Especially the ones in the new GURPS Ultra-Tech 4e, which give you ST amplification and super-jump.
TTL15 version of Shimmersuits.
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Especially the ones in the new GURPS Ultra-Tech 4e, which give you ST amplification and super-jump.
TTL15 version of Shimmersuits.
ThunderChilde
SOC-13
Hbp
I keep finding myself slipping back to look at some of Piper's tech ideas.
Atomic Dorainia is right close to the Darrians, they are researching novel uses and techologies of Fission. Add in Darrian tech and inventiveness, collapsium seems to be equivalent to some of the higher tech armours. Combine and then you have the basic recipe for PowerCells.
Everyone knows Fission is inferior to Fusion, right, right? I don't think this is neccessarily so, not in all applications. We have no clear grasp of what a fully matured, hightech fission power source would look like. MGT possits that they exist, but are bulkier than a fusion plant, and need refueling at a prodigious rate, it doesn't add up to me.
I could easily see my way to saying that fission ala Piper would be better for small scale applications, upto tanks and air/raft/g-carrier etc., the peak power demands of Starships and the like require the greater density of fusion. Call it a matter of scale and effiency. Fusion can only scale down so far, Fission loose out to Fusion above a certain point.
On a different related point, Abbott Lift and Drive's compactness and inexpensiveness tracks neatly with AG and CG in traveller, a bit less so for M-drives. Not to meantion Swordworlders
I keep finding myself slipping back to look at some of Piper's tech ideas.
Atomic Dorainia is right close to the Darrians, they are researching novel uses and techologies of Fission. Add in Darrian tech and inventiveness, collapsium seems to be equivalent to some of the higher tech armours. Combine and then you have the basic recipe for PowerCells.
Everyone knows Fission is inferior to Fusion, right, right? I don't think this is neccessarily so, not in all applications. We have no clear grasp of what a fully matured, hightech fission power source would look like. MGT possits that they exist, but are bulkier than a fusion plant, and need refueling at a prodigious rate, it doesn't add up to me.
I could easily see my way to saying that fission ala Piper would be better for small scale applications, upto tanks and air/raft/g-carrier etc., the peak power demands of Starships and the like require the greater density of fusion. Call it a matter of scale and effiency. Fusion can only scale down so far, Fission loose out to Fusion above a certain point.
On a different related point, Abbott Lift and Drive's compactness and inexpensiveness tracks neatly with AG and CG in traveller, a bit less so for M-drives. Not to meantion Swordworlders
tim_manley
SOC-12
When I had players want "the force" (waaaay back when) I told them "that's magic... this isn't a magic based game".
When they wanted a lightsaber I said "you have one, it's called a laser carbine -- the beam just doesn't stop after 3 feet, be happy for that..."
When they wanted a "blaster" I told them "blaster, ray gun, boomstick... doesn't matter what you call it a revolver is a revolver"
when they said "no, a laser pistol" I said "oooohhh, okay, it has the range mods of an auto pistol and does the damage of a laser carbine and uses the back-pack for the laser carbine...you have a cable running from the handle etc...."
I don't let players whine to get something that isn't in the game I GM. If they give me grief I tell them "I'm the writer, your'e playing a character in my world..."
But, to be honest, when your players get older then you don't have the issues like that; that's generally high-school type whining.....
When they wanted a lightsaber I said "you have one, it's called a laser carbine -- the beam just doesn't stop after 3 feet, be happy for that..."
When they wanted a "blaster" I told them "blaster, ray gun, boomstick... doesn't matter what you call it a revolver is a revolver"
when they said "no, a laser pistol" I said "oooohhh, okay, it has the range mods of an auto pistol and does the damage of a laser carbine and uses the back-pack for the laser carbine...you have a cable running from the handle etc...."
I don't let players whine to get something that isn't in the game I GM. If they give me grief I tell them "I'm the writer, your'e playing a character in my world..."
But, to be honest, when your players get older then you don't have the issues like that; that's generally high-school type whining.....
Another technology which I find useful is the Shadowrun Trode (electrode) Net. Basically it is a wearable neural interface, allowing you do perform some of the functions of a cyberjack without actually having surgery. I would use it to allow comms to be worn; by about TL-13 you could have them be earring sized.
tim_manley
SOC-12
I'm quite fond of the WW2 style tech in space concept... and all my images of Traveller have hinged on that imagry. That means cybertech stuff, even robots, don't fit...
least-ways in the early games I ran.
Cyberpunk 2020 offers this in the Chrome book, which is a nice book, despite it's somewhat simple looks. They have Mag-Duct spots so that people who don't want implants can control their Smart Guns via induction through the skin (something I understand that's being worked on now).
GURPS Traveller mentions Neural Interfaces, in that the few that exist don't give a cyberpunk-style bonus (only +1 vs +4) so it's not enough to matter. I believe one of the Cargonaut books has the "Cat Hat" which is similar, a neural induction helmet or interface.
GENEM in the book Rescue on Galatea is an extra-Imperial company based in the Far Frontiers Sector, so if you want to go that route, it's an option...
Code:
Genem, Inc.: The oldest known corporation in the sector Genem may be found
everywhere. Primarily interested in transportation and colonization, Genem is
also a major weapons technology supplier and military research organization
in the sector, outfitting all branches of the armed forces with
state-of-the-art materials. Genem has been more often than not directly
involved in the overthrow of minos planetary goveminents, the status of
ovhose commercial ties Genem considered questionable. Genem is currently
involved in computer and biological unit totalintegration projects (TIP's)
designed with an eye towards producing a new breed of fighting-man, half
organic, half machine. Genem also uses several of the planets it owns by
contract for weapons system testing areas. Finally, the company is working on
self-designing/ building/replicating/and maintaining computer systems using
it's current TIP technology. Genem's excutive membership is unknown.
TIP: Total-integration process describes an information symbiosis between
fluid-printed computer circuits and organic matter in which they are placed.
The resulting grafts allow a human being, for instance, far greater memory
and logic capacity as well as upgraded awareness of his own bodily systems
(primarily hor- monal, with the result that a man so equipped would be able
to regulate the secre- tion of immunological material to wounded areas or
adrenalin to needed muscles). The process is currently being developed by
Genem, Inc. for use under extreme combat situations.>
I was a pre metamorhis alpha dude, so was making my own games anyway. When Traveller came along it was a god send to use as a baseline. So to answer your question:
All the time. I embraced it and made the characters work for it. It becomes the central theme of a campaign and is a lot of fun.
e.g. "The Force??" If you want it, you need to look for it. Da dah, instant quest. If you want a light saber, you have to invent it.
One of the things players loved was bringing their favorite characters from D&D (for example) into a traveller universe and Vice Versa. I used Michael Moorcock's "eternal hero" series to get some ideas on that one, and it made for years of great gaming. There is nothing like a level 20 gazillion mage being lost in a tech 16 city and only being able to access his powers when, say, near a jump field, or on a starship, as the jump field creates a flux that allows him to access his powers from his orignal universe ,etc, etc. Raymond E Feist used that concept in his books later in the 80's with some sort of portal between worlds IIRC.
Anyway, I don't think it is fair to try and expect a game design to answer all the questions for you. Its kind of like being spoon fed and is , well, boring.
It is really fun combining concepts as well... ok the dude wants to use the force and a couple of campaigns later, actually comes up with a plausible design for a light sabre... so, ok, its not fair to deny it to him. He's a fun guy and really adds to the play, so you let him have it. Things work out fine for awhile but then the character finds he can't use the force unless he kills something with his lightsabre.
(stormbringer) and now he is becoming enemy no.1, etc, etc.Thinking back, I don't think I played one single game that stuck to the basic traveller tech. Like I said, it was a baseline and then let the story flow from there.
Hope that helps.
T
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I have laser/plasma blades as well as electric swords IMTU. They existed before Star Wars in SF. I created weapons inspired by Andre Norton's tanglers, except as projectile weapons fired from specialized guns or shotguns. I worked out Larry Niven's variable blade as a TL 14/15 device. The anti-radiation Guja was inspired by by H. Beam Piper's 4 Day planet. The protoplasmic race I created was inspired by whismy-there have been so many BEM's of that caliber who militaristic, xenophobic, of kidnappers of fair damsels. I thought it would be amusing to have such a race that was laid, back, friendly, incredible bio-engineers and amused by races who couldn't create as many appendages, eyes, etc., as needed.
G. Fieendish
SOC-12
Ah, Chromebook 1... The artwork did improve over time, with the publication of Chromebooks 2, 3 & 4...
I was so impressed with the Chromebook I that I'd probably pick the others up if I can look at them (find them used) or if they have preview PDFs or something.
Never got around to Maximum Metal.
The Cyberpunk books look a little cheap/comic book-ish, but the writing
is solid, and quickly overcomes any problems with the packaging.
>
Never got around to Maximum Metal.
The Cyberpunk books look a little cheap/comic book-ish, but the writing
is solid, and quickly overcomes any problems with the packaging.
>
It was "no holds barred" in terms of importing other material from movies, books and games. That's kind of what Traveller was and is all about, in spite of the official canonized universe. Traveller had a dash of Star Trek in terms of "exploring strange new worlds; to seek out new life forms; to bodly go ..." kind of thing. But minus the Enterprise and the whole Trek thing.
I imported Gamma World, some DND, some stuff from the old Task Force Games series, along with Microgames and the such. We touched on Space 1999, a lot of the George Pal films, 2001 (Arther C. Clarke) and a host of other sci-fi authors. My one regret is that I never got to be able to explore all the venues with our set of characters that I wanted to.
A lot of that was because we were all getting burned out on Traveller, and were getting on with careers and girlfriends.
Some places we never got to go to; ringworlds and/or Dyson spheres. I broght this up several years back on this BBS, and was also writing on another BBS about marines in heavy armor. Next thing I know HALO hits the shelves.
In spite of "Nomads of the Ocean World" our group never did an aquatic adventure. We did the sea based research station one (title escapes me), but that wasn't an ocean based adventure as such.
We never did an ice world adventure, though we did some vacuum world and general space stuff. We never went into a gas giant propper, but visited a lot of barren worlds. Oddly enough we also never messed around in huge megaopolis cities, but visited worlds with contemporary sized cities.
A place that would've been interesting to go to would have been Larry Niven's "Integral Trees" universe. I've never read the series, but from what I've heard it sounds very interesting and intriguing.
Our group did "Night of Conquest", but I always wanted to put them in a situation where they had to escape a real major invasion, say like the Zhodani moving in on Regina or Rhylanor or something.
Our group went into Zhodani space, but nothing particularly exciting happened there. One of our early group members was a psionic, and we had to evade or avoid an anti-Psi riot (as per the book rule's suggestion).
There's tons of intersteller phenomenon that we didn't experience. The rules just weren't equipped for it, so what few anomolies we conjurred we had to finagle or hand-wave rules for it; i.e. how do you not get crushed or torn into spaghetti by diving into a black hole... that kind of thing.
I could go on, but I need to find a new job.
Hope that helps.
ThunderChilde
SOC-13
With further remininence, we had a Scout walker from SW years before the film. We swiped speederbikes, too cool not too. One of teh GM's was apparently looting George Schmitz Telzay stories for how the way cooler psionics worked in his game. Many aliens were lifted wholesale from books and old movies.
Our Marines used boarding Axes, ala Perry Rhodan, and Skylark of Valeron. Then there were our Hell Tanks. CG monsters, fusion powered, defence fielded with the Hell Cannon as the main weapon Basically it was a prodigous direct energy weapon system. Intensely dence magnetic and forcefields protect the tank and the bore of the weapon for what it fired was a mix of anti-matter and a neutronstar slug, the catacylsmic result is how the tanks got thier name. They could engage targets clear out to high orbit. THey also mounted railguns for smaller targets and to act as artillery, and a variety of closer in and defencive weapons. They weighed around 1,00 tons each as I recall.The basic concept came from a book whoes title I cannot remember.
I own all 4 Chrome books, Maximum metal, both Solo of Fortunes, and quite a few other CP2020 books, all of the ones published I think. Listen Up You Primitive Screwheads is a very useful GMing tool and teaching book. I've had the Honour of gaming with Maxximum Mike at 4 different cons over the years.
Living Steel and the Rhand book and Dragonstar I also own along with most of the supplements. Easily the funniest side bars in all the history of RPGs. I mined a few things from it for CP2020, and Maximum metal uses a number of ideas from Living Steel, shared authors after all. The basic concepts would make for a nice pocket empire pitted against a larger Pocket Empire. Tech isn't much higher at its max than TTL-15
Our Marines used boarding Axes, ala Perry Rhodan, and Skylark of Valeron. Then there were our Hell Tanks. CG monsters, fusion powered, defence fielded with the Hell Cannon as the main weapon Basically it was a prodigous direct energy weapon system. Intensely dence magnetic and forcefields protect the tank and the bore of the weapon for what it fired was a mix of anti-matter and a neutronstar slug, the catacylsmic result is how the tanks got thier name. They could engage targets clear out to high orbit. THey also mounted railguns for smaller targets and to act as artillery, and a variety of closer in and defencive weapons. They weighed around 1,00 tons each as I recall.The basic concept came from a book whoes title I cannot remember.
I own all 4 Chrome books, Maximum metal, both Solo of Fortunes, and quite a few other CP2020 books, all of the ones published I think. Listen Up You Primitive Screwheads is a very useful GMing tool and teaching book. I've had the Honour of gaming with Maxximum Mike at 4 different cons over the years.
Living Steel and the Rhand book and Dragonstar I also own along with most of the supplements. Easily the funniest side bars in all the history of RPGs. I mined a few things from it for CP2020, and Maximum metal uses a number of ideas from Living Steel, shared authors after all. The basic concepts would make for a nice pocket empire pitted against a larger Pocket Empire. Tech isn't much higher at its max than TTL-15
G. Fieendish
SOC-12
Talisorian reprinted the Chromebooks as 2 Compilation works, as for PDF's, I think Scribd has some Cyberpunk Books as PDF's/Epaper at their website www.scribd.com/groups , but I'm not sure which ones...
Easterner9504
SOC-13
Something old, something new. Something borrowed, something blue
I've never needed much outside OTU.
Minetti pistols from Rimworld novels.
Trace Tabs from Space Angel series
I've never needed much outside OTU.
Minetti pistols from Rimworld novels.
Trace Tabs from Space Angel series
Ditto. Chromebooks, Street Samurai's Catalog (Shadowrun), Alternity (PHB and Equipment Guide), Star Frontiers, Buck Rogers, BSG, Firefly...
Unless it's truly unique to a setting or requested for the 'imagery' associated with it (ie. lightsabers), I say... bring it on! If the player gives me an idea (within existing TL's), I'm gonna assume that someone on the 100,000 worlds has built it. Now you just gotta afford it...
