RobertFisher
SOC-12
Why should I buy the JTAS reprints? Is there something in there you can't imagine playing Traveller without?
Why should I buy the JTAS reprints?
- Thread starter RobertFisher
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RobertFisher
SOC-12
Why should I buy the JTAS reprints? Is there something in there you can't imagine playing Traveller without?
fredofmars
SOC-12
If you don't have any of them, this is an easier and cheaper way of getting them than trying to buy them on eBay or getting photocopies via interlibrary loan.
The JTAS issues are almost completely Traveller oriented (aside from advertising). With the changeover to the Challenge magazine format, the amount of Traveller content seemed to decrease slowly over time, and was certainly much smaller as a percentage of space in the pages.
The JTAS issues are almost completely Traveller oriented (aside from advertising). With the changeover to the Challenge magazine format, the amount of Traveller content seemed to decrease slowly over time, and was certainly much smaller as a percentage of space in the pages.
I like them because they have articles that are
1) Written for people new to Traveller. (Everyone was new to the game back then!)
2) Written by people that were just having fun. Yeah, there's some technical stuff in there, but many articles are in the vein of "this is what I'm doing for fun and I just thought I'd share it." (I'm thinking Leroy Gautney in particular here.)
3) J Andre Keith. Keith, man! Don't you get it!? I learned more about role playing K'Kree in a tiny article than I did with all of Gurps AR II. The guy's just an all around great writer.
Playable material. Fun stuff. Not much uptight weenie type material. A little informal. And that pioneering "where no man has gone before" type feeling. Can't beat it!
Yeah!
1) Written for people new to Traveller. (Everyone was new to the game back then!)
2) Written by people that were just having fun. Yeah, there's some technical stuff in there, but many articles are in the vein of "this is what I'm doing for fun and I just thought I'd share it." (I'm thinking Leroy Gautney in particular here.)
3) J Andre Keith. Keith, man! Don't you get it!? I learned more about role playing K'Kree in a tiny article than I did with all of Gurps AR II. The guy's just an all around great writer.
Playable material. Fun stuff. Not much uptight weenie type material. A little informal. And that pioneering "where no man has gone before" type feeling. Can't beat it!
Yeah!
fredofmars
SOC-12
If you don't have any of them, this is an easier and cheaper way of getting them than trying to buy them on eBay or getting photocopies via interlibrary loan.
The JTAS issues are almost completely Traveller oriented (aside from advertising). With the changeover to the Challenge magazine format, the amount of Traveller content seemed to decrease slowly over time, and was certainly much smaller as a percentage of space in the pages.
The JTAS issues are almost completely Traveller oriented (aside from advertising). With the changeover to the Challenge magazine format, the amount of Traveller content seemed to decrease slowly over time, and was certainly much smaller as a percentage of space in the pages.
I like them because they have articles that are
1) Written for people new to Traveller. (Everyone was new to the game back then!)
2) Written by people that were just having fun. Yeah, there's some technical stuff in there, but many articles are in the vein of "this is what I'm doing for fun and I just thought I'd share it." (I'm thinking Leroy Gautney in particular here.)
3) J Andre Keith. Keith, man! Don't you get it!? I learned more about role playing K'Kree in a tiny article than I did with all of Gurps AR II. The guy's just an all around great writer.
Playable material. Fun stuff. Not much uptight weenie type material. A little informal. And that pioneering "where no man has gone before" type feeling. Can't beat it!
Yeah!
1) Written for people new to Traveller. (Everyone was new to the game back then!)
2) Written by people that were just having fun. Yeah, there's some technical stuff in there, but many articles are in the vein of "this is what I'm doing for fun and I just thought I'd share it." (I'm thinking Leroy Gautney in particular here.)
3) J Andre Keith. Keith, man! Don't you get it!? I learned more about role playing K'Kree in a tiny article than I did with all of Gurps AR II. The guy's just an all around great writer.
Playable material. Fun stuff. Not much uptight weenie type material. A little informal. And that pioneering "where no man has gone before" type feeling. Can't beat it!
Yeah!
Random Goblin
SOC-12
No, but by that token you only need Books 1-3.
Maybe you do only need books 1-3.
Me? I like having the JTAs reprints. Why? Well, completion's sake, for one.
And let's be honest, there really is plenty of really neat stuff in there. The Amber Zones are good for getting the juices flowing. The setting detail does what the Books and supplements should do but don't. There are other character types. Minor races. Starship deckplans.
Good stuff.
If I didn't have them, I would want them. I kow this because I didn't have them, and I wanted them.
Now I have them, and I'm happy.
Oh, also- for casual reading they're the best of all the canonical stuff.
Random Goblin
SOC-12
No, but by that token you only need Books 1-3.
Maybe you do only need books 1-3.
Me? I like having the JTAs reprints. Why? Well, completion's sake, for one.
And let's be honest, there really is plenty of really neat stuff in there. The Amber Zones are good for getting the juices flowing. The setting detail does what the Books and supplements should do but don't. There are other character types. Minor races. Starship deckplans.
Good stuff.
If I didn't have them, I would want them. I kow this because I didn't have them, and I wanted them.
Now I have them, and I'm happy.
Oh, also- for casual reading they're the best of all the canonical stuff.
RainOfSteel
SOC-14 1K
There is a great deal of additional information in those three reprints.
The two-part worldbuilding article on Craw alone is worth the price of the whole first reprint volume (at least, it was to me).
Do you need them? No.
Is there anything of interest in them? Yes.
RainOfSteel
SOC-14 1K
There is a great deal of additional information in those three reprints.
The two-part worldbuilding article on Craw alone is worth the price of the whole first reprint volume (at least, it was to me).
Do you need them? No.
Is there anything of interest in them? Yes.
Colonel Mac
SOC-11
For me, it never comes down to need...I just want them. 
I always find things in them to spark new ideas to throw into an existing game. The Traveller News Service is always of great value.
I always find things in them to spark new ideas to throw into an existing game. The Traveller News Service is always of great value.
Colonel Mac
SOC-11
For me, it never comes down to need...I just want them. I always find things in them to spark new ideas to throw into an existing game. The Traveller News Service is always of great value.
I always find things in them to spark new ideas to throw into an existing game. The Traveller News Service is always of great value.
daryen
SOC-14 1K
Because JTAS is where the initial history of the Imperium was developed.
Because JTAS is where the new ideas and rules for Traveller were introduced. While many of the ideas were later expanded and further developed (e.g. Robots, Alien Modules), most were not.
Do you need JTAS? No. But then, you don't need anything besides the Traveller Book to play CT. (Or Starter Traveller, or Books 1-3.)
daryen
SOC-14 1K
Because JTAS is where the initial history of the Imperium was developed.
Because JTAS is where the new ideas and rules for Traveller were introduced. While many of the ideas were later expanded and further developed (e.g. Robots, Alien Modules), most were not.
Do you need JTAS? No. But then, you don't need anything besides the Traveller Book to play CT. (Or Starter Traveller, or Books 1-3.)
RobertFisher
SOC-12
Thanks for the replies!
Of course I don't need them. I'm just trying to figure out how to justify purchasing them.
I look at the descriptions & I get the impression that much of the stuff that appeared in JTAS eventually got reused elsewhere. e.g. I already have Annic Nova in the Short Adventures big floppy book.
Then there's: Should I spend next month's gaming allowance on one of the Alien reprints or a JTAS reprint? Or a (
) non-Traveller product?
Completeness, collectiblity, & gaining insight into the history of Traveller: These factors keep JTAS on my queue of things to buy, but as long as there's anything else on the list, they never seem to make it to the top.
Now, here's a related question: If you could only buy one of the three JTAS reprints, which one would you choose & why?
Of course I don't need them. I'm just trying to figure out how to justify purchasing them.
I look at the descriptions & I get the impression that much of the stuff that appeared in JTAS eventually got reused elsewhere. e.g. I already have Annic Nova in the Short Adventures big floppy book.
Then there's: Should I spend next month's gaming allowance on one of the Alien reprints or a JTAS reprint? Or a (
) non-Traveller product?Completeness, collectiblity, & gaining insight into the history of Traveller: These factors keep JTAS on my queue of things to buy, but as long as there's anything else on the list, they never seem to make it to the top.
Now, here's a related question: If you could only buy one of the three JTAS reprints, which one would you choose & why?
RobertFisher
SOC-12
Thanks for the replies!
Of course I don't need them. I'm just trying to figure out how to justify purchasing them.
I look at the descriptions & I get the impression that much of the stuff that appeared in JTAS eventually got reused elsewhere. e.g. I already have Annic Nova in the Short Adventures big floppy book.
Then there's: Should I spend next month's gaming allowance on one of the Alien reprints or a JTAS reprint? Or a ( ) non-Traveller product?
Completeness, collectiblity, & gaining insight into the history of Traveller: These factors keep JTAS on my queue of things to buy, but as long as there's anything else on the list, they never seem to make it to the top.
Now, here's a related question: If you could only buy one of the three JTAS reprints, which one would you choose & why?
Of course I don't need them. I'm just trying to figure out how to justify purchasing them.
I look at the descriptions & I get the impression that much of the stuff that appeared in JTAS eventually got reused elsewhere. e.g. I already have Annic Nova in the Short Adventures big floppy book.
Then there's: Should I spend next month's gaming allowance on one of the Alien reprints or a JTAS reprint? Or a (
) non-Traveller product?Completeness, collectiblity, & gaining insight into the history of Traveller: These factors keep JTAS on my queue of things to buy, but as long as there's anything else on the list, they never seem to make it to the top.
Now, here's a related question: If you could only buy one of the three JTAS reprints, which one would you choose & why?
Colonel Mac
SOC-11
Well, I would suggest start at the beginning. Pretty obvious, huh? I would say that JTAS #9 (War issue) is a good starting point for the action but the first reprint of the JTAS covers #1-12. Hard to split a volume.
Colonel Mac
SOC-11
Well, I would suggest start at the beginning. Pretty obvious, huh? I would say that JTAS #9 (War issue) is a good starting point for the action but the first reprint of the JTAS covers #1-12. Hard to split a volume.
