Ship's Library

[ArcaneFlash]

Library: A library room contains computer files as well as lecterns,
display screens, holotanks and even hard copies of books. A good
library is useful for both research and passing time in jump space.
Having a library on board a ship gives one extra week of training
time for new skills per week spent in jump space.

Question: How common are Libraries? Why wouldn't any normal character during generation not have at least one skill per year?

 

[Spinward Scout]

Are you talking a "Library" skill? Or the knowledge gained from using a Library (which could be just about any skill)?

 

[ArcaneFlash]

No, I'm talking about use of a library for gaining of any skill.

 

[AndreaV]

There are very few skills you can gain with some practical experience (other possibly than research).

 

[rancke]

I got the impression that the first five lines in the OP was a quote from the rules. If that's true, you evidently can get training just from having access to a library (and the spare time to use it).


Hans

 

[ArcaneFlash]

It's a direct quote from HG.

I'm sorry, It's late and was doing some work on Traveller. I came across this some time ago and it got me thinking. If a library can help you train in some skills and gyms could do similar things for physical training and the like. A player could rack up a large number of skills. So, the question became then why the lower number of skills in Character gen as opposed to later editions of traveller (Like the one skill per year.)

 

[Condottiere]

Home schooling; probably as effective as your native abilities, interest and focus allow you to be.

Maybe it needs an added tutor programme to guide, correct, assess and motivate you, or a crewmate capable and willing to play that role.

 

[Daidoji Dave]

That "one extra week of training time for new skills" calls back to the rules for training time by week in the core book. (Which I had always thought was an optional rule, though I see its not actually called out as optional in the SRD. )

Optional or not, I've never liked that training method precisely because it doesn't scale against character generation. Although it does have the saving grace of diminishing returns the more skill ranks you acquire, its still a little too fast.

In any event, "why not one skill per year in char gen" isn't a mystery. Mongoose is closer to Classic than it is to later versions. (And for some of us, that's a selling point.) I had the impression skill training got thrown in for people who couldn't stand the no/slow advancement of "real" Traveller.

 

[MongooseMatt]

I had the impression skill training got thrown in for people who couldn't stand the no/slow advancement of "real" Traveller.

You are absolutely right

We have some new training rules up for playtest at the moment (see latest Planet Mongoose post), but always open to new ideas on this front. There is a significant section of players who want to see character progression during actual play.

 

[Condottiere]

You could complicate it by adding a decimal point making mastering that skill a matter of degrees, and then when the skill comes into play, but is a little short of what is required, roll a d10.