Sales numbers for Traveller by GDW

[darjr]

Shannon Appelcline has Traveller sales numbers from GDW and wrote a nifty article about them and posted them at rpg.net. This is awesome especially along side Benjamin Riggs TSR sales numbers.

Traveller

was published as a three-book boxed set that was completed by the end of May 1977 and available for purchase at Origins III (1977). GDW kept the original version of the Traveller rules in print for a full decade — a similar length to the AD&D first-edition rules (1977-1988), but in the process they iterated those rules through several presentations, including: an updated box (1981); a Deluxe box (1981) that included introductory material and a full-color map; a trade paperback called The Traveller Book (1982); and a boxed Starter Edition (1983). In all, GDW published just short of a quarter of a million copies of the Traveller rules over its first decade.

Advanced Designers & Dragons #65: The GDW Production Records, Part Two: A Traveller Overview - RPGnet

 

[overgeeked]

GDW kept the original version of the Traveller rules in print for a full decade — a similar length to the AD&D first-edition rules (1977-1988), but in the process they iterated those rules through several presentations

That’s not entirely accurate. There were significant rule changes within the year. Big sections of text changed or were simply removed between initial publication in 1977 and reprints in 1981.

 

[aramis erak]

That’s not entirely accurate. There were significant rule changes within the year. Big sections of text changed or were simply removed between initial publication in 1977 and reprints in 1981.

The biggest differences between CT 1E (1977) and CT 2E (1981) are...
1) change from nD6+m to nd6 for all weapon damages
1.1) this has a minor effect on damage marking, and simplifies it. (Especially since one no longer needs to navigate the 3d6-2 of a body pistol, which instead goes to 2d6)
2) Jump Drives in 1E do not rely upon the power plant; in 2E, the plant must be rated as high as or higher than the jump drive
3) no route generation table in 2E
4) differences in the healing rules. Much clearer in 2E.
5) very different space encounter tables

The two editions of CT are comparable to the differences between D&D OE and D&D OE+Supplements 1-2.

 

[pemerton]

Especially since one no longer needs to navigate the 3d6-2 of a body pistol, which instead goes to 2d6

3D-8 - which really should have gone to 1D if power-levels were to be maintained.

 

[aramis erak]

That’s not entirely accurate. There were significant rule changes within the year. Big sections of text changed or were simply removed between initial publication in 1977 and reprints in 1981.

It's also important that the last run back in the day was 1985 or '86... MT started shipping, and there was CT stock. (per Loren Wiseman)

Later, post-GDW, printings do exist... Applecline's numbers may be those from the "Big Floppy Books"...
Marc reprinted (DBA FFE) the CT line in 8.5×11" landscape, 2 LBB-page spreads on each page, Traveller in a series of volumes.
Books 1-8, Supplements 1-13, Adventures 0-12, the Games ... about 1997 or 1998.

Later, 2001, QLI got a license and produced GRIP Traveller - a packaging of the GRIP VTT with a reprint omnibus in digest size square bound of Bk 1-3, and the VTT already had the CT system package ready at install.

This year, Marc reprinted LBBs 1-3 with errata in an appendix in 6×9", with margin marks for "check the errata"... This is the "Facsimile Edition" via PoD from DTRPG.

I don't know if those numbers include the GW printings- in 79 or 78, GW (UK - Livingston & Jackson) got permission to reprint the CT rules locally in the UK rather than import them, to avoid VAT. From what I've seen, those were sold up to about 1985, and never made the switch to CT 2E mechanics.

I know they don't include the BFBs, GRIP-Traveller, separately sold QLI Bk1-3, and the new Facsimile edition, nor the PoDs of TTB and TTA.

There's also the "clone" issue... During the late 1990s, Marc authorized cloning books... Each owner of a physical copy was permitted to make a "clone" for one other person. So, for GDW materials for CT (and only CT), someone having a photocopied one might not be a copyright infringement. Thus, there are even more copies out that are literally untrackable.

Further still, the majority of the charts and tables for CT are in an FGU released volume, The Traveller Log Book. It includes all the Bk 1 tables...

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

The biggest differences between CT 1E (1977) and CT 2E (1981) are...
1) change from nD6+m to nd6 for all weapon damages
1.1) this has a minor effect on damage marking, and simplifies it. (Especially since one no longer needs to navigate the 3d6-2 of a body pistol, which instead goes to 2d6)
2) Jump Drives in 1E do not rely upon the power plant; in 2E, the plant must be rated as high as or higher than the jump drive
3) no route generation table in 2E
4) differences in the healing rules. Much clearer in 2E.
5) very different space encounter tables

The two editions of CT are comparable to the differences between D&D OE and D&D OE+Supplements 1-2.

There were a lot of small changes in text between the '1E' and '2E' versions. Not enough to make it a 'different game', but its definitely true that there are some things that work slightly differently, and some differences in play procedures.

 

[aramis erak]

There were a lot of small changes in text between the '1E' and '2E' versions. Not enough to make it a 'different game', but its definitely true that there are some things that work slightly differently, and some differences in play procedures.

Outside the above list, it's all very close.
It's worth noting that at least one printing showing the '77 copyright has some changes from the rest of '77 - anecdotal evidence (date & place of purchase) implies it was a '79 or '80 printing. Mostly '77, but omitting the route table and the mentions of Jump Message Torpedoes.

Other types of missiles are possible (for example, jump capable message torpedoes, or bombs for attacks against planetary surfaces)...

Still F. Filz has coördinated a documentation of the differences from '77 GDW, 81, TTB (CT-82), and CT-83 (Starter)

Traveller Section by Section Comparison

Traveller Section by Section Comparison Book 1 1 Book 2 13 Book 3 31 The following tables identify the differences I have identified between the various versions of Classic Traveller. Notable items are called out in bold. Errata corrections have been added in red in the appropriate places. I ...

docs.google.com

 

[darjr]

He compares some products to TSR sales of the time.

Advanced Designers & Dragons #70: The GDW Production Records, Part Three: Supplements & Comparisons - RPGnet

 

[aramis erak]

He compares some products to TSR sales of the time.

Advanced Designers & Dragons #70: The GDW Production Records, Part Three: Supplements & Comparisons - RPGnet

Mr. Applecline shows an overall lack of knowledge of the various cores... Starter is simpler in only one section: ship combat. it's missing one page: drugs. It's not a basic version, it's a full-up version of the rules.

It is, otherwise, errata applied, sharing the individual tables pages layouts with The Traveller Book. The biggest differences in layout are that Traveller puts two-page spreads of tables in the same volume, while starter pulls the tables out into a separate volume. (Some runs of TTB are hardcover, some softcover; Starter is always softcover, both 8.5×11" portrait mode. Only the page numbers differ in most of it.)

When GDW ran out of 3LBB but still had maps, some Deluxe boxes replaced Bks 1-3 with Starter's books...