2300AD the latest version - do I really need this?

[briansommers]

I know you all want to sell me the new version of 2300AD and I get that BUT

If I'm only wanting to use Traveller for exploration - discovering new worlds, aliens and all the strange bits that go with it, do I really need the new 2300AD?

I'll be honest in the fact that there are two things I'm interested in that 2300AD would fit.

1. the xyz coord. system for planets. I don't really need 2300AD for that I can come up with my own xyz system.
2. I like a setting where were we haven't gone that far away from earth into its surrounding stars - I think 2300AD would nail this, correct?

I should also add that I'm very interested in getting the marine addon for this as well as it has rules for space stations and different ways to get out of the planet.
Could you go into that a bit more to give me a little flavor as to what that all entails?
Are there rules to run and operate a space station?


Does the new 2300AD allow:
1. easy exploration of beyond it's initial star map?
2. world building? Or do I just use the Traveller and companion rules for that?

 

[RandomNumber]

Hi Brian,

I don't know if this will help but here's my take.

I came at this from the other direction. I played Traveller a little back in the 80's. I bought GDW's Traveller 200 and 2300 AD and both played in and ran longish campaigns. So the only reason I bought mongoose Traveller was to have the rule-set to support Mongoose 2300AD.

There's nothing in 2300AD for world-building as there was in 2300AD. It might be planned, not sure. You would have to use Traveller for that. To travel beyond settled space you would need to know x-y-z co-ords of other systems, which are not provided as they were in GDW 2300AD. What the latest version has that the GDW versions didn't is more detail on operating a spaceship, more equipment and vehicles and surface maps of all the colony worlds.

Essentially, what 2300 AD gives you is an alternate setting for Mongoose's very accessible 2nd edition Traveller rules. If you want something that is more Outland/Alien(s) than Foundation/Star Wars i.e. near future rather than far future then 2300AD is definitely worth a look. I would have liked a bit more background and less vehicles but that's a matter of personal taste. More kit for characters trumps more background for GM's every time. There's no intro scenario which seems like an obvious miss. I have the original 2300AD books and their material seems compatible.

Hope this helps,