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The Traveller 5 Live Playtest Dream Team

robject

robject

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If T5 has your interest, read on.

If you were a wealthy patron, and were able to gather the ultimate group to your home for Official Traveller 5 play testing, who would you bring over (via Learjet, Virgin Galactic, Concorde, maglev rail, and/or first class, of course)?

IMTU, offhand, I'd bring in a group of four. I would want to play, but frankly I'm not in their league -- besides, I'd be filming the whole thing.

Marc Miller
Kurega Gikur
Boomslang
Ron Brown

Marc would be there to tune the system, kick some butt, and be kicked in the butt. Kurega would be there for his excellent plot hooking and fast thinking. Similarly Boomslang for his intricate, thumping good conspiracies. Ron for his human angle and first subtle, then nerve-wracking, and finally in-space-they-can't-hear-you-scream tales. They'd take 1 turn refereeing for each 3 turns playing.

I think they would end up ranging all over the spectrum of adventures and enjoying every minute of it. I can see ambushes, plot twists, boarding actions, bug hunts, catastrophes, harsh wilderness treks, intrusion and infiltration, civil wars, enigmatic artifacts, and mind games.

Then I'd hire a transcriptionist to bottle it all up, and have it packaged as a series of adventures.
 
My group would be:

Marc Miller (to GM)
Kevin Walsh(aka Shadowcat)
Mike Wallis (friend of Kevin's from Illinois)
David Nelson (my friend who now lives in Illinois)
Loren Wiseman
and of course, me


Allen
 
My dream team would be (noted for):
Greg Porter (BTRC - EABA, CORPS, 3G3, Timelords)
Greg Stafford (Chaosium's whole line, Pendragon)
Dr Skull (T20 platest)
Thomas Jones-Lo (T20 Playtest)
Phil McGreggor (Space Opera, STARPlay, Armageddon)

and just maybe
Marc Miller
RObject

Why? Cause these guys all know what a playtest is, what it is for, and why it isn't the same as a normal game. They all have a willingness to try something they KNOW isn't working, to see exactly WHY it isn't working. They all have enough expertise to be able to suggest alternate approaches for consideration. Phil, Greg, and Greg all have expressed GM and Player styles not dissimilar from my own.

Dr. Skull and TJL both have shown similar skill sets.

Marc I'm hesitant about. I suspect he'd be incredibly uncomfortable in a game I ran, based upon his posts and Robject's transcripts of his emails. I wouldn't turn him away, nor would I let him GM; he needs to see the rules in someone ELSE's hands to truly see where things do/don't work.

Robject, well, again, we don't see eye to eye, but I have doubts about his filtering of information between Marc and the rest of us; he's a tendency to try to diffuse discussions going in ways he doesn't like. He seems very much Marc's "Yes-man."

Either myself or Mr. Stafford GMing, possibly both. Maybe some sessions run by Mr Porter.

Some people I'd love to just game with:
Gregs Porter, Stafford, and Costikiyan.
Phil McGreggor
Leonard Kanterman
The brothers Weisman of FASA
The Brothers Keith (altho' it might be a bit spooky if both are present...)
Joss Wheedon
Wil Wheaton
Jolly Blackburn
the following KODT board denizens: SeussMD, Klea, Lady_Sionell, CrazyAl
 
How about if you had your own TARDIS?

Leonard Nimoy
Albert Einstien
Steven Hawking
Pamela Anderson
Marc Miller
Jesus

Now that would be MY dream team to Traveller RP with...
(and I could probably add more)
 
Joss Wheldon
Joe Fugate
Angelina Jolie
Jessica Alba
The Keith Brothers
Jon F. Zeigler

This would certainly add the cinematic quality that the next version of Traveller would need.

Also, keep in mind, I see the next version of Traveller also merging with certain forms of LARPing. Hey, you said it was a dream...
 
Hrm. Is this a "Playtest Dream Team" or a "RPG players dream team"?

For playtesting, I'd agree with Aramis, you want people who know how to comment on a game, Traveller in particular.

Aramis, Dr. Skull, Greg Porter, Anthony Jackson, Hans Rancke-Madsen, Robert Prior, Chris Thrash,

I learned how to do playtest propely on the GURPS Playtest boards. It's a shame they've gone to a closed mailing list for their playtests. A few of the regulars there would be an excellent addition:
Bill Stoddard, Phil Masters, Douglas Cole.

As for the RPG dream players... That's tougher. I'll have to think about that.
 
Greetings and salutations,

Hmm... I have read the lists thus far and realize there are no restrictions on who whould be on the Dream Team. Well, here's my .02 credits.

The Gathering (The people I play with. Our Motto: Where here to blow sh*t up! Warning: Deadlock CANNOT have anything that has to be thrown, especially if it explodes! However, if it's a gun, that the man have it!)
Millennium (If it flies, he can fly it)
Millennium's Angel (stay away from the Iron Star)
Ariana (warrior-woman)
Cloak (If it needs to be dead, not a problem)
Crow (long haired, pretty boy)
Russell (diplomat that can lay the beatdown)
Dan (Master of Sarcasm)
Tribo
DJ (she's not a gamer, but she's a goddess!)

From the Forum:
Far too many to name

REF:
Marc Miller
Joe Fugate
Josh Wheldon
Gary Gygax
Loren K. Wiseman
Martin J. Dougherty
Michael Pondsmith (Cyberpunk creator; he will need to redeem himself for CPv3)

From the Movie Set:
Samuel L. Jackson
John Travolta
Jet Li
Salma Hayek (check please!)
Quentin Tarantino (Definitely a Ref)
Danny Trejo
Shakira (what other woman on the planet can move their body like that?)
Dan Ackroyd (UFO Conspiracies anyone?)

The cast of:
Serenity
Stargate SG-1
Stargate Atlantis
Star Wars: Episode 3 and Episode 4
ST Series
X-Men Trilogy

There are some others, but I think this is good for now. For all the people playing, have them start at different parts of a subsector, working on the same mystery (but the PCs won't know that unless they meet and compare notes).

There will be plenty of action, mystery, thrills, horror, suspense, and things that make you go, "What the f..k!" (Thanks, Quentin! You rock!)
 
I'd want to play. Not referee - I'd come up with something, but wimp out at the last second for fear it'd be less than the level I'd feel necessary - but play. No dream team aside from the Creators Of Traveller (R) (tm), but maybe some celebrities (some from the various Star Treks, especially William Shatner if we were taping it, but possibly not Patrick Stewart - even though he'd be invited I can't really see him as being interested).

And naturally I'd invite my gaming group.
 
Originally posted by Aramis:

Robject, well, again, we don't see eye to eye, but I have doubts about his filtering of information between Marc and the rest of us; he's a tendency to try to diffuse discussions going in ways he doesn't like. He seems very much Marc's "Yes-man."
Click to expand...
Your list makes sense.

Regarding being a yes-man: It's very possible; I certainly admit bias and exhibit the tendency, and am disgusted by the idea by the way.

On the other hand, I try to be scrupulous at presenting opinions and data between y'all and Marc. It's also true that I don't know how to resolve many of the issues involved, and the people Marc doesn't see eye-to-eye with may be more important to the design process than the ones who agree with him.
 
Originally posted by Jame:
I'd want to play. Not referee - I'd come up with something, but wimp out at the last second for fear it'd be less than the level I'd feel necessary - but play. No dream team aside from the Creators Of Traveller (R) (tm...
Click to expand...
Trust me, you would like to Referee these guys. Having watch Gygax DM, it is very painful process and he was even doing House Rules. Game Designers are much better Characters on and off the game setting therefore, giving them a chance to play their alter ego is just plain fun.

Two more names to add to the list that I mentioned above:

Ed Greenwood
Robin D. Laws

Quite a few celebraties do cross my attention but when you read interviews they are quite shallow despite the characters they play consequentially, I would reduce the stars just to what I mentioned above
 
Wil Wheaton has made some meaningful contributions to discussions on various games fora... he seems far less shallow, than say, Vin Diesel. Vin admits to being a hack-n-slash junkie.
 
Yeah, but Wil reminds me too much of my cousin Dan. Brainy but geeky. And, at the same time full of himself slightly. As the characters in Dungeons & Dragons 2 (Wraith of the Elemental God) extensively read up on the game before commencing their roles. Maybe, they would be good candidates...

5.jpg

Just lose the blue lips

damodar.jpg


elliechidzey4.jpg
 
I'd want several small core groups that can playtest this thing (assuming there's actually something TO playtest) to Hades and back. Including a mix of people new to Traveller and gaming and even sci-fi to give it a non-grognard test.

Honestly though I don't see that coming even close to happening. The Moot had some potential but there's only been dribs and drabs. Useful perhaps but very difficult to get a sense of how it all fits together and plays as a game. And if Hunter ever gets back back a lot of Moot subs are going to expire with nothing new in the pipeline (i.e. little reason to renew).

Gencon 2007 isn't *that* far away esp. when you take into account printing and shipping time.

Most lists I'm seeing here are dream castings for some movie or wet dream playtest...not actually helpful IMO.
 
Kafka: Drop the slightly... ;)

Robject: I know you're not comfortable being seen as a yes-man. It's about the only thing that makes me think you shouldn't be part of the same group as Marc.

My actual playtest group for T20 was:
Me, GMing.
Shadowbear (who used to be on here...) CT grog, AD&D grog
My Wife (has played MT and TNE rules, MT and CT settings) and had played in my D&D3e game just prior to the playtest.
George Chisum. 1st traveller game, 1st d20 game.
Peter Newman: CT, MT, TNE, T4 - all grog. Played in my D20 campaign.
Rich Flynn... 2nd traveller game, (1st was MT), 3rd d20 game, played in my D&D3E game. Didin't PLAY, but did do CG tests often.
B. Charles Reynolds: had played MT a couple times. Was in my 3E game.
Eric Pikey. Had played my MT and TNE games, and Ricker's MT and TNE games. No D20 experience.

These guys really tore in to the rules. They also accepted the occasional retcons and sometimes plot non-sequiteurs required to test the "topic of the week." We told a good story, and got a lot of testing done.

Keep in mind, when I volunteered, 3E was still THE ONLY SRD available; Modern had just been announced that it would be coming.

For T5, I would happily take any or all of these guys again. Of course, given what she's seen, my wife has decided T5 is not worth HER time. Peter's not active in the T5 fora to form an opinion.... Charles is 200 miles away. Rich isn't available; he's 60 miles the other way.George is somewhere on the pacific. Shadowbear would probably be willing. Eric has given up on Traveller and gone Rifting.
 
Originally posted by Aramis:

Robject: I know you're not comfortable being seen as a yes-man. It's about the only thing that makes me think you shouldn't be part of the same group as Marc.
Click to expand...
Comfortable? Yeah, this whole playtest-town-crier job is a hoot. Nothing but caviar and foot massage.

I want to point out to the ether and anyone who isn't bored to death by this post or topic that I'm not the right person for this job and never claimed to be. For the moment, it's a job that needs doing, for whatever reason. And there can be as many possible reasons as there are people here on COTI.

After a year of this, I finally can see people who don't mind talking with Marc about the system rather than criticizing the author or the whole based on first impressions and preferred agendas.

Hell, I have my own agenda, you think Marc responds to my agenda items any more than anyone else's? Well, the answer is No. You can ask him yourself. If I seem to be agendaless (see spineless yes-man), it's probably the result of my trying to be a conduit.

And that may make some recoil in horror, if they suppose that Marc is also stuck in the mud of Traveller's rules history. Our experienced playtesters -- the people T5 can probably benefit most from -- can't push him. Well, he changes his mind to intelligent but polite COOPERATIVE HELP. Just like the rest of us dumb trousered apes.

Good communication is HARD on the web, on this forum, on phpBB.

Guess it's time to take my meds.
 
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