On Wednesday, September 9, 2020, 02:00:26 AM MST, <xxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:

Some people want to play the game as written, to understand it as it was meant to be understood by the writers, and to cleave to that.

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Frankly, being a relative 'latecomer' (1981), I was very much surprised when I later learned how much it had changed in just the first few years.

And most of those changes, way back then, must have at least crossed 'Creator Marc's' desk so it would seem that his vision was of the game was changing too.

The biggest one, IMO, was the change in consumption of fuel by the j-drive.

That was a real game-changer to me.

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On Wednesday, September 9, 2020, 02:00:26 AM MST, <xxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:

The only problem with that is that there isn't a single true as-intended-by-the-authors genuine and complete version. (due to errata, corrigenda, clarifications, restatements, and amended thinking that may be different or contradictory from those same luminaries).

So, canon discussions (battles) are inevitable, mostly not resolvable, and they tend to touch people's nerves.

There is, however, one place which sadly requires at least a goodly attempt to reconcile the irreconcilable: If you want to write something for publication. That is the one place where a fairly exacting degree of canonicity is a requisite.

There is also one place where attempts to reconcile the irreconcilable is a pragmatic necessity: If you ever want to use any of the complex systems of generation (be it character, star systems, vehicles, starships or whatever) which are all, due to their complexity, having multiple cooks involved or because even the luminaries make mistakes, flawed in some degrees.

In the latter case, if you are not writing for publication, you can make a decisions for your TU and worry less about the flawed material than you would if you wanted to publish something.

Other than those two cases, unless I missed a case, it will all boil down how individuals see their TU and want to rule to address issues unaddressed or addressed in contradictory or incomplete way by the luminaries.

For the aforesaid reasons, I don't see a correct, complete, unflawed ruleset every existing nor do I see a single canonical reality for all to share.

I see what I would like to see done to fix some problems, but those discussions often boil down to individual views and tastes (all of them? likely).

And a lot of people have what they like from the game, enough for their purposes, and therefore see no reason or merit in change. That's a legitimate perspective, but it is never an argument they can win (nor lose) because we will never have a common consensus in all particulars or official solutions for said same particulars.

Discussions of change are also disturbing items and things people seem to feel the need to argue about perhaps because they don't like a particular change, don't think it a good one, or just don't think a think needs changed or adjusted. That position is certainly valid, but if the subject is not 'how should we change all existing instances of the game and prohibit other views including the original one', I sometimes don't get the degree to which those with a 'don't change it' attitude come at some suggestions. If it is not to be an official change in the version of the game you are using or plan to (and let's face it, those are like lightning from a clear sky on the moon), then there's no reason to get into arguments of any length; Saying you don't see something needing changed and are happy with what you have should pretty much be the end of it from your perspective. If others want to discuss a particular topic of change that interests them, what's the harm?

In some ways the canon fight is similar to, but not identical to, the arguments I have seen in D&D about how to achieve the maximum damage output from a character build. They hinge on particular views of rules statements plus usually a dash of their own understandings and ultimately can become rancorous. And in the end, if they go on-and-on in circles with no resolution possible, they just become unpleasant for most involved. And they probably miss what matters as far as a fun game for you and your mates goes.

TomB

On Tue, Sep 8, 2020 at 10:42 AM Phil Pugliese - philpugliese at yahoo.com (via tml list) < xxxxxx@simplelists.com> wrote:

On Monday, September 7, 2020, 09:27:55 PM MST, xxxxxx@gmail.com < xxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:

In meta-gaming, there is time travelling in traveller.

"Jump Torpedos are allowed."

"Jump Torpedos are not allowed."

"Paranoia Press did the Vanguard Reaches and The Beyond, Judges Guild did a bunch of sectors, and FASA did Reaver's Deep.... and they are official."

"Nope, those are all getting papered over like they never happened."

It all depends on who is writing what and when and whether they are extending their pen into the past of our game. That which was once favourable in the eyes of our Lord Marc, being no longer seen as sacred or holy, shall be obliterated retroactively with the click of a keyboard.... that's time travel.

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And that is exactly why all the various disputes about canon (Canon Wars? ;-) ), are really kinda' silly.

In the TU, 'canon' comes & goes, ephemeral & transitory.

IMO, it's primary purpose seems to be to provide bragging rights.

More than once I've been curtly informed that, "You can write whatever you want but I assure you my <whatever> is CANON(tm)"!

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