Is CT still enjoyable today?

[rsitalyct]

Hello!

I'm a beginner to CT and to RPG in general; I was searching for a good Science Fiction RPG
and 3 products called my attention:

SPACE OPERA
UNIVERSE
TRAVELLER (CLASSIC)

After reading the rules of all of them (just to have an insight of what they have to offer),
I choose TRAVELLER but, before to invest a great amount of time learning it, I have a couple of doubts:

1) In your opinion is CT still enjoyable today? I mean ... it is from 1977, the weapons
(for example) are almost all from the past (yes there are a couple of laser weapons) ...
so is it aged well in your opinion and it is still good to play today?
Are you using more modern weapons, computers, ships etc ... or are you still using the
original ones? in your adventures the messages from a planet to another are still sent using ships or are sent using powerful radio transmitters?

2) is it playable also solitaire? how you rate it solitaire? at the start I'll have to play alone.
(BTW I have read about a LONE WOLF rules used to play alone from a site called Hide in the attic,
but I can't find these rules and the site ... can you help me?)

Thanks in advance!

Roberto

 

[rsitalyct]

Hello!

I'm a beginner to CT and to RPG in general; I was searching for a good Science Fiction RPG
and 3 products called my attention:

SPACE OPERA
UNIVERSE
TRAVELLER (CLASSIC)

After reading the rules of all of them (just to have an insight of what they have to offer),
I choose TRAVELLER but, before to invest a great amount of time learning it, I have a couple of doubts:

1) In your opinion is CT still enjoyable today? I mean ... it is from 1977, the weapons
(for example) are almost all from the past (yes there are a couple of laser weapons) ...
so is it aged well in your opinion and it is still good to play today?
Are you using more modern weapons, computers, ships etc ... or are you still using the
original ones? in your adventures the messages from a planet to another are still sent using ships or are sent using powerful radio transmitters?

2) is it playable also solitaire? how you rate it solitaire? at the start I'll have to play alone.
(BTW I have read about a LONE WOLF rules used to play alone from a site called Hide in the attic,
but I can't find these rules and the site ... can you help me?)

Thanks in advance!

Roberto

 

[Jame]

Short answer: YES IT IS!!!

Long answer: It is; however, it needs or at least should have updating in terms of technology (and I think a couple of issues relating to combat).

And welcome to the boards!

 

[Jame]

Short answer: YES IT IS!!!

Long answer: It is; however, it needs or at least should have updating in terms of technology (and I think a couple of issues relating to combat).

And welcome to the boards!

 

[Supplement Four]

There are a lot of "Traveller" choices out there. It comes in many different flavors.

Classic Traveller

MegaTraveller

Traveller: The New Era

Marc Miller's Traveller

GURPS Traveller

d20 Traveller

HERO Traveller

GURPS 4th edition Traveller

...and that's just the official rules sets.

Among all those choices, I choose to play Classic Traveller.

I'd actually wager that more Traveller players play Classic Traveller than any other version of the game.

Does that answer your question?

 

[Supplement Four]

There are a lot of "Traveller" choices out there. It comes in many different flavors.

Classic Traveller

MegaTraveller

Traveller: The New Era

Marc Miller's Traveller

GURPS Traveller

d20 Traveller

HERO Traveller

GURPS 4th edition Traveller

...and that's just the official rules sets.

Among all those choices, I choose to play Classic Traveller.

I'd actually wager that more Traveller players play Classic Traveller than any other version of the game.

Does that answer your question?

 

[flykiller]

1) CT is primitive. it provides the barest outline of rules and setting, but it doesn't give you everything you need to make it work. to play it you will be forced to make many important rule and setting decisions on your own, frequently in the middle of a game. if you enjoy that, if you enjoy making your own game and calling it yours, then you'll enjoy CT.

2) CT isn't a solitaire game, though there are many things you can do with it alone. you can draw up worlds, make up adventures, draw ship deckplans, use the more advanced rules to design your own equipment, invent and develop entire alien races, getting ready for when they do play. some people replace entire sections of the rules, making up their own combat systems or their own ship design systems. some people write literature using traveller as a setting. but the game itself is not solo. it requires interaction with other people.

 

[flykiller]

1) CT is primitive. it provides the barest outline of rules and setting, but it doesn't give you everything you need to make it work. to play it you will be forced to make many important rule and setting decisions on your own, frequently in the middle of a game. if you enjoy that, if you enjoy making your own game and calling it yours, then you'll enjoy CT.

2) CT isn't a solitaire game, though there are many things you can do with it alone. you can draw up worlds, make up adventures, draw ship deckplans, use the more advanced rules to design your own equipment, invent and develop entire alien races, getting ready for when they do play. some people replace entire sections of the rules, making up their own combat systems or their own ship design systems. some people write literature using traveller as a setting. but the game itself is not solo. it requires interaction with other people.

 

[kafka47]

1) CT as in the Little Black Books is hardly an enjoyable game as it used to be. CT with all the enhancements especially the JTAS articles (that are on CD ROM btw) is a good solid game. I would prefer to have started you on the Large Black Book, as it is better illustrated and stands the test of time well.

2) As others have said CT is not a solitaire game, but has many solitary aspects to it. However, most of the game is laid out like flow charts, so if you know of any public domain chose your own adventure software out there in cyberspace. Then it can easily be adapted...if you find it, we could all generate adventures that then you could play with.

 

[kafka47]

1) CT as in the Little Black Books is hardly an enjoyable game as it used to be. CT with all the enhancements especially the JTAS articles (that are on CD ROM btw) is a good solid game. I would prefer to have started you on the Large Black Book, as it is better illustrated and stands the test of time well.

2) As others have said CT is not a solitaire game, but has many solitary aspects to it. However, most of the game is laid out like flow charts, so if you know of any public domain chose your own adventure software out there in cyberspace. Then it can easily be adapted...if you find it, we could all generate adventures that then you could play with.

 

[Prospero]

It is absolutely still enjoyable. I also like T4.

I suggest getting CT on CD. For $35 you get a massive quantity of material though would easily take you years to play through. Also, the Mercenary Supplement has tons of other weapons like gauss rifles, accelerator rifles, plasma rifles...etc. Good stuff. With Striker you can design your own stuff and have wars...etc....It's probably the best $35 you can spend.

NT

 

[Prospero]

It is absolutely still enjoyable. I also like T4.

I suggest getting CT on CD. For $35 you get a massive quantity of material though would easily take you years to play through. Also, the Mercenary Supplement has tons of other weapons like gauss rifles, accelerator rifles, plasma rifles...etc. Good stuff. With Striker you can design your own stuff and have wars...etc....It's probably the best $35 you can spend.

NT

 

[robject]

Now that it's on CD-ROM, CT is finally usable; the rule books by themselves are fine, but it's the resource booklets, disguised as adventures and double adventures, where you get something more than a barebones system.

Before the CD, it was just a bit too scattered about to be really useful. Now it's all at my fingertips.

 

[robject]

Now that it's on CD-ROM, CT is finally usable; the rule books by themselves are fine, but it's the resource booklets, disguised as adventures and double adventures, where you get something more than a barebones system.

Before the CD, it was just a bit too scattered about to be really useful. Now it's all at my fingertips.

 

[aramis]

CT is, for many, a resource for MT, T20, TNE, or GT.

Me, I'd recommend MT, while getting the CT CD-Rom for more setting.

Moreover, most of the CT resources can be used easily in MT. (Later editions require somewhat more conversion. MT it's just add skills, about up to 1 per term, and calculate Life/Hits.)

But it is a matter of taste in systems.

I'm not familiar with Universe, but I am with Space Opera... it's Trek-meets-traveller-with-a-math-intensive-system. Lots of good ideas, but it's very math heavy, for little gain in play.

 

[aramis]

CT is, for many, a resource for MT, T20, TNE, or GT.

Me, I'd recommend MT, while getting the CT CD-Rom for more setting.

Moreover, most of the CT resources can be used easily in MT. (Later editions require somewhat more conversion. MT it's just add skills, about up to 1 per term, and calculate Life/Hits.)

But it is a matter of taste in systems.

I'm not familiar with Universe, but I am with Space Opera... it's Trek-meets-traveller-with-a-math-intensive-system. Lots of good ideas, but it's very math heavy, for little gain in play.

 

[rsitalyct]

Thanks to all!

Roberto

 

[rsitalyct]

Thanks to all!

Roberto

 

[BlackBat242]

"Now that it's on CD-ROM, CT is finally usable;"


Funny, I have been using it very well... including material from all sorts of sources, for over 20 years. I still don't have the CD... or any of the later versions (except some T4 stuff that was given to me, which I still haven't read).

I guess it all depends on whether you are willing to dig into the material some, or want everything handed to you in one lump, predigested and all.

 

[BlackBat242]

"Now that it's on CD-ROM, CT is finally usable;"


Funny, I have been using it very well... including material from all sorts of sources, for over 20 years. I still don't have the CD... or any of the later versions (except some T4 stuff that was given to me, which I still haven't read).

I guess it all depends on whether you are willing to dig into the material some, or want everything handed to you in one lump, predigested and all.