Traveller:What is Traveller?/FAQ

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Traveller is a roleplaying game (RPG).

  • It started its life as the shared science fiction universe of several college students in Illinois who later decided to publish an RPG.
  • It grew into so much more: RPG books, board games, novels, computer games, a universal sci-fi gaming system, world-building tools, etc.
  • In the end of ends, it's just a damn great story!
  • Please also see: Traveller Mailing List/FAQ

Description (Specifications)

The FAQ is very limited and has restricted itself to basic inquiries.

  • However, if you still have an unanswered inquiry, please post in the Discussion section of this page.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) - Gameplay & Getting Started

Traveller FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Question Response
What is Traveller? Traveller is a science fiction roleplaying game, set in the far future. In the time between the present day and the setting of the game the human race expanded to the stars, ruled an empire taken in battle and collapsed back to the barbarism of the period known as the ‘Long Night’.
  • The origins and many later editions of the game are set at the height of the Third Imperium, that is, the third human-dominated Empire in charted space, culminating in the nominative present of the game set in the early 12th century after the Third Imperium's establishment 1116. This roughly correlates with the 57th century of the Terran CE.
  • There are several versions of the game with different settings and publishers.
Which version of Traveller should I start with and why? This is an entirely subjective question. Nearly every version of the game is available either from Far Future Enterprises (FFE) in compilation form or from an active license holder such as Mongoose Publishing.
  • Some of the OOP versions of the game are not available due to complications, but those are few.
  • It might be easiest to start with versions of the game currently in print: Traveller 5th Edtion and Mongoose Traveller 2nd Edition.
  • However, since Traveller is largely a story-based game, books from any edition may be mixed and matched with any other edition. In fact, many fans really enjoy mixing materials from many different versions.
Where can I purchase Traveller products? It is recommend to purchase Traveller products from:
  1. A licensed publisher of Traveller products
  2. Through a brick and mortar gaming store
  3. Or directly from Far Future Enterprises (FFE) here: FFE-Website
How does the game work? With multiple version of the game, there are many different game mechanics, but all of them adhere to general RPG provisions meaning:
  1. Pencil, pen, or other writing implement
  2. Paper
  3. Dice
  4. Friends
  5. Imagination
  6. Fun
Who currently owns Traveller? Traveller is owned by FFE and all active license holders with the exception of past license holders who have not sold rights to FFE.
What is canon for Traveller? Traveller canon in the OTU is determined by Marc Miller and FFE. It uses this formula: "Canon"... most of the time.
  • Each player may pick and choose what they find canon in their ATU or IMTU according to their own preferences.
  • FFE just wants people to enjoy the setting and have a good time.
What are Traveller copyright policies? Traveller copyright policies can be found here: Copyright
How can I become a Traveller writer? One of the best ways to become a Traveller writer is to inquire with one of the current Traveller publishers. The two largest Traveller publishers are FFE and Mongoose Publishing. Individual licenses or sublicences can be acquired through FFE and Mongoose Publishing.

Some of the smaller Traveller publishers may not be looking for authors or illustrators and most cannot offer Traveller licenses. One should inquire with individual publishers on a case by case basis.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) - Trivia

Traveller FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Question Response
What makes Traveller a great science fiction name? So many things!
  • Please see the article on Theme or read through this wiki!
Why is Traveller spelled the British way with two L's? Loren Wiseman wrote that Marc decided to do this to:
  • (a) Make it stand out in America and...
  • (b) Make copyright infringements more readily obvious (cheap knock-offs being more likely to use 'Traveler' by mistake).
  • (c) Distinctiveness. Same reasoning behind it being an Air/Raft.
  • (d) Giving it the British spelling in America made the title trademarkable.
Who were the founders of Traveller? Marc Miller is the best known of the founders although there were a number of other gentlemen who were part of the initial founders. Some of the other much loved and fondly remembered early founders and contributors include:
Is Traveller hard or soft science fiction? Neither and both!
  • Please see the article on Theme or read through this wiki!

History & Background (Dossier)

With decades of history, dozens upon dozens of authors, and many editions, Traveller has quite a colorful history: It probably mirrors the history of the Emperors of the Third Imperium more than any of us would like to admit.

References & Contributors (Sources)

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.
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