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Bundle: 554
Archive-Message-Number: 6976
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 1994 12:04:42 BST
From: [-- REDACTED --]
Subject: Re: TNE Background (and rules postings)

David Johnson [-- REDACTED --] asked for more postings on 
assessing and using the TNE background as opposed to rules discussions.

It is quite natural for there to be a lot of rules discussion when a new rules
set comes out, especially when it modifies the previous history of the
Traveller background to the extent that TNE did. With time these postings will
decrease in volume.

Concerning the TNE setting, its strengths are its weaknesses. The major
advantages of TNE over CT/MT are (a) no knowledge of previous history is
necessary, reducing the amount of reading for new players; (b) apart from 
the Regency, everywhere is a frontier zone ripe for re-exploration and 
rediscovery; (c) the Virus, although mostly under control, is still an
ever-present threat and has massively reduced automation, putting emphasis back
on the skills of people. The disadvantages are that (a) previous history and 
technology is changed, to the detriment of continuity for some campaigns; 
(b) apart from the Recency, nowhere is really safe as everywhere is a frontier
 zone; and (c) the Virus is a flagrant Plot Device, and questions such as 
 whether something as complicated as a starship could be operated by manual 
control with minimal computer assistance are ignored.(I can just see the
astrogator tapping in the millions of parameters for a jump from one computer
to another by hand without any mistakes(no error-checking, that would be too
dangerous) :-).  

I personally do not like the TNE background, and think there are gaping holes
in the logic behind it. GDW seem eager to encourage a "Merc 2000 in outer
space" mentality in an attempt to attract new players. They are a business and
want to make a profit, so that is their right. They are also more comfortable
with wargames than with RPG's and wish to stick to their area of expertise.
Anyone who seeks a non-military style of play will probably have to do most of
the work in setting up such a campaign themselves. Still, now we're stuck with
it, and live must go on.

However, TNE can and is being used for campaigns right now. Playing in a
"Return from the Dark Ages" campaign could be very interesting, depending on
how it was run. 
						Tom

  Tom O'Neill  |   [-- REDACTED --]        [-- REDACTED --] 
- ---------------!--------------------------------------------------------------
                    Fact is stranger than fiction

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