Argh! Traveller Book or Mongoose 2E

[Thanos]

Money burning a hole in my pocket. Can't make up my mind whether to get TB or MgT2E. I know TB has lots of older material that I can pick up but MgT2E is new but I hear the splat books aren't that good. I'm looking for which would be more attractive to new players. Basically I want both but can only afford one.

Help a fellow out!

 

[creativehum]

Quick, broad point to consider:

Classic Traveller has no universal task resolution system. In stead, Throws are made ad hoc, as the Players and Referee decide what Characteristics, Skills, equipment, and so on might act as DMs.

It is a game with rules similar to the open ended play found in Original Dungeons & Dragons. The players want to do things, the Referee makes a ruling on how that might work out. Maybe the PCs can do it without a roll. Or the Referee makes a roll with DMs as described above.

With this in mind, skills are limited. The game doesn't expect the PCs to have all skills, but to often solve problems with actions go beyond solving a problem with a die roll. (For example, if they need to get an ancient tablet translated, they'll need to find/kidnap/rescue a professor who can do it, because the rules don't allow PCs to have language skills.)

There are plenty of task system house rules you can bolt onto Classic Traveller if you want a universal and unified resolution system. But the game doesn't come with one. And you can certainly rebuild the character generation tables to add more skills. But the fact is you'd have to do this.

Mongoose Traveller does come with a universal and unified resolution system. You always roll a DM based on a characteristic or skill. The game works this way across the board. The skill list is broad and deep. If you want your PCs to have a broad range of skills so they can solve problems by testing skills Mongoose is the way to go.


That's the thing I'd approach first because that's the big difference between the two games as they sit on the page.

Other people might well focus on other things.

 

[kilemall]

Get the FFE CD-ROM, cheap enough and you get a LOT more material with the TTB and all other CT editions plus games and alternative combat systems.

The new MgT2E is more modern mechanics out of the box and has more buzz. It will have new material in the hobby shops. I haven't bought into it, but if it's like MgT1E it 'feels' a little more bio/cyber/cinematic.

Cepheus Engine is also a good cheap try it out option for a look at MgT1E style, and most any version's pregen adventure is readily translatable.

 

[Timerover51]

I do not have Mongoose 2nd Edition, but I have had the Traveller Book since it came out in hard copy, plus the digital edition. I would go with the Traveller Book because it is more open ended. And with respect to Creativehum's. who opinion I greatly respect, view on skills, I am not a fan of player characters being able to attempt everything. In the Real World, you work within the restrictions of what you know and can do. While I can translate Egyptian Hieroglyphics with the aid of my various Egyptian grammars, please to not ask me to attempt to speak a foreign language. My brain is not hard-wired that way. Let the players be creative, but make them work within their skill limits. If nothing else, that will force them to be creative.

 

[creativehum]

I have never said Player Characters should be able to attempt everything. (A while back someone got repeatedly confused that that is what I was saying. But I wasn't. Wouldn't say it, never will.)

Timerover, you might want to re-read the example about ancient languages in my post. I think we're saying the same thing.

 

[Supplement Four]

Help a fellow out!

My vote is for The Traveller Book, but, really, it's all where your heart lies. Go with what intrigues you the most.



If you go with the Traveller Book, you may be interested in some notes I made for another new CT Ref.

The links below will take you to a thread where we've been discussing Game Mastering advice.

This post is about Book 0 - Introduction to Traveller.

This post is some general GMing advice I had.

This post is a continuation of that GMing advice.



Hope you find something helpful in all that. :coffeegulp:

 

[GM Joe]

I would go with The Traveller Book. It's a fantastic edition of the game, there is a ton of high-quality supplementary material available for it, and it's withstood the test of time.

 

[Spinward Scout]

If nothing else, The Traveller Book is a collectible, depending on the condition you get it in. If you buy it POD, that's different. The TB has some extra rules and supplemental info that isn't found elsewhere, including an NPC that is very reminiscent of a character that showed up on the TV show Firefly. A lot of us older folks got started with The Traveller Book, including myself. I've had a copy, in one form or another, since it first came out.

On the other hand, you can get the whole entire Classic Traveller collection of books on pdf, including The Traveller Book, on CD, for $35 from the FFE website.

 

[Supplement Four]

There are plenty of task system house rules you can bolt onto Classic Traveller if you want a universal and unified resolution system.

I prefer CT the way it is, where the Ref makes up task rolls based on his interpretation of the situation at a hand. The examples under the individual skills are helpful. And, as I said earlier, the links in my sig "Rule 68A" and "Throws" will help in understanding this.

Here is a write-up someone did of Rule 68A in pdf form.

I also developed a task system for Classic Traveller called the Universal Game Mechanic. It's a lot like the Mongoose system, except my system came first. The UGM was fairly popular when it came out. Also in my sig.

The UGM used to be hosted in pdf form, but I did a quick google, and one didn't pop up. Maybe there's still some out there.

But the game doesn't come with one.

Semi-sorta not true.

True, there's no unified system in the Traveller Book. But, late in Classic Traveller's run, DGP developed one of the first gaming task systems specifically for CT. It's called the Universal Task Profile, or UTP.

When GDW hired DGP to write the second edition of Traveller, DGP put their task system into the game--MegaTraveller.

Basically what I'm saying is: The UTP (or MegaTraveller's task system) was originally written for CT and is plug-n-play for the game.

And, it's a fantastic set of mechanics.

Here is the UTP, in pdf form, at Traveller Downport.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

Before you pay for any book, I would suggest

1.You get Cepheus Engine. It is free so you get the modern Task Resolution System. The character generation is similar to Classic. Regardless if you like it or not, then...
2.If you can only afford 1 thing, between those two specific choices

A.Want a slightly more unified rule system with potential multiple campaign usage using a variety of technological assumptions, go down the Mongoose path. In my experience, I have found the Mongoose books not always to be edited well. That may be primary reason for meh reviews. A few are junk I will agree though. That path will be more expensive but the reward is in the utility of different technology assumptions.

OR

B.Want to a single mostly well thought campaign universe. Buy the Traveller CD-ROM at the FFE website. The Traveller Book and all the Classic Traveller are all there for the price of one hardcover. The universe is built on 40 years of people contributing and besides the primary CD-ROM there are several others for a cheap price. The problem is you may feel constrained by the technological assumptions and feel of the Original Traveller Universe. Youngin's under 30 who still pencil and paper feel particularly constrained.

I personally prefer MgT/MgT2e/Cepheus as a rule system as I prefer universal systems. Campaign-wise OTU is my favorite as I grew up with it since 1977 and love the long, more well thought out history it portrays.

 

[creativehum]

Semi-sorta not true.

Well, you know... I really have very little interest in doing a do-si-do on this... but...

Watch:

True, there's no unified system in the Traveller Book.

Boom. Right?

Thanos is asking about The Traveller Book. Is there there a unified system in The Traveller Book? No. There is not. Is there a unified system in any of the GDW Classic Traveller materials. No. There is not. That's just a fact. And it seems like an important point to be clear about as Thanos is trying to choose a product to buy.

For many people the lack of a unified system in the rules is the biggest stumbling block/frustration. Not for you. Not for me. But maybe for Thanos.

I'm well aware of the UTP. It is one of several methods I was thinking of when I spoke of universal systems being bolted onto the Traveller resolution system. Nonetheless, it is not in The Traveller book.

Strangely, we are in agreement on all the facts. The only place where we differ is that there is no unified system in the Traveller rules or whether there maybe kind of is. But... there isn't.

Again, not a big deal. But trying to be clear for Thanos about what he is buying.

 

[Supplement Four]

Well, you know... I really have very little interest in doing a do-si-do on this... but...

Watch:

Boom. Right?

I wasn't trying to go negative on you in any way, Creativehum. I hope that you didn't take me that way. You saw he smiley, right?

I was just trying to give the dude some info, as well.

 

[ffilz]

Before you pay for any book, I would suggest

1.You get Cepheus Engine. It is free so you get the modern Task Resolution System. The character generation is similar to Classic. Regardless if you like it or not, then...

One thing I want to comment on here... I started a comparison of Cepheus Engine with Classic Traveller, somewhat in the same vein as my comparison of the 3.5 editions of Classic Traveller. By the time I got to character generation, I gave up. Yea, it's sort of similar, if you compare across character generation of all role playing games, but I'd say even Mega Traveller basic character generation is more similar to Classic Traveller then Cepheus Engine.

Not that CE is a bad system, I'm glad it's out there and it allows a number of publishers to publish Traveller content without getting hung up with various licenses, and of course it allows folks to take the system in their own direction for their own settings.

 

[rhialto]

Money burning a hole in my pocket. Can't make up my mind whether to get TB or MgT2E. I know TB has lots of older material that I can pick up but MgT2E is new but I hear the splat books aren't that good. I'm looking for which would be more attractive to new players. Basically I want both but can only afford one.

Help a fellow out!

Under the "less is more" banner, and constrained to your two options: go with TTB and the FFE CDROM for roughly what the MgT 2e core book will cost you.

 

[creativehum]

I wasn't trying to go negative on you in any way, Creativehum. I hope that you didn't take me that way. You saw he smiley, right?

I was just trying to give the dude some info, as well.

Sorry for the reaction. It was the phrasing. But it wasn't just you. I have never been on a forum where, so often, person A will type something and person B will show up to say, "Here, let me correct that for you..." when, in fact, person B is saying the same thing as person A. It isn't a big deal I suppose, but man... is it weird. But you got hit with a frustration spread out among many posts. Sorry about that.


Also, Frank, thanks for that comment about CE. As you know I've never gotten the whole "Cepheus Engine is Classic Traveller" thing from so many people. But knowing you had begun to do the leg work and came to the same conclusion measures me I wasn't crazy.

 

[Supplement Four]

Sorry for the reaction. It was the phrasing. But it wasn't just you. I have never been on a forum where, so often, person A will type something and person B will show up to say, "Here, let me correct that for you..." when, in fact, person B is saying the same thing as person A. It isn't a big deal I suppose, but man... is it weird. But you got hit with a frustration spread out among many posts. Sorry about that.

No worries, my man.

 

[GM Joe]

Under the "less is more" banner, and constrained to your two options: go with TTB and the FFE CDROM for roughly what the MgT 2e core book will cost you.

Good call.

 

[Thanos]

I realize the CD's are the better buy money wise but it came down to this: Nostalgia for a game that I’ve only played recently (under T5 which is too much game for me to GM) vs. unified system. Unified system wins.

 

[Supplement Four]

I realize the CD's are the better buy money wise but it came down to this: Nostalgia for a game that I’ve only played recently (under T5 which is too much game for me to GM) vs. unified system. Unified system wins.

Whatever you pick, just have fun with it.

Hell, I've never played it, as I don't really stray from CT, but I understand that the T20 book is a damn fine piece of d20 Traveller writing. Talk about unified system! It's d20!

 

[mike wightman]

I got CE, read it and then found the reviews where people were saying it is a CT retclone.

IMHO it isn't.

It is a MgT retclone, and there are significant differences to CT.

As to TTB or MgT2e - MgT requires you to have the CRB and HG to get the full game.

For less money you can get the pod TTB and the FFE CT cd.