From the Mongoose Publishing Forums

Quote from: Mongoose Matt
It has taken us a little while, but we have finally arrived - 3rd party licensing for Traveller has been revamped and is now live!

You can find out more right here: https://www.mongoosepublishing.com/pages/traveller-licensing

We now have three modes of licensing for those looking to publish their own Traveller material to the wider world.

Fair Use Policy
This is continuing as before, granting immense scope for fans wanting to create non-commercial material. We will be formally adding Mongoose's editions of Traveller to the Fair Use Policy in early 2025.

TAS Programme
This is our Drivethru community publishing programme, and it has been running successfully for quite some time now! Fundamentally, it allows creators to publish their own material based on all current edition Traveller books from Mongoose, including the official Charted Space universe. However, we have made a few tweaks and changes for publishers.

First off, 3rd party publishers going through the TAS Programme will now receive greater revenue. We have changed the percentage received by publishers to 60%, and we will be looking to increase this further in the future.

Second, we have added a new set of templates that will allow publishers to match our new 'Update' format (it is much prettier!), complete with deck plans, sector maps, and all the other bits and pieces you will need. You can find that here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/473270/tas-adobe-templates-update-2024

Finally, we have also updated the TAS Programme logo. You are still welcome to keep and use the old one on existing books, but the new logo looks better!
TAS_logo_2024-01_997x.jpg
Traveller Compatibility Licence
Are you an existing publisher and want a freer hand in both print and PDF publishing? The Traveller Compatibility Licence will be for you, a royalty-free licence that allows you to publish products that have a direct compatibility with the current edition of Traveller.

Traveller Compatible Logo.jpg
And the Fanfare
From this point on, we will also be taking a more active role with third party publishers, blowing their trumpets and highlighting all the new products that catch our eye so the wider Traveller audience does not miss out!

Fuck Mongoose, use the OGL + Cepheus Engine.

Worlds/Stars without numbers. It's a helluva lot better to go down that road.

And I get why Mongoose is doing this as traveller is a dying IP and they need more 3PP to support their brand.

Quote from: THE_Leopold on March 08, 2024, 07:01:24 PM
Worlds/Stars without numbers. It's a helluva lot better to go down that road.

And I get why Mongoose is doing this as traveller is a dying IP and they need more 3PP to support their brand.

Is it really starting to noticeably fade?

Traveller has been that "evergreen" Sci-fi game of the RPG hobby that's kinda always been around in some form.

Just curious as for all that I don't like about it - it seems to be well thought of in general.

Quote from: Jaeger on March 08, 2024, 07:20:06 PM

Quote from: THE_Leopold on March 08, 2024, 07:01:24 PM
Worlds/Stars without numbers. It's a helluva lot better to go down that road.

And I get why Mongoose is doing this as traveller is a dying IP and they need more 3PP to support their brand.

Is it really starting to noticeably fade?

Traveller has been that "evergreen" Sci-fi game of the RPG hobby that's kinda always been around in some form.

Just curious as for all that I don't like about it - it seems to be well thought of in general.

Traveller over all isn't dying but Mongoose is strangling their current edition in a few ways.In order for any RPG to truly thrive, there needs to be some leniency for creators to make content and share it with each other.  Mongoose tried to lock down the entire IP and choked out their own growth.  Their book are notorious for typos and errors.  There's been more than one problem with the physical print runs needing to be returned and new books given to the customer due to poor QA.  Not to mention that they've recently starting to nudge things in the direction of DEI compliant content that's resulted in the lowering of quality.

OTOH,  This has caused the creation of the Cepheus Engine and it's thriving and growing.  Several companies are producing a lot of good material.  Zozer, Stellagama, Independence Games, Old School Roleplaying, and Moon Toad all have excellent material out.  The Cepheus SRD is free and under an open license.  You can check it out here: https://www.orffenspace.com/cepheus-srd/index.html

Traveller is my personal favorite RPG of all time and I'm using Cepheus Engine for games I run.  The 2d6 system it uses isn't perfect but damn does it hold up well.

Better late than never; but also, possibly too late. There's no putting the genie back in the bottle, and the active 3rd parties have already decided free is a very good price.

I do keep in mind Mongoose 1e is the only edition of Traveller from any publisher to have any kind of open game license. The very early days of MonTrav saw some material published that was clearly love letters to Classic not Mongoose. It's to that 1e SRD that we owe the existence of CE at all. How they went from that to the 2e license scheme is baffling; except of course that Mongoose Publishing stepping on their own dick is par for the course.

QuoteCepheus Engine

If it minimizes your house rules document compared to running Classic or either edition of Mongoose, or if you just appreciate the free pdfs, hell yes Cepheus Engine.

If you can't run an adventure from any edition of Classic, Mongoose or CE in any other of those rulesets because you're hung up on the name on the cover you're doing something badly wrong though. It's insulting to my, and to your, intelligence to be told we need to run Cepheus to use material by Zozer et al.

It's like if the guy behind OSRIC had a raging hate-boner against TSR or WotC, and therefore insisted OSRIC was a completely different game from AD&D. It's awkward sometimes.

Quote from: Dave 2 on March 14, 2024, 08:29:58 PM
Better late than never; but also, possibly too late. There's no putting the genie back in the bottle, and the active 3rd parties have already decided free is a very good price.

I do keep in mind Mongoose 1e is the only edition of Traveller from any publisher to have any kind of open game license. The very early days of MonTrav saw some material published that was clearly love letters to Classic not Mongoose. It's to that 1e SRD that we owe the existence of CE at all. How they went from that to the 2e license scheme is baffling; except of course that Mongoose Publishing stepping on their own dick is par for the course.

QuoteCepheus Engine

If it minimizes your house rules document compared to running Classic or either edition of Mongoose, or if you just appreciate the free pdfs, hell yes Cepheus Engine.

If you can't run an adventure from any edition of Classic, Mongoose or CE in any other of those rulesets because you're hung up on the name on the cover you're doing something badly wrong though. It's insulting to my, and to your, intelligence to be told we need to run Cepheus to use material by Zozer et al.

It's like if the guy behind OSRIC had a raging hate-boner against TSR or WotC, and therefore insisted OSRIC was a completely different game from AD&D. It's awkward sometimes.

Late and didn't read or didn't understand what you read (you choose).

The thread is about mongoose "opening" their doors to 3rd party developers.

MY response is germain to the thread, use the OGL + Cepheus Engine to develop whatever you want.

Now, if you had said it wouldn't be compatible...

Then my answer would be to do the extra work to make it compatible since rules and mechanics aren't copyright or trademark nothing is stoping you from using a compatible engine to publish your shit, furthermore you legally CAN say it's compatible with Traveller WITHOUT signing to their license.

Now, read carefully before sperging out (ironic since I'm the resident aspie) and make a comment germaine to the conversation and my response, or don't IDGAFF.

Quote from: BadApple on March 08, 2024, 08:47:03 PM
....
Traveller over all isn't dying but Mongoose is strangling their current edition in a few ways. In order for any RPG to truly thrive, there needs to be some leniency for creators to make content and share it with each other.  Mongoose tried to lock down the entire IP and choked out their own growth.  Their book are notorious for typos and errors.  There's been more than one problem with the physical print runs needing to be returned and new books given to the customer due to poor QA.  Not to mention that they've recently starting to nudge things in the direction of DEI compliant content that's resulted in the lowering of quality.
...

So basically, they are trying to do what Chaosium is with the BRP system: i.e. Trying to catch up to the horse long after it has bolted from the barn.

The irony is strong here considering that they are also responsible for the d100 legend system...

Quote from: GeekyBugle on March 07, 2024, 02:11:18 PM
Fuck Mongoose, use the OGL + Cepheus Engine.

The only problem with that is the OGL. Cepheus Engine uses most of the OGL as its legal shield, if WotC revokes it (and I do think they will in the future), then the legal status of ALL Cepheus Engine products is in jeopardy.

Mongoose Publishing has been working with Cepheus Engine creators to come up with a solution that will satisfy as many as possible, much of it is in the hands of the lawyers.

Quote from: jeff37923 on March 16, 2024, 01:23:46 AM

Quote from: GeekyBugle on March 07, 2024, 02:11:18 PM
Fuck Mongoose, use the OGL + Cepheus Engine.

The only problem with that is the OGL. Cepheus Engine uses most of the OGL as its legal shield, if WotC revokes it (and I do think they will in the future), then the legal status of ALL Cepheus Engine products is in jeopardy.

WOTC has released the 5e SRD under the CC license. What would be the point of them trying to revoke the OGL?

Only thing I can think is to get rid of the monsters released via the Tome of Horrors but not the SRD, but I've seen many games use them without the OGL at all, so I think at this point it's also moot.

Quote from: jeff37923 on March 16, 2024, 01:23:46 AM
The only problem with that is the OGL. Cepheus Engine uses most of the OGL as its legal shield, if WotC revokes it (and I do think they will in the future), then the legal status of ALL Cepheus Engine products is in jeopardy.

Mongoose Publishing has been working with Cepheus Engine creators to come up with a solution that will satisfy as many as possible, much of it is in the hands of the lawyers.

Ok, I gotta be missing something Big here. But I'll expose my massive ignorance anyway...

Why can't the Cepheus people take Wotc's OGL, change the company name, and the D&D specific nomenclature, replace it with theirs, then just re-use that document as their own 'Cepheus Engine OGL' ?

Quote from: Jaeger on March 17, 2024, 07:17:04 PM

Quote from: jeff37923 on March 16, 2024, 01:23:46 AM
The only problem with that is the OGL. Cepheus Engine uses most of the OGL as its legal shield, if WotC revokes it (and I do think they will in the future), then the legal status of ALL Cepheus Engine products is in jeopardy.

Mongoose Publishing has been working with Cepheus Engine creators to come up with a solution that will satisfy as many as possible, much of it is in the hands of the lawyers.

Ok, I gotta be missing something Big here. But I'll expose my massive ignorance anyway...

Why can't the Cepheus people take Wotc's OGL, change the company name, and the D&D specific nomenclature, replace it with theirs, then just re-use that document as their own 'Cepheus Engine OGL' ?

The Open Game License is a document that's basically a prepared written permission for for others to copy and modify gaming material covered under it by any third party for any purpose.  While WOTC did create it for D&D 3E, they also used it for 5E and other game publishers have used it for their own games.  I know that WEG D6 is covered under it.

Quote from: Jaeger on March 17, 2024, 07:17:04 PM

Quote from: jeff37923 on March 16, 2024, 01:23:46 AM
The only problem with that is the OGL. Cepheus Engine uses most of the OGL as its legal shield, if WotC revokes it (and I do think they will in the future), then the legal status of ALL Cepheus Engine products is in jeopardy.

Mongoose Publishing has been working with Cepheus Engine creators to come up with a solution that will satisfy as many as possible, much of it is in the hands of the lawyers.

Ok, I gotta be missing something Big here. But I'll expose my massive ignorance anyway...

Why can't the Cepheus people take Wotc's OGL, change the company name, and the D&D specific nomenclature, replace it with theirs, then just re-use that document as their own 'Cepheus Engine OGL' ?

The OGL itself is trademark and copyright WotC, so it would take a lot more work than you think and by lawyers to avoid any risk.

BUT, using the license to cover Cepheus Engine poses exactly ZERO risk for them, even if WotC did get rid of the OGL I don't think they can then retroactively apply the changes unless trademark/copyright law is really different from regular law.

What would happen is that nobody could publish NEW material under it.

There's always the ORC or failing that CC By/ CC.

Quote from: Jaeger on March 17, 2024, 07:17:04 PM

Quote from: jeff37923 on March 16, 2024, 01:23:46 AM
The only problem with that is the OGL. Cepheus Engine uses most of the OGL as its legal shield, if WotC revokes it (and I do think they will in the future), then the legal status of ALL Cepheus Engine products is in jeopardy.

Mongoose Publishing has been working with Cepheus Engine creators to come up with a solution that will satisfy as many as possible, much of it is in the hands of the lawyers.

Ok, I gotta be missing something Big here. But I'll expose my massive ignorance anyway...

Why can't the Cepheus people take Wotc's OGL, change the company name, and the D&D specific nomenclature, replace it with theirs, then just re-use that document as their own 'Cepheus Engine OGL' ?

IANAL, but I think that the OGL wording is specific enough that they can claim copyright infringement on the language of it.

Given the OGL itself is under CC, WOTC no longer has the ability to void it.