Traveller Open Content - New Programme on the Way

Mongoose Publishing has announced that the Traveller sci-fi RPG will be moving away from the Open Gaming License (OGL), and adopting Paizo's upcoming new Open RPG Creator License (ORC).

In light of recent events, Mongoose Publishing is going to be introducing a brand new Traveller Open Content programme, allowing gamers and publishers to build their own projects using the most recent edition of Traveller rules.

We will be working with existing Traveller OGL publishers to build a new SRD based upon the Traveller Core Rulebook Update 2022, using their feedback to ensure best utility, and a logo licence will be made available to clearly mark compatible products.

At this time, we are looking to the ORC licence to maintain openness, now and in the future.

The current TAS programme on Drivethru, which allows the publishing of material set in the official Charted Space universe, will continue to run separately, but alongside, Traveller Open Content.

More news as it develops!

 

[Thourne]

Because we might be able to do better than that for everyone - that is what we are currently discussing with the CE publishers.

Best of luck with it.
Some positives coming out of all this would be great!

 

[dragoner]

NGL reading the room, it looks like cepheus is dead, the quote is that they are tired of beating their heads against a wall.

 

[Mongoose_Matt]

NGL reading the room, it looks like cepheus is dead, the quote is that they are tired of beating their heads against a wall.

You might be in a different room, it looks like we have a tentative way forward with the CE publishers. Early days and there is no rush, but we are optimistic.

 

[overgeeked]

The very OP states they will be moving to ORC.

Yeah. It does. But then there's the response from @Mongoose_Matt that there's somehow a disagreement between Mongoose and some Cepheus Engine publishers.

"We're going to release all the same stuff under the ORC when it releases. Okay?"

If that's what's happening, I don't see how there could be any disagreement. There'd be nothing for the CE publishers to object to unless there's talk about changing what's opened under the OGL vs what's planned to be opened under the ORC. And then they'd only have reason to object if there's less content that will be open. There might be a timeline where someone who uses open content would object to more open content, but I don't think we're in it.

 

[overgeeked]

Ah. The rumor is that Mongoose wants to kill the MgT1E SRD and push everyone to a forthcoming MgT2E SRD. That doesn’t sound ideal. Just release both. The 1E SRD is already done. Just swap the license at the end. Whenever the 2E SRD is done, release that, too.

 

[dragoner]

The worst part for me is waiting between the two licenses, because I have a lot of books in production, two in POD proof right now, a dice promo, and I was going to get a bunch printed, and make the rounds at all the cons I could hit here in the Midwest, there are quite a few.

 

[Mongoose_Matt]

The worst part for me is waiting between the two licenses, because I have a lot of books in production, two in POD proof right now, a dice promo, and I was going to get a bunch printed, and make the rounds at all the cons I could hit here in the Midwest, there are quite a few.

Get in touch (msprange@mongoosepublishing.com). We might be able to help.

 

[dragoner]

Get in touch (msprange@mongoosepublishing.com). We might be able to help.

Unless I'm off the list: robert_brandt@solisrpg.com it is the group that wanted to raise awareness (which I did a decent job of I think).

 

[aramis erak]

I get so confused - there's Traveller 5th edition (not D&D 5e, but the huge doorstop of a book from Marc Miller); and then there's Mongoose's Traveller, which is closest to... 1981 LBB Traveller? Not sure which Open license is related to which rules set?

No, not really to CT'81. Gareth used CT'77 - it is telling in the ship econ, and in the personal weapons damages. (Plus, I asked him during the dev on MGT1. I provided some assistance on the trade system, which said assistance involved MegaTraveller (MT) and T20...) The skill list is, despite being CT-77 derived, actually closer to MegaTraveller's. The task system wasn't in CT; CT had no consistent non-combat mechanic for skills; each non-combat skill being a special case... MT was the first main-line edition to feature a unified task mechanic; Traveller: 2300 (2300) released a few months earlier, but used a close variant of the same task system. The first version, tho' of the 2300/MT task system was in DGP's 3rd party pubs for Classic. Almost every GDW game from then on had a task system. T:TNE, T2K 2e/2.2e, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, Dark Conspiracy 2300AD (the second edition of T:2300). Space: 1889 and Dangerous Journeys were the exceptions.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

No, not really to CT'81. Gareth used CT'77 - it is telling in the ship econ, and in the personal weapons damages. (Plus, I asked him during the dev on MGT1. I provided some assistance on the trade system, which said assistance involved MegaTraveller (MT) and T20...) The skill list is, despite being CT-77 derived, actually closer to MegaTraveller's. The task system wasn't in CT; CT had no consistent non-combat mechanic for skills; each non-combat skill being a special case... MT was the first main-line edition to feature a unified task mechanic; Traveller: 2300 (2300) released a few months earlier, but used a close variant of the same task system. The first version, tho' of the 2300/MT task system was in DGP's 3rd party pubs for Classic. Almost every GDW game from then on had a task system. T:TNE, T2K 2e/2.2e, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, Dark Conspiracy 2300AD (the second edition of T:2300). Space: 1889 and Dangerous Journeys were the exceptions.

I appreciate the detailed reply, although it didn't really dispel my confusion lol

Suffice it to say, if/when I run Traveller, it will probably be mostly RAR; but probably also a smattering of other systems. Even now I'd probably run my task resolution system more like 6- is a fail; 7-9 is mixed success, 10+ is success