[ShannonA]

I don't find it so much so any more.

<i>GURPS Traveller</i> has been largely neglected since GURPS4, while T20 has been largely neglected since 2004 (and with MJD no longer working with Quicklink, they'd need new talent to go forward). Comstar no longer has a license to publish 1248, so it doesn't exist any more, except for the two print publications still in some retail channels (and without any system supporting them). I don't feel like <i>MegaTraveller</i>, TNE, or T4 ever had much loyal fan support once the lines went under. I also never heard a lot of talk about the short-lived <i>Traveller Hero</i>, which I'd guess came unlicensed at the same time 1248 did, though I don't know that for a fact.

So that pretty much leaves Classic Traveller and Mongoose Traveller. Though some grognards hate MongT with a passion, I'm pretty sure it's already become the dominant version of the game by far, and that's only going to increase with time, if Mongoose keeps it an active line through its entire 10-year contract. That's helped a lot by the fact that it seems largely compatible with CT; I'll write about any quirks in my AP once I try to run <i>Research Station Gamma</i>, probably in September, but I think I just need to keep a careful eye for any skill tests, and it'll otherwise run cleanly.

I suppose things could balkanize again if Marc Miller ever gets T5 out, but without a publishing & distribution house behind him, I'm not sure that's going to have much of an impact, except on the grognards who insist that CT is still the best RPG ever.

So, sure it was terribly balkanized in 2006 when 1248 was released, but I really think a lot less so just 3 years later, when this review came out.