Which CT Combat System do you Use?

[Golan2072]

This is a question to those who play Classic Traveller: which CT combat system do you use?

 

[Skytrain2]

I have tried all of the selections at least once but have returned to the LBB1 combat system because it fits most player oriented action. I usually use the Striker system for Merc and larger scale combat when needed and LBB1 with Snapshot for onboard combat plus I have used various parts of systems from other games.

 

[Tobias]

Before my switch to MegaTraveller, I used the AHL system, but largely minus the turn order and action point stuff. I just had people describe what they did and let them shoot when I thought it was appropriate.

 

[Icosahedron]

I've yet to find a combat system for Traveller that I'm comfortable with. And that's after 30 years.
I think there are immense differences between playing FtF/realtime and playing via online forums.

Back in the days of FtF at college, we found the AHL rules to be good, if lengthy, and over the years I've tried to improve them with house rules, but they proved to be far too cumbersome for forum games.
The LBB1 rules are over-simplistic for my tastes OTOH.
I'm not convinced the MgT combat system works - I found it next to impossible to hit anything, and I took one look at the complexity of MT and gave up.

I've tried several outside systems, but I'm still looking...

Like Skytrain2 and Tobias, I sort of go with LBB1 but more freeform - basically make it up as I go along.
One day, I'll probably develop a system from scratch.
I just need one of those round tuit thingys.

 

[Poppyseed45]

I'm currently contemplating this now though I'm one of those guys that doesn't like to tweak anything too much, so I'm likely to use the base system, as written, for my upcoming CT game (next month baby!). Well, as written as of 1981 that is...

 

[mike wightman]

Homebrew with most of it taken from T4/T20.

8+ to hit
roll a natural 12 apply the first blood damage rule

Armour has an AV taken from T4/AHL/Striker

roll damage, subtract 1 die of damage per AV starting with lowest die, then next lowest until only 1 die of damage remains - subtract any remaining AV from this damage - any remaining damage is subtracted from a random characteristic (unless a 12 was rolled in which case all damage remaining is subtracted from 1 characteristic.

eg Ned is wearing a flak vest AV 3 and is hit by a rifle round - 3d damage.

5, 2, and 4 are rolled for damage - the 2 and 4 are stopped by the armour, 1 is subtracted from the 5 damage die to give 4 points of damage to a random stat.

I've a few added rules, armour piercing rounds, being hit by a full auto burst that sort of thing.

 

[Jame]

At the moment I use CT Bk1.

 

[shadowcat20]

The last game I ran we used Striker for combat results. We assigned different D6 to each type of wound and added more D6 based on overpenitration of the weapon.

 

[Dragoner]

I posted this in the other thread:

I use Bk1 & Bk4 with just meters range (w/800 meters as extreme range for rifle and auto rifle) and then for vehicles Bk2 starship combat with range as meters as well and the non-starship damage table. After a while one can memorize the tables and doesn't have to look too much.

I will add that I role play combat more, with many more options and using the suprise and morale rules. It is a interesting experience when players either get taken as or take POWs.

 

[morfydd]

I voted other but its Ct Book one 1977..vectors and distace for small ship actions and book 5 for fleet engagements..(rangebands..)
task rolls for personall combat on a squaregrid battlemat..

 

[hdan]

Homebrew with most of it taken from T4/T20.
<snip>
Armour has an AV taken from T4/AHL/Striker

Huh, interesting. I've only played CT and MgT, so I hadn't seen the "AV" idea before. That's worth doing some thinking about....

 

[Darkhstarr]

CT with a few tweaks from Mongoose & T5. Hopefully I get a chance to inflict it again on players.

 

[shield]

The striker rules. Nice and neat, with armour reducing chances of hits penetrating rather than missing as per CT. Also integrated with vehicles.

 

[boomslang]

I use a mix of CT and Risus Traveller, adjusting to suit the experience level of the players.

 

[Enoki]

I started with Striker and went off on a tangent into a totally different universe... that of minature wargaming.....

 

[grendelttroll]

I use a fusion of MT and T5 myself for my campaign......

 

[nobby-w]

Huh, interesting. I've only played CT and MgT, so I hadn't seen the "AV" idea before. That's worth doing some thinking about....

It separates the notions of hitting and damage, which are conflated in the original CT system (much a they were conflated in D&D).

Striker and AHL work by having the armour reduce the effects of the hits, independently of any other factors modifying the roll to hit itself.

 

[aramis]

It separates the notions of hitting and damage, which are conflated in the original CT system (much a they were conflated in D&D).

Striker and AHL work by having the armour reduce the effects of the hits, independently of any other factors modifying the roll to hit itself.

MegaTraveller (MT) ties them back so that a really accurate hit does more damage, while still keeping penetration separate. (Note that MT also uses the same pen and av as striker).

 

[McPerth]

MegaTraveller (MT) ties them back so that a really accurate hit does more damage, while still keeping penetration separate. (Note that MT also uses the same pen and av as striker).

So does (to a lesser extent) MgT, where the effect is added to the damage roll...

 

[aramis]

So does (to a lesser extent) MgT, where the effect is added to the damage roll...

But lacks the separation of penetration. It's almost impossible to hit and not hurt in MGT. It's uncommon but possible under striker and MT.