Time Travel and Infinite Worlds

[Luther]

How much text from GURPS Time Travel made into GURPS Infinite Worlds?

How much has been updated?

[Luther]

I ask because the section about time travel in GURPS Infinite Worlds seems pretty slim, especially compared to 3rd edition material. Anyone wants to help?

[Michael Hopcroft]

My understanding is that the panachronics (and I don't know if that's the right word or how it's actually spelled so correct me please) of the Infinite Worlds setting either precludes travel within a timeline or renders the possibility irrelevant. In the setting, it is not possible to go into the past or the future of Homeline or any other dimension. That does not mean you cannot find other worlds that are near-exact duplicates of a period in Homeline's past, but you cannot go into the past itself.

In addition, objective time appears to pass at the same rate wherever you go in the infinity of universes.

If you wanted a different setting where you actually could travel in time, you woudl currently need to extrapolate rules from the Basic Set and use 3e Time Travel as a base for ideas on how time travel might actually work. You might also want to look at GURPS Casey & Andy from e23, which has a humorous but concise and logical explanation for the effects of time travel on causality. Plus it has a naked picture of Satan, the hottest babe in the Universe, and you can't go wrong with that! ;)

[Luther]

From the table of contents I believed that IW had time travel, that is changing time within the same timeline (not simply world jumping to different timelines). Maybe you are right the new book doesn't address the issue with the same depth as GURPS Time Travel (which I have). I was looking for a revision and some fresh ideas, so I think a better question would be:

I'm interested in real time travel [1] only, and I already have GURPS Time Travel.
Is GURPS Infinite Worlds worth getting?


[1] Changing time within the same timeline.

[Stephane_Theriault]

Originally Posted by Luther

From the table of contents I believed that IW had time travel, that is changing time within the same timeline (not simply world jumping to different timelines). Maybe you are right the new book doesn't address the issue with the same depth as GURPS Time Travel (which I have). I was looking for a revision and some fresh ideas, so I think a better question would be:
I'm interested in real time travel [1] only, and I already have GURPS Time Travel.
Is GURPS Infinite Worlds worth getting?


[1] Changing time within the same timeline.

My answer would be probably no. A good part of Infinite World is about the setting itself (which is irrelevant to pure Time Travel) and a list of alternate (i.e. fictitious) worlds. It's not really that appropriate for simple Time Travel.

But then again, what would you want from a purely Time Travel book that isn't already covered in GURPS Time Travel for 3e Ed? It's not that rules-intensive, and all the non-rules aspects are still 100% applicable in 4th Ed.

[Luther]

Originally Posted by Ellie the Technomancer

My answer would be probably no. A good part of Infinite World is about the setting itself (which is irrelevant to pure Time Travel) and a list of alternate (i.e. fictitious) worlds. It's not really that appropriate for simple Time Travel.

Thank you Ellie.

Originally Posted by Ellie the Technomancer

But then again, what would you want from a purely Time Travel book that isn't already covered in GURPS Time Travel for 3e Ed? It's not that rules-intensive, and all the non-rules aspects are still 100% applicable in 4th Ed.

Yes, you're right. I was just wondering if, after all those years (G:TT is old), Hite had revised the ideas and added some fresh thought.

[tratclif]

Originally Posted by Luther

Thank you Ellie.
Yes, you're right. I was just wondering if, after all those years (G:TT is old), Hite had revised the ideas and added some fresh thought.

I finally had the time to sit down with both Time Travel and Infinite Worlds for 15 minute or so. Summary, all the Good Stuff from TT is lifted verbatim, rearranged, and given a new coat of paint.

From TT Chap 1, all is repeated but Gadgeteering rules (now in Characters) and Space Travel (for a Dr Who type campaign), or if that last section is in IW I missed it. IW adds "Parameter and Modes" campaign advice, and the "What to pack" sidebar is expanded.

TT Chap 2, the Historical Characters section is repeated.

TT Chap 3, all repeated, with new specific examples of time machines from Suppressed Transmissions and time travel movies (including a DeLorean with a Flux Drive). Dangers (chronal storms, a temporal accident table) is added.

TT Chap 4 is repeated with some minor changes.

TT Chap5 is repeated with the addition of Attunement, psionic time traval accomplished by the traveler attuning himself somehow to the past.

TT Chap 6 is repeated. Eternity's Rangers and In the Cube are off in the Infinite Worlds material. Order of the Hourglass has some specific enemies listed and a bit more campaign advice. The Horatio Club is repeated with a few more words of campaign advice

[Luther]

Tratclif,

thank you, this really helps. Much appreciated.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Michael Hopcroft

My understanding is that the panachronics (and I don't know if that's the right word or how it's actually spelled so correct me please) of the Infinite Worlds setting either precludes travel within a timeline or renders the possibility irrelevant. In the setting, it is not possible to go into the past or the future of Homeline or any other dimension.

Actually that is not true as demonstrated by Infinity's worries about Britannica-2 (IW 116) who they suspect has developed genuine time travel. Of course Britannica-2 could be like my Paradox and using a form of parachronic physics that Homeline doesn't not yet understand.

[tratclif]

I'd guess that Britannica-2 is a major ontic engineering project of Doctor Dee and the Wheel of Ptah from the Cabal.

[edited typo]