So a Sci fi game eh? What is Traveller to you?
- Thread starter Mage
- Start date
Before we go on, you'll have to define what Traveller actually is. 
Some people think Traveller is the OTU setting. Others think it's a SF ruleset. Mongoose has declared that their Traveller is the SF ruleset, and that the OTU is one setting for it (rightfully so, I think).
I think as a ruleset Traveller can handle grittier SF than fantastic SF. That means to me that Traveller is more along the lines of Alien, Blade Runner, Outland, Silent Running, Halo, or Firefly than Riddick and Fifth Element (which to me are more like Fading Suns than anything else - science fantasy. Though I love Riddick to bits, I wouldn't try playing it with Traveller).
Some people think Traveller is the OTU setting. Others think it's a SF ruleset. Mongoose has declared that their Traveller is the SF ruleset, and that the OTU is one setting for it (rightfully so, I think).
I think as a ruleset Traveller can handle grittier SF than fantastic SF. That means to me that Traveller is more along the lines of Alien, Blade Runner, Outland, Silent Running, Halo, or Firefly than Riddick and Fifth Element (which to me are more like Fading Suns than anything else - science fantasy. Though I love Riddick to bits, I wouldn't try playing it with Traveller).
Traveller for me has always been a ruleset...not the OTU setting. My group has used the races and some of the settings but more for filler for a home brewed universe.
I would love to see a Mass Effect setting done...I am just finishing the first novel and about to start the game and love the world.
But in general:
Firefly
Bladerunner
Dune
Aliens
Mass Effect
I would love to see a Mass Effect setting done...I am just finishing the first novel and about to start the game and love the world.
But in general:
Firefly
Bladerunner
Dune
Aliens
Mass Effect
weasel_fierce
Mongoose
Foundation series by Asimov (this one is Traveller as Conan is to D&D)
Starship Troopers (the book, not the wretched movie)
The parts of Star Wars that arent a fantasy story in space.
Throw in some Firefly along the way if you're so inclined
Starship Troopers (the book, not the wretched movie)
The parts of Star Wars that arent a fantasy story in space.
Throw in some Firefly along the way if you're so inclined
GamerDude
Cosmic Mongoose
I've always seen GDW Traveller as a system with a setting with a system... I.E. BOTH at the same time.
I like how MGT is going, providing a good sci-fi system that can be used in a multiple of settings. Yes it's designed for the grittier settings, the ones that have a closer feel to "realism" like Firefly, Alien, Blade Runner.
For me The Fifth Element and Riddick (not the Pitch Black, but the chronicles of) are more "tongue in cheek" adventures set in a futuristic/sci-fi-ish setting. The fifth element went for lots of tongue in cheek comedy, Riddick was ridiculous in the chop-socky spinning through the air as I attack you stuff and had that stupid planet where it was so close to its sun that the ground was being melted and blasted yet was cool enough on the 'dark' side to allow human life as well as actually have an atmosphere.
Dune was more "epic" in scope. You might be able to run a campaign in the universe of Dune, but the events in the novel are not really about individual characters so much as the entire cast of characters as a whole.
I like how MGT is going, providing a good sci-fi system that can be used in a multiple of settings. Yes it's designed for the grittier settings, the ones that have a closer feel to "realism" like Firefly, Alien, Blade Runner.
For me The Fifth Element and Riddick (not the Pitch Black, but the chronicles of) are more "tongue in cheek" adventures set in a futuristic/sci-fi-ish setting. The fifth element went for lots of tongue in cheek comedy, Riddick was ridiculous in the chop-socky spinning through the air as I attack you stuff and had that stupid planet where it was so close to its sun that the ground was being melted and blasted yet was cool enough on the 'dark' side to allow human life as well as actually have an atmosphere.
Dune was more "epic" in scope. You might be able to run a campaign in the universe of Dune, but the events in the novel are not really about individual characters so much as the entire cast of characters as a whole.
I once saw Traveller described as 'medium-hard space-opera'. That sounds as good as any other descriptor to me.
As for actual inspirations in my Trav games, I list the following:
Firefly
Alien
Aliens
Outland
Blake's 7
Dark Star (and why not?)
Starship Troopers (book, not movie)
Honor Harrington novels
Andre Norton's SF stuff (especially the Solor Queen series)
Poul Anderson's future history (especially the Flandry and van Rijn stories)
Larry Niven's Known Space
Asimov's Foundation
H. Beam Piper's Future History
Edit: Babylon 5, of course...
I know I'm probably forgetting some...
As for actual inspirations in my Trav games, I list the following:
Firefly
Alien
Aliens
Outland
Blake's 7
Dark Star (and why not?)
Starship Troopers (book, not movie)
Honor Harrington novels
Andre Norton's SF stuff (especially the Solor Queen series)
Poul Anderson's future history (especially the Flandry and van Rijn stories)
Larry Niven's Known Space
Asimov's Foundation
H. Beam Piper's Future History
Edit: Babylon 5, of course...
I know I'm probably forgetting some...
For me, it's Cole & Bunch's Sten, Herbert's Dune, McCaffrey's FSP setting, of late also Firefly, Riddick, Bujold's vorKosiverse, Just about every Errol Flynn movie ever made.
Other influences less prevalent but still important: Starship Troopers, Niven's Ringworld and Smoke Ring, Doc Smith's Fuzzy series and Lensman series, Battlestar Galactica (Original series), Buck Rodgers TV Series, Star Trek TOS and TAS, Alfred Thayer Mahan's The Influence of Seapower Upon History, Lots of USN manuals, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, several of Arthur C. Clark's novels.
Note: I found Asimov's Foundation impossible to read... I've tried with several different novels.
Other influences less prevalent but still important: Starship Troopers, Niven's Ringworld and Smoke Ring, Doc Smith's Fuzzy series and Lensman series, Battlestar Galactica (Original series), Buck Rodgers TV Series, Star Trek TOS and TAS, Alfred Thayer Mahan's The Influence of Seapower Upon History, Lots of USN manuals, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, several of Arthur C. Clark's novels.
Note: I found Asimov's Foundation impossible to read... I've tried with several different novels.
AKAramis said:
First time I tried I found it really hard to get past the first few pages. Then (about 15 years later...) I tried again and got through the first three books no problem. Odd.
You should try them anyway, you'll be amused at how much Marc blatantly ripped off from them...
weasel_fierce
Mongoose
Its fairly telling that one of the chapters is titled Merchant Prince
They are a dry read. I found them more fun when I read them a second time, after playing Traveller, than before I had played it
They are a dry read. I found them more fun when I read them a second time, after playing Traveller, than before I had played it
weasel_fierce said:Its fairly telling that one of the chapters is titled Merchant Prince
They are a dry read. I found them more fun when I read them a second time, after playing Traveller, than before I had played it
Not to mention Emperor Cleon... and Psychohistory...
I didn't find them too dry myself. Not great, but not bad either IMO.
Mongoose Gar
Mongoose
My go-to sources for Traveller inspiration:
Foundation (the original trilogy, not the sequels) - Galactic Empire, merchant princes, psionics, a big big galaxy
Ringworld - alien races, exploration
Firefly - small ship, small crew, on the raggedy edge
Rendevous with Rama - ancient superstructures and the wonder of the unknown
Singularity Sky/Iron Sunrise - humanity scattered across the galaxy forming empires, different tech levels clashing
Revelation Space and its sequels - lots of travelling, unique planets, shades of grey
Foundation (the original trilogy, not the sequels) - Galactic Empire, merchant princes, psionics, a big big galaxy
Ringworld - alien races, exploration
Firefly - small ship, small crew, on the raggedy edge
Rendevous with Rama - ancient superstructures and the wonder of the unknown
Singularity Sky/Iron Sunrise - humanity scattered across the galaxy forming empires, different tech levels clashing
Revelation Space and its sequels - lots of travelling, unique planets, shades of grey
Rikki Tikki Traveller
Cosmic Mongoose
I would say Foundation by Asimov, Andersons Flandry books and CJ Cherryh's stuff for aliens.
For TV and Movies, I use Firefly, Bladerunner and Dune.
I would also include Babylon 5 as a major inspiration especially with the varied tech levels of the races and it's grand history and scope.
For TV and Movies, I use Firefly, Bladerunner and Dune.
I would also include Babylon 5 as a major inspiration especially with the varied tech levels of the races and it's grand history and scope.
havercake lad
Banded Mongoose
The Money Programme
Open University TV
Traveller to me is sadly an economic game in a Geography lesson where I'm trying to stay awake till the bell.
This is based on lots of bad experiences of campaigns where the party has the misfortune to acquire a ship. Somehow there was always a dweeb of a player who got out a calculator and spent half the play session triying to work out the optimum route/cargo formulae so as to make a pile of credits.
348
Open University TV
Traveller to me is sadly an economic game in a Geography lesson where I'm trying to stay awake till the bell.
This is based on lots of bad experiences of campaigns where the party has the misfortune to acquire a ship. Somehow there was always a dweeb of a player who got out a calculator and spent half the play session triying to work out the optimum route/cargo formulae so as to make a pile of credits.
348
Sgt. Brassones
Mongoose
Hammer's Slammers. Perfect for the Mercenary supplement.
