Traveler

Thanos · August 23, 2009, 10:40:49 AM

Is the current version (what ever that means as they all seem to be current) worth playing or should I try to pick up one of the earlier editions?

David Johansen · August 23, 2009, 11:01:35 AM

I think Mongoose Traveller is probably your best bet at this point, the rules are clean and functional, if not particularly inspiring. As well, it's got Bablyon 5, Hammer's Slammers, and quite a few other sf properties tied to it.

Silverlion · August 23, 2009, 11:05:06 AM

I've made characters, but never played editions before. I think the Mongoose version is the best explained one, other than Gurps Traveller. Albeit I like Mongoose's version better because of the simpler rules. (I like Gurps, but am not as quick to go to it as I once was for games due to the time factor necessary to use it well.)

Make sure to get the newer printing if you get Mongoose's version as it fixes some of the text errors.

Aos · August 23, 2009, 11:12:49 AM

I looked at the Mongoose rules, and whereas the spare layout of CT inspires me, I found the MGT layout to be bleak and a little sad. Sad like a twelve hour drive through the feeder lot towns in the Texas Panhandle.

brettmb · August 23, 2009, 12:33:38 PM

Quote from: Aos;323059I looked at the Mongoose rules, and whereas the spare layout of CT inspires me, I found the MGT layout to be bleak and a little sad. Sad like a twelve hour drive through the feeder lot towns in the Texas Panhandle.

I agree. I expected a contemporary imagining of Traveller to be more lavish like other Mongoose books, and I can see that they wanted to maintain the same feel as the original, but they didn't.

Personally, I prefer The Traveller Book, from the 80s. It's still the best edition in my opinion.

T. Foster · August 23, 2009, 12:39:18 PM

Quote from: brettmb;323081Personally, I prefer The Traveller Book, from the 80s. It's still the best edition in my opinion.

This. I was just looking through this book again a couple days ago and marveling at how good it still is.

Aos · August 23, 2009, 12:40:26 PM

Third.

The Shaman · August 23, 2009, 12:48:31 PM

Quote from: brettmb;323081Personally, I prefer The Traveller Book, from the 80s. It's still the best edition in my opinion.

Agreed.

Er, I mean fourth.

jeff37923 · August 23, 2009, 01:45:02 PM

If the only complaint you have about a game is that it doesn't have a lavish layout, then you don't have much wrong with the game IMHO.

Aos · August 23, 2009, 01:50:05 PM

Well, Jeff, that depends on the individual. Some of us, me for instance, are really impacted by that sort of thing. I actually require a pretty book and mechanics that i like. My years long Earthdawn campaign would not have existed if it hadn't been for the awesome color plates in the 1e core book. No joke. If one game can't give me mechanics and art, I can almost certainly find one that can. These are games, after all, and I'm not required to be practical in my choices.

Caesar Slaad · August 23, 2009, 02:05:13 PM

Quote from: Thanos;323049Is the current version (what ever that means as they all seem to be current) worth playing or should I try to pick up one of the earlier editions?

The current (mongoose) version is very much worth playing. To me, the core book captures most of what was good about the original version, and applies a clean, consistent, and easy to use task system and a provides players with some nice roleplaying hooks right off the top.

If you'd like to see what a Mongoose Traveller game looks like in play, check the Homecoming campaign posts linked in my sig.

brettmb · August 23, 2009, 02:05:38 PM

It's more than just not being lavish. It purposely tries to recreate the 70's style, but just looks bland and poorly organized rather than retro. Also, it doesn't really do anything different than Classic Traveller. A reprint would have been just as useful. My biggest complaint is that it's too expensive for essentially buying Traveller again.

jeff37923 · August 23, 2009, 02:42:15 PM

Quote from: brettmb;323133It's more than just not being lavish. It purposely tries to recreate the 70's style, but just looks bland and poorly organized rather than retro.

I never understood if that was Mongoose's intention with the layout or not.

Quote from: brettmb;323133Also, it doesn't really do anything different than Classic Traveller. A reprint would have been just as useful.

Having a uniform skill mechanic alone is a great and needed upgrade over Classic Traveller, that has been a bug for awhile in the game.

Quote from: brettmb;323133My biggest complaint is that it's too expensive for essentially buying Traveller again.

That I can understand. The only arguement I can say is that for the $40 cover price, you get a very wide-ranging toolkit of rules which cover most aspects of popular science fiction gaming.

Plus Mongoose Traveller is backwards compatible enough to allow the use of Classic Traveller material without modification.

brettmb · August 23, 2009, 02:52:13 PM

Quote from: jeff37923;323144I never understood if that was Mongoose's intention with the layout or not.

It appears to be the case. What other Mongoose book of recent times has such a plain layout?

Quote from: jeff37923;323144Having a uniform skill mechanic alone is a great and needed upgrade over Classic Traveller, that has been a bug for awhile in the game.

I can't argue with that. However, its doesn't bother me that much.

Quote from: jeff37923;323144The only arguement I can say is that for the $40 cover price, you get a very wide-ranging toolkit of rules which cover most aspects of popular science fiction gaming.

Softcover would have been cheaper. Also look at the paper stock they used in the book compared to something like Conan. It's not even 60lb stock - it's 20/50lb, or simply put, copy paper. Now, there's nothing wrong with that, but with the scarcity of art, black and white interior, and basic paper stock, I would prefer a much lower price. Granted, there are probably licensing fees that attribute to the cost, but still...

Randy · August 23, 2009, 05:40:50 PM

I prefer GURPS Traveller. It's in an alternate timeline, of course, but there was a lot of support for in in 3e.