Player's Book: Cover Art
- Thread starter robject
- Start date
Stan Shinn let me flip through his Fate Core book, and I found its small size to be handy; I had forgotten that the inside art was black and white.
Officially, I know that Marc committed to a Player's Manual. One of the formats he's considering is about the size of Fate Core (6x9), with a color cover, black and white interior, 250 pages.
A full quarter of that might be character generation, including mustering-out starship descriptions. Setting support might run 30 pages, examples another 30 pages, equipment another 30 pages, and several sections would be lifted or abridged from the T5 Core Rules (chargen, skills, combat, starports, psionics).
Condottiere
SOC-14 5K
Despite it's clean technical lines, there's something surrealistic about it; I think I first really appreciated his work when I got one of those large coffee table book compilations, and probably one of the translated Perry Rhodan series covers.
But I tend to associate Traveller more with grim spartanic black and white illustrations, which calls back to pulp magazines.
But I tend to associate Traveller more with grim spartanic black and white illustrations, which calls back to pulp magazines.
Original_Carl
SOC-12
I'd like to see a collage. Exploration, Laser Shootout, Busy Spaceport, Engineering Section of a Starship, Epic Space Battle, and a glimpse of Ancient Technology.
I quite like that.
nats
SOC-12
Well I must admit that Chris Burns does more the sort of scifi art that suits Traveller - I think that pic of the Travellers inside a starport that features on the miniature boxes is very good. Although some of the later Mongoose covers with the paintings on them have also been superb - very much John Berkley-ist - shame the books themselves were rather pants or I would have got them!
It should really represent the meat of what the game is all about and it all starts from fellow travellers getting together and going out on an adventure and exploring the vastness of space in their little ship. So something to do with that.
It should really represent the meat of what the game is all about and it all starts from fellow travellers getting together and going out on an adventure and exploring the vastness of space in their little ship. So something to do with that.
Traveller is about travel. ( BBB introductary statement)
The starship entering athmosphere is the evocation of everything made possible by travel, either it be trade, battle, various social intercourses, in ever changing or exotic setting.
Tomorrow is a new day in a new place
Have fun
Selandia
The starship entering athmosphere is the evocation of everything made possible by travel, either it be trade, battle, various social intercourses, in ever changing or exotic setting.
Tomorrow is a new day in a new place
Have fun
Selandia
"something not on this list" - a complex re-entry scene. characters on a bridge, looking at the new (terran-norm but obviously not terra) planet as they approach it. as was said, traveller is about travel so show them travelling. makes the purchaser/newGamer think, "hey, this game is going somewhere".
characters inside a busy starport would be a great follow-on immediately inside the cover.
exploration should have several scenes, one at the start of per chapter. one for planetary surface, one for prospecting, one for merchant trading, etc.
combat scenes should be limited to the sections on combat.
"for the isthmus he is bound and then ...
for anywhere!"
characters inside a busy starport would be a great follow-on immediately inside the cover.
exploration should have several scenes, one at the start of per chapter. one for planetary surface, one for prospecting, one for merchant trading, etc.
combat scenes should be limited to the sections on combat.
"for the isthmus he is bound and then ...
for anywhere!"
What I assume - The Player's Guide would first and foremost be for players, most likely people new to Traveller and possibly new to RPGs in general. Not that We Seasoned Players wouldn't buy it, or fund it - we would - but we're probably not the key demographic that's going to keep the game alive and vibrant into the Far Future. Those younglings, they're most likely scifi fans, so we can probably assume some scifi literacy. Also, how many people start playing RPGs when they've got a full-time job, family and kids? Some, maybe. But not a lot. So again, probably young.
What I suppose - All the recently successful new editions of major RPGs have been visually complex, engaging, and appealing in an affective way, not in the "clean lines, black and white" motif popular way back when. A successful intro book/Player's Guide with everything backing it for success would probably be more like the stuff that sells well today, in regards to a cover and associated art.
What I know for certain - I love the idea of talking about this, but when this book moves closer to becoming something we can hold in our hands but before any serious decisions are made, I hopehopehope stakeholders in the process get input from several to many actual new-to-Traveller types, seasoned gamers in other systems all the way through total newbies.
I could go on and on about this, but why ramble? (^_^ If people new to Traveller or scifi gaming are an important group of buyers, a serious attempt to learn what would be appealing to them should be made.
My vote - the Starport. regardless of the type of adventuring a player might want to do, it's a common point of interest. And I -really- do love the spirit of that artwork Ackehece posted.
What I suppose - All the recently successful new editions of major RPGs have been visually complex, engaging, and appealing in an affective way, not in the "clean lines, black and white" motif popular way back when. A successful intro book/Player's Guide with everything backing it for success would probably be more like the stuff that sells well today, in regards to a cover and associated art.
What I know for certain - I love the idea of talking about this, but when this book moves closer to becoming something we can hold in our hands but before any serious decisions are made, I hopehopehope stakeholders in the process get input from several to many actual new-to-Traveller types, seasoned gamers in other systems all the way through total newbies.
I could go on and on about this, but why ramble? (^_^ If people new to Traveller or scifi gaming are an important group of buyers, a serious attempt to learn what would be appealing to them should be made.
My vote - the Starport. regardless of the type of adventuring a player might want to do, it's a common point of interest. And I -really- do love the spirit of that artwork Ackehece posted.
Interesting take. It's possible.
I think today's younglings do typically know about "online RPGs" - so modify that to:
- new to PENCIL AND PAPER RPGs in general
(I wonder if OSR changes that?)
These sound reasonable.
- SF fans
- Unmarried, younger
Others have told me that OSR is not going away as a gaming option, as well. And I suspect T5 will look more like OSR. Mongoose Traveller, meanwhile, is targetting the modern glossy-glam nicely.
Of course, every book geared for players needs the right CONTENT too (I know, this thread is not about content, just had to say it).
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
The last two sci-fi games I have invested in the kickstarter are Mindjammer just so I could get the Traveller conversion, and Coriolis.
The artwork in both of these is absolutely stunning.
The normal cover for Coriolis is a typical scene from the game, the limited edition covers are very plain.
The artwork in both of these is absolutely stunning.
The normal cover for Coriolis is a typical scene from the game, the limited edition covers are very plain.
