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Author Topic: What do you find appealling about the Traveller setting?  (Read 4672 times)

jeff37923

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Re: What do you find appealling about the Traveller setting?
« Reply #60 on: September 03, 2022, 09:04:00 AM »
I think one of the main draws of Traveller, Star Frontiers and Universe is that each captured the feel of space opera, exploration, travel, mercanteering, intrigue, etc, and does it right. They are all very flexible systems and settings allowing for any number of playstyles.

Were something like Star Wars fails as space opera but succeeds at space fantasy while Star Trek started off well but was more focused. Then started the slide into fantasy with TNG era.

The first three feel grounded. While Star Wars and Star Trek increasingly feel anything but.

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Universe! That was SPI, right? Never got a chance to see it. Do you remember the game called Space Opera? We made characters and ditched it for Star Frontiers.

Space Opera was the first SFRPG I bought as a kid. I ditched it for Classic Traveller because Space Opera was a confused mess.
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David Johansen

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Re: What do you find appealling about the Traveller setting?
« Reply #61 on: September 03, 2022, 10:50:29 AM »
The fun thing about Space Opera is that it's built on top of the Space Marines miniatures game.  Being an old school miniatures game, all the stats are in charts, so the Blaard in powered armour C's movement rate is on the movement chart.  As such the GM NEVER needs to create stats for opponents.
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Shawn Driscoll

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Re: What do you find appealling about the Traveller setting?
« Reply #62 on: September 18, 2022, 05:56:43 PM »
What makes the Traveller setting appealling to you? I don't care which version of the Traveller rules you're using; this is a question about the setting.

I've been invited into a friend's Traveller game. He's a good GM, and I've played in several of his games over the past 25 years, but this one is causing me to hesitate. Why? Because I just don't find anything interesting in the Charted Space setting. So, am I missing something? What makes the setting click for you?
The Traveller setting is boring when there are boring players at the table. If you can roleplay, find a group of roleplayers. Then you're hooked. No matter the planet you're on.

Svenhelgrim

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Re: What do you find appealling about the Traveller setting?
« Reply #63 on: September 19, 2022, 10:35:16 AM »
How does the setting handle development of tech outside its usual bounds? For example,  can a brilliant scientist PC hope to develop FTL comms, an alternate FTL (such as one that doesn't require massive sections of the ship devoted to fuel), transporter/teleportation technology, energy-to-matter transformation (replicators)replicator, time travel, or mind/body transfers?

Having no FTL comms is kind if a hard line for the traveller universe.  If the speed of communication is limited to the speed of travel, the. You get a more 18th century Age Of Sail/far-flung empire vibe.  A universe with FTL comms would be more like Star Trek or Star Wars.

Of course, you can introduce FTL comms, but you have to rework the universe. Taking into account the new parameters.  The 3rd Imperium with FTL Comms would have a stronger central government since the Emperor could get news from all over the Imperium very quickly and dispatch agents or the military to handle the job. 

But using the basic traveller rules, you could definitely build that universe.  Some of the official Traveller adventures would probably still work, you’d just have to do some modding.

zircher

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Re: What do you find appealling about the Traveller setting?
« Reply #64 on: September 19, 2022, 11:03:22 AM »
You could have a lot of fun with that.  Of course, the fun for me would be in breaking it.  Like setting up a FTL comm relay eats gas giants.  Or FTL comm attracts beasties from beyond that are lured to the device like moths to a flame.  Or, it's Ancient tech and there is only one pair of devices.
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Svenhelgrim

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Re: What do you find appealling about the Traveller setting?
« Reply #65 on: September 19, 2022, 11:48:59 AM »
You could have a lot of fun with that.  Of course, the fun for me would be in breaking it.  Like setting up a FTL comm relay eats gas giants.  Or FTL comm attracts beasties from beyond that are lured to the device like moths to a flame.  Or, it's Ancient tech and there is only one pair of devices.

Re: Lostech.

One part of the Official Traveller Universe (OTU) was the existence of a technologically advanced civilization called: The Ancients.  Their magictech artifcats and sites can be found on many different worlds.  The ANcients had FTL comms, and interdimensional travel, and many other miraculous divices.  So OTU has you covered there. 

There was even a race that blew up a star.