Rules Only: Generic or Official Traveller Universe

[Blue Ghost]

Hans; no, you're being argumentative, you repeated my poll results, then, for some reason, stated a conclusion based on those results, then in the same breath, said you weren't interested in those poll results. You were told the Imperium was a feudal technocracy, but then questioned what that meant, the intent behind the author's own penned words, and then stated how that was wrong, then seemed to accept the wording, but then went on to ask why the Imperium was a "feudal technocracy" and what it meant, even after it was explained.

In my book you're not making sense, and possibly without knowing it, are being abrasive. I don't know, nor want to know, what your gaming sessions are like, but I'm done replying to you on this thread and elsewhere.

All the best.

 

[aramis]

I don't want it changed - just made consistent

That's an inconsistent statement - to make it consistent would be a change.

 

[rancke]

Hans; no, you're being argumentative...

That's usually the case when you're having an argument.

...you repeated my poll results, then, for some reason, stated a conclusion based on those results...

I explained the reason.

...then in the same breath, said you weren't interested in those poll results.

No, that was after a number of breaths. You asked for clarification, I gave it.

You were told the Imperium was a feudal technocracy, but then questioned what that meant...

That I did. I questioned what it meant because it did not seem to fit with other canonical statements. You're really not going to understand my point of view until you get your head around the concept that if two or more statements contradic each other, either one may be right, not just the one you read first.

...the intent behind the author's own penned words...

What about the intent of the authors of the penned words that contradict those?

...and then stated how that was wrong...

I said that they appeared to be contradicted by other canonical statements, yes.

... then seemed to accept the wording, but then went on to ask why the Imperium was a "feudal technocracy" and what it meant, even after it was explained.

It hadn't been explained. Which is why I tried to explore the possibility that I was mistaken and that there was an explanation that works.

In my book you're not making sense, and possibly without knowing it, are being abrasive.

Apparently that is a failing of mine. I've been trying to work on it, but I find it difficult to to disagree with people without using words that some people may consider disagreeable.

I don't know, nor want to know, what your gaming sessions are like, but I'm done replying to you on this thread and elsewhere.

That's OK. Don't worry about it.

All the best.

And all the best to you too.


Hans

 

[Ulsyus]

That's very interesting. My suspicion is that there's still a group of people who may be using Traveller to create general sci-fi games with elements of known properties, and then drawing on the Imperium as filler when needed.

Therefore it's not so much the Imperium but the game and story that's interesting, although the Imperium offers a kind of fail safe should there be a hole in a customized empire for a gaming session.

Great responses. Thanks.

What about if there's others like myself, who runs games in the 3I, but flavour elements to suit the spirit of the game my travelers want to enjoy? Variations on canon that make sense to us and aren't complete heresy to true believers? Taking the game from the 1970's feel it had when it first came out, to one that ranges from Blade Runner to Manticore to an advanced Barayar...

 

[Golan2072]

Aren't you pretty much describing the 1st Imperium?

Somewhat similar, but with many more corporations.

 

[Ulsyus]

Somewhat similar, but with many more corporations.

Like multinationals rather than megacorps/bureaux?

 

[Blue Ghost]

What about if there's others like myself, who runs games in the 3I, but flavour elements to suit the spirit of the game my travelers want to enjoy? Variations on canon that make sense to us and aren't complete heresy to true believers? Taking the game from the 1970's feel it had when it first came out, to one that ranges from Blade Runner to Manticore to an advanced Barayar...

Well that's kind of what I'm talking about. Adding flavor where you see fit. I guess some people use more of the 3I than others. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Golan2072]

Like multinationals rather than megacorps/bureaux?

There are Great Houses - which are a bit like the Bureaux, and there are ten of them (Imperial Household included). But there are also Minor Houses, which are akin to multinationals. A lot is monopolized by the Great Houses, but not everything.

 

[Jame]

The poll results are interesting to far. As of this post it breaks down as tollows

No OTU; 15.28%
All OTU; 33.33%
Cust TU; 51.39%

It looks like a slim majority generally play the game as allegedly intended, with the OTU, but toss in their own version of the 3I or whatever version of the TU they're using. Whereas the remaining 49% break up into thirds; two-thirds dong the OTU, and the remaining third (15%) just tossing aside the established setting.

In our group we tend to either do our own universe or take the OTU and modify it with house-rules.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Care to share any tweaks that you use?

 

[Patron Zero]

I tended to run an OTU setting but placed the player-characters in one of the fringe-frontier sectors that was 'open' for development and interpretation to MTU flavoring.

 

[Jame]

Care to share any tweaks that you use?

One that the current GM used in an ATU is laser magazines - i.e. an M-16 style magazine that works as a power cell for a laser weapon. No bullets, just power.
He also decided in his current, OTU CT game that the Imperium is developing Jump Fighters. I'm not actually opposed to either mod, and have adopted the laser magazines.

I have a Law Level rewrite that I'm too tired to post right now.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Jame; that's pretty interesting. I think years back around 2003 or 2004 we discussed laser mags. Standard high powered mags that delivered full power per shot, and a lesser "recycled" mag for licensed mercenary units or paramilitary that could be bought off the shelf, but had less punch.

Your jump thing reminds me to post something in Lone Star.

Patron; you know, I really tried to drag a couple of my gaming groups out into the great unknown, but they just would not have it. They were more counter-strike / "smash-and-grab" types; Have Flash-Bang, will travel. That, as opposed to explorers of the great unknown.

 

[Ulsyus]

Jame; that's pretty interesting. I think years back around 2003 or 2004 we discussed laser mags. Standard high powered mags that delivered full power per shot, and a lesser "recycled" mag for licensed mercenary units or paramilitary that could be bought off the shelf, but had less punch.

Didn't they use something like that in 2300AD? Those guys had tech that was way beyond the TL9 that they should have been stuck with...

 

[whulorigan]

Didn't they use something like that in 2300AD? Those guys had tech that was way beyond the TL9 that they should have been stuck with...

It was also an option in TNE. Laser's could be fed by Direct Electrical Input (DEI), which was the "traditional" method of the old Third Imperium, or could alternately utilize Chemical Laser Cartridges (CLCs), which were an excimer based system, with a magazine containing a certain number of individual CLC cartridges, each of which was good for a single pulsed shot.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Didn't they use something like that in 2300AD? Those guys had tech that was way beyond the TL9 that they should have been stuck with...

Possibly, but I don't recall a specific reference. My memory is very hazy on the subject, but I seem to recall someone mentioning taking the idea from 2300.

I never had the game, so I really can't comment.

 

[Jame]

It was also an option in TNE. Laser's could be fed by Direct Electrical Input (DEI), which was the "traditional" method of the old Third Imperium, or could alternately utilize Chemical Laser Cartridges (CLCs), which were an excimer based system, with a magazine containing a certain number of individual CLC cartridges, each of which was good for a single pulsed shot.

The laser-mags that I took these as, and have adopted, were rifle- and pistol-sized Direct Electrical Input batteries, not CLCs. They were, to me, a "logical" progression of the backpack-sized battery that evolved to be smaller, though with less capacity.

 

[whulorigan]

The laser-mags that I took these as, and have adopted, were rifle- and pistol-sized Direct Electrical Input batteries, not CLCs. They were, to me, a "logical" progression of the backpack-sized battery that evolved to be smaller, though with less capacity.

That would also be supported by MT. In MT there was a laser pistol with an internal battery that stored 15 shots at TL-15 (only 3 shots at TL-14).

 

[Ulsyus]

Well, no need to worry about those pesky little details in T5! Though S4 came up with a very neat little rule to cover that here, so you could just give the weapon a reload number that varies according to how effective you see the magazines/batteries as.

 

[Jame]

That would also be supported by MT. In MT there was a laser pistol with an internal battery that stored 15 shots at TL-15 (only 3 shots at TL-14).

I think the only differences are (1) mine's "external" the same way a power pack is and (2) has higher capacity at lower TL - e.g. a TL 9-10 one holds 6 -10 shots for a pistol or 15 - 20 for a carbine/rifle*.

But then, I have long felt that the writers at GDW were not allowing for enough advancement for individual items at different TLs. (Anyone who feels differently, feel free; I will accept your rules in your games if you accept mine in mine.)