New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: Traveller

  1. - Top - End - #1
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    HalflingRogueGuy

    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Maryland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Traveller

    Does anyone play Traveller? I'm a fan of the new Mongoose version but I also have copies of most of the other rule systems and collect the supplements for the other versions. I particularly like the GURPS Traveller version I think that those books have a lot of useful material in them even if you don't play GURPS.
    "There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom" G'Kar - Babylon 5

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Chimera

    Join Date
    Dec 2015

    Default Re: Traveller

    Lots of people do, although it really seems like the diehards stick to the official site for forum activities.

    I have no active campaigns, but I've played LBB (w/ and w/o the added supplements), Megatraveller, GURPS Traveller, T20, Mongoose v1, and tried T5.0.

    GURPS Traveller is a pretty good fit--GURPS Sci Fi and Space conventions were already established as Traveller-esque (the various weapons and armor match up with Traveller equivalents, etc.). Which makes sense, since there was a lot of fan and writer overlap in the early/mid-80s. The big thing I dislike about the GURPS version is that it misses out on the character creation career rolling, which, although it violates some peoples' opinion on inter-PC balance, is a heck of a lot of fun.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Troll in the Playground
     
    OrcBarbarianGuy

    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Default Re: Traveller

    I suppose you could make up a character using classic traveller’s character generation method and then try to build as similar as possible to the resulting character on the GURPS system.

    Light the lamp not the rat LIGHT THE LAMP NOT THE RAT!!!

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Telok's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    61.2° N, 149.9° W
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Traveller

    I ran about a 9 month game of modified original Traveller. Went pretty well until the players decided to attack an Imperial customs agent and troops during a contraband inspection in orbit. They were in a 300 tonne trader, one laser. There were two 600 tonne Imp.Couriers, bigger lasers and missiles.

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Troll in the Playground
     
    Lacco's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Slovakia
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Traveller

    I love the idea of Traveller - scouting unknown planets, trading, making a living in space, dealing with irritating passengers while fighting off pirates and repairing leaking systems in 0g.

    I love the idea of having a ship that I need to know the layout of, an old piece of junk that floats because a dedicated mechanic does miracles with it, with few secrets to discover while doing a jump. Being a big fan of Cowboy Bebop, I would love that.

    But I can't run it. I dunno why. I get stuck.

    I got myself Mongoose Traveller, but also Mark Miller's original rules and the huge 800 pages long monstrosity

    I would love to play in Traveller game. I sometimes get frustrated with the rules, but other than that... I love the idea. But can't get a game running.
    Call me Laco or Ladislav (if you need to be formal). Avatar comes from the talented linklele.
    Formerly GMing: Riddle of Steel: Soldiers of Fortune

    Quote Originally Posted by Kol Korran View Post
    Instead of having an adventure, from which a cool unexpected story may rise, you had a story, with an adventure built and designed to enable the story, but also ensure (or close to ensure) it happens.

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Chimera

    Join Date
    Dec 2015

    Default Re: Traveller

    Quote Originally Posted by lacco36 View Post
    I love the idea of Traveller - scouting unknown planets, trading, making a living in space, dealing with irritating passengers while fighting off pirates and repairing leaking systems in 0g.

    I love the idea of having a ship that I need to know the layout of, an old piece of junk that floats because a dedicated mechanic does miracles with it, with few secrets to discover while doing a jump. Being a big fan of Cowboy Bebop, I would love that.

    But I can't run it. I dunno why. I get stuck.

    I got myself Mongoose Traveller, but also Mark Miller's original rules and the huge 800 pages long monstrosity

    I would love to play in Traveller game. I sometimes get frustrated with the rules, but other than that... I love the idea. But can't get a game running.
    Do you think it is just the crunch? I mean, like most early TTPRGs with a resource management game, I can run into situations of 'we didn't track encumbrance to the last half pound because you didn't make it interesting in the first place!' situations. If that's the issue, perhaps running the thing Savage Worlds, Fate, Serenity, Firefly (I think there's one of each), Stars Without Number, GURPS, or something else would be a better fit.

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Troll in the Playground
     
    Lacco's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Slovakia
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Traveller

    Quote Originally Posted by Willie the Duck View Post
    Do you think it is just the crunch? I mean, like most early TTPRGs with a resource management game, I can run into situations of 'we didn't track encumbrance to the last half pound because you didn't make it interesting in the first place!' situations. If that's the issue, perhaps running the thing Savage Worlds, Fate, Serenity, Firefly (I think there's one of each), Stars Without Number, GURPS, or something else would be a better fit.
    I don't think so. Normally I run Riddle of Steel, so I'm quite crunch-positive. It's more about the expectations from players vs. GM. And my expectations are... well, strange at least.

    Spoiler: TLDR: Level of detail = hard to manage
    Show
    If you are familiar with Objects in Space, that's the level of detail I'd like to go for - but even more sandbox/slice of life. I'm all for adventure & excitement, but I want to enjoy also the "normal day" in PC life. Because if it's all adventure all the time, then my flow gets broken.

    Let's assume a game tailored to my specific tastes with group and GM that play along. First session? We stroll around starport, searching for last crewmembers that we miss (e.g. mechanic). We look up few resumes, check and select one. We also buy supplies, manage refueling, passengers and paperwork. Bribe some guys to get us into front of launch list. I want my first takeoff to be... not just a roll.

    First jump? Check. Passengers that cause trouble? Sic' the steward on them. New mechanic tries to kidnap ship? Oooh, shootout! Pirate fight near unknown planet? Perfect. Exploration & troubleshooting? Great.

    But I also want to close down part of ship to avoid pressure loss, replace components, risk running out of food/air/fuel and having to find other options. Solving ancient puzzles is fun, but so is solving best track to nearest refueling depot for me.

    And while I find that fun, not everybody does. Yeah, I'm the guy who wants to play a starship pilot/mechanic that not only fixes the laser turret, but also finds a second-hand part that makes it 10% more efficient

    And I know this can be managed - all of it - under almost any named system. It's more about the player expectations and GM creativity - not everybody finds my kind of fun... well, fun.
    Call me Laco or Ladislav (if you need to be formal). Avatar comes from the talented linklele.
    Formerly GMing: Riddle of Steel: Soldiers of Fortune

    Quote Originally Posted by Kol Korran View Post
    Instead of having an adventure, from which a cool unexpected story may rise, you had a story, with an adventure built and designed to enable the story, but also ensure (or close to ensure) it happens.

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    HalflingRogueGuy

    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Maryland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Traveller

    Quote Originally Posted by Particle_Man View Post
    I suppose you could make up a character using classic traveller’s character generation method and then try to build as similar as possible to the resulting character on the GURPS system.
    Yeah it's easy to convert an system to GURPS and there's conversion rules for CT in the GT main book.


    Quote Originally Posted by lacco36 View Post
    I got myself Mongoose Traveller, but also Mark Miller's original rules and the huge 800 pages long monstrosity

    Yeah I have copies of most of the other editions of Traveller but stayed away from T5. I looked at some of the charts and wondered WHAT is this for?

    Some one on the CotI boards said that Marc Miller doesn't really use ALL the rules to run T5. So why doesn't he just publish a parred down version? I mentioned there that the main books for T5 shouldn't be bigger than the Pathfinder Core book or the D&D 5e handbook. NOT 800 pages...

    I liked T4 back in the day when it was the only published edition around and it looks similar to T4.
    "There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom" G'Kar - Babylon 5

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Chimera

    Join Date
    Dec 2015

    Default Re: Traveller

    Quote Originally Posted by qstor View Post
    Yeah I have copies of most of the other editions of Traveller but stayed away from T5. I looked at some of the charts and wondered WHAT is this for?

    Some one on the CotI boards said that Marc Miller doesn't really use ALL the rules to run T5. So why doesn't he just publish a parred down version? I mentioned there that the main books for T5 shouldn't be bigger than the Pathfinder Core book or the D&D 5e handbook. NOT 800 pages...
    T5 has been advertised since the beginning as being supposed to be a toolkit game system where people take the pieces they want and use them in their game. Much in the same way that GURPS has pretty much said, 'we don't expect you to use all of this.'

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    HalflingRogueGuy

    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Maryland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Traveller

    Quote Originally Posted by Willie the Duck View Post
    T5 has been advertised since the beginning as being supposed to be a toolkit game system where people take the pieces they want and use them in their game. Much in the same way that GURPS has pretty much said, 'we don't expect you to use all of this.'
    Hmmm...I wasn't aware of that. Well if Marc Miller does a T5 book the size of the CT Traveller hardback or the 5e PHB then I'm sold.
    "There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom" G'Kar - Babylon 5

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Laserlight's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Virginia Beach VA
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Traveller

    I played Black Book edition back in the early 80s. Still have the book, plus some stuff like Striker, and a squadron-level starship combat supplement, and Trillion Credit Squadron. Haven't actually played it since the 80s, but then again I have shelves of games that I'm probably never going to get to play.

    My understanding is that Marc Miller is kickstarting a new edition now or in the near future.
    Junior, half orc paladin of the Order of St Dale the Intimidator: "Ah cain't abide no murderin' scoundrel."

    Tactical Precepts: 1) Cause chaos, then exploit it; 2) No plan survives contact with...(sigh)...my subordinates.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •