I've been closely re-reading, and playing, Classic Traveller. (I have a 1978 printing of the 3 original rulebooks, but am running a modified version that brings in some skills from later rulebooks/supplements and allows a bit more generosity in skill acquisition during PC gen.)
In this post I wanted to state the basic functions of the referee, as set out in those books. (I am not going to provide page references in this post, but am happy to do so if anyone wants.) Like many early RPGs the books aren't totally clear on how play works, what the various participants' functions are, etc; but they certainly say more than nothing.
Classic Traveller referee functions
Setting design and management - the rules emphasise that the referee "creates a universe", although bit by bit as play creates the need. The rules also not that it is possible to play without a refeee, with the players using the rules provided to generate worlds on an as-needed basis. I've found that it's possible to run a refereed game using an approach to universe creation that is a bit closer to that suggested for a referee-less game.
Other aspects of setting the referee is responsible for including introducing new items of technology/equipment, and "imposing" worlds that are especially designed rather than randomly rolled - the rules note that this will often be done "to reward or torment players". This blends into the next important function:
Establishing encounters and scenarios - the rules have a system for random patron generation, but it is up to the referee to decide what exactly it is that the patron wants and what proposal s/he will put to the PCs. The rules also include random animal, person and starship encounters, but note that referees may: (i) invent their own ecologies; (ii) supercede the starship encounter tables if some "specific situation" is engulfing a world, such as "military or civil turmoil"; (iii) "impose encounters to further the cause of the adventure being played". The rules even say that a referee has a responsibility to impose such encounters.
When it comes to NPCs, the referee is expected to decide what they do and how they react, guided by reaction rolls and other aspects of the system (eg Leader skill at level 3+ allows automatic command of soldiers in most situations).
This, in turn, blends into the referee's third important function:
Adjudication - the referee has to administer the rules, settling disputes and deciding on modifiers to roles or even changes to, or the introduciton of, whole subsystems. The rules say that the referee may use his/her own imagination in settling disputes about the rules, but equally that s/he should make a note of modifiers used an rules changed so as to maintain consistency in the experience of the setting in play.
Things Traveller referees aren't required to do
The referee doesn't have to decide outcomes - the game has a number of subsystems to handle this, covering interstellar travel, using vacc suits, dealing with NPCs, buying and selling cargo, fighting in melee or with guns, etc. Some of the subsystems (eg building things, travelling across worlds) are fairly weakly developed but others (eg using vacc suits; dealing with officials) are pretty strong.
The referee doesn't have to decide the story - the referee has a strong responsibility for establishing starting points (patron motivations, the context for encounters, etc) but the whole tenor of the game is that how things unfold is up to the resolution mechanics.
Thoughts
If the advice on creating a universe is taken literally, and if the encounter mechanics are downplayed, then Classic Traveller could easily become an exploration oriented game.
But if the advice on creating a universe is downplayed and the "just in time" alternative is used, and the encounter mechanics are emphasised (including the referee's responsibility to "impose" encounters that "further the cause" of the scenario), then the game can easily become very contemporary in feel. (This is how I am approaching it.)
The rules state that using a referee allows allows a large degree of both "flexibility" and "continuity", as well as "some measure of uncertainty" for the playrs. This is true in respect of either the exploration or the "imposed encounters" approach. I think that, if played in accordance with the advice in the books, there should be little danger of Traveller collapsing into railroading. It's a strong system in that regard.
In this post I wanted to state the basic functions of the referee, as set out in those books. (I am not going to provide page references in this post, but am happy to do so if anyone wants.) Like many early RPGs the books aren't totally clear on how play works, what the various participants' functions are, etc; but they certainly say more than nothing.
Classic Traveller referee functions
Setting design and management - the rules emphasise that the referee "creates a universe", although bit by bit as play creates the need. The rules also not that it is possible to play without a refeee, with the players using the rules provided to generate worlds on an as-needed basis. I've found that it's possible to run a refereed game using an approach to universe creation that is a bit closer to that suggested for a referee-less game.
Other aspects of setting the referee is responsible for including introducing new items of technology/equipment, and "imposing" worlds that are especially designed rather than randomly rolled - the rules note that this will often be done "to reward or torment players". This blends into the next important function:
Establishing encounters and scenarios - the rules have a system for random patron generation, but it is up to the referee to decide what exactly it is that the patron wants and what proposal s/he will put to the PCs. The rules also include random animal, person and starship encounters, but note that referees may: (i) invent their own ecologies; (ii) supercede the starship encounter tables if some "specific situation" is engulfing a world, such as "military or civil turmoil"; (iii) "impose encounters to further the cause of the adventure being played". The rules even say that a referee has a responsibility to impose such encounters.
When it comes to NPCs, the referee is expected to decide what they do and how they react, guided by reaction rolls and other aspects of the system (eg Leader skill at level 3+ allows automatic command of soldiers in most situations).
This, in turn, blends into the referee's third important function:
Adjudication - the referee has to administer the rules, settling disputes and deciding on modifiers to roles or even changes to, or the introduciton of, whole subsystems. The rules say that the referee may use his/her own imagination in settling disputes about the rules, but equally that s/he should make a note of modifiers used an rules changed so as to maintain consistency in the experience of the setting in play.
Things Traveller referees aren't required to do
The referee doesn't have to decide outcomes - the game has a number of subsystems to handle this, covering interstellar travel, using vacc suits, dealing with NPCs, buying and selling cargo, fighting in melee or with guns, etc. Some of the subsystems (eg building things, travelling across worlds) are fairly weakly developed but others (eg using vacc suits; dealing with officials) are pretty strong.
The referee doesn't have to decide the story - the referee has a strong responsibility for establishing starting points (patron motivations, the context for encounters, etc) but the whole tenor of the game is that how things unfold is up to the resolution mechanics.
Thoughts
If the advice on creating a universe is taken literally, and if the encounter mechanics are downplayed, then Classic Traveller could easily become an exploration oriented game.
But if the advice on creating a universe is downplayed and the "just in time" alternative is used, and the encounter mechanics are emphasised (including the referee's responsibility to "impose" encounters that "further the cause" of the scenario), then the game can easily become very contemporary in feel. (This is how I am approaching it.)
The rules state that using a referee allows allows a large degree of both "flexibility" and "continuity", as well as "some measure of uncertainty" for the playrs. This is true in respect of either the exploration or the "imposed encounters" approach. I think that, if played in accordance with the advice in the books, there should be little danger of Traveller collapsing into railroading. It's a strong system in that regard.
