Ask MongooseMatt ANYTHING!!!

[Terry Mixon]

Okay, not really anything, but when we post questions about the rules or potential typos in the feedback area, we often don't receive a response, so I'm creating this thread in the hopes of getting some response to questions we have, even if it is "we're looking at that" or some such.

I'll kick this off with a question I posted a few days ago. The emergency low berths in High Guard 2022 Update are listed at MC1 a pop. Seems real pricy since Mongoose 1e and all the previous versions of Traveller we checked had it being KCr100. In Mongoose 1e, it was listed as MCr.1 and we suspect a typo. Can we get some clartity on that so we can update the starship build sheet to reflect what we suspect if we're right? Thanks.

Also, allow me to suggest that adding KCr, BCr (or GCr to please @Geir), and TCr to your repertoire would be really helpful and would minimize the complaints about not having comma separation in your big numbers, too.

And sorry for all the wild AMA questions you're about to get @MongooseMatt.

 

[Vormaerin]

A game exists to help my group play out stories. Games that I like, such as Traveller and Ars Magica, have much more stuff that I find helpful than stuff that I don't find helpful. Things that I don't find helpful get jettisoned.

If a game has too high a percentage of unhelpful things, the game gets jettisoned. Maybe I'll steal the nice things for use in a better game.

There's no point where I'm playing a TTRPG where the opinion of the rulebook outweighs the opinion of my group. Obviously, we communicate with each other so I'm not doing things out of the blue. "Hey, in this campaign I'm doing this other thing for Hermetic Libraries instead of the core rules and here's why".

Sometimes there are great games that have rules that are not really very good but the parts that are good are REALLY GREAT and we have lots of fun playing them (looking at you, Tenra Bansho Zero). Sometimes the concept is good but the rules are just awful (Degenesis) and we aren't able to have fun despite thinking it's cool.

One thing I can say is that not one of the hundreds of RPGs I own has been flawless or done exactly what I wanted at every stage. Though some of the very high flavor, rules light games have come pretty close as long as what you want to do is the specific thing they are designed to do. And, obviously, I don't always want to do that specific thing every game

 

[MongooseMatt]

It looks like the release schedule has been updated, which is always an intriguing moment. I was happy to see some new titles on the list. I noticed that Brushfires is listed twice. Is Brushfires a two-part release?

That was my bad, now corrected!

 

[MongooseMatt]

Hey Matt,

Have you folks thought about sending a copy of the updated Traveller Core Rules to some of the more famous Game Masters out there?

Conversations are indeed being had!

 

[Sigtrygg]

A game exists to help my group play out stories. Games that I like, such as Traveller and Ars Magica, have much more stuff that I find helpful than stuff that I don't find helpful. Things that I don't find helpful get jettisoned.

If a game has too high a percentage of unhelpful things, the game gets jettisoned. Maybe I'll steal the nice things for use in a better game.

There's no point where I'm playing a TTRPG where the opinion of the rulebook outweighs the opinion of my group. Obviously, we communicate with each other so I'm not doing things out of the blue. "Hey, in this campaign I'm doing this other thing for Hermetic Libraries instead of the core rules and here's why".

Sometimes there are great games that have rules that are not really very good but the parts that are good are REALLY GREAT and we have lots of fun playing them (looking at you, Tenra Bansho Zero). Sometimes the concept is good but the rules are just awful (Degenesis) and we aren't able to have fun despite thinking it's cool.

One thing I can say is that not one of the hundreds of RPGs I own has been flawless or done exactly what I wanted at every stage. Though some of the very high flavor, rules light games have come pretty close as long as what you want to do is the specific thing they are designed to do. And, obviously, I don't always want to do that specific thing every game

BRP is the game system I have house ruled the least...

 

[Michael S]

Hello Matt, Thank you for green LIghting Pioneer - I had posted this question there but you may have missed it -
Mongoose Matt, if the Pioneer Kickstarter is successful might there be any plans to engage with 2nd Dynasty as part of the Traveller license to create some Pioneer vessels similar to the Small Craft campaign a couple of years ago?
A Capsule with it's Service Module, A Space plane, a couple of Space station modules? Asking for a friend, that has an order ready?

 

[MongooseMatt]

if the Pioneer Kickstarter is successful might there be any plans to engage with 2nd Dynasty as part of the Traveller license to create some Pioneer vessels similar to the Small Craft campaign a couple of years ago?

Always possible!

 

[To Tha Moon!]

Conversations are indeed being had!

Excellent news!

 

[MasterGwydion]

@MongooseMatt

Am I crazy or is this only purchasable in hard copy? Ideally, I only want a PDF.

1248 Sourcebook 1: Out of the Darkness eBook

This book is an introduction to the New Era setting for the Traveller TTRPG or any other science-fiction game system. In PDF/eBook format.

www.mongoosepublishing.com

 

[MongooseMatt]

Am I crazy or is this only purchasable in hard copy? Ideally, I only want a PDF.

1248 Sourcebook 1: Out of the Darkness eBook

This book is an introduction to the New Era setting for the Traveller TTRPG or any other science-fiction game system. In PDF/eBook format.

www.mongoosepublishing.com

No, that is for the PDF (ebook in the title).

 

[MasterGwydion]

No, that is for the PDF (ebook in the title).

I got confused since it mentioned shipping. Thank you for clearing that up.

 

[ross]

are mongoose going to be attending any conventions in the United States in 2026?

 

[MongooseMatt]

are mongoose going to be attending any conventions in the United States in 2026?

Unfortunately that is a bit difficult at the moment, and that is a shame because we really want to. We will have representation at shows (if you see Studio 2 at one, you will find our games) and we are talking to another group about game support.

 

[ross]

Unfortunately that is a bit difficult at the moment, and that is a shame because we really want to.

I’d fly to the UK but unfortunately with my record they would refuse me entry.

 

[CordwainerFish]

I’d fly to the UK but unfortunately with my record they would refuse me entry.

Cut the tag off a mattress, huh?

 

[Condottiere]

 

[Arkathan]

Cut the tag off a mattress, huh?

Could have been the bacon endorsement, too.

 

[DigrizJB]

A game exists to help my group play out stories. Games that I like, such as Traveller and Ars Magica, have much more stuff that I find helpful than stuff that I don't find helpful. Things that I don't find helpful get jettisoned.

I think you've touched on one of the underlying issues here, which is that Traveller is a roleplaying game with a bunch of mini (now macro) games housed in the same game. A lot of this thread has been about the "purity" of the ship building rules, which don't add or subtract much from the actual roleplaying "core" of the game. But damn are they fun since 1980 when 5k tons was the max hull size.

I love designing starships and squeezing every last Dton into a hull. Does it impact our role playing? Nope. I didn't actually map the FIB linkage from the Bridge to Engineering so maybe you accidentally randomly sever it (I make a Roll) or if you're intentionally looking to sever it? You make a roll.

Grognards will grouse because we like rules, Players will play because we like to play. Vive' la Mongoose.

@Arkathan Many thanks for making my favorite Mini/Macro game into a spreadsheet.