Status of British colonies on Tirane
in the 2300AD rpg

Intro

There has been some confusion over the status of the British colonies on Tirane.  An overlooked quote allows us to determine the real status in GDW's ( now FFE's) publications.
 

Facts

• More than one British colony was established on Tirane ( see PM p 19 and DG p 15).
• One is called Wellon, and is one of the original colonies on Tirane; It gains "home rule" in 2241, and full independence in 2277 ( see PM p 16 and AG p 76).
• The other is named New Albion.  The Colonial Atlas ( p 5) refers to it as the "national favorite" and it is a "retreat for the nobility, and fiefs granted here are known for their lavish upkeep and luxurious appointments".  Given the importance and significant rights of nobles in the UK ( also see NyoSB p 74, and sidebar and main text in Invasion p 12), then clearly this colony is still "part of the UK".
   

Problems

• The Colonial Atlas ( p 5) makes no mention of Wellon.
• The AG ( p 84) confusingly refers to New Albion as being ex-British.
• The "Colonies of Earth" table ( PM p 47 and AG p 85) only mentions the ex-British colony on Tirane.
   

The overlooked quote

There is an interesting quote in the first edition rules, which combined with the erroneous "4% forever" population tables, answers the question as to the status of the British colonies on Tirane:

"Great Britain was the first nation to have half of its loyal population base living away from Terra proper; this event took place in 2298.
-- Traveller:2300 Referee's Manual page 30
 

The real status

To get the population of 212 million in the year 2300AD, given on page 5 of the Colonial Atlas, requires an inital wave of colonization ( two heavy effort colonies -- the same starting wave that France and Bavaria also used on Tirane), followed by two more waves ( each one a median effort).

[ View graphic showing Growth of UK Colonies on Tirane ]

Given GDW's comments, clearly one heavy effort was Wellon, and the other was New Albion.

The first followup median wave, fully setup in 2202, would have been split equally between the two colonies ( as the last of the two heavy efforts' colonists had arrived in 2197 -- freeing up colonial transports for followup waves), as there is no reason for the UK to "play favorites" -- both are loyal colonies at this time.

The second followup median wave, fully setup in 2246, would have started in 2242.  This is the year after Wellon achieved "home rule".  It is logical to assume that all of this median wave was sent to New Albion, in order to reinforce its loyalty to the UK ( fresh loyalists from Earth).

In 2298, the population of the UK and its colonies is as follows:

                                Population in 2298
UK-Earth                        110,386,024

  2 on Tirane      196,118,368
  4 other colonies  44,411,111
Colonial                        240,529,479

While the British miners on Crater are definitely unhappy ( see Colonial Atlas p 24), they are not yet in open revolt.  None of the other three colonies ( on Joi, Beta Canum, and Beowulf) is disloyal either.

                                Population in 2298
Loyal Off-Earth ( = UK-Earth)   110,386,024
minus 4 loyal other colonies     44,411,111  Crater, Joi, BC and Beowulf
                                -----------
Loyal on Tirane                  65,974,913

Yet Tirane's population is      196,118,368

So only 33.64% is loyal.

To have the overlooked quote above come true in 2298 ( and not earlier) for the UK, then in 2277 when Wellon went independant, part of New Albion had to secede and join Wellon.

It requires just over 14 million people to secede from New Albion:  a third ( 1/3rd) of New Albion's original Heavy Effort and all of the third wave's ( the 2246) median effort to join Wellon in 2277.

Considering that most of these people live in the heart of New Albion ( the area where the 110 year old heavy effort was placed), and many of these families have spent generations improving their farms and businesses, they will not want to pack up their bags and leave.

The logical conclusion is that this large population shift requires a border shift/re-drawing ( Wellon gains part of what was previously New Albion's territory).
 

The Historical Twist

GDW clearly modeled the game on real-world history.

One thing that always puzzled me about the rpg, was that there seemed to be no game equivalent of Ireland's struggles for independence from the UK in the late 19th and early 20th century ( and the troubles that have lingered on).  Both editions of the boxed rules, and the Earth/Cyberpunk Sourcebook all list Ireland as an independant sovereign nation.

GDW clearly intended for the UK colonies on Tirane to be the game's "Irish Troubles", but with a twist.

In real life, Ireland gained its independence, but did not free all its land, leading to ongoing problems in North Ireland ( the IRA etc fighting the British).

In 2300AD, Wellon gains its independence of all its lands, plus takes a chunk of New Albion's too.  So the twist is that you will see the NALA ( New Albion Loyalist Army -- or some other catchy name) fighting against the Wellonese.

It is disappointing that GDW did not get the chance to follow this up in an adventure supplement.
 

Conclusion

This article resolves the status of the UK's colonies on Tirane, consistent with the facts, and clarifies all the problems, presented by GDW.  It also provides a new dimension for Tirane and the roleplaying game -- an ongoing revolt/struggle on a world where core-world technology dominates ( contrasting the frontier revolts described in the Colonial Atlas).