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Interview with Marc Miller

That was a great interview, notably part two.

I got more out of that interview about T5 than I have anywhere else in the years of lurking and bouncing about here. It's sounds very nice.

Silly question though.

There's a graphic on the second interview, "Third Imperium. Alien Module 2: Vargr".

Is that a "real" book/module graphic, or something contrive? I've not see that before and wondered where it came from.
 
That got me the most fired up about T5 than I've ever been!

I keep harping on Mongoose's version of Traveller because MGT doesn't make the hair on my arm rise in anticpation the way Marc's words about T5 just did.

Here's to hoping that T5 really is "the end all and be all" version of the game!

Salute!:D
 
Thanks Andrew, I'll have a gander.

*EDIT*
Very interesting. I'm looking forward to the "builder rules" concept. Now, if I could only find a respectable group.
 
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I dunno... T5 will have to be some kind of WOW to beat CT in my book. I have 35 years of roleplaying games development to chhose from of, representing possibly every genre, complexity level, and degree of completeness. And I choose Classic Traveller. And not Classic Traveller complicated by its own cleverness, but Classic Traveller in its LBB1-3 + Suplements format (okay, I cheat and use some material from some of the adventures too.) To me, it just doesn't get ay better than that :)
 
Here's to hoping that T5 really is "the end all and be all" version of the game!

It will be but it will not negate all the other heresies out there...plus, the CT gognards who have been crying foul since the release of Book 4...

One system that I hope that Marc is looking at but got no indication from the interview would be FATE...

Recently, I got a copy of Starblazzer Adventures and I am going to a review of it for Freelance Traveller on the grounds of how to do a FATE Traveller (yes, I know about Spirit of Traveller but I think Starblazer provides a better exposition).

Getting back to the interview...hopefully once T5 is in Print...he will doing more interviews including one here where the fans are able to ask/interogate him.
 
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A very nice interview!

Now I guess I've got to break and get a Facebook account. *sigh*

The Triplanetary cover they show is a lot prettier than the one my copy has. I didn't know there was anything other than the long cardboard box. How did they keep from creasing the acetate sheet in anything else?
 
I'd be interested in printing an article about EABA conversions of Traveller. If you're interested in doing one...
 
I bought and received the first CD, I've read through the development, and the more I've seen, the less I like it. I'm certain there will be many who will enjoy what will be ultimately offered, but after thirty-one years of Traveller, I'm done with buying into any more revisions. Perhaps T-6 will be more to my liking.
 
After reading T5, I'd rather go back to a good CT+supplements game. In reading the interview, it reminded me of one big Traveller cultural flaw. While wargames are battles fought for the heck of it, too many referees seem to be in the "you get shafted, now what do you do" mode. I'm not role-playing someone who has a string of bad luck and loses a lot; I get enough of that in real stinking life, thank you very much. If you can't create an interesting story and let the players roam a bit, don't give yourself the impression you can run a game.

There's nothing wrong with good NPCs. However, if all the action revolves around them, you've probably spent a little too much time in CharGen and are a little too fond of your own creations.

L
 
I'd be interested in printing an article about EABA conversions of Traveller. If you're interested in doing one...

It's about 4 paragraphs:

Jump Drives: the drive takes Jn+1% of hull hexes, and fuel takes 10Jn% of hexes. Otherwise, stock EABA vehicle rules. Require Post-Atomic Tech.

Tasks: Use MT Target numbers for astrogation/navigation and other jump related tasks; they are on the same scale as EABA. Yes, this does mean you need to be Larger than life to hit the 19+ required for an impossible task.

Characters: generate normally, but adding a couple key skills... Astrogation (AWR), Battlesuit (AGL), Drop Capsule Ops (AWR), Zero-G (HLT), High-G (HLT).

Honor Nobles & Reward Nobles: 5a or 5s points per step
Landed Nobles: 10a or 10s per step,
Noble steps: Knight, Baron, Count, Marquis, Duke, Archduke.
Landed Baronet: 15a or 15s (honorary baron+ full knighthood)

Primitive Era: TTL0-2
Basic Era: TTL 3-5
Industrial Era: TTL6-8
Post-Atomic Era TTL9-14 Early TL9-10, Late 13-14
Advanced Era: TL15-17 Early TL 15.
Interstellar Era TL 19-21
Final Era: TL22+

There ya go, Jeff... that's my notes... Not much, but not much was needed. Have fun with it.
 
After reading T5, I'd rather go back to a good CT+supplements game. In reading the interview, it reminded me of one big Traveller cultural flaw. While wargames are battles fought for the heck of it, too many referees seem to be in the "you get shafted, now what do you do" mode. I'm not role-playing someone who has a string of bad luck and loses a lot; I get enough of that in real stinking life, thank you very much. If you can't create an interesting story and let the players roam a bit, don't give yourself the impression you can run a game.

There's nothing wrong with good NPCs. However, if all the action revolves around them, you've probably spent a little too much time in CharGen and are a little too fond of your own creations.

L

Do I detect a bad experience or two? ;)

As any successful writer will tell you, a good story needs conflict. The 'OMG what do we do now?' thrill is what makes the story interesting.

However, as you say, nobody wants a depressing copy of R(S)L.

What some Referees forget is that what makes us come back for more is when the heroes face adversity and WIN.

eg, hordes of zombies make for a thrilling predicament, but not if you're unarmed and they rip you to shreds. It's much more fun shooting s**t out of them.
If you win too much, it can get boring, though. We need to just win, more often than we lose, and the losses mustn't be too great.

As for NPCs, interaction is interesting. Your PCs need to interact with the environment and its inhabitants in order to learn about the universe, to make a voyage of discovery. NPCs should be a source of information and challenge.
Sometimes a NPC can be useful to fill a skill hole in the party, to act as a redshirt or to help inexperienced players avoid mistakes, but the story is about the PCs. A referee forgets that at his peril.

But all that is about the Referee and the players, it's independent of any rules system and has no bearing on Traveller as a game.
 
One of the things I thought was great about the original Traveller was the fact that all you needed was the basic game. Then, if you wanted to expand upon any facet of it, be it ship design, character development or whatever, there was a book you could get to build it with. Then, there were the labor saving Supplements, such as Animal Encounters, that were not required, but there if you wanted them. There were games to bring depth to Starship Combat or personal firefights if you wanted to use them. Finally, you had the Adventures to choose from.

To me, T-5 is an over-engineerd, over complicated cram-everything-into-one-stuffed-box. After looking over everything that's going into T-5, I wouldn't use over 20% or so of the material. So why would I want to pay for the other 80%? This is not a value purchase.

And yes, I bought the T-5 CD when it was offered, based upon the small amount of material posted on the internet three years ago (which actually looked good at the time, before it became 'improved').

Just one man's opinion.
 
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