I have the FFE CD of the CT material, GURPS: Traveller, and some Mongoose books. Don't remember the exact details, but some of it is easy to follow and some not. I had the same trouble when I first got TSR's AD&D books. I learned that fairly well. Also have a web site for it if anyone is interested. Revamp, just have about 1000 maps, instead of the 2100 I had before.
Have you ever created your own setting?
- Thread starter stofsk
- Start date
I have the FFE CD of the CT material, GURPS: Traveller, and some Mongoose books. Don't remember the exact details, but some of it is easy to follow and some not. I had the same trouble when I first got TSR's AD&D books. I learned that fairly well. Also have a web site for it if anyone is interested. Revamp, just have about 1000 maps, instead of the 2100 I had before.
Enoki
SOC-14 1K
As an odd one off, I did one with another GM with Traveller characters for my part, that was in a Traveller-like setting only on present day Earth.
It actually played out fairly well until the end of his scenario where things got sketchy because they weren't as well thought out as the earlier parts. They did get to buzz an airliner in a grav vehicle...
It was done on line so here's that conversation...
A Boeing 767 headed inbound from Hawaii to LAX is flying through light clouds. Below and the sky is clear and bright.
"Yea, I'll be glad to have a few days off..." the pilot says.
Out of nowhere, a bright pink "flying Ferrari" loops the plane pulling up near the cockpit windows. A hot blonde and a good looking Japanese woman smile and wave at the air crew. The vehicle has a California license plate on the back of it. The air crew stares slack jawed.
Seconds later the vehicle rolls upside down and shoots away so rapidly it is out of sight in seconds.
The pilot and co-pilot look at each other. "I don't know about you Ted but I am not about to admit I saw that!" the pilot says.
The co-pilot looks at him. "Me neither, but you’ve got to admit those were two really hot girls in that, whatever-it-was!"
It actually played out fairly well until the end of his scenario where things got sketchy because they weren't as well thought out as the earlier parts. They did get to buzz an airliner in a grav vehicle...
It was done on line so here's that conversation...
A Boeing 767 headed inbound from Hawaii to LAX is flying through light clouds. Below and the sky is clear and bright.
"Yea, I'll be glad to have a few days off..." the pilot says.
Out of nowhere, a bright pink "flying Ferrari" loops the plane pulling up near the cockpit windows. A hot blonde and a good looking Japanese woman smile and wave at the air crew. The vehicle has a California license plate on the back of it. The air crew stares slack jawed.
Seconds later the vehicle rolls upside down and shoots away so rapidly it is out of sight in seconds.
The pilot and co-pilot look at each other. "I don't know about you Ted but I am not about to admit I saw that!" the pilot says.
The co-pilot looks at him. "Me neither, but you’ve got to admit those were two really hot girls in that, whatever-it-was!"
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Highorbit_drifter
SOC-12
To me its not so much a headache as a shortcut.
I bought the LBBs back before there was a 3I, and rolled my own subsector. There was no interstellar government, each system was independent. I barely remember any of it but I recall that New Brazil had the highest population and tech level, so my players where from there. Somebody in the group wanted to play a kzin, so we all just sort of talked about what bonuses they would have. Of course he was the superman of the group, stronger and with better combat skills than anyone or anything. It had to be 1980 because we ran Annic Nova.
Then we got Spinward Marches and everything I did was out the window
I like using the official setting just because so much of it is already there. It helps that I think a lot of it is very well done. Players love to go off in directions I never think of, so I usually have an answer when they say "what's over there? Who is that guy?"
I'll ignore things I don't like, but thats usually stuff that doesn't make sense or are aliens that are too much like men in rubber suits. For the longest time I didn't like Aslan and Vargr, but the GURPS stuff really fleshed them out for me. I always like the K'kree but have never gotten a chance to use them.
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
You do have a very good point there, as if you use the original three books, or Starter Traveller, or The Traveller Book, you have less to toss out. That is why I gravitate to those three books. Plus I much prefer the "small ship universe" that they have. I do use my own combat system, and I still need to get the small ships prices an order of magnitude cheaper for them to make sense, but that is coming along.
The other thing that I am working on is the problem of the Maneuver Drive, Power Plant, and Jump Drive getting more expensive compared to the mass-volume taken up, which is the reverse of how it should intuitively work.
The other thing that I am working on is the problem of the Maneuver Drive, Power Plant, and Jump Drive getting more expensive compared to the mass-volume taken up, which is the reverse of how it should intuitively work.
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The star cluster I'm working on is coming along 'easier' than I thoguht it would. I have posted layers 6 and 7, and I'm almost ready to post layer 5.
The problem I am going to have is showing the XBoat paths of a star cluster with 7 layers.
So far... I've thought of using vertical and side view maps to show the paths.
Of course, the harder way, which I may use with the maps, is a spreadsheet with a list of each path in a sub-sector and the exit paths, if any, to get to the other sub-sectors.
Argh. I just realized the distances list between every star, around 618 planned so far, is going to be a pain. I was thinking of rounding off.
So a map distance of 1.0 to 1.49 lyrs is 1 ly and 1.5 up to 1.99 becomes 2 lys.
Since I didn't look at the distance thing for the layers of stars, I might have to move some of them.
For 2 stars in adjacent hexes... I was thinking they were 'up to 1 ly apart', but I'm not sure that is workable... the Oort cloud probably goes out to a light year. Two systems with such debris clouds would be bombarding each other, without intending to, with comets and asteroids.
The problem I am going to have is showing the XBoat paths of a star cluster with 7 layers.
So far... I've thought of using vertical and side view maps to show the paths.
Of course, the harder way, which I may use with the maps, is a spreadsheet with a list of each path in a sub-sector and the exit paths, if any, to get to the other sub-sectors.
Argh. I just realized the distances list between every star, around 618 planned so far, is going to be a pain. I was thinking of rounding off.
So a map distance of 1.0 to 1.49 lyrs is 1 ly and 1.5 up to 1.99 becomes 2 lys.
Since I didn't look at the distance thing for the layers of stars, I might have to move some of them.
For 2 stars in adjacent hexes... I was thinking they were 'up to 1 ly apart', but I'm not sure that is workable... the Oort cloud probably goes out to a light year. Two systems with such debris clouds would be bombarding each other, without intending to, with comets and asteroids.
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
I have thought about setting up a few subsectors and then copying them to transparencies, and then putting the transparencies into a 3-ring binder. Each layer would be one parsec in the vertical plane from the sheets above and below it to get the 3-D effect.
The question becomes how much time and effort can you afford to devote to that degree of accuracy. I am quite happy with just a 2-D layout, simply from the time standpoint.
The question becomes how much time and effort can you afford to devote to that degree of accuracy. I am quite happy with just a 2-D layout, simply from the time standpoint.
Well, arrays in software isn't that big a deal... its getting the info from the array to a display that is the problem. The star cluster I made is crowded enough that it would be almost impossible to see stars in the center.
An array can be used to store numbers, letters, words, etc. and can contain rows, columns, and depth.
Its the rest of it thats the problem.
An array can be used to store numbers, letters, words, etc. and can contain rows, columns, and depth.
Its the rest of it thats the problem.
For transparencies, I haven't printed to them. But, just simply printing the maps like I made, one for each layer, to a transparency ( making the black background clear ) would enable the stacking to be readable.
I didn't stack planets on top on one another, but from the side planets would block others from view.
I've printed to transparencies aplenty.
They are not actually totally clear, for one... 5-8 sheets, yeah, you can make out the results, but the more, the murkier the lower ones look. To make them pop, you need a bright white sheet behind them. It's hard to get them to line up exactly. High quality are usually clearer than low quality.
Oh, and InkJet transarencies? don't bother. They're slightly frosted (by the process which allows them to hold the ink.) They're fine for projectors, but not for layering.
Also, if you're one who likes to use overhead pens on them, print to the back in mirror image mode, so that you're writing on the other side from the printing. Essential for InkJet transparencies (because the ink WILL soak into the foaming that holds the ink), and useful for laser printed ones (because it reduces physical stress on the ink).
creativehum
SOC-14 1K
Just wanted to say I'm loving the 1970s alien/UFO stuff being sewn into a big SF setting.
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
If you like that, you should check out Attack Squadron: Roswell
http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=29278
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Free Terran Confederation
I have 1st edition printing of classic Traveller. I have been playing in my own campaign settings all this time. I developed different techniques for generating worlds, basically creating very slim tags for entire solar systems and working out detail as useful. At the larger level I have government structures of different types with characteristics that effect how quickly their tech develops, wealth is distributed, and region of space colonised based on the current best jump speed. Empires have conflict (not necessarily violent) over turns of a year to turns of 20 years. That means I can plonk players in a scantily developed area and grow it outward and have it all seem fully fleshed out from the players point of view.
Recently I was play testing Mongoose 2e and found it worked in really well with that system. I defined a nation called The Free Terran Confederation, and set the players up in a reasonably well colonised part on the edge of that confederation (the players have an interest in exploration as much as dealing with stuff within civilised space) Here is the character creation session write up that should give you a feel for how it pans out.
Of course one of the drawbacks with playing with a mix of Uni students and adult professionals is synchronising our calendars. We haven't had our second session yet. Still everyone is keen to get going so hopefully soon.
I have 1st edition printing of classic Traveller. I have been playing in my own campaign settings all this time. I developed different techniques for generating worlds, basically creating very slim tags for entire solar systems and working out detail as useful. At the larger level I have government structures of different types with characteristics that effect how quickly their tech develops, wealth is distributed, and region of space colonised based on the current best jump speed. Empires have conflict (not necessarily violent) over turns of a year to turns of 20 years. That means I can plonk players in a scantily developed area and grow it outward and have it all seem fully fleshed out from the players point of view.
Recently I was play testing Mongoose 2e and found it worked in really well with that system. I defined a nation called The Free Terran Confederation, and set the players up in a reasonably well colonised part on the edge of that confederation (the players have an interest in exploration as much as dealing with stuff within civilised space) Here is the character creation session write up that should give you a feel for how it pans out.
Of course one of the drawbacks with playing with a mix of Uni students and adult professionals is synchronising our calendars. We haven't had our second session yet.
Still everyone is keen to get going so hopefully soon.
Altitude. Bigger is higher.
It's a Z-axis.
Yep, sure was. I play with 10x10x10 parsec sectors.
