Classic Traveller Discussion on the granddaddy of them all, Classic Traveller! |

February 16th, 2007, 02:09 AM
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I've grabbed Kinunir and Marooned off ebay, and I rather enjoy the framework nature.
So, what old school Traveller modules can you recommend and why ?
Whats your favourites ?
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Down and out on the Solomani Rim
Now the spinward marches don't look so grim
Slough Feg - Traders & Gunboats
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February 16th, 2007, 02:09 AM
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Citizen: SOC-10
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: The Borderlands
Posts: 67
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I've grabbed Kinunir and Marooned off ebay, and I rather enjoy the framework nature.
So, what old school Traveller modules can you recommend and why ?
Whats your favourites ?
__________________
Down and out on the Solomani Rim
Now the spinward marches don't look so grim
Slough Feg - Traders & Gunboats
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February 16th, 2007, 06:29 AM
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Citizen: SOC-14
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Adventures;
Twilights Peak, dungeon bash type fun with ancients and zhodani.
The Traveller Adventure. It rocks.
Prison Planet, something a little different.
76 Patrons
__________________
safe oot & safe in
dae richt & feare nocht
"I have come to believe there is nothing in the lives of human beings more terrifying than war and nothing more important than for those of us who have experienced it to share its awful truth."- Ron Kovic
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February 16th, 2007, 06:29 AM
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Citizen: SOC-14
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Adventures;
Twilights Peak, dungeon bash type fun with ancients and zhodani.
The Traveller Adventure. It rocks.
Prison Planet, something a little different.
76 Patrons
__________________
safe oot & safe in
dae richt & feare nocht
"I have come to believe there is nothing in the lives of human beings more terrifying than war and nothing more important than for those of us who have experienced it to share its awful truth."- Ron Kovic
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February 16th, 2007, 09:55 AM
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First disclaimer -- I haven't actually run *any* of the following adventures; I've only read them.
Second disclaimer -- I'm not a huge fan of the GDW "Explore a mostly empty ship, building or base" style adventure exemplified by Annic Nova and Shadows. I like a little gunsmoke. I'm also not a big fan of the "excuse" adventures...ones that are really just an excuse to feature a new ship and eighty percent of the adventure is the ship and deckplans and the last twenty percent is a list of "situations" the Referee might use (yes, Kinunar, I'm looking at you).
That all said, the ones I've read that I like...
--Across the Bright Face. It's like Marooned, but with a purpose.
--The Argon Gambit. Demonstrates how to run pulp mystery style games in the TU. If your players like mysteries, this has a lot of potential investigation. If they don't like mysteries, you can go straight to the action and watch as they get double-crossed.
--Night of Conquest. You get to roll a lot of dice and shoot at the PC's.
--The Chamax Plague and The Horde. Acid-exploding ultra-aggressive spider aliens. Yum.
--Ordeal on Eschaar. This is a FASA adventure that looks extremely interesting, though also looks somewhat challenging to run. Goes against my "I like gunplay" sensibility, but has an intriguing device to model Diplomacy, and has an excellent "John Le Carre in Space" feel to it.
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February 16th, 2007, 09:55 AM
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Citizen: SOC-12
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 185
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First disclaimer -- I haven't actually run *any* of the following adventures; I've only read them.
Second disclaimer -- I'm not a huge fan of the GDW "Explore a mostly empty ship, building or base" style adventure exemplified by Annic Nova and Shadows. I like a little gunsmoke. I'm also not a big fan of the "excuse" adventures...ones that are really just an excuse to feature a new ship and eighty percent of the adventure is the ship and deckplans and the last twenty percent is a list of "situations" the Referee might use (yes, Kinunar, I'm looking at you).
That all said, the ones I've read that I like...
--Across the Bright Face. It's like Marooned, but with a purpose.
--The Argon Gambit. Demonstrates how to run pulp mystery style games in the TU. If your players like mysteries, this has a lot of potential investigation. If they don't like mysteries, you can go straight to the action and watch as they get double-crossed.
--Night of Conquest. You get to roll a lot of dice and shoot at the PC's.
--The Chamax Plague and The Horde. Acid-exploding ultra-aggressive spider aliens. Yum.
--Ordeal on Eschaar. This is a FASA adventure that looks extremely interesting, though also looks somewhat challenging to run. Goes against my "I like gunplay" sensibility, but has an intriguing device to model Diplomacy, and has an excellent "John Le Carre in Space" feel to it.
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February 16th, 2007, 11:37 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2002
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Quote:
Originally posted by SgtHulka:
I'm not a huge fan of the GDW "Explore a mostly empty ship, building or base" style adventure exemplified by Annic Nova and Shadows. I like a little gunsmoke. I'm also not a big fan of the "excuse" adventures...ones that are really just an excuse to feature a new ship and eighty percent of the adventure is the ship and deckplans and the last twenty percent is a list of "situations" the Referee might use (yes, Kinunar, I'm looking at you).
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Agreed. One of the areas GDW always suffered was adventure design.
Back in the day, there were two schools of thought on running adventures: (A) The GM-makes it-all-up verson; and (B) The Everything-is-written-for-you version.
I remember some rpg'ers getting quite snobby if you were one of those GMs who used a "pre-packaged" module (like what TSR was putting out for AD&D). A TRUE role player only played adventures originated by his GM.
Apparently, GDW subscribed to this first idea. They'd give you the bare-bones of an adventure--basically an outline or what we'd call today an Adventure Hook--and it was up to the GM to take that basic idea, work on it, and turn it into something his players would like to play.
It took a lot of work on the GM's part, but that was viewed as a "benefit", because a GM's creativity IS part of the game (like rolling up characters, rolling encounters, rolling stats, creating starships, making deckplans, etc).
I've always been a Please-do-everything-you-can-for-me-and-I'll-change-it-if-I-need-to kind of GM (so, I've always preferred the TSR style of adventures rather than the adventure hooks that comprise most GDW adventures).
I find myself converting adventures from Space Opera and Gamma World (and other SciFi game) for use in my Traveller games.
Still, there are a few adventures out there, written for CT, that are more like TSR "do it all" adventures. Those are mostly by non-GDW publishers.
Although, The Traveller Adventure is certainly worth a look. It's not completely a "do-everything" type of adventure (campaign is more like it), but it is more "complete" than most GDW adventures.
-S4
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February 16th, 2007, 11:37 AM
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Citizen: SOC-14
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Houston
Posts: 9,343
Gallery :
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Quote:
Originally posted by SgtHulka:
I'm not a huge fan of the GDW "Explore a mostly empty ship, building or base" style adventure exemplified by Annic Nova and Shadows. I like a little gunsmoke. I'm also not a big fan of the "excuse" adventures...ones that are really just an excuse to feature a new ship and eighty percent of the adventure is the ship and deckplans and the last twenty percent is a list of "situations" the Referee might use (yes, Kinunar, I'm looking at you).
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Agreed. One of the areas GDW always suffered was adventure design.
Back in the day, there were two schools of thought on running adventures: (A) The GM-makes it-all-up verson; and (B) The Everything-is-written-for-you version.
I remember some rpg'ers getting quite snobby if you were one of those GMs who used a "pre-packaged" module (like what TSR was putting out for AD&D). A TRUE role player only played adventures originated by his GM.
Apparently, GDW subscribed to this first idea. They'd give you the bare-bones of an adventure--basically an outline or what we'd call today an Adventure Hook--and it was up to the GM to take that basic idea, work on it, and turn it into something his players would like to play.
It took a lot of work on the GM's part, but that was viewed as a "benefit", because a GM's creativity IS part of the game (like rolling up characters, rolling encounters, rolling stats, creating starships, making deckplans, etc).
I've always been a Please-do-everything-you-can-for-me-and-I'll-change-it-if-I-need-to kind of GM (so, I've always preferred the TSR style of adventures rather than the adventure hooks that comprise most GDW adventures).
I find myself converting adventures from Space Opera and Gamma World (and other SciFi game) for use in my Traveller games.
Still, there are a few adventures out there, written for CT, that are more like TSR "do it all" adventures. Those are mostly by non-GDW publishers.
Although, The Traveller Adventure is certainly worth a look. It's not completely a "do-everything" type of adventure (campaign is more like it), but it is more "complete" than most GDW adventures.
-S4
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February 16th, 2007, 06:16 PM
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Citizen: SOC-14
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Any of the FASA modules are great. With a little work pick up the Gamelords stuff. GDW modules all needed work, save, the Traveller Adventure which is a difficult one, if people have never played Traveller before as it makes certain assumptions. If you really want to roll up your sleeves and work - then the Spinward Marches Campaign is for you.
Although, it is MT, it can be easily adapted over to CT, I always liked Flaming Eye & Knightfall.
The thing about GDW is that they provided always the bare bones and expected the Referee to do the rest of the work. I think that is part of the appeal of Traveller but also its greatest drawback, it has failed to create a vibrant visual universe like TSR/Wizards does with D&D.
For the modules define the game systems enjoyment more than the different rulebooks...luckily PDF has filled a gap in between but I still await grand epics that will knock my socks off like - Temple of Elemental Evil, Return to the Tomb of Horrors, Nightspire Prison, to name but a few memorable adventures.
__________________
As long as there are stars in the sky and dreams about the universe, as long as there are chronicles of high adventure to recount, there will always be Traveller.
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February 16th, 2007, 06:16 PM
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Citizen: SOC-14
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Any of the FASA modules are great. With a little work pick up the Gamelords stuff. GDW modules all needed work, save, the Traveller Adventure which is a difficult one, if people have never played Traveller before as it makes certain assumptions. If you really want to roll up your sleeves and work - then the Spinward Marches Campaign is for you.
Although, it is MT, it can be easily adapted over to CT, I always liked Flaming Eye & Knightfall.
The thing about GDW is that they provided always the bare bones and expected the Referee to do the rest of the work. I think that is part of the appeal of Traveller but also its greatest drawback, it has failed to create a vibrant visual universe like TSR/Wizards does with D&D.
For the modules define the game systems enjoyment more than the different rulebooks...luckily PDF has filled a gap in between but I still await grand epics that will knock my socks off like - Temple of Elemental Evil, Return to the Tomb of Horrors, Nightspire Prison, to name but a few memorable adventures.
__________________
As long as there are stars in the sky and dreams about the universe, as long as there are chronicles of high adventure to recount, there will always be Traveller.
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