Houston, We Have Beltstrike !

captainjack23

captainjack23

Cosmic Mongoose
In a monster burst of serendipity, reminding me of what is important as regards arguing vs playing, my FLGS just called to let me know Beltstrike is in ! Whooooo Hoooo !

Start digging, players. Dig harder ! I want fourteen tons loaded by lunch !
 
Where are you located? I wonder how long it will take the conestogas to shuffle it up here. I was at my FLGS all afternoon, and it definatly has not made it here yet.
 
My copy was waiting for me when I got home last night! It came with two shiny Traveller Book Marks! :D

I pre-ordered the book a couple of months ago.

Strangely, someone had hand written my name on the box and the word "Last".

So, I guess the last shall be first.

Anyone else got it yet?
 
I preordered mine and got it when I got home today. I flipped through it. Looks good.

Mike
 
I'd be interested to see if they updated the physical description of the belts in the final version - IIRC in the playtest version there were several things that weren't correct there.
 
got an email this evening saying that leisure games have shipped my preorder :D
 
EDG said:
I'd be interested to see if they updated the physical description of the belts in the final version - IIRC in the playtest version there were several things that weren't correct there.
Click to expand...

It's better, but still not great.

They tend to assume that the belt will be at the same relative location as our Asteroid Belt is, at least in reference to the habitable zone and they discuss that it is likely to be located in the next orbit in from the largest gas giant.

There is NOT a lot of detail about the orbital dynamics of the belt, other than the three zones, which are also left a little vague as to how big they would actually be.

Overall, I thought they gave you some good info without locking into stone what the World Builders Handbook will be coming out with.

Personally, I am going to use the GURPS: Space for the belt design, but Beltstrike for the careers and details of how much can be mined in the belt. That section is very good.

The adventure seems like fun too. Although, it assumes no jump, so fitting it into an existing campaign might be a bit tough.
 
There is NOT a lot of detail about the orbital dynamics of the belt, other than the three zones, which are also left a little vague as to how big they would actually be.

Overall, I thought they gave you some good info without locking into stone what the World Builders Handbook will be coming out with.

That was precisely the design challenge: dedicate lots of space to asteroid physics, at the expense of adventure material, or be vague whilst roughly realistic, and capitalise on the adventuring. As Beltstrike is meant to be a campaign setting, I chose the latter.
 
And a fine job you did.

I thought it balanced well.

I hope that MGT-WBH expands on this subject, but what you wrote will certainly cover what I need for an adventure.
 
Ok I just got my own PreOrdered copy in todays mail Thursday 1/29 on the East coast of the US in the state of New Jersey.

Now from what spot reading I have done so far (and I have not had the time to be able to read it from cover to cover yet), but what I have read of the book so far I say it is a good adventure. Ok it does not go super far into the nuts and bolts of a asteroid belt specifics, but it does just enough for me a non-gear-head.

I have GM'd and played one version of Traveller or another now since it first came out some 30+ years ago, and Mongoose Pub has done a fine job. Actually so far I have preOrdered all of their books and have gotten everything that has come out for Traveller (except I passed on the Pocket Traveller book - seeing no real need for that book for me).

Now looking back at the detail and included materials within this product and comparing it to the original adventures, Mongoose did a great job and provided a finely written product. Keep going Mongoose, another book done very well. Now I just can't wait for the rest of the books to come out in the schedual. All good things come to those that are willing to wait, and regardless of any delays the next couple of books will be a great add to the growing collection of Traveller topic books.

Just my thoughts from a Old timer RPGer that has played 30+ years as a Traveller gamer/GM/collector...my hat is off to you Mongoose and I will keep buying all of your Traveller line regardless what.

Penn
 
Just about the only nit pick I could find was the color of "Traveller" on the cover. For me, the blue was too dark and very hard to read. BUT, I am slightly blue-green color blind, so that might have had something to do with it.

Good book though.
 
I would agree about the cover, with 'Traveller' being a little dark and some of the interior art is rubbish. However if that is all I can find to complain about then...

I got it yesterday so I have only had a chance to skim the scenario while reading through the mechanics bit. It looks good. The section on Zero-G is very welcome. The section on minerals (pages 10-12) did seem a little odd. I like the detail but the descriptions sometimes seemed slightly odd, I am not quite sure how. Not wrong or broken but perhaps inappropriate?

Yes. definitely inappropriate. Some of them are formed have igneous origin (quartz, feldspar, mica) while halites are formed by evaporation and bauxite by weathering. I don't know enough (indeed anything) about how asteroids formed but evaporation an weathering are out, you need a planet for those (which does fit the background with the Ancients planet crackers).

A fairly minor thing, most people won't notice or care.

More importantly is the Artefact table on page 10 broken?

Best of all I already have a good few belt related scenario ideas. Buy it.
 
Just spotted it advertised in the New Releases section of Fan Boy 3, Manchester.

So tomorrow, some time earlyish, I'll ring them up to confirm whether or not they've got a copy - and if so, to put it to one side for me for next week some time.
 
Got mine after running by bi-weekly game at the FLGS, they just happened to have it on the shelf when I walked in. Grabbed it immediately.

So far I like it, but my question is (being a major gearhead) where are the stats for a ship-mounted mining laser/laser drill? So far I assume they are modified pulse lasers. Are they more accurate (negating the -2DM imposed by the HG rules) but are limited to close range? Do they have lower power? (say 1d6 damage)

Generally how do they work as a pinch weapon for a Belter ship?
 
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