mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Rather than expensive it could be just too fragile for a combat environment.
This Alien Universe
- Thread starter Supplement Four
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Deathstalker
SOC-12
I actually picked the book up last night based on this thread. The following may be considered semi-spoiler.
I will say that the air pods were kind of scoffed at by marines, because of the relative disadvantages, compared with marines on foot.
The marines on foot have at least IR cammo, and a few other things, which makes them hard to see/detect. However, something in the air that doesn't have excessively powerful scanners/targeting, is relatively a lot easier to see, and likely kill.
They seem to be roughly single person air/rafts. With all the usual vulnerabilities that includes, as I'm sure all traveller players know well. Plus, unlike an air/raft, it's single person sized, so in some ways a grav-belt but still a platform, with distinct controls, so the person has to divide their attention.
All of which explains why the Marines don't like them.
I will say that the air pods were kind of scoffed at by marines, because of the relative disadvantages, compared with marines on foot.
The marines on foot have at least IR cammo, and a few other things, which makes them hard to see/detect. However, something in the air that doesn't have excessively powerful scanners/targeting, is relatively a lot easier to see, and likely kill.
They seem to be roughly single person air/rafts. With all the usual vulnerabilities that includes, as I'm sure all traveller players know well. Plus, unlike an air/raft, it's single person sized, so in some ways a grav-belt but still a platform, with distinct controls, so the person has to divide their attention.
All of which explains why the Marines don't like them.
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
I originally guessed at that too, but the sleds are used in a combat scenario.
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
Alien Fun For A Few Sessions
This would be fun for a one-off, or a game that lasts a couple of sessions. It's the traditional Alien scenario. It would take little prep by the GM.
First, tell your players you're playing Traveller. Don't mention Alien.
Second, grab Broadsword. You've got a big ship, and you've got every PC detailed for you. The players will play ALL of them (many of them won't be lasting, anyway). Just divide up the entire crew of the Broadsword by the number of players you have--allow them to play multiple characters.
Third, grab the JTAS article that covers the Alien.
Fourth, begin the game like a normal Traveller scenario, with the players playing the crew of a Broadsword class mercenary crusier. Then, allow them to jump into J-Space.
Now, you have a week to kill 'em all!
The alien is hiding, of course, on the ship. You might want to start some scenes by randomly killing some NPCs without letting the players play the characters. The crew is just missing....in J-Space. The ship is big, but it ain't that big.
Watch what the players do. This could be fun...they don't know yet that they're playing a traditional Alien scenario.
And, once they find out, it will be, "Oh, Crap! What's that sticky stuff!!"
Then, start whacking the the crew with the Alien hide-hit-and-run tactics.
If the Broadsword isn't big enough, then bring out your Kinuiir deckplans...or even your Azhanti High Lightning. Annic Nova, maybe. Under this scenario, you don't have J-Space to isolate the PCs (but, you're in space, so it doesn't matter). The Broadsword finds some wreckage, a dead ship, hears a distress signal...whatever.
Now you've got plenty of crew to eat up (the Broadsword crewmembers), and you've got a big map to hunt around in.
Maybe throw a twist on the old theme? Remember, the Aliens communicate telepathically. What if you have a psion aboard? What if its an Imperial crew, and the psion was hiding his ability?
That could be an interesting dynamic.
Another aspect to this game that will be fun is seeing who will survive! Like I said, just divide the entire crew of the Broadsword up by the number of players you have. Don't play favorites with the captain or special NPCs. Just see where the scenario and the dice take you. The GM doesn't know who will surivive and neither do the players. It could be the Vargr second APC gunner, for all you know.
Heck, this could be a cool basis for a beginning adventure of a campaign. Whoever survives will probably be tight with the other survivors.
Sounds like a fun scenario, eh?
This would be fun for a one-off, or a game that lasts a couple of sessions. It's the traditional Alien scenario. It would take little prep by the GM.
First, tell your players you're playing Traveller. Don't mention Alien.
Second, grab Broadsword. You've got a big ship, and you've got every PC detailed for you. The players will play ALL of them (many of them won't be lasting, anyway). Just divide up the entire crew of the Broadsword by the number of players you have--allow them to play multiple characters.
Third, grab the JTAS article that covers the Alien.
Fourth, begin the game like a normal Traveller scenario, with the players playing the crew of a Broadsword class mercenary crusier. Then, allow them to jump into J-Space.
Now, you have a week to kill 'em all!
The alien is hiding, of course, on the ship. You might want to start some scenes by randomly killing some NPCs without letting the players play the characters. The crew is just missing....in J-Space. The ship is big, but it ain't that big.
Watch what the players do. This could be fun...they don't know yet that they're playing a traditional Alien scenario.
And, once they find out, it will be, "Oh, Crap! What's that sticky stuff!!"
Then, start whacking the the crew with the Alien hide-hit-and-run tactics.
If the Broadsword isn't big enough, then bring out your Kinuiir deckplans...or even your Azhanti High Lightning. Annic Nova, maybe. Under this scenario, you don't have J-Space to isolate the PCs (but, you're in space, so it doesn't matter). The Broadsword finds some wreckage, a dead ship, hears a distress signal...whatever.
Now you've got plenty of crew to eat up (the Broadsword crewmembers), and you've got a big map to hunt around in.
Maybe throw a twist on the old theme? Remember, the Aliens communicate telepathically. What if you have a psion aboard? What if its an Imperial crew, and the psion was hiding his ability?
That could be an interesting dynamic.
Another aspect to this game that will be fun is seeing who will survive! Like I said, just divide the entire crew of the Broadsword up by the number of players you have. Don't play favorites with the captain or special NPCs. Just see where the scenario and the dice take you. The GM doesn't know who will surivive and neither do the players. It could be the Vargr second APC gunner, for all you know.
Heck, this could be a cool basis for a beginning adventure of a campaign. Whoever survives will probably be tight with the other survivors.
Sounds like a fun scenario, eh?
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
Another idea:
Set the campaign up where Earth is a centric political force in the universe (as it is in the movies). There are other colonies, of course, but Earth is the height of human culture and achievement.
Until the Aliens came.
Now, Earth is a wasteland. The war was lost. The Aliens won. They spread too fast.
Plenty of scenario ideas here. Almost unlimited.
I'd start the campaign out with all PCs from earth. Then, the mission would happen (whatever it was). The PCs would leave--a year round trip. The players would think the actual scenario was the mission out to the distant world, when, in reality, this is only a prologue to the campaign.
The very end of the mission sees the PCs returning to Earth. Mission complete. Then, the twist happens. In their absence, Earth has been over-run.
It's a whole new ball game.
Set the campaign up where Earth is a centric political force in the universe (as it is in the movies). There are other colonies, of course, but Earth is the height of human culture and achievement.
Until the Aliens came.
Now, Earth is a wasteland. The war was lost. The Aliens won. They spread too fast.
Plenty of scenario ideas here. Almost unlimited.
I'd start the campaign out with all PCs from earth. Then, the mission would happen (whatever it was). The PCs would leave--a year round trip. The players would think the actual scenario was the mission out to the distant world, when, in reality, this is only a prologue to the campaign.
The very end of the mission sees the PCs returning to Earth. Mission complete. Then, the twist happens. In their absence, Earth has been over-run.
It's a whole new ball game.
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Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
I seem to be the only one posting in this thread, so I guess I'll stop. But, I did have a thought: One could use 2300/2320 for background to flesh out the Alien universe. I think it would match nicely.
But, also, one could substitute the Aliens for the Virus in the TNE background of the game. How neat would that be? Instead of the Virus destroying the 3I, it's the horrendous wave of Aliens jumping from world to world--an outbreak that cannot be contained.
Flash forward a decade or two. The 3I is a smoking ruin. Everywhere you go, there is the Alien infestation. Trips to worlds are quite unhealthy.
I think I might like that version of the TNE timeline than the original.
But, also, one could substitute the Aliens for the Virus in the TNE background of the game. How neat would that be? Instead of the Virus destroying the 3I, it's the horrendous wave of Aliens jumping from world to world--an outbreak that cannot be contained.
Flash forward a decade or two. The 3I is a smoking ruin. Everywhere you go, there is the Alien infestation. Trips to worlds are quite unhealthy.
I think I might like that version of the TNE timeline than the original.
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
I'll have more input once I give the films a fresh watch (it's about time for Alien Fest 08), and the AvP stuff. I just saw the Directors cut of the first one again, and its still great. The background'is made for CT. And read this entire post.
The company, marines, terraforming, androids, several aliens (the aliens themselves and the crashed ship mystery race) theres a ton of stuff going on. It also looks like that later on in the series, these concepts get darker, and more complex.
Is there some kind of timeline for the background? Even an unofficial one?
The company, marines, terraforming, androids, several aliens (the aliens themselves and the crashed ship mystery race) theres a ton of stuff going on. It also looks like that later on in the series, these concepts get darker, and more complex.
Is there some kind of timeline for the background? Even an unofficial one?
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