Comment on the State of the Mongoose

[TrippyHippy]

Are these games in print? I know there are historical Traveller wargames.

I'm sure it was mooted on the Traveller board that there was a possibility of a Traveller miniatures game.

 

[tneva82]

Are these games in print? I know there are historical Traveller wargames.

I'm sure it was mooted on the Traveller board that there was a possibility of a Traveller miniatures game.

Being OOP or not is less relevant than question of how's the licence of products...Even if they are OOP if licence is somewhere else it's tough luck for mongoose miniatures.

 

[Myrm]

Are these games in print? I know there are historical Traveller wargames.

I'm sure it was mooted on the Traveller board that there was a possibility of a Traveller miniatures game.

The FUll Thrust variant for a Traveller space game is definitely still in print, its still being sold on the company's website so if the license is exclusive to them its an issue - if the license is still in force its irrelevant what the state of print is.

Striker and the ground games are old, but if I remember FFE has reprinted at least one version plus they are currently available on Drivethru....so again license issues

 

[crazy_cat]

What would be worth a Kickstarter, would be to make an all digital software version of Traveller - so that you could generate characters, starships, worlds and systems all with a computer or tablet.

If they can raise enough money, it could be made really slick and stylishly with graphics for starships and worlds created, for example.

Now, this is interesting - how many of you would go for something like this?

I would pay real cash money for such a thing. When wil it be ready?

 

[crazy_cat]

Any chance of 28mm Traveller minis - or of licensing them out if allowed? I'd love to see 28mm Aslan and Vargr in particular as they are hard to find Proxys for.

 

[tauther]

Cross platform, java or similar, open source so it can be maintained by volunteers and hobbyists into the future.

There are a bazillion people out there that would/could do it, but choose carefully.

Very wise words.

The architecture should be as open and standard as possible - java, xml, etc. - and interfaces well defined and documented so that it is easy for third parties to hook in.

A simple example - the data representing a character should be defined in an XSD. This would allow someone to write a character generator and export a character file conforming to the XSD, knowing that any other software could read that file correctly - e.g. a character sheet viewer.

Question would be: app or web based? Java or javascript, xsd sound good to me, but the business model is a bit fuzzy for me: free "online" web service providing a character/starship sheet, or an apk on the store?

I've been thinking about it: js, java or even excel. So I'm definitively interested in and could volunteer for a french translation.

 

[chris_valera]

Some comments from a former Starship Troopers fan.

Interesting to see that most RPG fans have gone the online route. I have online pdfs and other than the joy of having such a stupendous quantity of material at my figertips, I rarely read them. I always go for the printed book route.

I just ordered a copy of Armageddon 2089: Total war because I'm a sucker for d20 Modern and d20 Future, and definitely a sucker for battlemech action.

But truth be told, I ordered the book used because of the economy. Sorry Matt. An online store had what's normally a $30 book for only $7. Do used book sales noticeable cut into your profits?

Also, Mongoose Publishing billed this game as "the most detailed game of its type to date, and no expense has been spared in ensuring that it is also one of the best looking games available. This is by far the most ambitious project Mongoose Publishing has produced to date and many hundreds of man-hours have gone into the production of this game. The level of detail available to players is incredible."

But I've also heard some sketchy things on rpg.net about the layout, the dark green on black text and how easy it is to use and understand, as well as how to design your own warmek and pit them in combat against each other. How useful the book is remains to be seen. From what I've heard Mongoose books are generally regarded to be kind of sketchy and all over the place in terms of quality.

Your work on Judge Dredd looks excellent, I'd get into it if I could afford to get into another miniatures game. But the new Lawmasters are very tempting.

Traveller - never played it, don't get what all the excitement is about.

I got excited when I saw you were planning on releasing material for Armageddon 2089, but was crushed when I saw it was only for Traveller.

Star Trek miniatures and Battlefield: Vietnam looks interesting.

Don't care about the rest.

Still annoyed at how badly Starship Troopers was handled.

So playing games that are out of print (SST) and buying books used, I guess I'm not much of a customer. But I checked in just to give you some feedback.

--Chris
http://www.chrisvalera.com

 

[Danforth]

I'm mostly here for Paranoia (though the Dredd minis are sorely tempting!) so good to hear that Something is going on for it. I guess it's thematically appropriate that you can't tell us anything about it, presumably it's beyond my security clearance

One publisher problem with an RPG like Paranoia, what with the rules-light approach and emphasis on state of mind over detail, is that I can pretty much use 2nd ed adventures with the modern rules set so there's no incentive to upgrade everything... hence the low supplement sales, I would guess. I gather that the new project is something else entirely and I wait to see what's going on with some interest. Hopefully you'll clear some more RED-clearance information soon...

 

[alex_greene]

I know that Solo Traveller is, right now, in development and not to be expected for a while.

However, once it's on the bookshelves, any chance of giving Legend the same treatment? I mean, Solo Legend sounds like a brilliant idea.

 

[Prime_Evil]

I know that Solo Traveller is, right now, in development and not to be expected for a while.

However, once it's on the bookshelves, any chance of giving Legend the same treatment? I mean, Solo Legend sounds like a brilliant idea.

Traveller has a number of discrete non-combat subsystems that lend themselves to solo play - interstellar trade, star system generation, building dynasties, running criminal enterprises, etc. I'm not sure that Legend has such a wide range of subsystems at the moment, although earlier versions of MRQ certainly had some of them. Here are some things that I would like to see expanded in upcoming Legend releases:

• Rules for making a living as a merchant, including trade caravans, speculative trade, etc.
• Rules for ruling a region, including rules for carving your own personal territory out of the wilderlands, building a stronghold, running the local economy, etc.
• Rules for running characters in positions of power and influence within factions such as temples, thieves' guilds, etc.
• Rules for running multiple generation of characters within as single family.

 

[Myrm]

The first of those exists with the corporation rules in the Merchant class black book. That makes the others something that is possible to put into a framework.

Then its a matter of expanding detail to the desired level.

 

[wolf90]

Matt,

I noticed there was no mention of a return of S&P, or more to the point, the new Traveller Journal you've referenced:

"Being honest, we are _flat_ out at the moment with various projects. That said, we have two promising new recruits in the office right now and, once they have settled in, a new Journal will be one of their tasks!"
- posted last Sept 27, 2012 in Any update on when S&P will return?

Any word on a Traveller Journal of some manner?

D.

 

[MongooseMatt]

"Being honest, we are _flat_ out at the moment with various projects. That said, we have two promising new recruits in the office right now and, once they have settled in, a new Journal will be one of their tasks!"
- posted last Sept 27, 2012 in Any update on when S&P will return?

Any word on a Traveller Journal of some manner?

D.

At the moment, no - we are still flat out!

 

[locarno24]

What would be worth a Kickstarter, would be to make an all digital software version of Traveller - so that you could generate characters, starships, worlds and systems all with a computer or tablet.

If they can raise enough money, it could be made really slick and stylishly with graphics for starships and worlds created, for example.


Now, this is interesting - how many of you would go for something like this?

Sign me up - IF (and this is an important one) - it's a piece of PC software and not an app. I've no intention to do down tablet/ipad/etc users, but I don't have one and have no plans to get one.

If a digital play-aid could be incorporated, that would be very useful. I like the Traveller space combat system, but things like totting up damage then going to look how many damage rolls you get break the flow of the game unecessarily.

Also, a space combat reference tool 'vetted' by you, Gareth H, etc, etc, would help kill a lot of people's queries about how some elements of space combat work. I've never had a problem with the Barrage rules, for example, but I only assume I'm doing it right, and I'm really not sure (short of a map) how you handle many-on-many fights (I don't mean fleets, I mean, say, two or three fighters attacking a ship and a shuttle - easily within the scope of Pirates of Drinax).




REALLY looking forwards to Trillion Credit Squadron. Remember you asking for potential writers. Any hints droppable as to the author(s)?




Lastly, like the idea of Rattenkrieg immensely. I'm not quite sure why. Bring on the soviet lemming brigades.

 

[wolf90]

wolf90 wrote:
"Being honest, we are _flat_ out at the moment with various projects. That said, we have two promising new recruits in the office right now and, once they have settled in, a new Journal will be one of their tasks!"
- posted last Sept 27, 2012 in Any update on when S&P will return?

Any word on a Traveller Journal of some manner?

D.

At the moment, no - we are still flat out!

And you being in this state of 2-dimensional existence is expected to end....?

D.

 

[MongooseMatt]

And you being in this state of 2-dimensional existence is expected to end....?

D.

No time soon, I am afraid!

 

[GamerDude]

Of course, anyone wanting to help Mongoose make the money to hire more slave, um monkeys, um warehouse trolls, um.... ahhh you get it.... can join the Mongoose Infantry, teach our great games, and earn more of the same!

Step on over to ** MONGOOSE INFANTRY SEEKS NEW TROOPER **, get the application, and send it on in.

-*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*-
Al Beddow
Coordinator Mongoose Infantry Event Operations
Member Mongoose Infantry since 2003
-*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*-
mongooseinfantry {at} mongoosepublishing {dot} com

 

[lastbesthope]

Step on over to ** MONGOOSE INFANTRY SEEKS NEW TROOPER **, get the application, and send it on in.
[/color]

Took the liberty of modding that to a sticky for you, extrapolating from your previous requests

LBH

 

[GamerDude]

Step on over to ** MONGOOSE INFANTRY SEEKS NEW TROOPER **, get the application, and send it on in.
[/color]

Took the liberty of modding that to a sticky for you, extrapolating from your previous requests

LBH

DOH! Thank you yes...

boy I can be such a doofus sometimes
...
And other times I can be an Avacado.

Al B.

 

[sjmiller]

What would be worth a Kickstarter, would be to make an all digital software version of Traveller - so that you could generate characters, starships, worlds and systems all with a computer or tablet.

If they can raise enough money, it could be made really slick and stylishly with graphics for starships and worlds created, for example.

Now, this is interesting - how many of you would go for something like this?

Gack! :shock: That is soooo counter to my views on playing Traveller I do not know where to begin. It may be a game of the far future, but to me and my players half the fun of Traveller is rolling up your character. Rolling dice, consulting tables, creating the background as you go. Letting a computer do most of that makes it feel less like a player character and more like just a bunch of numbers.

I know that some folks may prefer a spreadsheet or some program for making ships and subsectors and the like, but I still prefer a pad of paper and some dice. I realize I may be a stick in the mud about this, but I use computers all day at work, do I really have to let them invade my free time too?