Rules Only: Which Traveller System For Me?

[Jeem]

I'm interested in using the Traveller system since I heard it's the definitive scifi RPG. It also seems people go with either Classic or Mongoose, though I haven't read either.

I'm not sure which I want to go with, though. I'm more interested in using Traveller for my own scifi settings at the moment. Lethal combat, tech levels and a few other things are what make Traveller appealing to me. I'd also like to be able to have more contemporary/contemporary scifi rules though, such as nanotechnology, tactical firearm accessories, smartphones at our TL, etc. I'd like to do all of this with the rules as is, or with readily available house rules/homebrew.

From what I've heard:

Classic Traveller:
+Lethal combat (though I heard it's easy to houserule for MGT)
+Simultaneous Turns
+This is more subjective, but I heard it has less abstract mechanics for some things? That's sometimes good, sometimes bad.

Mongoose Traveller:
+Gear. Having more weapon stats than just "Assault Rifle" is a major plus for me. From what I know, CT has no central supply catalogue equivalent.
+Recoil is actually represented in the mechanics, which sounds very nice.
+I heard that for other scifi settings, they included rules for a more contemporary scifi setting like having cybernetics? This is also a big plus for me.
-It has poor editing/proofreading outside of core.

I don't know much about the other Traveller systems. From what little I know, people don't really recommend Mega or T4, and noone seems to say anything about TNE.

 

[mike wightman]

Do you want actual books or pdfs?

How much do you want to spend?

My usual advice on rpg net is to buy the MgT core rule book and the CT cd rom from FFE.

 

[salochin999]

I prefer CT myself as I'm used to it and that makes it easy to hack but if I was starting new I'd say Mongoose as a base and then add whatever else from wherever else.

 

[aramis]

I'm interested in using the Traveller system since I heard it's the definitive scifi RPG. It also seems people go with either Classic or Mongoose, though I haven't read either.

I'm not sure which I want to go with, though. I'm more interested in using Traveller for my own scifi settings at the moment. Lethal combat, tech levels and a few other things are what make Traveller appealing to me. I'd also like to be able to have more contemporary/contemporary scifi rules though, such as nanotechnology, tactical firearm accessories, smartphones at our TL, etc. I'd like to do all of this with the rules as is, or with readily available house rules/homebrew.

From what I've heard:

Classic Traveller:
+Lethal combat (though I heard it's easy to houserule for MGT)
+Simultaneous Turns
+This is more subjective, but I heard it has less abstract mechanics for some things? That's sometimes good, sometimes bad.

Mongoose Traveller:
+Gear. Having more weapon stats than just "Assault Rifle" is a major plus for me. From what I know, CT has no central supply catalogue equivalent.
+Recoil is actually represented in the mechanics, which sounds very nice.
+I heard that for other scifi settings, they included rules for a more contemporary scifi setting like having cybernetics? This is also a big plus for me.
-It has poor editing/proofreading outside of core.

I don't know much about the other Traveller systems. From what little I know, people don't really recommend Mega or T4, and noone seems to say anything about TNE.

Megatraveller - just a hair less lethal, most of the time, than CT. Handles mass combat using the same mechanics as personal combat. Craft and ship design integrated, fairly involved. Recoil covered for purposes of Zero-G. Character generation similar to CT, but allowing more choice due to more cascades. Official setting is the Rebellion - the end of the CT/MT 3I.

TNE: Combat less lethal to PC's than CT, MT, MGT, but comparably so to NPCs. Mass combat handled by parallel minis game (Striker II). Best recoil rules - fairly realistic. Needs 1d20 per player for task rolls. Attribute scaled slightly differently (1-11 starting, still 15 max, but very hard to raise). Aging saves also use 1d20. Ship design even more involved than MT. Official setting is in the ruins of the 3I.

2300: While 1st ed is labelled Traveller:2300, and mechanically related to CT/MT/TNE, the setting isn't. No tech level system. Really realistic combat system - results highly variable, including instant kills with small weapons and grazes with big ones. Different attribute scale (1-20), no attribute raising. Same task system as MT. Character Generation similar to TNE, but with less detail (least of any Traveller game). Different world generation, too. Uses 1d10 and 3d6 for tasks, 4d6-4 for attribute gen.

Really, depending upon the bits you like from each, it's reasonably possible to frankenstein together a hybrid.

 

[robject]

I recommend The Traveller Book, hardcover + PDF for $24 from DriveThruRpg.

http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/80192/CTTTBThe-Traveller-Book

It is fairly modular and adaptable to whatever setting features you want to inject in.

 

[elbmc1969]

I think I'm at an age where I just don't care about most of the detail of a task system. "Rule 68A" sounds about good enough. Referee fiat on pretty much everything, "Eh, that sounds about right," for specifics, just don't care much about recoil because I defy anyone to prove that their system actually maps to reality.