CT Only: The Pic That Sold Me On Traveller

[Supplement Four]

BITD, I was looking at D&D books at the mall bookstore. This was 1982. I was a sophomore in high school, and I had just moved to a new city.

I didn't know anybody. Summer was starting. I had just learned this amazing new game the previous summer called Dungeons & Dragons. I was at the store to pick up a "module" for me to be DM, and my brother to be the player. I picked up The Secret To Bone Hill. We played all summer, and we had a blast, just me and him.

While at the store, this boxed set kept grabbing my attention. Starter Traveller. But, the box was sealed.

I looked at it a couple of times, until, one visit to that store, I found one that was open. I flipped through it, and I was intrigued. The drawings were scarce, but so they were in the D&D hardbacks, too.

Then, I flipped to this Dietrick image: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/18/15/82/1815829583765ad99ff16c991490b87e.jpg

I didn't buy the set right then. Money was tight. I didn't have a job. I was just learning to drive. I went home, but I couldn't stop thinking about that one B&W image.

The next day, I went back to the store and bought the game.

And, I've been in love with Traveller ever since.



Looking at the pic, what kind of equipment is he using? I'm thinking that Cloth Armor, with a helmet. The helm is fitted with a comm and some sort of sight aid.

That's an autorifle with what looks like a 40mm rifle grenade on the end (although rifle grenades were not included in the Starter Set--you needed Book 4 for that, I found out later). The rifle has a scope.

What's that box he's got on his right hip?

Behind that, it looks to be a canteen.

On his left hip is something that uses a strap on his leg. I'd say it was an autopistol in a holster except that the guy is right handed. So, it's not a pistol. What could it be?

 

[kilemall]

Looking at the pic, what kind of equipment is he using? I'm thinking that Cloth Armor, with a helmet. The helm is fitted with a comm and some sort of sight aid.

That's an autorifle with what looks like a 40mm rifle grenade on the end (although rifle grenades were not included in the Starter Set--you needed Book 4 for that, I found out later). The rifle has a scope.

What's that box he's got on his right hip?

Behind that, it looks to be a canteen.

On his left hip is something that uses a strap on his leg. I'd say it was an autopistol in a holster except that the guy is right handed. So, it's not a pistol. What could it be?

Cloth vest would be a normal assumption.

I would think the eyepiece would be a primary ranging scope slaved to the rifle and selected for which weapon, the RG or the bullets. This way you can fire the rifle aimed without having to line it up traditionally. The scope on the rifle would then be a backup.

Autorifle is a functional assumption. Probably a TL8 version so slightly more something, precision or damage.

Right leg box looks to be a perfect place for those RGs, regular grenades, or boxy enough to be a medkit.

Left leg item looks like a datapad to my 2017 eyes, but the artist may have intended something else.

 

[mike wightman]

The rifle is a bullpup, with sights, possible a laser or a torch at the front, curved magazine.
Left hip could be a spare mag pouch - the mags are curved.
Right hip is likely to be the grenade pouch.
Cloth armour, helmet mounted comms and vision enhancement, possible video camera.

Nothing we can not put in the field today at TL7.8...

The forward observer picture in LBB:4 is not a lot higher TL wise - except for the laser designator that doubles as a personal weapon - laser carbine to you and me.

 

[Supplement Four]

+1 to hit for the eye sight?

Or, possibly, it gives the same DMs as a rifle sight? And, the weapon has a naked eye rifle sight, too.


EDIT: And, I love the pic in the front of Book 4, too, Sigg.

 

[Fovean]

1983, 6th grade, at the FLGS browsing D&D stuff and see this:

http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/images/2/28/Traveller_Book.jpg

Right off the bat, I'm intrigued - cool ship, some kind of airlock tube, cool weapons and gadgets... but what are they looking at?! Not the reception they expected!

The book was shrink wrapped but I read the back of it and bought it right then. Still playing to this day.

 

[Major B]

Looking at the pic, what kind of equipment is he using? I'm thinking that Cloth Armor, with a helmet. The helm is fitted with a comm and some sort of sight aid.

That's an autorifle with what looks like a 40mm rifle grenade on the end (although rifle grenades were not included in the Starter Set--you needed Book 4 for that, I found out later). The rifle has a scope.

What's that box he's got on his right hip?

Behind that, it looks to be a canteen.

On his left hip is something that uses a strap on his leg. I'd say it was an autopistol in a holster except that the guy is right handed. So, it's not a pistol. What could it be?

The helmet has an integral comm unit. The sight unit looks detachable so maybe it is a night sight - like an AN/PVS-14.

He has a RAM grenade fixed to the muzzle and he is firing at someone close or the rifle would be canted upward to provide more range.

He's wearing a cloth jumpsuit with an extra armor vest that includes a groin protector.

He is holding the weapon at the hip because the recoil from a RAM grenade is much more than the normal recoil of the weapon.

The charging handle and bolt slide on the rifle makes me think it is a LMG rather than an Auto Rifle. However, it is shorter than I would think for an LMG. Maybe a LAG?

The pouch on his right hip looks a bit too small to be an ammo pouch. Maybe that one carries the RAM Grenades.

The left hip pouch is sited just right to be a sidearm or a medkit. The weapon does not look like it is ambidextrous so he may not be right handed, just trained to fire the weapon the only way it can be fired. It could be a sidearm but a medkit is an equally plausible guess.

Mike

 

[agorski]

The forward observer picture in LBB:4 is not a lot higher TL wise - except for the laser designator that doubles as a personal weapon - laser carbine to you and me.

This was probably the first Traveller pic that I saw and sold me on it.

 

[Xerxeskingofking]

BITD, I was looking at D&D books at the mall bookstore. This was 1982. I was a sophomore in high school, and I had just moved to a new city.

I didn't know anybody. Summer was starting. I had just learned this amazing new game the previous summer called Dungeons & Dragons. I was at the store to pick up a "module" for me to be DM, and my brother to be the player. I picked up The Secret To Bone Hill. We played all summer, and we had a blast, just me and him.

While at the store, this boxed set kept grabbing my attention. Starter Traveller. But, the box was sealed.

I looked at it a couple of times, until, one visit to that store, I found one that was open. I flipped through it, and I was intrigued. The drawings were scarce, but so they were in the D&D hardbacks, too.

Then, I flipped to this Dietrick image: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/18/15/82/1815829583765ad99ff16c991490b87e.jpg

I didn't buy the set right then. Money was tight. I didn't have a job. I was just learning to drive. I went home, but I couldn't stop thinking about that one B&W image.

The next day, I went back to the store and bought the game.

And, I've been in love with Traveller ever since.



Looking at the pic, what kind of equipment is he using? I'm thinking that Cloth Armor, with a helmet. The helm is fitted with a comm and some sort of sight aid.

That's an autorifle with what looks like a 40mm rifle grenade on the end (although rifle grenades were not included in the Starter Set--you needed Book 4 for that, I found out later). The rifle has a scope.

What's that box he's got on his right hip?

Behind that, it looks to be a canteen.

On his left hip is something that uses a strap on his leg. I'd say it was an autopistol in a holster except that the guy is right handed. So, it's not a pistol. What could it be?

yhea, that helmet has integrated PRR (Personal Role Radio) and some sort of night sight (i'd say light amplification type, aka the "green screen" type you see in modern spec ops games). judging by how thin the helmet seems, it could just be a non ballistic helmet that protects against knocks and bumps, as it worn by some real life SF teams (as they find the ballistic helmets too constricting).

it could also be a aiming aid for the grenade launcher, projecting a point of impact while he holds the rifle in that low guard position. maybe the recoil of the grenade is too much for shoulder fire?

Based on my own experience with IRL flak armour, i'd say the groin armour is a separate piece to the vest, to allow for torso twist.

visable pouch could be for grenades, but it looks a bit small for the grenade we see him using, as it would only hold two or at most three. Or, it could some sort of ultility pouch for whatever he needs (food, batteries, datapad, etc). I'd say the not visable pouch with a leg strap i might be a dump pouch, a big bag that you can quickly "dump" empty mags into to speed up reloading (as opposed to fiddling about trying to get them back into the standard ammo pouches.)

The charging handle and bolt slide on the rifle makes me think it is a LMG rather than an Auto Rifle. However, it is shorter than I would think for an LMG. Maybe a LAG?

i disagree. that gun looks a lot like a L-85, though given the age of the drawing, thats probably a coincidence. the whole point of a LMG is to lay down supressing fire, form a medium distance (300-600m), and generally they will be doing that from prone, so most have bipods.

 

[Supplement Four]

Well, remember that the drawing was in Starter Traveller. Though I know the art really had little to do with the game's contents back in that day, I still try to describe the pic in terms of what is available in Starter Traveller (though the rifle grenade poses a problem).

I think it's a good comment that he's holding the weapon at the hip because of the recoil of the grenade. Still, as per another comment, the weapon is not tilted up for ballistic fire.

Maybe he's using it as direct fire at fairly close vehicle. Armor-piercing rifle grenade?

Since the rifle has a sight mounted on it, the helmet sight must serve another purpose--maybe helping with the aiming of the rifle grenade, as stated above.

You know...that bag. It could also house a Battlefield Computer, as seen in Striker, with the heads-up display being used on the single eye gadget.




I love that pic that opens the Book 4 Mercenary book, too. And, I about wet my pants the first time I read, in that book, the description of the equipment seen on the Merc Striker.

 

[aramis]

Well, remember that the drawing was in Starter Traveller. Though I know the art really had little to do with the game's contents back in that day, I still try to describe the pic in terms of what is available in Starter Traveller (though the rifle grenade poses a problem).

I think it's a good comment that he's holding the weapon at the hip because of the recoil of the grenade. Still, as per another comment, the weapon is not tilted up for ballistic fire.

Maybe he's using it as direct fire at fairly close vehicle. Armor-piercing rifle grenade?

Since the rifle has a sight mounted on it, the helmet sight must serve another purpose--maybe helping with the aiming of the rifle grenade, as stated above.

You know...that bag. It could also house a Battlefield Computer, as seen in Striker, with the heads-up display being used on the single eye gadget.




I love that pic that opens the Book 4 Mercenary book, too. And, I about wet my pants the first time I read, in that book, the description of the equipment seen on the Merc Striker.

Hip-fire is inaccurate, biomechanically poor, and usually just a waste.

Biomechanically, the wrist is not good for rapid repetitive impact. Nor the elbow. Light weapons (≤6mm rifles, ≤9mm pistols) generally don't have enough recoil for the biomechanics to be a major problem.
For 12ga/18.5mm shotguns, the recoil is enough to do damage. Hence the shouldering, which spreads that force over several bones and one of the strongest joints in the body - the shoulder - and into the ribs as well.

Aim, however, is much much worse from the hip.

Proper tactical use is carry at the hip, then shoulder to fire - both for accuracy and recoil. And TV's finally returning to good shooting postures... both SWAT and SEAL Team have proper tactical shooting stances, including advancing with shouldered assault weapons.

And don't get me started on the silliness of holding pistols with the grip parallel to the ground... Actually, no, I'll mention it... for a right handed shooter with a right-hand ejection, it's a quick trip to hot brass in your face. As a lefty shooter, with a right eject, it drops your brass on your feet and shins. Hot brass hurts, BTW. (And there are left-handed 1911 pattern pistols available now.)

We were trained in basic to aim everything from the shoulder. Including the M203 URGL. And the LAW.

 

[kilemall]

Two points I see there Aramis-

1) With all the gyroscopic and recoil compensation systems our future arms have, the shoulder position may not be all that necessary.

2) In CQB the few seconds it takes to raise aim and fire may be too slow. An eyescope piece could be more optical target designation device.

The weapon would be set to autofire as soon as the targeting system determines the weapon is lined up on the target. A pip shows up where the weapon's aimpoint is, and the soldier more waves the gun towards the target then anything, much like many arcade video games.

Not good for sniper fire or engaging partially covered targets, but good enough for autofire or large vehicles.

 

[aramis]

Two points I see there Aramis-

1) With all the gyroscopic and recoil compensation systems our future arms have, the shoulder position may not be all that necessary.

2) In CQB the few seconds it takes to raise aim and fire may be too slow. An eyescope piece could be more optical target designation device.

The weapon would be set to autofire as soon as the targeting system determines the weapon is lined up on the target. A pip shows up where the weapon's aimpoint is, and the soldier more waves the gun towards the target then anything, much like many arcade video games.

Not good for sniper fire or engaging partially covered targets, but good enough for autofire or large vehicles.

Gyrostabilized isn't reducing recoil; it's merely preventing change of angle except along the plane of spin.

Desperation fire is just that - if you don't have time to shoulder, you've been surprised. But you're probably still better off shouldering.

Stuff that might make large bore non-shouldered fire practical:

• Gravitic compensation.
• Plastron pintels (as seen in Aliens).
• Coaxial sight camera
• Laser-point-sight (but that's not nearly as good in practice as it is on screen)
• integrated HUD system and computer

 

[Supplement Four]

The rifle grenade could also be a fire-through device, where the weapon fires directly through the empty core of the grenade. The grenade stays on the weapon at all times--a one time firing weapon.

 

[infojunky]

Heck it didn't even take art to hook me. I had read all of the books in the SF corner of the Used Bookstore that was on my way to the bus stop. The next was the Game Store it had tons of DnD and other assorted games and One little black box with claims of Science Fiction Adventure on the blurb, and I was hooked.

 

[kilemall]

Gyrostabilized isn't reducing recoil; it's merely preventing change of angle except along the plane of spin.

I was not mixing the two, hence distinct references to two oft-referenced improvements which affect accuracy and thus makes fire from carry a better option then present technology.

Gravitic compensation has the potential to be near-magical for lesser weapons given what it does for PG/FGMPs. I'm thinking of making it expensive for such applications (so say the TL12 Gauss LAG is not cheap), but also possibly making one-handed rifles possible (because, shields).

 

[Supplement Four]

OH, I just got a picture of a one handed shotgun with a shield! Maybe something like what Mad Max carried, but with more than two shots.

 

[whartung]

I was always drawn to the Book 4 image. The second image is why I preferred Keith's B&W work. I always found his B&W precise, whereas this is just smudgy (most of his color stuff was), though I do like the cover of JTAS #9.

 

[Supplement Four]

I'm not sure who did the art, but I've always loved the cover to JTAS 4. That ship is awesome.

Here's 9, for the post above.

I can't find a big image of 4.

And, this one is cool, too, from 18.

 

[Hyphen]

I'm not sure who did the art, but I've always loved the cover to JTAS 4. That ship is awesome.

Kenneth, those covers are Bill Keith (JTAS #9 and #18) and Steve Venters (BOJ #4).

BTW, here's a LARGE scan of the BOJ#4 cover:
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A1NcxioEtNL.jpg

 

[Timerover51]

The first item of Traveller that I purchased was actually JTAS No. 2, at the Great Lakes Naval base Base Exchange, as the cover caught my eye. That was back in 1979. My first set of D & D rules was the Blue Book Boxed Set, purchased while an in-patient at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D. C. while waiting to find out if I would walk again. The boxed set of D&D had random encounter tables for monsters and also random treasure tables for Levels 1 to 3. They helped to play the game solo.