Jump and misjump

[BoilMyButtons]

I'm trying to understand jumpspace better for an idea I had for an adventure, apologies as this will probably just take the form of about 20 questions.

Is there any interesting writings on the experience of jumpspace? I've read various things on it, such as it having more than the usual four dimensions. I don't really understand quantum physics too well, can someone explain this? Do the usual four dimensions exist inside the ship, and the hull keeps the extra dimensions at bay? This doesn't seem possible to me, somehow.

What does it look like outside the ship? Is there any difference in "levels" of jump, i.e. does it feel different going through Jump-1 than, say, misjumping and going through Jump-20? I've read that madness and sometimes death can occur from ship damage, anything on this?

What effects could occur from misjump? Could I do something like this: Misjump occurs, and inside jumpspace, it seems like 6 months pass. In our universe, it's been several years. However, somehow the character ages at the same rate as the real universe. I was thinking, for my adventure, of making the misjump as a sort of mandatory final term - they get their training, but the misjump is a sort of mishap as well. Aging as normal is awkward, I realise...maybe it's not actual aging, but being in jumpspace for so long having an effect on the body.

The reason I made it six months is that life support apparently gives out after that point. As for the "experience" of jump and misjump, something I wanted to go for is that the character comes out the end somewhat mentally unstable. So I wanted to talk about what the character experienced.

Sorry for the long litany of questions, I wasn't sure how else to phrase things, since I've only just had this idea, so it's at a very rough stage. Thanks.

 

[phavoc]

Is there any interesting writings on the experience of jumpspace? I've read various things on it, such as it having more than the usual four dimensions. I don't really understand quantum physics too well, can someone explain this? Do the usual four dimensions exist inside the ship, and the hull keeps the extra dimensions at bay? This doesn't seem possible to me, somehow.

In the MgT traveller universe, the jump drives moves the ship into a pocket universe, and the ship is returned to realspace when the hydrogen fuel 'bubble' dissipates. The distance you travel depends on how much fuel you can put in your 'bubble'.

What does it look like outside the ship? Is there any difference in "levels" of jump, i.e. does it feel different going through Jump-1 than, say, misjumping and going through Jump-20? I've read that madness and sometimes death can occur from ship damage, anything on this?

No, not really. In jumpspace there really isn't anything outside of your ship to look at. Or at least I don't recall anything describing it to be anything more than darkness. Basically if you go outside the ship and get far enough away from the ship that you touch the bubble, I would suspect that you might find yourself somewhere in space (assuming that by touching the bubble you are returned to realspace). Essentially one way to look at it is if you go outside the ship during jump you are dead, or somewhere else, but not as a playable character again.

What effects could occur from misjump? Could I do something like this: Misjump occurs, and inside jumpspace, it seems like 6 months pass. In our universe, it's been several years. However, somehow the character ages at the same rate as the real universe. I was thinking, for my adventure, of making the misjump as a sort of mandatory final term - they get their training, but the misjump is a sort of mishap as well. Aging as normal is awkward, I realise...maybe it's not actual aging, but being in jumpspace for so long having an effect on the body.

Mis-jumps can be pretty much anything you want. The ship stayed in jumpspace for more than a year, it jumped 20 parsecs instead of one (or 1,000). As the referee you can do whatever you want. The rules are pretty wide, and while there are a few tables out there, I'd suggest making up your own (or swiping some ideas you like).

The reason I made it six months is that life support apparently gives out after that point. As for the "experience" of jump and misjump, something I wanted to go for is that the character comes out the end somewhat mentally unstable. So I wanted to talk about what the character experienced.

There are actually some alternate rules out there that would allow you to run your powerplant at a much reduced capacity. I think you might run out of food before you ran out of power. You could conceivably bring up the ships fusion plant long enough to clean the air, power the life support systems, then power it down for days before your oxygen ran low, or your water. There would be batteries onboard that might be cannibalized to do some things. Though unless you had a total life support reclamation system, food would be your limiting factor. All this really depends on your ship, and what you carried around with you. Lifeboats would come equipped with a number of things that would help keep your crew alive over long periods. At least long enough to maybe come out of your jump in realspace... alive. Though I hear Vargr taste like chicken... but I don't always believe what a Hiver tells me.

 

[BoilMyButtons]

I was thinking a Scout ship. The character (it's a solo adventure) is told that they are going on long-range exploration as a member of the Scouts, thus the large amount of supplies on board. In fact, they're the unwitting subject of a jumpdrive experiment, as the drive has been changed in some manner.

Something about the effects of this particular jump on the ship and this particular character are of interest to the researchers (not sure what yet), and it's possible it's forbidden research, as they will do anything to get their hands on both the character and the ship. Maybe there is a link between psi and jumpspace? Haven't decided yet.

The ship comes out close to Imperial space, but several years later, and when the research group realises the character is back, they can expect capture attempts. As I said, something about the jump and long isolation has made them paranoid and somewhat unstable, especially if they already suspected something due to being sent alone on such a long trip.

Could they fit many supplies in the hold and the spare staterooms? If the plant and life support is of an advanced design, again supposedly due to long range exploration, four years might be plausible if they have the supplies.

 

[steelbrok]

That sounds like a fun idea

 

[rust]

Could they fit many supplies in the hold and the spare staterooms?

According to the Beltstrike adventure, the supplies (= Rations [ge-
nerally dried], Air, Water and Waste treatment/recycling [CO2 re-
cyclers, human waste storage and recycling, dehumidifiers, and so
on]) for one person for 150 weeks take 1 dton of volume and cost
Cr 150,000. So, yes, no problem at all.

 

[far-trader]

Umm, the ship is going to require annual maintenance after a year. Any "long and deep" mission planned beyond that without checking in at a base and restocking supplies is going to look suspicious to the Scout.

I'd limit the ship experienced time to not more than a year, however long you want that to be to the rest of the universe. With the caveat that if you don't keep the two the same you've changed the nature of jumpspace and that may raise possible causality issues. In my opinion make it a 1 year jump (instead of 1 week). Time aboard and outside passes at the same rate, and after 1 year the ship pops out of jumpspace...

IF that was the plan of the experimenters in the first place.

IF on the other hand something went Wrong(tm) then the time could well be more, even make it your 4 years (still both subjective and objective though). And the proposed unknown location (to the experimenters, initially). So the experimenters have given up 3 years ago and several parsecs away. Meanwhile the resourceful Scout having stretched his supplies well beyond the expected through disgustingly clever means, and kept the ship together and running with spit and twine, has gone round the bend a bit and developed a healthy paranoia and distrust of the people who set this up. He might even have cracked the computer core and found the secret file meant to record this experimental mission, complete with full background notes. He might even have developed certain talents during his isolation and prolonged exposure to jumpspace.

...or something like that

Above all, whatever you plan, if both of you are having fun then you're playing right even if you change the "rules" of the game. And it certainly has the potential for fun, and "rule" changing.

 

[Myrm]

I'd limit the ship experienced time to not more than a year.

I'd say that the experimenters tell them its a 2 or 3 month jaunt and once in Jump they discover they are stuck there for over a year - if paranoia is the thing you are after, then finding that sort of 'you're our fall guy' message is a good place to start.

Have the telemetry dump large amounts of encrypted data on the main computer (backups of course that they never find) but when they look into it they find assorted weird things recorded - again pump the paranoia - if you want internal arguments have some of the recording apparently triggered from someone's cabin - it can later turn out to be linked to the coffee maker if you wish, but will they beleive that.....

Then give them reflec armour painted in bright rainbow colours and get them briefed by the computers AI program.....the more experienced in RPG ones might start to twitch a little at that point....(Ok Ok that last step is a step too far and breaks the mood but you get where Im going)

 

[Hopeless]

I'd go the other way and say that it was only a week since thats the standard for Traveller and time passed faster in normal space.

Perhaps have the ship exit jump with all of its onboard alarms going off as every system is effected and the PCs start off trying to get the power online perhaps even having to don vacc suits/ combat armour in the meantime and then get the rest of the systems back online before dealing with where they've ended up.

Or perhaps have to deal with that sooner if it means their ship is drifting into the path of an asteroid belt or meteor shower or getting caught in the gravity field of a gas giant, etc...

Is it really necessary for those aboard that ship to actually age?

I know some descriptions of misjumps indicates the crew aboard died of either old age or because they were stuck experiencing time at an accelerated rate in regards to normal space.

So how would your players react if they've been declared dead and whatever accounts or resources they had have been effectively either been transferred and closed or outright sold off with the monies accrued either going to their next of kin or claimed by the government if they have none?

Would be more interesting if they were on a regular trading run and are unaware one of their cargo pallets has an experimental device that goes off during the jump, now not only are they being fined for late delivery, but might even be wanted for questioning because their cargo and ship payments are overdue with several people out to repossess their ship and trying to steal their cargo as they don't know which one caused the timeslip.

 

[2330ADUSA1]

Well what you could do was say that your players were the crew of a 400Ton Armed Far Trader and when they went into Jump they had loans on their new ship and a full cargo hold of high tech experimental equipment and other high end cargo. Heck all of their Lowberths were even full as well too.

So they jump, say a Jump-3 which normally takes 3 weeks...they appear in Real Space 30 yrs latter. Listed as Lost in Space, presumed dead!!! They have systems failures when they exit into real space and have to fix many things when they come out into real space in a totally different sector of space than they were in before. Their Jump-3 turned into a Jump-30, and they had to break into their cargo to get parts to fix themselves.

Then when they manage to Jump-1 to a unknown system off their maps, and go to the space port they learn that they are 30 yrs out of step. They awake the Low berth passengers and they decide to stay onboard and join the crew. The crew has a vested interest in sticking together and working as a team. They sell off the rest of their cargo and have funds to begin with. They alter the ship's transponder beacon on the ship and fake the registry through the help of one of the NPCs and have a new lease on life. Maybe some of the Cold Sleep passangers stay at the new space port and set up shop or rather a business. In my game all money is stored in ID Smart cards that has all your IDs and records, as well as your funds. Hard to tamper with or fake, except for a few folks like the One NPC that is with you. Mybe the players now have a MOB connection, that views the 30 yrs jump as a perfect event to start over in the clear. Maybe he gives everyone a new ID and everyone becomes Agents of him.

The players become Smugglers/Merchantmen in business with the MOB guy. It isn't a far stretch and the players would be real useful to the MOB guy.

 

[BoilMyButtons]

As I've said, it's just for a single character. The reason I want him/her to spend a long time in jumpspace and have ageing is that the character should feel a real sense of loss. I'm sure it would be something of a shock to find out you've been away for decades when you only experienced a couple of weeks, but considering a Scout probably expects to be away from any loved ones they might have for at least a couple of years, they're probably not that attached to them in the first place. So I can't imagine that they would be quite as upset.

On the other hand, if they have to actually live those four years, or at least some of them, away from any human or even alien contact, that would have a terrible effect on the psyche. And the reason I was going for it being the final term of character creation rather than being part of the game is that it would simply be too boring. "OK, you're alone, as usual. What do you do?" "I shout at the bulkhead." "OK, it's a month later, what do you do?" "I drink my own urine, then talk to myself." It doesn't have to actually be one of the terms, just seemed like an interesting idea to me.

And yes, it's definitely an experiment gone wrong. The researchers probably turned up at the expected jump arrival point a year after the jump, then nothing. They set someone to watch for a year or so, but figured they were throwing their money away since the experiment was obviously a complete failure, or so they think.

As for having a big ship and crew, definitely not the feel I'm looking for. I want the character to feel very alone and frightened. They might have an ally or two back in civilisation, and the ally is willing to help, but then they turn up dead while the character is ambushed. That sort of thing. And having an unarmed Scout ship adds to that vulnerable sense. I had already intended to warn the player that while they can have the credits from character creation, don't expect to draw their pension, or any other assets they may have.

Perhaps the ship can be pristine out of the factory, with custom, very durable parts...and by the time they make it out of jump, the entire ship is pretty much trashed, and can only just make it to the nearest port.

 

[2330ADUSA1]

Well let me point out one thing with your idea, although you might thing your idea is Cool what will your player think? Also will he ever want to play it ever again or for that matter play in Traveller or as you as the GM either? All very good questions for you as the GM to sit back and think about first before you put your player through such a adventure.

Ove the years (I have 36 yrs as a player, and 26+ yrs as a GM/DM) I have seen so many other GM/DMs create situations that they think were so cool and awesome, only to blow up in their face and their players quit playing the game, the GM/DMs group, or etc. Is it playable and is it fun for the player to play? What is the point and what is the player going to get out of it? I always build into all my adventures that sense of FUN and give the player a chance to come out ahead with some advantage if they use their heads and work through the situation.

Now my current Traveller player group is made up of seven players all in there late 40's to early 50's age. We have been gaming together now for 12 - 13 yrs with me always as the GM. As a group we switch between playing in my Traveller campaign (with many of my own house rules) and my AD&D version 2.5 (also with many of my own in house rules). Both games are set in my own designed campaigns with many of my own developed histories and house rules and well the test of time shows that I am doing well. Also these guys all have their own other gaming groups that they GM/DM their own games on off weeks (we play every other week on wednesdays at my house). So my players are all GM/DMs themselves and each have their own groups too, and we have copied each others rules sets to get a complete set of very useful house rules that we all pretty much use in our own games with our different gaming groups.

So although your idea has merit, you might want to sit back and think about it play abaility for the solo player your intending to put through it. Will they truely enjoy the play or will it turn the player off and not want to play again or with you.

Just something to consider my friend.

Penn

 

[BoilMyButtons]

Yes, as I said right at the very beginning that it was at an extremely rough stage, and as I flesh it out, I'll be thinking about whether it's actually playable. I realise that it doesn't appeal to you, and that's fine. I've also seen (and run) plenty of games along a similar line that worked well.

I realise that my 20 years of experience can't compare with your 36, however, so I'll be sure to take your excellent advice on board, thanks!

 

[mllaneza]

Months or years on a small ship ? That sounds like a campaign in its own right, and a very difficult one to boot. Traveller in any of its incarnations simply isn't suited for that kind of pure roleplaying craziness; honestly I'd make a Fiasco playset and then generate Traveller characters for the survivors. Maybe a Fate variant with a Cabin Fever stress track.

What we really have here is a first pass on a Gateway RPG. In the novel by Fred Pohl, a former Gateway prospector receives therapy for the PTSD incurred on his exploration trips. A "prospector" loads up on a 1,3 or 5-man ship built by ancient ETs. You dial in a course setting on the bizarrely incomprehensible alien controls and hit the Go button. Then you pray you brought enough food and water, that the ancient ship doesn't break down, that there's something valuable at the other end of the trip, that whatever's there won't kill you horribly... Prospectors get bored, get crazy, get dead and sometimes get very, very, very rich. It's an outstanding novel and it sounds like the OP wants to run a game that could derive extensively from it.

 

[2330ADUSA1]

Dude...it was meant as constructive advice...not a slam at all.

For me I am a Roleplayer and that is what I love. I can see maybe giving the player a Proto Type Scout ship with Beta Test drive system and systems. Maybe a Corp was testing a New Drive system that uses a slightly different configuration. Maybe the Scout ship is a 200 Ton Scout with the Cargo space taken up with Proto type power plant and other tech and the may the player also has a Cool Ai computer system and some Robots.

Now the player makes the jump but after 2 weeks he discovers the system is still working and he has no idea how long it will stay running, and it is a major mistake to BREAK the system in opperation. So maybe after 4 weeks he places himself in CryoSleep (Low birth) and leaves the AI and Robots watching shop until they get out of Jump. Then two years or maybe 20 yrs latter he is awakened by the AI/Robots to discover that he has come out that many years later and in a different part of space that the ship does not have star charts for.

You could have fun with this but I would have the player come out of this with a 200 Ton ship with some good tech and a fresh start but alone. maybe they might need to find a few more players/NPCs as a live crew, and make a living too with their cool ship. Maybe the Corp. that owned the ship has gone out of business, thus no longer exists. He would still be listed as the captain on the papers of the ship, and thus he would be in charge. Granted he doesn't own the ship, but he would run it.

Anyway I meant no disrespect at all, I just wanted to point out that your situation as defined in this thread was on the dark side of Killer GM and maybe get you to soften it a bit, or atleast consider other things.

Just my friendly 2 cents worth, and 20+ yrs is still a good amount of time. Granted with my 36+ yrs, just means I have more grey hair than you!!!

Yes, as I said right at the very beginning that it was at an extremely rough stage, and as I flesh it out, I'll be thinking about whether it's actually playable. I realise that it doesn't appeal to you, and that's fine. I've also seen (and run) plenty of games along a similar line that worked well.

I realise that my 20 years of experience can't compare with your 36, however, so I'll be sure to take your excellent advice on board, thanks!

 

[BoilMyButtons]

My apologies, then. You're right, though, if I ran with what I have so far, it would be a disaster. Fortunately I do work on ideas, and discard them when necessary. So fear not. :wink:

 

[2330ADUSA1]

Consider what I defined...that could be fun for the player too. Give the AI a "Fun" personality that it has developed over the say 20 yrs it was in Jump watching over the Cryo-Sleep crew member.

I would be willing to GM it, it would also be a great way to start a player group. Using a 200 Ton Far Scout Proto type could support a 3-4 man crew with a Ai and maybe 2-3 Robots. You could have alot of fun with this.

 

[phavoc]

You could do a bit of a mix of things. Say he is stranded in jump space for a year, and he is getting more desperate as his supplies run low. The machinery should be ok, though fuel will be a problem since you can't get any more.

So when his supplies are nearly gone, he puts himself in the emergency low berth and hopes for the best. When he re-awakens, its been N number of years, and you can have all kinds of fun with him. He's running about space in a very well-maintained "classic" scout ship, he has lots of 'quaint' ideas... think of it like Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Things have changed, but people are basically the same. And just think of all the backpay the Imperium might owe him.

It could be quite fun to RP that sort of character (assuming the player and GM are into that sort of RPing).

 

[BoilMyButtons]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. It seems from what people are saying is that Traveller just isn't up to a conspiracy theory sort of game.

That seems surprising to me, as when it's boiled down, all I'm after is a way to simulate people chasing and trying to capture the player, while the player investigates what happened. There certainly seem to be rules for it, such as stealth to avoid being spotted, investigation for searching for clues, etc. The Agent career even seems tailor built for that.

It's good to know I'm barking up the wrong tree though. I've run conspiracy games in various systems before, even D&D of all things, and had them work well. I think I'll try something different for Traveller, though, as it seems it's just lacking in that department. Thanks, everyone.

 

[rust]

It seems from what people are saying is that Traveller just isn't up to a conspiracy theory sort of game.

Of course Traveller can handle this well, it is only that this kind
of adventure is somewhat untypical for Traveller for whatever
reasons, so the feedback on such ideas tends to be a bit limited.
Just go ahead anyway and give it a try, I am fairly certain that it
will be an enjoyable game. :wink:

 

[CosmicGamer]

It seems from what people are saying is that Traveller just isn't up to a conspiracy theory sort of game.

Of course Traveller can handle this well... [snip] ...I am fairly certain that it
will be an enjoyable game. :wink:

If your player has participated in this style of game with you in the past you shouldn't have any trouble.

Personally, I sometimes over role play. Say my character has gone crazy then you better be ready for me to do totally crazy unpredictable things. Hard to keep a crazy character toeing the storyline you may have worked hard preparing. If things seam dire, the character may even take their own life.