Regretably Moving On

[rgrove0172]

Hey all,

You might have noticed my conspicuous absence over the past couple of weeks here after barraging the forum for nearly a month. Sadly, after bouncing the 2300AD setting around with the Traveller rules I am afraid Ive come to the conclusion that there is simply too much to fix. Not that the original classic rules are any better but I rather hoped that with a 2013 approach it would answer all my problems. Instead, it just presented more. Ive run the majority of them by here in my various threads and although learning a great deal about real-world related technology, there dont seem to be many answers to the issues.

I absolutely love the 2300AD setting and havent given up on it but Im afraid after a couple hundred dollars and a still growing library of Traveller material, I am giving up on it as a system. The two just dont merge well, in my opinion of course.

Im not sure what the next step is. Perhaps hitting the net and looking for a new rules set, something I can take as is then craft and modify to fit the setting. We will see.

I really appreciate all the comments here and may return when I have real world technology questions Id like to get feedback on.

 

[Spinward Scout]

Have you tried GURPS at all? It's a very detailed game system and there's a GURPS Traveller as well. Maybe that could be adapted to 2300AD.

I wish you luck finding what you need.

 

[BytePro]

...The two just dont merge well, in my opinion of course.

Sorry to hear things aren't working out for you, but not too surprised - I love Traveller, but my impression was that it wouldn't merge well with what you desire.

There are several good RPGs that strive for 'hard-science fiction' approaches that sound more in line with what you seem to be looking for - but by that very nature they are pretty intertwined with their own settings, I think.

A toolbox you can adapt to the setting sounds like what you need. I would second looking at GURPS, since that is what it is designed for. GURPS Space and GURPS Mars make claims supporting 'hard' settings. GURPS isn't my style, so I can't speak from any personal experience, but their material generally seems of very high quality and well liked...

Good luck - and drop around anytime!

 

[McPerth]

Sad to hear. You put the 2300 forum hot as it had not been since I'm in this board.

Hope you will not leave the board...

 

[mike wightman]

I used the Twilight 2000 first edition rules to run games in the 2300 setting. I also use the 2300 setting with Cyberpunk rules and Aftermath rules.

I think I only ever ran it once with the rules as written because I didn't like them.

If I were to run a 2300 setting today it would use my CT+ house rules.

Don't give up on the setting, and don't get too bogged down in the impossibility of the science and technology, there isn't/has never been a sci-fi game that stands up to real world physics.

 

[rgrove0172]

Oh I plan to hang around and visit regularly. Ive encountered a great bunch of guys here!

 

[Marchand]

There's a very detailed BRP conversion available:

http://basicroleplaying.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=387

 

[LemnOc]

There's a very detailed BRP conversion available

Hadn't stumbled across that before. That's excellent.

 

[Shonner]

What happened? An RPG mechanic didn't handle the 2300AD setting very well? The 2300AD setting doesn't handle realistic future technology that hasn't been invented yet? House rules are breaking the established rules? Hard Sci-Fi was involved?

Hard Sci-Fi is different for every player and game designer. Technically, Classic Traveller started out as future noir. It can do a Mission to Mars setting though. But it depends more on your style of sci-fi. '50s? '60s? '70s? '80s, '90s, etc.

'50s -- Cowboys in space
'60s -- Bruce Wayne in space
'70s -- Conspiracies in space
'80s -- Rambo in space
'90s -- Big Brother in space

 

[Nathan Brazil]

If you are liking the 2300AD Setting and not the rules system (MgT), you are probably better off going with a more generic rule set to address your needs. I have played many and skimmed thru several

GURPS - 4th edition has a good Space supplement, still too much detail for some. You will have to modify the TL tree a little bit. They make different technology assumptions.

Hero System - Quite good at designing vehicles and ships and such, once you determine your base physics, with point balance in mind. Even more complex than GURPS however.

Infinite Futures - Pathfinder based Science Fiction system.

Spacemaster - D100 level based system. Great to play, Imperial SF tech assumptions.

 

[Thanos]

What happened? An RPG mechanic didn't handle the 2300AD setting very well? The 2300AD setting doesn't handle realistic future technology that hasn't been invented yet? House rules are breaking the established rules? Hard Sci-Fi was involved?

Hard Sci-Fi is different for every player and game designer. Technically, Classic Traveller started out as future noir. It can do a Mission to Mars setting though. But it depends more on your style of sci-fi. '50s? '60s? '70s? '80s, '90s, etc.

'50s -- Cowboys in space
'60s -- Bruce Wayne in space
'70s -- Conspiracies in space
'80s -- Rambo in space
'90s -- Big Brother in space

Shouldn't it be '60s-- James Bond in space?

 

[Spinward Scout]

James Bond was in space. In Moonraker - and it was in 1979.

 

[Shonner]

Shouldn't it be '60s-- James Bond in space?

I mentioned Bruce Wayne because of the campy and the gadets. Matt Helm, Flint, Austin Powers (though technically not '60s) go-go girls, all the Italian and Japanese Sci-Fi from the '60s seem to fit the campy. But yes, James Bond and SPECTOR is all part of that.

 

[savage]

alternative systems...

I assume the concern is with the 2300AD v2?

What about scifi20/2320AD?

 

[Almuric]

Shouldn't it be '60s-- James Bond in space?

I'd settle for something based on good written SF, not movie/TV stereotypes.

 

[Shonner]

I'd settle for something based on good written SF, not movie/TV stereotypes.

Me personally, I go with hard sci-fi whenever I'm the referee of an open world game.