Differences Between Universes

[Fritz_Brown]

I agree that democracies are harder, since they actually involve large masses of human nature, rather than just one or a few.

Just keep in mind that nothing is free. Somebody has to pay the teachers, and that somebody has to get the money from somewhere - work, taxes, etc. It's why designing an economy for a polity is so stinking hard - every option for this comes with trade-offs, unintended consequences, and so on.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Originally posted by Avery:
Share with us your Traveller universe and how it conforms with the “Traveller” timeline.

There's not much to tell from my perspective. When our group played it was pretty much an exploration of the then evolving Traveller fiction. We pretty much stayed within the confines of the official Traveller realm, but we did create our own scenarios from the materials at hand.

From my perspective there really wasn't any need to template the rules onto various sci-fi venues, as you intended Traveller's initial use (or partial use). From my perspective, Traveller was a whole world unto itself that, if a group so chose, could import elements from other bits and pieces of fiction. And this is where it gets real interesting because our group never imported things from Star Trek, Star Wars or any other popular sci-fi elements, but we did import other non-sci-fi fiction. Everything from "Superman" (the helecopter sequence; reworked for a terrorist attack) to "Full Metal Jacket" (some of the guys started talking like the characters from the movie), to "Casablance" (film noir kind of settings), to, believe it or not "Beatmaster" (when we got tired of jumping from one system to the next).

Things we didn't use (or rather forgot to use); the Fifth Frontier War as an example. We had our hands full keeping track of ammo, age, food, money and so forth, and in the midst of dishing out events for our group we simply forgot that there was supposed to be somekind of military conflict happening in the Spinward Marches.

We also didn't include a whole lot of Vegan, K'Kree or other major (or minor) alien races other than the Vargr and Zhos... no, we did use the Chirpirs and Droyne, but very infrequently.

When MT came about and Rebellion was the thing that was happening I was all excited to read about it, and adventure in the new Traveller milieu, but school and career pressures were building at that point (as well as girlfriends), and there just wasn't any opportunity to play. Which is too bad because I had a real desire to game in the MT setting. Truth is we did a handful of times, and I liked the basics of the then new ruleset (as I've mentioned elsewhere), but outside "real life" stuff took priority, and that's when we packed in the game.

Anyway, I hope this helps some folks.

 

[Golan2072]

By the way, is this forum the appropriate place to post MTU's house rules in or should I use the CT forum?

 

[RainOfSteel]

Originally posted by Employee 2-4601:
By the way, is this forum the appropriate place to post MTU's house rules [...]

Oh, absolutely!

For anything "custom" about the way you "handle" YTU, it can go here.

Note that a number of other topics are for specific new stuff like The Fleet, Bestiary, Ship's Locker, Imperial Interstellar Scout Service, etc.

But all your background on YTU, plus a lot of custom rules that wouldn't fit in the other forums can go here.

In fact, it you opened up a topic soley devoted to YTU, I think it would be ok if you posted everything related to YTU (including ships and beasties, etc.) there, just to keep it all in one easily accessible place.

That, or create a YTU thread in each of the specific forums, and then have links to all your specific topics right there in the first post to allow people to jump among them.

The first option above seems a great deal easier to execute and take care of, though.

 

[Golan2072]

Ok, I think I'll focus on the Solar Triumvirate for now, and move on to detailing the other polities (the Consortium, then the Alliance, then the Matriarchate, then the Coreward Autonomous Zone). First I'll finish my house rules (which will take some time as I want to add several new pieces of equipment, especially weapons), then I'll detail the Solar Triumvirate's space- and star- ships, it's military, detailed corporations and so on; eventually I'll finish the starchart as well (it's about 10% done so far).

I might apply to a limited lisence for this setting (Or will I have to include the other polities as well in it? and will I be allowed to use an OTU race - the Ael Yael - in a limited lisence setting?); otherwise I'll just post it here and/or as a one-part-at-a-time section in Stellar Reaches.

But first I'll finish my contribution to Jame's universe, as promised (it's about 70% finished, and already almost 4 pages long, non-starship data not included [it's another one and a half page IIRC]).

 

[Flynn]

You probably could go with a limited license for the material, although the question is still out on whether or not we can use the game mechanics for the races of the OTU. Even if we can, chances are you'll need to change the names to protect MWM's product identity.

If that doesn't come through, please feel free to submit your work for consideration to Stellar Reaches.

I look forward to reading about it, either way.

With Regards,
Flynn

 

[Golan2072]

At worst, I'll simply have to create another race to replace the Ael Yael, though I prefer simply to change their name and game mechanics.

Also, I might be using house rules inspired by Sigg Oddra's excellent work... Which I'll be more than happy to credit him (and give him a cut if there will ever be profit) for it.

 

[mike wightman]

If my ramblings can be of any use to you then please feel free to use as you see fit

 

[Golan2072]

Thanks

 

[aramis]

I am thinking strongly my next Travelelr game will be an ATU.

IT WILL be my homebrew MT variant ruleset. (So many small but significant changes, I'm having to retypeset it. Adding Charisma. Adding DM+1 line to survival. Altering skill cascades a bit. Making all skills available in Basic CG. Adding several new careers. Altering combat mechanics, slightly but pervasively. Altering task resolution. Snipping Psi right out of T4. Changing the Skill Limit to Int+Edu+Cha. Adding contacts from TNE. Adding a basic CG decoration taken from T20. T20 T&C rules. Altered damages for starship weapons. No HG derived combat system. Etc. T20 derived craft systems; Vehicle armor is AV20+T20AF; SS Armor is AV40+T20AF; use TNE style bridges, though.)

System generation is going to get an overhaul. Not so much for "realism", as for some story factors.

As far as timelines go, it will have the Vargr, Aslan, Droyne, a modified K'Kree, the Hivers, and Zhodani, Vilani, Solomani, and minor humans, probably Virushi, Newts, Ael Yael, Dandies, Dolphins, Chimps, Gorrillas, Orcas, and Something physically Vegan, but havind not much else in common. There will be nobles, an Imperium, and some bits. There will be TL limits on Ship Sizes; No Computer programming limits will be enforced, but programs to recieve the bonus will still need to be purchased.

THe actual timeline, well, the imperium will be some 1100 years old, about 4 sectors in overall size, Counting the marches as a half sector. Fiefs for "Landed" nobles will be Starports and/or spaceports.

Kind of a MegaProtoTraveller. The MegaCorps will exist, not as "Shippers" but as financiers and investors. A very different view of Traffic, as well.

Noble titles will be a far WIDER range
B: Gentry. "Lord _"
B+: Knight
B++: Knight Commander
B+++: Knight Grand Commander
B*: Baronette (Spaceport, or minor port)
C Baron (Mainstream ports, Minor worlds in a Viscounty)
D Viscount (Major Ports or System with several minor ports)
E Count (Cluster of 3-8 worlds around a major A-port
F Duke (subsector)
G Archduke (Sector)

Special rules on raising Soc. above A, and using 2d6-1 for starting soc.. To not stay same Soc Rank, roll 1d6 for number or receipts since Soc. went up, counting the current one, or less. If not, improvement to existing honor order. In lieu of a Soc raise, roll 1d for (Soc-10) or less to attain a landed baronetcy. Landed title is improved separately from honor title, and can not exceed honor title. Nobles in the Noble career recieve +1 soc if they fail to promote by 4 or less (Promotion roll was 8-11), but do not get to apply it to landed rank. Position is landed rank, and promotion roll means a promotion in landed rank, with accompanying raise in courtesy rank, if required. Retirement or resignation means you've turned it over to the running of an heir, but still hold the title...

Improvements:
Add a new order of knighthood.
Raise a grade in a single order of knighthood (Knight, Knight Commander, Knight Grand Commander, Grand Knight)
Make one child heir to lowest ranked title.
Improve heir's title by one
Add second heir. (Each patent can only have one heir; each rank is one patent, as is each ORDER of knighthood; Knighthood ranks are not inheritable.)
Upgrade the court to which your title is attached (Honor baron of the imperium is better than Of the marches,, and inturn that's better than Baron of the Court of Regina or Baron of the Court Of Mora.
Add a moot vote in a local (SS) moot, non-hereditary.
Add a moot vote in the sector moot, Non hereditary, requires SS moot vote.
Add Extrality to a private estate.
Allowed to give lowest title to someone who functions as a landed court noble in your stead. Requires that you already be allowed to give it to an heir.
Add a moot vote in the Imperial Moot. Nonhereditary. Requires Sector Moot Vote.

Add an Honor Title to a rank: Baron Hardhitter, Defender of Deneb. His Excellency Dustin Aurelius, Viscount of the Court of Regina, Rightful Courtier of His Grace Norris, ...

I assume Subsector dukes can create "In the Emperor's Name" court titles less than their own landed title, Only the Emperor can land people...

"Landed Court Titles": Sometimes a duke will fill a vacancy with an eligible non-heir... the person is Titled the "Court ___ of ___" until the Emperor rubber stamps it, or names an heir.

Fundamentally, Nobles work for their Duke. The Dukes work for the Archduke. But only the Emperor can grant a landed title... so everyone in the landed nobility works to further their standing with the emperor. Likewise, non-landed don't get to vote in the moot, so a non-landed duke might be sucking up to a landed knight (A knight Bannertte or a Baronet) because the latter has a vote in the moots. Subsector moots count all the landed nobles therein. Sector Moots count the Landed Counts and Landed Dukes.

World system adding a breathability code, using Atm as pressure. *-SPBHPLG-T PB=55 becomes breathable std. PB 50 is Standard but oxygen deficient. PB5A is standard pressure, but reactive atmosphere. 0 is for "Exotic"; harmless but non sustaining. B= 8 is mild corrosive, 9 is Corrosive, A is Harshly Corrosive, B is Insidious, C is Rapid Insidious..., or some such. Generate on 2d6-7+Atm. If outside ecosphere, Breathability code is modified towards 0 for outwards, towards 1 for inwards. Not sure how much, though...

 

[Golan2072]

Originally posted by Aramis:
System generation is going to get an overhaul. Not so much for "realism", as for some story factors.

Sounds interesting... Care to share your thoughts on the subject with us?

The MegaCorps will exist, not as "Shippers" but as financiers and investors. A very different view of Traffic, as well.

How does it effect the field? Will starship be owned by private individuals but heavily subsidized by Megacorps in return for a share of their profits? Who will finance colonies? The government, the colonies, the Megacorps or a combination of them?

 

[aramis]

Shipping is, by my extrapolation from history, movement by speculation. (Not getting into it here.) Since this is a small ship universe, large trade flows mean lots of independant shippers speculating to get by, and carrying other peoples speculations. Most worlds are fairly autonomous; WTH for TNE leads me there. So only true excess is being shipped. Nominal base values for trade goods are about 200% of base value listed, but since you're dealing in surpluses only, it's a far different view.

Taxation by Licensure. If you "Buy" a megacorp Type R, or even type A or A2, you don't worry about taxes; the corp takes half of the profits, and pays the emperor and the sector duke. You take all the risk, and if you don't make the subsidy minimum, they will reposess it. Otherwise, 1% of your profits belong to the noble of the world of registry, and 1% to the emperor, and if you want to operate more than one jump from home, the count or duke, too.. (part of your costs as a PC Broker include that 2%.... ) Getting a Count or Duke to sponsor your charter is EXPENSIVE. Operating a ship sans charter is a criminal offense... right up there with Murder, Barratry, and Piracy. Of course, an Operational charteer for a subsector is about MCr1, plus a 1% share. For a sector is MCr10, plus a 1% share... The Emperor wants trade, but not long distance nor too much. Too long, and too many lesser nobles get too powerful, and could gang up. Too much, and again, localization of force is the issue.

So the price fixing is INTENTIONAL to limit distance trades.By not making it profitable to do J5, that makes most of the peole not do J5... and thus very little trade does J5.

Powerful, wealthy nobles. Minor worlds have little, but may offer other perks for being registered there. (Like being able to get the application fee for the Subsector license waived, so you can operate more than one jump from home...)

The Emperor cares little about people, only maintaining his power by playing his nobles off each other.

Megacorps are owned by nobles, having been licensed in various domains, and have a cash bleed, but each unit, should it fail, can be cut loose, or better, financed from off world. They buy local companies, give them a cash boost, and reap the profits.

It is a dark time, for the evil Strephon has just upped the authority of the Sector Archdukes.... And Delphine is a weak fool, who refuses to play along, simpering about Human Dignity and such; making the Dukes of her court both nervous and worried about their privileges.... SuSAG, Nasiraaka, and Oberlindes operate thousands of businesses. Oberlindes is a trade line, but one comprised of independent owner-operators under contracts... a franchise system... Norris wants her shares.... and her authority...

 

[mike wightman]

Sounds like a great setting for proto-Traveller...

 

[aramis]

Originally posted by Employee 2-4601
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Aramis:
System generation is going to get an overhaul. Not so much for "realism", as for some story factors.

Sounds interesting... Care to share your thoughts on the subject with us? </font>[/QUOTE]stealing some from starfire, some for S&G. Mal would probably have a stroke if he had to play under them.

Initial orbit: (2d6-2)/2 LM
second orbit: O1 +(2d6+1)/2 LM
third: O1 + 2 * (o2-o1)
4th: O1 + 2 * (o2-o1)
5th: O1 + 4 * (o2-o1)
6th: O1 + 8 * (o2-o1)
7th: O1 + 16 * (o2-o1)
etc.

Work worlds from outtermost inwards; Last planet calculated by looking at Bk6 charts, as well as H zones.

Size: 1d20-3
-2 = empty orbit
-1 = small planet
0 = asteroid/planetoid belt
1-12: world of same size
13: superterrestrial. Atmosphere does not retain He and H2, but just about everything else Actually covers quite a range.
14: Subjovian (Neptune, Uranus
15: Jovian
16: Superjovian
17: Brown Dwarf

The fun part: Atmosphere.
Pressure: 2d6-7+size
0- None
1 Trace 0-0.05
2 XThin 0.05-0.1
3 0.1 - 0.2
4 0.2-0.4
5 0.4-0.6
6 0.6-0.8
7 0.8 - 1.2
8 1.2-1.5
9 1.5-1.9
A 1.9-2.5
B 2.5-3.1
C 3.1-3.8
D 3.8 - 4.6
E 4.6-5.5
etc

Breathability
4d3-8+AtmDens
or
4dF+AtmDens
0-1 inert or CO2
2-3 Non-oxygenated
4-5 Tainted - Low O2/ad. o2
6-8 breathable
9 reactive taint or High O2, other lung damaging taints
10 unbreathable, non-toxic
11 unbreathable irritant
12 unbreathable corrosive
13 unbreathable, strongly corrosive
14 mildly insidious
15 moderately insidious (venus)
16 Severely insidious
17+ destructive: pure strong acids plus heat and pressure.

Population: dice vary.
Natives: Life 2d6-7
DM +2 if AD 4-5 or 9+
DM +4 if AD 6-8
DM -5 if AB <4
DM -3 if AB >9
DM -3 if inner or outer zone
0-: none
1: sludge
2: liquidborne
3: land plants
4: Bugs & flowers
5: skeletal land critters
6: specialized land forms
7+: advanced life forms (multiple orders)
On box cars, roll 1d and add
on nat two, roll 1d and subtract

Native Sentients: 2d-7 + native life
0- nothing even close
1-3 increasingly mental adaptations.
4 non-sophont: Communal communication (Includes most birds, and almost all mammals)
5 non-sophont: culture (Most primates, elephants, some others)
6 presophont: found tools (all apes, some monkeys) and social climbing by other than force
7 presophont: made tools, gift giving and retention of favor
8 protosophont: conceptual language
9 sophont
10 1d6 related sophonts
11 1d3+1 lines of sophonts, 1 each
12 1d3+1 lines of sophonts, 1 has 1d6 related species
13 1d3+1 lines of sophonts, each has 1d6 related species
14 1d3 lines of 1d6 sophont species each, plus 1d6+1 unrelated lines

Population for single sophont species: 1d6+1d3
Population for multiple unrelated lines, or only 2-3 related species:2d3 each
population for multiple species within a line when multiple lines present: 1d3+1 each

For colonial populations
if atmospheric breathability 4-9: 1d
if Atm breathability 6-8 and atm dens 5-9 +1d
If inner zone: DM-4
if outer zone DM-4
if Hab Zone, DM -2
If native species, DM -1 on 2d throws

Tech Level:
Natives
1d6-1
+1d3 if pop 6+ and native
+1 if pop 8+ and native
+1 if pop A+ and native
+1d3 if multiple species of sophonts

non-native:as per book3
However: Atm 5-8 is AtmDen 4-9 and Br 4-9
AtmBr A+ is +1
AtmBr F+ is +1

Starport & Yards
Non-native:
Roll 1d for pop or less for presence
roll 2d for pop or less if SP for Yards presence. quality seldom exceeds SP; if so, roll one more time, keeping lower roll of the two.

Native: Roll 1d+5 for TL or less for presence.

SP Type: Roll on SP table in Bk3
YdType: Roll on SP table in Bk3
Both: replace X with F, since presence is known.
Each includes all the stuff under it.
A ports: significant hostelry. Major banking. Tourist Reception facilities.
B Ports: refined fuel always available. Hotel facilities. Interstellar banking services.
C Ports: Controlled airspace. terminal. Full replenishment services. Maybe some hostelry.
D Ports: Fuel available, flight service facility. Hangers likely. Poor quality (field ration like) replenishment. in-system course plotting
E Ports: marked spots, published unicom, usually some local businesses nearby.
F Ports: blast pads with beacon

A Yard: Everything, including spinals, JD (if TL allows)
B Yard: Hull Construction, PP, and MD installs, retrofits,and replacements. Major hull retrofits.
C Yard: Fitting out yard, repair yard. Can build small craft
D Yard: Repair only yard (no hull work nor major component replacement. Can swap canned turrets.)
E Yard: Hangar and tools rental
F Yard: Tool Rental

Port and yard Size: 1d6, max = pop/2. DM +1 if TL A+ DM+2 if TL F+. 10^size is berths, each berth being capable of 10^(Size+2) tons.

High port: if TL 9+, and starport D+, Roll on SP table, treating X as X (an F is meaningless without terrain)
Roll for Yard if port is E or better. Orbital yards often exceed high-port.

Gov, LL: pretty normal.