" drops from the list of reasons for
rejection.
I look forward to the next jump of the Imperial Clock. It will vastly
improve our chances of getting anything (other than Challenge) from GDW.
-GDW's two Role-Playing Systems
For the record, I am NOT in favor of converting the Traveller background to
the Twilit:2K/Cads&Dinos/DarkSpiracy system. It does not need (and cannot
use) the support of the Twilight equipment books, and cannot benefit from the
other two games, since the strong background differences render their material
worthless to Traveller.
Traveller does not NEED the gross realism of the Twilight combat system;
Traveller combat is dangerous enough already. To change the career-oriented
character generation of Traveller is to change the whole feel of the game. To
change the craft rules (as opposed to finishing them) is to court disaster,
since a great deal of player effort in vehicle design would be rendered
obsolete.
If this (unwanted and unneeded) change is to occur, it should be in the
form of two-way conversion rules, and NOT a complete revision and
republication of Traveller. The old-time Traveller players already grumble
about buying the background all over again (in MT), and would not stand for
buying it a third time.
Farstar
------------
Category 11, Topic 3
Message 384 Thu Nov 14, 1991
GDW.SUPPORT [Loren W.] at 23:26 EST
Traveller The New Era
Just in time for its 15th anniversary, Traveller is back! Coming in the
Fall of 1992, Traveller will burst back onto the gaming scene with revamped
streamlined, state of the art rules, compatible with GDW's Twilight/ Dark
Con/Cads&Dinos rules system. The rules will remain faithful to the precepts
established in the original Traveller and MegaTraveller, but will be made
more accessible to the first time player. The New Rules will be accompanied
by an updated campaign setting, which will be contemporary with the Star
Viking miniatures rules. What became of the Imperium? How did the Rebellion
end? Who are these Viking guys, and was that a Hiver we just saw? Like they
say, it's always darkest before the dawn.
Traveller is 15...its never been this good.
Dave Nilsen
------------
Category 11, Topic 3
Message 385 Fri Nov 15, 1991
J.KUNDERT [Farstar] at 02:55 EST
Writing on the wall...
I will (wisely) adapt a "wait and see" attitude...
Farstar
------------
Category 11, Topic 3
Message 386 Fri Nov 15, 1991
DIGEST.GROUP [Staff] at 03:15 EST
Wait and see what??
------------
Category 11, Topic 3
Message 387 Sat Nov 16, 1991
J.KUNDERT [Farstar] at 01:24 EST
Wait and see what the future holds for Traveller and HIWG...
In the mean time (and to speed up the above wait-and-see) I would suggest we
temporarily use Topic 8 for discussion of the revision. The Q&A topic has
seen little enough activity, and we ought to have one place where we (HIWG in
particular) can ask about the upcoming changes (most of which are RULES
changes after all)
Farstar
------------
Category 11, Topic 3
Message 388 Sat Nov 16, 1991
ED.EDWARDS at 01:47 EST
In advance, put me in for a copy of TRAVELLER rules #6.
------------
Category 11, Topic 3
Message 389 Sat Nov 16, 1991
DIGEST.GROUP [Staff] at 02:31 EST
You know, it seems like I've seen a lot of excess whining about the fact that
Traveller will be going into its third revision. If you think about it, 3
major revisions in 15 years aint too bad.
Just an opinion.
- - Jay
------------
Category 11, Topic 3
Message 390 Sat Nov 16, 1991
C.FAGO1 [Carl Fago] at 14:45 EST
I don't think the whining is unjustified. There was quite a bit of good
discussion of the subject on the USENET Traveller Mailing list. Basically, I
won't be buying the revision for the same reason that I didn't buy AD&D Second
edition. There is no substantial improvement over the previous edition.
The key word here is "improvement". There is probably a lot of "change" but
how much of that is "improvement". I don't want to spend my money on
something different. There is so much conflictiong information, missing
information, and just plain poor editing in the Mega Traveller rules as it
stands that, without some substantial proof that GDW has improved basic
proofreading in the years, I won't be inclined to even think about buying Star
Viking.
And thinking about it, three major revisions in 15 years does seem a bit
excessive.
*-=Carl=-*
------------
Category 11, Topic 3
Message 391 Sat Nov 16, 1991
DIGEST.GROUP [Staff] at 16:29 EST
.... *Sigh*
------------
Category 11, Topic 3
Message 392 Sat Nov 16, 1991
T.CAMPBELL8 at 16:57 EST
I'm afraid I have to jump on you a little to Jay-
------------
Category 11, Topic 3
Message 393 Sat Nov 16, 1991
T.CAMPBELL8 at 16:59 EST
If you think about it three major revisions in 15
years is pretty -bad-. And two major revisions in - 5- years is worse. I
think the concerns raised by
Farstar and others (especially the upload in the
library from TML) are legitimate- I think calling
it whining is an injustice. You will not find more
devoted, intelligent Trav/MT fans anywhere than
the group here on GEnie. And frankly hearing a
member of DGP's staff having that kind of callous
opinion of some of the most ardent supporters of DGP is surprising- I hope
they are not as insulting to the AI crowd. I've quietly enjoyed the
discussions on this board for almost a year. I've read comments that could be
considered whining- people too concerned about the tedious- people letting
the
many little unexplanables in Trav rob the fun for
them- but I do not consider the worried statements
of late from several of what I consider premier
trav-fans, whining. It has been a bad last several
months for MT fans. We've seen the departure of
Marc Miller the ultimate prime mover in Traveller
(without whom a third revision is almost doomed to
failure- I hope I'm wrong.) We've seen at least the
long term withdrawal of DGP from MT products, and
we've seen many excellent ideas for support
products get shot down in favor of a third revision
that I'm honestly straining to find some good
points for. Farstar's concerns about products/ and
or product idea submission turning obsolete because
of the whirling rush of official time I think is
particularly well founded. Columbia Games' Harn
World products for instance never move their
offical time. They have also never had a major
revision in well over 10 years of being in
business. I can tell that GDW isn't really
targeting me (an old Trav grognard) with this
upcoming product- They want new blood to keep their
coffers from drying out. I can't blame them for
that- a game company has to think like that to stay
alive- I'm only saying that if the trend continues-
if marketing concerns beat out honest
craftsmenship- GDW and T/MT/SV will be dead or as
good as dead anyway.
And where as that wouldn't be the end of the world
(there is certainly enough matieral to run
campaigns for the next century), it -is-
frustrating to see such potential for gaming
products go down the drain in favor of what sounds
like (yes I know it's not out yet) an ill advised
and perhaps seld limiting product direction.
Whining, indeed, it sounds like honest concerns
from loyal fans and friends of GDW.
------------
Category 11, Topic 3
Message 394 Sat Nov 16, 1991
T.CAMPBELL8 at 17:30 EST
Now _that_ was an ugly up-load. My apologies everyone, I hope my humble
points and my defense of Farstar (et. al.) position got across ok.- Tom.
------------
Category 11, Topic 3
Message 395 Sat Nov 16, 1991
GDW.SUPPORT [Loren W.] at 17:59 EST
Dave Nilsen (N-i-l-s-E-n) and I will be hosting an RTC on the subject of the
future of Traveller some time in the next few weeks (as soon as we work out a
couple of details in-house). Watch this space for the announcement of time,
etc.
Loren Wiseman
------------