[Sell Me] What will I enjoy about MGT2e?

[Tathlum]

I didn't get the first edition, but I have just impulse bought the 2nd on ebay (and the Ref Screen).

I have the following previous editions:-

Classic (starter anyway)
MegaTraveller - lots
Traveller New Era - lots
Traveller 4 - lots
Traveller t20 - some
Gurps Traveller (core and starships)

I don't think any are perfect, but all are playable and I like bits of each version. My ideal would be some sort of Frankenstein's monster. So I'm expecting Mongoose to be the same.

What does Mongoose do really well? What bits will I steal for other versions when I play them?
What are the selling points for someone who has played Traveller, but not 1st edition Mongoose?

 

[Condottiere]

Evolution? Or at least, the potential for it.

 

[Infojunky]

There really isn't much difference between 1st and 2nd edition MgT, and both of them mesh well with CT, and with a little more squinting MT.

So if you like CT and MT you should like MgT.

 

[Tathlum]

I guess was hoping for some more hype.
Is it just that the second edition is similar enough to first, that there isn't any drastic changes to go nuts about?

From pictures on line the presentation looks much better, which I support. And I saw a comment by Matt saying that the focus has changed to releasing books when they are ready, rather than to a schedule. Which again sounds great. I was a big fan of Conan and Slaine first editions and of Starship Troopers and the presentation seems to be more like them than some of the other 'goose stuff. [I don't mean to rag on Mongoose, I have no idea of the realities of running an RPG business, just a personal preference]

Is the 2nd edition compatible with 2300AD? Or close enough that conversion isn't a big deal?

 

[legozhodani]

First off. Grr! I got in late from a work shift and forgot to put my bid on that E-bay listing! It was a good deal. I must say I'm really liking the new version of the rules. First off the book is so much easier to navigate and use. The production is good and user friendly. I feel there has been a revamp of a number of rules and the changes are subtle but good. Our games group gave it a big thumbs up last night.

 

[alex_greene]

Some new things -

A new option for career progression: Pre-Career Education, introduced in Mercenary and again in Cosmopolite.

New game rules - Boon and Bane dice and the Task Chain for teamwork.

The vehicle chase rules and spacecraft rules have been shaped up.

Psionics have changed - range costs have now been dropped, abilities now have maximum ranges and a psion can extend past those ranges up to two range bands, if he's prepared to pay a heavy PSI cost. Some abilities have been dropped and new ones added.

The trade subgame has been made easier to run, and more profitable.

There is much greater integration between High Guard and the Central Supply Catalogue - gear and ships have the same stats between those books, more or less.

The core rulebook has colour graphics, and so do High Guard and the CSC.

2e is going to expand past the "Book 1 / Book 2 / Book 3" model. The first supplement out was Central Supply Catalogue (not "Supplement 1: Central Supply Catalogue") and the ship book is "High Guard," not "Book 2: High Guard."

The big campaign setting, the one Mongoose is really putting their backs into, is the "Pirates of Penzance *cough* Drinax" campaign. It's set in the Trojan Reaches, its scope is avast, sorry vast, and it's all set in the runup to the Fifth Frontier War, which could be coming very soon according to Mongoose (Just when the Travellers thought they could relax after seeing off the Aslan Fleet!).

There are dozens of little modules coming out all the time for it. Adventures in the Trojan Reach, adventures in the Spinward Marches, probable side adventures elsewhere in the setting, Referees' Briefings for things like portside shops, mercenary forces, weird anomalies and big corporations which could become brand names your Traveller will encounter regularly. Supplements for High Guard covering ships that have been put together with the new HG ship design rules.

The next book to come out will be the Vehicle Handbook, we hope, followed not long afterwards by the Traveller Companion, which is like a Players' Guide / Referees' Handbook. We hope.

And there is every indication that Mongoose Traveller is not just here to stay: for as long as they have the license, Mongoose intends to keep putting out new stuff to keep adding to the awesomeness, both in its official releases and in its releases through the Travellers' Aid Society Community Project on DrivethruRPG.

Plus there's always Castrobancla. See my sig below.

 

[Tathlum]

Thanks for the details.
I'm a little lost by the comparisons to 1st though, I didn't pick that up.

Were the changes to 2e well received? It seems to be more of a refinement than a big shake up.
So, good things; Big plans, plenty of long term support planned and products with more polish.
I'm good with that.

Any hope of a miniatures game/miniatures?

 

[Tathlum]

First off. Grr! I got in late from a work shift and forgot to put my bid on that E-bay listing! It was a good deal. I must say I'm really liking the new version of the rules. First off the book is so much easier to navigate and use. The production is good and user friendly. I feel there has been a revamp of a number of rules and the changes are subtle but good. Our games group gave it a big thumbs up last night.

Ooops. Awkward. You would have won and all, I just took a punt on a minimum bid.
Tell you what, if I find it isn't for me, and you're still interested, I'll offer to sell to you for what I bid. Sound fair?


....Although, if it's good like you suggest, I'm keeping it :wink:

 

[legozhodani]

Thanks mate, great offer! However I think/hope you enjoy it enough to keep. :wink:

 

[Solomani666]

It's the most streamlined version.

The task system makes character actions easy to play and understand.
Tasks that are not covered in the game are easily translated from English. Simple, Routine, Difficult etc.

Adding new weapons and equipment are easy.
(CT requires the creation of two charts to add a new weapon.)

 

[vargr1]

Thanks for the details.
I'm a little lost by the comparisons to 1st though, I didn't pick that up.

Were the changes to 2e well received?

I can only speak to my own preferences.

For the last decade, I've used Fate or EABA to run Traveller (adventuring in the 3I).

MgT2 is the first ruleset since MT that I'm actually making plans to run Traveller with.

Any hope of a miniatures game/miniatures?

Great Yaskodray, yes! I'd love to see an Infinity-type skirmish game for Traveller.

 

[Tathlum]

Well there we go, that's encouraging. I've also used non Traveller systems to run Traveller; Star Wars Saga edition and Spacemaster Privateers. And like I said, there are bits of each Traveller edition I'm not happy with. Now that I have kids I have less time to be fiddling with things, as enjoyable as that is. A version that plays well right out the box sounds good. Or even one that is close enough with the occasional bit stolen from another version.

Also, I love your "change fuel from liquid hydrogen to water" idea from the other thread.

 

[-Daniel-]

Well there we go, that's encouraging. I've also used non Traveller systems to run Traveller; Star Wars Saga edition and Spacemaster Privateers. And like I said, there are bits of each Traveller edition I'm not happy with. Now that I have kids I have less time to be fiddling with things, as enjoyable as that is. A version that plays well right out the box sounds good. Or even one that is close enough with the occasional bit stolen from another version.

Not for the same reasons, but this is where I am at as well. I just do not have the time nor the energy to fiddle and over house rule a game system. I have become much more tolerant in order to get to playing more and rule theory crafting less.

 

[Tathlum]

WooooHooooo!!!!!

It's arrived.
Initial impression is very positive. Big hefty good looking book. A quick flick through and I like the art and presentation. The equipment that looks like adverts are a nice touch.

Can't wait till the kids are in bed and I can take a proper look

 

[legozhodani]

Damn, he likes it! :wink:

 

[legozhodani]

How odd a double post. Well once the sprogs are down take a good look. It's user friendly. I'm trolling through the supply cat myself at the moment.

 

[alex_greene]

How odd a double post.

Sorted.

 

[Tathlum]

For a first impression, it seems pretty solid.
I have games that do bits better, but they also do some things worse. I love MegaTraveller's task rolls and personal combat, but starship combat is an ungodly mess. Traveller 4's starship combat is much neater, but the basic task system is a mess. SpaceMaster combat is awesome, but character creation and other bits are considerably more complex than they really need to be. And so on and so forth.

There wasn't anything that stood out to me as absolutely awesome, but there wasn't anything that immediately jumped out as broken either.
That may sound like I'm damning with faint praise, but it is essentially what I was looking for. It looks like a simple enough system that covers what it needs to cover to play Traveller. And I like Traveller. It looks like a system that I could just let fade into the background and do it's job, while we get on with the adventures.
And it does it in a nice looking package that harks back to the likes of Conan, Starship Troopers and Slaine, when I used to regularly buy Mongoose stuff. Bits of the art almost remind me of Eclipse Phase. I don't think it looks quite as good as Eclipse Phase, but then again, I'm not keen on Eclipse Phase's game system, so Traveller wins on that ground.

What I hoped for was a nicely presented Traveller game, which does a descent job of supporting the game.
And I think that's what I have. I think it could form the basis of a good campaign.

Maybe when I look in detail, I'll pick at something and it will all unravel. Maybe not.
But after skipping 1st edition and Traveller 5 entirely, it feels good to be interested in a new version of Traveller again.
I'll probably pick up CSC and High Guard at least.

Overall, good job Mongoose