Travelers:
Although I am not a "player" of Traveler, CT, etc,etc. I
am an advid READER of the fiction generated as a spinoff. Part of
this is the rich backround data that supports the Traveler
Universe.
Recently, David Johnson, whoes work we have all enjoyed
here sent me a copy of his group's publication, THE MELBOURNE
TIMES. This publication is something like the old JTAS, with a
multi-page "News Service" entry, great illustrations, and several
feature articles.
The News Service is based on Dave's "Earth Colonies"
campaign, and is extreamly dense in information content. I read it
through the first time and found that I had to go back and re-read
it to get the maximum effect. THAT'S how packed with info it was.
I finally sat down and began taking notes, it was that good! I got
Issue #3 as a sample, I do not know where this is in the "flow"
of the zine, but it's News Service covered the period 1531.12 to
0723.27 [0ct 22, 3001 to Nov 12, 3001].
Also included in this issue was a "Sophont Brief" on a new
alien race I had not encountered before the MEREN. If they ARE
familiar to you, then anything I could say would not due this
article justice, and if they are new to you also, and if you're
tired of aliens who are genetically altered cats and dogs .... or
humans ... then I urge you to pony up $1.50 for at least issue #3
of MELBOURNE TIMES. It's worth it even if allyou use is the
Sophont Brief. But I'm willing to bet you'll find a lot more of
use in this, like:
1 - Library Data. Short [1/2 page] but again close spaced
8 point type, so there is a lot of data there.
2 - Personafile - New NPCs for your campaign, this one,
Benazir Chatterji would be suitable as a patron.
3 - Worldscape/Starfield - although the physical genera-
tion of a system can be automated, the backround and
especially NAMEING everything is a pain in the...well
you know what I mean!
4 - And finally although it's not called the AMBER ZONE,
it is! An excellent adventure idea - utilizing dolphin
characters.
All in all, MELBOURNE TIMES is well worth the $5.00 {$10.00
overseas} that Dave and the guys want for their work. It's 21-24
pages of hard data, NPCs and adventure ideas!
- -----Rick Blackburn
[email removed]
or
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