I mainly lurk here on the list, but in my own GZG group in Atlanta GA USA and
here on this list there is talk of some material being Cannon or not being
Cannon.
What makes something Cannon and who decides if it is or isn't Cannon?
Seems there are a lot of web sites up that claim to be Cannon or at least
have Cannon material - who or what situation gave them this status?
Our group of thirty or so players here in Atlanta are starting the process of
developement of rules and history material. Naturally, I became curious about
why some material created by others is and some isn't Cannon.
Thanks in advance,
Aimee
> kaime@mindspring.com wrote:
> I mainly lurk here on the list, but in my own GZG group in Atlanta GA
Well, if it fire big balls and sticks out the side of a ship, then it's
cannon, right?;). Seriously, you're asking about what is 'canon', then the
best explanation that I can give is something that is printed in the various
GZG rulebooks, such as the timelines, etc. Anything beyond that, would be what
ever comes from Jon's mouth in this or other forums. In actuality though, what
is and isn't canon matters much less for the GZG-verse than in other
game systems, as the 'canon' material is provided just as a starting point for
those of us who are too lazy to think up their own backgrounds, so I don't
think it's worth getting too wrapped up in that one way or another.
Hope that answers the question, and please excuse my smartass remark at the
beginning:)
Mark
Who's waiting for the info on the WCC #2!!!!
> Seems there are a lot of web sites up that claim to be Cannon or at
> On Mon, Jun 04, 2001 at 10:33:24PM -0400, kaime@mindspring.com wrote:
The term is "canon." Let's grab a definition:
can·on1 (knn)
n.
1. An ecclesiastical law or code of laws established by a church council. 2. A
secular law, rule, or code of law. 3. a) An established principle: the canons
of polite society. b) A basis for judgment; a standard or criterion. 4. The
books of the Bible officially accepted as Holy Scripture. 5. a) A group of
literary works that are generally accepted as representing a field: Âthe
durable canon of American short fiction (William Styron). b) The works of a
writer that have been accepted as authentic: the entire Shakespeare canon. 6.
"Canon" The part of the Mass beginning after the Preface and Sanctus and
ending just before the Lord's Prayer. 7. The calendar of saints accepted by
the Roman Catholic Church. 8. (Music.) A composition or passage in which a
melody is imitated by one or more voices at fixed intervals of pitch and time.
Of particular interest is 5, primarily. In gaming, the typical
meaning actually /meant/ is definition 5, the exact and specific works
which are considered to be part of the game universe and mechanics
intended by the author/publisher to be "official." To that end, only
the actual GZG books themselves are canon in the strictu sensu.
Now, the problem is that most people can't tell the definition between
definition 3 and definition 5. If I mean the set of rules accepted by
my gaming group to be "Alex's Gaming Group Full Thrust/Dirtside
II/Stargrunt II Canon," that could actually be some unholy hybrid of
GZG books, the Bible, and Traveller New Era, and still be strictly true, as I
say it, but that definition is incredibly useless to you
and I as potential readers/users of the information, so the more
strict definition is the one that should be held up for examination to the
public eye.
By that measure, there are NO "canon" websites /except/ those either
penned by Jon or another GZG representative, or those with official blessing
from same. How do you tell whether that's so if claimed on some random page?
Welcome to the problem of proof online. Taking the most restrictive position
is probably the best bet, and leads me to wish everyone online used PGP public
keys so they could sign things they supported.:)
(You must be one of the War Room folks; next time you're down there tell
Rebecca that the SquidLord Alex is still available and still an
over-analytical geek. ;) When are you folks playing?
> I mainly lurk here on the list, but in my own GZG group in Atlanta GA
Cannon normally refers to large calibre weapons firing explosive charges...
> What makes something Cannon and who decides if it is or isn't Cannon?
What makes something Canonical;
a) - if it's appeared in print, in either Full Thrust, Full Thrust 2nd
Edition, More Thrust, Fleet Book 1, Fleet Book 2, Dirtside 2, or Star Grunt,
or as a figure made by GZG or their agents ( like Eureka).
b) If Jon Tuffley has said it Ex Cathedra, with [GZG-OFFICIAL] on the
subject line.
Who decides?
Jon Tuffley.
> Seems there are a lot of web sites up that claim to be Cannon or at
See above. If the data paraphrases what's appeared in print, then it's
Canonical. If it expands what's in print, then it isn't - until the
print catches up, if ever, or Jon gives his imprimatur.
For example, it's Canonical that there is a minor power called the Oceanic
Union - it appears in FT etc. It's canonical that the navy has frigates,
destroyers, light cruisers, heavy cruisers, light carriers and
boomerang-shaped
fighters, as Eureka and GZG make these. It's canonical that the OUDF has
Grav-
Bikes for a similar reason. But the ship designs for the OUDF on the Full
Thrust Shipyard and elsewhere aren't canonical; neither is the bacground
"fluff" for the OU on the Unofficial
GZGpedia site, except where it re-states data that appears in books.
Until and unless Jon Tuffley says otherwise.
> Our group of thirty or so players here in Atlanta are starting the
Cos Jon says so.