Traveller 2300 vs 2300AD

[daltoncalford]

What is the difference between these two systems?
I bought the origional Traveller 2300 boxed set a few years back, but I never saw or heard of the 2300AD system until long after GDW was bankrupt.

Can anybody give a comparison of the two products?


Thanks

Dalton

 

[kafka47]

I always felt the original T2300 was meant as a game of exploration and venturing into the unknown. The whole alien landscapes and different creatres out there was left almost entirely to the referee. Plus, the books were hardly illustrated so much was left to the imagination. This was a world set in the Near Future and humanity take giant steps forward.

Whereas, 2300AD had a more military feel to it. The war with the Kafers seemed to dominate and the universe was more knowable. Not to forget that the 2300AD rules introduced also cyberpunk into play much more. It was also a much better illustrated product.

If I had to choose between them, I would opt for 2300AD but put the emphasis on exploration which is what I think Colin is doing with T20 2330AD.

 

[Colin]

Thanks kafka.

What I am trying to do is provide the tools for gaming groups to provide their own emphasis.
The setting supports many kinds of adventures, from exploration to ground military to space military to crime.

One of the new Prestige classes included is the Alien Cultural and Technologies Expert, a sort of Academic class focused on aliens and their cultures. The other Prestige classes are the Troubleshooter, and the Special Forces trooper. Add the Ace Pilot and the Big Game Hunter from T20, and just in the Prestige classes you see some of the primary focii for 2320.

Colin
2320AD writer
Yay. Frontier worlds is finished, Aliens is finished

 

[kafka47]

Naturally, one small cavat...I would have to add...buy 2330AD (Colin's work). -

-

 

[abegubler]

The only difference between the two editions that I really noticed was the Players Manual was renamed the Adventureres Guide and the Referees Manual the Directors Guide?

Challenge 34 and Lester Smith's article "The 2300AD Revision" details all the changes and rationale for them which can be concluded really in that it was a style change. It seems that GDW was worried that sales of Traveller: 2300 were low and concluded it was because people thought it was a Traveller module not a new game. Plus they beefed it up with more stuff so people would buy it.

Anyway I don't think it was anymore militarsitc except the cover artwork. Maybe 2300AD has become more militaristic due to the fan work over the past ten years. For which I take my share of responsbility as I was the guy who suggested the whole Etranger Project. But it was just and outgrowth of the Tirane Project which is a very impressive collection of non-militaristic work.

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~dheb/Tirane/tirane.htm

I've alays found RPGing military environments hard and most of my gaming in the 2300AD universe was up around the Australian colony worlds in a ridiculously expensive spaceship causing lots of trouble in pubs and colonial villages with brief moments of actual space exploration...

 

[Vargas]

It always seemed to me that 2300 had a great setting that no one was sure how to use to best effect.

(Well, that and I was never too enamored with the rules)

 

[daltoncalford]

So the rules are the same as the origional Traveller 2300 with just more detail and pics?

 

[Colin]

There are some difference in the rules. More clarification, fixed some probelms with weapon damage and armor ratings.

Colin Dunn
2320AD writer
It's done! It's Done!

 

[siefertma2]

Originally posted by Colin:
It's done! It's Done!

Excuse me... HOODY HOO!

How soon until the playtest files hit The Moot?

 

[Colin]

Playtest files will likely go up Sunday or Monday, if all goes well. If all doesn't, well...

Colin Dunn
2320AD writer
"For the love of God man, I've got a wife and family!"

 

[Redleg58]

Originally posted by Colin:
Playtest files will likely go up Sunday or Monday, if all goes well. If all doesn't, well...

Colin Dunn
2320AD writer
"For the love of God man, I've got a wife and family!"

Well I hope I can get into the MOOT one day, hasn't worked as of yet....

 

[hunter]

Originally posted by Redleg:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Colin:
Playtest files will likely go up Sunday or Monday, if all goes well. If all doesn't, well...

Colin Dunn
2320AD writer
"For the love of God man, I've got a wife and family!"

Well I hope I can get into the MOOT one day, hasn't worked as of yet.... </font>[/QUOTE]Your account is active. I just tested your CotI username and password as was able to log in under them using IE6, so they are valid.

Be sure that you are using the proper case on the username and password, the system is case-sensitive.

Hunter

 

[Redleg58]

Originally posted by hunter:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Redleg:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Colin:
Playtest files will likely go up Sunday or Monday, if all goes well. If all doesn't, well...

Colin Dunn
2320AD writer
"For the love of God man, I've got a wife and family!"

Well I hope I can get into the MOOT one day, hasn't worked as of yet.... </font>[/QUOTE]Your account is active. I just tested your CotI username and password as was able to log in under them using IE6, so they are valid.

Be sure that you are using the proper case on the username and password, the system is case-sensitive.

Hunter </font>[/QUOTE]I got it to work! Thanks! BTW I love the background story!