Just Got Traveller - First Impressions

[C. Chapman]

Yeah, yeah, I've been roleplaying for the better part of three decades, and only just decided to give Traveller a serious look. I'm a bad man.

Anyway, ordered a copy of the main rulebook direct from Mongoose about week ago, and it arrived a couple of days ago. Overall, I'm pleasantly surprised by the simplicity and elegance of the rules, and as I love Lifepath systems, I immediately fell in love with them.

Three things struck me though as downsides to what I feel is a very decent purchase: 1) there's some oddities in terms of text referencing and editing (such as the chargen example referring to "promotions" all the time, when the promotions tables are actually titled "Advancement", and the rank name mess up in said chargen example), 2) the godawful art (those single large, scribbly cartoonish pics at the top of every second Career page just don't inspire at all), and 3) the character sheet (looks like a blocky afterthought).

Anyway, enough rambling from me, time to scour the forums and Trav web pages for tasty morsels!

cheers!
Colin

 

[AndrewW]

Welcome to the fold you are now trapped like the rest of us.

 

[Infojunky]

There is a much better character sheet for down load now from the Mongoose main site.

 

[zorlak21]

mmm goodnns

 

[GypsyComet]

Anyway, ordered a copy of the main rulebook direct from Mongoose about week ago...

Three things struck me though as downsides to what I feel is a very decent purchase: ...

2) the godawful art (those single large, scribbly cartoonish pics at the top of every second Career page just don't inspire at all...

Getting good fantasy art is pretty easy. Getting good SF art has always been a bit tougher, particularly now if you want to avoid an anime vibe.

 

[C. Chapman]

Getting good fantasy art is pretty easy. Getting good SF art has always been a bit tougher, particularly now if you want to avoid an anime vibe.

Nah, it's really not hard to find good artists capable of handling sci-fi. You can find plenty of good examples (some more anime, others definitely not) in this thread I created on the CthulhuTech boards:

http://cthulhutech.10.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=936

Plus, I've encountered plenty of folks while doing various rpg freelance projects who are more than capable of producing good sci-fi art.

Colin

 

[C. Chapman]

There is a much better character sheet for down load now from the Mongoose main site.

Thanks for the heads-up. Much appreciated.

Colin

 

[EDG]

Also, they updated the character art - it's quite a bit better now. It sounds like you got a first printing of the book.

 

[Stainless]

Colin,

Welcome from the Hollow Earth.

If you ordered direct from Mongoose, and yet got one of the early 'crappy art' copies, you should send it back to them and demand the most up to date printing.

 

[Gee4orce]

Getting good fantasy art is pretty easy. Getting good SF art has always been a bit tougher, particularly now if you want to avoid an anime vibe.

Maybe - but the MegaTraveller era books have some outstanding artwork, and there are more talented amateur artists producing SF artwork now than ever before. Perhaps the issue isn't difficulty, but cost....

Google for the 'Concept Ships' blog for some example of some current work that's being done

 

[Vile]

mmm goodnns

You're gonna wear out the m on your keyboard.

 

[C. Chapman]

Colin,

Welcome from the Hollow Earth.

If you ordered direct from Mongoose, and yet got one of the early 'crappy art' copies, you should send it back to them and demand the most up to date printing.

Thanks, and love the avatar, by the way.

So, if I'm understanding you correctly, I've been sent an older printing by Mongoose, even though there's a newer one? Hang on...

Yeah, thought I saw this (posted on the 8th of January, so well before I placed my order):

All hardbacks we are supplying right now are the latest version with revised art.

Just to be 100% certain, here's a quick pic of a career spread in my copy:

If this is a 1st printing, then Mongoose need to sort it out. Given that I've also recently ordered severaly of the supplements directly from them as well, I'm now a bit concerned that I may be sent older copies of those as well.

cheers!
Colin

 

[EDG]

I'd suggest PMing Matt (msprange) and asking him about it.

 

[Stainless]

Bzzzzt! That's vesion 1.0 or 1.1. The current version should be 1.2 with new artwork and errata. I'm sure they'll say they have no idea how that was sent out. :?

 

[C. Chapman]

I PM'd Matt and he responded quickly, letting me know that a new printing copy was now on its way to me.

Colin

 

[Walker]

I PM'd Matt and he responded quickly, letting me know that a new printing copy was now on its way to me.

Colin

So I have the same art work as above in my book but I got it from my FLGS. I assume I DON'T have the same recourse as C. Chapman, ie send it to Mongoose for a replacement?

(not really a deal breaker by the way). :wink: