It's Here!

[Plankowner]

Got mine yesterday, stayed up WAY to late last night reading...

I was a bit disapponted that they didn't change World Generation very much. They expanded the tables to include the possible rows (fixed in Book 6), but didn't do much else. Maybe Marc wouldn't let them, but I would still have liked to see Population tied to habitability somehow and starport type tied to population.

Oh well, maybe Scouts or maybe an OGL product...

Well, I screwed up, that's what happens when you get to the end of the book at 2am. I completely missed the OPTIONAL world generation rules.

Rules for "Space Opera" and "Hard Science" are shown as optional rule. These rule eliminate the small-size but breathable atmosphere problems, tie population to habitability (a bit anyway) and tie starport size to population (MY SUGGESTION!!!!!!!).

So it is there, as optional.

Dr. Thomas (Malenfant to you COTI guys) did a lot of work on the mongoose forum trying to get them to correct some of the obvious science errors in the basic UWP. They listened, as optional rules.

My guess is that Marc wouldn't let them change it too much because he LIKES all the oddities. That is my totally uninformed opinion though. Maybe they just didn't want to change things too much.

 

[MongooseMatt]

Hay Grufty, did Matt actuall tell you how MP send their books, Royal, Pacelforce, etc.? Enquiring minds want to know.

We use the Royal Mail.

 

[Gruffty]

We use the Royal Mail.

Phew! Soooo glad MP don't use Farce-lPorce!! :roflI'm an ex-postman and I *know* how the parcels section handled stuff - Mother-in-Law: "I sent you a bone china dinner set for 8 people as a wedding present through ParcelForce" Son-in-Law: "Well, a 99,999 piece box of broken china arrived this morning......")

 

[Thunderbolt]

For those of us who were not paying attention at the back, is Mongoose Traveller essentially the core of T5?

If I bought MGT, would the T5 version simply be more background detail? Would starship design be the same for example, world generation, character generation?

 

[aramis]

For those of us who were not paying attention at the back, is Mongoose Traveller essentially the core of T5?

If I bought MGT, would the T5 version simply be more background detail? Would starship design be the same for example, world generation, character generation?

No. They are two separate products, both built on a basis of CT 2E, but developed with different teams and goals.

MoTrav is for popular release, done by the licensee.

T5 is Marc Miller's personal "definitive edition"... we know already that for Adventure Class ships, there are incompatibilities (minor, plural) between the two.

Skillwise, they are quite different, too; MoTrav is in between CT and MegaT in terms of skill receipts, while T5 is closer to T4 levels (about 2.5-3x that of CT)

 

[casquilho]

Went by the FLGS today and picked up a copy for myself. I have to say I like this book. The binding seems strong, the paper used is nice, the quality of the overall printing is good. Nice job who ever printed these for Mongoose.

Now to sit down and read through it.

Daniel

 

[Gruffty]

Finally...

My copy finally arrived this morning...

I need to find the time to sit down and read it (somehow).

 

[Border Reiver]

Enjoy.

 

[Stainless]

My copy came this morning.

I'd been out of roleplaying for some 20+ years and only just returned, so when I heard Mongoose were taking over Traveller, I hadn't even heard of them as a publisher. However, it didn't take one long to hear the angst on the forums about their printing and binding quality, proof-reading and general rules design. Thus, I looked towards MGT with some trepidation. Then when the effect/timing debate hit the proverbial fan (and it was plain to see how broken the fundamental system was) I lost all hope.

However, the news that Mongoose had run a 'secret' beta test under the nose of the open beta test, plus the previews led me to believe they might have done it right this time. So I ordered and I must confess that I'm very impressed.

The printing and binding are great. I don't mind the layout, font, etc. (except for the way the zero looks like an oh in that font). The illustrations are largely cr@p. Who ever did the career illustrations should not be used again. However, the person who did the starship illustrations (somewhat reminiscent of GURPS illustrations) is quite good. A pity that artist couldn't have been used throughout. The writing is quite clear to understand.

Anyway, the feel is definitely CT but now with a task system that is approching that of MT. A good compromise and it looks like it will be simple and elegant (e.g., the opposed roles rule is really simple; the person with the best margin of success wins). I've only skimmed combat, but that looks good as well. I've never used and never will use starship design, so I can't comment, similarly, I rarely use planet/system generation.

Overall, it looks like a good set of basic rules, with enough old-school and up to date approaches to make it really very good. Time to rekindle my Traveller campaign that's been sleeping for the last 12 months!

 

[Thunderbolt]

I wanted to share with you a very special moment that happened today.

Twenty years ago, I lived and worked in Oxford. Our local RPG shop was out on the Cowley Road. A few years later I stopped role-playing and moved away.

This morning, planning a trip to Oxford, and googling if there was an RPG shop there to buy the new MGT, I was amazed to see that The Gameskeeper is still there.

It was as I remembered, as was the husband and wife team that still run it.

I secured my shrink wrapped edition of MGT immediately, as it sat prominently on the main shelf. I took it to the desk.

"You probably won't remember me...", I said.

"But of course I do," she said. This was after more than fifteen years!

We had a quick chat. I said I wasn't expecting to find MGT as it was just out, but she explained that she thought it something worth stocking and had made a point of getting it in.

Wow, in that short moment, the years had rolled back.

Not wanting to rekindle the fire, but the moment has been slightly lost, after I discovered what other people have mentioned; the bizarre deckplans, especially the small craft. How can they be so out of kilter with the displacement of these ships? By the looks of it, somebody thinks one square is one ton.

Never mind, a special moment all the same.

 

[casquilho]

I forgot to say that the FLGS in my area received their copies on Thursday and was sold out on Friday. I and one other person bought the last two on Friday afternoon. This is a good sign for Mongoose I think.

Daniel

 

[mike wightman]

Hmm, perhaps I should get off my lazy behind and go and buy mine....

 

[Rhialto the Marvelous]

My question is: Besides having a system that works, does MongTrav have any, well, zip?

Is there a ZOMG WOW AWESOME factor?

 

[rust]

Is there a ZOMG WOW AWESOME factor?

In a Traveller version ? o:

 

[Rhialto the Marvelous]

Well, I dare say the deluxe CT box was 100% canned awesome. The largest gameworld then published, and not a single image to illustrate it. One huge blank canvas for your imagination, plus the tools to give it form.

 

[rust]

Ah, yes, that kind of "awesome".

Well, in this case I think the core rulebook will not really be awesome, but
think of all the material that might follow it, both from Mongoose and from
third party publishers ...

 

[casquilho]

I do not know about "awesome" but it feels like the old CT in flavor to me. Very open ended and not only "specific setting" stuff. It is a set of core rules after all.

But that is what I expect from a core set of rules. I want to be able to see it used in various OTU and ATU and games set in non-Traveller settings.

I do have to agree about the Artwork in the career section. It is not very good compared to the other artwork in the book.

Daniel

 

[Jamus]

I have received my copy. I like it a lot.

 

[Stainless]

Could people who are wiser than me look at the automatic weapons rules (page 62 last sentence of last bullet point) and please tell me I'm halucinating. Are they saying that in order to get autofire benefits you need to be firing for 12 rounds (72 seconds)?!!!!!

 

[Thunderbolt]

I wonder if they mean 'rounds' as in bullets/projectiles/shells ?