NEW TRAVELLER 5 CAMPAIGN: Cirque: Touring the Spinward Marches in Traveller5

[Spaceresearcher]

JUST OVER 40%

Terrific work to everyone who has backed so far, where just over 40% of the way there now.

Please note, often a lot of people like to come in at the tail end of Kickstarter campaigns for one reason or another. Normally once the 50% mark is reached a whole stack of other people back.

Keep spreading the word fellow Travellers, this campaign has to be made.

 

[lordmalachdrim]

OK, I'm not getting it, what do other systems have to do with Traveller 5 guys???

Summery:
Me: I wont back until I've had a chance to read the rule and know if I'll run it, but with delays I may not get a chance before time runs out.

You: So what? It's good for all versions of traveller.

Me: We don't play other versions of traveller since they fail compared to Alternity for us.

Others: wasn't that the game based on Star Frontiers?

Me: No, it was by TSR and was for settings x/x/x

Others: talk about gamaworld

You: why are you people not talking about T5?

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[Spaceresearcher]

Summery:
Me: I wont back until I've had a chance to read the rule and know if I'll run it, but with delays I may not get a chance before time runs out.

You: So what? It's good for all versions of traveller.

Me: We don't play other versions of traveller since they fail compared to Alternity for us.

Others: wasn't that the game based on Star Frontiers?

Me: No, it was by TSR and was for settings x/x/x

Others: talk about gamaworld

You: why are you people not talking about T5?

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Alright then Mr lordmalachdrim, digging into my archives I have a copy of 'Incident At Exile' for Alternity(which I doubt I'll ever use). If you don't already have it, I'll send it to you free of charge anywhere in the world if you back the Cirque Kickstarter Campaign at the $5 level or upwards.(Private Message Me if Interested and it will be sent when your backing is seen on the Cirque kickstarter site). How's that for keeping the focus on the topic?

If it will help to sweeten the deal I have a couple of other misc RPG books laying around gathering dust that I'd work out a similar deal for other fellow TRAVELLER players(or fringe players who don't even use the Traveller system to play Traveller???). NOTE: The more expensive the book, the more you will need to back the Cirque project. Yes, this is how much I'd like to see it go to mega successful level.

 

[robject]

The nice thing about Cirque is that Greg has already written most of it, already created the deckplans for it, and has already got Osborne to draft the artwork. He does a lot of writing by trade -- he's a lawyer and an author -- and runs a very small publishing house (just big enough for his stuff, I figure).

http://greylockpublishing.com/

He has three books available from Amazon and DriveThru Sci Fi (I've read them, they're good, they have a kind of 2300AD feel to them). So he knows how to complete projects, and he's already done the hard work for this one.

 

[eclipse]

I'm a backer at the Headliner level as well. Looks like a lot of fun. I want to see this funded, so I'm going to start pitching it to some old Traveller players who aren't on these boards or the TML.

 

[Spaceresearcher]

WAY TO GO FELLOW TRAVELLER FANS

Terrific news, almost 45% of the way there. $3551 as of this post. The 50% mark is in site.

Way to go for all fellow Traveller fans who have backed so far.

 

[Dragoner]

So has this been posted other places? I didn't see it on one of the main ks threads in a very large forum.

 

[Spaceresearcher]

Beyond The Frontier

Hello Dragoner,
May I ask, who did the great artwork for your Website banner?

Great effort there, i'll be checking it out more thoroughly shortly.

Just over 45% on the Cirque kickstarter now.

 

[Dragoner]

Thanks, it is two Peter Elson pictures I stitched together, here is his site:

http://www.peterelson.co.uk/

 

[Spaceresearcher]

WOW, he was the artist who painted the terrific artwork for the Stainless Steel Rat book covers. His works are right up there with Chris Foss in my firm opinion.

 

[Dagrill]

Hello All,
With all the members of COTI, I am a little shocked to say the least that backing for this great project seems to be a little short of numbers. Personally I've backed it as I believe it's going to be great and I want to encourage everyone to invest in creating more Traveller 5 adventures, Scenarios and Campaigns.

Please consider backing and if you havn't checked it out yet, have a look and also check out 'Lees Guide To Interstellar Adventure', which you can find on the Apocrypha CDROM available from farfuture.net if your like me and are not fortunate enough to have a hard copy.

It would be great to know what fellow Travellers think of the overall idea. Myself, I think it's great. This is a brilliant way to steer from the gun toting military style of game and instead concentrate on a more story and entertaining style of game. Add to that, what a great excuse for touring the Spinward Marches!!!!
.

Hi,

I haven't backed this as it's post FFW and a circus, I don't see it appealing to anyone in my group apart from one of my brother in law's.

I have never run a campaign that doesn't involve guns, or some form of combat, how do you make it exciting if the PC's aren't in danger?

Regards

david

 

[Spaceresearcher]

I'm a little surprised. How would it not be dangerous? It's a tour through the Spinward Marches for starters.

Your thinking too much along the lines of the fairy floss and tiger style circuses of current day Earth.

Picture performing for starters, failure to dodge a knife or even a simple tight rope walk could render the characters out of action but double it up with assasins, planets who do not like circuses and many unsavoury characters required to keep the circus going and I think you will find there's an abundance of danger to keep even the most psychotic of players on there toes. (A lot of action happens behind the scenes of a circus, especially an intergalactic one).

For inspiration. Read E.E. Doc Smiths Family D'Alembert series and you might just change your mind.

Hope that can help you to maybe try out the PDF version if nothing else.

 

[Dagrill]

I'm a little surprised. How would it not be dangerous? It's a tour through the Spinward Marches for starters.

Your thinking too much along the lines of the fairy floss and tiger style circuses of current day Earth.

Picture performing for starters, failure to dodge a knife or even a simple tight rope walk could render the characters out of action but double it up with assasins, planets who do not like circuses and many unsavoury characters required to keep the circus going and I think you will find there's an abundance of danger to keep even the most psychotic of players on there toes. (A lot of action happens behind the scenes of a circus, especially an intergalactic one).

For inspiration. Read E.E. Doc Smiths Family D'Alembert series and you might just change your mind.

Hope that can help you to maybe try out the PDF version if nothing else.

Hi,

Thanks I was thinking the sort of circus we have these days, I vaguely remember reading EE Doc Smith's Lensman stories in my youth and not been impressed as they were rather similar, I seem to remember lots of mind powers as well.

I will look at doing the $15/£10 option, but it will have to be nearer the end of the month due to cash flow.

Thank you

David

 

[jcbeckman]

The money will not be taken until March 31 (unless it fails to reach its goal, in which case they don't take it at all). It doesn't matter if you pledge now or any time before the 31st.

Remember too, the "circus" in your campaign could just be a cover for a group of spies, mercs, thieves, etc.

 

[rancke]

I'm a little surprised. How would it not be dangerous? It's a tour through the Spinward Marches for starters.

Not all the worlds of the Spinward Marches are Wild Frontiers, and you'd expect a circus road manager to try to avoid them. Not just because danger is bad for business, but also because Wild Frontiers have a strong correlation to small populations, and cost of interstellar transportation would require playing on worlds where a lot of people can afford sizable ticket prices. (From the blurb it appears that the owner has somehow acquired title to a former navy battle tender and if he doesn't have a loan to finance, that side may be managable, but danger is still Bad For Business).

Much would depend on the size of the payroll. I get the impression that we're talking scores of performers and roustabouts at the very least. With each jump representing ten days of no income at all. So low-population worlds seems out of the question.

Picture performing for starters, failure to dodge a knife or even a simple tight rope walk could render the characters out of action but double it up with assasins, planets who do not like circuses and many unsavoury characters required to keep the circus going and I think you will find there's an abundance of danger to keep even the most psychotic of players on there toes. (A lot of action happens behind the scenes of a circus, especially an intergalactic one).

A circus will have lots of problems. But I'm not sure how many of them would be suitable for a small team of PCs to solve. For those that are suitable for PC-style solutions, a circus provides a plethora of talented NPC henchmen. Acrobats, sharpshooters, knifethrowers, strongmen, magicians, animal tamers, roustabouts... I think it would be a big challenge to come up with problems that can be solved by the PCs and the PCs alone.

For inspiration. Read E.E. Doc Smiths Family D'Alembert series and you might just change your mind.

I haven't read any of them (never came across the books), but I understand that the d'Alembert's are secret agents using the circus as a cover. That would skew the dynamics considerably, I think.

I recommend Barry B. Longyear's City of Baraboo. It tells of an interstellar circus and the troubles it encounters on many different worlds.


Hans

 

[madmike]

I haven't read any of them (never came across the books), but I understand that the d'Alembert's are secret agents using the circus as a cover. That would skew the dynamics considerably, I think.
Hans

Almost

The d'Alemberts ARE the circus. They also work as SOTE (Service of the Empire) agents as required. The Emperor and SOTE consider them the last resort option.

At the start of the ten book series, the two main characters brother and sister, Jules and Yvette d'Alembert (master aerial acrobats) leave the circus to work in SOTE full time in order to uncover an Empire wide plot. They are replaced by their cousins in their circus roles, so as not to be missed. As the series progresses and the threat to the Empire worsens, the circus becomes more involved.

Stephen Goldin has re-imagined the series recently.

 

[Dragoner]

Looks like crossposting it may have worked some, 23 new backers since 3/15.

I am somewhat annoyed that I can't back for only the full color pdf and to get it, I have to kill a tree.

edit, make that 37, wow.

 

[Jazzlvraz]

Moments after several emails all arrived nearly simultaneously, I'm another backer. Hard to believe I missed a T5 Kickstarter for two weeks...

 

[Dragoner]

Yes, yesterday when I looked, it was at 67 backers, now it is at 108; it needs better exposure than just here.

 

[rancke]

Yes, yesterday when I looked, it was at 67 backers, now it is at 108; it needs better exposure than just here.

Try the SJG forums. There's a stickied thread in 'Geek Culture' where people list kickstarter projects worth noting.

EDIT: I just put up a notice.


Hans