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General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
TTRPGs that have a "Wagon Train to the Stars" feel?
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<blockquote data-quote="aramis erak" data-source="post: 9252015" data-attributes="member: 6779310"><p>It was really not a good comparison for ST:TOS... Other than the constant travel, it's pretty poor match.</p><p></p><p>No, it really isn't. It's more in the Military SF genre and Mecantile SF genre; Even the Imperial survey rules are for a census, not new worlds. Almost everywhere is people and it's all settled centuries before... One can force a survey mode game with it... but it's not been a focus of GDW/IG editions eras. The emphasis on travel, mercenary, and mercantile activity is there in all editions through at least MGT1e.</p><p>Only in TNE is exploration really a setting trope, and it's about finding out what's left there from before, not into the unknown. </p><p></p><p>Even the Traveller: 2300/2300 A.D. setting isn't about new systems - given the catalog used, and the 7.7 LY limit, mean there's no frontier left in reach, and all but the Kafer worlds are described.</p><p></p><p><strong>Now, for actually getting the Wagon Train feel</strong>, </p><p></p><p>Things I think needed for a good exploratory mode more akin are...</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Decent ship rules.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Interstellar travel <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Preferably FTL</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">System and World Generation</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rules for determining what's ahead and on world.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Some form of long term power constraint, but not too constraining. </li> </ul><p>Of the Trek games, the ones hitting all of those: FASA Trek barely meets it; LUG hits it well, Decipher Trek does OK, STA lacks coherent world gen/sys gen. WNMHGB and Far Trek do better than most. <em><u>Starship's & Spacemen</u></em> (S&S) does OK, and is the one that includes lots of space terrain other than systems. The board game, <em><u>Star Explorer</u></em>, can readily be used as a mission generator for S&S, and plays well on its own.. Note also: almost all but S&S/SE lack long term power constraint in rules.</p><p>The avoid list is Heritage Models Star Trek, Prime Directive (all editions are unsuitable for this mode, tho PD 1E is the least far). Alpha Quadrant is mostly just proof of concept character gen.</p><p></p><p>Real Old School folk will like S&S 1e; fans of (IMO, the absolutely horribly lame) <em><u>Mutant Future</u></em> will likely prefer 2e...</p><p></p><p>WEG Star Wars 2e/2er and WEG d6 Space are both good choices save for the long term constraints - tho one can extrapolate from GG6 for that aspect.</p><p></p><p>WEG's <em><u>Shatterzone,</u></em> TSR's <em><u>Alternity</u></em>, Leading Edge's <em><u>Aliens Adventure Game</u></em>, FGU's <em><u>Space Opera</u></em>, and <em><u>Other Suns</u></em>, and several others, lack one or more of the elements, IMO. But they're usable. Same is true of Free League's <em><u>Coriolis</u></em> and <em><u>Alien</u></em>. They're not going to have the wagon train feel, but can do the trek feel almost passably, IMO.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="aramis erak, post: 9252015, member: 6779310"] It was really not a good comparison for ST:TOS... Other than the constant travel, it's pretty poor match. No, it really isn't. It's more in the Military SF genre and Mecantile SF genre; Even the Imperial survey rules are for a census, not new worlds. Almost everywhere is people and it's all settled centuries before... One can force a survey mode game with it... but it's not been a focus of GDW/IG editions eras. The emphasis on travel, mercenary, and mercantile activity is there in all editions through at least MGT1e. Only in TNE is exploration really a setting trope, and it's about finding out what's left there from before, not into the unknown. Even the Traveller: 2300/2300 A.D. setting isn't about new systems - given the catalog used, and the 7.7 LY limit, mean there's no frontier left in reach, and all but the Kafer worlds are described. [B]Now, for actually getting the Wagon Train feel[/B], Things I think needed for a good exploratory mode more akin are... [LIST] [*]Decent ship rules. [*]Interstellar travel [LIST] [*]Preferably FTL [/LIST] [*]System and World Generation [*]Rules for determining what's ahead and on world. [*]Some form of long term power constraint, but not too constraining. [/LIST] Of the Trek games, the ones hitting all of those: FASA Trek barely meets it; LUG hits it well, Decipher Trek does OK, STA lacks coherent world gen/sys gen. WNMHGB and Far Trek do better than most. [I][U]Starship's & Spacemen[/U][/I] (S&S) does OK, and is the one that includes lots of space terrain other than systems. The board game, [I][U]Star Explorer[/U][/I], can readily be used as a mission generator for S&S, and plays well on its own.. Note also: almost all but S&S/SE lack long term power constraint in rules. The avoid list is Heritage Models Star Trek, Prime Directive (all editions are unsuitable for this mode, tho PD 1E is the least far). Alpha Quadrant is mostly just proof of concept character gen. Real Old School folk will like S&S 1e; fans of (IMO, the absolutely horribly lame) [I][U]Mutant Future[/U][/I] will likely prefer 2e... WEG Star Wars 2e/2er and WEG d6 Space are both good choices save for the long term constraints - tho one can extrapolate from GG6 for that aspect. WEG's [I][U]Shatterzone,[/U][/I] TSR's [I][U]Alternity[/U][/I], Leading Edge's [I][U]Aliens Adventure Game[/U][/I], FGU's [I][U]Space Opera[/U][/I], and [I][U]Other Suns[/U][/I], and several others, lack one or more of the elements, IMO. But they're usable. Same is true of Free League's [I][U]Coriolis[/U][/I] and [I][U]Alien[/U][/I]. They're not going to have the wagon train feel, but can do the trek feel almost passably, IMO. [/QUOTE]
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