[email removed] said the following:
> Bundle: 485
> Archive-Message-Number: 5845
> From: [email removed]
> Date: Tue, 3 Aug 93 02:58:00 BST
> Subject:
>
> IMHO, the following principles are at work:
> -- A Space: 1889 player is born, not made. The existing players
> and referees are _VERY_ enthusiastic (I like the background a
> great deal myself, although I think the mechanics are a little
> simplistic), but you cannot convert someone to the game if they
> are not interested in the milieu.
Sadly very true. Most people get this glazed look in their eyes and then
edge away from me when I start talking about Space: 1889.
> One of the problems with MegaTraveller seemed to be that the
> amount of material that a new gamer had to absorb in order to be
> able to play the game was gigantic and growing. Everybody had to
> be up to speed on the Rebellion, all of the factions, and needed
> to know a massive amount of game "history" in order to be able to
> enjoy the game. We heard this hundreds of times, from store
> owners, referees, and players. More importantly, we heard it from
> former players and former referees, in response to our "what made
> you quit?" queries.
MegaTraveller reminded me of a campaign gone sour. Like when the players
go off on a weird tangent that they can't really return from.
> Second, we decided to make it so that no new player needed to
> absorb the complete history of the Imperium in order to be able
> to enjoy playing. The added background for the new era does that.
> Notice I did not say NEW background...it merely adds to the
> history, it does not completely invalidate what came before. Long-
> time referees can set their campaign anywhere they want to, but
> new campaigns can start without absorbing a mountain of
> background.
The problem is that the only new material that will be out of GDW
will be stuff based upon the post-virus universe. Leaving those of
us who don't like the current direction of the Imperium in the same
shoes as those of us who play/run Space: 1889.
> That's it in a nutshell. Did we make the right decision? Time
> will tell, but initial sales of TNE have been VERY high, and
> reception has been almost uniformly positive...we have received
> many letters beginning with words to the effect of: "I had
> stopped playing Traveller years ago, but TNE has made me start
> again." Another widespread sentiment is that we have recaptured
> the feel of the Classic Traveller...a sentiment which some on the
> TML have expressed.
That is what really drives any business that is going to stick around,
money. If it sells, great.
> Matthew Goldman (re Space 1889):
> >Such a fun game. It had the bad luck to come out as most of
> the gaming wenies
> > wanted DARK FUTURE, CYBERTRASH games. You can see how this
> boring
> > trend has destroyed the Third Imperium.
> See above.
Money again.
> >I don't really agree with that. In many ways Space:1889 is
> much
> >closer to Classic Traveller than T:TNE. Just look at it:
> >
> > Traveller Space:1889
> > ========= ==========
> > Emperor Strephon Queen Elizabeth
> That's Queen _Victoria_...Elizabeth I died in 1603,, and 1889
> is a little before Elizabeth II's time.
I hide my head in shame at what my fingers typed.
> As Matt Goldman has pointed out, its not hard to find at all.
> Most good bookstores carry it, as does every library worthy of
> the name. Burroughs, Wells, Verne, are all there, and Kline,
> Haggard and the others can be found with only a little more
> effort.
> > It's in the Public domain
> Some of it is, some of it isn't. The Burrough's estate managed
> to keep copyright control of some of E. R.'s stuff, I do believe.
> Just because someone has OCR-ed it and uploaded it doesn't meant
> the copyright has run out.
Has anyone put together a good reading list of Victorian time period
adventures?
> Actually, Cadillacs & Dinosaurs is being re-issued in November,
> to coincide with the animated television series of the same name
> (on CBS, for us yanks).
Sigh, and I just picked up a used copy of C&D at the same time as
I bought a used copy of TNE.
- --
Matthew Goldman E-mail: [email removed] Work: [phone removed]
The sight of a laser dot can have a strong
psychological impact on the target.