Re: TMLs Health

In Message #6520, Derek Wildstar [email removed] writes:
> [email removed] [James Kundert] writes:
> >  That said, I find the lack of apparent enthusiasm for TNE on this
> > list distressing and annoying.  Distressing because of the "It's
> > different. I don't like different" attitude which accompanies much
> > of the discussion ...
>
> Part of it I'm willing to chalk up to T:TNE being a (relatively) new
> product.  For people with established campaigns, I doubt that very many are
> switching rules systems, at least until the current campaign is over.  And
> while sales of T:TNE have been good, I wonder how many T:TNE campaigns are
> starting up.

While TNE may be selling well, and a fair number of TNE campaigns may
be starting up, I'd be willing to bet that the health of the TML is a
more serious issue than most people suspect.  A significant number of
TML'ers are diehard Trav Classic/MegaTrav players and have no plans to
purchase and use TNE.  Thus they probably will not be participating
in any of the current discussions.

Only a couple years ago, Mike Metlay and I were two of the most vocal
and frequent posters to this mail-list.  I have posted less than ten
notes in the last year, and Metlay has completely dropped off the list
(he hasn't been a subscriber for a year or so.)  The reason for this
is very simple, and has nothing (or not much, at least) to do with
the change in rules: They (GDW) killed the Imperium.

The Imperium was what made the game fun for us.  The rules were so-so.
Some were good (we kept them), and some weren't (we fixed them).  Then
they introduced that stupid f**king virus, shattered the Imperium, and
assassinated Brzk to boot.  They could have fixed the broken rules without
doing all of that.

The rationale is that they wanted to introduce new blood into the game
and lure in new players.  The mechanism they used appears to have worked,
but at the cost of disaffecting most of the old players.  That wasn't
necessary.

Why not use the new rules and keep the old campaign you ask?  Simple.
I don't buy GDW Traveller material for the rules, I buy it for the
richness it adds to a game universe I've grown to love.  I now know
that I'll never again see another new adventure or supplement published
that enhances that universe (unless Metlay ever finishes and publishes
his "It Never Happened" module.) It's been utterly eliminated, and a dark
munchkin paradise has replaced it.

If you think the TML is in sad shape, then you're right.  The chief cause
of the problem is located in a small office in Bloomington, Illinois.

        Mark F. Cook - Co-Referee: TML PBEM

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