Honor Harrington and traveller fans.

[The Thing]

So, how many traveller fans like honor harrington books?

Personally I'd rather read a HH book than hear about the new harry potter book. (Ghawd, where's a barfing smiley when you need one?!)

Even tho the HH books have radically different technology than traveller, I think there are a lot of similarities between the two worlds and wondered if other traveller players liked HH as well.

The HH books aren't perfect and have some minor flaws, mainly the overperfection of the main character, the very stark "good guy/bad guy" setup and the fact that dave webber can't write a chapter without letting us know how much he hates socialism and loves capitalism, but I can overlook those in light of the books' strong points.

How's everyone else feel? BTW, if you haven't read a HH book you can get a real paperback (not a pdf) of the first HH book for a very low price at some bookstores due to the publisher putting out a very cut rate version to hook more readers.

 

[aramis]

The first 5 were interesting...

I hate Captain Harrington (I won't read another unless it involves her death), but the tech was spiff.

One problem reading it, though... I could see each battle being played out in Starfire...

 

[The Thing]

The first 5 were interesting...

I hate Captain Harrington (I won't read another unless it involves her death), but the tech was spiff.

One problem reading it, though... I could see each battle being played out in Starfire...

Hmmm, I wouldn't say I hate captain dame Harrington, in fact I can't since she's a catlover and anyone who loves cats can't be all bad.

I would say she's just too much of an "uberfraulein", too good to be true, too perfect, too noble, selfless, righteous, fearless, strong, ad infinitum.

I mean, seriously, if someone tried playing a character like her in traveller, the other players would likely yawn themselves to death.

(Ooooo-kaay, now I can wait and hear what other players here would so to a "honor harrington" type character in their games. I'm betting this won't be pretty....)

 

[navywarlord]

A good series of books

I enjoy reading the Honor Harrington series - good fleet actions, interesting tech and a group of unique characters...

Now while the Salamander is quite the character, she strikes me as too much of a "white knight" type.... She needs a few more flaws. I do like the tree cats though - Might "borrow" a creature like that for MTU.

The Peeps make good villians but sometimes they strike me as idiotic... Especially since then seem to be having a government coup or purge in every other book. Nothing like a changing the government with a nuke (and the state security guys - too much like the Nazi SS)

Of all the books, the story line that was the best was Honor's arrival and escape from the Peep prison planet (can't remember the title right now - have to check my library tonight)....

 

[jfwking]

I like them on the whole. The characters, the plots, the action and the tech.
The steady upgrade of tech over the war with weapon and counter weapon, changes in ships to reflect the weapons etc.
Also with the peeps and manticore, bear in mind this is a sci fi version of the english / french war with nelson and the fleet. The peeps in the books have gone through a lot of french social upheaval a lot faster but it is the same story.
Some of the battles are a little like war games but, hey, I starting playing starfire a long time ago along with star fleet battles and have no problems with stories reflecting war games.
Only thing that concerns me at present is the HH saga is heading for a corner surrounded by wet paint. Both sides suffered massive losses in the last battle. The peeps have thier new ships coming soon but the manties have all those captured SDs and the unstopable new missiles. However the war has changed, home systems and knockout attacks are in the offing. The peeps attacked manticore itself and wiped out its fleet, in return they lost both attacking fleets.
Even if the super spys return with evidence that it is manpower behind things how can manticore and haven trust each other after all this time.
Anyhow as I said, I like them and have them from the cds so they go with me anywhere i have a computer.

Bye the way what happened to the HH game hereabouts ??

 

[BlackBat242]

Aramis, don't dispair... some of the latest books have her either in a very minor part or only mentioned in passing... Crown of Slaves & The Shadow of Saganami are centered around other characters introduced in the "Worlds of Honor" short story collections #3 & #4.

Of course, much of the background of those books involves specific events described in some of the more recent books that do feature her... so...




Navywarlord... want the Treecat write-up I made for my CTU?

There is a PC heavyworlder (in the Anne McCaffery mold) who bonded with one in the last campaign I ran... it was escaping from an experimental facility, and she is now trying to locate his home-world.

 

[navywarlord]

Navywarlord... want the Treecat write-up I made for my CTU?

Yes, thank you -
Never turn down an offer to help with ideas and background - it helps your own universe take on a life of its own

 

[cyberknight]

Traveller and Honor Harrington are both winners for me. Why would I be on this forum otherwise right?

 

[Fritz_Brown]

(Ghawd, where's a barfing smiley when you need one?!)

Try this one:

Especially since then seem to be having a government coup or purge in every other book. Nothing like a changing the government with a nuke (and the state security guys - too much like the Nazi SS)

Actually, the StateSec guys (and gals) were supposed to be the very real security apparatus of the Committee for Public Safety from the French Revolution. Funny how they are so similar to every other security organization for a totalitarian state, though, isn't it?

Edit: Oh, and Honor has plenty of flaws (though they aren't necessarily ones I like). Some of the people around her, on the other hand.... end edit

 

[BlackBat242]

Finally got the time to convert this from paper to electrons:


Treecats for Traveller

Home Sector/subsector/world: where you want it; T.L. 0 (shaped stone/wood tools, woven plant fibers)

Carnivore (omnivore); Pouncer (gatherer) [Arboreal]; Communal (Sentient)

Int 5-8 (I.Q. 80-110); Str 2-3; Dex 8-12; End 4-6; Hits: 3d (2d); Move 2x (both on ground and in trees)

Size [Males]: Length 1-1.5m (.5-.75m body); Weight 8-15 kg
Size [Females]: Length .75-1.25m (.4-.6m body); Weight 6-12 kg

6 legs (2 true-feet, 2 hand/paws, 2 true-hands); Prehensile tail; 3 fingers/toes + 1 opposable thumb

Natural Weapons: Claws (~2 cm) 1d+1 (2/4 attacks); Teeth 1d-1

Lifespan: ~250 years [very young 0-25y, adolescent 26-40y, young adult 41-50y]; age rolls @ 150y, 6+ on 2d each 10y

Psi: 5-7 (some females can reach 9): Telepathic (own species); Empathic (most sentient species); can form empathic bond with some humans (9+ Int, strong positive moral sense); Empathic sensing range ~50km (very distant)

Can learn to understand verbal language, but unable to vocalize complex sounds. Can learn to use sign and symbol-based languages.

Appearance: eyes are yellow-green to deep emerald; pointed ears and narrow muzzle; soft, multi-colored fur over entire body; colors are cream to medium brown base, tan to black stripes, patches, etc; rings on tail (form at 5-year intervals starting at 20y).



If anyone has suggestions, speak up.

The claws I guessed at... "The Honor of the Queen" says Nimitz has "centimeter-long claws", while another book says he has "4 cm-long claws"...

 

[Jame]

The first 5 were interesting...

I hate Captain Harrington (I won't read another unless it involves her death), but the tech was spiff.

One problem reading it, though... I could see each battle being played out in Starfire...

I agree about the first four, but less so the 5th; while I did read them all a few times in college I grew tired of it.

However, it's part of the reason I want to change the way ships work in Traveller (that and David Drake's RCN series).

BlackBat242, do you mind if I borrow the stats for Treecats? I've wanted something like that for years!

 

[deniable]

Honor Harrington

I liked the earlier books and the Worlds of Honor compilations. I felt the later books turned into tech of the week showcases.

The supporting characters gave me some NPC ideas.

If you can handle reading an electronic version, Baen was giving away the first HH and RCN book the last time I checked.

 

[BlackBat242]

Jame... the reason I posted it was because Navywarlord wanted it for his world... so feel free to spread the "furry little buzzsaws" around your universe as well.

Anyone else can too... its not my copyright



Now to write up my take on Mercedes Lackey's "shipscats"... :nonono: