Sell me on MgT2300

[rgrove0172]

Im having a hard time with all the glitches in the translation of the rules from classic 2300 to the Traveller version. Yeah, the system is updated but merging the two is anything but a simple process.

Anyone care to sell me on going ahead with the change, or should I stick to classic 2300 and StarCruiser for my upcoming campaign?

 

[Lemnoc]

My 2¢ from the questions you've asked is you seem to want a wargame. You're focused on crunchy starship maneuvers and starship combat, and starship mechanics and operations that lead to combat.

I think it's pretty evident that Colin (and I compliment him for this) reconciled the disconnect in the original about whether it wanted to be a wargame or a role-playing game, and he chose the latter. He emphasized a universe one can adventure in. Traveller is firmly an adventure RPG and glosses a tremendous amount of wargame crunchiness. Trav—generally speaking—prefers storytelling over stats.

If you're into weapons and soldiery and military maneuvers, then I think the old GDW probably works best for you, although I think you're going to be houseruling a heck of a lot of it. In a lot of ways the very concept of stutterwarp precludes ship-to-ship combats and makes them just a bit implausible and therefore rare. But... Y2300UMMV.

You've not expressed a desire to run anything other than starship combats, so would think a starship combat system, a wargame, would work best for you. My 2¢.

 

[rgrove0172]

I understand how you gathered that opinion but you couldnt be more off the mark. I am very very much in the RPG camp and have no desire to play a tactical wargame in the middle of our roleplaying session.

The reason Ive been fixating on the space combat questions is that more than any other area these rules seem to need some clarrification. The rest of the translation hasnt given me any trouble and hense, no questions.

I want to be able to describe the space combat in fairly detailed and personal terms to the player/characters involved. To do this I need info, the more the better. Extremely vague handling either allows you to wing the details yourself with artistic license or leaves you unable to provide them at all.

Originally I thought the MgT2300 version of the setting would allow me the freedom to do just that but I keep running into odd snags... and worse, very few seem familiar enough with the rules to shine much more than a casual opinion on the issues that have come up. Its this reason more than any other that has me, regrettibly, considering laying MgT2300 back down.

 

[Colin]

Integrating starship combat wasn't particularly easy, since I had to stick with the general concepts of Mongoose Traveller starship combat, and the two do not entirely gibe. This resulted in range and scale changes to most aspects of starship combat. My goal was to try to keep the flavour of 2300Ad combat, within the rules of Mongoose Traveller. The rules presented in the 2300AD core book are more of an overly for the Traveller system.

You are not the only person to have concerns about the starship combat. When going between the two, the rules of Mongoose Traveller generally took precedence, rather than 2300, or concepts were modified to better fit 2300.

Case in point is grav sensors. In 2300AD, these are not densitometers. they do not have the mapping and deep-ground-penetrating abilities of a densitometer. They are more akin to an astronomical instrument. Since an operating stutterwarp drive distorts spacetime, this shows up as an anomaly on grav scanners. While they cannot pinpoint with any sort of accuracy, they can detect an operating stutterwarp across a star system.

I guess I have to work on Star Cruiser II, to make it more of an integrated whole.

 

[rgrove0172]

Thanks for posting Colin, I hope my rants havent seemed like criticism. Ive assumed all along it ME not understanding not the fault of the document.. but I havent found many that could help.
If your willing to respond privately to maybe 3 or 4 specific questions, it would help a great deal. And if not... no problem at all. I appreciate your checking in here.

 

[Colin]

Fire away. While I do intend to do Star Cruiser II, there are at least two or three books to be done first. However, feedback on starship design and starship combat will inform the final book.

 

[rgrove0172]

Thanks very much!

 

[Captain Jonah]

Im having a hard time with all the glitches in the translation of the rules from classic 2300 to the Traveller version. Yeah, the system is updated but merging the two is anything but a simple process.

Anyone care to sell me on going ahead with the change, or should I stick to classic 2300 and StarCruiser for my upcoming campaign?

Well I would have to say that if you are familiar with Traveller and since you are looking at a role playing game then go with Traveller.

You can abstract any space combat to a description without needing to house rule anything since it’s not likely to happen that often unless you are up the French arm during the Bug invasion.
If you want more crunchy then stay with GDW. Traveller is a more detailed RP system, GDW is a better war game system.

Either way the universe is a great place to adventure. The cruder nature of the tech, the much smaller scale with three arms and worlds you can remember rather than the 3rdImperiums vast and impersonal scale makes for better games.

I am biased a bit but I like 2300 better than the 3rd Imperium.

Colin has done a great job of converting 2300 to the Traveller RP system. Go with that. You also have the advantage that it is a current system and there are lots of writers and refs around to answer questions.

Integrating starship combat wasn't particularly easy, since I had to stick with the general concepts of Mongoose Traveller starship combat, and the two do not entirely gibe.

That’s a very diplomatic way of putting it :lol:

By the way Colin. In case anyone hasn’t said this recently we all appreciate your support here. It’s always nice having the game writer answer questions.

Hopefully people buy you a drink or a doughnut when they meet you.

 

[torus]

StarCruiser II could be good - my recommendation is make it lightweight and fun! The original StarCruiser == least fun game I ever attempted to play.

 

[Colin]

My vision for Starcruiser II is a complete starship design system, drawing everything together so only one book is required. On top of this goes both a RP combat system (more abstract, but ensuring that all players have something to do every round) and a miniatures/battlemap/tokens sort of system. Both would be intercompatible, and would incorporate appropriate elements of High Guard, scaled for the "small-ship" 2300AD universe. Then a bunch of "historical battles", ships, and similar stuff. Ships 1000 tons and smaller would get deck plans, while larger ships would get general layouts, all marked for the "boarding party" rules. Rules for interface operation and combat. What happens with a det-laser in atmosphere?

Boarding pods and an abstracted boarding system for the battlemap-level system. Combat is section by section, favouring the "home" team, but results based on firepower. Firepower is a measure of numbers, training and weapons. Chance of damaging systems, and rules for damaging systems. Kept down to two pages of rules, based on my memories of Azhanti High Lightning.

 

[Lemnoc]

My vision for Starcruiser II is a complete starship design system, drawing everything together so only one book is required.....

OK. Where do I send my money?