I've seen some hard sci-fi shows and enjoyed them quite a bit. I want to know what you guys think of Traveller. It has been around a while but I've never played it. Are there others that might do a better job? If so, give me some names.
I've played most, and have a copy of all the official ones; my name appears in 3 editions... (T20, MGT 1E, and MGT 2E)... and I run the official BBS.
Each edition needs some caveats.
First thing:
Traveller isn't truly generic. No matter what Matthew Sprague thinks. Lots of the setting is coded into the rules mechanics he is not allowed to change - world generation especially, but also the way Jump drives operate.
Even if you strip away the 3I, if you don't change the mechanics of jump and the mechanics of world gen, you get something that looks and feels much the same. It's actually a wide space of setting feel, but it's not truly generic.
The major themes of Traveller tend to be military action, tramp freighters, and rogues on the loose... the published adventures show these three themes. Most PC's ex-military.
The major Sci-Fi breakpoints and tech paradigm: Big computers, reactionless thrusters, the jump drive, no true AI, slugthrowers-in-space, no zapguns.
Second thing: Lots of editions.
- CT: no unified mechanic. Combat is 2d6 for 8+. Non-combat skills each specify their usual resolutions, many of which are 2d6+ some stack of modifiers. 1-5 skills per term, average about 1.4.
- MegaTraveller (MT): unified Task system. 2d6 driven. convert-on-the-fly level compatibility with CT characters and Bk5 ships (tho' many didn't notice this feature). 1-8 skills per term, average about 1.8.
- Traveller:The New Era (TNE): switched to GDW's house engine (Dark Conspiracy, T2K2.2, Cadillacs & Dinosaurs). does NOT have the reactionless drives. Does have an AI computer virus that defies common sense. 1-10 skills per term, average about 2.8 or so.
- Marc Miller's Traveller (T4): unified mechanic multiple dice by difficulty vs Stat+Skill. 4-6 skills per term, average about 5.
- T20 Traveller's Handbook (T20): d20 system game, average PC's start between 2nd and 5th level, with occasionaly more. Average is around 5000 XP per term, with a potential for 0 (failed survival - short term and see how badly mangled you are), or 4000-19000 in a term. 19K would be 4K term, plus 2K commission and 1K promotion, plus an SEH at 8K, and a max XP bonus of 4K. It was actually playtested at 2K, 1K, 1K, 4K, and 2K... and IMO, plays MUCH better at the lower levels.)
- GURPS Traveller (GT): Standard GURPS 3E worldbook, except that it tweaks TL 11 and 12 to match traveller materials and drives a bit.
- GURPS Traveller Interstellar Wars (GTIW): Standard GURPS 4E worldbook. Same tweaks as GT.
- Traveller For Hero (HT): Hero System sourcebook. Includes setting information for four major eras (M0, Classic, Rebellion, New Era)
- Mongoose Traveller 1E (MGT, MGT1E): unified 2d6 task system; doesn't match MT's... Skill levels run 1-6 per term, average about 1.8 or so. Several alternate setting books released by mongoose, but not generally well received (B5, Hammer's Slammers, Strontium Dog, Judge Dredd) - Judge Dredd Judges average 5 skill levels per term, and start taking terms early. Close enough to CT or MT to convert adventures on the fly, and to use CT Bk2 ship designs by adding the hits.
- Mongoose Traveller 2nd Ed (MGT2): 2d6 task system, not quite true compatibility with MGT1E, similar skill receipts, but on a shorter skill list. In beta.
- Traveller 5 (T5): multi-die task system, 4-8 skills per term, roll under. No equipment lists, instead, systems for generating equipment. VERY much "Advanced Traveller"...
Traveller also has multiple ship design systems:
- CT Bk 2 - letter drives. Damage by performance reduction. 1E and 2E work the same, but the scale is different, and 2E has more restrictions.
- CT Bk 5 High Guard - the first USP system. SHips reduced to a coded line. Damage by critical hits
- MT High Guard - the same ratings as CT Bk5, but a different (unified) craft design that runs from motorcycles to million ton battleships.
- FF&S 1 & 2: FF&S1 was for TNE, FF&S2 is for T4, but the design sequences are the same; t4 adds a few other nifties, but they can be backported to TNE without any issues at all, except that the formatting got messed up on FF&S2. Any FF&S design can be rated for either TNE or T4 without issue.
- T20: Variant of CT Bk 5 designs, different combat mechanics. CT Bk 5 and MT designs can be used simply by adding the T20 Structure Points...
- MGT 1E: close to CT Bk 2, but not identical. More options. Big Ships expand from this in MGT Bk 2 HG.
- MGT 2E: unique design system, moves slightly towards T5
- GT: uses standard GURPS Vehicles rules, but presents a shortcut method that is 100% G:V compatible.
- GTIW: I'm not certain. It looks to be standard for G4e, but I don't have any other G4 expansions...
- T5: Unique design system derived from (distantly) CT Bk 5.
- Traveller: Liftoff: failed beta of a "Traveller Light" boxed set. still up for download from 13Mann.
- Mongoose Traveller 1E Beta: somewhat different ruleset from MGT 1E, still available on Mongoose's website... if you do a web search for it, at least.
And there are multiple setting eras:
- Classic: Year of the Third Imperium 1100-1115. Also Called Milieux 1100. CT, MGT1. Also Striker, Mayday, AHL, and 5FW boardgames
- Milieux 1000: Almost identical to Classic. Used in T20 and in the Invasion Earth board game.
- Rebellion aka Milieux 1116. Used in MT. Set in Yot3I 1116 to 1135, with 1125 to 1135 called "The Hard Times"
- Milieux 1200 aka The New Era. Used in TNE, the Striker II minis game, the Brilliant Lances and Battle Rider board games.
- Millieux 0: Year of the 3I 0 to 100. Used in T4, and the At Close Quarters board game.
- Interstellar Wars: set in about 2270 AD... 2200 years before the 3I. Covered in GTIW, and used in the Imperium and Dark Nebula board games.
- Lorenverse: Loren Wiseman's alternate timeline 1116-1135. The rebellion doesn't happen. Essentially, it's a continuation of CT. Only in GT and HT (and that's only as a throwaway reference).
- Galaxiad: Tentatively M1900.... as in, Yot3I 1900. higher tech, additional (much faster) drives. Not yet published, being done for T5.
- 2300AD: Not part of the Official Traveller Universe, despite the 1st and 4rd editions being labeled "Traveller 2300"...
Traveller 2300- Standalone game with supplements
2300 AD - same game as T2300, 100% compatible, minor rules changes/clarifications, new title
2320AD - 2300 setting in T20 rules. Advanced the timeline 20 years
Traveller 2300AD - 2300 setting in MGT 1E rules. Same author as 2320, the excellent Colin Dunn.
Several third party settings have been published under the MGT open license. Some commercial, some free.
Each edition and each setting has its fans... and often, fans of one ruleset use it for a different setting chunk. I run CT era, using MegaTraveller. I ran my Elestrial Concordat setting using MGT with a variant ship design system I wrote; it's up on my website.
I recommend any of CT2E, MT, HT, MGT1E or its beta, GT, or T5 depending upon one's preferences. GURPS Fan? Get GT or GTIW. Hero Fan, HT (which is soon to be out on CD). Rules-light OSR type - CT. Want to integrate military action and PC's - Megatraveller. Want to build everything? T5.
Jury is still out on MGT 2E...
If you want a free taste, the liftoff beta is decent.
