Central Supply Catalogue -- Thoughts and reviews?
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dreamingbadger
Mongoose
well not on fully auto anyway, no I didn't but add a 0 to the mag and the cost of the mag and everything works out 
alex_greene
Guest
Which is why they don't stick FGMPs onto grav-propelled drones with computers programmed for Intellect, Flyer and Heavy Weapons skill ...Rex said:
I bought this and pretty much put it away until Fridays game.
Read much of it today. I *really* like the new combat gear and options, with a few exceptions.
Some stuff came immediately in handy in Friday's game. I was running Chimera (a T20/mileu 993 adventure set on a water world), and the underwater add-ons for suits, etc., were right there.
So it does seem to have at least some non-combat utility.
Read much of it today. I *really* like the new combat gear and options, with a few exceptions.
Some stuff came immediately in handy in Friday's game. I was running Chimera (a T20/mileu 993 adventure set on a water world), and the underwater add-ons for suits, etc., were right there.
So it does seem to have at least some non-combat utility.
MrUkpyr said:
"Real Soon Now" (maybe before Xmas) the Dark Star: Audace ad Gloriam ("Boldly to Glory") Catalog suitable for use with Traveller (but not claiming compatability ... though it is) ... certainly PDF, possibly Print on Demand (depends on how things pan out with changes at RPGNow for the latter, though it may be avalable through CreateSpace/Amazon or (less likely because of reliability and rip off cost problems) with Lulu ...
DS: AaG is primarily exploration and survival equipment, though there are some survival oriented weapons (the far future version of the AR-7 or similar), including power sources (Batteries through portable gennies), some survival oriented transport, Modular Bases (based on the assumption that Interstellar shipping will mostly use 20' and 40' containers, as is the case here and now ... Traveller, being pre-Container, largely, assumes Breakbulk shipping mostly, which is simply silly (yes, I know there's at least one canonical exception, which merely proves my point)) ... Ship's Locker Gambit (von Neumann Machines/3d printers) ... possibly utility vehicles (economically sensible replacements for the economically ludicrous air raft, assuming it remains economically ludicrous in the forthcoming Vehicle books
) ...Certainly in excess of 148 pages, and likely closer to 200 (if not more), depending on time constraints and other factors.
That will be followed, equally "real soon now" with Books on Military and Paramilitary Equipment, and, probably, Consumer Goods ... and who knows what else.
Note: If you've read my posts over the years on the (old) TML and even on these forums, you'll know I am scathing about the 1950's limit on Traveller tech which really hasn't been broken, not entirely, even in Mongoose products ... a constraint not to break unbreakable "canon"? Or simply a lack of imagination ... well DS:AaG looks (I believe) forward from the oughties, at where tech seems to be reasonably going here and now (and where here and now SF has us going). That said, I don't provide Traveller TL ratings for anything ... the closest I get is relative TL ratings for a few items ... so you, the potential buyer, can rate these items as obsolete/obsolescent through everyday consumer to cutting edge (even bleeding edge) and beyond, through to post TL15 superscience, all as you see fit. Not prescriptive at all (although I'd personally make them all, except for those rated with relative TLs, available at or around Average Interstellar through to TL15 in Traveller terms ... but that's just me 8) )
These books may, I hope, assuage the need for things other than weapons
Phil
Here's another possible errata:
In CSC, the various combat armors have no required skill. This is true in the print version of TMB that I have, however, in the errata to the TMB (The Player's Guide or whatever its called), combat armor requires Vacc Suit 0.
I'm 99% sure that's a mistake, and no matter what, any games I run will require Vacc Suit 0 (if not Vacc Suit 1) to use Combat Armor, but I thought I'd bring it up to verify.
In CSC, the various combat armors have no required skill. This is true in the print version of TMB that I have, however, in the errata to the TMB (The Player's Guide or whatever its called), combat armor requires Vacc Suit 0.
I'm 99% sure that's a mistake, and no matter what, any games I run will require Vacc Suit 0 (if not Vacc Suit 1) to use Combat Armor, but I thought I'd bring it up to verify.
AndrewW said:aspqrz said:possibly utility vehicles (economically sensible replacements for the economically ludicrous air raft, assuming it remains economically ludicrous in the forthcoming Vehicle books
Well, the air / raft does change some in Civilian Vehicles.
But does it become economically viable for the oh so typical hand to mouth Free Trader owner/crew?
I mean, at 275,000 Cr (US$675000 at 1 Cr = US$2.50, which seems to be generally accepted) in the TMB it's 55 months salary (per Starship Ops in the TMB) for a Pilot ... that's 55 months of his whole salary, mind.
For an "ordinary person" (the equivalent of a Steward, Gunner, or Marine), per the TMB Starship Ops, its 137 1/2 months salary.
Your typical(ish) Jeep Wrangler costs between US$20k and US$30k. Current US average weekly earnings (assuming a 40 hour week) are ~ US$3000-4000 [on a 4 weekly (Imperial Month) basis] or so, which means that it costs 5-10 weeks salary here and now.
Just who in the name of the Great God Ghu ... if they're a struggling free trader ... hey, no matter who in the hell they are ... is going to buy an Air Raft when its worth between 5 and 12 years wages?
Sweet FA, excuse my French.
They might buy a second hand one, but even then, it's way to hell and gone beyond their means.
So, either the civilian models cost perhaps 5-10% of what the iridium plated military and exploration models listed in the TMB do, wages for real people (i.e. non Free Trader crew living hand to mouth) are maybe ten times higher than those listed in the TMB, or they make no economic sense for anyone who isn't being provided with one at no cost to themselves by their employer or patron.
They'll be using (and carrying) the equivalent of a Jeep or Humvee, or, more likely, something more like an uprated Golf Buggy if space is at a premium (as it should be for self-employed Free Traders) ...
Air Rafts are one of the long, long, long list of things that make no sense at all in Traveller based on the canonical way they have been used in a whole variety of source material :shock:
Phil
aspqrz said:AndrewW said:aspqrz said:possibly utility vehicles (economically sensible replacements for the economically ludicrous air raft, assuming it remains economically ludicrous in the forthcoming Vehicle books
Well, the air / raft does change some in Civilian Vehicles.
But does it become economically viable for the oh so typical hand to mouth Free Trader owner/crew?
I mean, at 275,000 Cr (US$675000 at 1 Cr = US$2.50, which seems to be generally accepted) in the TMB it's 55 months salary (per Starship Ops in the TMB) for a Pilot ... that's 55 months of his whole salary, mind.
For an "ordinary person" (the equivalent of a Steward, Gunner, or Marine), per the TMB Starship Ops, its 137 1/2 months salary.
Your typical(ish) Jeep Wrangler costs between US$20k and US$30k. Current US average weekly earnings (assuming a 40 hour week) are ~ US$3000-4000 [on a 4 weekly (Imperial Month) basis] or so, which means that it costs 5-10 weeks salary here and now.
Just who in the name of the Great God Ghu ... if they're a struggling free trader ... hey, no matter who in the hell they are ... is going to buy an Air Raft when its worth between 5 and 12 years wages?
Sweet FA, excuse my French.
They might buy a second hand one, but even then, it's way to hell and gone beyond their means.
So, either the civilian models cost perhaps 5-10% of what the iridium plated military and exploration models listed in the TMB do, wages for real people (i.e. non Free Trader crew living hand to mouth) are maybe ten times higher than those listed in the TMB, or they make no economic sense for anyone who isn't being provided with one at no cost to themselves by their employer or patron.
They'll be using (and carrying) the equivalent of a Jeep or Humvee, or, more likely, something more like an uprated Golf Buggy if space is at a premium (as it should be for self-employed Free Traders) ...
Air Rafts are one of the long, long, long list of things that make no sense at all in Traveller based on the canonical way they have been used in a whole variety of source material :shock:
Phil
Well, it took a movie before the Crew of the Serenity got a grav vehicle. I get a lot of uses out of Air Rafts actually. *Fires up the Johnny Quest music* ......
Besides when you know how much they cost, you don't feel that sting when you roll one up as a mustering out benefit. That other guy may have gotten a star ship but you at least don't have to WALK when you get to a port.
~Rex
justacaveman
Mongoose
Did anyone ever come up with the stats for the 8mm Gauss sniper rifle on page 82 of the CSC?
justacaveman
Mongoose
On page 81 of the CSC it shows the Gauss Rifle as including a single-shot RAM grenade launcher that takes 2 full rounds to reload.
WTH????
It only takes 1 full round to reload a BLACKPOWDER RIFLE (3 minor actions) !!!! This seems to be somewhat excessive. I'm quite familiar with the M203 grenade launcher, and I can reload one in about the same amount of time that it takes to change magazines on the rifle part.
On the whole, I love the CSC. Mongoose has done an excellent job with all their books (I've played every version of Traveller that's come out), with less mistakes and confusing rules than "any" previous incarnation. I do wish for more official errata, but they are certainly more prompt with that than the makers of the Serenity RPG (still waiting for official errata 4 years later). Mongoose has managed to capture the feel of the LBBs with a more updated format (an index, I love indexes). While some things in the books are not OTU, I always brought in a few outside influences to MTU. A GM has to be able to pick and choose, or the Power Gamers will walk all over him/her. In MTU I don't allow starting characters to come into play with equipment with a higher TL than TL12 (unless you get multiple rolls of the same equipment). You can trade-in extra rolls of the same type of equipment for a higher TL version.
WTH????
It only takes 1 full round to reload a BLACKPOWDER RIFLE (3 minor actions) !!!! This seems to be somewhat excessive. I'm quite familiar with the M203 grenade launcher, and I can reload one in about the same amount of time that it takes to change magazines on the rifle part.
On the whole, I love the CSC. Mongoose has done an excellent job with all their books (I've played every version of Traveller that's come out), with less mistakes and confusing rules than "any" previous incarnation. I do wish for more official errata, but they are certainly more prompt with that than the makers of the Serenity RPG (still waiting for official errata 4 years later). Mongoose has managed to capture the feel of the LBBs with a more updated format (an index, I love indexes). While some things in the books are not OTU, I always brought in a few outside influences to MTU. A GM has to be able to pick and choose, or the Power Gamers will walk all over him/her. In MTU I don't allow starting characters to come into play with equipment with a higher TL than TL12 (unless you get multiple rolls of the same equipment). You can trade-in extra rolls of the same type of equipment for a higher TL version.
Step 1 - locate RAM grenade.
...
Step 31 - Arm Grenade.
Step 32 - If still alive - fire when ready.
Suppose designer was trying to balance out power of weapon (don't have book - so not sure what this is) - and/or goofed...
Simple technique I use to resolve such isses while still maintaining compatibility with rules (esp. future adventures, etc.) is to make up my own version - i.e., append name (Mark 2) or simply change TL and note when using.
...
Step 31 - Arm Grenade.
Step 32 - If still alive - fire when ready.
Suppose designer was trying to balance out power of weapon (don't have book - so not sure what this is) - and/or goofed...
Simple technique I use to resolve such isses while still maintaining compatibility with rules (esp. future adventures, etc.) is to make up my own version - i.e., append name (Mark 2) or simply change TL and note when using.
justacaveman
Mongoose
I just make it 2 "Minor" actions. This allows you to fire it every other round with 1 minor action left over each round. Slower than a semi-auto GL, but reasonable.