What is the status of MadBeardMan?

[FredrikVladimir]

MadBeardMan is the developer who basically single handedly created Traveller on FGU. No one else knows the system like he does. But the last time he interacted on the forum was September 16. Given how much he interacted in the past, this concerns me.

I've seen some people stepping up, but they're wandering around in the code of a game that they don't understand that works very differently from typical role playing games. Is this type of support going to be adequate in the future?

I've been busy importing an old existing module in order to launch my own mini-campaign with a target date of January. But I'm not sure the work I'm doing is worth it if FGU won't be able to actively maintain and support Traveller. While FGU provides some interesting capabilities that I'd like to leverage, if the support and maintenance isn't there I have to wonder if my time would be better spent learning and working with a different VTT platform.

Sorry I'm being grumpy. Maybe it's late and I should get some sleep so I'll feel better in the morning.

[Pharoid]

I was also hoping that the ruleset would continue to evolve. I've wanted to see Robots and vehicles in the combat tracker and continued starship development... Ships locker and a few more things that I thought were somewhat in progress. It is great that they've jumped in and are supporting the ruleset as-is though. They've been very responsive fixing issues posted in the bug thread. Its a great ruleset as-is.

In the meantime, there's the new cepheus engine ruleset (traveller SRD based). It has a

-character wizard
-ship building wizard
-robots, ships and vehicles in the combat tracker
-an effect system much like 5e's
-compatibility with Zozer Games Hostile (and some other cepheus based rulesets)

I've tried the other VTT's and have chosen to stick with FGU for my Sci/Fi and was really happy to see a cepheus engine option. :-) So happy that I helped out with the SRD and made the free cepheus blue theme and more recently the "Project Sci/Fi" module with tons of content for cepheus engine. The developer has been great! and very responsive. He's also a long time FGU'er who's written and supports other rulesets and extensions.

Anyway... that's my pitch before you get more tempted to make the jump to another VTT. :-) I also imagine that someone else will eventually take on the MGT2E ruleset development duties. I hope so! I (like many others) have a ton invested in it. :-)
Happy Gaming!

[superteddy57]

MadBeardMan is the developer who basically single handedly created Traveller on FGU. No one else knows the system like he does. But the last time he interacted on the forum was September 16. Given how much he interacted in the past, this concerns me.

I've seen some people stepping up, but they're wandering around in the code of a game that they don't understand that works very differently from typical role playing games. Is this type of support going to be adequate in the future?

I've been busy importing an old existing module in order to launch my own mini-campaign with a target date of January. But I'm not sure the work I'm doing is worth it if FGU won't be able to actively maintain and support Traveller. While FGU provides some interesting capabilities that I'd like to leverage, if the support and maintenance isn't there I have to wonder if my time would be better spent learning and working with a different VTT platform.

Sorry I'm being grumpy. Maybe it's late and I should get some sleep so I'll feel better in the morning.

I have played classic Traveller and I am familiar with the system as a whole. My current process of familiarity is what was the current state of the ruleset before I started touching it. As an example with the Task Chain implementation. I wanted to make sure it worked as it was and not forget to check if that functionality is still there. We are providing maintenance, as seen with the recent updates I have been providing. We provide maintenance to all of our rulesets currently sold in our store, but with me managing over a dozen rulesets, it doesn't leave me with much room for expanding features at this time. So the ruleset should be functional at the point of MadBeardMan's last update.

[Moon Wizard]

When a developer has to step away, we allow other community developers to step up and take over any specific development and responsibility for updates to a game system ruleset.

If anyone is interested, then please reach out. If you haven't done any FG development before, please try your hand at extensions first. We can always incorporate feature extensions into the ruleset later, as makes sense.

Regards,
JPG

[anstett]

I also have asked on the Mongoose Forums about VTT support options. Currently we cannot publish JTAS style things for Traveller under the current DriveThru and Mongoose restrictions.

I was told they are working on things and doing more VTT support in the near future. I specifically asked about publishing to the Forge and got that answer.

I am confident in Smiteworks being able to support Traveller for a long time.

[Egheal]

One big problem with MadBeardMan no longer available as a developer for FGU is the Runequest Ruleset. It was almost done, in test phase. I wonder now if we will see this game in FGU plus the fact that it will be difficult to get the scenarios and rules extensions... :dead:

[Elvedui]

Are the items that MadBeardMan had under development say Third Imperium and the Ancients module available for anyone to complete? Or is that work gone completely. Yes i would love to see more content added to FGU.

[Moon Wizard]

As far as I know, they are currently open to complete. If anyone is interested, please refer to this thread, and get in touch with James:
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?67735-Publishers-looking-for-conversions-for-Fantasy-Grounds

Regards,
JPG

[GunbunnyFuFu]

I had reached out to MBM a couple of months ago. He and I were working on the 2300 AD ruleset for Mongoose Traveller 2e. The ruleset was mostly finished, and content for the boxed set was about 50% done (you can see screenshots in this forum from late 2021 IIRC). We had forked the original MGT 2E 2300 AD ruleset off of the Traveller 2E ruleset, and he had started on getting it so that the Traveller 2E ruleset would handle 2300 AD (there are different fields, a few different mechanics) so that there wouldn't be a need to download and maintain two separate rulesets. I reached out to him a few months ago, but I haven't heard back. I've looked at other VTTs since then for Traveller 2e (as I still have my Kafer Invasion campaign to run), but haven't really moved there in the hope that he returns or someone picks up his work and runs with it. I still have a very sizeable chunk of FG formatted 2300 AD material from the recent boxed set ready to go, and will absolutely jump back in again.

GBFF

[Surge]

FGU is 100% my preferred VTT, but for Traveller I felt it necessary to both buy and learn Foundry, as it has an INCREDIBLY active dev building the ruleset.

I would love to come back to FGU (my PF2E game is on indefinite hiatus), but with no active development of the ruleset (or QoL / polish), I can't.

[superteddy57]

I have been providing development to the ruleset. We have it open for anyone to take it on and it is still open for Colin to come back as well if he so chooses. I have fielded every bug report and have been updating the foundation to be in line with the current design philosophy as well. We also are updating the ruleset to work with the current Beta and be usable with the new features that are coming down the pipeline. So I'm not sure what you mean by no active development or expansion. What features were you hoping to have that is missing from the ruleset? You can provide suggestions for quality of life updates if you wish, but may take some time to make them happen within the ruleset.

[Khoros]

Currently making reference manuals from the Element Class Cruisers .pdf's for personal use so I can play the Naval Adventures series. I'm only about halfway through the first book, but I could send the files over as soon as I'm done with both books, if you're interested.
One caveat though: this my first reference manual, and I can't code in Lua or .xml (yet, working on that, too) so it certainly won't be fit for publication right off the bat. But it might perhaps serve as a starting point for someone more competent than me.
Also: in doing that I think I found a bug in the ruleset. Where do I report bugs for this system?

[superteddy57]

We don't allow of sharing modules of copyright information. If you would like to reach out and see about getting that module published in our store, you can reach out to this email for more information ([email protected]). There is a bug report thread stickied at the top of this forum.

[Khoros]

Ok, I'll post the bug report on the sticky.
As for the reference module: I don't actually want to sell it, just thought someone who does might be interested in the modules as groundwork for later official publication through channels.
We'll see. I'll finish up the modules and then I'll contact developer relations about publishing the stuff. Or not, depending on how much of a hassle it is.
Cheers for the email.

[Myrdin Potter]

I am sad about Runequest more than anything.

[hawkwind]

I think Bayne said he might be working on it, if so its in save hands

[bayne7400]

It was my original plan but I've had some personal things come up and my plate is pretty full at the moment.

[anstett]

I am certain there will be a direct announcement but hard to contain the excitement about this post on the Mongoose forums. From MadBeardMan:

Taking what Matt said a little further.

We've reached an agreement that I shall pick up the keyboard once more, but this time solely with MGP products.

2023 was a horrid year and I couldn't do anything VTT-wise for anyone.

The Fantasy Grounds material is all coming in-house to Mongoose (transfer from my personal account) and it will be refreshed with the 2022/23 core material. Work shall begin on this soon.

We are going to build small teams of developers for all the numerous VTTs that now exist.

So if you have the skills, have the time, and have an interest, message me and we can chat.

[Stargrove]

This is some great news. Can't wait to see what is planned!

[Elvedui]

This is definitely great news.

[Kinjin]

It was my original plan but I've had some personal things come up and my plate is pretty full at the moment.

Sorry to ask this on the Traveller section, but curious if Runequest is dead in the water or on yours or someone else's (long term?) to-do list?
I totally understand personal things come first but it looked like it was pretty close to being done and had been sent off for testing. So unless it came back with a significant list of errors, I'm surprised it's been dropped so close to the finish line.

[anstett]

The message he posted on the Mongoose forums (and I copied up above) is that he will be working exclusively on Mongoose products for now.

Obviously I cannot answer for other plans, just relaying what was posted.

[donpaulo]

its welcome news for sure

[Elvedui]

I don't suppose we have an idea as to when we will start seeing the refreshed core materials and/or new traveller products from Mongoose Mac?