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Post by Grog on Dec 18, 2013 16:35:02 GMT -8
So... I like the traveller rules system. I've unfortunately never played it, but it seems elegant in all the right ways. I love the character creation system (who doesn't?) and I love the trade system.
Additionally I've always like the post-A genre. Lately I've been less interested in the immediate, terrible apocalypse and more interested in the...well, it's been 5, 10, 20 years and we're trying to rebuild in a world in which all the easy to use fossil fuels have already been tapped. We've got a world population around 1.5 billion. A trip to town and back could easily take the whole day. Travelling to the next city over is a "journey".
Does it seems unnecessarily difficult to try to use Traveller to run a game around TL 3-4 that is never going to become a space game. I don't want to give up on the character gen system (and don't want to write my own). I love the trade mechanics and it seems like while porting them would be possible it would also be a lot of work. I'm going back to school for accounting and I would be interested in a super gritty game where players track bullets, rations, cargo, and spare change (because three or four bullets would be the daily wage of a skilled worker). I like the retro "stats, skills, and gear, but no feats" attitude, as well as the fact that character advancement is basically, by and large, just more contacts, cash, and equipment.
So my question is, is there a better system that has all of the things I like about traveller, but that is more conducive to the post-descent setting? I have no problem doing a little legwork, but I don't want to totally rewrite everything. Or should I stick with Traveller?
Also, I'm thinking about making this a G+ game and would like to gauge interest.
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Post by Kainguru on Dec 18, 2013 17:56:58 GMT -8
Well, personally I'd stick with Traveller BUT you could consider the old Twilight 2000 (2nd ed) game . . . also by GDW, it was essentially Traveller Post-Apocalypse (a sort of pre-history game) with a brand spanking new game engine which was then used for Traveller: The New Era. It was more 'realistic' than classic Traveller ie: the system was based on hard science/physics rather than space opera. There was an update called Twilight: 2013 but the studio running it went bust in 2010. The pdf will still be 'out there' somewhere. Aaron
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Post by Grog on Dec 18, 2013 18:59:27 GMT -8
How close might these be to Mongoose, which is the only traveller I really know?
I'll take a gander at them.
edit: having gandered, they look very...military focused and much more modern. I'm thinking that the average transportation will be less humvee and more cart and mule...Less m16, more blackpowder single shot.
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Post by malifer on Dec 19, 2013 4:10:12 GMT -8
So... I like the traveller rules system. I've unfortunately never played it, but it seems elegant in all the right ways. I love the character creation system (who doesn't?) I loathe the Traveller random character gen. But everything else about the system I really enjoy. As I have posted before if there was one more random chart at the beginning of the character gen that had you roll the starting career I would probably like the system much better, because it's annoying to choose a starting career (from which you probably get a concept) and then fail or have a mishap that turns your character concept of a funny merchant into hard ass soldier. However I'm not sure standard Traveller is the best system for your idea in it's current state. Main reason you don't have characters yet and I don't see how the characters wont end up with a bunch of useless skills for your setting. You could I guess limit starting careers, but the randomness of generation could port the character to one of the careers you didn't intend to use. My thought (and Kainguru would be the one to ask) is maybe look at the Judge Dredd (Mongoose Traveller) book. I've only flipped through it, but those careers aren't meant to be space-faring and I'm sure there would be a section on running Judges through the wastelands on the their final walk. This will mean the the PCs are probably combat ready, but you could just readjust the fluff from Judges and use standard Traveller equipment instead of Lawgivers, etc.
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Post by guitarspider on Dec 19, 2013 6:31:41 GMT -8
For standard Traveller, the careers would need adapting, or at the very least very creative re-interpretation. Just off the top of my head: Ship shares, lots of the event descriptions, and stuff like merchant marines learning all these technical skills that don't have a place in a Tl 3 game. Also, the apocalypse should feature into the creation if it's happened just 10-20 years ago. I loathe the Traveller random character gen. You're as dead as a scout to me.
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Post by ayslyn on Dec 19, 2013 11:38:31 GMT -8
As I have posted before if there was one more random chart at the beginning of the character gen that had you roll the starting career I would probably like the system much better, because it's annoying to choose a starting career (from which you probably get a concept) and then fail or have a mishap that turns your character concept of a funny merchant into hard ass soldier. I think the disconnect is that you don't (or shouldn't) go into making a Traveler character with a notion of what you want to end up with. It's like old school Method 1 character creation. You roll your 3d6 six times and figure out where to go from there. Which isn't to say that your dislike of it isn't valid. Your opinions are, of course, your own. And that's completely legit. Just that if you give it another shot, try not going in with a pre-concieved notion of what you want the character to be and just ride the wave. You might rethink your position.
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Post by Kainguru on Dec 19, 2013 13:13:05 GMT -8
So... I like the traveller rules system. I've unfortunately never played it, but it seems elegant in all the right ways. I love the character creation system (who doesn't?) I loathe the Traveller random character gen. But everything else about the system I really enjoy. As I have posted before if there was one more random chart at the beginning of the character gen that had you roll the starting career I would probably like the system much better, because it's annoying to choose a starting career (from which you probably get a concept) and then fail or have a mishap that turns your character concept of a funny merchant into hard ass soldier. However I'm not sure standard Traveller is the best system for your idea in it's current state. Main reason you don't have characters yet and I don't see how the characters wont end up with a bunch of useless skills for your setting. You could I guess limit starting careers, but the randomness of generation could port the character to one of the careers you didn't intend to use. My thought (and Kainguru would be the one to ask) is maybe look at the Judge Dredd (Mongoose Traveller) book. I've only flipped through it, but those careers aren't meant to be space-faring and I'm sure there would be a section on running Judges through the wastelands on the their final walk. This will mean the the PCs are probably combat ready, but you could just readjust the fluff from Judges and use standard Traveller equipment instead of Lawgivers, etc. Well if you use the Judges for character gen, including the more obscure ones in the two 'Judges Handbook' supplements they'll be MORE than combat ready . . . you know, Judges ie: 15 years of intensive training in how to kill, maim or eviscerate people. I'd pump for the Strontium Dog supplement instead and lift the character gen out of that . . . either include or exclude the mutations table (being post-A I'd be tempted to INCLUDE it) Aaron
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Post by malifer on Dec 19, 2013 16:17:27 GMT -8
As I have posted before if there was one more random chart at the beginning of the character gen that had you roll the starting career I would probably like the system much better, because it's annoying to choose a starting career (from which you probably get a concept) and then fail or have a mishap that turns your character concept of a funny merchant into hard ass soldier. I think the disconnect is that you don't (or shouldn't) go into making a Traveler character with a notion of what you want to end up with. It's like old school Method 1 character creation. You roll your 3d6 six times and figure out where to go from there. Which isn't to say that your dislike of it isn't valid. Your opinions are, of course, your own. And that's completely legit. Just that if you give it another shot, try not going in with a pre-concieved notion of what you want the character to be and just ride the wave. You might rethink your position. Nope. I still really like the rest of the Rpg, but if we're doing random Character gen the GM may as well just hand me a Pre-Gen because that's all the "thing" is. The problem is I don't care about this amorphous blob I'm not supposed to have a preconceived notion about yet I'm asked to make choices. Fictitious GM: Now what you do you want to do? Me: I guess I'll roll to be a Scout. F'in GM:Nope you failed now you an Entertainer. Now what do you want to try? Continue down the career of Entertainer or maybe a different trade? Me: I don't care. I'll continue being an Entertainer. *roll dice* F'in GM: Nope you have a mishap. Now you're in the Army. Now what? But I really do like the combat rules, skill, etc. It's a very quick easy rpg, but that first step is a doozy.
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Post by malifer on Dec 19, 2013 16:18:19 GMT -8
I loathe the Traveller random character gen. But everything else about the system I really enjoy. As I have posted before if there was one more random chart at the beginning of the character gen that had you roll the starting career I would probably like the system much better, because it's annoying to choose a starting career (from which you probably get a concept) and then fail or have a mishap that turns your character concept of a funny merchant into hard ass soldier. However I'm not sure standard Traveller is the best system for your idea in it's current state. Main reason you don't have characters yet and I don't see how the characters wont end up with a bunch of useless skills for your setting. You could I guess limit starting careers, but the randomness of generation could port the character to one of the careers you didn't intend to use. My thought (and Kainguru would be the one to ask) is maybe look at the Judge Dredd (Mongoose Traveller) book. I've only flipped through it, but those careers aren't meant to be space-faring and I'm sure there would be a section on running Judges through the wastelands on the their final walk. This will mean the the PCs are probably combat ready, but you could just readjust the fluff from Judges and use standard Traveller equipment instead of Lawgivers, etc. Well if you use the Judges for character gen, including the more obscure ones in the two 'Judges Handbook' supplements they'll be MORE than combat ready . . . you know, Judges ie: 15 years of intensive training in how to kill, maim or eviscerate people. I'd pump for the Strontium Dog supplement instead and lift the character gen out of that . . . either include or exclude the mutations table (being post-A I'd be tempted to INCLUDE it) Aaron But is there a chapter on the wastelands?
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Post by Kainguru on Dec 19, 2013 16:43:45 GMT -8
Well if you use the Judges for character gen, including the more obscure ones in the two 'Judges Handbook' supplements they'll be MORE than combat ready . . . you know, Judges ie: 15 years of intensive training in how to kill, maim or eviscerate people. I'd pump for the Strontium Dog supplement instead and lift the character gen out of that . . . either include or exclude the mutations table (being post-A I'd be tempted to INCLUDE it) Aaron But is there a chapter on the wastelands? There is the Cursed Earth supplement Aaron
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Post by Kainguru on Dec 20, 2013 3:46:38 GMT -8
If you don't mind pdf's get both Dredd and Strontium Dogs - with the traveller core stuff from the other two is pretty much interchangeable by design, so with minimal effort you could tweak the setting you want by lifting what you need and inserting it. Aaron
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Post by Grog on Dec 20, 2013 5:14:59 GMT -8
My issue is that I don't really want to play a speculative fiction style post-A (Fallout, etc). I'm much more interested in a very down to earth, but mild "A". My core concept is based on the very interesting novel "World Made By Hand" in which Peak Oil and Climate change are the cause of the "Descent" as they refer to it. Regardless of the politics involved, I feel like these scenarios make a lot of sense for an "A" scenario. When I described my concept to a friend he said, "that sounds very World of Darkness meets Agricola (the board game), plus Firefly minus space ships." So the idea of pseudo-cybernetic Law Bringers is...a bit out of setting. Although I was interested to find the options in the Dredd games for future scenarios. As I have posted before if there was one more random chart at the beginning of the character gen that had you roll the starting career I would probably like the system much better, because it's annoying to choose a starting career (from which you probably get a concept) and then fail or have a mishap that turns your character concept of a funny merchant into hard ass soldier. I think the disconnect is that you don't (or shouldn't) go into making a Traveler character with a notion of what you want to end up with. It's like old school Method 1 character creation. You roll your 3d6 six times and figure out where to go from there. Which isn't to say that your dislike of it isn't valid. Your opinions are, of course, your own. And that's completely legit. Just that if you give it another shot, try not going in with a pre-concieved notion of what you want the character to be and just ride the wave. You might rethink your position. I think there is some truth to this. Instead of thinking of the finished character, I try to remember what it felt like when I was 18 and start "in character" from there. Because you really can pick some basic things, but a lot is out of your control. The roleplaying starts in character gen for me and I find that my concepts start vague and become much more refined as the process goes on. Then again, I completely accept that it might not be for everyone. There is actually a point-buy system at the end of chargen, you could always use that.
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Post by Kainguru on Dec 20, 2013 5:46:12 GMT -8
Then I'd use the Strontium Dogs supplement for character gen - just omit the mutation table at the start (most mutations have 'no effect' being merely cosmetic). Grab the cursed earth supplement from Dredd for some of the wastelands stuff - being traveller core still you don't need the Dredd rules to use it for source material. Aaron
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Post by Kainguru on Dec 20, 2013 5:47:33 GMT -8
BTW: Strontium Dogs are post A mutant bounty hunters. Aaron
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Post by Grog on Dec 20, 2013 5:49:29 GMT -8
How's their tech level? Are there non-combat careers? This is the other thing. I have an interest in a "world made by hand" late 1800s tech with some modern "relics".
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