Which version do you prefer and why?

[nats]

For me, now, it has to be MGT because its so geared to role playing. Before when I was designing things I enjoyed CT but I cant play that any more - its so dated.

MGT has been almost ruined by some lousy supplements, but on the whole its pretty good and the core rule book is astoundingly good - clears up all the CT holes. I love the task system in MGT and I suppose the completeness of the whole system as it all works well together.

One major beef I had with CT was that it started getting supplementary rules all over the place - some of which covered important holes in the main rulebooks, and I couldn't keep up with all them. So I gave up trying to play it. Not only that but I never had anyone to play it with (until now really - when my kids are coming of age). When I tried to actually play the game with CT and my kids a few months ago it was a quagmire of rules.

So I changed to MGT and haven't really looked back, now that I have stopped buying every Mongoose book and check over them very carefully first.

I haven't ever played any other version of Traveller and am unlikely to get T5 unless its well supported in print with good illustrations, supplements and adventures.

 

[aramis]

MGT has been almost ruined by some lousy supplements, but on the whole its pretty good and the core rule book is astoundingly good - clears up all the CT holes. I love the task system in MGT and I suppose the completeness of the whole system as it all works well together.

Yup.
I run MGT, but the supplements really stink as a whole.

 

[Baron]

I'm an original CT player. I bought Megatraveller when it came out, but didn't like it. I've seen this and that edition since, but didn't make any serious purchases. I love the original for its simplicity and flexibility. I have minimal house rules, just based on personal preferences. I loved all the CT materials and the Third Imperium; it embodied much of what I love about science fiction. All in all, I see no need to change.

 

[Gojifam58]

CT has always been my main choice for one simple reason - unlike D&D/Pathfinder, the game mechanics rarely intrudes on the role playing aspect that I consider more important. So there's some "handwaveum" involved, the focus remains having and giving the PCs a good time.

MT is useful as a source for materials as the supplements were well made and add a lot of flavor to the mix, though I despise the background. So is GT a great source of more stuff to toss in, though I never liked GURPS itself, their backround books are well researched and can be used with any system.

TNE was IMHO simply a disaster on the scale of the T2300 debacle and didn't have much effect IMTU outside of a few illustration.

T4 - I really wanted to like this system but I never really had a grasp of it for some reason. But it is a great source for a lot of material, and gives a good look of how things can change over a millennium.

T5 - ...unfortunately I have never seen any of the material for this edition so I really can't comment about it.

Rifts and Robotech/Macross have also added flavor bits to my TU as they take yet an other approach to advanced tech and their aliens and vehicles offer a different look of things.

Having played since the first LBBs, CT is an old and trusted friend in my mind and what I'm comfortable with. To each their own, the universe is a big place.

 

[mormonyoyoman]

Though I'd probably use CT if I were GMing today, MegaTraveller (which often became MetaTraveller) was a huge shot in the arm when it came out.

My favorite milieu, though, was (or will be) Doughtery's 1248 series of books and booklets. Especially the short Traveller fiction which QLI/Avenger was publishing in those Travellers' Aide magazines/supplements.

 

[Tungstencore]

I prefer classic Traveller because I like the setting. For me it works as the perfect framework for my games. Combined with the style of rules it makes for a good flowing game. I even like death during char gen. It's a mini game of russian roulette that makes you really care about what happens to your character if they survive the process.

 

[robject]

By the way, I'm starting with a non-canon universe, if that helps.

Thanks

Jim

Hi Jim.

For Alternate Traveller Settings, I've been fine with just The Traveller Book (i.e. Classic Traveller), plus perhaps one book from MegaTraveller: the Referee's Companion. It gloms a lot of generally useful reference material into one thin, accessible book. Similarly, you'd probably also be fine with Mongoose Traveller's core book.

Now, if you like playtesting, then I'd suggest Traveller 5. It has a large, consistent toolset for designing settings, and a lot of useful reference material. However, it is still being hashed thru. Hence my previous suggestion.

 

[jpster]

CT or Mongoose

I prefer CT or Mongoose Traveller. The biggest difference I've found was the armor rules; absorbing hits rather than making it harder to score a hit on...
There's LOTS of details in the suppliments and additional specialized material. Kind of a blessing to an old guy who doesn't have a lot of time trying to cobble a scenario together at the last minute on a midsummer evening with his kids.

 

[jpster]

CT or Mongoose

I prefer CT or Mongoose Traveller. The biggest difference I've found was the armor rules; absorbing hits rather than making it harder to score a hit on...
There's LOTS of details in the supplements and additional specialized material. Kind of a blessing to an old guy who doesn't have a lot of time trying to cobble a scenario together at the last minute on a midsummer evening with his kids.

 

[VonPickles]

Has to be CT its so simple, and elegant - only trouble is explaining it has no feats, and 2D6 is all ya need

 

[sfchbryan]

Like most, I use a combination of several versions:

Base: MT - which is nothing more than a consolidated CT + a task system.

Things from other versions:

TNE - well nothing, really
GURPS - Timeline - I REALLY, REALLY, hate the rebellion timeline and some of the supplements.
T20 - The gateway sector, some of the Avenger Enterprise supplements
T4 - Some of the aliens, Pocket Empires, ideas to shoehorn into ship design.
T5 - It is my assessment that T5 is for gearheads who don't actually play the game, but would rather spend their time designing stuff.
Mongoose - I haven't found any redeeming qualities in this version. The only good supplements are rewrites from T20 series. The "original" supplements that I own are like the J.J. Abrams version of Star Trek - written by people who don't appear to be all that familiar with the original version. (I haven't bought the Zho' supplement yet, I suspect it would be the only supplement worth owning.) I have written better adventures that what is sold at Mongoose.

 

[mbrinkhues]

Rules engine and construction system: MEGATRAVELLER

Char Creation: TNE

Background: Either MT/Hard Times or T20/Gateway

What l do NOT useis MgT (bad construction system,random chargen), GT background (dislike the „happy enpire approach), MT chargen (to few careers, random), TNE or T20 construction (does not „feel" Traveller)

 

[Gerry Miller]

My Prefered Game system.

I use to play Traveller when I was a kid in the 80's. CT has always been my preference. Now as an adult my son's and I started playing campaigns together and reawakened my love for this game. I bought the Classic PDF's and the Mongoose Rulebook PDF and decided to combine the rules. I created a charts and tables Binder using my iMac and screenshot feature I took all of the charts from all of the classic supplements and combined them into an easy format binder separated by partitions (My use only no copyright infringements). I have all of the character generation charts from basic to citizens of the Imperium to the alien race generation tables in one section. I really like Mongoose starship rules so decided to use them primarily. I also own the Classic reprint hard copy and The Mongoose rule hardcopy so I play with both rules combined.
CT =Character Generation, Combat, Animal Encounters, Patron and Trade Encounters
MT = Starship Design, Starship Combat w/CT tables and some other charts and encounters at my discretion.
I have taken any setting or material and for the most part converted it to CT w MT assist.We have played several different campaigns mostly The OTU Imperium. Gurps Interstellar Wars and Solomani Rim are great and easily adaptable to my preferences.
My favorite new setting is The Outer Veil by Spica Publishing. I again modified this to use CT w/MT assist changing the year to 2189 instead of 2159 and adding CT ships. Great setting. Has a true FireFly feel and potential for anything.

So my answer is Classic Traveller with Mongoose Traveller as assistance.

 

[savage]

Traveller through time.

My TNE flavor T20 campaign (many home rules)
Started with CT in the early 80s.
MgT - More detail was nice but did not like the time required
TNE - Tasks systems rule. A nice refinement but liked the environment most. Traveller needed a Viral, Berserker, menace. This was a very busy time over at GDW.
T4 - Bought it to support Marc. Think i read it once.
Gurps - Bought some of it liked the detail but didn't want to live a Gurps life.
Mongoose - bought nothing. I did see a couple things i thought of picking up.
Nice to see i wasn't the only one talking about 100+yr old starships...etc
T20 - It was enjoyeable converting D20 players to Traveller. Significant amounts of information, COTI.... say no more.
T5 - I am looking forward to it!

 

[Supplement Four]

It was a long day at work, then I had an appointment after work...and then, I had dinner with a friend.

As I dragged myself up to the front door just a few minutes ago, I spotted the box. I knew what was in it, and I smiled to myself.

I haven't had time to evaluate any of the material. I'll write my thoughts later in this thread. But, my very first impression of Traveller 5, as I cut open the tape before folding back the box lid, was akin to that feeling I had, years and years ago, when I first spied the Little Black Box with the Beowulf on the cover, lying alone on the shelf, over 30 years ago.

When I saw it--that shining black cover, red line, and all--no lie, I got goose bumps.

Then, I pulled it out of the box--the MASSIVE tome of a role-playing game. And, I smiled so much that my teeth dried.

I flipped through, scanning the pages, looking here and there: I LOVE the look of the book! The illos. The typeface. EVERYTHING about the look of the book SCREAMS Traveller to me!

The actual look of the book could not have looked better, imo.

And, flipping through the pages, it truly reminds me of an old school RPG. I'm talking really old school--lots of detail and war game influence. Tons of text.

I'll dig into this slowly. There's no way I could (or, I think, anyone could) read this thing quickly then start playing ASAP. No, this book is going to take time--patience.

As I go through it, I'll post more thoughts.

But...just from the look of it (and the fact that MWM signed it guarrantees that I will not sell it), I'm extremely happy so far.

 

[Shonner]

For one year now, I have preferred the Mongoose version of Traveller. I played CT, read MT, read TNE, played GURPS 3e, read GURPS 4e, read Traveller 5.

Mongoose Traveller is easier for me to referee a game, and it's easier for players that know nothing about tabletop RPGs that want to start playing in a game quickly. I can explain to players on Hangout how to generate their characters, and get their backstories set up, without them having the rule book (some players do eventually buy the book because they want to run games of their own in a Hangout).

I also like that Mongoose Traveller can be played with just the core rulebook. The advanced character generation books for each career are not needed to play, but they provide much more detail about what a player's character does in the far future. It is easy to find stuff in the core rulebook if a problem comes up, so play is not halted.

There is also the other game books written for using Mongoose Traveller's rules, such as Chthonian Stars and Orbital. I would get Judge Dredd if I was a fan of that comic book back in the day.

Mongoose Traveller is generic enough to handle pretty much any situation. Other Traveller editions could be said to be generic also, but more work is required with those other editions.

That's all I can think of right now.

 

[Murphy]

An awful lot of people seem to use Traveller rules but not the setting. Am I the only one who does the opposite? I use supplements for setting material, but my rules are nowhere near any kind of Traveller.

I used to experiment a lot with homebrew systems and these were the days of inconsistency and woe. But eventually I developed my own system that doesn't change much between games. It is based on several rules-lite games such as Risus, Apocalypse World and Diaspora.

Too bad I can't share it as I'm not sure of possible copyright ramifications (since many concepts are borrowed from commercial pdfs).

 

[Shonner]

An awful lot of people seem to use Traveller rules but not the setting.

I use Mongoose Traveller 50/50 for playing Traveller settings or for playing other settings. No home brew stuff.

 

[savage]

home rules

An awful lot of people seem to use Traveller rules but not the setting. Am I the only one who does the opposite? I use supplements for setting material, but my rules are nowhere near any kind of Traveller.

I used to experiment a lot with homebrew systems and these were the days of inconsistency and woe. But eventually I developed my own system that doesn't change much between games. It is based on several rules-lite games such as Risus, Apocalypse World and Diaspora.

(since many concepts are borrowed from commercial pdfs).

I think many people develop their own home rules or borrow rules from other systems. I know I have borrowed a few things from other game systems like Rift, Shadowrun and a couple others.

 

[aramis]

An awful lot of people seem to use Traveller rules but not the setting. Am I the only one who does the opposite? I use supplements for setting material, but my rules are nowhere near any kind of Traveller.

Technically, anyone playing GT is in the same boat as you, Murphy.

(Hero Trav uses some parts of CT. Like Ship Design and Trade. T20 likewise. GT doesn't.)

Not a few people out there use other systems for the 3I to various degrees. Of them, GURPS has support, in that it has a licensed adaptation. The other adaptations don't.