Today I dusted off an old friend...

[indigo196]

My children are finally of age to enjoy one of my old childhood memories; playing Traveller. Today I went downstairs to my workshop and got out something I bought years ago and set aside.

The cellophane wrap gave me pause, but I did not buy it as a museum piece.

Yes, I opened a previously un-opened original Traveller box set...

Then I found this place by searching Google.

Joy!

If anyone has some hints for getting re-introduced to a game I last played over 30 some odd years ago I would welcome the advice.

 

[far-trader]

Welcome aboard indigo196

 

[DaveChase]

Welcome back to an old favorite.

As for advice, this board is full of it and mostly of the good kind.

Dave Chase

 

[Ronnke]

Welcome.

Play some short fun games with your kids, this in my family always turns out to be a positive event. And parent-child interaction always trumps child-xbox interaction. In my experience there are 2 rules when gaming with kids.

1. Short sessions of 1 to 2 hours tops. If you keep the pace fast then you can still accomplish much.
2. Simple linear plots. Complexity is an adult thing and it just confuses kids.

Other outlets to game, are contacting local groups, previous gaming friends, or online games which seem to be gaining popularity.

 

[Metropolitan District 268]

Give them a Type S Scout/Courier, stick them in the Spinward Main and give them lots of space travel to do.

Think Treasure Island. Give them a map where X marks the spot. All they have to do is figure out which world it's a map of ...

Then lots of encounters with people who have insights which help them to narrow it down and narrow it down until ...

You get the idea!

(Oh, and it won't occur to the kids that the people they show the map to might want to double-cross them and beat them to the treasure. So don't have them do it. Not yet, anyway ... )

 

[nats]

I am about to do the same - introduce some of my kids to Traveller. Safari Ship, Simba Safari, Across the Bright Face, and Mission on Mithril are all good kid's adventures with a bit of amending to remove some of the complexity. But perhaps also just rescuing the pilots of a stranded spaceship would be good, or saving an alien creature who was left on the wrong planet accidentally and needs to get home (Free Willy?).

But I also very much like the Treasure Island idea as that would include lots of space travel and thats the best thing in Traveller!

Finally some friendly animal could tag along with the group such as a Beaked Monkey (JTAS No 3) and get them into trouble, that could be fun.

 

[robject]

My children are finally of age to enjoy one of my old childhood memories; playing Traveller. Today I went downstairs to my workshop and got out something I bought years ago and set aside.

The cellophane wrap gave me pause, but I did not buy it as a museum piece.

Yes, I opened a previously un-opened original Traveller box set...

Then I found this place by searching Google.

Joy!

If anyone has some hints for getting re-introduced to a game I last played over 30 some odd years ago I would welcome the advice.

Welcome!

Grab one of the CDs on Far Future Enterprises. The Keith Brothers' adventures, for example.

 

[saundby]

Here are some things I've done that have worked well when playing with children (and adults, often):

Have a pre-adventure where the players play their characters as children together. This helps them establish the characters and some social background. I scale the adult stats to child levels appropriate for the age level.

Use an adventure based on or like a Hitchcock's Three Investigators story. Searching for a lost pet turns up a bigger mystery, etc. One kid has access to a flyer and a pilot because of winning a contest or something. Even the characters' adult adventures are about the complexity of one of these stories when playing with kids.

There are (at least) three NPCs with the group. A curious pet, a naysayer, and an overly enthusiastic person. The naysayer has to be talked into everything, is gloomy, and always wrong. The over-enthusiatic NPC has to be held back from rash actions, and is undeterred by any setback or potential problem. The stereotypes seem silly, but both characters help draw out kids to develop and establish their own plan of action. Plus both give you an effective way to communicate information about risks, dangers, and opportunities to the players. The pet has the role of motivator and a "comfort character." Perhaps even an occasional rescuer if you need a deus ex machina to save a campaign.

 

[Icosahedron]

There are (at least) three NPCs with the group. A curious pet, a naysayer, and an overly enthusiastic person. The naysayer has to be talked into everything, is gloomy, and always wrong. The over-enthusiatic NPC has to be held back from rash actions, and is undeterred by any setback or potential problem. The stereotypes seem silly, but both characters help draw out kids to develop and establish their own plan of action. Plus both give you an effective way to communicate information about risks, dangers, and opportunities to the players. The pet has the role of motivator and a "comfort character." Perhaps even an occasional rescuer if you need a deus ex machina to save a campaign.

Good idea. Consider it borrowed.

 

[saundby]

I borrowed it from Saturday-morning TV shows, myself.