Is this Really such a good idea?

[William]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PinkSplice:
Just to note, I have made a bet with Hunter should T^20 break 10,000 copies sold (this is double the average GURPS Traveller book print run). I'll gladly pay up in public should this occur.

Wally.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Snort.

I think my usual .sig covers this perfectly:

You better watch out What you wish for
It better be worth it So much to die for.

Courtney Love

William

 

[aramis]

Yes, this really is a good thing...

I was skeptical, but now that I'm working with it, well, color me IMPRESSED! the CG is good, it works, and you can be third level by end of term 1... if lucky and do it right...

 

[Jeff M. Hopper]

Hello, I'm new here and have read all of the posts on this topic. The thread on hit points has a solution to the arguement that doesn't seem to have come up. Have an optional rule section which states that the characters don't have hit points and instead all damage is handled in a far more lethal manner (such as your hit points equal your CON score). Allow the referees and the bplayers to decide which approach is best for their particular group.

 

[Myscha the sled dog]

Some general feedback on D20.

I've been playing pen and paper rpgs since 1976. Over the years this turned from playing to "owning books about" mostly because very few people play any more.

I'm also a PC game designer, so pen and paper sessions don't intrigue me any more. I keep up to date with all the games I like and have been a fan/player referee/collector of Traveller books since the LBB days.

When I saw that a d20 system was going to be offered I was like "Umm what's d20?"

I looked around on the Wizards of the Coast pages and found

<a href="http://www.wizards.com/D20/main.asp?x=welcome,3">This one pager</a> where it states
<i>
Q: Why is Wizards of the Coast pursuing this strategy?

A: The company believes that one of the major factors which caused the collapse of the commercial tabletop RPG market from 1993 to 1996 was the proliferation of different, incompatible, core game systems.
</i>

But isn't that kind of what GURPS is? And how is making a d20 system going to achieve this vision? So I was confused. I see d20 logos all over the place on an online store that sells systems that aren't d20. Last year the ultra-overly butchered 3rd edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons rules came out then on the website there are d20 logos right next to AD&D stuff which is owned by WoTC.

When I visit my local gaming store there is d20 stuff everywhere, little pamplet adventures, other games set in some odd setting or what have you.

With the recent re-release of the Classic Traveller rules, Traveller rose again to the focus of my attention, of course Marc is working on the 5th edition rules as well.

Then when I read more about the d20 Class system it seems even more confusing with <a href="http://www.travellerrpg.com/coreclasses.html">Core Classes</a> and such that seem like some other game and nothing like the spirit of what makes Traveller unique.

But my feedback is not to slam the system I have never played, but to express my confusion and apprehension as to what will it do to help the game besides add another line in yet another generic RPG system to the mixed up pool of forever lost out of print content.

Now I certainly have personal reasons for wanting to see Traveller be successful. It deserves it. It is one of the best core gaming concepts/systems ever created in my opinion.

But as you are playtesting/modifi-ing the devil out of the system please do everything in your power to respect the spirit of the system/universe/mythology of Traveller.

I know you will do so.


This forum needs to support HTML


[This message has been edited by Myscha the sled dog (edited 23 June 2001).]

 

[Takei]

I've been playing Traveller since '79 and am one of the T20 playtesters. I can say that I'm very happy that the game follows the spirit of Traveller. From what I've seen so far I would have no hesitation in recommending it when it's released.

------------------
Paul

 

[hunter]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>This forum needs to support HTML<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

It does in a way, it is called UBB code:
UBB Code Tags

It uses that to avoid possible HTML inclusion that can throw the board formatting off.

Hunter

 

[Mår Ekkertsen]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally politroniced by hunter:
...avoid possible HTML inclusion that can throw the board formatting off.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

And do much greater harm. Few people really know or care what a powerfull tool HTML, and its potential uses, really is in a modern browser.

------------------
mark ayers, philosopher serf, editor of n2s; the journal for an empty mind
<http://www.users.qwest.net/~n2s/>

 

[Mår Ekkertsen]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>by n2s:
...Few people really know or care....<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The expressive power of UBBCode either.

------------------
mark ayers, philosopher serf, editor of n2s; the journal for an empty mind

[This message has been edited by n2s (edited 23 June 2001).]

 

[Myscha the sled dog]

Thanks for the reply on the game spirit Takei.



------------------
Myscha the sled dog
T. Elliot Cannon
PC Game Designer

 

[jackleg]

Everyone seems to be in an uproar about the the T^20 system. The questions range from how the mechanics will work to how will it convert the older Traveller stuff. Truthfully the mechanics don't really matter like it use to. I started playing Travller with the LBB's. Back them game mechanics were everything. Now it is the game's story that will make or break a game. For example, look at the 1st edition of Shadowrun. Game system so poor my players did everthing to avoid combat! Not because their PC's might be killed, but becasue the system sucked!! But we loved the background.
As you go through various websites devoted to Traveller is have seen the Traveller universe adapted to CORPS, d6, Alternity, and GURPS(before the offitional rules).
Don't worry about the mechanics, worry that the background will be well written to attract new players and keep them. SJGames seems to realize that and they are just chugging along with new sourcebooks that just drip with adventure seeds for old and new GM's.
This new background of the Traveller era will either make or break T^20.

 

[Beladan]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Truthfully the mechanics don't really matter like it use to. I started playing Travller with the LBB's. Back them game mechanics were everything. Now it is the game's story that will make or break a game.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I wonder if that really is the case? I wonder if that is an accurate reflection of a change in the gaming community - or if it more aptly reflects your own journey? I have a 12 year old kid that plays 3e D&D with us. I could make the point that the rules don't matter to him because all he wants to do is kill things. We offer him a more boring version of Sonic the Hedgehog is my guess. I think he just hangs with us because we swear occasionally and he thinks it's cool!

Anyway, whilst he might not care overly for the rules - the story is meaningless. It's boring stuff for him between the fights. However, he does own and has read the Players Handbook and gets most of it. I know he'd choke on AD&D. The older guys on the other hand, hardly care if they swing a sword and for them the immersive nature of the story is all important.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Don't worry about the mechanics, worry that the background will be well written to attract new players and keep them...<snip>...This new background of the Traveller era will either make or break T^20.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Whilst I don't disagree with your position that background material is nice, even necessary as part of supporting players, I
can't swallow that we don't worry about mechanics. If a book is produced that is internally inconsistant, hard to read and understand and beset with logical errors, people won't play it. Take D20 Star Wars as a case in point. It's an exageration, but only a slight one, to say I have seen more in print about why it sucks than about why I should play it - and most of that is directed not at shoddy universe and plotline development as sheer silly and slapdash rules.

As an aside, this is somewhat of a storm in a teacup. I've been lucky enough to get access to the playtest files and I can tell you that not only are the guys producing T20 being honest to the spirit of the game we all love, they are producing a set of rules that I think anyone (even D20 haters) will admit make for a damn good game. Once that foundation is laid, I'm sure we'll have a solid basis for story development to rival even SJG!

David

 

[Emperor Cleon]

I'm sure this question has been asked by someone else on the board previously, but I don't have the time to look it up, so...
Will it be possible to convert T20 suppport products to CT? I'm one of the old guard, who has no intrest in T20, but I WOULD buy T20 suppliments if I could convert and use them with CT.

 

[hunter]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Emperor Cleon:
I'm sure this question has been asked by someone else on the board previously, but I don't have the time to look it up, so...
Will it be possible to convert T20 suppport products to CT? I'm one of the old guard, who has no intrest in T20, but I WOULD buy T20 suppliments if I could convert and use them with CT. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The T20 system is being designed from CT, thus the worlds and ships will be very compatible already.

In our supplements will are planning to include CT stats for NPC and characters also, allowing the T20 line to easily be used with CT.

Hunter