Someone replied to my diatribe on TNE asking me to say specifically
what I missed from older Traveller, its resources and supplements. I think
I can succicntly itemise it:
The Ship's Locker
Amber Zone
Casual Encounters
The Bestiary
These were "departments" in the old JTAS. Jointly they formed a sort of
"cut and paste" directory of "clip art" that you could insert into ongoing
campaigns or adventures. The 6-Patrons section in Challange-70 is a dim
reflection of this. The characters therein are rather limited in their
use. They specifically cater for the given campaign assumptions.
Why is it called Traveller? The original conception of the game
was centered around the Traveller's Aid Society. Here was the SF equivalent
of an Edwardian men's social club. Members could relax and enjoy a cigar
in most corners of the world. Down on your money or stuck for the next
trip? The notice board in the TAS is the most elegant plot device I have
ever seen for setting players on course for their next adventure.
An ironic aside: "Travellers" is a term used in Ireland to refer
politely to itinerants. The homeless, Tinkers, Gypsies, and Knackers are
less polite terms. Perhaps GDW's brave new vision of the TAS is a home
for down and out vagabonds.
The other stock answer I have seen is "RPGs are about using
your imagination. So get out there, dickwad, and use your imagination
to write your own stuff."
I'm sorry. When I was a student that was fine. Now I'm a nine to
fiver and most of my creative bent goes into my job. Any long-term campaign
becomes individualised. Store-bought scenarios always need some localisation
work. More the longer the campaign has gone on for. The above mention
departments were particularly useful because of their portability.
I run Traveller for a few hours on unpredictable weeknights. My
weekends are tied up in other hobbies. I'm mentally shagged by the time
I get home from work. And there is *always* housework.
When I look on my D&D campaign (10 years old this weekend!) I can
see redily that the most expansion, as regards fleshing out of my own
particular multiverse, occured when I was in college and had, say, 8 hours
a week to devote to working on campaign background and adventure creation.
Now the characters are expanding across the world and I am having a
great difficulty finding the time to fill in the corners (Damn Spelljammer
anyway :-).
Similarly in Traveller, where sometimes several times each
advneture the characters disembark on a completely different world
with a completely different culture it is a great struggle to keep
variety. "So what is Yasedi known for?" they ask. "Buggered if I know",
I'm tempted to answer. All I can do is call up the social detail on my
LIBRARY program and wing it from there.
"Writing it all myself" is not a tenable option. Not through a
lack of imagination, but a lack of time. Thus I mourn the arrival of
a new mentality in GDW that produces narrow band supplements that I can't
use.
Silver lining: despite GDW's explination that Space: 1889 never
took off I note with interest that articles, information so forth are
*still* appearing in Challange. The own discussion of it on this list
shows there is still a lot of product loyalty there. I wonder would it
have been better for Traveller if GDW dropped Traveller like it dropped
1889?
Jo Grant
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* Jo Grant _________ * For the science-fiction fan who finishes a *
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* Tallaght /// | \ * For the fan who wishes they could be there, *
* Dublin 24 ------------- * if only for a few minutes... *
* IRELAND IISS * When just reading isn't enough... *
* [email removed] Jaguar * ... there is Traveller *
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