So I picked up the Mongoose Traveller core rulebook at GenCon, and I am really liking it. I didn't have much prior experience with Traveller. I played in a game using the original little black books a few years ago, and that was about it. The rulebook is doing what a gamebook should - it makes me want to run a game.
I have actually sat down and started generating subsectors for my own little corner of the 3I. No rush; I'm probably going to have to wait until some other current games come to a close before I get my opportunity to run. Random generation provides a lot of inspiration and is an amusing mingame in its own right. I figure I do a grid of 9 subsectors, start the PCs off in the center one, and I'm probably covered for a campaign.
A few changes I made to the planet generation process:
1. For any world with an atmosphere breathable without equipment (5, 6, or 8 ) no extreme environmental conditions and a Hydro that's not 0 or 10, I generally don't apply the -2 to the 2d6 population roll. I figure worlds like that will experience a big population boom. (Though if I rolled a 2, I would apply it because an empty garden world is cool.)
2. Any hex with a planet I roll an extra 2d6. On a 12, there are two inhabited worlds (well potentially) in that hex. That results in about 1 double-hex per subsector.
3. Since the Government table tops out at D rather than going 13+, I let it wrap all the way around. A 14 is government 1, a 15 government 2, and so on. This doesn't affect things too often, as obviously you have to have a population 9 world minimum to loop around, but I did get one highly populated, high tech, direct democracy world that could be a lot of fun.
I am pondering placing the grid on a corner between Solomani and Hiver worlds so there's influence from both.
Things I'm wondeirng about:
1. Despite the image of a Scout landing on a fresh, unsurveyed world, it doesn't seem likely that would happen very often. I'm guessing they do a lot of work surveying worlds that already have a colony but haven't been fully explored (a world is a huge place after all) and surveying the rest of the solar system in addition to settled worlds looking for mineral wealth or anomolies (a solar system being an even huger place). They also seem like the Imperium's primary contact for dealing with low tech-level civiliations. (Sort of 'practical anthropologists'.) Is this a good description of what they actually do?
2. Should I designate one world in each subsector as the subsector capital? Any tips for what makes a good subsector capital, or is justifying my pick half the fun?
3. I do have a lot of adventure ideas, but is there any kid of "1001 Traveller Adventure Ideas" compiled online somewhere that I could crib from?
4. Should I designate a swathe of 'frontier' worlds and just not roll for population on them?
Anyway, it's a neat game and I hope I can run it soon.
I have actually sat down and started generating subsectors for my own little corner of the 3I. No rush; I'm probably going to have to wait until some other current games come to a close before I get my opportunity to run. Random generation provides a lot of inspiration and is an amusing mingame in its own right. I figure I do a grid of 9 subsectors, start the PCs off in the center one, and I'm probably covered for a campaign.
A few changes I made to the planet generation process:
1. For any world with an atmosphere breathable without equipment (5, 6, or 8 ) no extreme environmental conditions and a Hydro that's not 0 or 10, I generally don't apply the -2 to the 2d6 population roll. I figure worlds like that will experience a big population boom. (Though if I rolled a 2, I would apply it because an empty garden world is cool.)
2. Any hex with a planet I roll an extra 2d6. On a 12, there are two inhabited worlds (well potentially) in that hex. That results in about 1 double-hex per subsector.
3. Since the Government table tops out at D rather than going 13+, I let it wrap all the way around. A 14 is government 1, a 15 government 2, and so on. This doesn't affect things too often, as obviously you have to have a population 9 world minimum to loop around, but I did get one highly populated, high tech, direct democracy world that could be a lot of fun.
I am pondering placing the grid on a corner between Solomani and Hiver worlds so there's influence from both.
Things I'm wondeirng about:
1. Despite the image of a Scout landing on a fresh, unsurveyed world, it doesn't seem likely that would happen very often. I'm guessing they do a lot of work surveying worlds that already have a colony but haven't been fully explored (a world is a huge place after all) and surveying the rest of the solar system in addition to settled worlds looking for mineral wealth or anomolies (a solar system being an even huger place). They also seem like the Imperium's primary contact for dealing with low tech-level civiliations. (Sort of 'practical anthropologists'.) Is this a good description of what they actually do?
2. Should I designate one world in each subsector as the subsector capital? Any tips for what makes a good subsector capital, or is justifying my pick half the fun?
3. I do have a lot of adventure ideas, but is there any kid of "1001 Traveller Adventure Ideas" compiled online somewhere that I could crib from?
4. Should I designate a swathe of 'frontier' worlds and just not roll for population on them?
Anyway, it's a neat game and I hope I can run it soon.
