Evolution and Convolution of Traveller & Other Games

[robject]

Leave the smiley out. I think scalable combat rules are necessary for T5.

I suspect the basic level of starship design will be more nearly like High Guard; I hope it will have a range of plug-in components to rival MT's charts; and, it could probably cover small spacecraft without extra work (?).

 

[aramis]

And, if one uses an MT-like damage system, one gets a quick and easy conversion of HG ships.

Don't get me wrong, I like HG design; I just think the combat system for HG (and the MT adaptation) are BORING, too much FLEET ORIENTED, and too much work for the reward, as well as not including PC skill effects.

The problem becomes including average skill levels for gun crews....

 

[robject]

Also, how does MT calculate damage from attacking battery factors?

 

[aramis]

MT Official, or MT Vehicle?
For Official, it doesn't, using that F*****g HG B******t. (can't tell I hate the HG combat system, can you?)

For the vehicular rules, see MTPH page 80 for per weapon damage.

A battery would use average pen and atten, and total damage o the guns therein. So a 21x TL8 Factor 1 lasers battery (Factor 7 as a battery) would instead be 21x500=10500 Damage, with pen/attn 70/5. One good hit takes out a CE.

 

[robject]

It doesn't make sense... if the vehicle combat system worked -- and it appears to work fine -- why didn't the MT editors scrap the pages and pages of HG combat tables, and use the saved space for something else?

 

[kaladorn]

I just wish Brilliant Lances had been written one ship-construction generation earlier (in MT). BL is an excellent ship to ship game for those of us who like having more than two ranges (thanks not very much HG!) and some concept of spacial layouts. But it is sadly incompatible with MT ship design.

Hopefully, and I say hopefully as I've grown cynical, T5 will have a form of ship combat that works well for the kind of ships your usual RPG group has (freighters, scouts, etc), makes the combat exciting, allows the use of maps, and generally gives enough detail to be fun in an RPG.

HG combat is fleet and large ship oriented. Fascinating, if you don't want to actually run it for your group. Maybday wasn't bad, but looks long in the tooth now. An updated Mayday or BL would be the bees knees!

 

[aramis]

Compatibility? Using HG, that meant you could use all the HG designs unchanged, if you could read the USP.

Joe's all but said that it hadn't crossed their minds.

First time I ran MT, I used the page 80 tables... and never looked back!

I'd used HG, and disliked it. (Love the design sequence. MT was Great when I was a gearhead and college student; now I lack time, energy, and willingness.)