Which version of Traveller?

[SciFiNut]

Hi All,

I used to play "Classic" Traveller back in the 80s but now I see that there are lots of new versions of this great game. For someone like me looking to pick up some of the new Traveller material, which version would you recommend?

Criteria to consider:

1. Sector generation rules that are scientifically up-to-date - e.g. different star types (O, B, A, F, G, K, M), binary star systems, binaries with distant stellar companions like "Proxima Centauri", "hot jupiters", etc.

2. Decent rules system.

3. Good support from the publisher (i.e. good range of supplements and support into the future)

Thanks.

 

[fschiff]

which version would you recommend?

Classic Traveller or Current Traveller.
Either is very good, and you will find people to play with either version.

Goto http://www.farfuture.net/
and you can pick up a single-volume reprint of the original 3 books, awkardly formatted reprints of the rules, adventures and supplements, and best of all CDROMs with all of the zines, rules, and 3rd party products. Also, you'll find some of the other versions of Traveller on CDROMs.


Mongoose is publishing the current version of Traveller. The SRD is free. Pick it up.
Like it? Get the Mongoose Traveller rulebook. Perhaps get Supply Catalog book (mostly guns but other good gear). You're good to go.

Like the 3rd Imperium: get new Spinward Marches book.

Support: 3rd Imperium Sector books, 3rd Imperium Alien books. Books and supplements that are less "splat" books, and more genre books. Robots, cyberpunk, cops, navy, etc. Quality varies, but all are generally good. Several adaptions of other SF properties.
2300 coming soon, Starfleet Battles, coming soon.
Forums, and free ezine (currently on hiatus).
Also various 3rd party publishers.

Criteria to consider:

1. Sector generation rules that are scientifically up-to-date - e.g. different star types (O, B, A, F, G, K, M), binary star systems, binaries with distant stellar companions like "Proxima Centauri", "hot jupiters", etc.

YMMV

 

[fschiff]

2. Decent rules system.

Mongoose Traveller is very well written. Info about the Third Imperium is just general tidbits (like classic Traveller) with enough info so you can use different technologies if you choose, etc. The 3rd Imperium aliens do get write-ups, but I should warn you that the Vargr illustration has been replaced by a werewolf, and the Aslan has been replaced by a monster. Only about 2 paragraphs on GM advice / what kind of campaign to run. Simple task system (classic Traveller had no task system, only 8+ for combat, later versions took a longer amount of time). Similar but better character generation with "Life Events." All the same familiar sub-systems slightly re-written. Not a gear head so can't speak on those systems. Skills better organized. Has the simple rather than the Book 6 version of world generation, but has a few options to use "hard Science" or "Space Opera" generation.

There is also a GURPS version of Traveller for 3rd edition GURPS. The campaign destroying meta-plot of MegaTraveller (a Rebellion, which was really a Civil War, which was really the total destruction of the society, which was ended by a plot hole that was inconsistent with the science fiction in system, which totally destroyed all societies in known space, [deep breath]), didn't happen. Lots of books with more detail which may or may not be to your taste. A supplement for GURPS 4th edition called Interstellar Wars was also written, about the first meetings between the Vilani Empire and Earth.

 

[SciFiNut]

Has the simple rather than the Book 6 version of world generation, but has a few options to use "hard Science" or "Space Opera" generation.

Please can you run that by me again. Mongoose Traveller Book 6 has a more detailed version of world generation than the core rules? That's book 6 - Scoundrel? Just checking I've got this right as the Scoundrel book is about "drifter" character types from what I can tell. I can't find any mention of world generation being in Book 6.

 

[Tobias]

Hi All,

I used to play "Classic" Traveller back in the 80s but now I see that there are lots of new versions of this great game. For someone like me looking to pick up some of the new Traveller material, which version would you recommend?

Criteria to consider:

1. Sector generation rules that are scientifically up-to-date - e.g. different star types (O, B, A, F, G, K, M), binary star systems, binaries with distant stellar companions like "Proxima Centauri", "hot jupiters", etc.

2. Decent rules system.

3. Good support from the publisher (i.e. good range of supplements and support into the future)

It's difficult. The default option would be to recommend the current version by Mongoose Publishing. However, it does not really satisfy your point 1 at all. It is the basic world generation from Classic Traveller. It does not offer the level of system generation in "Scouts", and neither does the new Mongoose supplement of the same name, let alone the rich detail of "Grand Survey" and "Grand Census". While the rest of the rule system is okay, it is not especially good IMHO.
However, all other versions fail to satisfy point 3. Mongoose Traveller is very well supported. In the three years they've held the license, 10 core rulebooks, a dozen or so supplements, several adventures etc. and new stuff comes out regularly.

For all other versions, future support is going to be nil. They remain available, mostly as PDFs. The best as far as system generation is concerned was without a doubt GURPS Traveller and its supplement "First in". It's only available as a PDF, though.

 

[BytePro]

He means CT (Classic Traveller) Book 6 - Scouts.

MgT (Mongoose Traveller) worldgen is basic stats ala CT and has no star system creation rules. IIRC, Matt has stated on the Mongoose forums that Mongoose would not make a detailed system gen book (at least along the lines of the DGP/MT World Builder Handbook) because of the contention it causes.

There is no 'realistic' system generation rules in any version - nor any game on the market that will stand even a brief stretch of realworld time.

 

[Tobias]

Please can you run that by me again. Mongoose Traveller Book 6 has a more detailed version of world generation than the core rules? That's book 6 - Scoundrel? Just checking I've got this right as the Scoundrel book is about "drifter" character types from what I can tell. I can't find any mention of world generation being in Book 6.

He was referring to Classic Traveller's Book 6, not Mongoose Traveller's.

Basically in Classic Traveller you had three levels of detail for world and system generation:

Book 3: Mainworld generation only, star types and system details are not taken into account.
Book 6: System generation with star types, system details, moons, etc.
Grand Survey/Grand Census: Many additional details including tectonic plates, climate and weather, population centers, governments, religions, cultures etc. (Long out of print and not coming back, I'm afraid.)

Mongoose Traveller's core rulebook includes the same rules on world generation as Classic Traveller's Book 3. Book 6 and beyond have not yet been mirrored in any Mongoose Publication (yet.)

GURPS Traveller's "First in" gives you a level of detail at least equal to that of Grand Survey and Grand Census - but of course it is geared towards the GURPS rule system.

 

[McPerth]

He was referring to Classic Traveller's Book 6, not Mongoose Traveller's.

Basically in Classic Traveller you had three levels of detail for world and system generation:

Book 3: Mainworld generation only, star types and system details are not taken into account.
Book 6: System generation with star types, system details, moons, etc.
Grand Survey/Grand Census: Many additional details including tectonic plates, climate and weather, population centers, governments, religions, cultures etc. (Long out of print and not coming back, I'm afraid.)

Mongoose Traveller's core rulebook includes the same rules on world generation as Classic Traveller's Book 3. Book 6 and beyond have not yet been mirrored in any Mongoose Publication (yet.)

GURPS Traveller's "First in" gives you a level of detail at least equal to that of Grand Survey and Grand Census - but of course it is geared towards the GURPS rule system.

MT had in its Referee's Manual what in CT was in books 3 and 6, and in Worlds Builder's handbook what he mentions from Grand Survey/Grand Census, but, aside from being out of print (I'm not sure if WBH is in the CD), has less adventure support than CT.

Another possibility would be to use any Traveller version (or at least CT, MT or MGT) as base (the one that best suites your needs) and, if you want detailed system information, run the Heaven and Earth program to develop the star system in more detail than you probably would need...

 

[BytePro]

The DGP material is not in the reprints or CDs (FFE does not own the copyrights...).

 

[Tobias]

MT had in its Referee's Manual what in CT was in books 3 and 6, and in Worlds Builder's handbook what he mentions from Grand Survey/Grand Census, but, aside from being out of print (I'm not sure if WBH is in the CD)

WBH was a DGP product, so no, it's not on the CD.

EDIT: 忍者です！

 

[captainjack]

Book 6 and beyond have not yet been mirrored in any Mongoose Publication (yet.)

I'm beginning to think it never will be. Matt seems to be drama-averse, and a worldgen is just one of those things that has an unacceptable (low community interest: high fan drama) rating.

A hard science realistic version is the supplement most likely to require a lot of research that will be almost instantly rendered obsolete and inaccurate by current leaps in astronomy(- which obsolescence seems to be the fuel of much of the drama, BTW) and a genre version ( ie geared towards pulp/space opera/ even hard SF) would cause almost as much grief from the "Traveller as educational supplement lobby".

 

[ShapeShifter]

+1 for Classic Traveller. Easy to learn, easily adaptable. Gaming goodness at its scifi best.

However, the wise species in the universe stay away from Mongoose at all costs.

Grand Survey/Grand Census are books I've been trying to locate but they are hard to find and are very pricey used.

 

[Tobias]

I'm beginning to think it never will be. Matt seems to be drama-averse, and a worldgen is just one of those things that has an unacceptable (low community interest: high fan drama) rating.

That's one explanation. A more prosaic one is that they don't have any writer capable of designing a halfway plausible system and don't want to hire one. But then again, you do have a point: This is the one area where just slapping something together from SF clichés and previous materials (a method that has so far worked well for them in most other areas) would raise most of a ruckus.

 

[Tobias]

+1 for Classic Traveller. Easy to learn, easily adaptable. Gaming goodness at its scifi best.

However, the wise species in the universe stay away from Mongoose at all costs.

Grand Survey/Grand Census are books I've been trying to locate but they are hard to find and are very pricey used.

If you don't already have it, I recommend buying GURPS Traveller: First in as a PDF. It is really the next best thing (if you play GURPS it is the best thing.)

P.S.: Kommst Du aus Deutschland?

 

[captainjack]

If you don't already have it, I recommend buying GURPS Traveller: First in as a PDF. It is really the next best thing (if you play GURPS it is the best thing.)

Agreed. First in is probably the best available source.
Also, the planet generation in Interstellar wars (also gurps) is pretty good, too.

And, actually, if you just want a semi hard genre compatable system generator, the old scouts book (6) is only obsolete/inaacurate if you really really care about the details, or really really want a system that you don't have to modify when it generates odd results.

If you can read through it, and not spot the problems and scoff at them, its good enough, I suspect.

Oh, and don't use it as a reference for any academic publications, needless to say....

 

[captainjack]

+1 for Classic Traveller. Easy to learn, easily adaptable. Gaming goodness at its scifi best.

However, the wise species in the universe stay away from Mongoose at all costs.

Hmmmm. I guess I'm not one of the wise species then. o:

 

[ShapeShifter]

Hmmmm. I guess I'm not one of the wise species then. o:

That's alright. Not all of us can be Uplifted.
(joke)

P.S.: Kommst Du aus Deutschland?

Deutschland ist Irgendwo, nicht Nirgendwo.

 

[SciFiNut]

Thanks guys. I have downloaded the PDF of "Gurps Traveller - First In" from "e23", which was only $8, and am reading the star system generation section now. It looks pretty good so far.

[EDIT]

After a bit more reading, I'm raising my assessment from pretty good to excellent! The star system design rules cover everything I've been looking for, including the latest discoveries such as "hot jupiter" exoplanets. The rules also seem pretty "system-independent", so they could be used to flesh out a star system from Classic or Mongoose Traveller fairly easily I would think.

 

[captainjack]

That's alright. Not all of us can be Uplifted.

Sooopid tool users make head behind eyes hurt.....

 

[Tobias]

Deutschland ist Irgendwo, nicht Nirgendwo.

Aber schade. Ich hätte Dir sonst vielleicht mit Grand Survey und Grand Census helfen können. In Deutschland sind Photokopien lange vergriffener Bücher in begrenztem Rahmen legal.
Too bad, though. Otherwise I could have helped you out with Grand Survey and Grand Census. In Germany, photocopies of long OOP books are legal to an extent.

P.S.: I am not talking about copyright piracy. As I said photocopies of OOP materials are - in a very limited fashion - legal according to German law, which is Berne convention compliant. If you feel this post is inappropriate anyway, I'll delete it.