Starter Traveller

[Treesong]

I have never bothered to pick up a copy of Starter Traveller so far. I think the name "Starter" put me off - it sounded like a cut-down version. However, it occurred to me that in fact it might be in fact have been the current version of the full game at the time of printing, just with a name indicating that you need to purchase this first.

So given the similar look of the box sets that followed, was the Starter set in fact the flagship of "CT Mark II"?

 

[far-trader]

Welcome aboard Treesong

Officially anyway, long time lurker, first post

If I recall correctly "Starter Traveller" was just "Basic Traveller" (Books 1-3) reorganized and reformatted. So not really CT Mark II. Pretty much as you described it, "the current version of the full (basic) game at the time of printing, just with a name indicating that you need to purchase this first".

MegaTraveller might be more accurately called CT Mark II.

If you're looking to buy any older Traveller (CT, MT, and such) check out FFE (http://www.farfuture.net/) as Marc Miller has CD-ROM collections available at a good value. If PDFs suit you. There are still some print reprint collections of some CT iirc, in a double wide LBB format (11.5" wide by 8.5" tall).

 

[aramis]

A few minor differences... range band ship combat instead of minis-game ship combat. Included adventures (Shadows and Mission on Mithril, IIRC).

 

[mike wightman]

Starter Edition was worth the purchase for one thing alone - all the charts and tables were put into a charts and tables book.

Once familiar with the system then the charts and tables book was all you needed to refer to most of the time.

Starter Edition was also the only ruleset in the CT line that explained pulse laser damage in ship combat.

 

[beowulf2044]

Charts and Tables was the best. It was also the only Traveller rules set that actually included the Laser Pistol and Medikit (they were included in one of the adventures).

 

[Treesong]

Thanks for the replies, and thanks for the welcome far-trader. Yes, I've been a long-time lurker

 

[Supplement Four]

Starter Edition was worth the purchase for one thing alone - all the charts and tables were put into a charts and tables book.

Yeah, the table book is nice, but i don't think that's the best thing about Starter Traveller. It's not the pulse laser rule either.

It's the Range Band version of Book 2 space combat that makes Starter Traveller worth the purchase.

As fate would have it, Starter Traveller is the first version of Traveller I ever purchased.

 

[DonM]

I have to say, Starter Traveller is my preference of versions of the CT edition of the game.

MT is it's own edition...

Of the four CT rulesets, I'd say Starter Traveller is the best of breed. The other three are, from worst to best, CT77, CT81, and The Traveller Book.

 

[Appelcline]

Starter Version is the copy of the game I got started on too. It was a christmas gift from an out-of-town relative; probably the best such gift I ever got from someone who knew me lightly, like that.

Still have it. The box was long ago destroyed, so it's now all in my copy of Tarsus, which I got a few years afterward, I expect.

It's the only version of CT I own, though I have the urge every once in a while to get one of the more standard organizations. The Traveller Book has been calling to me ever since I got The Traveller Adventure.

 

[kafka47]

Yes, I cut my teeth on Starter Traveller but all the assumptions that it made and left hanging was a bit strange for a first time Traveller player. I would have said the Traveller book was the refinement of CT. But the game that is dearest to my heart will always be MT...even with errata...it still was a fun game (so long as you co-opted Starter Traveller Cmbt rules...).

 

[RKFM]

I remember when Starter Traveller came out, but never saw to the need to buy it since I had The Book and '77 LBBs.

Bit of trivia: In the movie Cloak and Dagger ('84) the kid's dad is scolding him for his obsession with games and while gathering up his games he has Starter Traveller under his arm.

(Found it on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNqEZjIA2rA&feature=PlayList&p=441B74AF92E02825&index=2 ) at the 4:58 mark. Strange, the things you remember for 25 years!

 

[Ishmael]

Even better is Avalon Hill's "Blitzkrieg"!
My all time favorite boardgame