Traveller or Star Frontiers?

[GrumpyOldMan]

The basic question here appears flawed.

so which is more popular, in your opinion, Traveller or Star Frontiers?

And why?

I have fond memories of Star Fronties, but I have never even heard of Traveller until recently.

`LE

Popularity can be measured.

Which game over the years has been in print longest?
Traveller

Which game has most supplements?
Traveller

Which game has the biggest presence on the web?
Traveller

Which game has sold most?
Traveller

This last is the argument used by many regarding DnD. It sells most therefore is the most popular.

On this basis Traveller is the most popular, this is not an opinion, it is a fact.


Traveller is, and always has been a ‘hard science’ SF game I’ll admit that I’ve never found a SF game to better it, and I have looked.

Star Frontiers was first-published in the late seventies and is more whiz-bang SF series with lots of (IIRC) fairly silly alien species. It’s as if TSR decided that any SF game had to have elf and dwarf equivalents in it.

There really is no contest between the two.

 

[Ranger5]

Well for me the best sci-fi rpg has to be Star Frontiers. It was a simple system that easily covered most player actions without bogging the referee or the players down in rules. And c'mon d100 to resolve all actions and everything else (weapon damage, etc) based on a d10 - that made for some quick dice rolling. Also I can proudly say I own all the print products of the Star Frontiers RPG.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

My gaming group is currently playing Traveller: The New Era, though I will say that that's not my favorite iteration of the rules.

I played a bit of Star Frontiers...it definitely had the edge as far as simplicity. I wouldn't mind playing it again.

 

[qstor]

I'll have to jump on the band wagon that Traveller is more popular. I've played both. I remember playing the Voluntoris (sp?) series of SF mods with my friend, they were pretty fun. I had a human Star Law ranger.

I've played Classic Traveller and GURPS Traveller and own a lot of stuff for the various editions. But I don't have the main rule books for Traveller the New Era or Megatraveller.

I'd pick up some of the GURPS Traveller books for background and Traveller d20 for starters if you're thinking of getting into Traveller now. If you're inclined the old Classic Traveller books are in print but if you're a d20 fan I'd pick up Traveller d20 or at least look through it. D20 Future can be used as a rule base. One of the posters on the boards at travelerrpg.com is working through a d20 Modern/Future conversion from Traveller d20.

I'm not much of Traveller ship "stat monkey" or gearhead as they say, so I tend to gravitate to rule systems for Traveller that have a lot of ship stats pubished Like GURPS..

Mike

 

[Rackhir]

Traveler was and in many respect still is the standard for SF RPGs. I played very little of it actually, but my friends and I had endless fun with character creation (Expanded High Guard/Mercenary) and Starship design. Just rolling up a character in traveler was almost a mini- adventure in and of its self. Since you could wind up in various schools or combat traning had to roll for survival and promotion. When you were fininished you didn't just have a character, you had a history.

Didn't Starfrontiers lack any sort of starship rules in the initial release/edition?

 

[jdrakeh]

I'm not technically supposed to be posting to this thread anymore, but since so many people are asking questions about it, I thought that it might be worth pointing out that the entire Star Frontiers game line is now available for free (legally) HERE.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Well for me the best sci-fi rpg has to be Star Frontiers. It was a simple system that easily covered most player actions without bogging the referee or the players down in rules. And c'mon d100 to resolve all actions and everything else (weapon damage, etc) based on a d10 - that made for some quick dice rolling. Also I can proudly say I own all the print products of the Star Frontiers RPG.

However, the question asked was not 'which is best' but rather 'what is more popular', as has been stated popularity can in fact be measured.

The Auld Grump - I may think that Ars Magica is the 'best' Fantasy RPG, but D&D is definitely the most popular...

 

[rogueattorney]

I lived all but 5 of my 32 years within 50 or so miles of GDW's Bloomington, Illinois headquarters and somehow remained entirely oblivious to Traveller until about 4 years ago. I still have yet to play it, or even give it a look over. I think it was a product of the thourough "TSR or nothing" brainwashing I received in the 80's.

I did pick up Star Frontiers, and went through a period in 8th and 9th grade where it supplanted D&D as our game of choice. SF, in its Alpha Dawn format, is a great little rules-lite shoot 'em up with lasers game. Perfect for getting kids into playing rpgs.

As for which is more popular? I really don't think there's any doubt that it's Traveller.

R.A.

 

[TheLe]

I like taking polls like this, rather than an obscure poll with radio buttons.

I like hearing peoples opinions and arguements.

And from what I have gathered, Traveller is winner here.

I think I will start a new thread asking *why* people like traveller so much.


~Le

 

[Plane Sailing]

Incidentally the most fun sci-fi published RPG I've ever had was with Space Opera. That was a real blast! My gaming group spontaneously mushroomed from 5 to about 14-15, drawing in non-gamers due to the fantastic word of mouth it generated.

Ah, if I could but touch that zeitgeist once more