Do You Use Miniature Figures In Your Traveller Games?

[Mako]

Do you use miniature figures in your Traveller games?

Yes

No

Not currently, but I'd like to


If yes, please expand upon your answers a little, and let us know what scale minis you use for your games, and the types of deck plans, terrain, etc., that you use for gaming with them.

For me, currently, I don't, since I haven't played a Traveller game in ages, but hope to change that soon.

I'm planning on using 15mm/18mm scale figures, primarily, but may also press into service some old 25mm figures, and/or some of the old WOTC Star Wars figures too, depending upon the scenarios, and size of the games.

 

[Spenser TR]

I run a game with all newbies to Traveller, and most are newbies to RPGs in general so there's little expectation in my group for mini use.

My players are also all pretty casual gamers either by attitude or other life demands so I try to run as lean a game as possible - I teach them basic setting concepts such as jump, the various major races, and facets of the Imperium as we play; no one's reading any books.

The ideas and processes of combat are complex enough, I don't need to burden them with tactical rules. I love that kind of thing with DnD/Pathfinder but it just does't serve my current group. We handwave a lot of the specifics of combat when it comes up.

I live in a place where I'd have to order everything, and something about not being able to examine a mini before buying it irks me.

Finally, I know me - if I start, I'll collect a ton of them. Or be frustrated when I can lay hands on "enough." Also, my players will never paint them, and they would just add another layer of complexity to a situation that's already right up at the limit.

All this being said, I can see some value in having a little artifact for the players that represents their character. Right now for this we use a printed pic/avatar of someone the player says looks like their character.

 

[aramis]

I've often used counters on maps, but not always.

Now-a-days, I use 1cm or 8mm gaming cubes, numbered, color by type. I use mini-meeples for PC's. Nice thing: mini-meeples fit nicely on 1/2" grids...

 

[GypsyComet]

Other: Sometimes. 15mm by preference.

 

[agorski]

I've got all the CT 15mm deck plans, including the FASA ones, plus Snapshot and AHL, plus a fair selection of 15mm minis. So if given the opportunity I would use them.

Still looking for the uber-rare Seeker deck plans in 15mm.

 

[infojunky]

15mm! Is there any other?

Well, Yes, not that I will admit too often.

Ok, in 15mm there is pretty much the entire panoply of figures available except Hivers and K'Kree. Couple that with all the Classic deckplans use a 1/2 inch grid when printed large. Also note there are a large number of appropriate scaled vehicles in 15mm as well.

Now in 25mm there are the classic sets from Grenadier, Plus a slim number of companies that still produce 25mm figures. Notably Ground Zero Games, Denizen Miniatures and Moonraker Miniatures (Note these are the old Hobby Products line which are 25mm no mater what the site says.) Note by 25mm I mean all these figures will fit on 20mm bases and all are about a inch tall. If y'all have another source sing out.

Lastly the there is the whole 28mm+ stuff, Not a clue, other than I pretty much don't count most anything from Games Workshop as Science Fiction. Again for characters be specific.

 

[baktegon]

I use a ton of minis in my campaign. for ships i have a combination of re-painted star trek heroclix (tried to use non-famous ships, so things like older starfleet models and dominion ships work well).

one of my players is a 3D printer enthusiast so he used that to create a bunch of pretty cools 28mm people minis for the game. I have a bunch of people, soldiers, a few animals, and each player has their own player character. I also purchased some minis from england because it was real difficult to find and sci-fi themed minis in america that weren't Warhammer 40K or equally expensive. I like the quality for the price of these ones http://www.em4miniatures.com/acatalog/Science_Fiction.html

for maps, i use the hex grid mat with the erasable markers when i'm doing something quick during a play session. for longer sessions which i know are going to be in a location, i actually use the 1inch square grid on the back of wrapping paper. now i know traveller is hex but wrapping paper is dirt cheap after christmas so here we are. plus i can roll out a longer map if i want to have a big complex or some such.

as far as painting the unpainted ones, i organized a "painting day". since all my minis were cheap or free (3d printed) i didn't mind if the players painted them inexpertly, i could certainly do no better. one of my players is a big warhammer fantasy player who has won painting competitions before so he showed us the ropes and it was a great time. plus i got a bunch of painted miniatures out of it. i'll post pictures if anyone is interested.

 

[coliver988]

I've gotten addicted to some Kickstarter deck plans that are 25mm scale, although I have a lot of old (and badly painted) 15mm from Martian Metals (including the air raft). I also have a tabloid printer so I have a lot of deck plans that work with the 15mm minis when I print them out.

I also use ship minis for general reference, although our space battles are more verbal (not much a lab ship can do!) and I use Lego and an old wet erase battle map for tactical things (the Chimara Lego sets have ones that can double for Vargr and Aslan very easily, and as those sets are not as popular often go on sale).

And I just did another KS that has minis that look like they may work well for Traveller (although the game is not due for a year now).

But I'll have to dust off the old MM 15mm minis, get some sort of base on them (originally I glued them to little squares of thick paper, but after 30+ years the glue has dried up) and see if we can use them more.

 

[ffilz]

I answered other...

I have a bunch of 25mm miniatures buried away that I used extensively back in the day. With my current gaming outlook being play by post, Google Hangouts, or Roll20, miniatures are not really applicable.

There was a time back in the 80s that I owned a lot of the 15mm, but I never really got them painted and only used them for a short while.

Frank

 

[Timerover51]

I answered that I would like to use them. I am actually thinking about using Lego figures as being inexpensive and adaptive to various equipment set ups.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

I don't. I may have used them once in a game. But nothing memorable. Too much happens in my games for static minis and maps to be of much use.

 

[BytePro]

Ditto ffilz's answer.

 

[Starflyer]

15mm all the way. Full set of citadel Traveller minis and various vehicles and deck plans. I always found that scale is more suited to long range modern weapons and weans a more logical ground scale can be used. Never really liked the Games with enemy models almost barrel to barrel and still missing.

 

[infojunky]

I answered that I would like to use them. I am actually thinking about using Lego figures as being inexpensive and adaptive to various equipment set ups.

Weirdly, I have thought of this, but when pricing out appropriate Lego bits it gets to be real expensive real quick. Like 28mm+ expensive...

 

[Ullarsskald1957]

Other: Have used them in the past for set piece tactical scenarios: ground, air, water and space. Usually it's just me and the players having a conversation and making rough sketches of floor plans or terrain.

I have a lot of the old Micro-Machines figurines for vehicles and space craft, plus 50 or 60 pounds of minifigs in various scales for PCs, NPCs and other being encounters.

 

[Mako]

15mm scale minis are very affordable, and leave lots of room for creating terrain, and/or cities/ports in which to wander around.

25mm and larger figs are also great for smaller scenarios, with fewer numbers of figures.

 

[Bravesteel]

I voted "no" as I can't be bothered with them. I tend to print out the deck plan, and I've used glass counters to mark locations when needed.

I have thought about creating a 28mm scale ship based on the Free Trader or something, but I would only do that if the group understood that it was their ONLY ship. I will railroad your butts onto another Free Trader if I spent that much time making the terrain for it! :rant:

 

[Timerover51]

Weirdly, I have thought of this, but when pricing out appropriate Lego bits it gets to be real expensive real quick. Like 28mm+ expensive...

Ah, but as my son is grown, I now can raid his Lego collection.

 

[ffilz]

Ah, but as my son is grown, I now can raid his Lego collection.

I've thought about using LEGO minifigs for RPG myself...

I've already spent the money...

Trouble would be doing various aliens (I could do one or two Aslan, Vargr would be easier). Course I could limit the aliens in my setting to those I have minifig parts for...

On the other hand, miniatures don't translate well to Roll20, Google Hangouts, or Play by Post gaming very well...

Frank

 

[creativehum]

I find the idea of miniatures really appealing.

But in practical application not so much.

I ran a pickup game of Classic Traveller at a local game convention a month ago. I found that using...
1) The smart, abstracted range band and combat rules of Classic Traveller
2) Along with on-the-fly modifiers based on situation
3) Along with doing quick sketches of terrain or environments on a sheet of paper as needed

... did a bang-up job of moving the game along and keeping everything clear. Using the abstracted system found in Classic Traveller did what I expect they were meant to do: Keep things moving along without much muss or fuss but keep everyone engaged in the details of the situation at hand.

Everyone had a great time, and I think that's in part to the "theater of the mind" feel that Classic Traveller combat was created to engender.

While I'm in awe (and jealous) of photos with miniatures set up the fact is the kind of game I want to run I think would get gummed up by miniatures. (But, again, I'm running the kind of game I want to run with a specific rules set that works great as is without miniatures.)