How to make Traveller more popular with TTRPG players

[actionman]

I dunno, I think Traveller is much more Gamist and Simulationist, like most games of the 70's and 80's. I don't think it's Narrativist at all. There aren't any methods in Traveller for changing how the adventure is progressing to create a better story. There aren't any mechanics like that. Maybe there are a few in Mongoose 2e, but I didn't notice.

 

[rinku]

Yeah, I don't think that's what is meant here by Narrativist. Unless the game is TOTALLY in the N corner.

Traveller is more an S game with more N than G, as I understand what they're getting at.

Although particular campaigns might skew around a bit - a hardcore military one where the rewards for success are the resources to become better at that heads towards G. "Get Rich" as a campaign goal might become a bit G. Although it's as often just a moving target or starting point that the actual plot prevents happening in the same way that XP keeps the players growing.

Totally G is something like a skirmish wargame with experience progression. Even D&D has some N and some S.

Totally N is probably theatre of the mind or Improv.

Totally S is a classic wargame.

So as soon as you have someone telling someone else what is happening, and other people describe what they do, that's Narrative.

Rules to regulate how things can happen is the Simulation side of things.

As I understand where they're coming from, Gaming is the aspect where playing directly rewards and empowers, often leading to an arms race. Possibly Progression might be a better label?

Edit: Pure G with no narrative and no simulation is actually a bit hard to work out. A skirmish wargame may have no narrative, but it still has simulation aspects.

Maybe a generic competitive card game like UNO?

 

[FreeTrav]

I dunno, I think Traveller is much more Gamist and Simulationist, like most games of the 70's and 80's. I don't think it's Narrativist at all. There aren't any methods in Traveller for changing how the adventure is progressing to create a better story. There aren't any mechanics like that. Maybe there are a few in Mongoose 2e, but I didn't notice.

I don't see the Game-ism in Traveller; there's no "win/lose", there's no progression after character creation, none of the characteristics that are associated with "games". There aren't any means to change the adventure to improve the story because you're telling the story as it happens - the story is as 'baked into' Traveller as the game-ness is into D&D. Certainly, if you consider just the NS side of the GNS triangle, Traveller is closer to the S end than to the N end, and I think you could argue that the S-ness is strongly dominant over the N-ness - but the N-ness is there.

 

[Condottiere]

In a narrative, balance has less to do with a character's talents, and more with whether the story he gets to to participate in, and possibly influence, is interesting.

Simulation, does require the character to be able to physically impact play.

Advancement, is recognized achievement.

 

[rinku]

Also, further thinking about it, pure S wouldn't really be a wargame. It would have to be just a simulation without narrative or winners.

Pure G: UNO, Go
Pure N: Improv Theatre
Pure S: Microsoft Flight Sim