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Post by Kainguru on Dec 20, 2013 6:15:05 GMT -8
Restrict the tech level - Strontium Dogs are 'the scum of the universe' they have no career as such just the skills they've picked up to survive. The tech level of the source universe is high but you just omit that tech. Plus different 'alien' worlds have higher and lower tech levels. If you look at the old Jackercon ONE threads you'll find my AP plus links to the different pdf's I cobbled together relating the rule additions/differences from traveller core. Aaron
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Post by malifer on Dec 21, 2013 4:05:55 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. 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. If the next time I play in a game if everyone wants to do point buy I would prefer it, otherwise it's probably just a great game for me to GM. Glad the Cursed earth idea was a bit of a help. I know the Judge Dredd Character Gen would have made action packed characters, but I was just a bit worried someone might end up being the best Pilot/Spaceship engineer stuck planet side with the standard rules.
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Post by pigsinspaces on Dec 21, 2013 14:56:57 GMT -8
Ooh ooh! I'm thinking Planet of the Apes now.. Traveller could totally handle that... But you might try to get a look at Traveller TNE for some further inspiration, which, IIRC, allowed for the creation of various characters from significantly lower TLs (because of technological regression).
Get your hands off me you God damned dirty ape!
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D.T. Pints
Instigator
JACKERCON 2018: WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY June 22-July 1st
Posts: 2,857
Currently Playing: D&D 5e, Pathfinder, DUNGEONWORLD, Star Wars Edge of the Empire
Currently Running: DUNGEONWORLD, PATHFINDER
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Post by D.T. Pints on Dec 21, 2013 21:20:08 GMT -8
@forressts traveller game isn't completely bereft of space but it's very Firefly and AMMMAZING !! (Never gets old for me...).
Suggestions Canada ?
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Post by Grog on Dec 22, 2013 10:28:56 GMT -8
I'm now giving in to flighty and thinking about running it in Apocalypse World with a few tweaks...which doesn't scratch my traveller itch, or let me use the traveller chargen, but it does let me play the game with minimal up front work.
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Post by Forresst on Dec 22, 2013 14:28:04 GMT -8
You could certainly do Traveller in the setting you propose. The big thing for me, in all games, is to really really carve out the world you want to play in. Once you have your world real firm in your head, the rest is pretty easy (except finding NPC names, that part sucks. I hate that.)
As for the mechanical bits, you can basically just rename things. A scout is a scout is a scout, except if they're more gypsies or assorted wanderers. A drifter? Perfect. The big thing is I just use different words for things. All the overt space references become "the wilds" or "over there" or "i dunno where it was but it wasn't where I can see stuff".
The mongoose traveller book has stats for everything from a sharp stick to a gauss laser rifle, so you just don't let them at the really insane high-tech stuff. Be prepared to skin the shit out of things. I thought everyone just took one stat block for a level of monster and made them wear 900 pointy hats and things but apparently I am wrong. Remember, the world is composed of little cubes. Put party hats on them.
I love the concept of a small-a apocalypse. I am writing a book in that same style of post-a. I think at some point we got the bad flu that wiped a lot of people out. Anyway, the system is pretty adaptable. I'd be happy to help you muck around with it!
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