Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Some governments view having an agricultural sector as part of national security.
Apparently, I think we have a strategic coffee stockpile.
Apparently, I think we have a strategic coffee stockpile.
Lack of affinity for players when creating a Farmer Traveller?
- Thread starter Limpin Legin
- Start date
Garnfellow
Cosmic Mongoose
I want to challenge your premise that "the Drifter is such a dropout type of character," because I used to have the very same prejudice. Reading books from the Dumarest series, which was heavily influential on Traveller, I came to realize that Drifter is, if anything, the quintessential Traveller career. Rather than think of the Drifter as a wash-out or failure, think of the Drifter as an anti-establishment type who has consciously opted out of the whole Space Fascist Capitalist Complex, man, and has chosen to just, like, live in the Universe. A drifter might be a naive nepo baby, sure, but more likely they are a cynic who learned the hard way that the system is rigged against the average citizen and the only way to beat the game is not to play it. "I did two terms in the Marines, saw some real bad stuff, real bad, and just realized I didn't want to spend the rest of my life working for the Empire. Out here in the black nobody tells me what to do, when to do it, or how to do it. Am I broke? Yeah, today I am -- but maybe not tomorrow. But either way I'm free."
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Limpin Legin
Cosmic Mongoose
Thanks for your views on the Drifter career path. Quite honest and insightful, but it is not enough to revive it for me as a skillset and a backstory.
Farmers aren't actually dropouts at all. They are just mellow and laidback because they are waiting for the piglets to grow up over the months and years and waiting for the seasons to nurture the crops. In between that there is the need to train in plenty of skills. Nowadays that includes plenty of high tech skills that could be useful to a Traveller adventuring party.
I still feel that the Drifter lacks traction in this respect. Although I would agree with your observation that the Drifter is a naive nepo baby who, according to my observation, eventually becomes a Believer or a Truther (described in the Traveller Companion). I do know "Drifters" in real life who have actually followed these sort of paths. Just not quite my farmer/RPG player example. Hence the request for something fathomably different.
We successfully created a character. At the time the player had no idea what would be considered a good character. I feel the Drifter skills building lacked traction in terms of opening adventure doorways for that player. I also know what he really wanted because of my experience of his choices in other games, if that helps.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
There have been attempts at an etcetera profession.
Has a liberal arts degree course been considered?
Has a liberal arts degree course been considered?
MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
I would agree, but as an Army MP, he should have more skills from Agent (Law Enforcement), not just the skills from Army. Military Police are not really covered in the CRB careers.
Limpin Legin
Cosmic Mongoose
Possibly a suitable farmer 'liberal' mentality might be more Solar Punk perhaps:
- Renewable energy
- Refusing pessimism
- Sustainable technology
- Do-it-yourself ethos
Some might find it more preferable than being a cog in the citizen machine
Last edited:
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
2. Organic farming.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
They're already uplifted.
Though, wouldn't trust them as farmers, they'd eat up the merchandize.
Though, wouldn't trust them as farmers, they'd eat up the merchandize.
I grew up in a rural place (in the UK). I do not recognize this description of farmers.
Overworked, constantly stressed and complaining, was what I observed. Unless they were hobby farmers...
Limpin Legin
Cosmic Mongoose
Sorry if I overgeneralised. I hadn't mentioned hours of work. Yes, they do tend to virtually work all hours of daylight, but that adds little to the Career Path game mechanic because the game is only concerned with a few rolls every four years. Again, yes, I've witnessed real farmers complain too, now you mention it. Usually about outgoing costs, vegans, legal red-tape, trespassers and city types. But if you are the Farmer, then you kinda know that you are the source of living communities, and if you poison the source, then the whole community downstream is poisoned with the Farmer's "bad attitude". That is all backstory stuff and not skill and characteristic building - which was what I was looking at. Never seen a Farmer as stressed as a Scholar or Broker or other City type. Maybe that is subjective. You are entitled to that opinion. I just saw a niche in the game that didn't look like it was filled with a suitable Career Path. My home town also has an agricultural college that has just become an university. So I do see other sides of the Industry, and I'm quite interested in how robotics might affect such communities with changes in skills development, etc. In a science-fiction context, like Traveller, I would also be interested what Farmers on Terraformed planets might be like. But that line of inquiry could be easily dismissed if there is no milage in finding different in-game skills.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Farming is in the process of getting automated.
I think the war in Ukraine is going to kickstart cheap drone manufacture, and the software to control them, especially sensor recognition and reaction.
Software is going to recognize exactly how plants should look like at each stage of development, and individually provide them nutrients; I expect that weeding is outsourced, as well.
How far we'll be going into hydroponics and vertical farming, in the short run, who knows?
In Traveller, almost certainly.
I think the war in Ukraine is going to kickstart cheap drone manufacture, and the software to control them, especially sensor recognition and reaction.
Software is going to recognize exactly how plants should look like at each stage of development, and individually provide them nutrients; I expect that weeding is outsourced, as well.
How far we'll be going into hydroponics and vertical farming, in the short run, who knows?
In Traveller, almost certainly.
From your description of the guy, I'd run with Colonist, but swap out the odd skill to suit him more. Call it 'Frontiersman' or something...
I'd add END to Personal Dev, drop Streetwise and Flyer from service, replace with Recon and Stealth. Advanced Ed should be anything plausible based on the setting. Any skills he needs that aren't there, you can add by changing an event or two.
Rank 0: Filth slogger SOC-1
Going back to the original post, you could add an event, were a high ranking noble and his retinue ask you for directions. You can tell him the way, and gain +1 to a BR, or get into a political debate and gain Advocate 1, and SOC+1.
Limpin Legin
Cosmic Mongoose
SOC-1 would make the Career Path lower than Drifter, so that would defeat the purpose of my original question .
Limpin Legin
Cosmic Mongoose
Exactly! The career paths are, in my opinion, allocated from the point of view of the employer who naturally wants that sort of work done. Not allocated from a point of view of someone who is biased against certain occupations.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
From an overall hierarchical perspective, it would be correct, especially how an outsider would view it.
Whether you'd want to incorporate as a game mechanic, might be a different issue.
Once you're out of the entry positions, that stigma is removed.
Whether you'd want to incorporate as a game mechanic, might be a different issue.
Once you're out of the entry positions, that stigma is removed.
Similar threads
