Setting

Each of the versions of traveller had one official setting, and others which were developed (ususally by different publishers) to a lesser degree. The designers set aside one sector for no official development, so that referee's could do what they wanted knowing that no future Official published product would contradict what they had developed.

Settings

Classic Traveller

• Spinward Marches (GDW)

The spinward marches is a frontier with the Zhodani Consulate, and site of the frontier wars. Close to the Vargr with some independent factions Darrian, Sword Worlds and unexplored space. This setting allowed for many different types of adventures.

• Solomani Rim (GDW)

More developed region of space.

MegaTraveller

Late in it's existance MT introduced the Diaspora Sector, a part of Imperial Space that lies between all of the major combattants of the MT civil war. Diaspora was introduced in the HardTimes sourcebook that described the general state of the Empire and gave rules to simulate the 11 years of war between 1117 and the then current setting of 1128. It also described Promise and the surrounding worlds in detail.

GURPS: Traveller

G:T added a lot of material to the classic sectors of the Traveller Universe while advancing the timeline about 15-20 years from the Classic Traveller set. The three relevant books are Behind the Claw (Spinward Marches), Rim of Fire (Solomanie Rim) and Sword Worlds (Sword Worlds).

Traveller T20

T20 introduced the Gateway Domain, one of the backyards of the Empire. A mix between Imperial worlds and various client states this is closer in basic feeling to the Spinward Marches while lacking the "big guys and old grudges" that are a common theme there. Set in the 900s (about 150 years before Classic Traveller) it has a lower technology level. Add in that the Solomanie Rim War is close enough by to draw away troops and attract Raiders and the result is a rather gritty and dirty universe along the lines of Babylon5 rather than the relatively clean Spinward Marches

Traveller The New Era

TNE starts in 1200 with an Empire in ruins. Set close to the Hard Time setting (Promise actually features heavily in the Storyline) the region was a badly damaged war-zone even before the Final War. The space close to the basic setting (Reformation Coalation) is well detailed and good maps exist.