Anyone have any ideas?
Increasing Traveller's popularity.
- Thread starter Blue Ghost
- Start date
Translate it into other languages.
You don't know what is a true lack of popularity
When I started playing roleplaying games at the age of 13, there was zero knowledge of this kind of hobby around. Now I'm twice that age and the situation is slightly better, thanks to the effort of fans who created and released translations of D&D rulebooks... but 99% people still think of something kinky when you say "roleplaying game".
As for Traveller specifically... I only learned of it by chance, after reading that Bell and Braben's Elite was heavily influenced by it.
I'm probably still the only Traveller referee in Siberia. Some of my friends who I played with have founded an evening / weekend club and I make use of it to run games and slowly spread the word of Traveller.
Had to translate about everything on my own, starting with library data. Not complaining as I liked having a "tabula rasa" to work with. My job was also made easier by the fact I only use the universe, so don't have to translate most of the rules and rule-specific terms.
P.S. Sooo many Traveller names sound so funny in Russian that I had to change their pronunciation. Guess we can pretend Galanglic has somewhat different phonemes than English.
You don't know what is a true lack of popularity
When I started playing roleplaying games at the age of 13, there was zero knowledge of this kind of hobby around. Now I'm twice that age and the situation is slightly better, thanks to the effort of fans who created and released translations of D&D rulebooks... but 99% people still think of something kinky when you say "roleplaying game".
As for Traveller specifically... I only learned of it by chance, after reading that Bell and Braben's Elite was heavily influenced by it.
I'm probably still the only Traveller referee in Siberia. Some of my friends who I played with have founded an evening / weekend club and I make use of it to run games and slowly spread the word of Traveller.
Had to translate about everything on my own, starting with library data. Not complaining as I liked having a "tabula rasa" to work with. My job was also made easier by the fact I only use the universe, so don't have to translate most of the rules and rule-specific terms.
P.S. Sooo many Traveller names sound so funny in Russian that I had to change their pronunciation. Guess we can pretend Galanglic has somewhat different phonemes than English.
I fly over chunks of Siberia going to/from relatives in China. Amazing terrain, I'd love to do the trans-siberian railway to Beijing some time.
The gaming situation in China is interesting. They actually have a strong culture of playing traditional card, tile and board games so the idea of learning and playing a new game isn't at all weird as such. Also their popular culture is heavy on historical/fantasy dramas so again an interest in fantasy literature and cinema is normal.
Tabletop role playing games are virtually unknown though. I have a friend who also married a Chinese girl and lives in Dalian, he says there are some Chinese roleplayers but very few and they tend to use translations and play in Chinese, so he plays with expat Americans. Mostly Pathfander.
Simon Hibbs
selunatic2397
SOC-12
I had players who were seriously stuck on shadowrun...didn't want to learn a new set of rules...
I called their bluff and said "Okay! we'll be playing next friday"...I had them kidnapped by alien slavers and ran Traveller with shadowrun rules...
They had a blast! I had a blast!
Now they like shadowrun with Traveller rules...
We Are Traveller...Your Games Will Be Assimilated...All Your Players Are Belong To Us!
I called their bluff and said "Okay! we'll be playing next friday"...I had them kidnapped by alien slavers and ran Traveller with shadowrun rules...
They had a blast! I had a blast!
Now they like shadowrun with Traveller rules...
We Are Traveller...Your Games Will Be Assimilated...All Your Players Are Belong To Us!
Jeff M. Hopper
SOC-14 1K
Robject has the best suggestion, one that I use.
I'll add one more. Obey Rule 0 - Don't Be An Ass.
There have been a few very vocal detractors of T5 and Marc Miller who have made it their mission to go to as many forums as possible to trash both as often as possible. Knock it off. We get that you are dissappointed in T5 and Marc Miller, and that you have the freedom of speech to speak your mind, but the crusading just creates a negative impression of Traveller as a whole and Traveller Fans in particular. Nobody wants to play tabletop RPGs with a jerk, or wants to play a tabletop RPG that attracts griefers.
Quoted For Truth.
Play your Traveller of choice, whether it be new or old, heavily modified or pristine.
If you enjoy it, then your players are more likely to enjoy it, even if the rules system is not their cup of tea. Enthusiasm and fun is more important than preferences: if you make the game fun, players won't care what rules you're using.
In addition to the above, I'd add:
Evangelise in public more. In the UK, BITS was set up to run demo games at conventions. (The whole set of products that they make came about as a side effect/accident of that core mission.) Now maybe a North American equivalent is not possible(?) but that doesn't stop us fans running demo games at local conventions and/or in our local FLGS.
Communications. As much as I love Marc's creativity, he's not always the best communicator. In addition to this being a key issue in the T5 book, it also comes out on the FFE website. As has been mentioned before (recently) the FFE website 'talks' to existing fans, it doesn't sell newcomers on the amazing and wonderful universe of Traveller.
Visibility. Unless someone stumbles onto CotI or the Mongoose forums do they see much evidence of Traveller? We need to start hanging out on generic forums and talking (politely and positively) about Traveller. I know some people are doing this, but it could be more. I've just had a quick look at the rpg.net forum and, apart from a stickied ship design thread, there is nothing in the first 6 pages. It's mainly just Exhalted, Fate, and Eclipse.
Evangelise in public more. In the UK, BITS was set up to run demo games at conventions. (The whole set of products that they make came about as a side effect/accident of that core mission.) Now maybe a North American equivalent is not possible(?) but that doesn't stop us fans running demo games at local conventions and/or in our local FLGS.
Communications. As much as I love Marc's creativity, he's not always the best communicator. In addition to this being a key issue in the T5 book, it also comes out on the FFE website. As has been mentioned before (recently) the FFE website 'talks' to existing fans, it doesn't sell newcomers on the amazing and wonderful universe of Traveller.
Visibility. Unless someone stumbles onto CotI or the Mongoose forums do they see much evidence of Traveller? We need to start hanging out on generic forums and talking (politely and positively) about Traveller. I know some people are doing this, but it could be more. I've just had a quick look at the rpg.net forum and, apart from a stickied ship design thread, there is nothing in the first 6 pages. It's mainly just Exhalted, Fate, and Eclipse.
Jeff M. Hopper
SOC-14 1K
Something to consider on Traveller outreach. Let people know where free stuff is located. Starter Traveller is located on DriveThruRPG as a free download until the end of this year. Book 0: An Introduction To Traveller by Mongoose Publishing is available as a free download on DriveThruRPG as well. Either of these products is a good start on the rules of the game and the price of "FREE" is hard to beat.
For myself, I have made a habit of buying up cheap copies of the Mongoose Traveller Book 0 and use it as a free handout during demos and games.
For myself, I have made a habit of buying up cheap copies of the Mongoose Traveller Book 0 and use it as a free handout during demos and games.
Traveller website
So this is a question for all of us: whose website currently does the best job introducing people to what Traveller is? This is a holistic question. A website that's adequately clean with text that's accessible.
Taking it to the Community
Next, we can take some discussions to rpg.net, for example. Any suggestions on what sorts of topics that will engage the RP community?
Of course, Jeff's suggestion is the place to start: advertize the free stuff.
Taking it to the Streets
Long-term, plan to run Traveller games.
Jeff M. Hopper
SOC-14 1K
Don't forget social media. Talk about it on Facebook or Twitter if you have those. Hit otherwise non-standard forums like the WotC boards or Paizo's forums and mention d20 Traveller (which is coming out in CD-ROM IIRC). I know that Paizo sells Mongoose Traveller products, so talk about them there as well.
www.downport.com has a lot of links.
SpaceBadger
SOC-14 1K
Colin Dunn has a Facebook page for 2300AD. I don't know if there are any for other forms of Traveller, or for Traveller in all its forms. There don't appear to be any when I enter "Traveller" in the search box, but then I've never had good luck with the search function on FB.
Make one anyway. Build it and they will come.
Or be happy with https://www.facebook.com/groups/197449257039924/
My Traveller group on Facebook is closed because it's for players in our campaign.
Jeff M. Hopper
SOC-14 1K
https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/groups/197449257039924/
Is the one already built on facebook and being used by people. There are a lot of familiar faces there!
It's a bit stuffy in there with old people. No incentive to join it. And it's a closed group besides. It'd be better if there was an open Traveller group on Facebook that promoted the RPG more. That's why we have this thread.
Post a Starship plan here!
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?705996-RPG-Net-Traveller-Ship-Challenge
Someone started a starship design thread.
Post a favorite design there.
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?705996-RPG-Net-Traveller-Ship-Challenge
Someone started a starship design thread.
Post a favorite design there.
