Mongoose High Guard

[Border Reiver]

Arrived in the post yesterday and this one appears to be a beauty. Much better artwork, writing certainly better than Mercenary, some very useful rules and expansions. Will go into it in depth asap but why couldn't Mercenary have been this good.

The Capital Ships look great and they have deck plans. Very exciting and brings renewed hope for the rest of the line.

 

[Supplement Four]

Wow. Has Mongoose actually produced a good book for Traveller?

More details, please.

 

[mike wightman]

I saw the previews on the mongoose site and was excited by those.

If it's as good as they hint then I will definintely be getting it.

 

[robject]

I've seen the "layered" deck plan image, side by side with the traditional "birds-eye" deckplans, in two of their books now, and I have to say I love the context it provides.

 

[mike wightman]

The deckplan stuff in the preview looks like it is B5 inspired.

 

[savage]

pf sloan

Ok I didn't read it yet but the PF Sloan looks odd... I prefer the old workhorse design.

 

[Supplement Four]

I've seen the "layered" deck plan image, side by side with the traditional "birds-eye" deckplans, in two of their books now, and I have to say I love the context it provides.

I'll admit, I do like the layered deck plan. Hope that becomes a staple.

Sure wish the art was better, though, ship designs and characters. I look through the old DGP stuff (like the MegaTraveller Journal and the Travellers Digest and the DGP supplements), and I marvel at the art in those books. They were black-n-white line drawings, too. But, for some reason, the quality has never been matched in a Traveller supplement.

Mongoose, if you're listening, check out the old DGP stuff. That was good art. Copy that style.

 

[Klaus]

Mongoose, if you're listening, check out the old DGP stuff. That was good art. Copy that style.

You're confusing taste with quality, sir. The new art in High Guard is for the most part of a technical aptitude akin to that which I've seen in DGP products, but the stylings are different, is all. Personally, I'd sometimes like to see a bit more texture but it's not artistic competence that is lacking.

Will agree though that the P.F. Sloan is somewhat indistinct in shape, as in, I can't tell which way it's going.

 

[kafka47]

I'll admit, I do like the layered deck plan. Hope that becomes a staple.

Sure wish the art was better, though, ship designs and characters. I look through the old DGP stuff (like the MegaTraveller Journal and the Travellers Digest and the DGP supplements), and I marvel at the art in those books. They were black-n-white line drawings, too. But, for some reason, the quality has never been matched in a Traveller supplement.

Mongoose, if you're listening, check out the old DGP stuff. That was good art. Copy that style.

If you are referring to the Blair Reynolds stuff...that will never be copied again. Parts of Mongoose really come close. I rather liked how Mercenary was presented and eagerly await High Guard. Having tone and depth. If I would suggest they follow anyone it would have to be HDI's Fading Suns (Red Brick stuff still needs some work...but then again it was Bridges' own art that made FS great). NB: Not the covers of Fading Suns products but the insides...the covers nearly turned me off the entire game line.

 

[savage]

3d view

3d layered view is fine for concept if you have a decent floorplan for gaming. Otherwise, its unfortunate if its used to replace doing all the 2d calculations. Numerous 2d classic traveller designs required excessive work.

Perhaps I'm mislead by the preview and Mongoose should have just put an entire ship in one. 3d, 2d and specs as there example.

 

[Allensh]

Wow. Has Mongoose actually produced a good book for Traveller?

More details, please.

The Spinward Marches book was a good book for Mongoose Traveller.

Allen

 

[Supplement Four]

The Spinward Marches book was a good book for Mongoose Traveller.

Allen

It was so-so. There's a lot of info on the SM already. I suppose if you don't already have a lot of SM material, then the MGT SM book was a good one to get.

It interesting, though, how, by default, you admit that the other MGT books so far haven't been that great.

 

[dmccoy1693]

I think he's saying that Mongoose SM universally has more positive opinions. Merc is great for some while others do not like it. Same with 760 Patrons. But only a handful really rag on the SM book.

 

[mcgurk]

cool
look forward to getting some money together if poss
and buying a copy

Hey Reiver, you should really get into Black Lion to pick yours up,heh,heh
support your local FLGS:.)

Alan

Oh, are you coming to COnpulsion09, heres hoping you can make it

 

[Allensh]

It was so-so. There's a lot of info on the SM already. I suppose if you don't already have a lot of SM material, then the MGT SM book was a good one to get.

It interesting, though, how, by default, you admit that the other MGT books so far haven't been that great.

You gotta try to start something, don't you?

I said simply that Spinward Marches was a good book. That book is one that has garnered praise from a lot of people on the net that I have seen. This does NOT mean that I said the others weren't that great. I have stated elsewhere my opinions of the other books, and I like them.

of course, any time I say anything postive here about MGT (even though this is the MGT section of the board) I get accused of being a "fanboy"...an attempt at an insult.

I look forward to seeing High Guard when I can finally get ahold of a copy. Of course you'll find reasons to slag on that too.

Allen

 

[Supplement Four]

You gotta try to start something, don't you?

Actually, if you look at the thread, I was responding to you! o:

of course, any time I say anything postive here about MGT (even though this is the MGT section of the board) I get accused of being a "fanboy"...an attempt at an insult.

Maybe because you ar---....

Naw, just kiddin'. :smirk:

I look forward to seeing High Guard when I can finally get ahold of a copy. Of course you'll find reasons to slag on that too.

Back to be serious, now.

I'll "slag" on it if it deserves it. I'll praise it, if it is worthy. Simply as that.

See, I don't have an agenda against MGT. I would love it if MGT would start turning out some good Traveller product. I really would.

So, don't think I'd rag on something just because it's got an MGT lable on it. No sir. I promise you, if I really like something, I'll praise it.

And, the little tid bits I've seen about High Guard so far seem promising. I'd like to see the whole book.

Friend of mine collects MGT. I'll see if he's getting it.

 

[ThunderChilde]

sigh

For the record I just got High Gaurd at lunchtime and I have barely had the chance to crack the cover. I hit COTI as soon as I got in the door from work. I find I must finally say something.

Dear Supplement Four,

While I have come to generally respect your oppinion in several other forums here on many topics, MGT isn't one of them. I do not think they could produce anything that would meet your apparently impossible to achieve level of quality. Perfection would fall short.

Sorry I had to say that, but its been building on me for quite a while, you usually start at desirsion and go down hill from there. I would really like to hear a well thought out position without your prejudice sometime.

You manage it elsewhere, if MGT is so deplorable to you, why do you post here?

I don't bother the folks over in any of the other version forums because I'd have nothing usuful to share.

 

[Border Reiver]

Ok From the Top

High Guard starts off with expanded chargen for Navy Characters. IMO Mongoose Traveller excels in chargen and this is no different. Unlike Merc which concentrates on military careers outwith the regular Army and Marines, HG looks to give us additional options for Navy Characters.

We have;

Crewman: Planetary Navy, Subsector Navy, Imperial Navy.
Support: Training, Medical, Administration.
Engineering: Damage Control ,Mechanic, Electronic.
Gunnery: Fire Control, Turret, Countermeasures
Flight: Astrogation, Helm, Sensors
Pilot: Fighter Pilot, Shuttle Pilot, Special Ops
Command: Commander, Aide, Tactician.
Naval Intelligence: Analyst, Planner, Black Ops.
Naval Engineering: Sensor Engineer, Ships Architect, Researcher
High Command: Legendary Captain, Fleet Commander, Daredevil.

Remarkably there are only two new skills; Engineer (Naval) and Discipline. The former appears to be a replacement for Naval Architect with the advantage of substituting for other Engineer skills in the field.

Marks out of 10 for the characters section. 10/10. Captures the spirit of Traveller nicely and adds to the character creation process.

 

[Border Reiver]

Spacecraft Options

Can't fault this at all. An array of component, additional rules and optional rules all of which seem perfectly well thought out, mesh fine with the core rules and capture the Traveller idiom nicely. I'm sure if I was to sit down and think really hard about it I could pick fault in it but I'm not going to. It all makes sense to me on first reading. I can't think of anything obviously missing other than perhaps including KE guns for space combat.

There follows design additions for Capital Ships up to 1Mton and for small craft. I've not cranked anything out using these rules yet but they sync with the corebook design rules and that is a big plus.

Expanded space combat is interesting but I'll reserve judgement until I've tried it out (probably a while before this happens, I'm having a bit of a timeout ). Some nice touches as well as optional vector movement rules.

The penultimate section is a selection of Small Craft and Capital Ship designs. These include deckplans which is very impressive when you realise that this includes deckplans for a 200 kton Sylea Class Battleship.

Finally as small selection of tables for generating naval themed adventures. Nice but ultimately of limited use to many, I'll personally find it handy.

So overall? I say buy it. And the pdf when it appears. And a copy for your friend. Probably the most useful of MGT's release schedule so far which beggars the question, why was Mercenary so bad? Rushed? But this one gets 10/10 from me.

 

[mike wightman]

Could these be the definitive Traveller ship construction rules at long last?

The holy grail...