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Comparative Traveller-Topic?

Hi there,

currently I re-read the Traveller Classic core-rulebook, which is kind of awesome. And I don't know, why I did not 'understand' ist earlier; but reading it now and remembering my brief mid-nineties-get-in-touch-for-a-short-time with Traveller TNE I see 'some' similarities; but memories of the past are faint and very vague at best!

Now I wonder: Except for my short excursions into Classic Traveller and Treveller TNE I really did not get much insight into Traveller all in all. There are at least four (different?) editions available, a fifth is next to being published, which does not include the offsprings in GURPS, D20 or whatnot ... And I would like to know:

Is there a comprative thread/ topic about the original traveller-versions in which the commonalities and differences between the different games are discussed or opposed? (It is obvious, that in G20 or GURPS the differences to the original CT are obviously obvious, right?) And with that question I don't aim for comparison of the various source-books and published titles, but more for a comparison of the core rules, game-mechanics and -systematics in each edition - minor and major changes between the editions.

Is there such a thing available on this forum? And would you mind pointing me towards it?

All the best!
Liam
 
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Not that I've seen... not in detail, at least. So... starting off.

Character Gen
CT: Basic
sequence: Generate Atts | Enlist ||: Survival | Comission | Promotion | Reenlistment :||
Random Skills from chosen tables. 1 per term, comission, promotion, first term

CT/MT: Advanced
sequence: Generate Atts | Enlist ||: Assignment | Survival | Comission | Promotion | Decoration | Reenlistment :||
Random Skills from chosen tables. Chance of 1 per year, 1 per comission, promotion, first term. Some assignments chance of more skills.

MT Basic:
Sequence: Generate Atts | Enlist ||: Survival | Comission | Promotion | Special Duty | Reenlistment :||
Random Skills from chosen tables. Lots of cascades. 1 per term, comission, promotion, special duty, first term, made roll by 4+

TNE
Sequence: Generate Atts | Enlist ||: Survival | Comission | Promotion | Special Duty | Reenlistment :||
Picked skills from career list. Declining number by tern, +1 for comission, promotion, or special duty

T4
Sequence:Generate Atts | Enlist ||: Survival | Comission | Promotion | Special Duty | Reenlistment :||
Rolled or picked skills from picked table. 4 per term +1 for commission, promotion, or special duty

GT
Sequence: none. Pure point gen.
Spend points to buy skills, points set by GM, but normal is 100.

T20
Sequence: Generate Atts | Pick starting class ||:: Enlist ||: assignment | Survival | Comission | Promotion | Special Duty | Decoration | Reenlistment, check for level-up :|| Change career if desired ::||
Skills purchased with points from level up. Experience points by term, commission, promotion, special duty

MGT
sequence: Enlist ||: Survival | Comission | Event | Promotion &/or Reenlistment :||
Random Skills from chosen tables. 1 per term, comission, promotion. Some events grant +1 skill.
 
MGT: also allows a point buy system as a TMB option. AFAIK its the only version other than GURPS Traveller to offer it.
 
Hi there,

thank you very much. Didn't even think about checking wikipedia, although this is my standard "search engine" on any given question, before I even consider ixquick.com/ google.com as a source ...

Mh. Interesting to see that in general the character generation seemed to follow a specific line, the very different apporaches of D20/ Gurps set aside that is ...

I will read this wikipedia article more thoroughly and probably return with more questions. :)

(Now, the idea behind this threat is not only to learn about Traveller, but also, if I should consider getting at least the core rulebooks for the sake of just having them, although I am pretty sure that I won't play them sooner or later considering my RPG-communities ...)

All the best!
Liam
 
Task Mechanics
CT
None, per se. Combat is 2d6+Skill±1(from Att)+WpnVsRange+WpnVsArmor for 8+ to do damage.

MT
2d6+AssetA+AssetB vs TN+ by difficulty label
Asset is either Attribute/5 or Skill Level
Simple 3+
Routine 7+
Difficult 11+
Formidable 15+
Impossible 19+
(Note a total DM+2 and extra time for a label shift makes the labels sensible)

TNE
1d20 for TN- by difficulty
Simple (Stat+Skill)x4
Routine (Stat+Skill)x2
Difficult (Stat+Skill)
Formidable (Stat+Skill)/2
Impossible (Stat+Skill)/4

T4
Dice by difficulty for (Stat+Skill) or less.
Auto 1d if unskilled, auto if skilled
Simple 1.5d
Routine 2d
Difficult 3d
Formidable 4d
Tasking 5d
Impossible 6d

T20
1d20 + StatMod + Skill Ranks for TN+
TN's specified in rules for various actions, typically in the 15+ to 25+ range.
Nat 20 may be Reroll with additional +10 modifier (cumulative)

GT
3d6 for Skill or less (Skill is derived from Attribute and points spent); difficulty provides modifier to skill.

MGT
2d6 + AttMod + Skill + Difficulty Mod for 8+
Diffifi culty DM
Simple +6
Easy +4
Routine +2
Average +0
Diffi cult –2
Very Diffi cult –4
Formidable –6
Attribute modifier is roughly (stat/3)-2, round normally.

Ship Design/Combat

CT
Bk2: 2 axis - tonnage, price. Lettered drives. 4 weapons (Missile,Beam Laser, Pulse Laser, Sandcaster) of which 1 is defensive. No armor. (10*Jn)% JFuel. JDrive 5Td+((Jn*2.5)%hull) (roughly).
Miniatures on table (Bk2, TTB) or Range Bands (Starter)

Bk5: 3 axis - tonnage, price, power. 9 weapons (Missile,Beam Laser, Pulse Laser, Sandcaster, Plasma, Fusion, PA Beam, Meson Gun, Repulsor), of which 2 are defensive, and 4 additional defenses (Armor, Meson Screens, Nuclear Dampers, Black Globes). Drives by percentage. (10*Jn)% JFuel. JDrive (Jn+1)%Hull.
Abstract combat.

MT
5 axis - Volume, Price, Mass, Power, Control Points; unified vehicle and ship design. Mass ignored for spacecraft in general, but still figured.
Same weapons as CT Bk5, plus an extra weapon (Jump Projector) and defense (White Globe).
JDrive (Jn+1)%Hull. JFuel 5*(Jn+1)%hull, reduced above TL16.
Task system adaptation of Bk5 CT combat system.
Life Support separate from Stateroom space.

TNE and T4
5 axis - Volume, Price, Mass, Power, Surface Area
Weapons: Lasers, Missiles, PA Beams, Plasma Beams, Fusion Beams, Meson Guns, Sandcasters; design sequences for all but sand.
Defenses: Armor, Sandcasters, Meson Screens, Nuclear Dampers
Life Support separate from stateroom space; T4 adds long term life support options.
Different combat systems, both with semi-abstract range band systems; TNE also has same system adapted to boardgame (Brilliant Lances).

T4 has several alternate design sequences with varying amounts of pre-figuring done to different detail levels.

T20
Same design system as CT Bk5 except computers, additional streamlining option, and inclusion of a few extra items (Labs, Shops) as standard items.

Combat System uses same ratings as CT Bk5 and MT, but in a different way; intended for play on map, but readily run without map for simpler fights.

GT
Design system reduced to Tonnage and Price, but with mass available for figuring, and power concealed in system. Modules for system built from GURPS Vehicles rules, and PP "slice" provides needed power, so power not an axis of consideration in design.
Alternatively, 4 Axis Volume, Mass, Price, Power design option using GURPS Vehicles available.

Combat system intended for hex-gridded play, but readily abstracted to ranges only. Can't be much more specific, as I've not looked at the GT core in years.

Default Timeframe & Sectors
CT: 1100-1112, Spinward Marches and Solomani Rim
MT: 1117-1125 "Rebellion" Spinward Marches
TNE: 1200-1220 "Virus" - Old Expanses, Domain of Deneb
GT: 1115-1130 alternate timeline Spinward Marches
GTIW: -2300 or so...
T20: 1000-1030 Following Solomani Rim War; Domain of Gateway
T4: 10-60. Shortly after declaration of the Imperium - Core
 
Character Gen
T4
Sequence:Generate Atts | Enlist ||: Survival | Comission | Promotion | Special Duty | Reenlistment :||
Rolled or picked skills from picked table. 4 per term +1 for commission, promotion, or special duty

Does T4 have special duty roll and skills?

Task Mechanics
T4
Dice by difficulty for (Stat+Skill) or less.
Auto 1d if unskilled, auto if skilled
Simple 1.5d
Routine 2d
Difficult 3d
Formidable 4d
Tasking 5d
Impossible 6d

I guess you use some errata here. My T4 book says:

Easy: automatic if you have the skill, 1.5d if default
Average: 2d
Difficult: 2.5d
Formidable: 3d
Staggering: 3.5d
Impossible: 4d

In any case, I prefeer yours, as 4d (average 14) for an impossible task seems to easy to me to achieve.

Ship Design/Combat

MT
5 axis - Volume, Price, Mass, Power, Control Points; unified vehicle and ship design. Mass ignored for spacecraft in general, but still figured.
Same weapons as CT Bk5, plus an extra weapon (Jump Projector) and defense (White Globe).
JDrive (Jn+1)%Hull. JFuel 5*(Jn+1)%hull, reduced above TL16.
Task system adaptation of Bk5 CT combat system.
Life Support separate from Stateroom space.

Mass is used to calculate agility in space/starcrafts.

Default Timeframe & Sectors
MT: 1117-1125 "Rebellion" Spinward Marches

I'd say there are more sectors in MT (mostly in its supplements). Knightfall is based in Massilia, HT is based in Diaspora, Astrogator's Gide to Diaspora (no need to tell ;)), and other sectors were given in Challenge

NOTE: all underscoring are mine
 
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This might be a linguistic snag, but that wording is backward, actually: the average roll with 2d6 is a 7, the roll required normally for task success was 8+. :)
 
CT does not use a single success target for non-combat skill checks.

Several skills do recommend specific targets (and DMs) for specifically qualified situations. Mostly, a Ref is left to determine a target for unique situations with knowledge of simple 2d6 odds.

[Basic CT has some two dozen uniquely qualified skill mechanics compared to the 100+ simple one-line 'unified task mechanic' references in Core MgT (for example). A trade off in 'complexity' in what must be remembered/referenced - I find CT allows for easily avoiding die saturation, less DM crunching, and supports a Ref more easily and believably handling specific skills and situations when not attempting to shoe-horn every check into a one-size-fits all mechanic. This becomes more cumbersome if each PC can have dozens of discrete skills from a much larger pool of skills and when special case mechanics for existing and added skills are spread over numerous rule books...]
 
This might be a linguistic snag, but that wording is backward, actually: the average roll with 2d6 is a 7, the roll required normally for task success was 8+. :)

True, thanks for fixing it.

My wording should be the average target number is 8+
 
The Admin skill in Classic Traveller 2nd Edition was a 7+ roll for some types of use. I like that Mongoose standardized on the 8+ roll and used characteristic modifiers as a DM standard.
 
The Admin skill in Classic Traveller 2nd Edition was a 7+ roll for some types of use. I like that Mongoose standardized on the 8+ roll and used characteristic modifiers as a DM standard.

Yea, as I get ready to GM my first MgT campaign that's one thing that I'm finding that I like. It's easy on the Players and the GM to have the standard target be 8+ and then have some standard modifiers. I also like MgT's Skill Roll "Effect" aka "Degree of Success."
 
Hello everyone,

having read the various approaches of the different rules-set for the various Traveller-games ... Of which oneyou would say it has the most truthful feeling of Traveller in it? Is it the very Classic Traveller, or maybe one of its successors?

All the best!
Liam
 
Having read the various approaches of the different rules-set for the various Traveller-games ... Of which one you would say it has the most truthful feeling of Traveller in it? Is it the very Classic Traveller, or maybe one of its successors?

The answer is a subjective one. Nearly all players say the feeling of Traveller they got from playing the game came from their first exposure with the edition they started gaming with.

I started playing Traveller when it was just the Classic 3 books. No universe setting. I was making my own worlds and subsectors. It felt sci-fi-ish, but in a Traveller way because of the hex codes obviously. I then felt the Traveller part more when the two Library Data books were published.

So whenever I need to feel that Traveller again, I read through the Library Data.
 
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