Exit Visa

[Jeff M. Hopper]

I was looking through my copy of The Traveller Book (CT) last night and ran across the short adventure Exit Visa. Has anyone ever run this? I've always been concerned that my players would go on a shooting spree in the game and then beat me to a pulp for forcing them to go through this scenario. So, if you've ever sent players through Exit Visa, then post what happened here. Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Spinward Scout]

Yeah, I always thought that one was a little strange. Maybe something to incorporate into the middle of an adventure, but not the whole thing. I think it got reprinted in T4 or something.

Dameon

 

[Andrew Boulton]

My then-gf inflicted something similar on us when she was running Psi World many years ago. It ended very, very messily, and I don't think we ever forgave her.

 

[far-trader]

I have a vague memory of running it. As I recall the players got bored and frustrated, I got bored figuring the next dead-end red-tape corridor for them to run down, and I think they ended up just taking off and flying noe untill they were over the horizon and lifted to 10.1 diamters and jumped, and I let them

Misjumped iirc and landed several parsecs away. We never did that kind of "adventure" again. I think I could maybe run it better now but at the time it didn't suit our play or referee style.

 

[Burocrate]

I tried it on our group (average age 17) long, long ago. The above results reflect what we experienced. The sad part was that two players really did want to use non-combat skills just for a change. I knew it was going to end in tears when one of the other players decided to bring his barbarian on this red-tape roller coaster of frustration.

If you must run this scenario, I suggest making some short cuts available to the PCs. Maybe a contact or informal information gathering could provide a name a few steps away from the final desk jockey guarding the goal. You know your group’s tolerance, best of luck.

 

[PhillWebb]

I ran the Zilan Wine chapter of The Traveller Adventure which is almost exactly the same as Exit Visa last year.

However I ran it as a one-on-one side session because of the player availability and the particular characters involved.

I was blessed with a Psionic Bwap PC which made it a breeze for him instead of a grind and lot's of fun with his horror at their inefficient methods

. I made one of the lesser clerks into a bwap and we had some fun with Bwap greetings and "these humans" type of bonding.
But even with all that I still cut some of the adventure.

Oh and the adventure not giving any of the bureucrats names was annoyingly incomplete. I think that sort of detail should be a part of a published adventure.

Phill

 

[Fritz_Brown]

But, why would an adventure about Bureaucrats have names for anyone? Well, maybe last names. And, definitely titles - lots of titles, with lots of "Assistant Second Vice"s, etc.

 

[clementk]

I think for a lot of gamers gaming red-tape, taxes, forms, etc. just isn't going to be fun when they usually game to get *away* from all that!

That being said, take notes from Brazil and Paranoia and you might have something. Maybe. Orwell's fiction is a bit too bleak for inspiration unless you're running a really hardcore game IMO.

As for names, department and/or title works better for me. Maybe even just a number.

"This is information retrieval not information dispersal."

 

[parmasson]

I like:
Executive Junior Assistant to the Senior Undersecretary's Junior Clerk (Ejasujc)
Or something like that. He typically looks like this
Cecil Thornton Wigglesworth-Darling III. (think Capt. Darling form Black Adder)
Bureaucrat Manager 697698 Age 42 6 terms
Admin-2, Interrogation-1, Liaison-2, Recruiting-1, Legal-1
A self-important, petty, paper shuffling bureaucratic dictator. He wears the ubiquitous blue pin stripe suit with a power tie.

 

[clementk]

Originally posted by Parmasson:
Cecil Thornton Wigglesworth-Darling III. (think Capt. Darling form Black Adder)

^_^

For a twist switch places. For inspiration watch shows like Yes, Minister and the sequel Yes, Prime Minister. (see here and here for more info.

Have an all Bwap party! Yes, Your Grace?

 

[PhillWebb]

Originally posted by Fritz88:
But, why would an adventure about Bureaucrats have names for anyone? Well, maybe last names. And, definitely titles - lots of titles, with lots of "Assistant Second Vice"s, etc.

The Adventure lists just the titles for the Bureaucrats but also involves things like wining and dining clerks to get around the red tape. For me "can you please pass the salt Assistant Clerk to the Minister for Offworld Commerce" is ludicrous once you get to that situation.

Maybe it's an Australian thing but the first thing my players want when meeting people is to address them by their name (last would be fine and respectful).
It was no problem having some clerks reluctant to give their names but what about the friendly and extrememly friendly ones?

Phill

 

[parmasson]

Quite a bit of techno-intrigue, cloak and dagger type stuff could result.
Executive Junior Assistant to the Senior Undersecretary's Junior Clerk, Mr. Cecil Thornton Wigglesworth-Darling III esq. is in possession or control of a very important seal/signature/thingy for the players. He needs to disclose this info for the plot to progress. To get the info out of him the players need to wine, dine and flatter him to death (not literally). What does he like? Well……
Computer intrusion all over the place! Where does he shop, eat, play and sleep. Break into his house to see if he has a weakness for Terran cognac, rare cigars, fine art, unusual . ..um… personal tastes. What does his closet say about him? Is he afraid of his superior and bitter that Wendell Throckmorton got the promotion to senior clerk through bribery? Is he willing to do anything to bring him down?

You get the idea.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Oh, that's right. You have friendly bureaucrats in Oz. Here, those are called people, and get handled differently.