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MT Heresy: Betraying everything I've ever stood for...

D

DonM

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Moderator
Marquis
I apologize in advance for the content of this thread to those who are sensitive to pushy Travellers from other editions.

I'm asking this question ONLY to MT users who have experience with other editions. If your preferred edition is something other than MT, your answer is probably not what I'm looking for.

If you had a chance, what rules (small or big) would you steal from other TRAVELLER editions?
 
Don, that *is* heresy! (coming from you) wash your mouth out!

Seriously, I've really appreciated your errata compendium and everything you've had to add to the forums. I probably lean towards CT a bit myself, but I really like MT as well!
 
Easy

Take starship combat rules from T20 and adapt it to MT.

I'm doing my own mod for that at the moment (currently incomplete), and not likely to finish any time soon.
 
I'm mostly TNE myself, but that's because my players are really comfortable with D&D and Twilight 2.0/2.2. T20, however, hasn't come up. I've often felt that MT was the most 'complete' set of Traveller rules available. I don't know why, it just feels like it has less missing.

What I would grab would be some of the softer parts of TNE:
  • Ship shares (Maybe)
  • Altered system generation is worth a look. I can't remember what they changed.
  • FF&S (Good luck :) See you in a few years.) At least some of the added bits like cradles.
  • Multiple careers (Not sure it's even doable.)
  • Colony / economics from WTH. (Plus Pocket Empires / Imperial Squadrons from T4)

I would also like to see a condensed version of all of the Challenge add-ons. (Wet Navy / Wood, wind, ... / One + Two Small Steps)

This is mostly supporting material. I'll leave the detailed rules for the actual MT players.
 
One of the reasons for this thread is that people are always telling me that Psionics is better in T4. I've tried a couple of conversions, but they just didn't feel right.
 
Bits & pieces of FFS - Not the design sequences, but things like new hull materials from Table 158. Maybe we can lift the Nuclear Rocket stuff & use it to replace the stuff from COACC.

The Naval Architect's Manual. I would ignore anything in italics, but the other 50% is pretty good.
 
DonM said:
I apologize in advance for the content of this thread to those who are sensitive to pushy Travellers from other editions.

I'm asking this question ONLY to MT users who have experience with other editions. If your preferred edition is something other than MT, your answer is probably not what I'm looking for.

If you had a chance, what rules (small or big) would you steal from other TRAVELLER editions?
Click to expand...

T4 core psionics rules (i.e., no rolls to activate).

T20 T&C & craft design.
 
What I'd steal...

1) Brilliant Lances ship combat. Best player-skill-inclusive combat game that could use miniatures and produce interesting results as of yet written for Traveller. PP:E/PP:F may be better, but not for character integration. HG is fleet stuff and hard to do with miniatures. Mayday lacks key systems and CT and Mayday both have the ugliest implementation of computers ever done. Also, sensors! Hard conversion - it has broken my brain every time I've tried.

2) Fast platoon or squad sized combat system. I use a conversion to Traveller for Stargrunt II to get the job done. It mostly lets us game out the bigger fights that would break most skirmish combat rules (which is sort of what MT has in it).

3) Trade Rules from Gurps Far Trader. Chris Thrash understood economics. If only the GURPS UPN wasn't so different to the UWP and if you could more easily convert, the trade lanes Gurps UTNs produce are very different to standard cannon ideas of where trade should occur, but they make sense. They also suggest where X-boat and major shipping lines should operate. Gurps FT has economics done well, it just doesn't mesh well with MT.

4) The concept of the Home Guard or some reserve activity as a background to other careers (stolen from CT Solomani Alien Module 6).

5) A new RPG combat system. MTs is okay and sort of like Striker in parts, like AHL or Snapshot in others. But it probably isn't as good as TNEs and I think BITS ACQ (other than being tied to square grid - I prefer freeform - my miniatures background showing up here) is possibly the best candidate. Plays well and integrates with most Traveller versions.

6) A ship construction system like CT with revised computers, sensors, stealth systems, but without the extensive pain of errata-laden MT tables.

7) T20's understanding that Battledress should really be almost invulnerable to small arms.

8) More options for failed survival roles (Paranoia Press had lots of cool results).

9) Options from.... TNE? T4?... to have some sort of hobby that you put time/skill levels into while pursuing your career (Life pursuit?).

And you can easily do multiple careers in MT now. Not hard at all. I could write a paragraph or two and have a fully inclusive rule interpretation for it.

The main things the MT ruleset excels in are:
A) Skill System
B) Skill System!!!! and UTPs!
C) Chargen (if we ignore the gross errata)
 
Pardon the thread necromancy but this happened to be exactly what was on my mind today. I'm thinking I'm going to settle on the MT rules as the basis for any future games I run. But I'm also looking at borrowing ideas from other editions.

Things I am looking to import...

Book 8 - Robots from CT (which OjnotheRed is doing a lot of work on in another thread)

Maintenance rules from TNE

Contacts from TNE

Character Gen from T4, but with skill gains reduced to match MT

Probably bits and pieces of ship / vehicle construction from various editions, individual options, bits of gear and so forth. For example adding labs and shops, manipulator arms, etc. from FFS and so forth.

Pocket Empires from T4

World Tamers Handbook from TNE
 
How is the T4 chargen compared to the one from TNE? I admit a combination of MT mechanics and TNE chargen is currently my favorite but if T4 is better, why not.
 
What would I borrow:

+ Chargen from TNE because it has more careers and is neither "point buy" nor "totally random"

+ Some equipment from GT like all the container/cargo stuff and some modules from GT:Starships

+ Setting from T20 for those "non Rebellion" games

+ Robot rules from CT
 
DonM said:
I apologize in advance for the content of this thread to those who are sensitive to pushy Travellers from other editions.

I'm asking this question ONLY to MT users who have experience with other editions. If your preferred edition is something other than MT, your answer is probably not what I'm looking for.

If you had a chance, what rules (small or big) would you steal from other TRAVELLER editions?
Click to expand...

T4 core Psionics rules, MgT character creation (including allies, contacts, rivals and enemies) as well as the MgT unskilled mod and way JoT works.
 
Last edited:
Jeffr0 said:
Is that Psionics from the T4 Corebook... really? What's so awesome about 'em?
Click to expand...

IMO, the T4 corebook psionic rules are the most functional Psionic rules for any edition of Traveller to date (Including what I have seen for T5!). Talents are treated as skills, and both your PSI and your level of skill in the talent determines just what you can and can't do with it. Since talents are treated as skills, they have to be raised through training and/or practice, NOT just by having the talent and time passing, and as such it works as a marvelous check and balance for high PSI characters. T4 psionics rules also has the most clearly written rules for what you can and can not do with each power and its subordinate disciplines that work for all levels of PSI and skill with the talent.

IMO, its one of the places that T4 really shines.
 
Last edited:
Cryton said:
IMO, the T4 corebook psionic rules are the most functional Psionic rules for any edition of Traveller to date (Including what I have seen for T5!). Talents are treated as skills, and both your PSI and your level of skill in the talent determines just what you can and can't do with it. Since talents are treated as skills, they have to be raised through training and/or practice, NOT just by having the talent and time passing, and as such it works as a marvelous check and balance for high PSI characters. T4 psionics rules also has the most clearly written rules for what you can and can not do with each power and its subordinate disciplines that work for all levels of PSI and skill with the talent.

IMO, its one of the places that T4 really shines.
Click to expand...

agreed, in total, about that.
 
Finished reading the T4 core rules and Psionics Institutes this evening, I agree with the above statements. Something else to "patch in" to my MT houserules.
 
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