I have Mariner Book 1, Characters and Conflict in playtestable format now. It's not what I had originally hoped for -- it does not use the "classic" Traveller mechanics -- but the system that I settled on, the One Roll Engine, has pleased me immensely in its application.

There are a number of adaptations with kinks that need to be ironed out, and I'd take it as a kindness if you'd help me find them and perhaps even work through them. Download the .PDF, read the rules, make up a couple of characters, tell me how it works (or doesn't) for you.

!i!

Any opinions so far?  How does it look?  How does the One Roll Engine shake your tree?  What happened when you tried to write up a character?

!i!

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaAny opinions so far?  How does it look?  How does the One Roll Engine shake your tree?  What happened when you tried to write up a character?

!i!

I was excited about this until I saw you decided on ORE, Ian. Then I figured someone else who likes ORE can playtest it.

-clash

I worked with three different systems (including one of yours) after it became apparent that the Traveller rules set wasn't going to be available, and the one that settled in most comfortably was the ORE.  All of the systems that I was working with were significantly different from the original Traveller system, so I've been prepared to disappoint someone in the process.  I realise this isn't exactly a One Roll Engine love-in hereabouts, but my hope is that enthusiasm for the project as a whole will encourage some to give it a shake.

!i!

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaI It's not what I had originally hoped for -- it does not use the "classic" Traveller mechanics...   ...it became apparent that the Traveller rules set wasn't going to be available

I don't understand this at all.

  Just pull a Mongoose, re-write the "Traveller mechanics" into the cleaned up and improved "Mariner mechanics".

  If you are having to re-write a bunch of rules any way - you might as well re-write the ones you wanted in the first place.

Especially if you are going to use your own setting.

 I can understand wanting to get permission, but if they're being foolish about a mechanic with no copyright protection...



.

Well, the situation is actually an interesting convolution in the development of my idea.  First and foremost, I intend MARINER as a forthright and complimentary homage to Traveller.  My original intent was to secure the rights to the original mechanics, even going so far as to pay to license them for a project that might never be released for commercial distribution (though I had hoped to do so).  However, my attempts to contact the license holder for permission have met with no response thus far.

In my enthusiasm to forge ahead on the project, I set my adaptation of the Traveller rules aside and decided to work on an end-run of sorts, adapting another established game system that would capture the spirit of Traveller, yet be readily available for my use.  Among those systems, Clash very generously offered his Star Cluster system when I asked, using In Harm's Way and Aces in Spades as a model, though, ultimately, it didn't quite click in my head.  I also started down the route of d20, but quickly realised that it would take a more committed soul than myself to pursue that beast.  Ultimately, I started fiddling with the ORE as used in NEMESIS, I personally found it very, very easy to adapt to my needs, and Dennis Detwiller and Greg Stolze were generous enough to grant permission to use it free of charge.

Here are the funny kinks to the ordeal.  I have permission to use the adapted ORE free of charge, but the agreement necessitates that the document must be distributed freely, in perpetuity.  Fair enough, but if I've abandoned any ambition of ever selling the document for profit, then perhaps I don't need to worry myself about licensed permission to use the Traveller rules.  Furthermore, I'm aware that I can create my own set of Traveller-like mechanics as long as I don't plagiarise the text, with which I could do as I pleased, distributing for free or for profit.  However, both of these last two realisations run counter to that whole "forthright and complimentary homage" I mentioned above.  Yeah, I could probably get away with it, but that was never what I wanted to do in the first place.

Now, here's another kink in the chain.  I've unabashedly borrowed the title font and general layout of the original boxed set, and I've made obvious mock-ups of the original covers.  Does that constitute plagiarism?  No, but it might be considered intentional product confusion -- making a knock-off product look like a more popular product with the intent of confusing potential customers.  Why am I worried about the text and mechanics when I'm not worried about the covers?  Honestly, I don't have an answer to that.

Anyway, this is all part and parcel of the playtest: Do the ORE mechanics work for you?  Given that the real point of the project is to emulate the good ol' classic Traveller, does this adaptation capture the feel of the game?  I know that fans of ORE who like Traveller will be well-disposed toward it, but will fans of Traveller, independent of their other tastes in games, will they like this?

!i!

And, in a breaking update, I've just learned that the Traveller rules set, in one form or another, may be available for the MARINER project after all.  Fortune favors the persistent.

More as this develops.

!i!

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaAnd, in a breaking update, I've just learned that the Traveller rules set, in one form or another, may be available for the MARINER project after all.  Fortune favors the persistent.

More as this develops.

!i!

That's good news - I'd rather see this using the Traveller ruleset than the one you are using at present.

By the way, it looks very good and very true to Traveller. My only question is what do you envisage the characters doing in a typical adventure?

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaAnd, in a breaking update, I've just learned that the Traveller rules set, in one form or another, may be available for the MARINER project after all.  Fortune favors the persistent.

More as this develops.

!i!

That would absolutely rock, Ian!

I'm not usually a systems bigot, but I really can't stand ORE.

-clash

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaAnd, in a breaking update, I've just learned that the Traveller rules set, in one form or another, may be available for the MARINER project after all.  Fortune favors the persistent.

More as this develops.

!i!

Let me put it my excitement this way:  When I found out you weren't going with CT, I started seriously considering doing my own Traveller Modern in your stead.  

So I'm happy to hear I might not have to go through that much work.  

Quote from: Simon WThat's good news - I'd rather see this using the Traveller ruleset than the one you are using at present.

I am both pleased and hurt by this remark. :deflated: I understand your sentiments, though, and you share them with a number of people who've commented on the project.

QuoteBy the way, it looks very good and very true to Traveller. My only question is what do you envisage the characters doing in a typical adventure?

For my part, I mostly envisage character activity to focus either around tramp steamers or professional marine salvage companies.  The former likens to the classic "free trader" model in Traveller, while the latter can span the gamut from high seas rescue of distressed ships to treasure hunting.  For those with an eye toward the model of Book 4, Mercenary, there's the option of signing on with a martime security company -- hired soldiers who guard ships against pirates.  The frequency of unusual activity will necessarily be greater than that in real life, but that's a necessity of entertainment aspect of the game.

For inspiration, the TV show "Firefly" is a very good model.  I've also been finding the Arturo Pérez-Reverte novels The Nautical Chart and Queen of the South highly inspiring.

!i!

Oh BTW, have you had a chance to watch Black Lagoon yet?

EDIT:  Black Lagoon is basically eactly what I'd wanna run with this, is why I ask.  

I can point you to some fansubs if you'd like, they'd be a quite nifty reference, though they might be a little action-movie.

How aboot the Colin Glencannon stories? I hae the fearst and secon' Omnibooses... :O



-clash, Clan Graham of Montrose

Quote from: J ArcaneOh BTW, have you had a chance to watch Black Lagoon yet?

That's right, you'd mentioned Black Lagoon some time back.  I just Googled up a couple of references and found that Geneon already has the official studio subs on the market.  This looks very, very interesting, and, yes, this is exactly the sort of thing I'd envisage players doing wtih MARINER.  After all, it's pretty much exactly what we did with Traveller (right down to the businessman character being a barely-explicable member of the crew -- thank heavens for the Bureaucrat career in Supplement 4).

!i!

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaThat's right, you'd mentioned Black Lagoon some time back.  I just Googled up a couple of references and found that Geneon already has the official studio subs on the market.  This looks very, very interesting, and, yes, this is exactly the sort of thing I'd envisage players doing wtih MARINER.  After all, it's pretty much exactly what we did with Traveller (right down to the businessman character being a barely-explicable member of the crew -- thank heavens for the Bureaucrat career in Supplement 4).

!i!

There's only 4 episodes out for the official release so far, and from the sounds of it the release schedule is very slow.  

It'd be nice to have an official dub, and I'm sure I'll check out the official version once it's finished, but the show is a bit too story-arc-ish to deal with waiting for the DVDs.  Hell, the S1 finale is a cliffhanger, one I've waited a good year for because for some reason the fansub group just stopped to take a break after S1.

But anyway, yeah, the concept is dead perfect for a modern Traveller than leans to the shady side of legality.  Really awesome show, loved S1, and now that S2 has been fansubbed, I'm downloading it as we speak.