reached stumbling block on a Traveller game using cards idea

[GamingGlen]

I've worked on a simple Traveller character generation system using cards and multi-step mission/adventure sequence of play game, but ran into a stumbling block. What would be the goal of an RPG-based card game playable in a short time (roughly 1 hour per mission, maybe). As a friend asked, "How do you win?". And this has stopped me cold. How do you win in an RPG? Set up some arbitrary victory conditions for the card game only?

Anyway, I thought this would be a way to introduce Traveller to new people, a sort of "Traveller Simple" (instead of "Traveller Lite"), especially since non-CCG card games are all the rage these days in gaming (or at least in my area).

(BTW, Matt, if you want to contact me for more info, please do. I can't seem to figure out how to send PMs. Which isn't hard for me to do, things have to jump out and bite me so that I can notice or find them ).

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

Rule #1, look for players that are not trying to win. There are no other rules. Show players how role-playing works, rather than make Traveller a card game.

 

[TrippyHippy]

I've worked on a simple Traveller character generation system using cards and multi-step mission/adventure sequence of play game, but ran into a stumbling block. What would be the goal of an RPG-based card game playable in a short time (roughly 1 hour per mission, maybe). As a friend asked, "How do you win?". And this has stopped me cold. How do you win in an RPG? Set up some arbitrary victory conditions for the card game only?

Anyway, I thought this would be a way to introduce Traveller to new people, a sort of "Traveller Simple" (instead of "Traveller Lite"), especially since non-CCG card games are all the rage these days in gaming (or at least in my area).

(BTW, Matt, if you want to contact me for more info, please do. I can't seem to figure out how to send PMs. Which isn’t hard for me to do, things have to jump out and bite me so that I can notice or find them ).

Rule #2 Don’t let a grouch inhibit your creativity.

I’ve generally found that the thematic goal of many Traveller campaigns often amounts to the profit margin the crew make in relation to their ship. That is, they usually begin the game heavily in debt as they pay off a mortgage, but as they develop trading opportunities they improve their economic standing generally and get more stuff. In terms of the Character Generation system this is represented by ‘Mustering Out’ essentially.

 

[dragoner]

Understanding Traveller, from the classic era had this to say on page 3:

In fact, there are actually no rules for winning the game; the winning is in the playing and the staying alive.

It does talk about being goal oriented, I think it is the journey that is where the adventure happens, goals are good for that. Maybe the trick would have various goals set forth that the players can choose from.

 

[AndrewW]

(BTW, Matt, if you want to contact me for more info, please do. I can't seem to figure out how to send PMs. Which isn't hard for me to do, things have to jump out and bite me so that I can notice or find them ).

That's not you, he has PM's disabled on his forum account. You can reach him by email however (msprange@mongoosepublishing.com).

As for victory conditions, paying off their ships mortgage.

Completing a specific mission for a patron.

There can be lots of goals along the way within a campaign.

What sort of missions did you want to put into the game?

 

[Condottiere]

It's an episodic television show, and you happen to be playing your favourite character.

Card games can be structured to be cooperative, in that other players can play cards to help out characters in trouble or boost their capabilities, but are ultimately limited for options by the cards.

 

[CosmicGamer]

As a friend asked, "How do you win?". And this has stopped me cold. How do you win in an RPG?

People are all different.

If you make it all about winning and losing...

Ever see a kid get supper upset because they don't win and say "I'm never going to play again!"?

I know of many games where there is a clear winner and loser but I have no interest in playing them, even if I have a good chance of winning. The game itself is no fun.

I know of games where I have little chance of winning but I would still play. The game is fun to play.

Most games have a goal to work towards, reach the other side of a game board, score a set number of points first or the most points in a specified time, collect all the tokens, get to a certain location first or without dying, or whatever. Maybe a goal is achieved or time runs out so the game ends and winners and losers are declared.

For me, especially in a RPG, it is about having fun playing and usually there is no specified ending. A character can be killed but the player didn't lose, they roll up a new character and continue to play. As long as we are enjoying the game we keep coming back and playing.

As I said at the start, people are all different. So too are GMs. They may have a game tuned specifically to what their players want: combat, trade, solving a murder, saving the princess... or they may help guide and mold what the goal is "your ship needs repairs you can't afford, a patron offers you a job to do such and such".

Now with you're game I'm not quite sure what the cards are for and how this changes how you play. Do the cards step the characters through a mission and does the game end with the success or failure? Not that there needs to be one, but is there a built in construct that ends your game? The death of a character, the end of a gaming session, you run through the cards and there is no reshuffle...

 

[GamingGlen]

Rule #1, look for players that are not trying to win. There are no other rules. Show players how role-playing works, rather than make Traveller a card game.

Rule #1: read what people write, not what you think they wrote.

To clarify, I got the idea to make a RPG-like card game using MGT. I'm not looking for players; those I have. Perhaps the card game could be that mythical game that introduces Traveller to new people (yeah, grand delusions and all). Maybe it does not need a victory condition for an individual player, but I doubt just playing the game is good enough for a short-play-time card game. But I could be wrong.

 

[DickTurpin]

I've worked on a simple Traveller character generation system using cards and multi-step mission/adventure sequence of play game, but ran into a stumbling block. What would be the goal of an RPG-based card game playable in a short time (roughly 1 hour per mission, maybe). As a friend asked, "How do you win?". And this has stopped me cold. How do you win in an RPG? Set up some arbitrary victory conditions for the card game only?

In a Traveller campaign there is a story arc with individual scenarios presenting obstacles that the characters are required to overcome to reach a desired goal. In a card game the story arc is unlikely to be present (although a distant goal could be stated in the game introduction if you wish), but individual goals or obstacles could be present that are the focus of each play session.

Randomly selected Goal cards could be drawn at the beginning of each game to represent the objective to be met that session. Individual game goals could be things like "Make the Mortgage", "Rescue the Prisoner", "Find the Artifact", "Deliver the Vaccine", etc. Each goal card would present a series of challenges the must be overcome for the players to win that game. "Winning" would be an all or none situation like in games like Pandemic where certain conditions must be met before play ends either due to time elapsed or a specific event occurs. Players then win or lose the game as a team, there is no indivdual winner.

 

[GamingGlen]

Hmm, random goal cards... I like.

 

[Condottiere]

http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=23541

Haven't gone beyond the first page, but here's a discussion on it.