Is the time right for a Star Wars RPG based on Traveller rules?

[TrippyHippy]

I don’t think this is being discussed anywhere else at the moment and some people might think it is pie-in-the-sky.

However, I do recall that Mongoose once had some aspirations for trying to get hold of the Star Wars license and Fantasy Flight Games (the nominal last holder of the license) haven’t done much with it for several years now, focussing instead on board/miniature games. Maybe there is more going on behind the scenes, and maybe Disney is a big company to deal with....but we’ve seen a lot of big licenses given for RPGs in recent years, so why not? The newer movies aren’t as popular as they used to be, but the brand asa whole seems ever enduring. Indeed, Star Wars has literally been around for the same number of years as Traveller has (both are approaching a 50th anniversary in the next few years).

For me, the current Traveller rules are a perfect fit for Star Wars in many respects. Even the psionic rules could easily be adapted to create Force effects and, really, the only major change in the game needed is simply to write up the setting and themes to fit it. Maybe some of the rules could be tweaked to make things more cinematic - like creating ‘mook’ rules for Stormtroopers, for example, or maybe have ‘Force points’ to allow for re-rolls...that sort of thing. There was some fan made adaptation of Traveller: Star Wars floating around online for a while which was pretty good, I thought.

Anybody looking into this, or interested?

 

[Reisender]

I don’t think this is being discussed anywhere else at the moment and some people might think it is pie-in-the-sky.

However, I do recall that Mongoose once had some aspirations for trying to get hold of the Star Wars license and Fantasy Flight Games (the nominal last holder of the license) haven’t done much with it for several years now, focussing instead on board/miniature games. Maybe there is more going on behind the scenes, and maybe Disney is a big company to deal with....but we’ve seen a lot of big licenses given for RPGs in recent years, so why not? The newer movies aren’t as popular as they used to be, but the brand asa whole seems ever enduring. Indeed, Star Wars has literally been around for the same number of years as Traveller has (both are approaching a 50th anniversary in the next few years).

For me, the current Traveller rules are a perfect fit for Star Wars in many respects. Even the psionic rules could easily be adapted to create Force effects and, really, the only major change in the game needed is simply to write up the setting and themes to fit it. Maybe some of the rules could be tweaked to make things more cinematic - like creating ‘mook’ rules for Stormtroopers, for example, or maybe have ‘Force points’ to allow for re-rolls...that sort of thing. There was some fan made adaptation of Traveller: Star Wars floating around online for a while which was pretty good, I thought.

Anybody looking into this, or interested?

You can not publish Star Wars material without any license. In case of Star Wars this will probably be ridiculously expensive. Currently Edge Studio seems to have license to publish their Star Wars RPG, so getting another license might be difficult as well.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Everything you need to do Star Wars has been in Traveller since 1977.
MgT has made great strides in bringing more Star Wars to the Third Imperium.
Dogfighting, ion cannon, energy screens, hyperdrives

 

[TrippyHippy]

You can not publish Star Wars material without any license. In case of Star Wars this will probably be ridiculously expensive. Currently Edge Studio seems to have license to publish their Star Wars RPG, so getting another license might be difficult as well.

FFG have had the license for a long time now (about a decade?) but stopped publishing RPG materials some time ago. Edge Studio came to an arrangement with FFG to maintain that license but apart from maintaining it, what are they actually doing that is new? I am suggesting that maybe the license is something Mongoose might pursue now - how long is it due for a renewal?

 

[TrippyHippy]

Everything you need to do Star Wars has been in Traveller since 1977.
MgT has made great strides in bringing more Star Wars to the Third Imperium.
Dogfighting, ion cannon, energy screens, hyperdrives

However, Mongoose Traveller is looking to expand it’s number of settings. What would be a bigger setting for the game than Star Wars, itself? As you have pointed out there with all your examples, the transition of rules would be pretty seamless.

 

[MongooseMatt]

I think, as a starting point, we would perhaps look at doing a more focussed Star Wars RPG, rather than trying to scatter gun everything.

Traveller: Andor the RPG, perhaps...?

Was thinking about this for 40k too. A Traveller: Necromunda the RPG would be an interesting place to start.

All speculation, none of this is on the cards at this time

 

[TrippyHippy]

Well, nothing happens without speculation.....

 

[Sigtrygg]

I would like something based on Rebel Moon personally, I'm looking forward to the R rated versions.

 

[gilthy]

I would like something based on Rebel Moon personally, I'm looking forward to the R rated versions.

Not sure I'd be the one to go into a deal like that.

There (apparently) was a planned Rebel Moon RPG at one (early) point, but that deal went sour.
It did get settled in the end:

Evil Genius Games and Netflix Settle Lawsuit over 'Rebel Moon RPG'

Evil Genius Games has "amicably settled" a lawsuit with Netflix over a now-cancelled Rebel Moon RPG. Refunds are soon to follow.

www.belloflostsouls.net

I get that people get excited about settings / IP that are out there in other forms, but there's also the risk with that of licenses ending (and there is undoubtedly a price tag attached with getting those in the first place).

Also RE: Rebel Moon... um, no? Probably the worst movies I've watched recently, though the visual spectacle was pretty okay. Story, setting, characters and world building were (in my opinion) an iffy patchwork of mismatched themes. But, to each their own!

 

[RajunCajun3025]

I think, as a starting point, we would perhaps look at doing a more focussed Star Wars RPG, rather than trying to scatter gun everything.

Traveller: Andor the RPG, perhaps...?

Was thinking about this for 40k too. A Traveller: Necromunda the RPG would be an interesting place to start.

All speculation, none of this is on the cards at this time

A Necromunda RPG would be pretty cool, I just worry how much GW would want to charge for their IP.

Licensed settings are always a risk, I recall listening to WOTC folks back in the day talking about all the headaches involved. Not to mention hoping you bring in enough cash from product to balance out the price you have to pay to get the license in the first place.

 

[AndrewW]

Everything you need to do Star Wars has been in Traveller since 1977.
MgT has made great strides in bringing more Star Wars to the Third Imperium.
Dogfighting, ion cannon, energy screens, hyperdrives

Don't forget superlaser and gravity well generator. Then there be arc weapons.

 

[Condottiere]

I think you have to balance the benefits versus the hoops you'll have to jump through, to obtain the license.

If I had to take a wild swing at this, Star Citizen.

You're going to have endless visuals, and perhaps be allowed to contribute to the role playing aspect, possibly gain experience if Mongoose goes digital.

 

[TrippyHippy]

On careful consideration......I think that Rebel Moon sucks!

Regarding the difficulties of holding a big license like Star Wars I do acknowledge that there needs to be considerations given (maybe more than I gave Rebel Moon, even!). However, there are also significant upsides if you get them right. It can raise the profile of the business and existing brands and open doors into new markets. Several RPG companies seem to be working out well with big licences these days - so it is clearly do-able.

 

[JustEastOfTheEdge]

Characters would need a new stat "Political Correctness" in order to faithfully reproduce the modern 'Star Wars' franchise.

 

[TrippyHippy]

Characters would need a new stat "Political Correctness" in order to faithfully reproduce the modern 'Star Wars' franchise.

While I’m not going to bother with this particular ‘debate’, one thing I will say is that any licensing deal would be good to strike now while the IP isn’t as popular as it used to be.

West End Games picked up their first Star Wars licence in 1987 when, again, the original trilogy was already completed and the value was considered to be appreciably less at the time. However, Star Wars appears to have enduring, generational appeal no matter how varied in quality the movies tend to be.

The release of WEG’s Star Wars in 1987 marked a point of some decline for Traveller at the time - till then it was probably the RPG that most turned to when thinking about playing Star Wars in the same manner that people thinking about Lord of the Rings probably thought about D&D or those thinking about Indiana Jones thought about Call of Cthulhu. Big media still tends to influence gamer choices and having Star Wars come full circle to being a Traveller-rules based setting would capture a lot of interest I feel.

Moreover, almost everybody would know what the game would be about, without any need to explain, and it would be a lot of fun.

 

[To Tha Moon!]

I'd like to see this.

I've run both d20 Star Wars Revised and Traveller Solo.

Getting a combination of both would be great.

 

[Alqualonde]

If a Traveller : Star Wars were to happen, don't bother stating the big ships. Most are over the Traveller size range (An Imperial Star Destroyer is 1 mile long, thus around 4 000 000 dT) and Star Wars is about the main characters in a small ship being heroic. Anything bigger than a corvette should stay in the background or be a plot device.
Also, it would require some adaptations to the character creation. Luke is quite skilled for a 19 years old kid, and he is not the only skilled young character.
But as already said, getting the IP would come with a big price tag. And while it might draw new players, I don't know if the sales would be worth the licence costs (lets face it, any company need to make a profit).

 

[AndrewW]

If a Traveller : Star Wars were to happen, don't bother stating the big ships. Most are over the Traveller size range (An Imperial Star Destroyer is 1 mile long, thus around 4 000 000 dT) and Star Wars is about the main characters in a small ship being heroic. Anything bigger than a corvette should stay in the background or be a plot device.

High Guard doesn't have a size limit. Could be useful though, who knows you might end up running around a battle station that isn't a moon to disable a tractor beam, deckplans would be handy for that. Or rescuing someone from that star destroyer.

 

[TrippyHippy]

Regarding the whole scale thing, I think that Star Wars is more obviously cinematic and that follow-through with the technology levels also. Basically, Star Wars represents a more fantastical type of sci-fi on a level above the Charted Space setting. On a scale with other Mongoose Traveller settings:

• Star Wars - epic, fantastic science fiction.
• Charted Space - default level (generic) science fiction.
• 2300AD - gritty, hard science fiction.
• Pioneer - hard realism, non-fantastical science fiction.

I think this gives some good options for potential players, although I do think there is also a place for romantic, retro-sci-fi (like Space: 1889) and maybe ironic, comedy sci-fi (Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy).

 

[Alqualonde]

High Guard doesn't have a limit, but all canon ships are at most 1 000 000 dT. The Tigress is 'only' 500 000dT.
Characters in a Free Trader wll never interact with a Tigress in a way you need the full stats or deck plans (Unless we intend to play a navy captains/admirals campaign, like Honor Harrington).
For Star Wars, ships are even bigger than a Tigress (but without a spinal weapon and probably with less weapon fitted). Having a set plans for key locations (hangars, typical corridors, cell blocks, bridge, etc.) along with a rough ouline of the ship should be enough.
IIRC WEG made a scenario called Starfall, in which the players had to escape a damaged Imperial SD (from the cells to the hangars). I don't think they had a full deck plan, just enough for the key scenes.

By the way, I found a list of SW ships with their volume. Here the result in dT :
X-Wing: 1.9 tons.
Y-Wing: 2.6 tons.
Imperial Shuttle 34 tons.
Millennium Falcon: 123 tons.
Blockade Runner: 4 625 tons.
Nebulon-B: 13 212 tons.
Star Destroyer: 4 966 731 tons.
Super Star Destroyer: 903 278 571 tons.
Death Star: 6.46e13 tons.