QuikLink T20 vs. GURPS Traveller?

[Heretic Apostate]

Any compatibility there? Any conversion guides? Any continuity of story lines?

Has Steve Jackson Games lost the publishing rights to the Traveller universe? I don't remember seeing a new Traveller book out in a few months....

 

[Ranger REG]

AFAIK, Steve Jackson Games have not lost their license. In fact, Far Future Enterprises (owner of Traveller IPs and trademarks) simply granted Quiklink the license to publish a d20 version.

Do not forget, Far Future will still publish Classic Traveller including upcoming fifth edition.

I suggest you check out the following links:

www.travellerrpg.com
www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/index.html

 

[RPGRealms]

Any compatibility there?

Rules-wise not really, One is d20 based the other is GURPS.

Any conversion guides?

Not currently, though we are not opposed to the idea. But it would have to be ok'd by SJG.

Any continuity of story lines?

Yes and no. Both are built on the original Traveller history, but GURPS Traveller follows an alternate timeline in which Emperor Strephon was not assasinated. The T20 line is set fully in the Official Traveller Universe where Strephon did die and the subsequent events of MegaTraveller and The New Era did occur.

So until the point of historical divergence, the two histories and story lines are identical. It should also be noted that the primary T20 setting will be around the 1000th year of the Third Imperium, before the timeline split, so in that regard the T20 setting material can easily be used in a GT campaign.

There will also be an new New Era supplement published for T20 that will do a bit of rework on the previous TNE material and then once again begin moving the official timeline forward again.

Has Steve Jackson Games lost the publishing rights to the Traveller universe? I don't remember seeing a new Traveller book out in a few months....

Nope, as a matter of fact they just renewed it through 2005 I believe. The have also announced that they will be doing new material for GT that will be set during the period of the Interstellar Wars when the Terrans first encountered the Vilani and the First Imperium! Should be some really good stuff considering the previous releases for GT!

There has been a lull in output on the GT line, but I think you'll see some new stuff winging its way to stores soon. Loren Wiseman has been promoted to senior line editor to hopefully give him some extra time to write for the line, and Jon Zeigler has been named as the main line editor for GT now.

 

[Psion]

The odd-man out compatability wise is GURPS Traveller. D20 Taveller uses mostly the same characteristic formats for planets and starships as prior versions of Traveller, and uses the same history. D20 Traveller also uses a career system, unlike GURPS.

GURPS totally reinvents Traveller to make it, well, GURPS, and (as RPGRealms has mentioned) uses a divergant storyline*.

So yeah, there are some compatability problems. But blame GT.

* - To be fair, I would diverge myself, but only because TNE's storyline is so collossaly stupid.

 

[Winterthorn]

Frustrated Traveller...

My friends and I lost interest in GURPS Traveller because the material on Starships and the Imperial Navy (which we really, really wanted) has never been released yet. You'd think these particulars would be a top priority for such a setting! I'm tired of waiting for a year or more...

So, if T20 is coming, having conversion notes would help me revive my campaign--maybe...

If T20 incorporates TNE material, then no thank you, I might have to give up entirely on my fave Sci-Fi setting

Sigh.

-W.

 

[RPGRealms]

Re: Frustrated Traveller...

If T20 incorporates TNE material, then no thank you, I might have to give up entirely on my fave Sci-Fi setting

The forthcoming T20 main book itself doesn't incorporate any setting material really at all. It is pretty much nothing but core rules for running a d20 based science fiction campaign.

The TNE material I referred to will be released as a supplement to the main book (and is still a ways off). It also will not be the only era of the Traveller universe we will be working on. Actually our primary (and immediate) area of development is in the Gateway Domain on the opposite side of the Imperium than the Spinward Marches, set around year 1000 (the Solomani Rim War era). This is an area that hasn't been touched on much at all in previous material.

 

[rgard]

T20

Hi All,

I had the pleasure of participating in the playtest for T20 last year. Hunter and the rest of the designers were tremendously flexible in incorporating playtesters' suggestions and comments.

From what I saw (was involved up through November '01) this version of Traveller is great! It holds true to the Traveller universe as I remembered playing it back with the Classic Traveller version in the late 70s and early 80s.

For example, they kept 'Prior Service' (as late as Nov '01, it was there), so you have the option of playing veterans or starting out as 1st level plebes or a mix of the above. For those you wanting to convert CT to T20, I would suggest that the number of years your character has in prior service is roughly equivalent to the character's level...I think that was what we discussed during the playtest as a guideline.

So, to sum things up...think of the Classic Traveller universe and add the D20 system. If you want a SCI-FI D20 rpg and you don't want to play in the SW setting or in a SCI-FI/Fantasy mix, this is the rulebook to pick up.

Right now, I'm patiently (well, impatiently) awaiting my copy to arrive in the mail!

Thanks,
Rich

 

[rgard]

Re: T20

Hi All,


Right now, I'm patiently (well, impatiently) awaiting my copy to arrive in the mail!

Thanks,
Rich

Hunter, speaking of the book...any update on when you'll be mailing out the advance purchase copies?

Thanks,
Rich