Traveller B5

dorward said:
Ronin84 said:
Gee...looks like I am going to be pushy...was there any more news about this release, I have been a pain to my LGS for the past month about Traveller product. ;)
Click to expand...

Matt commented in an earlier thread today that they are still working on polishing it.

I guess it won't be much longer, and much as I want it NOW NOW NOW, I'd rather the guys and gals at Mongoose Towers made it as close to perfect as possible first.
Click to expand...

Thanks and I will be calmer now...was hoping that it would be out in January but looks like February now...
 
I've tried hitting the T5 site lately, and it isn't up.

Is it dead? Or has the webmaster ran off screaming into the night?

And what does that mean for both Mongoose Traveller and us, the fans...

Maybe I'm just being paranoid and they changed web addresses, and for some strange reason I can't find them. If so, please let me know.
 
sorry it took so long for me to respond.

By T5, I mean Traveller 5. Babylon 5 is usually abbreviated B5. :wink:

Actually the T5 site is back up.
Still don't know if their server was down, or my ISP was having DNS problems again.
(In the past I verified several times my ISP had a bad DNS, they then fixed it within two hours of recieving proof, but never admit to the problems... Comcast sucks.)
 
The super-secret site that only special people are allowed to go to...

I haven't been there either.

To be involved in the T5 playtest, you have to preorder the T5 CD. Then you get to be part of the gang doing the playtesting and make comments about stuff that might get incorporated.

Some like, some think it is a waste of money. YMMV.
 
Rikki Tikki Traveller said:
The super-secret site that only special people are allowed to go to...

I haven't been there either.

To be involved in the T5 playtest, you have to preorder the T5 CD. Then you get to be part of the gang doing the playtesting and make comments about stuff that might get incorporated.

Some like, some think it is a waste of money. YMMV.
Click to expand...

As someone who paid up and lurks on said super secret site, and who, as you will all know, isn't above pointing out some of what he thinks are real problems with Traveller, I can safely say, without violating confidentiality, that the material definitely is worth paying up for.

I don't like or agree with all the rules; they're not complete or completely playable as they stand at present, either; but there is some material in there that shows that Marc has been thinking seriously about where the OTU is going, where it has been, why it turned out the way it did, and some hints as to other ways it could have progressed ... amongst many other gems and tidbits ...

Well and truly worth the sign up fee, IMNSHO 8)

Phil
 
I'm not part of the playtest for T5, I feel kinda of dirty with the idea of paying for a 'beta'.

However, I have one question that I doubt will be a problem with the NDA.

Has Marc gone table and formula happy again?
(For me, too many tables and algebraic equations kinda wrecks the fun.)
 
barasawa said:
Has Marc gone table and formula happy again?
(For me, too many tables and algebraic equations kinda wrecks the fun.)
Click to expand...

Actually in feel it is a lot like MegaTraveller. Their goal so far is simple arithmetic. So there will have to be charts and tables.
 
barasawa said:
Has Marc gone table and formula happy again?
(For me, too many tables and algebraic equations kinda wrecks the fun.)
Click to expand...

Not noticeably. In fact, the Gun and Armour design systems are notably table free :shock:

It's similar in concept to Greg Porter's "Stuff!" in that its mostly additive or subtractive rather than equational ... same for Starship design ... however, I make no comment as to the utility or playability of the system as it stands, as I haven't tried it ...

At the moment the only campaign I am running is one for RedBrick's "Fading Suns" and am playing in a 7th Sea Campaign, a Chaosium Basic RolePlaying Campaign and a DnD3e campaign ... haven't even had time or slots in our schedule to try MongTrav yet, except for a few dry runs.

However, like I said, there's a lot of material there and it shows that Marc has been thinking seriously about some of the technology related issues (i.e. constant low level flamewars about how outdated TravTech is) and social issues and has a handle on some of them ... or at least is making an effort to get a handle on some of them.

It looks promising, even if it is, effectively, a Beta at this stage.

Phil
 
aspqrz said:
Not noticeably.
Click to expand...

Are you kidding me?! I've seen T5 (at least in the form it was in when it was "released" on CD a few months ago - one of my friends on the playtest showed me it), and it's chock-full of tables (and very little explanation).

From what I saw (and I had a good look through it), Marc's descended even more into the "we must randomise absolutely everything for the hell of it" mindset that he had with CT.
 
aspqrz said:
barasawa said:
Has Marc gone table and formula happy again?
(For me, too many tables and algebraic equations kinda wrecks the fun.)
Click to expand...

Not noticeably. In fact, the Gun and Armour design systems are notably table free :shock:

It's similar in concept to Greg Porter's "Stuff!" in that its mostly additive or subtractive rather than equational ... same for Starship design ... however, I make no comment as to the utility or playability of the system as it stands, as I haven't tried it ...

...

Phil
Click to expand...
I agree with the stuff I removed
As for the rest, I sort of agree. It is easier then Gun, Gun, Guns.
But Armor does have 7 pages of table/charts, 5 pages of pictures, 4 pages of examples and the rest as descriptions and explainations (7pages).

It is very staight forward to build some armor. And with the 4 pages of example armor you don't have to even build if you don't want to.

Guns have 11 pages of table/charts, 9 pages of images/examples, and the rest are description and explainations (6 pages).

So, it depends on how you read them.

Then there is a vehicle maker section and space ship section. And in each case there are example vehicles that will or are included in each section.

NOTE: The above listing of pages are just what is now. With some of the fine tuning it might be more, it might be less.

Dave Chase
 
barasawa said:
I'm not part of the playtest for T5, I feel kinda of dirty with the idea of paying for a 'beta'.

However, I have one question that I doubt will be a problem with the NDA.

Has Marc gone table and formula happy again?
(For me, too many tables and algebraic equations kinda wrecks the fun.)
Click to expand...

Nah. Considering its brief is to cover 8 suppliments and assorted myriad extra articles in addition to the core rules in a much more generic SF format than either CT or MGT (or MT/T4) in one go, its about where it should be. It's different, for sure from most games nowadays which rely on narrative explanation of complex systems - where they present them. That approach is less technical looking, and possibly less intimidating, but much more prone to internal contradiction and context typos (in addition to spelling and grammar). Tables, especially when using a unified format, are excellent tools for concisely presenting information; and they do seem to work in T5.

That said, I am hoping its final form is less functional than the playtest docs. But it won't need much to tie it together, if one can accept a different presentation than standard games. If not, it'll probably be awful. Still, the hypernarrative tableless indy games are the other side, and run hundreds of pages, and are love or hate items. So it isn't suprising if T5 is the same.

Still. This is a B5 thread, not T5. Just had 2 free centicreds to kick in. Over and out.
 
EDG said:
aspqrz said:
Not noticeably.
Click to expand...
From what I saw (and I had a good look through it), Marc's descended even more into the "we must randomise absolutely everything for the hell of it" mindset that he had with CT.
Click to expand...

Which is, as others have pointed out, not at all the same as "gone table happy" :D :D :D :D

Phil
 
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