Considering the number of Traveller and Gurps fans on here surprised no one has posted about this Bundle. (https://bundleofholding.com/presents/GURPSTrav1-2017)
Quote from: Voros;994421Considering the number of Traveller and Gurps fans on here surprised no one has posted about this Bundle. (https://bundleofholding.com/presents/GURPSTrav1-2017)
Looks cool. I'd be interested more if I used GURPS for sci fi stuff.
Funny: my autocorrect wanted the sentence above to say "I'd be more interested if I used GIRLS for sci fi stuff."
I own almost all of these. They are great books, but I doubt I will ever use them in play. There's something about point-buy and Traveller that just feels wrong.
They make for great Traveller resource books. But to actually play Traveller using GURPS Space? Meh.
Looks really good to me. Considering that when I ran Traveller, I imported rules from The Fantasy Trip until I was more happy with the personal combat system, and I tend to use GURPS for everything anyway, I would use this... if I were ever going to run Traveller, and possibly if I were going to run a space campaign. But I haven't run a space P&P RPG in a long time, and I don't really like eBooks, so I'm on the fence. But it's a good price. I'll probably get it just for interest and to feed my inner hoarder (at least it's hoarding that doesn't take up physical space...).
Actually I'm interested in what the space combat system is like.
Quote from: Skarg;994888Actually I'm interested in what the space combat system is like.
Make sure to get Interstellar Wars, it is on p.219.
I got GURPS Traveller Far Trader and Vorkosigan because people kept telling me how great a resource GURPS in general and those in particular were for non-GURPS games. And, bluntly, I wasn't too impressed. But then, I never played GURPS myself, and I wonder if that school of thought comes from people who actually played GURPS at one point, so they can make the translation in their head easier?
Might be worth it for deck plans though? Anyone know how the maps are in GURPS Starports?
Quote from: Dave R;994998Might be worth it for deck plans though? Anyone know how the maps are in GURPS Starports?
I find the deck plans in Gurps Trav maddening, due to hexes. Gurps Starports has the following deck plans:
- Mercy Class 100-ton Rescue Vehicle
- Blakeway-Class 100-ton First Response Vessel
- Douane-Class 50-ton Customs Cruiser
- Gendarme-class 50-ton Armed Response Cutter
And these maps:
- Graniff Field
- Space Control Center
- Alell Grande Downport and Resort Center
- Mora Imperial Downport and Wavecrest City
- Fyrandil Imperail Port
- Dining Establishments
- Standard Hotel Floor
- Alien Environmental Suites
- Low-cost Lodging
- Passenger Facilities
- Cargo Facilities
- Secure Warehouse
- Vessel Berths
Honestly, they are not that impressive. I would not buy the book for them.
Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;994500They make for great Traveller resource books. But to actually play Traveller using GURPS Space? Meh.
I ran GURPS TRAVELLER for at least four years - quite easy to do actually.
- Ed C.
Quote from: Aglondir;995012I find the deck plans in Gurps Trav maddening, due to hexes. Gurps Starports has the following deck plans:
- Mercy Class 100-ton Rescue Vehicle
- Blakeway-Class 100-ton First Response Vessel
- Douane-Class 50-ton Customs Cruiser
- Gendarme-class 50-ton Armed Response Cutter
And these maps:I
- Graniff Field
- Space Control Center
- Alell Grande Downport and Resort Center
- Mora Imperial Downport and Wavecrest City
- Fyrandil Imperail Port
- Dining Establishments
- Standard Hotel Floor
- Alien Environmental Suites
- Low-cost Lodging
- Passenger Facilities
- Cargo Facilities
- Secure Warehouse
- Vessel Berths
Honestly, they are not that impressive. I would not buy the book for them.
Good to know.
Great avatar, by the way.
Quote from: Koltar;995016I ran GURPS TRAVELLER for at least four years - quite easy to do actually.
I've never tried Gurps for Sci-fi-- Traveller or otherwise. How lethal is it?
Whenever I look at the weapons tables in Ultra Tech, I shudder to think how things would play out.
Quote from: Aglondir;995021I've never tried Gurps for Sci-fi-- Traveller or otherwise. How lethal is it?
Whenever I look at the weapons tables in Ultra Tech, I shudder to think how things would play out.
Players typically die in their cubicles during a hostile takeover. If the GM is hand-waving a lot of stuff though, then what's the point of using GURPS again?
Quote from: Aglondir;994996Make sure to get Interstellar Wars, it is on p.219.
I almost asked - is the space combat system identical to the system presented in GURPS Traveller Insterstellar Wars 4e?
Quote from: Aglondir;995021I've never tried Gurps for Sci-fi-- Traveller or otherwise. How lethal is it?
Whenever I look at the weapons tables in Ultra Tech, I shudder to think how things would play out.
Depends on the situation, but in general, it's highly lethal. More lethal than Classic Traveller, I would say, if you are talking about shooting people. It's realistically deadly unless you use some options to stop that happening, and naturally the higher-tech weapons tend to be more lethal than modern weapons, so... One shot can and often does take someone out of combat. However, they may likely live if they get good medical attention. Also, especially if you make the gameplay be about controlling what happens and being tactical, then it can be a case of doing things so you don't get shot. Get the drop on people, use cover and terrain, and know when to run, dive for cover, or even give up rather than blasting away and hoping they die and you don't.
There's also high-tech armor, and actually there are quite a few situations where the armor is almost impervious to most non-military personal weapons, unless you use the right ammo, aim for a weak spot, etc. The GM should to figure out what weapons and armor to have in his setting and what the implications are, and that's a bit more complex that figuring it out for medieval weapons.
Medical tech can also make things a lot less lethal. Especially if you rule that a failed death check might be revivable. Then with blow-through, people can get shot several times and still likely be healable.
Or at higher tech, you can allow cloning and braintapes, but I find that about as annoying as games where resurrection is trivial.
"Braintapes"?
Yeah, Braintapes are this annoying idea that was even in the first edition GURPS Autoduel, where the idea is you can have a copy made of your brain, stored on a device, and if you die, a clone can be fast-baked with your DNA and your brain tape copied to the clone, and yo ho ho you get to play as your clone, though you'll lose whatever experience you had since the tape was made. I never believed that made enough sense and even if it were real, it seems to me it cheapens life and death and makes for an annoying dystopic situation where "why don't we make a clone army of Jango Fetts" and death is trivialized and bleh.
(Oh, and of course, "in my opinion, for my own purposes, and so sorry to anyone who enjoys playing that - go ahead and keep enjoying that". :rolleyes: )
Gotcha...I think I'll pass on braintapes and cloning. Seems too much of a workaround for PC death for my taste.
Quote from: Dumarest;995428Gotcha...I think I'll pass on braintapes and cloning. Seems too much of a workaround for PC death for my taste.
Braintapes were designed to allow recurring characters in
Car Wars, where everyone had 1 hp and fought to the death every night with weapons that did 3d6 damage.
Quote from: Pat;995448Braintapes were designed to allow recurring characters in Car Wars, where everyone had 1 hp and fought to the death every night with weapons that did 3d6 damage.
What's the point of fighting to the death if you're going to have an escape clause?
Quote from: Skarg;995347Depends on the situation, but in general, it's highly lethal. More lethal than Classic Traveller, I would say, if you are talking about shooting people. It's realistically deadly unless you use some options to stop that happening, and naturally the higher-tech weapons tend to be more lethal than modern weapons, so... One shot can and often does take someone out of combat. However, they may likely live if they get good medical attention. Also, especially if you make the gameplay be about controlling what happens and being tactical, then it can be a case of doing things so you don't get shot. Get the drop on people, use cover and terrain, and know when to run, dive for cover, or even give up rather than blasting away and hoping they die and you don't.
There's also high-tech armor, and actually there are quite a few situations where the armor is almost impervious to most non-military personal weapons, unless you use the right ammo, aim for a weak spot, etc. The GM should to figure out what weapons and armor to have in his setting and what the implications are, and that's a bit more complex that figuring it out for medieval weapons.
Medical tech can also make things a lot less lethal. Especially if you rule that a failed death check might be revivable. Then with blow-through, people can get shot several times and still likely be healable.
Or at higher tech, you can allow cloning and braintapes, but I find that about as annoying as games where resurrection is trivial.
Thanks for the reply. Your experiences match up with my fears. I don't want the game to be
that lethal, even if it is realistic. I think I'll stick with Mongoose.
Yes, that's what I was looking at. I can explain more about it if you like.
Quote from: Skarg;995339I almost asked - is the space combat system identical to the system presented in GURPS Traveller Insterstellar Wars 4e?
Yes, that's what I was looking at. I can explain more about it if you like. I don't have Gurps Space or Starships, so I don't know what's in there.
Quote from: Dumarest;995456What's the point of fighting to the death if you're going to have an escape clause?
Didn't matter, when there weren't rules for skills. But once they added skills, apparently people wanted to have a chance to actually develop those skills. That would never happen in click-boxy
Car Wars, where every battle was basically an even match to the death. Though that became less relevant when the board game with some minor ability to differentiate characters became an RPG supplement. RPGs aren't just a series of death matches, and tend to build in some degree of PC-protection (even D&D's attrition at low levels is far kinder than
CW). Though by then, Gold Cross was a significant part of the setting.