Anybody run Beltstrike yet or thinking of running it soon?

[Anonymous]

If so, can you help me with or just discuss for mutual benefit some clarifications/solutions to issues.
I don't want to just post a thread for spoiler reasons. I know for a fact at least one of the players has been seen lurking around these here rocks looking for gold......

 

[Loz]

You can always PM me. I should be able to answer most questions/clarifications.

 

[IanBruntlett]

Hi,

I'm currently running a very informal campaign, using scenarios from Signs & Portents as a way to learn things and get me and my players up to speed with Traveller. I've also playtested Prison Planet for a few sessions.

In a few more week's time I expect to be running a Beltstrike campaign. Unless something intervenes

I've ran AD&D games in the past, very different to running Traveller.

However, for my Traveller games I've prepared a little differently to put it mildly.

1) I have created a flow chart giving the overview of the scenario.
2) I have created flow charts detailing each sub plot with "tick" boxes so I can see at a glance how much of the scenario sub plots are left to run.

Where timing is important I've created the occasional chart - I did one for 1) Prison Planet's "Outbreak" section and 2) S&P's scenario "The Rescue" to track time as life support systems had been disabled and so the PCs were in a bit of a rush.

 

[Anonymous]

You can always PM me. I should be able to answer most questions/clarifications.

Thanks very much, I will do that

 

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I'm currently running a very informal campaign, using scenarios from Signs & Portents as a way to learn things and get me and my players up to speed with Traveller. I've also playtested Prison Planet for a few sessions.

In a few more week's time I expect to be running a Beltstrike campaign. Unless something intervenes

I've ran AD&D games in the past, very different to running Traveller.

However, for my Traveller games I've prepared a little differently to put it mildly.

1) I have created a flow chart giving the overview of the scenario.
2) I have created flow charts detailing each sub plot with "tick" boxes so I can see at a glance how much of the scenario sub plots are left to run.

Where timing is important I've created the occasional chart - I did one for 1) Prison Planet's "Outbreak" section and 2) S&P's scenario "The Rescue" to track time as life support systems had been disabled and so the PCs were in a bit of a rush.

Wow, good work.
Can you do one of those for the old marc miller scenarios too :wink:

(those were excellent but "organised" is not a word which would apply - e.g. . the stats for the ATV crew are in here somewhere, I've seen them, but I can't find them now....surely they will be next to he stats for the ATV...nope.....then they must be in the entry for the area where you are likey to encounter them.....nope....hmm, maybe with the stats for the other anatgonists.....nope etc)

 

[IanBruntlett]

hirch_duckfinder wrote:-

Wow, good work.
Can you do one of those for the old marc miller scenarios too

I forgot to mention... for scenarios I use a fluorescent yellow marker to highlight key parts of the scenario.

For the core rule book, to navigate quickly to a chapter right now I use 3M Post-It Index tabs, with the chapter name written on the tab.

I've also photocopied key tables and pasted them in the inside front cover of the core rule book - just something to keep going until Mongoose produce a GM screen.

 

[Loz]

You can always PM me. I should be able to answer most questions/clarifications.

Thanks very much, I will do that

BTW - long time traveller here and liking Beltstrike a lot - I recommend it!

Excellent!

 

[ScottyG]

I'm planning on running beltstrike as the opener for a traveller campaign (last played Trav back in the late 80's but the MT rules were just broken) I really like the look of the mongoose version. It feels like Traveller.

After a tiny moment of indecision I elected to use the OTU 3rd Imperium Spinward Marches, and set it in Bowman system (Five Sisters). I considered adjusting the adventure to suit the published Bowman stats, but I liked 'sonares' so am just rewriting Bowmans UPP (system stats) to suit. You just can't trust those Survey scouts to do their recording properly can you? In game I'll either try to keep calling Sonares Bowman, or more likely the Scout Bowman who messed up the survey back in the 600's (or whenever) got scared by the asteroid belts, totally missed the ( non spacefaring) Sonares main world and named the place after himself. Obviously the locals get annoyed at outlanders insisting on calling the system Bowman.

 

[Loz]

Note that the asteroid belt is called the Schaeffer Belt in the campaign - a direct nod to Larry Niven's Beowulf Schaeffer.

 

[Corvus]

Hello, I'm a long-time Traveller player who decided to introduce my teenage nephew and friends to Traveller by running the MGT Beltstrike adventure. I have the original Traveller Adventure but, after reading through Beltstrike, feel it's a better adventure for starting players.

I originally planned to use my old MT house rules but, after reading the Mongoose Traveller rules, decided to use them directly. I think Mongoose did a great job updating the original Little Black Book rules.

The first session I gave them background info and helped them generate characters. Let me know if you're interested in any events or feedback from the campaign.

 

[IanBruntlett]

The first session I gave them background info and helped them generate characters. Let me know if you're interested in any events or feedback from the campaign.

I ran Prison Planet first. I'm in the final stages of running Beltstrike. I found that players have the knack of doing the unexpected.

I found Prison Planet to be a good scenario, especially for beginner GMs (like me ) as it doesn't use all of the core rules in one go.

 

[drbuzzard]

I ran a portion of Belt Strike for my group. It was just the first part where they go to the mining platform. The rest of it wouldn't have been appropriate for how the campaign generally runs. The part I used was fine though.

 

[Corvus]

I just discovered the map of the Sonares system in S&P 68. This would have been handy to put on the Beltstrike product page. The map has low resolution; the pixels are so large it's nearly unreadable, even laser printed. I also do not like printing out pictures with large black areas, you should print diagrams black on white.

It would have been helpful to include notes on generating characters for the adventure; things like homeworlds, trade codes, skills, life events, and benefits available. For example, I specified their homeworlds and did not allow non-humans, augments, FTL craft, energy weapons, robots, ship benefits or shares, psionics, or anything specific to the Imperium.

I think these restrictions are a benefit for new players; there is a lot for new players to learn and they get a much better handle on how the game works by reducing the decisions they have to make. It also avoids situations where the players have no knowledge of a rule but have to play characters who are supposed to know all about it.

 

[Anonymous]

I actually ended up finding too many problems with it to run it and have ended up with a bit of a "fingers burned" feeling.

 

[Corvus]

I found a few problems, but certainly nothing that would leave me feeling "burned" by the adventure. What didn't you like?

 

[Anonymous]

I found a few problems, but certainly nothing that would leave me feeling "burned" by the adventure. What didn't you like?

Well I don't want to go into it too much here in case I spoil it for somebody else who may like it, I'll shoot you a PM if you are interested. Basically, there was a lack of logic in the layout particularly with reference to areas of vacuum, access from various areas etc (which would have required a total redesign of the deckplans) and I couldn't see how to make an interesting adventure from the situation without certain parties behaving in a completely illogical way (akin to an old school D+D "zoo" dungeon where baddies wait in their rooms irrespective of anything else going on...). The thing about traveller is that it has logic and players expect a consistent situation so they can (try to) work out what is going on.

EDIT- I really don't want to come over as one of those grizzled old travellers from the TML who criticise everything new. In general I like Mongoose Traveller a lot. However, I bought into this book with very positive intentions and really tried to make it work.

 

[Corvus]

... in case I spoil it for somebody else.

I agree with not posting spoilers in case players read the forum. Please send me a PM with your thoughts. I am running new players through Beltstrike this weekend and would appreciate any suggestions.

... which would have required a total redesign of the deckplans.

I hear you; Traveller deck plans have often been a joke; corridors and areas with no purpose or access, volumes off by a factor of 2 or more, hatches in the middle of corridor floors, no storage, no bathrooms, equipment not included in the design. You have to treat the plans as schematics for the layout, you can't take them literally.

That said, the Beltstrike plans are really better than most. I do not use miniatures, so the exact layout is less important to me.

The thing about Traveller is that it has logic and players expect a consistent situation so they can (try to) work out what is going on.

Agreement factor 100% My campaigns are more investigation- than combat-driven, and I intend to continue this with Beltstrike. There is an optional encounter near the start and another encounter near the end of the adventure I find very implausible, and I plan to skip the first and change the second.

However, I thought the adventure was well-written. It has a single theme, like a book, with a definite beginning, middle, end, and a goal. If the adventurers succeed, they will have brought the mining platform on-line. This is very rare in RPG adventures; so many adventures consist of killing a series of unrelated adversaries and stealing their valuables. Beltstrike allows the players to create something new.

 

[Anonymous]

pm sent

 

[Totbung]

I should get my players into Beltstrike adventure soon. I would appreciate to share discussion about it, 'cause I'm beginner in GM of Traveler.

I think I should adapt the adventure, as my players have already characters, but would it be possible to adapt this adventure to these characters ? In fact, on of them is an aslan, and their ship is able to jump. What do you think ?

I'm planning to prepare a scenario to bring them there.

However, I have just received Prison Planet, so I do not know what adventure would be better to begin with. What do you think ?

Thank you all in advance for your help.

 

[IanBruntlett]

However, I have just received Prison Planet, so I do not know what adventure would be better to begin with. What do you think ?

Well... as an accident of fate, I ended up running Prison Planet first and Belt strike last.

If you're a beginning GM then I would recommend you run Prison Planet first and Belt Strike second. This is because Prison Planet is easier to run - it requires knowledge of fewer core rules compared to Belt Strike.