Well whats it like?

[nats]

I cant find any reviews of Traveller 5 anywhere on here whats going on? Isnt anyone going to do a thread listing all the reviews or anything?

For a board about Traveller 5 there isnt much stuff on here of any substance.

Ive heard of bad reviews whre are all these reviews? If this is an independant forum about Traveller shoudlnt we be seeing the whole picture?

At the moment it just looks like this whole forum is being massively censored to me.

So what is it actually like?

 

[dean]

Search this forum and you will see a whole thread about people's reviews of T5.
The OP asked for "unbiased opinion". I think it eventually devolved into a flame war, but the original replies were worth reading.

 

[the.barwickian]

Here's my first-impressions review: http://www.penultimateharn.com/blog/?p=115.

In a nutshell, I'm impressed with what I've read so far, but I only got my copy yesterday. I don't mind admitting that I stayed up all night reading the rules and making my first character (which I messed up).

I want some more time with it before I really make up my mind, but everything I'm seeing so far indicates that this will probably become my favourite iteration of Traveller (which I'm glad about as I've always been torn between MT and GT).

Plus points in brief

1) Very definitely Traveller.

2) Looks incredibly flexible. Not Hero System flexible, but flexible in the SF genre.

3) Very legible, functional layout

4) Some very innovative, interesting ideas

5) Lots of snippets of colourful Imperium background.

6) I was a little suspicious when I heard about the dice pool mechanics, but having tried them, I think they work very well indeed. Tasks have never been so simple to implement.

7) Updates Traveller's tech without losing Traveller's feel. Genetic engineering, bits of cyberwear, cyborgs.

8) The makers. Farily simple, and sufficiently flexible. Gunmaker, armormaker, vheiclemaker, sophontmaker, thingmaker...

Cons in brief

1) No index. It could really use one. Hopefully either Marc or the fan community can create a PDF one eventually.

2) Organisational oddities - rules on exotic worlds come in the benchmark chapter, near the front, not in the worlds chapter, for instance.

3) Not always clear on fine details - or maybe I just can't find some because of the lack of an index. How many times can you change career? There's mention of Career Change Options, but I can't find the rules on them.

 

[Vladika]

I cant find any reviews of Traveller 5 anywhere on here whats going on? Isnt anyone going to do a thread listing all the reviews or anything?

For a board about Traveller 5 there isnt much stuff on here of any substance.

Pretty much every thread on T5 is an ongoing review.

Ive heard of bad reviews whre are all these reviews?

If this is an independant forum about Traveller shoudlnt we be seeing the whole picture?

Whatever gave you the idea that this is an independent forum? It isn't. As aramis has pointed out to me on more than one occasion, this is Marc Miller's site and we are his guests. (Some of us are paying guests, but still guests.)

At the moment it just looks like this whole forum is being massively censored to me.

While there is censorship, it isn't overbearing.

So what is it actually like?

Read all the T5 threads. Most of us haven't received our copies yet so much of the review process is "word of mouth". At any rate, much review will be delayed.

While it's safe to say I'm not a fan of T5 it is fair to say I'm being won over slowly. Not, certainly, due to the censorship of T5s negative aspects, but due in large measure to the posts by BytePro. I'd suggest you search them and read them.

 

[CosmicGamer]

For a board about Traveller 5 there isnt much stuff on here of any substance.

IMO one of the problems is the dripping faucet, "doing business out of the basement", business model. I don't think there are a lot of people with the final product yet.

I also find that discussions of T5 often include posts from people that don't have the final product and are discussing a prior beta version. There seem to be more people in this category than those that actually have had time to go through the final book and play test it.

 

[Dragoner]

I cant find any reviews of Traveller 5 anywhere on here whats going on? Isnt anyone going to do a thread listing all the reviews or anything?

Why? Do you see threads listing all the reviews of other versions?

For a board about Traveller 5 there isnt much stuff on here of any substance.

The board is about Traveller, to be precise.

Ive heard of bad reviews whre are all these reviews? If this is an independant forum about Traveller shoudlnt we be seeing the whole picture?

This is an FFE website.

You mean reviews that criticize it for not being DnD by DnD'ers? Yes, it is true, there is no leveling up your elf wizard in trav.

At the moment it just looks like this whole forum is being massively censored to me.

Maybe nobody actually cares? Most of us have the rules, so reviews are of limited value.

So what is it actually like?

Traveller, pretty much.

 

[Spinward Scout]

Yes, it is true, there is no leveling up your elf wizard in trav.

But are there rules for improvement of your Darrian Psion in T5?

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Yep.

But are there rules for improvement of your Darrian Psion in T5?

And I may be misremembering the old Psionics rules, but it seems to me that T5 put a bit of well crafted leash on the uber-powerful psionics of old. I like them.

 

[Dragoner]

But are there rules for improvement of your Darrian Psion in T5?

No write up of Darrians, but the training sessions for psionics do come off as a chargen-ish mini-game.

 

[Vladika]

You mean reviews that criticize it for not being DnD by DnD'ers? Yes, it is true, there is no leveling up your elf wizard in trav.

:rofl:

Not to worry though your "elf wizard":rofl: (love it!) might just muster out with a scout ship and go get himself into all kinds of trouble.

There's probably a planet called Oz (somewhere) where all the Munchkins hang out.

 

[Dragoner]

:rofl:

Not to worry though your "elf wizard":rofl: (love it!) might just muster out with a scout ship and go get himself into all kinds of trouble.

There's probably a planet called Oz (somewhere) where all the Munchkins hang out.

To be honest, I have nothing against DnD, but the review I read at doucheyDM (go figure) was really a troll bomb if it would be posted here, it took a shot across the bow of trav period. Trav is trav, not DnD or Exalted or whatever, the mechanics are different, and if you want to be Conan or Lestat, T5 probably isn't the right system.

 

[pendragonman]

To be honest, I have nothing against DnD, but the review I read at doucheyDM (go figure) was really a troll bomb if it would be posted here, it took a shot across the bow of trav period. Trav is trav, not DnD or Exalted or whatever, the mechanics are different, and if you want to be Conan or Lestat, T5 probably isn't the right system.

And yet you can DO Conan or LeStat if you want with T5. Can't say you can DO proper Sci Fi with DnD.

 

[madmike]

I think that is the problem with some outside perceptions of Traveller.

It is not like D&D and other fantasy RPG's, where you can tailor your character to be a munchkin or munchkinesque easily and early.

I find this often with my group, they are longtime fantasy gamers and often expect a dungeon crawl type session with lots of evildoer's blood, giblets and grue flying everywhere.

Traveller combat is lethal and Traveller characters are not overmuscled "Thrud the Barbarian" types with lots of hit points (well not always) and the promise of 20 levels of experience making them even better killing machines, rather experienced adventurers at the top (or bottom) of their game. Needless to say, the ships medical officer is very much in demand. BUT they are learning.

But combat aside, Traveller also is a differing sort of RPG, which requires proper role play and that can be boring and frustrating for some gamers, used to a typical dungeon crawl fantasy RPG.

Traveller and other SF games require a different mind set rather than a fantasy gaming approach.

 

[Dragoner]

And yet you can DO Conan or LeStat if you want with T5. Can't say you can DO proper Sci Fi with DnD.

It would be a stretch to do them with T5. Some of the criticism of T5 is just the same old edition warring like "bing" (but it's not gurps) or such.

 

[pendragonman]

But combat aside, Traveller also is a differing sort of RPG, which requires proper role play and that can be boring and frustrating for some gamers, used to a typical dungeon crawl fantasy RPG.

Traveller and other SF games require a different mind set rather than a fantasy gaming approach.

Exactly

 

[pendragonman]

It would be a stretch to do them with T5. Some of the criticism of T5 is just the same old edition warring like "bing" (but it's not gurps) or such.

Not really. Vampires are a different sort of Sofont. Conan would go thru Soldier or Marine careers, loading up of fighter

Tech level of the campaign for Conan would be at most TL3, Vampires any TL.

Just the GM would have to agree to run a barbarian age of Iron campaign.

 

[Dragoner]

Not really. Vampires are a different sort of Sofont. Conan would go thru Soldier or Marine careers, loading up of fighter

Tech level of the campaign for Conan would be at most TL3, Vampires any TL.

Just the GM would have to agree to run a barbarian age of Iron campaign.

You would probably have better luck with systems that are already set up for those types of adventures, such as DnD or V:tM.

 

[pendragonman]

You would probably have better luck with systems that are already set up for those types of adventures, such as DnD or V:tM.

True. My point was that T5 doesn't explicitly rule anything out. It is not setting dependant but imagination dependant.

 

[mechascorpio]

To be honest, I have nothing against DnD, but the review I read at doucheyDM (go figure) was really a troll bomb if it would be posted here, it took a shot across the bow of trav period. Trav is trav, not DnD or Exalted or whatever, the mechanics are different, and if you want to be Conan or Lestat, T5 probably isn't the right system.

Are you talking about this Traveller 5 First Impressions article? What in the world was so troll-y (or even wrong) about it? "I have a lot of great things to say about Traveller in general." Everything he points out in it has been said here on CotI: generally open to it despite the lack of an index and organizational issues. There's nothing in there that makes it sound like he expected it to be D&D.

 

[Dragoner]

Are you talking about this Traveller 5 First Impressions article? What in the world was so troll-y (or even wrong) about it? "I have a lot of great things to say about Traveller in general." Everything he points out in it has been said here on CotI: generally open to it despite the lack of an index and organizational issues. There's nothing in there that makes it sound like he expected it to be D&D.

Look at the third paragraph, you can bet if someone posted that alone it would be a flame fest, not to mention someone would walk out of the store after looking at the dice tables? It lacked any substance, no talk of the actual mechanics and then takes a swipe at us playtesters for engaging in "groupthink", which did not happen. Marc showed us what he was working on, we gave our opinions, after which then he decided what he wanted to do. No insulation or nothing.