Hooking players into traveller from other sources.

[The Thing]

I read a description of Aslan as being "next generation klingons in lion suits" once and was wondering if something like that could help me hook players into traveller from the star trek pool.

Maybe if I told some trekkers that liked klingons that Aslan were kind of like klingons in some ways, it might interest them into playing them and getting into traveller, thus increasing the size of the traveller player pool.

(BTW, I've heard something about the sword worlders but don;t have any GT material on them, are they anything like klingons? Anyone want to give me Sword worlder 101 here?)

As for trying to hook in traveller players from the D&D pool, I was thinking that guys who like playing "chaotic" characters might like Vargr for the obvious reason.

So, if anyone wants to start a thread on ways to link traveller to other popular media/games/whatever and think on ways to reel in new traveller recruits from other pools, here's the place to do it.

 

[aramis]

It's not terribly accurate to describe aslan that way. There are similarities, but they are well different enough to be dead giveaways.

"Hooking" players the way you imply is, to me, unethical behavior; bait & switch.

 

[Gadrin]

(BTW, I've heard something about the sword worlders but don;t have any GT material on them, are they anything like klingons? Anyone want to give me Sword worlder 101 here?)

GT (as in GURPS Traveller) or CT ?

the GT Sword Worlds book is only $9.95

http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/traveller/swordworlds/

 

[Droyne668]

(BTW, I've heard something about the sword worlders but don;t have any GT material on them, are they anything like klingons? Anyone want to give me Sword worlder 101 here?)

http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Sword_Worlds

 

[Spinward Scout]

Aslan seemed more like furry samurai, the way I saw it.

I think the best way to get new people to play is to roll up a handful of characters and let them play. Call it a 'Space Game' or something. "It's like Serenity and Firefly!" Prior History daunts some people, so if you roll characters up yourself beforehand and get rid of that part, it goes a lot smoother. That's why most adventures came with pre-rolled characters. 101 PCs or somesuch would do wonders for this game - Prior History breakdown and all. It's one of the ideas I've been thinking about suggesting to Hunter. A PC generating program would work better and make things quicker. PCGen didn't seem to work too well for T20 - but there are others out there.

Anyways, my 0.02Cr

Spinward Scout

 

[Fritz_Brown]

101 PCs or somesuch would do wonders for this game...

You mean something like this?

 

[Darkhstarr]

If they are are old time Trek fans like me, they are already playing Traveller. The younger players (like my nephews), Traveller isn't cool enough, lasers don't do real (sneer) damage, & it doesn't have cyborgs. They tend to be more into Rifts or Alternity. I tried for years to interest them in Traveller back when I was still running a campaign.

I tend to see Aslan as a high tech hybrid of Warring States Japan & 19th American Robber Barons.

 

[Spinward Scout]

You mean something like this?

Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of the breakdown of Alexander Jamison's Prior History that they had in The Traveller Book (if you have it). One page per character. Showing how they came up with the character concept. With what he did in each term, and so on. High term characters, low term characters, multiple service characters, etc... All wrapped up and ready to play, but not just stats - things the Ref could use for inspiration in the game on the fly or that the Player could use to play in character better. That might get more people into Traveller if they see different character concepts and not just a stat block.

 

[Gadrin]

Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of the breakdown of Alexander Jamison's Prior History that they had in The Traveller Book (if you have it). One page per character. Showing how they came up with the character concept. With what he did in each term, and so on. High term characters, low term characters, multiple service characters, etc... All wrapped up and ready to play, but not just stats - things the Ref could use for inspiration in the game on the fly or that the Player could use to play in character better. That might get more people into Traveller if they see different character concepts and not just a stat block.

that's a lot of creative work ahead for anybody.

GURPS does this in most cases with their characters in the various GURPS Traveller books, but, you don't see a whole bunch of characters.

 

[Droyne668]

If they are are old time Trek fans like me, they are already playing Traveller. The younger players (like my nephews), Traveller isn't cool enough, lasers don't do real (sneer) damage, & it doesn't have cyborgs. They tend to be more into Rifts or Alternity. I tried for years to interest them in Traveller back when I was still running a campaign.

Ach! Tell me about it. I have a stepdaughter that plays Traveller with us when she comes to visit, but all the rest?...if it's not some kind of 3-D high resolution game with loud sound FX, they're not interested. I tried to explain tabletop RPGs to a nephew a while back and just got a glazed stare. "You have to ~read~ stuff?"

Sic transit gloria Pencil-and-Paper RPGs.

I tend to see Aslan as a high tech hybrid of Warring States Japan & 19th American Robber Barons.

Yeah, that's sort of my take as well.
Vaguely samurai Darwinian capitalists, highly ritualized, highly aggressive in everything, terribly materialistic in some but not all regards, and given to responding strangely to many things humans do (i.e. their male/female sociobiological roles).

Best,
Will

 

[Gadrin]

Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of the breakdown of Alexander Jamison's Prior History that they had in The Traveller Book (if you have it). One page per character. Showing how they came up with the character concept. With what he did in each term, and so on. High term characters, low term characters, multiple service characters, etc... All wrapped up and ready to play, but not just stats - things the Ref could use for inspiration in the game on the fly or that the Player could use to play in character better. That might get more people into Traveller if they see different character concepts and not just a stat block.

I'm not sure this covers *exactly* the details you were interested, but this does go into depth on several Traveller characters. I really like this book.

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=270&it=1

 

[Spinward Scout]

I'll have to buy that sometime. That DOES look like a good book. Even tho I don't particularly like TNE.

Thanks!

Spinward Scout

 

[kafka47]

When it comes to new players at conventions, I usually try to Traveller is Science Fiction then quickly run through Marc's checklist** (beginning of T4) to say what Traveller isn't compared to the Science Fiction that they might be thinking about. This provides them a basic frame of reference. Everything else is either solved through negociation, fly-by-seat of one's pants or the heavy hand of stating that one of the great advantages of Traveller is that it is based upon the Real that is based on the Hard SF tradition [secretly, I know that it isn't but no point in encouraging players to build their disintegrator rays on a TL 5 world]. As a result think of yourself today in the 21st century.

 

[Arthur Denger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Thing

(BTW, I've heard something about the sword worlders but don;t have any GT material on them, are they anything like klingons? Anyone want to give me Sword worlder 101 here?)

GT (as in GURPS Traveller) or CT ?

the GT Sword Worlds book is only $9.95

http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/traveller/swordworlds/

I agree with Gadrin: GURPS Traveller: Sword Worlds is a terrific resource, whether you use the GURPS system or not. I use the LBB ruleset, and since Sword Worlds deals with one of my favorite milieus (The Frontier Worlds/Spinward Marches), this book was a must-have for campaign background information. The information therein should apply equally well to any version Traveller campaign set during the Third Imperium. It could probably be adapted and integrated into other versions of Traveller as well, as most of the content is of a socio-political or cartographic/geographic nature.

Sword Worlds does a great job of fleshing out the humanocentric culture of a mid-tech cluster of worlds. For the referee (GM) who wants a lot of detail, especially if his players are getting bored with Imperial worlds which are beginning to seem too much alike, this book should be helpful. The RPGNet review can be seen at

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/10/10358.phtml

 

[Darkhstarr]

Conventions are the best way to hook people into the world of Traveller. I usually get a full table for my games when I run them. This July I actually got a whole new set of players. The response was real good. Even had one player asked to have his character sheet so he can play again this September. Also got a lot of hits on my website from the players after the con. Hopefully, they following all the Traveller links I posted.

 

[Sifu Blackirish]

One of the things that always intrigued me about TRAVELLER was its character development. i created a modified form that i use to create characters, and keep track of skills as they are accumulated term to term.

Once mustering out is completed, i sort of get the 'thousand parsec stare' for a few minutes, and create a situation that would have had that character using those skills. When i am done, i have a chatacter complete with background, ready for a ny playser to apply motivation to.

This technique even works with people who have never played any sort of RPG. one of my favorite characters is the alter ego of a then eight year old girl. A rather nasty assassin (Paranoia Press version) named Madonna. All she did was talk and roll dice, and i did the skull sweat.

Having your newbies interact through the process gives them an opportunity to breathe some life into a character immediately, rather than just looking a a huge chart of skills and numbers and trying to create forced empathy.

 

[Arthur Denger]

Conventions are the best way to hook people into the world of Traveller...

Which ones can you recommend, Manax?

BTW, for those of you who don't know, already: Darkhstarr has some cool content on his personal website. Highly recommended! You can access the link in his CotI profile by clicking on his name above.

 

[Scarecrow]

Drop the Third Imperium setting. Use the Traveller rules of your choice but create a setting that includes kewl stuff like starfighters, giant robots or mechs (transforming optional), blasters, laser swords, 'the force', the matrix, kung-fu (complete with kewl moves), cyber implants etc etc. Once they're up on the rules, you can try them out on the 3rd Imperium.
Maybe try and turn their favourite video game into a setting using the Traveller rules.

Run it as a miniatures game first - skirmish level like D&D miniatures. That might get them interested in their character enough to want to explore other avenues beyond just shooting.

These are two reasons why I think Mongoose will be good for Traveller. Kewl settings and miniatures.

Crow

PS - I do realise it's really spelled 'Cool'

 

[Arthur Denger]

...create a setting that includes kewl stuff like starfighters, giant robots or mechs (transforming optional), blasters, laser swords, 'the force', the matrix, kung-fu (complete with kewl moves), cyber implants...

Run it as a miniatures game first - skirmish level like D&D miniatures... Kewl settings and miniatures.

PS - I do realise it's really spelled 'Cool'

I like the giant robots angle, Scarecrow. Traveller never really did do robots justice, IMO, though the silicon-based hilfs in Adventure 13, Signal GK did come close. The massive self-aware, autonomous variety, a la the Berserkers by Saberhagen and Pohl, would indeed be very kewehl (note proper spelling)!

I also agree about being compatible with miniatures, that would be a big plus.

My own feeling would be to avoid including too much 'swords and sorcery' ("Kid... hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side..."). Stay firmly rooted in the hard sci fi, rather than straying into the science fantasy realm. There are other types of rpg which more than adequately cover that genre.

 

[BlackBat242]

"PS - I do realise it's really spelled 'Cool' "


But spelling it "kewl" makes us think you are a teenage cyberpunk-lover with an inadequate education. :smirk:


Those who regularly use "kid-speak" or "text-code" are regularly "dissed" by me... just one of my flaws, I know.