Rule set to bolster CT: T4 or T5?

[vegas]

I am thinking about adding to my CT campaign by selectively bolting on another rule set. I think I have narrowed it down to springing for the T4 CD or the T5 pdf.

The main things I am looking for are more more gear & tech and perhaps better system generation/political rules (e.g. Pocket Empires, I think)

Plus I don't know what I don't know with regard to other useful rules in other Traveller systems. I only have ever owned CT

Any advice on which way to go? Or a different version altogether?

 

[aramis]

I am thinking about adding to my CT campaign by selectively bolting on another rule set. I think I have narrowed it down to springing for the T4 CD or the T5 pdf.

The main things I am looking for are more more gear & tech and perhaps better system generation/political rules (e.g. Pocket Empires, I think)

T4 CD gives you much more that's "ready to run" with.

T5 is a toolkit system, without significant assets ready for immediate use.

 

[Timerover51]

I have both the Traveller 5.0.9 Pdf, and the T4 rulebook and some of the equipment books as well along with Pocket Empires. If you are looking for ready-made equipment, I would say go with T4 and the Central Supply Catalogue and the Emperor's Vehicles, along with Pocket Empires. The equipment would be easy to convert to Classic format.

 

[mike wightman]

Stuff from T4 I use or highly recommend:
Central Supply Catalogue
Emperor's Arsenal
Pocket Empires
Imperial Squadrons
Psionic Institutes
Milieu zero (hardback version)

T5 we use the makers as actual in game machines to make and modify gear.

 

[vegas]

One last question. T4 has Fire, Fusion, Steel. T5 has whatever tool kits it has. Any opinions on the two for creating items? Are they reasonably user-friendly? Are they similar? I am interest in breadth of technology supported by the two rule sets.

 

[mike wightman]

T4's FF&S is an errata fest - you are better off with the TNE version. Once you have corrected all the formulae misprints it works much the same as TNE FF&S, but it takes a while - just about every formula in the book was misprinted with incorrect symbols.
Both are incredibly detailed and have quite a learning curve.

T5's makers are much more user friendly, but alas require the occasional tweak to get the results you want. I use the makers to modify equipment from other sources, to add options if you like, rather than build from the ground up.

FF&S has lots of options that are missing from T5 since it has sections for detailing sci-fi tech not found in the OTU.

T5 has the most comprehensive guide to OTU technology ever IMHO.

 

[infojunky]

I am thinking about adding to my CT campaign by selectively bolting on another rule set. I think I have narrowed it down to springing for the T4 CD or the T5 pdf.

The main things I am looking for are more more gear & tech and perhaps better system generation/political rules (e.g. Pocket Empires, I think)

Plus I don't know what I don't know with regard to other useful rules in other Traveller systems. I only have ever owned CT

Any advice on which way to go? Or a different version altogether?

Well, for ease of integration MT, MgT both are based on 2d6, so there is less mechanically to worry about.

While TNE, T4 and T5 have lots of internal similarities that don't mesh as seamlessly with each other and previously mentioned editions.

With that I have referenced all of the above in support of my CT centric game.

 

[agorski]

Note that T4 seems to have been designed around Milieu 0 and limits tech level to 12.