Just got this email announcement and I wanted to pass it along.

Quote from: Marc Miller email[This particular announcement comes to you as a member of COTI.]
[By the way, the Emperor's Birthday is August 29, (or 241-2024 in the Imperial notation). ]

>
Some years ago, fellow game designer Greg Stafford died, and I was impressed that his company announced almost immediately that he had a succession plan in place, and that his legacy and his designs would live on.

His example was an inspiration to me, and I resolved to emulate him. It would be a terrible loss if Traveller were encumbered, or somehow restricted in its outreach to present and future fans.

With that in mind, I have worked to make Traveller an asset to science-fiction role-players... with our user-friendly Fair Use policies, with the Travellers' Aid Society programs, with the Cepheus editions of Traveller, and with Mongoose as a primary publisher of their edition of Traveller.

Over the past several years, I have turned over more and more responsibilities to Mongoose, and I have collaborated actively with them as they work to realize the Traveller dream. Earlier this year I passed full ownership of Traveller to Mongoose in order to secure its future.

With that in mind, I point out that, following the example of Greg Stafford, I have a succession plan in place: day-to-day decisions about the Traveller game system are already being made by Mongoose Publishing (with my co-operation and approval), and if anything should happen to me, they would carry on with my full knowledge and blessing.

That doesn't stop me from speaking my mind: expressing opinions about Traveller, writing stories and lore, and even revealing secrets about the universe.

But Traveller is in good hands, now, and far into the far future.

And I thank you for your (continuing) support for Traveller.

Marc



-----------------------------

Visit Citizens of the Imperium: https://www.travellerrpg.com/

Good news for Traveller, I'll stick to Cepheus tho.

Quote from: GeekyBugle on August 27, 2024, 12:58:45 PMGood news for Traveller, I'll stick to Cepheus tho.

Wish I could wean everyone else from the shiny $30+ Mongoose PDFs.

Quote from: Tod13 on August 27, 2024, 01:31:28 PM

Quote from: GeekyBugle on August 27, 2024, 12:58:45 PMGood news for Traveller, I'll stick to Cepheus tho.

Wish I could wean everyone else from the shiny $30+ Mongoose PDFs.

There's NO WAY a PDF should cost $30+ once made you have infinite copies of it.

I suppose it was bound to happen.  I'm not really thrilled with Mongoose Traveller but I do think this is probably best for Traveller.  I moved on, came back for T5, and moved on again.  I write my own games now and I'm not willing to tie them to other people's properties and decisions.

Quote from: GeekyBugle on August 27, 2024, 12:58:45 PMGood news for Traveller, I'll stick to Cepheus tho.

Yeah, I've gone that way too. Especially with some of the recent support it's been getting.

Quote from: Rob Necronomicon on August 27, 2024, 02:53:27 PM

Quote from: GeekyBugle on August 27, 2024, 12:58:45 PMGood news for Traveller, I'll stick to Cepheus tho.

Yeah, I've gone that way too. Especially with some of the recent support it's been getting.

And the HYUGE amount of other genre games based on it.

I would have preferred that he had put it in the public domain or something along that lines. There have basically been two groups responsible for Traveller still being relevant over the years, and that's largely the fans. Marc Miller basically abandoned the game which led to MegaTraveller and really only came back to it decades later with T4 and T5, both of which were just an odd departure from the original game (almost like a reverse d6 system).

But with that said, Mongoose was the big factor in reviving it, taking the original rules, modernizing them a tad but not ruining them (at least until 2e) and releasing them under the OGL.

Just glad it wasn't Modiphus. They seem to get their hands on everything and pair it with their crappy 2d20 system

I'm not a "Cepheus hater" by any stretch. I love the concept, but not the execution.

First, all of the versions: Cepheus SRD, Cepheus RPG, Cepheus Deluxe, Cepheus Light, Cepheus Faster Than Light, Cepheus Transwarp, Cepheus Ludicrous Speed, etc. Yes, some of that is made up hyperbole, but the entire mess makes me wonder if there's a chart to sort it all out. Because I'm not wasting my time trying to figure it out.

Second, I'm not found of some of the new rules that made their way in. Adding stuff is tricky; sometimes it works and sometimes not. But one version had HP and Lifeblood (instead of reducing atts) and I just stopped reading.

Third, the sample pages for the Cepheus Deluxe KS looked like psychedelic vomit. Hot pink and orange, with wide side margins. Minimalist B&W is part of the charm. I went from "Leaning towards backing" to "Hell no" in 1.5 seconds.

Could have been worse...the newest Mongoose Traveller is pretty decent; better than 5th that's for sure.

Still, The Traveller Book is on dtrpg so, why bother I guess. That's the best version.

We have a little Q&A about this running on our forums, if you want the scoop:

https://forum.mongoosepublishing.com/threads/traveller-changing-hands-q-a.124929/

It all seems like a good move to me. Marc had to retire at some point. Personally, I still play a mix of Classic and MegaTraveller with my group, but Mongoose 2e is a worthy modern version that I would play if I didn't have a game that has run for years.

Quote from: Aglondir on August 27, 2024, 04:58:54 PM<snip>
First, all of the versions: Cepheus SRD, Cepheus RPG, Cepheus Deluxe, Cepheus Light, Cepheus Faster Than Light, Cepheus Transwarp, Cepheus Ludicrous Speed, etc. Yes, some of that is made up hyperbole, but the entire mess makes me wonder if there's a chart to sort it all out. Because I'm not wasting my time trying to figure it out.
<snip>

Yea. I've asked about that. Stellagamma keeps talking about writing something up, but never seems to have the time. I kind of understand but I think it would make sales jump because the system(s) would make more sense to people.

Quote from: Tod13 on August 28, 2024, 08:43:41 AM

Quote from: Aglondir on August 27, 2024, 04:58:54 PM<snip>
First, all of the versions: Cepheus SRD, Cepheus RPG, Cepheus Deluxe, Cepheus Light, Cepheus Faster Than Light, Cepheus Transwarp, Cepheus Ludicrous Speed, etc. Yes, some of that is made up hyperbole, but the entire mess makes me wonder if there's a chart to sort it all out. Because I'm not wasting my time trying to figure it out.
<snip>

Yea. I've asked about that. Stellagamma keeps talking about writing something up, but never seems to have the time. I kind of understand but I think it would make sales jump because the system(s) would make more sense to people.

You both could try and use a little logic:

The SRD is? An SRD
Cepheus RPG is? The basic RPG
Cepheus Deluxe is probably the same as the RPG but full color and maybe some expansions
Cepheus Light is a reduced ruleset
Cepheus FTL is even more so than Light
Transwarp probably even more so
Ludicrous Speed even more so

There you have a chart (BTW think there's also a Cepheus Atom which is even more reduced)

What I'm just now catching up on are the Fair Use policy, and Traveller's Aide Society. If I understand correctly we can now do just about anything rpg-related with rules or Third Imperium for free release, and for commercial release on drivethrurpg "modules, adventures and rules" using Mongoose Traveller as a base (but still no fiction or comics, unless short vignettes in an rpg resource). That's... not absolutely everything, and probably still too little, too late for the Cepheus horde, but still, that's a much better option than the low point.*

Looks like licensed setting are the big thing they're holding onto aside from fiction, "established publishers only" though they'd consider prolific TAS authors. Still a big limit there, depending on what you'd like to do.

*I am paraphrasing much of that heavily, you should probably read for yourself before publishing anything but they are short enough its not burdensome.