Dilettante

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

So Tiffany as a CIA agent???? :shock:

 

[hdan]

So Tiffany as a CIA agent???? :shock:

Essentially, except that she apparently wrote some less-bubblegummy lyrics that got her in trouble.

Should have stuck to the Mall Scene I guess.

 

[Techno-Guru]

There is no question that nats is flat-out wrongly short-sighted in his perception of the game - there are plenty of groups out there that do more than just make as many booms as they can. A well-rounded party has characters that can be used in any situation, and the wealthy "remittance man" (who would be a character type I would expect to find in a book titled Dilettante) or noble's son of the baton sinistre can be useful as more than a piggy-bank patron.

That may be the case, but often you still have to work with what you got. I've played a few games in college with players of varying qualities, the most hack and slash game I was in actually kicked me out after one session because I wasn't enough of a combat junkie. On the other hand, I wish my current group was as imaginative or as interested in something other then wanton violence as some of yours. Only way I'd be able to sell the idea of a sci-fi game to them again is to some how come up with a system for boiling Bulletstorm or Duke Nukem down to a series of dice rolls.
In short, I'll trade you.

 

[FreeTrav]

There is no question that nats is flat-out wrongly short-sighted in his perception of the game - there are plenty of groups out there that do more than just make as many booms as they can. A well-rounded party has characters that can be used in any situation, and the wealthy "remittance man" (who would be a character type I would expect to find in a book titled Dilettante) or noble's son of the baton sinistre can be useful as more than a piggy-bank patron.

That may be the case, but often you still have to work with what you got. I've played a few games in college with players of varying qualities, the most hack and slash game I was in actually kicked me out after one session because I wasn't enough of a combat junkie. On the other hand, I wish my current group was as imaginative or as interested in something other then wanton violence as some of yours. Only way I'd be able to sell the idea of a sci-fi game to them again is to some how come up with a system for boiling Bulletstorm or Duke Nukem down to a series of dice rolls.
In short, I'll trade you.

Yes, I'm quite familiar with that syndrome; it's one of the reasons I had problems finding a gaming group to play with to start with. But the point of my commentary was not that all gaming groups should be like mine, but that nats's exemplification of that attitude was being trotted out as a reason not to release a book like Dilettante, without acknowledgment that there are other play styles, some of which make a book like Dilettante an appropriate and useful supplement, possibly one that's even more so than Mercenary or High Guard. Obviously, Mongoose Publishing agrees with me to some extent, or they wouldn't be planning such a supplement; from their point of view, the final arbiter of the decision will be the marketplace - but in making the initial decision to publish such supplements as Agent and Dilettante, they're saying that they see the market as requesting them, and doing so to an extent sufficient to make them believe that it will not be a money-loser (or at least no more so than any other RPG product).

The tradition of formal accommodation of non-combat playing styles goes back to the earliest days of Traveller; an example right off the top of my head is the Classic Traveller Double Adventure 1: Annic Nova - the PCs are exploring an enigma of an alien starship, and not engaging in combat at all. The extensive rules in Book 6: Scouts and Book 7: Merchant Prince are also more than a mere nod in that direction, and Supplement 4: Citizens of the Imperium - and other supplements, and Special Supplements inserted into the original print Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society - also represent formal acknowledgment that combat is not the be-all and end-all of Traveller.

 

[Techno-Guru]

Yes, I'm quite familiar with that syndrome; it's one of the reasons I had problems finding a gaming group to play with to start with. But the point of my commentary was not that all gaming groups should be like mine, but that nats's exemplification of that attitude was being trotted out as a reason not to release a book like Dilettante, without acknowledgment that there are other play styles, some of which make a book like Dilettante an appropriate and useful supplement, possibly one that's even more so than Mercenary or High Guard. Obviously, Mongoose Publishing agrees with me to some extent, or they wouldn't be planning such a supplement; from their point of view, the final arbiter of the decision will be the marketplace - but in making the initial decision to publish such supplements as Agent and Dilettante, they're saying that they see the market as requesting them, and doing so to an extent sufficient to make them believe that it will not be a money-loser (or at least no more so than any other RPG product).

The tradition of formal accommodation of non-combat playing styles goes back to the earliest days of Traveller; an example right off the top of my head is the Classic Traveller Double Adventure 1: Annic Nova - the PCs are exploring an enigma of an alien starship, and not engaging in combat at all. The extensive rules in Book 6: Scouts and Book 7: Merchant Prince are also more than a mere nod in that direction, and Supplement 4: Citizens of the Imperium - and other supplements, and Special Supplements inserted into the original print Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society - also represent formal acknowledgment that combat is not the be-all and end-all of Traveller.

Meh, I just needed to rant. I agree that Nats's is perhaps cutting things a little short, but I can see where he's coming from. Some folks just don't want to think when being entertained... which begs the question of what are they doing in this hobby?

 

[Jame Rowe]

Whereas I apprecaite Mongoose are expanding all the parts of Classic Traveller I have to question the release of this book. I mean its not as if any character will actually want o play a rich character, entertainer or playboy as opposed to a marine or mercenary.

Are you kidding? The chance to play the galaxy's greatest rock star? Who wouldn't leap at that?

YOU wouldn't! That's who!

I too would be interested in port design and city design - indeed, I've got a low-tech city generator I could rework if there were interest and payment - but unlike Nats I would like to see Dilettante.

 

[dreamingbadger]

So Tiffany as a CIA agent???? :shock:

Essentially, except that she apparently wrote some less-bubblegummy lyrics that got her in trouble.

Should have stuck to the Mall Scene I guess.

It's a great "cover/alias" lots of reasons to be all over the place, lots of reasons to be obnoxious to security personnel and have electronics in inappropriate places

 

[Cleon the Mad]

So Tiffany as a CIA agent???? :shock:

Essentially, except that she apparently wrote some less-bubblegummy lyrics that got her in trouble.

Should have stuck to the Mall Scene I guess.

I don't know, I know a few people whom almost go into a rage if they hear Teenybopper/bubblegum pop music. I'm sure there's some Imperial nobles whom may feel the same way.

 

[Solomani666]

Whereas I apprecaite Mongoose are expanding all the parts of Classic Traveller I have to question the release of this book. I mean its not as if any character will actually want o play a rich character, entertainer or playboy as opposed to a marine or mercenary. The skills you would get in this line of work would be practially useless for most games. I would have thought work on a more interesting part of traveller would have been time better spent - such as a supplement on the high ports, low ports, city plans, world plans, etc that have been undeveloped in traveller to date, or perhaps jump restricting ships or space fighter rules, or some fun adventures even (less craft more blasting) and what about a Serenity expansion or Star Wars expansion - now those would be great!

Think:

You finally convince your non-science-fiction-reading-desperate-housewives-watching girlfriend and one or more of her girlfriends to play Traveller with you.

Do you think they will have more fun playing Imperial Marines, or aspiring Galactic Lady Gagas who travel the galaxy, perform for adoring fans, get waited on hand and foot, and go on multi million dollar shopping sprees?

Do you think they will have more fun playing a crewman aboard an Imperial cruiser, or a Noblewoman who has to deal with Court intrigues, rumors, backstabbing, family emergencies, planning royal weddings, and confirming the integrity of her friends potential sutor?

This supplement may be possibly the best ever, simply because it provides material to attract the most valuable and elusive thing in the Traveller universe... Real female player characters!


Campaign I did with an old girlfriend:

She was a Dame, raised by her uncle because her parents died when she was at a young age. She also has a twin brother who was born second. Her uncle was both the Imperial count of the world they lived on and the 'actual' ruler of the world. The planet was located close to the Aslan border.

I started her off at 17-1/2 years old with a number of skills taught to her by her uncle, various house servants, tutors etc. She was being prepped for a career as a Naval officer. Her Uncle also included her and her brother in all affairs of state. At 17 she was administrating one of the planets cities and doing a fantastic job of it. She had to negotiate labor disputes, trade disputes, natural disasters, etc.

A few weeks before her 18th birthday they held a ceremony for an Aslan delegation seeking to purchase land on the planet. While making a speech, her uncle was fatally shot. As he fell my GF's character tried to grab him but only managed to grab the medalian that he allways wore around his neck. Another bullet tore through her hair and her uncle tells her "Run...you...are..." then expired. As she starts to run, she notices that it is one of the Aslan ambassadors aids that is shooting at her! Her brother runs after her.

When she and her brother get to a safe place they have a conversation, but he slips up and says something that leads her to realize that he is in on the plot! With some scuffle, she manage to escape, with her brother, who is now brandishing a cartridge laser pistol, in hot persuit.

She runs out of the palace and through the garden. It is raining heavily outside, so whenever her brother shoots at her, she can hear the hiss and see the steam trail of the laser. She runs to garden maze, because she knows it better than her brother, who always said it was 'childish'. He taunts her..."Oh Sister..." as he stalks her.

After a gravbike chase and some gun play, she makes it to the starport. There she encounters a freetrader about to make a very hasty retreat from this planet. (Aslan troops in battledress are dropping out of the sky!)
Which just so happens to be owned by the other player character.

Later she finds out that the uncles medalion contains a datachip with instructions from her parents to her uncle, a vid to her and her brother from their parents, and titles of nobility!

Her uncle was only the Count Designate of the planet and she and her brother are the true rulers, and were to jointly rule the planet. This was to be told to them on their 18th birthday. Her brother got wind that their uncle was only the designated Count and 'assumed' that his older sister would be the sole heir, so he hatched his plot with the Aslan.

Now she was left with a planet that needed retaking. For years (game) she was involved in diplomatic solutions and intrigue.

Then I took her out to shoot a gun for the first time in her life (real life).

The very next gaming session she signed up for the Naval Academy.

She started using her diplomatic savvy to gain allies and eventually retook her world in supreme military and female political and manipulative kniving fashion...


Small bit of advice:

When playing with new players, especially people who are not so science fiction savvy...

FEEL FREE TO BEND, IGNORE, OR SIMPLIFY THE RULES!

I really don't know how to stress how important this is. The idea behind the game is action, excitement, and living out your fantasy. Especially with new players, if you want them to ever play again.

For instance, in a naval battle, where a newbies player character is on the bridge of a cruiser... Making 30 die rolls to determain barrage damage and exact hit locations and damage is probably going to either confuse him or put him to sleep. I find it's better to keep things more 'character centric' for new players:

Does he take radiation damage.
Do any of the control boards explode.
Do the bridge lights go out.
Screams for help over the comm.
Screams for help from people in the corridor.
Smoke.
Fire.
Live electrical wires.
Twisted debris filled corridors.
Vaccum.
Sealed bulkheads.
Failing grav plates and inertial dampners.
And few things can keep a characters attention like projectile vomitting in zero g...

 

[darktalon]

Well, my source is due to get Dilettante next week as I hoped and I should have it in my hands by the end of the week. Already got it on order. Look forward to checking it out then.

 

[Subzero001]

Well, Please give us waiting in the wind fellow Traveller's a brief review when you get it. I mostly interested in what they did for nobility side of the house and if it interlinks with Merchant Prince like" being on the board of a mega-corporation", they did include noble merchant in Merchant Prince.

Thx :wink: