I used to play Traveller off and on quiet a bit and then there was the long Traveller dry spell where I didn't know hardly any one who played it and all the gamers I knew were all into other RPGs. So, it's been a long time since I was regularly playing it. As it turns out, there's renewed interest around here (Memphis) for it due to MgT and I find myself in the usual position of "If I want to see a game of it, I'll end up GMing it."
So, even though I've been a member here a few years, I hardly ever posted here much but in ramping up to start GMing it again I had a strange/stray thought after reading many threads here. So, with that long rambling preamble, I give you this odd thought that's banging around in my head fighting to bust loose.
Traveller is like BBQ
Like BBQ, everyone thinks they know what it is and their favorite is the best. With BBQ, you have most people who aren't from the SouthEast/Middle South(VA/Caorlinas/Georgia) to mid-Arkansas/St. Louis think that BBQ and "barbeque" are the same thing. Therefore anything with "barbeque" Flavor must be BBQ. You've got the SE/Middle South USA folks who know the difference between BBQ and "barbeque" and you've got the Texans who think that BBQ is anything you can fit on your Dad's grill mounted on that 8 foot trailer in the back yard. And that's not including the non-USA folks who only see "Americans"=Yanks and think we're all nutz and have a hard time understanding the differences in regional customs, tastes, dialects, etc, etc.
Like BBQ, I pretty much like all forms of Traveller. And like BBQ, just about ever style has something that I can say, "You know, that isn't quiet as perfect as I'd like it to be, but dang it's good!" And like BBQ, any Traveller is better than No Traveller. Like BBQ, I'm not always in the mood for Traveller, but when I want it, I crave it.
And I've gotta say, that this is probably the best place I've seen for sampling all the forms of Traveller. Many, many good folks here with some great Ideas. It's like walking into a BBQ Festival where you've got all these great cooks giving away free samples. Tasty!
You've got CT Traveller which is like what purist from the Carolina coast to Memphis call "Real BBQ." Those folks just know that BBQ=Pork. If you are eating something that isn't Pork, it doesn't matter what kind of sauce is on it or how it is cooked, it ain't BBQ. BBQ=Pork, Anything else with "barbeque" sauce on it is "barbeque" and not "BBQ." The basic ingredients are actually fairly simple, but each GM(Cook) has their own style of what they add or how they run it and with the simple ingredients you can actually get a range of tastes, flavors and a whole lot of goodness.
You've got the St. Louis folks who have taken the old style BBQ ingredients and have developed their own sauce and think that's better than "Memphis BBQ." Maybe that makes them like the Megatraveller folks...
You've got people from Texas who think Beef Brisket and Pork(or just about any animal that fits on the grill is BBQ, so I guess they are like the folks who use a little of everything from all different forms of Traveller in their Traveller.
And you've got people who play "SciFi" games that were influenced/inspired by Traveller, but are so far off away from it the CT (BBQ) Purist scoff and say, "That's barely SciFi, more like Science Fantasy"...
I don't know enough about T4 to compare that to something.
Oh yea, you've got the Traveller2300 folks playing something written by the same company and heavily influenced by it, but really it's a whole new game system. So I guess that's the people who think "barbeque" = BBQ.
I guess the people that only play Medieval Fantasy RPGs are those who don't eat anything BBQ or "barbeque."
I've lived in a lot of places, grew up in SouthWest Va, so to me BBQ=Pork. Specifically a BBQ Sandwich is "Pulled Pork", sauce and Cole Slaw on a hamburger bun. Anything else and it "jest ain't right." Teh Wife is from Texas and we lived there for 9 years and I've eaten a lot of good Texas Brisket, but I can't get it through her family's Heads that it isn't "BBQ" no matter how hard I try. Even though that Texas Brisket is some "damn fine eatin'.."
So, as I'm about to go into my last day "crash GM" mode and get my first Traveller session with me the GM in over over 16 years ready to go(for this coming Saturday), I just wanted to say thanks to everyone here. I've gotten a lot of good info and inspiration from this place. Not everything fits with the Session that I've got planned, just like a meal you don't want to have EVERY Possible taste on the table(unless you're at a Southern Potluck) and I'm still feeling through everything finding what I like. I'm sticking with MgT for now just to give the system a fair shake and because I've got some players who are interested who already have some of those books. But, like learning to cook, I'm sure that I'll figure out my own taste in time and I've got this site to thank for the tools.
So, Thanks to Everyone Here. You guys are an interesting, eclectic bunch and your collective output of ideas is simply awesome. If you find that I'm not agreeing with you in a thread, that doesn't mean that you aren't making me think. Generally, the people who I disagree with the most are the ones that make me think about my preferences the most.
And a big thanks to Aramis who first told me about this site many years ago. We sometimes have very different styles of RPG play preference, but I've found that he always has something good to add to a discussion.
So, even though I've been a member here a few years, I hardly ever posted here much but in ramping up to start GMing it again I had a strange/stray thought after reading many threads here. So, with that long rambling preamble, I give you this odd thought that's banging around in my head fighting to bust loose.
Traveller is like BBQ
Like BBQ, everyone thinks they know what it is and their favorite is the best. With BBQ, you have most people who aren't from the SouthEast/Middle South(VA/Caorlinas/Georgia) to mid-Arkansas/St. Louis think that BBQ and "barbeque" are the same thing. Therefore anything with "barbeque" Flavor must be BBQ. You've got the SE/Middle South USA folks who know the difference between BBQ and "barbeque" and you've got the Texans who think that BBQ is anything you can fit on your Dad's grill mounted on that 8 foot trailer in the back yard. And that's not including the non-USA folks who only see "Americans"=Yanks and think we're all nutz and have a hard time understanding the differences in regional customs, tastes, dialects, etc, etc.
Like BBQ, I pretty much like all forms of Traveller. And like BBQ, just about ever style has something that I can say, "You know, that isn't quiet as perfect as I'd like it to be, but dang it's good!" And like BBQ, any Traveller is better than No Traveller. Like BBQ, I'm not always in the mood for Traveller, but when I want it, I crave it.
And I've gotta say, that this is probably the best place I've seen for sampling all the forms of Traveller. Many, many good folks here with some great Ideas. It's like walking into a BBQ Festival where you've got all these great cooks giving away free samples. Tasty!
You've got CT Traveller which is like what purist from the Carolina coast to Memphis call "Real BBQ." Those folks just know that BBQ=Pork. If you are eating something that isn't Pork, it doesn't matter what kind of sauce is on it or how it is cooked, it ain't BBQ. BBQ=Pork, Anything else with "barbeque" sauce on it is "barbeque" and not "BBQ." The basic ingredients are actually fairly simple, but each GM(Cook) has their own style of what they add or how they run it and with the simple ingredients you can actually get a range of tastes, flavors and a whole lot of goodness.
You've got the St. Louis folks who have taken the old style BBQ ingredients and have developed their own sauce and think that's better than "Memphis BBQ." Maybe that makes them like the Megatraveller folks...
You've got people from Texas who think Beef Brisket and Pork(or just about any animal that fits on the grill is BBQ, so I guess they are like the folks who use a little of everything from all different forms of Traveller in their Traveller.
And you've got people who play "SciFi" games that were influenced/inspired by Traveller, but are so far off away from it the CT (BBQ) Purist scoff and say, "That's barely SciFi, more like Science Fantasy"...
I don't know enough about T4 to compare that to something.
Oh yea, you've got the Traveller2300 folks playing something written by the same company and heavily influenced by it, but really it's a whole new game system. So I guess that's the people who think "barbeque" = BBQ.
I guess the people that only play Medieval Fantasy RPGs are those who don't eat anything BBQ or "barbeque."
I've lived in a lot of places, grew up in SouthWest Va, so to me BBQ=Pork. Specifically a BBQ Sandwich is "Pulled Pork", sauce and Cole Slaw on a hamburger bun. Anything else and it "jest ain't right." Teh Wife is from Texas and we lived there for 9 years and I've eaten a lot of good Texas Brisket, but I can't get it through her family's Heads that it isn't "BBQ" no matter how hard I try. Even though that Texas Brisket is some "damn fine eatin'.."
So, as I'm about to go into my last day "crash GM" mode and get my first Traveller session with me the GM in over over 16 years ready to go(for this coming Saturday), I just wanted to say thanks to everyone here. I've gotten a lot of good info and inspiration from this place. Not everything fits with the Session that I've got planned, just like a meal you don't want to have EVERY Possible taste on the table(unless you're at a Southern Potluck) and I'm still feeling through everything finding what I like. I'm sticking with MgT for now just to give the system a fair shake and because I've got some players who are interested who already have some of those books. But, like learning to cook, I'm sure that I'll figure out my own taste in time and I've got this site to thank for the tools.
So, Thanks to Everyone Here. You guys are an interesting, eclectic bunch and your collective output of ideas is simply awesome. If you find that I'm not agreeing with you in a thread, that doesn't mean that you aren't making me think. Generally, the people who I disagree with the most are the ones that make me think about my preferences the most.
And a big thanks to Aramis who first told me about this site many years ago. We sometimes have very different styles of RPG play preference, but I've found that he always has something good to add to a discussion.