Recent content by TrippyHippy

This image popped up on Backerkit today…...

It’s actually the new edition's biggest selling point. However, if I am celebrating 40 years, I’d actually like to see some sort of commemorative restoration and re-release of the 1st edition stuff.

Ars Magica Definitive Edition, for me. By some distance, honestly - it is a genuinely classic, all time Hall of Fame RPG and I’ve seen the PDF files of the new book. It is a big one. I also really like Mongoose Traveller, so I’m also interested in Pioneer and Dark Conspiracy. There is a...

If it’s at the printers now (it is), then it will be an early 2026 release!

Pioneer by Mongoose Publishing. Standalone, but based on Traveller rules. If I were to use my other nomination, it would be for Ars Magica - The Definitive Edition but it’s been nominated several times already. I could also mention the DC Heroes and Pendragon 1st edition reprints that were...

No it doesn’t. They have an entire catalogue from about 40 manuscripts coming in for publication, apparently, an ongoing release schedule throughout 2026 and a 50th Anniversary that is being planned for in 2027 for the regular Traveller game…..in addition to what they are aiming to do for this...

Seems like an easy sell to me!

Technically, Metamorphosis Alpha was the first 'Sci-Fi' game, released by TSR back in 1975. However, the term is loosely defined as it is much more of a 'Science Fantasy' (and later morphed into Gamma World). Traveller is a full-bore science fiction RPG and was released in 1977 (notably just...

I think this is true of a lot of aspects of Traveller design - they quietly revolutionised aspects of play through quiet inference rather than explicit fanfares. We always get people suggesting that the game doesn’t have an experience system, when it has always had a system included for...

You do have the optional ‘iron man’ rules, where any failed survival rolls in career development is character death. Also, of course, you can just limit the number of Terms served and take note that some careers (military) are more dangerous than others. I did have a problem with some players...

Well, that’s how Pirates of Drinax works. The PCs are gifted a state-of-the-art spacecraft that is in a state-of-disrepair, and given a licence to pirate with it! So, instead of them paying off a mortgage on their craft, they use their ill gotten gains to repair and enhance their craft (and then...

I put that down to the earlier development of scifi SFX in the 70s and 80s, while the effects in fantasy movies lagged behind for decades (till LotR and Harry Potter, basically). I’m not sure there has been a more popular sci-fi TV series than Game of Thrones in recent years though.

Traveller is, basically, my favourite game. In terms of why it didn’t become as mainstream as D&D, I think you have to respect that D&D was the first RPG and the fantasy genre has always been bigger than the sci-fi genre (in general literature sales, in any case). The exceptions to this ‘rule’...

No mention of Traveller? Oh well. 🤷‍♂️

Apparently, lawyers have spoken.