Best Background Skills

[Spinward Scout]

Neglected zero level skills probably need a little practice to get back the hang of them.

Nah, it's just like Bicycle-0.

 

[whartung]

E.g. a person wants to be a pilot when they grow up. One year, they are offered a chance to learn pilot or animal handling. They choose animal handling bc they love animals and know they are unlikely to get that skill at pilot school.

Honestly, I don't know anyone who would make that choice.

If they're interested in something, they're interested. If a child is interested in becoming a pilot, they will likely jump at any chance to get in to a cockpit. Given a chance to go to an Air Show or a Rodeo, I'm betting they're going to the Air Show.

Children aren't typically "big picture" thinkers. They don't tend to be very patient. "Oh, sure, I'll put off this thing I find exciting for later."

When I was young and fascinated by computers and computer science, I hoovered up anything and everything. I wasn't going to "wait" for "Data Structures Class" in my sophomore college year. As a rule, I was already fluent in the material of every computer class I took by the time I got there. There was no way I was going to "wait for training" given an opportunity. Truthfully, the classes taught me very little, I was almost completely self taught. All of my fundamental "aha" moments were on my own, outside of a class.

During one class I got docked points on a project with the note "You don't know how to do this yet" because of some technique I was using. An interesting note, to say the least.

So, if someone finds something interesting, as a rule, they're going to pursue it.

 

[CyborgPrime]

According to my bookshelf, we've been playing with Background Skills since at least 1993 (Traveller TNE)...

I don't see any mention in the LBB's.

I can't find my MegaTraveller core rules so I can't vouch for that edition.

 

[CyborgPrime]

Honestly, I don't know anyone who would make that choice.

If they're interested in something, they're interested. If a child is interested in becoming a pilot, they will likely jump at any chance to get in to a cockpit. Given a chance to go to an Air Show or a Rodeo, I'm betting they're going to the Air Show.

Children aren't typically "big picture" thinkers. They don't tend to be very patient. "Oh, sure, I'll put off this thing I find exciting for later."

When I was young and fascinated by computers and computer science, I hoovered up anything and everything. I wasn't going to "wait" for "Data Structures Class" in my sophomore college year. As a rule, I was already fluent in the material of every computer class I took by the time I got there. There was no way I was going to "wait for training" given an opportunity. Truthfully, the classes taught me very little, I was almost completely self taught. All of my fundamental "aha" moments were on my own, outside of a class.

During one class I got docked points on a project with the note "You don't know how to do this yet" because of some technique I was using. An interesting note, to say the least.

So, if someone finds something interesting, as a rule, they're going to pursue it.

Not everybody is like you, or the same.

If I was interested in Pilot and learned pilot 0 as a kid, then had to sit through another pilot 0 class at pilot school, I'd be wondering why the hell am I in this class and I'd find a way to test into pilot 1.

But that' just me - some folks don't mind wasting their time taking the same classes over and over for no net benefit, I suppose.

Because of the way brains work, AHA! moments are almost ALWAYS outside the classroom. Your brain needs time to process what it just learned. Check out the book The PRagmatic Programmer (or the other book The Pragmatic Thinker).

Anyway - no matter how you look at it, it's a game, not a life simulator; it's already not realistic on so many levels - why nitpick on one?

 

[Condottiere]

I'm sure that moisture farmer skill set will come in handy some day.

Luckily, pest control requires pilot and target acquisition skills of metre sized desert rodents.

 

[whartung]

I'm sure that moisture farmer skill set will come in handy some day.

Luckily, pest control requires pilot and target acquisition skills of metre sized desert rodents.

And those skills are apparently transferable to other domains.

 

[whartung]

If I was interested in Pilot and learned pilot 0 as a kid, then had to sit through another pilot 0 class at pilot school, I'd be wondering why the hell am I in this class and I'd find a way to test into pilot 1.

But that' just me - some folks don't mind wasting their time taking the same classes over and over for no net benefit, I suppose.

No benefit? Waste of time?

If you're Pilot-0 as a kid/teenager, then, ideally, while awaiting the few years to get in to flight school you'd be FLYING, flexing your Pilot-0 skills. Saving up pop bottles to rent aircraft. Perhaps picking up Aircraft Maintenance-0 while trying to sneak in flight hours by hanging around the airport. Finding a mentor to share a Grape Ne-Hi with in the airport lounge. Because in order to get to Pilot-1, you need hours.

And, as someone that spent much of college sitting in classes that offered no benefit, I can tell you I'm glad I never waited for anything. The lectures were easy, the projects were easy, the tests were easy. Easy classes, easy grades, easier to contribute to the class and other students.

I had one class where the teacher was constantly asking me questions, not to test my knowledge, but because she didn't know and wanted me to explain things. I stopped going to that class. She gave me an incomplete (which was kind of her), so I just did all of the programming projects next quarter. That took a whole week.

Passions don't wait. This stuff was never "a job" for me, a means to an end, I'm just grateful people pay me to do this kind of thing.

 

[Gray Lensman]

In what edition of the rules do background skill appear?

The earliest I can think of is the so-called default skills (dependent on chosen career and homeworld tech level) in MegaTraveller Basic Character Generation. This is based on memory. I'd have to drag the books out of the attic to confirm.

 

[Fovean]

The earliest I can think of is the so-called default skills (dependent on chosen career and homeworld tech level) in MegaTraveller Basic Character Generation. This is based on memory. I'd have to drag the books out of the attic to confirm.

You are correct (although I can’t confirm this is necessarily the earliest example....):

ALL careers except Barbarian: Gun Cbt 0
ALL Spacer careers + Flyer: Vacc Suit 0
Early Stellar Homeworld (TL9-A+): Computer 0, Wheeled Vehicle 0
Average Stellar Homeworld: (TLB-D+): Grav Vehicle 0
Industrial, Pre-Stellar (TL6-8+): Wheeled Vehicle 0

The “+” is indicated on the table, so presumably a High Stellar Homeworld (TL E+) provides all the tech-based skills.

 

[kilemall]

I wouldn't min-max this, just concentrate on background skills that are descriptive of the character. So a colonist TL A is different from an urban TL A, which is different from a TL A waterworld or TL A spacer. I'd also make sure there are differentiating skills then just a generic set for flavor, and any already skill-1 just gets +1 added on for career ones.


If you absolutely can't stand the idea that the skill-0 gets 'overwritten/wasted' by a career skill-1, just give the character a +1 for commission/promotion that term, as the character shows aptitude for the skill learned.

 

[Proneutron]

If I was interested in Pilot and learned pilot 0 as a kid, then had to sit through another pilot 0 class at pilot school, I'd be wondering why the hell am I in this class and I'd find a way to test into pilot 1.

THAT isn't the question. The question IS, if you wanted to be an airline pilot and you had gotten a student pilot license would you FORGO becoming an airline pilot because you would have to do some classes you already took?

YES OR NO?

OR, if you were a teen and wanted to be an airline pilot would you NOT take the chance to get a student license and start flying because later you might have to redo a bit of that training later?

YES or NO?

 

[Timerover51]

Automatic Background Skills appear in Supplement 4: Citizens of the Imperium which was published in 1979. They cover Belter, Pirate, Doctor (Medical), Diplomat, Flyer (member of the Close Orbit and Airspace Control Command), Barbarian, Rogue, Scientist, and Hunter.

It is interesting that "Close Orbit and Airspace Control Command" shows up that early. The MegaTraveller COACC manual did not appear until 1989, ten years later. Flyer gets the cascade skill of Air Craft-1. Also, interestingly, the Sailor gets no automatic background skill.

 

[whartung]

THAT isn't the question. The question IS, if you wanted to be an airline pilot and you had gotten a student pilot license would you FORGO becoming an airline pilot because you would have to do some classes you already took?

YES OR NO?

Would I not become a commercial pilot because I'd have to retake ground school?

No, ground school would be wasted hour per day in lecture since I "already know it". Big deal. Check that box and move on.

Rudimentary flight school I would advance quickly, since I already know how to fly, and more stick time is more stick time, so I don't think having to run the the basics to the satisfaction of the Airline is something the would put me off from becoming an airline pilot. Because, at the end of the tunnel is the prize -- being an airline pilot.

Same with becoming a high performance fighter pilot. Would I as a trained, young pilot go through basic ground training and early flight school in the Air Force knowing I have an F-22 waiting for me at the end? "Uh, HELL YEAH", where do I sign?

OR, if you were a teen and wanted to be an airline pilot would you NOT take the chance to get a student license and start flying because later you might have to redo a bit of that training later?

YES or NO?

If I were a teen (any age, honestly) interested in flying and had the opportunity to fly, I'd fly. I'd rather fly now even if I did not become a commercial pilot. Because people fly for flyings sake. I know a few pilots, and they are passionate about flying for flyings sake.

I don't fly, I have a light interest in flying, since I was young, and was in the Civil Air Patrol, but it's an expensive hobby, so I haven't picked it up quite yet, but I have considered it. I may still. It is not a passion.

I do, however, ride a motorcycle. Closest you can get to flying at ground level. I can only hope you have a passion for something as strong as mine for riding. And if you hang out with riders, few do it casually. Few do it as a means to an end. Most make time specifically for it. Time in the saddle is a good time. As the saying goes, "The worst day fishing is better than the best day working". Nobody I know who rides would wait for, well, anything, if they can get in the saddle right now, today. You should hang out on the Long Distance Rider mailing list. These folks will happily ride 500 miles (one way) to share a sandwich with others.

The passion I see in motorcycle riders is similar to those of the pilots I know.

I, personally, can't think of anything that has real interest to me that I would forego while waiting for "training" of any kind. I'd want to hit the ground running to leverage my time with experts in the field so I can ask them the hard questions I struggled with while learning myself. All basic education would do is (ideally) reinforce what I already know, or fix it. Both are good outcomes, neither is a waste of time. This is not someplace I have to be, get through, and "pass", it's someplace I want to be, and I want to make the experience as valuable as possible.

And, trust me, I've been disappointed many times when the teachers can't answer the questions I have, when I learn that I'm at least as knowledgable, if not more so, than the person training me. Disappointed indeed.

Learning early is not a waste of time. I'm learning it because it fascinates me. Only if something as interesting was competing, would I forego something like that. If I was going to flight school in a year, and wanted to learn the guitar, I can see spending that year practicing guitar with less time on flight school since it was coming up.

But the thing with passions, is they know no future. The future is uncertain. The future is not in my hands. So, the thing with the most passion wins the day.

That's a different problem, folks do this all the time, as time is finite and is lousy at sharing.

But perhaps if I were an expert guitar player by the time I got to flight school, I may forego it entirely and focus on a career as a musician.

There was a guitarist and songwriter, a very good guitarist, for a successful band that became a professional private jet pilot after his band peaked and broke up. He did that in his mid-30s. I don't know, but I'm guessing this was not a sudden fancy for him. Maybe he got a taste for it while touring with the band, or maybe it's something that he held on to since childhood.

Brian May, guitarist for Queen famously got a PhD in Astrophysics...at 60 years old. I'm betting he had a few issues of Astronomy magazine to take along the tour bus when active with the band.

 

[Gray Lensman]

Automatic Background Skills appear in Supplement 4: Citizens of the Imperium which was published in 1979. They cover Belter, Pirate, Doctor (Medical), Diplomat, Flyer (member of the Close Orbit and Airspace Control Command), Barbarian, Rogue, Scientist, and Hunter.

I stand corrected! ;-)

 

[Proneutron]

Would I not become a commercial pilot because I'd have to retake ground school?

No, ground school would be wasted hour per day in lecture since I "already know it". Big deal. Check that box and move on.

Rudimentary flight school I would advance quickly, since I already know how to fly, and more stick time is more stick time, so I don't think having to run the the basics to the satisfaction of the Airline is something the would put me off from becoming an airline pilot. Because, at the end of the tunnel is the prize -- being an airline pilot.

Same with becoming a high performance fighter pilot. Would I as a trained, young pilot go through basic ground training and early flight school in the Air Force knowing I have an F-22 waiting for me at the end? "Uh, HELL YEAH", where do I sign?



If I were a teen (any age, honestly) interested in flying and had the opportunity to fly, I'd fly. I'd rather fly now even if I did not become a commercial pilot. Because people fly for flyings sake. I know a few pilots, and they are passionate about flying for flyings sake.

I don't fly, I have a light interest in flying, since I was young, and was in the Civil Air Patrol, but it's an expensive hobby, so I haven't picked it up quite yet, but I have considered it. I may still. It is not a passion.

I do, however, ride a motorcycle. Closest you can get to flying at ground level. I can only hope you have a passion for something as strong as mine for riding. And if you hang out with riders, few do it casually. Few do it as a means to an end. Most make time specifically for it. Time in the saddle is a good time. As the saying goes, "The worst day fishing is better than the best day working". Nobody I know who rides would wait for, well, anything, if they can get in the saddle right now, today. You should hang out on the Long Distance Rider mailing list. These folks will happily ride 500 miles (one way) to share a sandwich with others.

The passion I see in motorcycle riders is similar to those of the pilots I know.

I, personally, can't think of anything that has real interest to me that I would forego while waiting for "training" of any kind. I'd want to hit the ground running to leverage my time with experts in the field so I can ask them the hard questions I struggled with while learning myself. All basic education would do is (ideally) reinforce what I already know, or fix it. Both are good outcomes, neither is a waste of time. This is not someplace I have to be, get through, and "pass", it's someplace I want to be, and I want to make the experience as valuable as possible.

And, trust me, I've been disappointed many times when the teachers can't answer the questions I have, when I learn that I'm at least as knowledgable, if not more so, than the person training me. Disappointed indeed.

Learning early is not a waste of time. I'm learning it because it fascinates me. Only if something as interesting was competing, would I forego something like that. If I was going to flight school in a year, and wanted to learn the guitar, I can see spending that year practicing guitar with less time on flight school since it was coming up.

But the thing with passions, is they know no future. The future is uncertain. The future is not in my hands. So, the thing with the most passion wins the day.

That's a different problem, folks do this all the time, as time is finite and is lousy at sharing.

But perhaps if I were an expert guitar player by the time I got to flight school, I may forego it entirely and focus on a career as a musician.

There was a guitarist and songwriter, a very good guitarist, for a successful band that became a professional private jet pilot after his band peaked and broke up. He did that in his mid-30s. I don't know, but I'm guessing this was not a sudden fancy for him. Maybe he got a taste for it while touring with the band, or maybe it's something that he held on to since childhood.

Brian May, guitarist for Queen famously got a PhD in Astrophysics...at 60 years old. I'm betting he had a few issues of Astronomy magazine to take along the tour bus when active with the band.

Very well explained!

 

[coliver988]

Automatic Background Skills appear in Supplement 4: Citizens of the Imperium which was published in 1979. They cover Belter, Pirate, Doctor (Medical), Diplomat, Flyer (member of the Close Orbit and Airspace Control Command), Barbarian, Rogue, Scientist, and Hunter.

It is interesting that "Close Orbit and Airspace Control Command" shows up that early. The MegaTraveller COACC manual did not appear until 1989, ten years later. Flyer gets the cascade skill of Air Craft-1. Also, interestingly, the Sailor gets no automatic background skill.

There are rank-based and automatic skills but I did not find background skills in Citizens. I may have missed it, but interestingly enough I did just today generate a Belter character and did miss that part (though she ended up with Vacc-2, so will bump that to Vacc-3). An automatic skill is not the same as a background skill: automatic for Citizens I think really translates out to basic training. Background skills you get before even entering a service.

 

[Timerover51]

There are rank-based and automatic skills but I did not find background skills in Citizens. I may have missed it, but interestingly enough I did just today generate a Belter character and did miss that part (though she ended up with Vacc-2, so will bump that to Vacc-3). An automatic skill is not the same as a background skill: automatic for Citizens I think really translates out to basic training. Background skills you get before even entering a service.

I guess I view them as skills earned prior to being in service. If you come from an asteroid belt or a vacuum planet, Vacc Suit-1 should be automatic.

 

[coliver988]

I guess I view them as skills earned prior to being in service. If you come from an asteroid belt or a vacuum planet, Vacc Suit-1 should be automatic.

I can see it that way as well. Just as some of the rule sets give you background skills based on the system you grew up in, the service automatic skills in Classic just assume you have that going into the service vs learning on the job, so to speak. Not to be confused with the rank-based skills which are definitely on the job training.

 

[mike wightman]

What about the free rank 0 skills a referee can grant to a character in CT - do they count as background skills?

 

[coliver988]

What about the free rank 0 skills a referee can grant to a character in CT - do they count as background skills?

Personally I'd go with yes as they get all the weapon skills at 0. So not an uber-character but one who can get around. There have been a few posts about how that makes the general Traveller PC perform better than NPCs, who do not get those 0 (or 1/2) level skills.

Terminology is always tricky in any area: not everyone interprets the words the same way so the same word may have different meanings depending on who is using it.

For me, a "background" skill is something you've picked up outside of whatever service/career you go into. It represents your daily living outside of that career and prior to that career. "Automatic" skills are skills you pick up just by being in that service/career, a sort of basic or advanced training that is still taught by old-timers to the newbie (either by actual class/training or simply osmosis and practice). And the "rank based skills" are part of the promotion process and required for that rank, so in a sense you've been practicing/studying for that as part of the service/career path but on your own time (but still within that service/career).

In the end, it is still just a list of skills no matter how you achieved them.