What do Traveller and Star Trek have in common? IMHO it is this; both have in some ways a sense of wonder about them. Look at the best episodes of classic Trek, and the Next Generation Trek as well as the movies. The best episodes were those that left you feeling good at the end.
Now in Traveller, if you run Classic Traveller you had that sense of wonder that perhaps just one jump away there was a marvel awaiting you and the party. I never had that feeling from Mega-Traveller, nor from that abortion The New Era since they were just dark and depressing places. Classic Traveller, the best adventures you had that spark of wonder, and in the end the bad guys lost, and the good guys won.
Now Star Trek after Rick Berman ruined it with his endless conspiracies within Star Fleet, and wars without end, I class with MegaTraveller, and The New Era. The sense of wonder, that “My God, will you look at that!” feeling was gone. The universe in both places became a dark and dangerous place and the sense of wonder was replaced with a sense of shell shock.
Now I really don’t care which game mechanics you use since in my opinion it was the background that gave that breath of wonder to both Traveller and Star Trek. I, myself, use Cyberpunk 2020, but if you want to use CT, MT, TNE, T4, Gurps Traveller, T^20, or T5, who cares? It’s the universe that you create, or is created for you. The Third Imperium, yes it was stodgy and boring at times, but so was the Federation. But just beyond that last Imperial or Federation world was the frontier, and wonders.
Don’t let the wonder go out of Traveller.
Now in Traveller, if you run Classic Traveller you had that sense of wonder that perhaps just one jump away there was a marvel awaiting you and the party. I never had that feeling from Mega-Traveller, nor from that abortion The New Era since they were just dark and depressing places. Classic Traveller, the best adventures you had that spark of wonder, and in the end the bad guys lost, and the good guys won.
Now Star Trek after Rick Berman ruined it with his endless conspiracies within Star Fleet, and wars without end, I class with MegaTraveller, and The New Era. The sense of wonder, that “My God, will you look at that!” feeling was gone. The universe in both places became a dark and dangerous place and the sense of wonder was replaced with a sense of shell shock.
Now I really don’t care which game mechanics you use since in my opinion it was the background that gave that breath of wonder to both Traveller and Star Trek. I, myself, use Cyberpunk 2020, but if you want to use CT, MT, TNE, T4, Gurps Traveller, T^20, or T5, who cares? It’s the universe that you create, or is created for you. The Third Imperium, yes it was stodgy and boring at times, but so was the Federation. But just beyond that last Imperial or Federation world was the frontier, and wonders.
Don’t let the wonder go out of Traveller.