A recent announcement by Mongoose that they are porting Traveller over to 5e (D&D) is very much a business decision on their part. They probably did the math to conclude that it would make sense to tap into the D&D fan base – keep in mind that there WAS a Traveller20 version! – and if it makes them money, that is ultimately a (probable) win for Traveller players.

Why do I say that? Simply because of business economics. Doing a D&D version of Traveller isn’t new (see my reference to the Traveller20 version), and if a bunch of new players experience the Third Imperium through that lens, that means more monetary support for Mongoose, and in the short run, for Traveller as an intellectual property.

What probably concerns existing Traveller players is that this could lead to a change in emphasis from the RTT (Rikki-Tikki-Traveller) rules mechanics to the new game, or possibly confusion over how to adjudicate situations in the game (RTT says this, Trav5.5 says that), or simply a deluge of new players who are like newbie bulls in the well-established china shop. Those concerns are real, insofar as players get to feel how they feel, but are distinct from the business decision Mongoose is making. Put another way, don’t mistake the business side of things for the hobby side of things.

Having watched both the games industry and the games hobby for a long time, what is probably worth remembering is that you can always play the game you want to play. While it might make some people insecure to see that the games industry might or might not support their favorite game, it is an odd kind of slavish consumerism to depend on a company for personal gameplay validation. Before you conclude that this is a weird take, consider these examples:

• The shift to D&D 3/3.5 resulted in heightened awareness of story games, and the emergence of the Old School Renaissance
• The change in editions from D&D 3/3.5 to D&D 4th Edition was a great opening for the emergence of Pathfinder, particularly for those gamers who wanted a “D&D 3.75”
• Traveller itself has already seen the emergence of the Cepheus Engine, so there are places for people who prefer something closer to Classic Traveller

…and the list goes on. Nor is any of this limited to games. Look at any fandom – Star Wars, Star Trek, you name it – and there will always be discussion and heated debate, but you still get to like what you like, regardless of what happens in Big Business. (Here’s my unpopular fan preference: I liked ST: Enterprise, so there.)

The one basis for concern is that Mongoose might not be acting as a “good steward” for Traveller as an intellectual property by making this decision. However, you cannot always be sure what factors were involved in making their decision, and “internet outrage” is rarely an indicator of what is really going on. From a game playing perspective, it is not worthy of losing any sleep over.

Put another way: continue having fun with the things you like, and stop worrying about how the business end of things metaphorically appears to be possibly jogging your elbow.