Right, I probably should have mentioned this in the article. I personally started meaningfully playing D&D with 3.0 (I played 2e with a babysitter, but only dimly remember it). As a result, I can’t speak to pre-3.0 D&D with any authority, so when I say “D&D” I’m usually referring to 3.0e/3.5e/D20 modern/Pathfinder/5e. I largely gave 4e a pass; it wasn’t really “for me”.

From 3.0 on, striving (and often failing to achieve) balance in one way or another (between each party member, between party members and monsters, between choices of feats and weapons) has always been a major part of the game’s design. So for me, Traveller is really my first foray into an RPG that doesn’t even pay lip-service to balance. Frankly, it’s deeply refreshing. As you point out, it certainly isn’t a new idea overall, but it’s a new idea to me.

I hope you don’t mind me posting this publicly; I can take it down if you want. I think it’s a valuable tidbit of conversation that adds meaningfully to my posts on Traveller.