Traveller 5 - Referee Screen -> Needed or Not Needed?

[Spaceresearcher]

Hello all,
While thinking on the subject of beginners, my mind seemed to gravitate towards the possibility of a T5 referee screen. Something like the excellent Megatraveller DGP screen, could present a terrific aid for Referees and players, to nail down the core tables of the T5 system.

I notice an excellent web based utility and excel spreadsheets no doubt being developed etc. My main thoughts on all of this great stuff is that there terrific for aiding in developing an adventure but when it comes to actual gaming, I find people all sitting around with notebooks etc to be more of a distraction than an aid. I'd argue that a notebook is great for the ref, but for the players, there minds should be concentrating on the game. Each plug at a computer is a moment lost to the actual RPG role playing time, it also defeats the point of role playing with a group(eg if one feels the need to plug away on a computer, they may as well stay at home and play an online RPG etc). Hence the Referee screen for direct lookups which I think most people would agree is a lot faster than scanning a book or even doing a computer search. Even a web based setup, will require typing or selecting a certain search criteria. A glance at a ready reference is a lot faster(The map versus the GPS. I've lost count of the amount of times I've charted a route on a map faster than someone can switch on a GPS and punch in the location and even then it gives the wrong route to the target 60% of the time). (For the record, I absolutely love technology when it's application is justified and efficient).

So thoughts on a possible T5 screen fellow Travellers? What does it need and what doesn't it need? (If you could add some info and how you rated past screens that have come before and what you thought of those, that would be interesting).

 

[Licheking]

The MT screen was awesome and came with an adventure and equipment sheets. All the relevant charts for combat and interactions were there, as was the explanation of the UWP for the players on their side of the screen. It also had some quick random NPC stats and encounter tables which i still use for T5.

 

[nats]

The MgT ref screen is superb as well, one of their best products, with just a little redundant space so that you can stick over a few more useful tables yourself. Far better than anything I got for CT. Dont know how much is relevant to T5 though.

I love Ref Screens they are such quintessential RPG table equipment. I know sometimes they can be seen as a philosophical barrier between ref and players but you can always have it to one side so you feel more in touch with the gameplaying as a ref which is what I like to do. They are certainly useful for hiding dice rolls and other surprises as well.

 

[aramis]

Ref screens are a controversial subject for many, and a presumed necessity for many more.

That T5 needs a set of tables to run, well, it's not true in the same sense as CT, where, in combat, you've got the need for the weapon tables from Bk1 and Bk 4, and a screen makes them MUCH faster. Likewise AD&D's combat tables.

Let's consider what JG put on the CT screen, each point being 1 page, each line being one table:

• Melee Weapons vs armor & range, large
  Psionic tables
• Animal Encounters creation tables
  Endurance mechanics
  Personal Combat Hit Resolution proceedure
• Ranged weapons vs armor & range part 1, large
• Ranged weapons vs armor & range part 2, large
• Terrain mods
  encounter ranges
  Combat sequence
  Animal reactions
  Animal types
  Animal speeds
• Melee Weapons vs armor & range, small print
  Ranged weapons vs armor & range part, small print
• Combat Sequence (Ship)
  Computer Software
  Jump Sequence
  Detection ability
  Laser Fire DM's,
  Ship Combat hit location
• Random Person Encounter Table
  Patron Encounter
  Ship Encounters,
  Patrol or Pirate
  Reactions
  Additional weapons for encounters

4 sheets, two sided.

For T5, what tables would be needed enough to make the list?

Tasks are a definite for MT onward... but what else for T5?
Trade and commerce? (It should have been on the CT screen, but instead they gave a larger version of the weapons tables.)

 

[Daddicus]

I'm thinking multiple referee screens are needed, but each one smaller than the classic styles.

One for land-based combat.

One for ship-based combat.

One for merchanting (buying, selling, jumping between systems, etc.)

We could use another for character creation, but I don't think it's worth the time to have one for sale. Character creation is long and cumbersome, but you don't do it very often. Character creation needs more of a massive wall chart.

Probably more, but those are at the top of the idea-heap.

 

[Spaceresearcher]

Ref screens are a controversial subject for many, and a presumed necessity for many more.

That T5 needs a set of tables to run, well, it's not true in the same sense as CT, where, in combat, you've got the need for the weapon tables from Bk1 and Bk 4, and a screen makes them MUCH faster. Likewise AD&D's combat tables.

Let's consider what JG put on the CT screen, each point being 1 page, each line being one table:

• Melee Weapons vs armor & range, large
  Psionic tables
• Animal Encounters creation tables
  Endurance mechanics
  Personal Combat Hit Resolution proceedure
• Ranged weapons vs armor & range part 1, large
• Ranged weapons vs armor & range part 2, large
• Terrain mods
  encounter ranges
  Combat sequence
  Animal reactions
  Animal types
  Animal speeds
• Melee Weapons vs armor & range, small print
  Ranged weapons vs armor & range part, small print
• Combat Sequence (Ship)
  Computer Software
  Jump Sequence
  Detection ability
  Laser Fire DM's,
  Ship Combat hit location
• Random Person Encounter Table
  Patron Encounter
  Ship Encounters,
  Patrol or Pirate
  Reactions
  Additional weapons for encounters

4 sheets, two sided.

For T5, what tables would be needed enough to make the list?

Tasks are a definite for MT onward... but what else for T5?
Trade and commerce? (It should have been on the CT screen, but instead they gave a larger version of the weapons tables.)

A good breakdown Aramis.

 

[Spaceresearcher]

I'm thinking multiple referee screens are needed, but each one smaller than the classic styles.

One for land-based combat.

One for ship-based combat.

One for merchanting (buying, selling, jumping between systems, etc.)

We could use another for character creation, but I don't think it's worth the time to have one for sale. Character creation is long and cumbersome, but you don't do it very often. Character creation needs more of a massive wall chart.

Probably more, but those are at the top of the idea-heap.

That's a thought, but do you think a Referee screen set would be a quick reference like a standard 8 page gatefold card stock screen? I take your point though on fitting it all on. Perhaps even if there were main book page links for the less commonly used tables.