Features of the original Traveller universe
There are several key features of the Traveller Universe that distinguish it. Most of them grew from assumptions inherent in the original rules system (for instance, the chance for starting characters to have a Noble Title) which in turn were derived from the literary sources described above. From these features grew the detailed specific background of the Empires and aliens of the Traveller Universe.
The Legacy of the Ancients
At some point hundreds of thousands of years ago in the past our region of the galaxy was dominated by a species, now known only as the Ancients, who wielded fantastic technology. Though the details are unknown (at least to the player's characters; the true history of the Ancients is available to the referee), it is believed that the Ancients destroyed themselves in a 2,000-year period of massive internecine warfare. Though long gone, the effects of the Ancients' reign are still evident, from the seeding of humanity across scores of worlds to the incomprehensible ruins and artifacts which are occasionally discovered.
Humans are common and dominant
Due to the Ancient race that scattered humanity across the stars, there are many worlds on which Human civilizations developed other than Earth. Two major space-faring races, the Vilani and the Zhodani, arose from such transplants. Solomani (humans of Earth) also eventually rose into interstellar dominance. Humans are the most populous species in known space and thus rule or heavily influence most worlds. The result of 300,000 years of individual evolution on such widely divergent worlds (or, in some cases, deliberate genetic engineering on the Ancient's part) has resulted in broad speciation within the human genotype, however.
The Return of the Age of Sail
Due to the details of interstellar travel and communication, much of the setting carries a feel very similar to the Age of Sail, wherein ships could journey for years at a time without contact from higher authority and individual settlements were isolated and thus individualistic. This isolation causes entire wars to be fought, won, or lost on the frontiers before a message gets to the Capital to let the Emperor know the war has begun. This means that all kinds of agents, from merchants to generals, must show initiative and be reasonably independent from their corporate or political overlords.
The New Feudalism
Since local rulers cannot be directly controlled by central authority, the Imperium is managed by a class of independent nobility, who even make use of classic titles such as Baron, Duke and Archduke.
The cycle of history
By the time of the Third Imperium, Interstellar society has risen, fallen and risen again (and in Traveller: the New Era, fallen again) in a cycle comparable to the history of the Roman Empire, but more directly inspired by the Foundation Trilogy of Isaac Asimov; In fact Asimov's term for the study and manipulation of this cycle, Psychohistory, is used in the setting. The continuing path of this cycle, and its eventual outcome, is a recurring theme in the setting.
The most recent "rise" in the Traveller universe has been the move to the 1248 New Era setting, where the 4th Imperium, a polity far smaller than its predecessors, has been created in 1248. This setting is published by Comstar Games and Avenger Enterprises (
http://www.comstar-games.com/traveller). Other small polities have sprung up in this setting, including the Terran Commonwealth, Solomani Imperium, New Ziru Sirka, the League of Spinward States, The K'kree Dominate, Vargr Splinters, Zhodani Concord and many others.
A conservative society
As a whole, the society of the Third Imperium evolves very slowly and prefers what is traditional and established to what is new and different. Even though it exists three millennia in the future, most of the technology and social institutions aren't much different from those of twenty-first century Earth (or even America, at that). Psionics, though known, are feared by most and have been outlawed and brutally repressed. Artificial Intelligence is extremely rare and is not trusted when it exists. The writers of the setting have admitted that this implied conservatism is a direct result of a desire to maintain Traveller's feel as a classic Space Opera, which by modern standards is somewhat outdated. In GURPS Traveller, special mention is made of the need to avoid the modern concepts of Nanotechnology and Transhumanism, as they are anathema to the setting. The recent printing of GURPS Traveller: Interstellar Wars, as well as the out of print Digest Group title Vilani and Vargr, elaborated on the history and social background of the Vilani and its strong conservatism. Previous editions of Traveller have clearly stated that the Third Imperium has both Solomani and Vilani cultural roots. The implication is that much of the Third Imperium's social and technological conservatism stems from those roots.
It isn't utopian
As depicted in Traveller, the human race will not have evolved into a superior state a few millennia hence. People continue to steal, cheat and fight wars. If anything, the Third Imperium is fully aware of these baser human tendencies and encourages them to be vented regularly in small outbursts before they have a chance to reach Imperium-shattering proportions. Thus, planets are allowed to fight out internal conflicts and capitalism is the major driving force of civilization. There is no Prime Directive, no prohibition on contact or interference with other races protecting them from advanced technology. Economics and other factors that applied to exploration and colonization on Earth are the same factors that shape the Traveller Universe. However, Governments may interdict planets with native primitive intelligent species. These interdicted worlds are commonly known as "Red Zones" based on the Imperial designation for such a world.
Intelligent species
While some were obviously less than inspired when first created, a lot of background information has gone into developing each into something more than a human in an alien suit.
