Suppose... just suppose... we were to do a version of Traveller set in a historical time period.
What periods would you like us to visit - and why?
What periods would you like us to visit - and why?
Traveller in Historical Settings Poll
- Thread starter MongooseMatt
- Start date
TrippyHippy
Emperor Mongoose
Pirates, for fairly obvious reasons I guess.
Thing is, Traveller could actually be used as a universal system - every new planet they visit could be a facsimile for a different historical setting - but you really want an opportunity to have characters owning or operating some sort of vessel to get the most of the experience. You don’t get to design ships as a cowboy. Vikings perhaps....
Thing is, Traveller could actually be used as a universal system - every new planet they visit could be a facsimile for a different historical setting - but you really want an opportunity to have characters owning or operating some sort of vessel to get the most of the experience. You don’t get to design ships as a cowboy. Vikings perhaps....
SteveG
Mongoose
Ancient Rome and/or Ancient Greece. How would a small crew from a crashed ship deal with Roman Legions at the height of power of the roman empire. Or, what would they do in Ancient Greece meeting the Athenians and the Spartans and getting caught up in a war with the Persian Empire!?
middenface
Cosmic Mongoose
Rule one. Don't do the settings that have been done to death.
I'd vote for Napoleonic - the full land and sea war. I can only think of one RPG set in that period (if you don't count GURPS)
Alternate History ?
I'd vote for Napoleonic - the full land and sea war. I can only think of one RPG set in that period (if you don't count GURPS)
Alternate History ?
Tim J osborne
Mongoose
I vote Pirates in the Time of sail & napoleonic (sharpe) both sit nicely together in the same time frames, and sit nicely with the way traveller fits together as a game.
But won’t they clash a little with the pirate game range you have going already??
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
The Traveller game mechanisms feel dry, which appears to work for science fiction, possibly for a modernish setting.
The problem being, no one is that keen in living in the present.
I suspect that you want to avoid a totally fantasy setting, hence the historical aspect, and apparently with a military tinge.
I don't know what would take off, as these seem a little fringe; science fiction and fantasy seem to have an enduring interest.
If I had to guess, steampunk, which would be far enough away to make fun of the society, and close enough to allow the creation of weird science.
The problem being, no one is that keen in living in the present.
I suspect that you want to avoid a totally fantasy setting, hence the historical aspect, and apparently with a military tinge.
I don't know what would take off, as these seem a little fringe; science fiction and fantasy seem to have an enduring interest.
If I had to guess, steampunk, which would be far enough away to make fun of the society, and close enough to allow the creation of weird science.
Napoleonic I'd guess as that would offer a lot of scope for expansion and a few alternative histories if you advanced it a few years. There's enough weaponry around to keep the militarists happy, plenty of exploration available, expansion of the British Empire following the loss of the American colonies and by the end of Napoleon in 1815 you're starting to see the early Industrial Revolution.
Give it a few years and you've steam trains along with Mr Babbage's engine, so some steampunk potential as well.
Give it a few years and you've steam trains along with Mr Babbage's engine, so some steampunk potential as well.
A long, long while back (in 2007), someone posted this excellent image (unfortunately, a mock-up) on the interwebs, for a fantasy (Conan-esque?) take on Traveller:
This poll reminded me of that. Source (as far as I have been able to find) is this:
https://dirk.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/dsc01828.jpg
This poll reminded me of that. Source (as far as I have been able to find) is this:
https://dirk.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/dsc01828.jpg
Numbers0to1
Mongoose
Seems like a dead-end for reasons others have noted. Most of the ideas in the list have been done, so to deliver a game worth playing you'd have to reframe it to make interesting.
It might be interesting to do "Dawn Of Man" or something around early migratory patterns and early cities and trade. Another might take Adrian Tchaikovsky's premise that species other than humans are in competition to become sophonts and how that goes . . . maybe these ideas are combined . . .
It might be interesting to do "Dawn Of Man" or something around early migratory patterns and early cities and trade. Another might take Adrian Tchaikovsky's premise that species other than humans are in competition to become sophonts and how that goes . . . maybe these ideas are combined . . .
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Now that I think of it, you have a perfect sandbox to try out these concepts within the Third Imperium setting itself, by having cut off worlds, slowly reindustrializing.
Which allows you to play test them.
Which allows you to play test them.
IanBruntlett
Emperor Mongoose
Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade - presumably with Psionics for the Magic.
daveofthedead
Mongoose
Victorian Gaslight era - it's a great setting in Call of Cthulhu, I run that a lot.
TrippyHippy
Emperor Mongoose
Yes, something like the Argonauts would work for me.
