Best Traveller rules book/supplement/adventure ever and why?

[DonM]

I like the Mongoose Zhodani book... :rofl:

More seriously, I like the Gamelords book series. They released a Pilot's Guide detailing a subsector, then they released Environment books based on types of worlds in that subsector, and then they released Adventure books based on the Environments based on the worlds in that subsector. I like how their material all fit together. I admire the design and planning. I wish the three adventure books they didn't do existed... Every once in a while when I think of doing my own thing under the Foreven license, I imagine just staking out a single subsector, and releasing books using that model.

However, the one campaign I was in using Caledon was not as good as it could have been -- most of the players were too busy talking in awful faux-Scottish accents. o:

 

[rancke]

I like the Mongoose Zhodani book... :rofl:

Well, if we're allowed to toot our own horns, I'm pretty partial to GT:Sword Worlds.


Hans

 

[DonM]

Well, if we're allowed to toot our own horns, I'm pretty partial to GT:Sword Worlds.


Hans

Well, I think you should be allowed, and actually, would agree that GT: Sword Worlds is an excellent Traveller book.

 

[rich4421972]

Well, I think you should be allowed, and actually, would agree that GT: Sword Worlds is an excellent Traveller book.

Marketing seems to be an ever-increasing burden on the independent (as well as licensed) author

The GURPS world books were works of genius. My favorite GURPS book was Planetary Profile: Darkmoon. The structure of the book is magnificent and it was pleasurable to read as well as being a good setting (or the basis for other prison-world settings).

 

[Garyius2003]

Props

 

[Supplement Four]

Strange choices on the poll.

I think the Traveller Book is the best rule set, followed by Starter Traveller.

I think DGP makes the best third party supplements.

As a whole, you can't be GDW's collection of JTAS articles. There's too much there not to find something great.

 

[savage]

High Guard
T20 Rulebooks (Thanks Hunter!)
TNE: Fusion and Steel

It would probably be easy to pick out many books.

If I extend my comments:

CT- DGP books /articles we're probably the best classic 3d party. I cannot fairly review modern 3rd party. So, I'll leave it at that.

MT Worldbuilder and Rebellion Sourcebook we're great fun.

I think T5 has the potential to be the most important book, but needs more explanations. Perhaps the book that explains the T5 book.:rofl:

Darkmoon is great. But also GT: Nobles which tried to take a useful take on the nobility.




1248 was terrible. It only supported a portion of the community that wanted a different virus spin. GT: Sword Worlds is also mediocre.

 

[aramis]

If I extend my comments:

CT- DGP books /articles we're probably the best classic 3d party. I cannot fairly review modern 3rd party. So, I'll leave it at that.

MT Worldbuilder and Rebellion Sourcebook we're great fun.

It's important to understand: DGP wrote MT. The quality of their CT materials apparently impressed GDW.

MT was done by DGP under contract to GDW. Much of the errata was due to GDW retypsetting it, rather than optical typsetting from DGP's own in-house layouts.

The DGP-owned MT materials were canon in a way no other 3rd Party publisher could be.

I think T5 has the potential to be the most important book, but needs more explanations. Perhaps the book that explains the T5 book.:rofl:

Darkmoon is great. But also GT: Nobles which tried to take a useful take on the nobility.




1248 was terrible. It only supported a portion of the community that wanted a different virus spin. GT: Sword Worlds is also mediocre.

The problem with Milieux 1200 and 1248:

• Most of those who disliked virus as it was in TNE disliked virus overall. 1248 sucks for them since it still involves the same fundamental flaws in what virus is.
• Many of the fans of virus disliked it being nerfed.
• It didn't nerf it far enough for others.
• It seems a bit disconnected from what Dave N. of GDW was planning, based both upon Dave's comments and upon the TNE T-shirt images.

I think 1248 is fine for what it is - but what it is is of no appeal to me. Virus is death to my WSOD.

 

[atpollard]

The Traveller Book
It contains everything needed for a group to play and have fun.
The hardcover and binding have held up under decades of regular play.
(No pages fluttering away, tape reinforced spine and manually opened and re-closed staples).
Good layout and production quality (typesetting and artwork).
Minimal errata.

 

[savage]

It's important to understand: DGP wrote MT. The quality of their CT materials apparently impressed GDW.

MT was done by DGP under contract to GDW. Much of the errata was due to GDW retypsetting it, rather than optical typsetting from DGP's own in-house layouts.

The DGP-owned MT materials were canon in a way no other 3rd Party publisher could be.

Well stated Aramis.
DGP is similar to MgT in responsibility. And the creation, maintenance of OTU. However, I typical separate DGP articles from products as canon based on availability. But that is a personal choice. If I cannot read 3 magazines I cannot accept them as canon.

Also, naming in the wiki and other events tend to lead me down the road of T5 not living under DGP inclusive canon.

The problem with Milieux 1200 and 1248:

• Most of those who disliked virus as it was in TNE disliked virus overall. 1248 sucks for them since it still involves the same fundamental flaws in what virus is.
• Many of the fans of virus disliked it being nerfed.
• It didn't nerf it far enough for others.
• It seems a bit disconnected from what Dave N. of GDW was planning, based both upon Dave's comments and upon the TNE T-shirt images.

I think 1248 is fine for what it is - but what it is is of no appeal to me. Virus is death to my WSOD.

Nicely sumarized. I admit to falling into the "don't nerf/Dave" categories having been around upon incept. When we discussed it in COTI it was an overwhelming "virus dislike" group running the show. It is what is is.

 

[Supplement Four]

I own a lot of TNE that I've never used because, at the time, I would buy everything I could lay my hands upon for my favorite rpgs. I loved Traveller and liked MegaTraveller, so when TNE came out, I went into default mode and bought and bought.

This was, of course, pre-internet, when it was hard to get a product once it left your local gaming store. I remember that I used to go on these weekend trips with my girlfriend at the time. We'd just take off to another city to spend the weekend. And, every trip I'd make, I'd try to find time to look through the hotel phone book and find the local gaming stores. My girlfriend would give me that look, like, "C'mon. Really? I've got to wait for you to dig through some old dusty game store?" But, she was a trooper. And, it wasn't like I'd give her much choice, anyway. I remember finding DGP's The Flaming Eye and GDW's Knightfall this way--how happy I was that my treasure hunt has borne fruit.

So, I collected all TNE. But, I never liked it. I didn't like the direction the game had taken at all. I didn't like the change in mechanics, the change in dice. I really didn't like the new art style GDW had chosen. I just didn't like the game.

I did like 2300, but I found that I never got into it because when it came to playing a scifi game, I'd always play Traveller.

For a long time I've been meaning to sell my TNE collection, most of it straight out of the shrink wrap. But, I'm considering throwing away my previous dislike of it (based on how different the game is compared to Traveller and MegaTraveller) and trying to finally evaluate the game on its own terms.

I bet I'd like the game, if I did that. I'd have to look at it as if its just a different game, like 2300 is a different game from Traveller.

I may do that.

 

[mike wightman]

I like the TNE setting, I didn't like the rules. I loved Brilliant Lances, Battle Rider, FF&S, Vampire Fleets, Aliens of the Rim.

I did not like the rules, I did not like the Regency.

 

[aramis]

I like the TNE setting, I didn't like the rules. I loved Brilliant Lances, Battle Rider, FF&S, Vampire Fleets, Aliens of the Rim.

I did not like the rules, I did not like the Regency.

I liked the rules, mostly - but didn't like the setting changes, and felt the regency to be mangled by Dave N. from the "preserve" we'd been promised. The Regency ceased to be "a last bastion of the 3I" and was made "Canada in Space" - A functioning republic with a vestige of Imperial trappings of its heritage.

Now, looking back, the best books, as I see it today...

• The Traveller Book
• MegaTraveller Imperial Encyclopedia
• DGP's Starship Operators' Manual
• TNE FF&S
• TNE Regency Sourcebook - useful for both CT/MT and TNE
• Spica's Career Books series for MGT.

These are the books that look good, do their jobs well, and add the most value-for-money in their respective systems, IMO.

 

[savage]

TNE: FF&S may be one of the most important books. It changed the way we look at "options" which in the past had been very Home Rule focused.

Starship Manual another one because it tried to answer the star trek: RoK question, how and why things work.

I was in buy, buy mode when T4 came out. Barely read it. Just didn't like it in presentation, quality.

 

[Supplement Four]

Interesting. I've looked at this thread several times as it keeps showing that it's a thread with a new post. But, since the 18th, when Savage posted, there is no new post.

Wut up wid dat?

 

[mike wightman]

I think it was explained as every time someone votes in the poll it is relisted as a new post or something like that.

 

[Supplement Four]

I think it was explained as every time someone votes in the poll it is relisted as a new post or something like that.

Hmm. I never noticed that happening with the other polls.

 

[whulorigan]

Hmm. I never noticed that happening with the other polls.

It is happening with at least several of the polls (possibly all), but the strange behavior has only started relatively recently.

 

[atpollard]

I think it was explained as every time someone votes in the poll it is relisted as a new post or something like that.

Yup.
That is exactly what is happening.
Every vote resets the poll to recent activity status.

 

[Ronnke]

GURPS Traveller: Interstellar Wars

This is a well written book, with lots of great content and information on this period of the Traveller universe. Roleplaying in the setting detailed in this book has been one of my most successful and fun.