Will you buy Mongoose Traveller when released?

[Ishmael]

I'm afraid I had to vote no.
I think the t/e dice is innovative and neat, but doesn't add much to the game mechanic which seems a variation of pretty much every other task system...choose difficulty..add dm's roll higher to succeed....

Unfortunately for me, the t/e mechanic does not 'play' right with me.
I feel the decision to be 'hasty' or 'careful' when performing a task should be mage BEFORE the task in made, not after ( although I think for many the added interaction and control over a situation could be exciting ) and I also feel it places emphasis on 'gaming' more than neccessary just for its on sake. I also dislike the failure and success spread for the t/e dice. In all fairness, That might be fixed okay now, I dunno. Because that mechanic is tied so tightly to combat and damage, that means I don't like that part of the rules either. The initiative system seems nice, but is actually a smooth AP setup and not one thats better significanly to hat I already use.

In short, I'm not going to refuse to purchase it because its bad, but because it does not suit my style or because it rehashes rules ( or fails to improve upon rules ) that I already have/use and I will not purchase a game that I in essence, already own. There are not enough real changes here. I will stick to my bastardised heretical MT/houserule mix because from the little I've seen, I will end up playing with it more often. I am no longer a Trav , or any other Rule, slut...hell I don't own that many AH or SPI games anymore even...and I'm not a collector anymore.

now if the rest of the rules...economics, gearhead, political metagaming rules are good...then my vote would be yes. Alas, I am not optimistic.

 

[-Daniel-]

Most people here own or have created the rules that they use for Traveller anyways. So it boils down to buying it for fan appreciation...or having another set of rules you can utilize in your game.

Then there ar those of us who have almost nothing left of our Traveller collections.

I was looking forward to this being my attempt to restart my collection.

dfc

 

[SableWyvern]

My position is almost identical to the one aramis posted earlier.

I love the character generation (and several of my players are already excited about getting together to roll up characters), and I'm hoping that the final ship construction and ship combat rules get the few tweaks they need to be really good.

While I don't like the precise implementation of T/E, or the damage/armour system, the core concepts upon which T/E are based I do really like, and I've been able to build a system I am very happy with around that.

Basically, I'm not going to be playing Mongoose Traveller, but I expect to have a lot of fun playing Inspired Mainly by Mongoose Traveller Traveller.

Oh, and that's a yes to the poll question, btw.

 

[Supplement Four]

I've never played Traveller, but would like to. Thing is, my group isn't too interested. So, not having ever owned the books, I might pick up the main book for the read, then look for a group IF it hooks me.

Just a suggestion: I'd get the Classic Traveller CD-ROM instead. For $35 bucks, you get (just about) the entire GDW CT line.

Then, if you like it, pick up the JTAS CD-ROM too. It's worth its weight in gold.

 

[Supplement Four]

Then there ar those of us who have almost nothing left of our Traveller collections.

I was looking forward to this being my attempt to restart my collection.

dfc

Ditto what I wrote to Mac V above.

 

[-Daniel-]

Then there ar those of us who have almost nothing left of our Traveller collections.

I was looking forward to this being my attempt to restart my collection.

dfc

Ditto what I wrote to Mac V above.

I have looked at that more then once and then I keep reading about stuff that is missing pages or unreadable. How bad is it really?

Daniel

 

[Bishop Odo]

You know there are always some people, who can’t see past the “black” books. There stuck in the 70’s with huge computers and the idea of updating technology is a sin against all that is holy. Get over it. I have a lot of CT, MT, TNE, GURPS, T20 and I look forward to a new era of Traveller prosperity. Get some new bloods playing this game and growing the brand. Give us some decent RPG miniatures as well and I’m a happy camper.

 

[EDG]

You know there are always some people, who can’t see past the “black” books. There stuck in the 70’s with huge computers and the idea of updating technology is a sin against all that is holy. Get over it. I have a lot of CT, MT, TNE, GURPS, T20 and I look forward to a new era of Traveller prosperity.

Amen to that. Traveller's not going to go anywhere if it's stuck in the past. Leave that for T5, let's hope MGT can push it onwards and actually make the game more relevant to modern gamers.

 

[Gruffty the Hiver]

You know there are always some people, who can’t see past the “black” books. There stuck in the 70’s with huge computers and the idea of updating technology is a sin against all that is holy. Get over it. I have a lot of CT, MT, TNE, GURPS, T20 and I look forward to a new era of Traveller prosperity.

Amen to that. Traveller's not going to go anywhere if it's stuck in the past. Leave that for T5, let's hope MGT can push it onwards and actually make the game more relevant to modern gamers.

Absolutely! After nearly 31 years it's about time the game grew up into a consistent, modern, errata-free RPG. Whilst I am a fan of Traveller I would *never* go so far as to say that any of the versions of Traveller are beyond criticism, are perfect or are well designed as RPGs. I have my own issues with each version that are too numerous to list here but I'm hoping that MGT will move Traveller forward (to at least today/here/now) rather than leaving it stuck in 1977.

As for buying MGT: I probably will (I have everything else as dead-tree + CDROMs) so why not? *BUT* I may not use it, every time, all the time, just like the rest of my collection.

 

[Golan2072]

I like what I see in MongTrav and thus I'm going to pre-order it soon. Furthermore, an open-source version of Traveller which would hopefully attract new people to the game would be great for me to write fan-material for.

 

[crazy_cat]

I'm going to buy it - not sure if we'll actually play it as some of our group were less than impressed with the playtest ruleset.

 

[kustenjaeger]

Greetings

For me it is a wait and see, so I haven't answered the poll.

MGT is interesting and I made a number of comments on v3.1 in playtest. I've never been wild about any Traveller mechanics but like many of the settings.

Regards

 

[Supplement Four]

I have looked at that more then once and then I keep reading about stuff that is missing pages or unreadable. How bad is it really?

Daniel

To be honest, I don't own it. I've got the hard copy books--had them forever. You might want to ask over at the CotI forum for some first-hand input. I knew they had some problems, but if it's only a page or two (that you should be able to get from someone in pdf), then it's completely worth the $35 bucks for all that you get.

 

[Supplement Four]

You know there are always some people, who can’t see past the “black” books. There stuck in the 70’s with huge computers and the idea of updating technology is a sin against all that is holy. Get over it.

It's not that CT lovers are "stuck" in the 70's. I actually started gaming with MegaTraveller, then converted to Classic once I saw how much better it was.

The thing that keeps CT so viable today is that its a damn good game. It's not nostalgia. It's not loyalty to the first edition of the game. It's that, compared to the rest, CT is one of the best (The best, imo).

I played MegaTrav for a long, long time. Years. I played T4 for a couple of years. I bought a lot of TNE, but I couldn't stop throwing up long enough to play it. And the other versions of Traveller (Traveller Hero, T20, GURPS Trav) just don't interest me.

MGT is an attempt to "update" Classic. The problem is, if you've played Classic, you can see how much better a game CT is when compared to MGT.

Don't knock CT because it's old. All those CT fans out there (and it is a big block of the Traveller community) have looked at or played with other versions of Trav, and they keep going back to CT. Just like I did.

Why? It's a fantastic game.

Huge computers? Nope. Not in my game. The CT rules are flexible enough that a "computer" can mean a huge 1970's version of a super computer, or it can mean a "computer network" linked throughout the ship. The definition stands for either.

CT is just as "modern" as MGT (or any other version of Traveller) is today.

CT is the bomb. It's the ruler by which all other versions of Traveller are measured.

And, to date, no other version of the game as topped it.

Poll after poll has always shown the CT lovers as a huge segment of the Traveller population.

Quite remarkable, I think, given all the different versions.

You shouldn't knock CT. You should give it a closer look and see what you're missing.

 

[EDG]

Why? It's a fantastic game.

That is entirely a matter of opinion. CT's engine is functional at least, but rather dull IMO. Chargen is the worst I've ever seen in any game (I am not someone who'd accept any old crap the dice throws at him, I want to play a character of my own creation). Worldgen is completely broken (for reasons I've described in great detail elsewhere). The game itself is inconsistently designed and contradictory across and within even the main rulebooks.

I don't see anything redeemable in CT to be honest, and believe me I've looked VERY long and hard at it. MT, TNE, and GT are all vastly superior versions of the game (IMO).

Poll after poll has always shown the CT lovers as a huge segment of the Traveller population.

Quite remarkable, I think, given all the different versions.

Given the generally close-minded attitude of many CT fans, I don't find that remarkable at all. Most of them love it for nostalgic reasons, or just can't be inclined or bothered to look beyond it.

And to counter your point about how people start with CT and keep coming back to it - I started with CT and gleefully dropped it the moment MT came out, and never had the urge to return to it. That said, I'm not a "CT Fan" by a long shot.

You shouldn't knock CT. You should give it a closer look and see what you're missing.

There's also the old "you don't like CT, so you must be mistaken" attitude too. Maybe you should just accept that people don't have to like it instead?

 

[Supplement Four]

That is entirely a matter of opinion. CT's engine is functional at least, but rather dull IMO.

Obviously, we're on opposite sides of the fence, here. I absolutely love CT's non-structured task system. It keeps it damn interesting for the GM, and by its nature is completely adaptable to any situation.

You get wonderful mechanics like this: Roll 10+ to avoid disorientation in Zero-G; allow +2 DM per skill level.

Look how elegant that is. No skill and Vacc Suit-0 characters have a hard time in Zero-G. They're not trained! 10+ roll.

Vacc Suit-1 individuals are a bit better. 8+ roll.

Vacc Suit-2 individuals are old pros at it. 4+ roll.

Vacc Suit-3 individuals are experts. Automatic Success.

And, Skill-3 is considered "professional" level.

Great stuff.

Chargen is the worst I've ever seen in any game (I am not someone who'd accept any old crap the dice throws at him, I want to play a character of my own creation).

That is a point of taste. You definitely wouldn't fit well with the players in my game. "Living" through a characters' life using the CT character generation is one of the most rewarding and fun experiences in the game. You actually "discover" who the guy is. You actually feel like you've earned something when chargen goes your way. OTOH, the character probably won't be what you imagined before you started rolling, but that's life, isn't it? Our life paths don't always go in the direction we want them to go.

This is far superior, imo, to a system like D&D where one can pretty much create exactly what he wants: a strong fighter; a smart mage; a wise cleric; etc.

I don't see anything redeemable in CT to be honest, and believe me I've looked VERY long and hard at it.

Hey, if you don't get it, then you don't get it.

C'est la vie

 

[EDG]

You get wonderful mechanics like this: Roll 10+ to avoid disorientation in Zero-G; allow +2 DM per skill level.

Does nothing for me. Sure, it works and it's simple, but a game is more than just its core engine.

That is a point of taste. You definitely wouldn't fit well with the players in my game. "Living" through a characters' life using the CT character generation is one of the most rewarding and fun experiences in the game. You actually "discover" who the guy is. You actually feel like you've earned something when chargen goes your way. OTOH, the character probably won't be what you imagined before you started rolling, but that's life, isn't it? Our life paths don't always go in the direction we want them to go.

I've heard the logic, I just don't want that in an RPG. I don't want something that "mirrors real life" with all its ups and downs, I just want a character that fits the concept that I want to play. I'm not going to sit down and play a crippled young punk who wanted to be a scout but got thrown out and ended up in the navy where he lasted one term before failing his survival roll (assuming that just injures you) if that's not what I want to play. And I'm not going to waste my time rolling up characters to get one I do like in a "mini-game" when all I want to do is just get on and play the damn game and not piss around playing risk-management. The big problem with CT is that it gives you no alternative to doing that, and the player basically has no input into chargen at all beyond being a dice-roller.

This is far superior, imo, to a system like D&D where one can pretty much create exactly what he wants: a strong fighter; a smart mage; a wise cleric; etc.

Like you said, it's a matter of taste. I like to play exactly the characters I want to play. Give me a point-buy system where I have total control any day.

Hey, if you don't get it, then you don't get it.

What's to "get"? Like I said, the engine is OK, but the rest of the game is riddled with flaws and holes.

 

[Supplement Four]

What's to "get"? Like I said, the engine is OK, but the rest of the game is riddled with flaws and holes.

Look, I'm not going to derail this thread with you.

Let's just say that you're absolutely correct, and the hoards of CT lovers out there are all idiots, me included.

You win.

 

[AKAramis]

I started with CT, back in 1983.

Played CT as the best thing going for SF gaming until T2300 came out. Dropped CT like a hot rock.

Then MT came out. Same universe as CT, and FAR better engine. The only things I like from CT are Bk2 Trade and Bk2 ships.

The rest is a bad 15-year playtest for MT...

I went TNE when it came out. I hate the setting changes, find the combat rules insufficiently deadly, and the Psionics way too powerful. Went back to MT.

I went T4 for a while. It had what I thought I wanted... until I tried it. Went back to MT, taking T4 psionics with me.

I went to T20. I like T20. My players don't. I took T20 T&C back to MT, along with Ship and Craft design.

I tried GT. My players and I felt it was piss poor at capturing both the feel and the setting details, and didn't like the timeline changes for the GT:OfficialATU, either. Players refused to ever consider it again. Even the GURPS heads in my group at the time won't do GT.

So here I am, looking at MoTrav, and wondering, "How do I belnd the best of this with the best of Mega?"...

And find myself thinking: "MoTrav CG, Mega Tasks, Mega Combat system, T4 Psionics, T20 Trade, and a variant of MoTrav ships... and a small ship ATU."

Classic Traveller is one of those games that almost no one actually runs as written. Even S4 is constantly talking about rules he's pulled in from other games to fill obvious gaps.... and for me, MT provided a strong, simple mechanic.

MoTrav's timing/effect system is interesting, intriguing even, but the math is wrong. Easily fixed, but that appears to be oustide the bounds.

 

[EDG]

Look, I'm not going to derail this thread with you.

Then don't start derailing your own thread by going on about how perfect CT is and how people are wrong to not like it, when that is clearly a matter of opinion.

Let's just say that you're absolutely correct, and the hoards of CT lovers out there are all idiots, me included.

You can say that if you want, but I didn't even remotely say that. I just said that I don't like it and that it has obvious flaws, and that it's clearly a matter of opinion how "fantastic" CT is.

You win.

Spare me the persecution complex. :roll: