Digest Group Publications
Digest Group Publications (DGP) was founded in 1984 by Traveller fans Joe D. Fugate Sr. and Gary L. Thomas.
Description (Specifications)[edit]
Overview Synopsis: Digest Group Publications is known for having published some of the most innovative, creative, and best-loved Traveller materials.
Storyline & Setting[edit]
No information yet available.
Popular Artists & Authors[edit]
Artists:
Authors:
Staff[edit]
Through its operational span, DGP's staff included:
- Rob Caswell,
- Joe D. Fugate Sr.,
- Patty Fugate,
- James Holden,
- Nancy Parker,
- Robert Parker,
- Gary L. Thomas, and...
- Deb Zeigler.
Meta-history & Background (Dossier)[edit]
In the early nineties an unexpected family health crisis created a financial burden that forced Joe Fugate to close DGP's operations. Subsequently he sold the name, product line, creative rights, and remaining stock to Roger Sanger, who has not kept the publications in print. As such many of the DGP creations have been dropped from the property's continuing canonical lore.
DGP publications are still not available as of 2019 CE.
Between 1984 and 1993, DGP published:
- Twenty-one issues of the Travellers' Digest,
- Ten sourcebooks, and...
- Four issues of the MegaTraveller Journal.
- For a complete list, see the DGP bibliography.
Travellers' Digest[edit]
The venture was founded around "The Traveller's Digest", a GDW-approved publication inspired by the "Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society", but adding a new spin.
Each issue followed a regular cast of four characters as they toured much of the game's Third Imperium, allowing them to explore areas of the game's established background which were only previously little more than interesting sounding map locations. The quality of the work and fidelity to established Traveller universe details made the publication popular with dedicated Traveller fans.
DGP soon expanded their product line to include Traveller gaming supplements which included "Grand Survey", "The Starship Operator's Manual", a detailed expansion of the supplement on the game's Major Races, and many others.
As the planned Traveller's Digest grand tour story arc came to an end, DGP decided to focus the publication to shine a light on how the Rebellion effected a single area of the Shattered Imperium, in detail. The Domain of Deneb was chosen as the focus target.
MegaTraveller[edit]
Joe and Gary were contracted by GDW to work on the official Traveller rules modifications introduced with the release of MegaTraveller. Additionally the launch of the "Rebellion Era" was coordinated to be launched through joint promotions and revelations in the DPG and GDW product lines.
Artificial Intelligence[edit]
Around this time DGP decided it needed to branch out with its own original product line and development started on "A.I.", a game set in post-industrial future where nanotechnology had reshaped the planet and its ecological mechanics.
The game never got as far as production release.
DGP / FFE Limited Permission[edit]
Roger's Official Permission to Marc Miller
Date: Friday 1 Nov 1996
Dear Stuart and TML'ers,
I wrote a detailed letter about DGP's copyright policies on TML awhile back (with which Marc Miller concurred), but there still seems to be some lingering confusion concerning the matter in public Traveller discussions, so I'll clarify the situation again. I think you are going to love this:
MARC MILLER HAS DGP'S PERMISSION to use background data (UWP lists, planet names, sector maps, etc.) from DGP's Traveller works in any way that he sees fit in printed Traveller 4 publications!
In addition, Marc Miller has been given a free hand to dip into DGP's Traveller archives for inspiration in developing background material for his new incarnation of the Traveller role-playing game. This way, he can keep Traveller 4 consistent with what has come before!!!
The races (the Geonee, the Brinn, etc.), the places (Vland, Shudusham, Capital), and the things (robots, equipment, etc.) which you loved from DGP's works still exist in the overall Traveller milieu. I don't believe Marc has any intention of changing this (he's DGP's number one fan!).
Traveller has been around a long time, and it would be a shame to invalidate the thousands of pages that have been written for the milieu. Marc knows what he's doing, and he knows what you love. A lot of what has come before will not exist in Milieu Zero, but the future has not been erased. ;)
And the best years are yet to come.
Sincerely,
Roger Sanger,
Digest Group Publications
[originally appeared on the Traveller Mailing List, Digest #641, Friday 1 Nov 1996]
FFE Policy on DGP (1998 to Present)[edit]
OFF-LIMITS: FFE's basic policy is that DGP materials are off limits to be quoted or re-written as new products. Universe elements from DGP materials still exist in the OTU, and may be included as story elements in new materials, but DGP storylines are considered ended. New stories should be written and the old DGP ones left alone. DGP illustrations or text may be paraphrased or quoted in limited amounts at the Traveller RPG Wiki, but not off the wiki. If in doubt, please speak with one of the moderators or simply paraphrase. So, the wonderful elements of DGP materials are still around in the OTU, but we must be careful in using them, be respectful in how we quote them, and cooperative with DGP's property owner.
- - Maksim-Smelchak (talk) 11:00, 13 February 2019 (EST)
Bibliography-Ludography (Published Products)[edit]
This edition is best known for the following products:
| Digest Group Publications | |
|---|---|
| Traveller - 101 Robots - Grand Census - Grand Survey MegaTraveller - 101 Vehicles - Solomani & Aslan - Vilani & Vargr - Starship Operator's Manual - The Early Adventures - The Flaming Eye - World Builder's Handbook
|
References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]
- Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science