[New Player]

[HowlAtTheMoon]

Hmm, where to begin..? My DND group recently switched over to Traveller for a change of pace, and because a few members of our group had played the original game. My girlfriend and myself immediately fell in love with the system and game setting. After each session all I can do is think about next week to learn more of the game mechanics and to further the campaign. The entire character creation process was a blast, and everyone in the group has an excellent, and unique character. I don't recall ever having such a good time with an RPG game similar to this.
Being new I figured I would make an account here and try to learn as much as I can about the game, and the people who play it. So hello to everyone!

 

[Colonel Mac]

Welcome, Howl, to the Traveller universe! There is tons of info here so you should find many answers to your questions. If not, just post 'em.

Again, welcome!

 

[sid6.7]

Hmm, where to begin..? My DND group recently switched over to Traveller for a change of pace, and because a few members of our group had played the original game. My girlfriend and myself immediately fell in love with the system and game setting. After each session all I can do is think about next week to learn more of the game mechanics and to further the campaign. The entire character creation process was a blast, and everyone in the group has an excellent, and unique character. I don't recall ever having such a good time with an RPG game similar to this.
Being new I figured I would make an account here and try to learn as much as I can about the game, and the people who play it. So hello to everyone!

the player, ship and world creation alone are as fun as playing the game itself...

 

[flykiller]

Being new I figured I would make an account here and try to learn as much as I can about the game, and the people who play it. So hello to everyone!

welcome aboard.

just a head's up. almost everyone here has their own ideas about what the game is, how they want to run it, and what the game mechanics should be, and some will have decades of reasoning and work behind those ideas.

enjoy.

 

[BlackBat242]

welcome aboard.

just a head's up. almost everyone here has their own ideas about what the game is, how they want to run it, and what the game mechanics should be, and some will have decades of reasoning and work behind those ideas.

enjoy.

And their ideas still conflict.

But that's ok, because you can pick the specific ideas you like or make your own... we don't mind... this isn't "D&D 3.xx/4".

"Come In. This is Liberty Hall; you can spit on the mat and call the cat a bastard!" A. Bertram Chandler

 

[aramis]

Also, remember: there are LOADS of editions...

Official and Authoritative about the OTU:
CT aka LBB's, Classic Traveller.
MT, MegaTraveller, sometimes called MegaEratta. Mostly compatible with CT.
TNE, Traveller the New Era, Virus Era. Not compatible with any other Traveller edition.
T4, AKA Mark Miller's Traveller, MMT. Design systems derived from TNE. CHaracters and stats not compatible with TNE nor CT/MT
T20, AKA Traveller's Handbook (only setting authoritative)
Mgt, AKA MoTrav, aka RTT, aka Ricki Ticki Traveller, Mongoose Traveller.
T5, aka Vaporware Traveller. The "Any week now" version that was promised for LAST year, and still ain't out. Somewhat T4 compatible

Official but non-authoritative:
GT, GURPS Traveller, snarkily Loren's Traveller (for Loren Wiseman). It is an Alternate Traveller Universe, albeint one very close to the OTU. All equipment and characters incompatible with other traveller flavors
HT, H4T, HeroTraveller. All equipment and characters incompatible with other traveller flavors

Not OTU but labelled Traveller:
T2300, renamed 2300AD. Conceptually similar to CT/MT and TNE; almost bridge like...
2320AD (T20 supplement for the 2300 universe). T20 with tweaks.

Not Traveller, but useful for TNE, as the system's the 98% the same:
T2K, Twilight 2000 (2nd edition).
Dark Conspiracy
Cadilacs and Dinosaurs

Related system which is a precursor to T2K2E (which is the precursor to DC, which leads to TNE):
Space 1889 (S1889)

Unofficial conversions on the net (One's I've actually read; I wrote the first one)
Storyteller Traveller
AD&D Traveller
CORPS Traveller
The Fantasy Trip Traveller
FUDGE Traveller
1PG Traveller
Fantasy Traveller (several versions)


you'll find fans of all the above here on COTI. (Well, no one has claimed fandom of the AD&D traveller since 1999 or so... and I don't know any who have for HT...)

In print on dead tree: CT, MgT, GT, HT, T20, DarkConspiracy*, Space 1889*
In e-print: CT, MT, TNE, T4, 2300, HT, GT, T20, T2K**, MgT***

So, you can find just about any edition CURRENTLY

*Last I checked, at least.
** 1st ed, 2nd Ed, and 2nd ed revised. 2.2 is the most TNE-like.
*** well, not yet, but it's been announced that it will be.

 

[Icosahedron]

Welcome.

In short, we're a bunch of grumpy old men who all think our version is best, and the writers couldn't make their minds up either.

Fortunately most of us restrain ourselves and the moderators restrain the rest, so you won't find any flame wars here. Enjoy.

PS. CT is best.

What rules are you using?

 

[Jame]

Welcome to the forum, HowlattheMoon!

Aramis, what do you mean "Fantasy Traveller (several versions)"?

 

[ShapeShifter]

Unofficial conversions on the net (One's I've actually read; I wrote the first one)
Storyteller Traveller
AD&D Traveller
CORPS Traveller
The Fantasy Trip Traveller
FUDGE Traveller
1PG Traveller
Fantasy Traveller (several versions)

Does this mean Traveller adapted to AD&D rules? Hmmm...

Know of any URL's?

 

[Tysis]

Welcome.

In short, we're a bunch of grumpy old men who all think our version is best, and the writers couldn't make their minds up either.

Fortunately most of us restrain ourselves and the moderators restrain the rest, so you won't find any flame wars here. Enjoy.

PS. CT is best.

What rules are you using?

I resent that old remark! Just because I remember games like D and D when they were booklets I get called old? Oh wait a minute...

I guess I do resemble the "grumpy" part. Just ask anyone that knows me.

And CT is ok, but the gearhead in me prefers TNE (minus the background).

 

[aramis]

Does this mean Traveller adapted to AD&D rules? Hmmm...

Know of any URL's?

Lost the URL in 2001. But yes, someone converted the Traveller setting to AD&D rules. It cross fertilized the development of T20 from the playtester viewpoint; I don't know that Hunter read it, but I do know he was aware of it.

 

[aramis]

Found It:
David Jacques-Watson, affectionately known as Hyphen:

http://members.pcug.org.au/~davidjw/tavspecs/maint/travadnd.htm

 

[HowlAtTheMoon]

As I said I am terribly, terribly new, and still very much a noob in all respects. So I hardly know which version it is. A new-ish one I believe, or some sort of revision. The fellows from our dnd group who encouraged us to play are the more knowledgeable ones since they had played back in the olden days. I'm still learning the rules and mechanics as we go on with our campaign (our third session is this Friday). Lately I have just been enjoying the fantastic setting, and ease with which our RP has been coming. However I am playing the part of the sponge and am wanting all the information I can get. So if someone could tell me what edition, or version I am playing, it would be a good start. The Books are solid black with very simplistic writing in Red on one, and Green, on the other.

 

[deniable]

It sounds like the CT reprints to me.

Get a better look at the book covers and somebody here will know what you're playing.

 

[aramis]

Actually, it sounds more like someone got a prerelease of Mercenary for Mongoose Traveller.

If the Books are 9"x12" with the binding along the long edge, and have a hook on the red line... and the word Traveller is colored, it's Mongoose Traveller.

(All FFE/GDW CT materials had White or Black text, not colored.)

 

[HowlAtTheMoon]

I just went over to the Mongoose site, and I do believe that this is it http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/home/series.php?qsSeries=51. Does anyone have any opinions about this particular version? I'm absolutely clueless as to what it's predecessors were like.

We switched over to Traveller not just for a change of pace, but because we were finding D&D to be particularly difficult to keep up with all of the rules and whatnot. The more RP focussed people of the group had trouble when it came to building a good character, whereas the people who had actually owned all of the expansion materials could build characters that were ridiculous in comparison to those of us who weren't well learnt with all of the D&D rules. With traveller this hardly seems to be the case, and while I am still extremely new to the system, I am finding it infinitely more easy to cope with when compared to d&d. I think the amazing character creation system really helps in terms of RP and character depth..whereas previously a character could be a slaughtering, murdering god of war, and the player may have never given him a background, or personality traits, etc. That's my take on it anyway!

p.s I've been browsing around the Mongoose section of the forums, and I must say that I really need to get my own copy, and do a lot of reading up. I hardly know what half of the things being discussed are.

 

[aramis]

As far as traveller editions go, well, it's one of them.

I find it solid, workmanlike, and reasonably well written, but a couple of the playtest issues were simply "drop it" instead of "fix it" when the cries were "Fix it, here's how, and it's a simple fix"...

 

[Amra]

HowlAtTheMoon - welcome to Traveller, I'm new here myself and enjoying myself so far.

In response to your inquiry about editions, as a fellow newbee, I'd like to give the advise to tread carefully. Take anything you read here in regards to favored versions of Traveller with a grain of salt, I've been gaming since about 1981, and I was dismayed by the level of fanaticism towards favored systems and negativity to all others which can be generated by the various "camps" of Traveller. This can be a bit of a "turn off" to a newbee who's just got excited about Traveller and is looking for information. These people are PASSIONATE about their version of Traveller, the most rabid are very helpful if your asking about versions they like, and can be a real pain in the a** if your not.

That said, which ever version of Traveller your playing is a good version - because your playing it and enjoying it. If you are playing Mongoose Traveller (MGT), which is the latest release of Traveller rules, it is as good a choice as any and has the benefit of being currently produced and supported. It also has the benefit, in my opinion, of being close enough to Classic Traveller to make conversion between the two systems easy, the fact that both systems are also using the same default time period in Traveller history is an added bonus because most of the Far Future Enterprises reprints of Classic Traveller material is easily added (especially the Adventures, Short Adventures and JTAS reprints). The "downside" of MGT is that it is just starting out and only the core book is currently available, along with a couple of free adventures via Mongooses's S&P electronic magazine. Another exciting thing about MGT is that Mongoose will publish other non-Traveller sci-fi games using the same system which can be used for other sci-fi games or plundered for more MGT material. MGT will also have open content with an SRD which will allow other publishers to create more Traveller material or other sci-fi material. I'm hopefully optimistic that MGT could lead the way into a wealth of quality sci-fi gaming material - only time will tell.

I have the core MGT book and it is a good, usable game system. The system will grow as Mongoose produces new books and you can add houserules as you go if you feel it's necessary.

If your looking for background, and you are in fact playing MGT, Far Future Enterprises offers a Classic Traveller CD for $35 that will give you background information, adventures and a lot more. I bought the CD and though I plan on running MGT, I consider the money well spent. MGT's Spinward Marches book should be out in a month or so, covering a very popular area in the Traveller universe.

The Traveler universe is HUGE and covers a lot of periods by a lot of different publishers; Gateway 993, Golden Age (classic and MGT), MegaTraveller, TNE, 1248. This can all be very overwhelming to the Traveller newbee (it is to me), just go with the system and period your currently enjoying and expand to your taste. The Traveller universe truly offers a lifetime of gaming opportunities and is still chugging along.

 

[Tysis]

I understand what you are saying about D and D. We have been playing it with some friends children. The newest book I had was second edition, and the oldest of them dated back to the 70s.

I spend a lot of 3.5 books (geez they are heavy...) myself. Overall I think they are overpriced for what you are getting.

Traveller has generally been reasonably priced. I do agree that you have chosen the correct version as long as you and your friend are having fun. In the end, that is all that matters.

I would not worry too much about what is cannon (ie official) and what is not; if you like it, use it. Our game looks like a fusion of rules from differened editions, and things from other games get borrowed as well. We tend not to stick with the official timelines, and in recent years have been making up our own campaigns.