A Year Goes By Fast

Well... 2015 (around this time of year) was interesting for Traveller role-players. Still feeling the effects of it a year later.

A year ago, Mongoose Traveller Second Edition was in play-testing, Traveller 5.1 was released, and a series of Agent of the Imperium novels was an idea.

And now we see Mongoose Traveller Second Edition is in print. And we see the first Agent of the Imperium novel is in print, which is based on Traveller 5.1.

I think that was quick. Time flew by for these projects. Schedules were made. Deadlines were met. I had to cancel my book order of Traveller: Prime Directive, because it's been five years now and doesn't look like it will ever be a thing.

Handling 2019 in Your Pre-Traveller Eras

In 1982, I was guilty of using Blade Runner as part of Traveller's future timeline. It kind of made sense, since 2019 was far off enough sci-fi-wise to fit in with far future stuff, etc. I'm sure many did this with their Blade Runner Traveller gaming.

Now that 2019 is almost here, and Los Angeles still looks the same (maybe with a few new taller buildings here and there), we can't really use Blade Runner (the movie) as a setting leading up to Traveller. Assuming still, the whole timeline progression thing.

So Blade Runner 2 is the next try. It takes place decades from now. So "in the far future" again. I'm curious what computers will look like in BR2. If it's still old Syd Mead style analogue stuff, then ya, I may have to make an excuse for Traveller's timeline being tacked onto the sequel's timeline. But if computers are iPhones basically in the new movie, then (what the heck) Traveller will still be a thing much later than the movie takes place in. In the same universe, etc.

I mention this only as a way (there are many other ways, of course) that I would introduce players new to role-playing to using Traveller. Players will already know the setting from the movie, so that won't need explaining to them.

My hope is that BR2 is a good movie.

Another scenario... again, one I've probably used a few times already... and that is, still use Blade Runner as a starting point. But add 40 years to 2019.Same story and all. Just make it 2059 instead.

I have never had a player complain about having some Blade Runner in a Traveller session. Some planet somewhere is bound to be similar to the movie.

Then there are those days when I feel that Traveller has no Blade Runner whatsoever in its timeline, because different timeline.

How will you all handle 2019 in your pre-Traveller eras, if you do?