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It is not quite Firefly, nor is it really Star Wars but more like

kafka47

kafka47

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Traveller is...it is not quite Firefly, nor is it really Star Wars but more like...

I cannot count the number of times that I have had to say that to newbies. I usually complete the sentence with like every Science Fiction novel, film, TV series, fansite that has ever been written or that you have seen. Almost anything goes. Here however are the limitations that your characters must work within..


How have others tackled describing the OTU to a newbie? What media references do they refer to? Has anyone really gone way out of the box?
 
If I try to describe each bit of it by a reference, the listener will be more confused than if I simply said:

"Science Fiction Adventure in the Far Future".

...not that I haven't tried.

Foundation, CoDominium, Falkenberg's Legion, and Dumarest, with a dose of Firefly.

Typical people probably don't know what those first four are, and may have never seen Firefly either...
 
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I'd agree with robject: it's probably better not to categorize Traveller based on other media. Much of its flavor depends on the TU chosen by the referee. I guess I'd say that if the new player is familiar with the Dune novels, Foundation novels or the Merchanter novels by Cherryh or Known Space novels by Niven, they should feel right at home in the Traveller Universe.

I always characterize Traveller as placing more emphasis on the science in science fiction, rather than the 'swords & sorcery in space' genre.
 
kafka47 said:
How have others tackled describing the OTU to a newbie? What media references do they refer to? Has anyone really gone way out of the box?
Click to expand...

If you're going to describe something with references then they have to be references the listener knows. So it depends on the listener. For most people I'd probably use "its like Star Wars, but the Empire isn't evil ... more like the Federation in Star Trek, or somewhere inbetween." Chances are your listener is familiar with both those references.

Regards PLST
 
I used to describe Traveller as something similar to the PC game Elite (a really old one) or Privateer (very similar but better known over here). My players describe Traveller as something between Star Trek (due to the new planets and culture aproaching) and Fading Suns, what is for me, by the way, just a simple (or smaller in size) copy of Traveller.
Anyway, if I'm still looking for "what is Traveller" for myself, how could I really explain what is Traveller to another people?

Looking for an answer, Robe
 
Sorta like Star Wars, sorta like the Middle Ages, sorta like the Age of Sail, and sorta like Outland. Sorta like Dune too...but without the worms... :)
 
I think media references work well as an intro to the concept but making sure they understand it's unique in it's own way.
 
I think it's a cross between the Age of Sail, (Master and Commander-ish?) and the pulpy adventure goodness of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
 
I just say, "know what d&d is?" they all nod. I point up. "same thing only in outer space. sci fi, space ships, lasers, all that." they all nod. if they want more detail, they ask.
 
Little Fuzzy, Fuzzy Sapiens.

A really good look at an alien that isn't Man-in-suit.

Another author whose work seems to relate to the same inspirations as Traveller:
The Ender cycle by Orson Scott Card. Damned fine read.
 
It's like Alien(s) but not every adventure ends up being a Bug Hunt...

It's like Babylon 5 but with far more realistic weapons instead of the PPGs and no Jumpgates/tachion comms...

It's like Firefly with aliens, far more inter-ship combat and taking place in more than one star system...

It's like System Shock 2 without the nanotech, cybernetics or force fields... Oh, and you could die on CharGen too... And SHODAN is called Virus and had many, many copies of her rampaging across Known Space...

It's like Dune but without the Bene Gesherit, the Worms and the Spice Melange, with more inter-ship combat, and with Jump Drives used instead of the Guild's Space Folding.

It's like Elite in all of its incarnations but with character-level activities as well (not just ship-level activities).

It's like Starflight 1 and 2 but with an Elite-style Jump Drive.

It's like Starship Troopers but there's more to adventures than just war and there are more adversaries than just Bugs/Skinnies...
 
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A semi-realistic space setting that can get large if the players and GMs want to go that way.

It has it's own internal logic and it mostly makes sense. You'll see bits and flashes of Star Wars or Star Trek or even Farscape, but it's not exactly like any of those.

It takes a lot of its makeup from older, classic sci-fi but still can be fun, it still can be relative; you've probably seen Firefly?

Do you wanna play ?
 
Piper books

Arthur Denger said:
Good point. Other than Space Viking, are there any other novels/stories which you can specifically recommend from this under-represented author?
Click to expand...

Mr. Denger,
You will want to check out Federation, Empire, and Junkyard Planet, also published as Cosmic Computer. All were satisfying reads full of Traveller-flavored adventure possibility. Enjoy!
 
While I would plump for Babylon 5 as my preferred comparison, the grand space opera of the Galactic Patrol series (Galactic Patrol, Grey Lensman, Second Stage Lenmen, Children of the Lens) by E.E. 'Doc' Smith has some parallels, although it does get a little out of hand at the end, planets smashing planets, I ask you....
 
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