Traveller playtest doc initiative rules

[frontier]

Hello everyone!

Traveller's always been one of those RPG's I've wanted to try, and boy what an RPG it is! I've just read through my copy of the rulebook and it's abolutely ace!

However, as I was reading through the combat rules something was nagging me, something didn't feel quite right. Then I pinned it down, the initiative system was all wrong!

My memory clearly told me that I'd read the combat system in one of the previews, and that it used a cool 1d6 initiative counter that you altered depending on actions during rounds. But after looking through the various preview PDF's again it seemed like I was wrong... until i found a link to an old Playtest Doc that indeed uses this system!

What happened to the combat system in the playtest? Was it scrapped because it didn't work well enough? It seems like having a d6 counter per character is a much simpler and more elegant solution than having to keep track of the initiative manually. I would imagine that the shorter rounds and simpler turn structure (i.e. no multiple minor actions during one turn) would be faster and more exiting than the system in the core rule book as well.

Is this something you guys have picked up on? Is there anyone actually using this system? Is it a legacy from some previous version of Traveller?

 

[AKAramis]

Hello everyone!

Traveller's always been one of those RPG's I've wanted to try, and boy what an RPG it is! I've just read through my copy of the rulebook and it's abolutely ace!

However, as I was reading through the combat rules something was nagging me, something didn't feel quite right. Then I pinned it down, the initiative system was all wrong!

My memory clearly told me that I'd read the combat system in one of the previews, and that it used a cool 1d6 initiative counter that you altered depending on actions during rounds. But after looking through the various preview PDF's again it seemed like I was wrong... until i found a link to an old Playtest Doc that indeed uses this system!

What happened to the combat system in the playtest? Was it scrapped because it didn't work well enough? It seems like having a d6 counter per character is a much simpler and more elegant solution than having to keep track of the initiative manually. I would imagine that the shorter rounds and simpler turn structure (i.e. no multiple minor actions during one turn) would be faster and more exiting than the system in the core rule book as well.

Is this something you guys have picked up on? Is there anyone actually using this system? Is it a legacy from some previous version of Traveller?

The system was scrapped because it was
(1) Tied to the scrapped task system
(2) resulted in excessive focus on the dice.

Or, that's what they've told us.

 

[frontier]

That's a shame, seemed like a cool way to do it.

 

[AKAramis]

That's a shame, seemed like a cool way to do it.

The combat system was cool. Someone posted the URL for playtest draft 3.2 recently

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/pdf/Traveller%20Playtest%20Doc.pdf

still works as I write this.

 

[Finarvyn]

By the way, AKAramis, I think the playtest PDF you linked to is the same version (3.2) as the OP's link.

 

[Sturn]

Frontier I liked the initiative system's idea, just not the results as it was in the playtest doc.

I'm planning on using a melding of the playtest combat with that of the release myself that doesn't have the same problems.

 

[Captain Brann]

HI

Having been looking through my new M T book, I wondered why the weapons damage had been changed so much from a test set I had downloaded.

The effect based damage looks better and works better with the armor effects given.


Well now I know.

However I think you can still use part of the old system.

I know the new rules do not use the timing / effect rule but we still have an effect number based on how much you beat 8 by so can we not still use it that way.

This would mean damage is based on how well you hit, it would fit with the armor values and the players would not need to throw handfuls of die. I would restrict effect to +6 max.



Chris

I would like to know what you think.