I was on the Con-Sim list for a while and they went through this "should
we split the list?" angst there. The big issue was over computer
wargames vs. classic paper and cardboard games. Usually a person
prefered one over the other. Instead of splitting the list they elected
to use voluntary message headers. On the subject line an article about
computers would have the mssg "COMP:" This worked pretty well. It would
work for the TML as well IF each message was sent individually instead of
in bundles. I don't know if [email removed] has the resources to do this
though. I sincerely believe that splitting the list is a bad idea. I
have a great deal of empathy for the CT/MT crowd. I can understand the
very justified sense of frustration that comes from spending hundreds of
dollars and hundreds to thousands of hours learning about Lord high
poo-poo and the land of the nobodies only to have it all become INVALID.
I used to be this obsessed as well. After a while I found that it was no
fun though. This is supposed to be a hobby. We are supposed to be
enjoying ourselves. Splitting this list splits our community. Everybody
loses from this because instead of banding together we become separate.
Already these separate groups are building their sense of self by
identifying and attacking an "OTHER". In our community the rift is over
CT/MT vs. TNE. This is almost as stupid as the conflict in the Russian
Orthodox Church about whether to use three fingers or two when making the
sign of the cross. TNE has a very broad vision. CT/MT fit within the
scope of TNE. The equipment has changed but it isn't 1978 either. Our
views of science have changed. What is possible now wasn't possible
then. What seemed likely then, much like flying cars from the fifties,
has proved to be more difficult than we imagined.
With a change in technologies comes a change in social structures and
politics. This is a basic premise of science fiction. By changing the
equipment in Traveller GDW ***HAD*** to change the third Imperium. The
TML has provided nearly countless examples of how the new TNE rules
change the way things work in a traveller campaign. This really proves
my point. GDW had a choice. Either they could leave Traveller alone or
they could change it. They chose to change it. Once they began to
change it they realized that the third Imperium made much less sense than
before so either the changes had to go or the third Imperium had to. GDW
chose to dump the third Imperium. This is a fact. It can not be
disputed. They have offered the Regency as a replacement and this makes
sense because most of GDW's developement is in the Spinward Marches.
Opening traveller to other companies had the unanticipated affect of loss
of control for GDW. Imagine that as the referee in your campaign your
players could change the fundamental realities of your campaign world.
I'm sure that GDW faced something like this and chose to reassert control
of their campaign. Thus we have TNE.
This has gone far afield and I apologise for its length
Later I may continue and discuss how TNE opens new doors for SFRPG's and
all of the "good" aspects of TNE. Until then I wish to share my regrets
that like any change the creation of TNE has resulted in the destruction
of the third Imperium. I never really like it but I used it. I took the
ideas in the the third Imperium and used them. I took adventures from
the black books and used them. They were great adventures because they
could stand alone from the third Imperium. Sadly, this trend was not
continued in MT and it is the main reason I lost interest at the time.
remember that we are all in this because we love Traveller
Steven Gott