State of the Mongoose 2025

[actionman]

Being able to give them some kind of freebie would be popular - maybe some Traveller fiction to give away?

I'm not sure about Traveller fiction being the best idea. Even if it's great, it's something that a person would read once and discard. Maybe quickstart rules and a free booklet of adventures.

 

[shirgall]

Oddly early Traveller, Gamma World, Star Frontiers, and D&D were boxed just like the wargames they were on the shelf next to! Evolving takes time, but "The Traveller Book" hardbound did a lot to go in the hardbound direction, even with great art on the cover.

 

[Sigtrygg]

"Take a science fiction odyssey to the distant worlds of the galaxy . . .

Who will you be?
Starship captain, explorer, soldier of the future, space pirate, spy, Imperial scout. . . become any science fiction character!

Where will you go?
Distant planets, underground cities, ancient alien ruins, the edge of the universe . . . journey to any science fiction destination!

What will you do?
Build your own starship, explore the universe, battle alien armies, save the galaxy or destroy it . . . create any science fiction experience!

Traveller is science fiction roleplaying, a game where you become the hero or villain. Each player is a character of the future . . . some smart, some strong, some brave. . . and each player decides what his or her character will try to do. You learn from the rules about spaceships, laser guns, computers, alien creatures, and more; then you and your friends set off to explore the galaxy."

The back of the 1983 Traveller Starter edition boxed set.

Could do with a bit of an update...

 

[IanBruntlett]

I'm not sure about Traveller fiction being the best idea. Even if it's great, it's something that a person would read once and discard. Maybe quickstart rules and a free booklet of adventures.

Yes, quick start rules and an adventures (and vignettes) booklet would work better.

 

[mavikfelna]

Demo team and play network where you recruit local GMs to run games at local stores and cons and put out a monthly adventure that has some connection to the previous months adventures so the new players can develop some attachment to their character and build interest in the setting.
I loved running Living Greyhawk for RPGA and Living Shining Jewel in the past, and those modules were all fan written and just edited and published by their respective play groups. Something like that would be a great way to get the word out.

 

[actionman]

"Take a science fiction odyssey to the distant worlds of the galaxy . . .

Who will you be?
Starship captain, explorer, soldier of the future, space pirate, spy, Imperial scout. . . become any science fiction character!

Where will you go?
Distant planets, underground cities, ancient alien ruins, the edge of the universe . . . journey to any science fiction destination!

What will you do?
Build your own starship, explore the universe, battle alien armies, save the galaxy or destroy it . . . create any science fiction experience!

Traveller is science fiction roleplaying, a game where you become the hero or villain. Each player is a character of the future . . . some smart, some strong, some brave. . . and each player decides what his or her character will try to do. You learn from the rules about spaceships, laser guns, computers, alien creatures, and more; then you and your friends set off to explore the galaxy."

The back of the 1983 Traveller Starter edition boxed set.

Could do with a bit of an update...

And here we go! The writeup, while visually semi-ok, does a good job of telling potential players what the game is about, what their roles can be, and what they can be doing.

 

[MasterGwydion]

View attachment 6668


And here we go! The writeup, while visually semi-ok, does a good job of telling potential players what the game is about, what their roles can be, and what they can be doing.

Needs more adjectives to go with the nouns and verbs. Currently the words kind of make fun stuff sound droll. Art obviously. Less plain white paper look and more exciting hardcover look is needed.

 

[actionman]

But it is 40 years old.

 

[TrippyHippy]

Because that channel works by pull and not push. That's the simple but true reason.

Well, that is what marketing is about - how to 'push the pull’ so to speak. So, as with sending a reviewer a copy of your games to promote, you need to help retailers create a demand. In a similar way, reaching out to shops and providing samples and support for setting up clubs and generate interest is what the Traveller brand needs to do more of.

I know for a fact that Chaosium actually sends willing GMs a bunch of books and merchandise if they run games in gameshops and conferences over here in NZ, for example. This sort of stuff generates brand recognition and loyalty - and Traveller doesn’t do that currently. There is a stark contrast, incidentally, between older gamers who all remember Traveller and younger gamers who have never heard of it.

 

[Bifford]

Needs more adjectives to go with the nouns and verbs. Currently the words kind of make fun stuff sound droll. Art obviously. Less plain white paper look and more exciting hardcover look is needed.

I agree. Take the sentence: "Starship captain, explorer, soldier of the future, space pirate, spy, Imperial scout. . . become any science fiction character!"
Then think how Lazers & Feelings would do it:
"Heroic starship captain, wonderlust explorer, reluctant soldier of the future, fun-loving space pirate, cocky spy, gung-ho Imperial scout. . . become any science fiction character!

...and it moves things to a whole new level.

 

[MongooseMatt]

A 2300AD TAS? Yes, please.

When will it be ready for submissions?

Just waiting for a date - will be very soon!

 

[MongooseMatt]

You guys want to take a swing at this? Either for that Traveller landing page or a future Core Rulebook printing?

A free Traveller book for the best!

 

[Sigtrygg]

View attachment 6668


And here we go! The writeup, while visually semi-ok, does a good job of telling potential players what the game is about, what their roles can be, and what they can be doing.

Yup, I would update a few of the blurbs and add a bit more artwork...

 

[Sigtrygg]

Take a science fiction odyssey to the distant worlds of the galaxy . . .

Who will you be?

Heroic starship captain, intrepid explorer, jaded soldier of the future, dreaded space pirate, spy for hire, down on their luck scout . . . become any science fiction character!

Where will you go?
Distant planets, underground cities, ancient alien ruins, alien worlds lost to time, artificial worlds, the edge of the universe . . . journey to any science fiction destination you can imagine!

What will you do?
Build your own starship, explore the universe, battle alien armies, interact with different cultures, encounter robots and alien life, save the galaxy or destroy it . . . create any science fiction experience!

Traveller is science fiction roleplaying, a game where you become the hero or villain. Each player is a character of the future, or the past . . . some smart, some strong, some brave. . . and each player decides what his or her character will do. You learn from the rules about spaceships, plasma guns, computers, alien creatures, and more; then you and your friends set off to explore the galaxy of your imagination!

That's my first attempt...

 

[lategamer]

Great efforts but none of this is marketing. (No rooster sacrifices, no pledges to dark gods)

Even being the dude who comments "Traveller!" on a reddit post asking about a sci-fi game isn't going to cut the mustard.

Being able to show this game can emulate Foundation or Murderbot would be much more valuable. Those licenses would be super-awkward but someone will get them.

 

[Condottiere]

We could take the Wing Commander approach, and have masses of tigers slaughtering humans on colony worlds, and humans fighting back in carrier task groups.

 

[Sigtrygg]

I thought that was already covered in PoD and the Glorious Empire...

 

[Sigtrygg]

Being able to show this game can emulate Foundation or Murderbot would be much more valuable. Those licenses would be super-awkward but someone will get them.

Traveller can do Foundation (TV series) with nothing more than the core rule book... Murderbot has an interesting universe to explore, can't see much that Traveller couldn't cope with in the TV series or books.

 

[lategamer]

Traveller can do Foundation (TV series) with nothing more than the core rule book...

I could run Foundation with any system. But it needs to be shown.

The Third Imperium could manage it easily enough.

 

[Sigtrygg]

The Third Imperium is in some ways an albatross that holds Traveller down. If people want a sci fi game to run their own setting, or a setting based on some media or other, they often (on rpgnet at any rate) immediately dismiss Traveller because the groupthink is that Traveller can only do The Third Imperium, is only The Third Imperium.
The Galactic Empire of the Foundation TV series, and the books, is sufficiently different to require some new fluff and technology descriptions, but the core elements are all there, it would be an easy setting to describe and run with Traveller.